Leaving Fort Chippewyan on the 1st of June, 1837, they reached Bear Lake River on the 3rd of July, and six days afterwards were out on the sea. On the 23rd of July they camped at Return Reef, that is to say they had traversed the whole extent of Franklin's survey in a fortnight, and not without danger from the ice and losing much time by doubling the floes, however far they extended seawards. Once Simpson's boat, which was of course leading, was only saved from destruction by throwing out everything it contained upon the floating masses. By means of portages made from one fragment to another, the oars forming the perilous bridges, and after repeated risks of boats, men, and baggage being separated by the motion of the ice, they succeeded with much labour in collecting the whole equipment on one floe, which, being covered with water, formed a sort of wet dock. There they hauled up the boats, momentarily liable to be overwhelmed by the turning over of the ice, three miles from land, with the fog settled round them throughout the inclement night. Continuing westwards along new country, they reached and named Cape George Simpson (after the Governor) and, a little further on, Boat Extreme, where, from the coldness of the weather and the interminable ice, the further advance of the boats appeared to be so hopeless that Dease agreed to stay in charge of them while Simpson with five men, including McKay and Felix, pushed ahead for Point Barrow on foot. Passing McKay Inlet and Sinclair River, named after the two steersmen, an Eskimo camp was reached, where Simpson exchanged his tin plate for a platter made out of a mammoth tusk, and borrowed an oomiak which floated in about half a foot of water. In this useful skin boat the journey was resumed to Point Barrow, and on the 4th of August the survey completed between Franklin's farthest and Elson's.