254 VISITED BY A WOLF. [May, 



made good our deficiency of provisions from the depot ; 

 anp last, not least, rested six hours. At this station a 

 wolf came to inquire the cause of our visit: it was 

 joined by the dogs of our party, and did not quarrel ; 

 but the animal was so unlike a wolf, and, supposing our 

 Cape York dogs a little blanched, the extraordinary simi- 

 larity of the remaining black lines so much interested 

 me, that I issued orders for his " tabu," under a feeling 

 that it might possibly be one of Sir John Franklin's 

 dogs, and by petting would conduct us to some clue as 

 to his people, or, even failing in that, to some tribe of 

 wandering Esquimaux (Huskies is the only term used 

 here). The bears had visited the cache, torn down the 

 blue flag, but without disturbing the staff or the provi- 

 sion ! Funny fellows they are ! Why have tney such 

 an antipathy to blue ? Yellow is safe ; possibly they 

 fear pratique, as many bears did not many years since ; 

 but to have climbed this loose gravel pile, stood on hind 

 legs, torn down the flag, and rent it as they did, is mar- 

 vellous. Their general weight is about seven hundred- 

 weight ; my own weight about one and a half, and yet I 

 found it difficult to retain my footing on such a moving 

 pile : they must be fairies ! About eight P.M. we pitched 

 two miles short of a low gravel point, having in sight 

 the new island seen from Exmouth Island on the 28th of 

 August last; distance six miles, the temperature +4. 



May 8. On the 8th the division moved forward 

 about seven, but about eleven I remained behind with 

 the ' Hamilton,' Mr. Loney, and two hands, to secure 

 the latitude and other observations on a low intervening 

 gravel island. This island is composed, as all here are, 



