298 REVISIT MOUNT PARKER. [Jutie, 



pline, was now accomplished in twelve hours ; the out- 

 ward journey occupied thirty-six hours, or three travelling 

 days ! A bear came boldly down upon us, and probably 

 would have afforded us fuel and dog's-meat ; but, fortu- 

 nately for him, my coxswain, when last in chase of the 

 old lady and her cub, had loaded with snow before the 

 powder, which was now found useless, and further en- 

 tailed great difficulty and delay in discharging, reload- 

 ing, etc., independent of crippling the ramrod. Bruin 

 made off very leisurely, yet still continued to evince con- 

 siderable curiosity. Three of our party volunteered to 

 accompany him, but he was very suspicious, vouchsafing 

 them very little attention, and merely increasing his pace 

 from time to time to preserve a dignified distance, which 

 having attained, he leisurely turned round to scan his 

 impertinent intruders. As our affairs did not admit of 

 delay, we were soon en route : on crossing the flats, now 

 barely skinned with dirty ice, we noticed fragments of 

 coal, chert, shells, etc., which had been washed up pro- 

 bably last season. 



About seven P.M. on the 4th, the 'Dauntless' and the 

 'Hamilton' were despatched in advance, our party as- 

 cending the mount, in order to obtain, if possible, the 

 bearing, as well as the best route through the off-lying 

 pack to our new islands. From the summit they were 

 barely seen, but I had a very clear view of the eastern 

 boundary of North Cornwall, confirming my idea of its 

 being an island ; no land intervened between it and the 

 capped hills of our northern group. Even to have seen 

 them was satisfactory, for those who did not view them 

 through the instrument deemed them imaginary. In 



