48 LIEUTENANT HAMILTON'S PARTY. [October, 



had every reason to hope that, with the resources at our 

 command, we should get to the westward of Melville 

 Island, and find, at any rate, some indications of those 

 we came to seek, should they have entered the Polar 

 Sea." 



May 17. " About one P.M., to our great surprise, we 

 crossed a sledge-track, which appeared very recent ; I 

 immediately halted the sledge, and followed them back 

 to the eastward. After an hour's quick walking, we saw 

 an encampment, and, on coming up to it, found it to be 

 a party from the ' Resolute,' under Lieutenant Hamilton. 

 The surprise of himself and his party may be imagined 

 at being awoke from their dreams by the hail of a 

 stranger!" The former intelligence has been already 

 given. Lieutenant Hamilton had been now twenty-one 

 days from Dealy Island ; he accompanied him back to 

 his tent, and finally, giving him instructions where to 

 overtake Lieutenant Osborn, they separated. Comman- 

 der Richards was then very nearly on our parallel, lati- 

 tude 76 48' 30", and having now reached the north ex- 

 treme of Melville Island, bore away southerly for Hecla 

 and Griper Bay, meeting with many difficulties. 



On the 19th, on visiting a cairn left by Lieutenant 

 Hamilton, he noticed " a fragment of a pine branch, 

 about two feet long, with part of the bark upon it, worn 

 and split from contact with the ice, having probably 

 drifted from North-west America. It had not the slight- 

 est appearance of having come from a ship." 



He reached Cape Mudge on the 28th ; all appearances 

 of animals ceased on rounding the north point of Mel- 

 ville Island, and heavy weather prevailed. 



