DISASTROUS SEPARATION. 371 



Lad been left, and quite good, with the exception of a 

 cask of tallow, a case of chocolate, and a barrel of bis- 

 cuit, which had been destroyed, and their contents de- 

 molished, by the bears and foxes. A house erected by 

 Sir James Ross was also found in pretty good condition, 

 being only a little damaged in the roof. Near to this 

 there was a flag-staff, to which a cylinder was attached, 

 containing a notice of the deposit of provisions, and of 

 the future intentions of the party by whom they had been 

 left. 



" It was now," says Kennedy, " the 10th of Septem- 

 ber. Winter was evidently fast setting in, and, from the 

 distance the ship had been carried during that disas- 

 trous night, whether out to sea or down the inlet we 

 could not conjecture, there was no hope of our being 

 able to rejoin her, at least during the present season. 

 There remained, therefore, no alternative but to make up 

 our minds to pass the winter, if necessary, where we 

 were. The first object to be attended to was the erect- 

 ing of some sort of shelter against the daily increasing 

 inclemency of the weather ; and for this purpose the 

 launch, left by Sir James Ross, was selected. Uer main- 

 mast was laid on supports at the bow and stern, about 

 nine feet in height, and by spreading two of her sails 

 3ver this a very tolerable roof was obtained. A stove 

 vas set up in the body of the boat, with the pipes run- 

 ning through the roof; and we were soon sitting by a 

 comfortable fire, which, after our long exposure to the 

 \vet and cold, we stood very much in need of." 



Kennedy now arranged his plans for the future. To 

 undertake a long winter journey over the country on 

 foot had been his original intention ; but, under the 

 present circumstances, this was impossible. He there- 

 fore determined first to send out travelling parties, aa 

 soon as the state of the ice should permit, to institute 



