

PARRY'S FIRST VOYAGE. 109 



Hunting parties occasionally went out and procured 

 a few reindeer ; but a migration of these animals took 

 place before the close of October, leaving behind them 

 only wolves and foxes to keep the party company dur- 

 ing the long winter months. Even the polar hare, so 

 common in the Arctic regions, never once showed itself 

 on Melville Island in the course of the winter. The 

 musk-ox, also very common during its proper season, 

 arrived on Melville Island in the middle of May, by 

 crossing the ice from the southward, and quitted it by 

 the same way on its return towards the end of Septem- 

 ber. On the 15th the last covey of ptarmigan was met 

 with ; and on the same day were seen fifteen deer, all 

 Jying down, except one large one, probably a stag ; 

 this, after the rising of the rest, seemed to guard the 

 animals in their flight, frequently going round the 

 herd, sometimes striking them with his horns to make 

 them go on, which they appeared not much inclined to 

 do. Even seals were not found in this neighborhood ; 

 but whales of different kinds were commonly met with ; 

 gulls and ducks, however, so numerous in Davis's Strait 

 and the Georgian Islands, condescended not to visit 

 Melville Island, but " two or three specimens of a cat- 

 erpillar were obtained, one of which was brought to 

 England' 7 of course as an Arctic curiosity. One 

 large white bear, having pursued Captain Sabine's ser- 

 vant to the ship, was shot at and wounded, but made 

 his escape ; it was the only one met with during the 

 stay of the party, but described as being more purely 

 white than any they had before seen. A feeble willow, 

 a saxifrage, lichens, and stunted grasses, constitute 

 pretty nearly i\\Q flora of Melville Island. 



The total privation of game of any kind now afforded 

 few excursions for the exercise and amusement of hunt- 

 ing. Parties, however, had occasionally been sent out 



