OF THE POLAR SEA. 



395 



save our last remaining meal of pemmiean. They saw also some 

 fresh tracks of musk oxen on the banks of a small stream, which 

 flowed into a lake in the centre of the island. These animals must 

 have crossed a channel, at least, three miles wide, to reach the nearest 

 of these islands. Some specimens of variegated pebbles and jasper 

 were found here imbedded in the amygdaloidal rock. 



Re-embarking at two P.M., and continuing through what was 

 supposed to be a channel between two islands, we found our passage 

 barred by a gravelly isthmus of only ten yards in width ; the canoes 

 and cargoes were carried across it, and we passed into Bathurst's Inlet 

 through another similar channel, bounded on both sides by steep 

 rocky hills. The wind then changing from S.E. to N.W. brought 

 heavy rain, and we encamped at seven P.M., having advanced 

 eighteen miles. 



August 25. — Starting this morning with a fresh breeze in our favour, 

 we soon reached that part of Barry's Island where the canoes were 

 detained on the 2d and 3rd of this month, and contrary to what we 

 then experienced, the deer were now plentiful. The hunters killed 

 two, and we were relieved from all apprehension of an immediate 

 want of food. One would suppose the deer were about to retire to 

 the main shore from their assembling at this time in such number* 

 on the islands nearest to the coast. Those we saw were generally 

 females with their young, and all of them very lean. 



The wind continued in the same direction until we had rounded 

 Point Wollaston, and then changed to a quarter, which enabled us 

 to steer for Hood's River, which we ascended as high as the first 

 rapid and encamped. Here terminated our voyage on the Arctic 

 sea, during which we had gone over six hundred and fifty geogra- 

 phical miles. Our Canadian voyagers could not restrain their ex- 

 pressions of joy at having turned their backs on the sea, and 

 they passed the evening talking over their past adventures with 

 much humour and no little exaggeration. The consideration that 



3 £ 2 



