1913] NORTHWARD HO! 17 



Devil's Thumb. As the southern boundary of Melville 

 Bay it lifts its black head a thousand feet above the 

 level of the sea, bearing a striking resemblance to an old 

 rugged, upturned thumb. It is situated in 74° 40', 

 north latitude, 165 miles from Cape York. 



Cape Seddon and Cape Walker could be seen off the 

 starboard bow and, within a few hours. Cape Melville, 

 dominating heads of black rocks outlining the curve 

 of Melville Bay. 



At 12.30 P.M. on August 15th we blew our whistle 

 under the cliffs of Cape York. Only ten days had been 

 consumed in our long trip from Battle Harbor to this 

 northern settlement of the Smith Sound tribe. The ice 

 of the dreaded Melville Bay had not even scratched our 

 paint ! 



One hundred years ago. Sir John Ross navigated his 

 ship through Melville Bay and arrived at the edge of 

 the ice-field attached to these shores. To his amaze- 

 ment, black dots were seen rapidly approaching. What 

 in the world could they be.^ Eskimos and their dog- 

 teams ! The most northern people in the world ! Eager- 

 ly they examined the big ship and in detail everything 

 connected with it. Through an interpreter from South 

 Greenland they asked Sir John where he came from. 

 He replied: 



"From the south." 



"That is impossible," they said. "No one could live 

 down there. All of our ice goes off in that direction. 

 It must be now filled up with ice!" 



Doctor Kane, in 1853, and Doctor Hayes, in 1861, 

 found but a small population, and stated that in a few 

 years undoubtedly the race would vanish. There are 

 more to-day than there were then, and they are in- 



