252 FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE NORTH [April 



gone to Eureka Sound for a new wife. Fortunately, he did not 

 peep into my bag, which contains a Httle of everything. He helped 

 himself to all of our biscuit, however. 



On the 26th we left the south shore of Amund Ringnes 

 Island and headed across for Hendriksen Sound for 

 North Cornwall, reaching there at four-fifteen, I being 

 the first white man to step upon the island for sixty 

 years. Its northern, eastern, and much of its southern 

 shores have never been visited by man. On August 

 30, 1852, Sir Edward Belcher, in his search for Sir 

 John Franklin, landed from a boat on the southern 

 shore, touching for a few hours only at two points. 



There we found traces of wolves, musk-oxen, and 

 hare, encouraging me to believe that the game-supply 

 might enable me to round the whole island. 



Upon the northern coast of this island there is a 

 magnificent headland rising to a height of 1,200 feet. 

 I named this McLeod Head after my good friend, 

 Capt. Angus McLeod. Upon its summit my Eskimos 

 constructed a cairn five feet high and four in circum- 

 ference, for my record inclosed in a small bottle. 



The view was magnificent. Three islands were dis- 

 covered lying off the shore to the west and northwest; 

 one of these we had passed coming over. In the south- 

 west a large fiord could be plainly seen, in the center of 

 which was a high island. Looking south over the land 

 through the hills, the sea ice blended into the haze of 

 the distance. 



To explore this new land again I must have meat — 

 troublesome food! What an amount of work a man 

 could do if he didn't have to eat! One miserable hare 

 was the result of three hours' hunting. 



The morning of the 27th was memorable, made so 



