Mar. 1859. WESTERN SHORES OF BOOTHIA. 203 



On the 2 1 st I visited our main depot laid out last 

 October ; it was safe, but unfortunately had been placed far 

 into Wrottesley Inlet, and only 40 miles south of Bellot Strait. 



On the 22nd an easterly gale prevented our marching, 

 but we had the good fortune to shoot a bear, so consoled 

 ourselves with fresh steaks, and the dogs with an ample feed 

 of unfrozen flesh — a treat they had not enjoyed for many 

 months. 



We coasted along a granitic land, deeply indented and 

 fringed with islands, and found it to be the general charac- 

 teristic of the Boothian shore from Bellot Strait, until we 

 had accomplished half the distance to the Magnetic Pole ; 

 limestone then appeared, and the remainder of our journey 

 was performed along a low, straight shore, which afforded 

 us much greater facility for sledging. 



Throughout the whole distance we found a mixture of 

 heavy old ice, and light ice of last autumn, in many places 

 squeezed up into pack ; but as we advanced southward, the 

 old floes were less frequently seen. 



On the 1st of March we halted to encamp at the supposed 

 position of the Magnetic Pole — for no cairn remains to 

 mark the spot. I had almost concluded that my journey 

 would prove to be only labour in vain, because hitherto no 

 traces of Esquimaux had been met with, and, in consequence 

 of the reduced state of our provisions, and the wretched 

 condition of the poor dogs — six out of the fifteen being 

 quite useless — I could only advance one more march. 



But we had done nothing more than look ahead; when 

 we halted, and turned round, great indeed was my surprise 

 and joy to see four men walking after us ! Petersen and I 

 immediately buckled on our revolvers, and advanced to 

 meet them. The natives halted, made fast their dogs, laid 

 down their spears, and received us without any evidence of 

 surprise. They told us they had been out upon a seal hunt 

 on the ice, and were returning home : we proposed to join 



