.May, 1859. RETURN JOURNEY COMMENCED. 233 



Since our first landing upon King William's Island we 

 have not met with any heavy ice ; all along its eastern and 

 southern shore, together with this estuary of the Great Fish 

 River, is one vast unbroken sheet formed in the early part 

 of last winter, where no ice previously existed; this I fancy, 

 from the accounts of Back and Anderson, is unusual, and 

 may have caused the Esquimaux to vary their seal-hunting 

 localities. Mr. Petersen suggested that they might have 

 retired into the various inlets after the seals ; and therefore 

 I determined to cross over into Barrow's Inlet as soon as 

 we had examined the Point Ogle Peninsula. 



Upon Montreal Island I shot a hare and a brace of 

 willow-grouse. Up to this date we had shot during our 

 journey only one bear and a couple of ptarmigan. The 

 first recent traces of reindeer were met with here. 



On the 1 8th May crossed over to the mainland near Point 

 Duncan, but, Hampton again complaining, I was obliged to 

 encamp. When away from my party, and exploring along 

 the shore towards Elliot Bay, I saw a herd of eight reindeer 

 and succeeded in shooting one of them. In the evening 

 Petersen shot another. Some willow-grouse also were seen. 

 Here we found much more vegetation than upon King 

 William's Island, or any other arctic land I have yet seen. 



On the evening of the 19th May we commenced our 

 return journey, but for the three following weeks our route 

 led us over new ground. Hampton being unable to drag, I 

 made over my puppy team to him, and was thus left free to 

 explore and fully examine every doubtful object along our 

 route. I shall not easily forget the trial my patience under- 

 went during the six weeks I drove that dog-sledge. The 

 leader of my team, named " Omar Pasha," was very willing, 

 but very lame \ little ' ; Rose " was coquettish, and fonder of 

 being caressed than whipped, from some cause or other she 

 ceased growing when only a few months old, she was there- 



