June, 1859. RELICS AT THE CAIRN. 259 



A great quantity and variety of things lay strewed about 

 the cairn, such as even in their three days' march from the 

 ships the retreating crews found it impossible to carry 

 further. Amongst these were four heavy sets of boat's cook- 

 ing stoves, pickaxes, shovels, iron hoops, old canvas, a large 

 single block, about four feet of a copper lightning conductor, 

 long pieces of hollow brass curtain rods, a small case of 

 selected medicines containing about twenty-four phials, the 

 contents in a wonderful state of preservation ; a dip circle 

 by Robinson, with two needles, bar magnets, and light hori- 

 zontal needle all complete, the whole weighing only nine 

 pounds ; and even a small sextant engraved with the name 

 of "Frederic Hornby" lying beside the cairn without its 

 case. The coloured eye-shades of the sextant had been 

 taken out, otherwise it was perfect; the movable screws 

 and such parts as come in contact with the observer's hand 

 were neatly covered with thin leather to prevent frost-bite in 

 severe weather. 



The clothing left by the retreating crews of the. ' Erebus ' 

 and ' Terror ' formed a huge heap four feet high ; every 

 article was searched, but the pockets were empty, and not 

 one of all these articles was marked, — indeed sailors' warm 

 clothing seldom is. Two canteens, the property of marines, 

 were found, one marked "88 C°. Win. Hedges," and the 

 other "89 C°. Wm. Heather." A small pannikin made out 

 of a two-pound preserved-meat tin had scratched on it "W. 

 Mark." 



These abandoned superfluities afford the saddest and 

 most convincing proof that here — on this spot — our doomed 

 and scurvy-stricken countrymen calmly prepared themselves 

 to struggle manfully for life. 



When continuing my homeward march, and, as nearly as 

 I could judge, 2 J- or 2! miles to the north of Point Victory, 

 I saw a few stones placed in line, as if across the head of a 



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