Aug. 1859. HOBSON'S JOURNEY. 301 



Two broken bottles (corked) lay amongst the loose stones 

 which had fallen off the cairn, and these may perhaps have 

 contained records. The most interesting of the relics, 

 including a small English ensign, and the iron heads of two 

 boarding pikes, were brought away. 



The tents lay prostrate, and without tent-poles ; it seems 

 highly probable that the pikes had been used for that pur- 

 pose, and were subsequently burnt for fuel. 



Two miles farther to the south-west a small cairn was 

 found, but neither record nor relics ; and about three miles 

 northward of Point Victory a third cairn was examined, but 

 only a broken pickaxe and empty tin canister found. 



I have already explained how Hobson found the records 

 and the boat ; he exercised his discretionary power with 

 sound judgment, and completed his search so well that, in 

 coming over the same ground after him, I could not dis- 

 cover any trace that had escaped him. 



I quite agree with him that there may be many small 

 articles beneath the snow ; but that cairns, graves, or 

 any conspicuous objects could exist upon so low and 

 uniform a shore, without our having seen them, is almost 

 impossible. 



The natives told Petersen that the ships were destroyed 

 in the autumn of the same year in which they were aban- 

 doned ; but not understanding their Esquimaux names of 

 places upon King William's Island, we could not ascertain 

 whereabouts the one was crushed and sunk, and the other 

 driven on shore. But as the natives had not visited the 

 north-west shore since the landing there of the lost crews, it 

 seems tolerably certain that it was off the south-west shore 

 of King William's Island that the abandoned ships were 

 destroyed. 



Sunday evening, 28///. — Calm, warm, lovely weather ; and 

 we are thoroughly enjoying it in the quiet security of Lievely 



