98 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. IV. 



venient spot for communication with the ships, and 

 also with a house built on the beach for the recep- 

 tion of the clocks and other instruments. The walls 

 of this were of double plank, with moss between, so 

 that a high temperature could be kept up in it, 

 without difficulty, by a single stove. 



Hunting parties occasionally went out and pro- 

 cured a few rein-deer; but a migration of these 

 animals took place before the close of October, leav- 

 ing behind them only wolves and foxes to keep the 

 party company during the long winter months. 

 Even the Polar hare, so common in the Arctic re- 

 gions, never once showed itself on Melville Island in 

 the course of the winter. The musk ox (Bos mo- 

 schatus), also very common, during its proper season, 

 arrived on Melville Island in the middle of May, by 

 crossing the ice from the southward ; and quitted it 

 by the same way on its return, towards the end of 

 September. On the 1 5th, the last covey of ptarmigan 

 was met with ; and on the same day were seen fifteen 

 deer, all lying down, except one large one, probably 

 a stag ; this, after the rising of the rest, seemed to 

 guard the animals in their flight, frequently going 

 round the herd, sometimes striking them with his 

 horns to make them go on, which they appeared not 

 much inclined to do. Even seals were not found in 

 this neighbourhood ; but whales of different kinds 

 were commonly met with: gulls and ducks, however, 

 so numerous in Davis's Strait and the Georgian 



