38 CAPTAIN m'CLUEE's DESPATCHES. 



travelling upon flat ice nearly the entire way ; accomplishing in ten 

 days what occujjied eighteen upon the outward trip, and reached the 

 sh'ip upon the 9th of May, when I had the gratification of receiving the 

 most satisftictory reports concerning our sanitary condition, and like- 

 wise that the supply of venison continued abundant, having twenty head 

 of deer on board. In consequence, the ration of venison was increased 

 to Ulb. thrice a week, as the crew were hard at work, clearing the 

 holds, collecting and bringing off ballast—the latter a very laborious oc- 

 cupation, from the large space they had to search over in picking up a 

 sufficiency of stone to complete 1 00 tons, which was not accomplished 

 until the 25th ; after which we commenced watering, obtaining it from 

 a lake about a mile from the ship, by boring through 7 feet 10 inches 

 of ice, and cutting a reservoir to receive it, this forming a species of 

 artesian well, which gave a bountiful supply, enabling the water to be 

 completed by the 12th of June, previous to the commencement of the 

 thaw, which was a great advantage to the crew, as it kept them dry- 

 footed. About this time flocks of wild fowl, consisting of swans, geese, 

 and all descriptions of ducks, began to arrive, but, finding no water, 

 merely took a flight round the north-west extreme of the land and 

 returned to the southward ; from which it would appear that the season 

 is late. Indeed, the land is as much covered with snow, as in the depth 

 of winter ; nor was it until the 25th of the month that any alteration 

 took place, when small streams commenced trickhng down the sunny 

 slopes of the ravines, and little ponds formed upon the ice. 



On the 30th we had an entire day of heavy snow, with one of the 

 most severe northerly gales I ever witnessed at so advanced a period 

 of the season; and upon the 1st of July found that the ice had in- 

 creased its thickness four inches during the last month, being seven feet 

 two inches ; a most unusual circumstance, as both at Port Leopold and in 

 the Prince of AYales' Strait we found a very considerable decrease. 

 During the month of June the temperature likewise was very low, 

 showing an average of 31|^°. The appearance of the crew, at their 

 monthly inspection, elicited a more unfavourable report from the sur- 

 geon than I have hitherto received; evident symptoms of debility 

 among the generality of them, and sixteen having a decided scorbutic 

 tendency, plainly the effect of the late heavy labour in ballasting and 

 watering; but as all our work is now on board, their gradual return 

 to perfect health may be anticipated, without encumbering the sick list. 

 On the 8th of July, Sergeant Woon, of the Marines, while in 

 pursuit of a wounded deer, unexpectedly met a couple of ^ musk 

 bulls, which he succeeded in killing, evincing the most soldier-like 

 coolness and intrepidity during the entire transaction.^ Having ex- 

 pended his ammunition as one of the wounded and infuriated monsters 

 rushed towards liim, he fired his " worm " when at a few yards, but 

 without much effect. The animal continued his advance, evidently, 

 however, weak from loss of blood, till he had reached within 

 six feet, when, putting his head to the ground previous to his final rush, 

 the sergeant, as his last resource, fired his iron ramrod, which entenngr 

 behind the left shonlder, passed through the heart and out at the right 

 flank, dropi)ing him dead at his feet. They are fine animals, whose 

 gross weight is l,3:30lbs., and yield, after deducting oftal and hunters' 

 per(|uisites, ()50lbs. of excellent beef; which providential supply was 



