54 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. July 



Trochus and Cylichna. This sea- weed lias been torn 

 from the bottom by the grounding floebergs, and 

 floated on to the shore. If we had an opportunity of 

 letting down a dredge in a depth of a hundred fathoms, 

 or where it has not been disturbed by grounding iee, 

 doubtless we should find the sea-bottom abounding 

 with animal and vegetable life, though confined to a 

 few species. 



' hth. — Great rejoicings this morning — Parr having 

 shot three musk-oxen with two bullets and three wire 

 cartridges out of a smooth-bore fowling-piece. Sight- 

 ing the animals when about two miles distant from the 

 ship, he sent a man on board with the news. A large 

 party started off immediately to surround them ; but 

 before we arrived, Parr had crept close up and killed 

 one with the first shot ; the others standing by their 

 comrade, as musk-oxen always do, were then easily 

 despatched without assistance being required. Within 

 an hour they were skinned, cleaned, and quartered. 

 They were small animals, a young bull and two cows. 

 The three carcases weighed 350 lbs. Each had a 

 white mane of long soft wool, the remains of their 

 winter coat : it readily came away when pulled, the 

 long black hair remaining firm. 



' The animals appear to have come from the south- 

 west, and we most earnestly hope that they are the 

 forerunners of a larger herd. 



' 6th. — This morning a solitary bull musk-ox was 

 seen near the ship and shot by Dr. Moss, giving us 

 212 lbs. more fresh meat. The flesh appears excellent, 

 but is very lean and not equal to that of the fat oxen 

 killed last autumn. This animal came north along the 



