196 NEAREST THE POLE 



Ooblooyah returned with two hare and reported 

 seeing two others, also old musk-ox tracks. Egingwah 

 saw one hare. 



One of the hare went into the pot immediately, 

 then we turned in, to turn out again at midnight and 

 finish the other. 



Koolootingwah and Ooblooyah were then sent with 

 two sledges and all the dogs except three played-out 

 ones, to reconnoitre a valley up the bay, for the musk- 

 oxen which were our crying need now. Egingwah at 

 the same time started out for hare again. All this 

 time it was thick and blowing with frequent snow 

 squalls, keeping everything wet. 



Egingwah returned after several hours with two 

 hare, all that he had seen. While he was skinning 

 these, a flock of eleven brant flew over and settled 

 in a bit of water not far away, where he secured one 

 of them. A little later a burgomaster gull was seen. 

 The "O-o-o-he, 0-o-o-he" of the purple sandpiper 

 was constantly in our ears. The blue flies so abundant 

 at Columbia seemed to be entirely absent here. 



At lo p. M. my other two men returned unsuccessful. 



They reported the valley an attractive one, with a 

 lake which they thought contained salmon, and show- 

 ing plenty of grass, moss, and willow. 



They found old tracks, droppings and antlers of 

 deer, but nothing recent, and no traces of musk- 

 oxen. 



Numbers of hare and ptarmigan were seen, and six 

 of the former and one of the latter secured. Also a 

 number of brant. 



The wind had ceased now, and the sun was trying 



