312 NEAREST THE POLE 



Eskimo, went to the Bellows and Black Rock Vale for 

 more musk-oxen. Twelve were killed there, and the 

 skins and meat brought to Conger. 



Not believing it desirable to kill more musk-oxen, 

 and unable to do any travelling north, I completed 

 the work of securing the meat and skins obtained; 

 getting the records and private papers of the United 

 States Lady Franklin Bay Expedition together; 

 securing as far as possible collections and property; 

 housing material and supplies still remaining service- 

 able, and making the house more comfortable for the 

 purposes of my party. 



May 23d we started for the ship, carrying only the 

 scientific records of the expedition, the private papers 

 of its members, and necessary supplies. I was still 

 obliged to ride continuously. Favoured with abun- 

 dant light and continuously calm weather, and forcing 

 the dogs to their best, the return to the ship was accom- 

 plished in six days, arriving there May 29th. 



During my absence Capt. Bartlett had built at Cape 

 D'Urville, from plans which I furnished him, a com- 

 fortable house of the boxes of supplies, double-roofed 

 with canvas, and banked in with gravel. 



June ist, I sent one sledge-load of provisions to Cape 

 Louis Napoleon, and four to Cape Norton Shaw. 

 June 6th, I sent three loads to Carl Ritter Bay, and two 

 to Cape Lawrence. On the 23th of June, the last of 

 these sledges returned to the Windward, and the year's 

 campaign to the north was ended. The return from 

 Carl Ritter Bay had been slow, owing to the abundance 

 of water on the ice -foot and the sea ice of the bays, and 

 the resulting sore feet of the dogs. 



