OF THE POLAR SEA. 243 



hunters went in pursuit of them, and succeeded in 

 kilhng three females, which enabled us to save our 

 last remaining meal of pemmican. They saw also 

 some fresh tracks of musk-oxen on the banks of 

 a small stream, which flowed into a lake in the 

 centre of the island. These animals must have 

 crossed a channel, at least, three miles wide, to 

 reach the nearest of these islands. Some speci- 

 mens of variegated pebbles and jasper were 

 found here imbedded in the amygdaloidal rock. 



Re-embarking at two P.M., and continuing 

 through what was supposed to be a channel be- 

 tween two islands, we found our passage barred 

 by a gravelly isthmus of only ten yards in width ; 

 the canoes and cargoes were carried across it, and 

 we passed into Bathurst's Inlet through another 

 similar channel, bounded on both sides by steep 

 rocky hills. The wind then changing from S.E. 

 to N.W. brought heavy rain, and we encamped 

 at seven P.M., having advanced eighteen miles. 



August 25.— Starting this morning with afresh 

 breeze in our favour, we soon reached that part 

 of Barry's Island where the canoes were detained 

 on the 2d and 3rd of this month, and contrary to 

 what we then experienced, the deer were now 

 plentiful. The hunters killed two, and we were 

 relieved from all apprehension of an immediate 

 want of food. One would suppose the deer were 



