OF THE POLAR SEA. 249 



The next morning was warm, and very fine. 

 Every one was on the alert at an early hour, 

 being anxious to commence the journey. Our 

 luggage consisted of ammunition, nets, hatchets, 

 ice chisels, astronomical instruments, clothing 

 blankets, three kettles, and the two canoes, which 

 were each carried by one man. The officers 

 carried such a portion of their own things as their 

 strength w^ould permit ; the weight carried by 

 each man was about ninety pounds, and with this 

 we advanced at the rate of about a mile an hour, 

 including rests. In the evening the hunters killed 

 a lean cow, out of a large drove of musk-oxen ; 

 but the men were too much laden to carry more 

 than a small portion of its flesh. The alluvial 

 soil, which towards the mouth of the river spreads 

 into plains, covered with grass and willows, was 

 now giving place to a more barren and hilly 

 country; so that we could but just collect suffi- 

 cient brush wood to cook our suppers. The part 

 of the river we skirted to-day was shallow, and 

 flowed over a bed of sand ; its width about one 

 hundred and twenty yards. About midnight our 

 tent was blown down by a squall, and we were 

 completely drenched with rain before it could be 

 re-pitched. 



In the morning of the 1st of September a faU 

 of snow took place ; the canoes became a cause 



