TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 24.9 
our present situation, as I have already said, to 
be a very precarious one. But to dismiss this 
subject for something more interesting, I have to 
notice, in the first place, that «whale was seen two 
nights ago, for the first time this season; and, on 
the same day, we shot a fawn, which weighed 
thirty-eight pounds. A few hares and glaucous 
gulls have also been killed within these two days, 
but our success to-day, in the sporting way, de- 
serves most notice, for we shot a musk-ox. When 
first seen, he was going along the beach to the 
eastward; and, from the nature of the ground, 
was obliged to pass so close to us, that he was fired 
at from the ship. We thought at first that he was 
wounded on this occasion ; but we soon had rea- 
son to alter our opinion, for he galloped off at 
greater rate than an animal of his shape could be 
supposed capable of going. The nature of the 
ground was, however, as I have already remarked, 
very favourable for our purpose; for he was 
hemmed in by the sea on one side, and steep cliffs, 
which he could not ascend, on the other. When 
he found, therefore, that he was assailed in such 
a way that there was no possibility for him to 
escape, he immediately put himself in a posture of 
defence, by taking up a position in front of a large 
stone, where he could not certainly be attacked by 
any other animal, except under a great disadvan- 
tage; but to the means that we had, he could 
offer no resistance, and consequently fell. 
His weight and dimensions were as follows : 
viz. — 
