AVONDEll AT THE MAGNET. 143 



darkness. That it could lift iron and steel, make 

 needles dance, and impart its wonderful powers to 

 other portions of metal, were phenomena which were 

 ascribed rather to our wizard qualities than to its 

 own merits; and the natives continued to regard 

 all operations in this respect with a mixture of fear 

 and wonder. 



The messenger who had been despatched to the 

 ship returned to Oongwysac with fresh instructions, 

 and a further supply of provisions for us, permission 

 deing accorded for the resumption of the journey 

 by Mr. Martin and myself; Mr. Moore, of course, 

 returning to the " Plover." 



The morning of the 19th — for we had been four 

 days detained at Oongwysac — saw us once more astir 

 upon our journey, refreshed and re-invigorated : the 

 day was clear and sunny, and we sped along the 

 hardened snow without a halt, taking to the sea-ice, 

 after passing the point we had descried with so mucli 

 joy on the morning of the 14th. 



We passed the island of Tchatlook, which rises 

 rocky and abrupt from the water to the height, 

 perhaps, of 200 feet, and continued, alternately 

 traversing strips of land and arms of the straits, until 

 considerably past nightfall. Our guides were again 

 slightly at fault on this occasion, as the huts were 



