THE SEA. 



came upon a human skeleton, partly exposed, with here and there a few' fragments of 

 clothing appearing through the snow. The skeleton now perfectly bleached was lying 

 upon its face, the limbs and smaller bones either dissevered or gnawed away by small 

 animals. 



" A most careful examination of the spot was, of course, made, the snow removed, and 

 every scrap of clothing gathered up. A pocket-book afforded strong grounds for hope that 

 some information might be subsequently obtained respecting the unfortunate owner and 

 the calamitous march of the lost crews, but at the time it was frozen hard. The substance 

 of that which we gleaned upon the spot may thus be summed up : 



" This victim was a young man, slightly built, and perhaps above the common height ; 

 the dress appeared to be that of a steward or officer's servant, the loose bow-knot in which 



CAPE YORK, MELVILLE BAY. 



his neck-handkerchief was tied not being used by officers or seamen. In every particular 

 the dress confirmed our conjectures as to his rank or office in the late expedition the blue 

 jacket with slashed sleeves and braided edging, and the pilot-cloth great-coat with plain 

 covered buttons. We found a clothes-brush near and a horn pocket-comb. This poor 

 man seems to have selected the bare ridge-top as affording the least tiresome walking, and 

 to have fallen on his face in the position in which we found him. 



c ' It was a melancholy truth that the old woman spoke when she said, ' They fell down 

 and died as they walked along/ 



" I do not think the Esquimaux had discovered this skeleton, or they would have 

 carried off the brush and comb. Superstition prevents them from disturbing their own dead, 

 but would not keep them from appropriating the property of the white man, if in any way 

 useful to them. Dr. Rae obtained a piece of flannel marked f F. D. V., 1845/ from the 

 Esquimaux of Boothia or Repulse Bay ; it had doubtless been a part of poor Des Voeux's 

 garments/' 



It is impossible with the space at command to give in detailed form the interesting 

 narrative of M'Clintock's and Hobson's careful explorations. " The Voyage of the Fox" should 



