ACROSS ELLESMERE LAND. 125 



other. The nature of these two parts differed very greatly : the 

 lower one being barren, while the higher was comparatively fertile. 

 In the latter were large expanses of herbage, where, no doubt, the 

 polar oxen enjoyed life, and where, at any rate, they had trodden 

 regular cattle-paths. 



It was two or three in the morning when we reached the upper 

 valley. I expected every minute to see a herd of oxen, and ex- 

 pressed surprise to Bay that only their tracks were to be discovered. 

 As we were standing, talking about it, we suddenly caught sight 

 of a big herd lying up on a precipice some distance from the 

 bottom of the valley. To stalk them was absolutely impossible ; so 

 we walked straight on. The animals lay still until we were within 

 three or four hundred yards of them, and then they made off up 

 among the stones to a knoll some distance above us, where 

 they formed into square. We might then have shot the whole 

 herd without difficulty, but thought it too much of a deviation from 

 our route, and so continued our way. 



Later on we constantly saw small herds up on the slopes, 

 but, as on the previous occasion, decided that it would take too 

 much time to go after them. It was true that we were in 

 want of food for the dogs, as we had left a good deal of ours 

 down by the rapids, but we lived in hopes of a better oppor- 

 tunity of shooting some game, and it was not long in presenting 

 itself. We soon saw four fine oxen right in front of us, near 

 the watershed, but very far off. To avoid alarming the animals 

 we stopped, and I remained with the dogs, while Bay went off 

 in pursuit. I watched the oxen moving far up the valley, and 

 in a few minutes they were quite out of sight. Very soon after 

 Bay had left me, I thought I heard a shot, but was not certain, as 

 it was blowing hard at the time. Not long afterwards, however, I 

 heard a similar sound, and supposed that the game was in full 

 swing. My team became absolutely unmanageable when they 

 heard the shots, and set off at such a pace that I only just managed 

 to throw myself on to the sledge in time. They tore like wildfire 

 across the level ground, the loads jumped from drift to drift, and 

 before I knew what had happened, the sledge had dashed against an 

 icy drift and was overturned ; while I found myself at some distance 



