176 Nearing the Bay. [June, ises. 



ing down the tents, transferring everything to the boats, and rigidly 

 guarding the i)rovisions from the voracious dogs, the company moved 

 forward under sail, passing through a narrow channel of one and a 

 half miles in width, and for some hours resting on a bight, found to be 

 entirely free from ice. The opposite southern shore was hugged by an 

 ice-stream sweeping up and down with the tide. The next resting- 

 place was on an old ice-floe about one mile from land, full of fissures 

 and large bergy pieces, on attempting to round which both Hall's and 

 Ar-mous boats struck hard, but without serious injury. Hall's own 

 boat, the Sylvia, had been twice nearly destroyed — once by his pilot 

 and wife having both fallen asleep while he himself was napping. 

 Ar-mous equipment was enlivened by the birth of a litter of puppies. 

 While crossing a break in the floe they saw a remarkable stone, called 

 by the Innuits Ye-ar-yu-Uk, 30 feet in perpendicular height, and stand- 

 ing alone about a mile from the coast. Ou-e-la said it could not be 

 ascended. 



On the 8th, a gale, with drifting snow, forced them to seek the 

 shelter of a floe ; but as it was soon broken up, a more secure refuge 

 was hastily sought under the lee of a small island. To Hall's dismay, 

 he found that his Ward chronometer, which he had sacredly guarded 

 Irom all jars, had been unwound. Egger's he had wound up. Ward 

 was "dead." 



( )ii tlio loth, jjulling at the oars for a half hour and then getting 

 under sail, tlie}' made four knots an hour, and at 2 p. m. saw the bold 

 and snow-capped mountains of the north side of Sedla (Southampton 

 Island.) Nu-hpr-zhoo\s whale-boat, loaded with men, women, children, 

 dogs, and all maimer of truck — his sled across the bow — moved lazily 

 along under mainsail and jib. While Shoo-she-ark-nook^s son was steer- 



