May, J 866.] Holl Compelled to Return. 261 



now make a deposit of expedition stores at Cape Weynton. His notes 

 of this day contain these words : " Thanks be to God, I liave yet the 

 heart to persevere in what I have taken upon myself to do : to reach 

 King William's Land, and there finish the mission that I am on. Ob- 

 stacle after obstacle has yet to be overcome before I shall triumph, 

 but by the aid of High Heaven I will yet succeed." 



The RETURN JOURNEY could be expected to bring but httle of 

 special interest or of an experience differing from that so recently 

 passed through ; the route followed, as will appear by the map (Chap- 

 ter XIH), was nearly the same; the Pelly Bay men traveled in Hall's 

 company until the 19tli of the month, and then fell back to repair 

 damages to their sleds. On the 5th, both companies made their start 

 for Repulse Bay, presenting a singular and grotesque appearance with 

 all their sledges, teams of dogs, men, women, and children ; the latter, 

 of all ages and sizes, from infants in hoods to half-grown boys and 

 girls. The sledge now driven by Nu-ker-zhoo was a relic of Sir 

 John Ross's vessel, the Victory ; the runners, about 1 2 feet in length, 

 being made of a part of one of her masts which had been found, many 

 years, ago in the ice near the entrance to Pelly Bay. 



The day following, the stores for the next proposed journey to 

 King William's Land were deposited in two places close to Cape Weyn- 

 ton, the second deposit being that of a large trunk at a point near a 

 cache once made by Dr. Rae ; an accurate list of all these stores appears 

 in the notes. K tent given to Hall by Captain Kilmer of the Black 

 Eagle, was spread over the articles, and then ponderous stones were 

 piled above, and the bearings of the two deposits from prominent 

 neighboring points carefully recorded. Wliile making these caches, 



