394 Simpson's Lake. [April, iseo. 



these Repulse Bay natives, for it would save their lives before and 

 after reaching the island. 



Hall's men were now plainly alarmed. Some unpleasant demon- 

 strations, shown by Tung-nuk himself, had much to do with this, as it was 

 known that he had lost a relative and " must kill somebody to make 

 matters all right between him and his Grod." It had been said, too, 

 that many Pelly Bay and King William natives had recently died ; — 

 Superstition might put the cause of this on any one of Hall's party. 

 His men were afraid either to go on or remain. But their fears were 

 quieted and they continued their journey, though the provisions they 

 thought would now run short, and a hunt for musk-ox cattle again 

 wearied them without success. It was well that the sledges had been 

 so heavily loaded on starting out on this journey, for Hall could still 

 feed his party and give some food to these suffering natives, among 

 whom was his old friend See-pung-er of 1867. 



On the 18th of the month he determined by astronomical observa- 

 tions that his encampment (the twentieth) was on Simpson's Lake, lat. 

 68° 30' 22" N., long. 91° 31' W. Ou-e-la, who had been out on a 

 two days' hunt for musk-cattle, came in at 4 a. m. quite weary, but 

 successful. On discovering a bull browsing on Ellice Mountain, he 

 had succeeded in getting within range, shattered the bones of one of 

 the animal's fore legs, and, after filing into him all the balls which 

 he had, shot his extra new rammer into the paunch: all these shots 

 having only wounded the bull, so that Ou-e-la could but drive him 

 several miles to the sledge-tracks and leave him there. "Jack" and 

 Joe started off with sledge and dogs for the prize, returning in two hours 

 with the whole ox, and also a small part of a deer, which Pa-pa had 

 shot. The bull had tried to hobble off, but the dogs soon brought him 



