446 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



'^-^- 16th, when wc tented on some flat rocks on wliich we procured abundance 



June. . . ' 



^-<i-yx^ of water, winch luxury we had hitherto enjoyed but sparhigly. Wc here 

 saw one small plant of saxifras^e in blossom. 



16. " The morning of the 16th was mild and fine, ])ut towards noon wind 

 and sleet came strong from the westward : as our snow-shoes rcfiuired repair 

 and our feet were much blistered, I took advantage of our being on a 

 good dry rock to refresh ourselves and dogs. We saw a fox, two plovers, 

 and several buntings. Deer tracks were numerous and recent, but the howl- 

 ing and fighting of our wild and restless dogs quite drove the animals away 

 from us. 



" In the evening we advanced and, following the direction of the moun- 

 tains on our right, made a south-easterly course over a large lake of about 

 ten miles in length by from one to four in breadth, on the shores of which 

 in some places the ice was pushed up in high transj)arent hummocks, we 

 saw some wolf tracks, and a few plovers, knots, and saudlings. One deer 

 passed at a distance. At this place there was not an eminence in any direc- 

 tion which was without some piles of stones placed by the Esquimaux 

 hunters. Turning the hills to the S.S.W. we passed over low but exceed- 

 ingly rocky ground, amongst which the snow was continually knee-deep, 

 and the poor dogs were so exhausted that we were obliged to stoj) on a 

 little rock in a lake at the foot of the mountains. The whole day had been 

 so cloudy and thick that we had no idea of what kind of country lay beyond 

 us. The snow was literally covered by deer-tracks, and we saw three of 



17. these animals but the dogs frightened them from us. 



" A fresh easterly wind was blowing on tlie 17th, which was very cold. 

 In order to obtain a view amongst the mountains, I walked out, accompanied 

 by one of the men, for nine hours, and we got about eight miles south of the 

 tent to the top of the highest place we could find. From hence wc saw- 

 about iifteen miles over other mountains extending from north to south-east, 

 while on the left the appearance of low land was unaltered. On our return, 



18. we killed a doe, of which I gave the better half as a refreshment to the dogs. 

 At half-past two P.M. on the ISth we started south-east about eight miles over 

 a lake to a low point, at which we were obliged to tent for the night, in conse- 

 quence of a heavy snow-storm which prevented our seeing half a mile in any 

 direction. While tenting, a large buck walked slowly past us, and was 

 killed ; of this animal we gave two-thirds to the dogs. 



" The night was bleak and tempestuous, and we found on the morning 



