CH. xv.] MUTA AND MUSK-BULL. 271 



481. For the following anecdote I am indebted to Sir G e 



B k, the intrepid and scientific navigator, whose name will be 



mentioned as long as British deeds of the present century are cited, 

 descriptive of bold daring and perseverance in surmounting the 

 greatest difficulties. 



482. " On the 8th of September, 1834, after a laborious morning 

 spent in ascending a part of the Thlew-ee-choh-dezeth, or Back 

 Kiver, we were detained by the portage of the * Cascades.' While 

 the men were actively employed in carrying the things across, I was 

 equally busy in the tent, working a series of observations which had 

 just been obtained for longitude, &c. 



483. "A little dog, a species of terrier, called 'Muta' from her 

 silent, quiet habits, was my only companion. She had been the 

 faithful follower of my party to the polar sea, and, independently of 

 her value as a good watch, was not only a pet of mine, but had 

 managed to become a great favourite with all the others. 



484. " Muta had left the tent for upwards of an hour, but returned 

 in great haste, bustled about inside, rubbed against me, and with 

 eyes bright and eager stood looking in my face. Finding I paid no 

 attention to her, she rushed out came back, however, quickly ; 

 and standing over the gun, which was near me, again looked 

 imploringly at me. Once more she sprung outside, and barked 

 anxiously. 



485. " Still I continued my calculations ; and perhaps twenty 

 minutes might have elapsed when Muta, warm and panting, leapt 

 upon me ran to the gun then to the opening of the tent, and 

 evinced such very unusual restlessness that I could not help fancy- 

 ing something must be wrong. Being alone, I thought it well to be 

 prepared, and accordingly put a ball into my second barrel, there 

 always was one in the first, and followed her out. 



486. " Her joy was unbounded, and perfectly noiselessly she led 

 me such a distance that I thought she was deceiving me, and I 

 chidingly told her so ; but she still persisted in going forward, 

 pleased though excited. I walked on a little further, when con- 

 ceiving I was but losing my time I turned back. She ran round 

 to intercept me, and so earnestly resisted my attempts to retrace my 

 steps, that I yielded to the appeal, and again consented to accompany 

 her. 



487. " She brought me to the edge of a gully, fully half-a-mile 

 from the tent, partly sheltered by willows. Here she stopped. 

 Thinking she had tricked me, I began to reproach her, on which she 

 darted like lightning into the underwood, barking furiously, when, 

 to my great surprise, out rushed a large musk bull, which unluckily 

 I only wounded, to Muta's manifest disappointment, and my own 

 great annoyance. 



488. " Poor Muta's sad fate is recorded in the 462d page of my 

 Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition of 1833-4-5, and she may 

 be seen in the mouth of the white wolf that killed her, safely housed 

 in a glass case within the walls of the United Service Institu- 

 tion." 



