176 CAPE HOTHAM. Chap. X. 



village in Pond's Inlet, under the guidance of 

 an old woman : the trip was interesting, but we 

 failed to obtain the slightest clue to the " where- 

 abouts" of the missing ships; moreover, our 

 own little vessel had a most providential escape 

 from being crushed against the cliffs ; and this 

 day week was spent in contending with a furious 

 gale, during which the ship had nearly been 

 driven to leeward and dashed to pieces by the 

 sea-beaten pack. Yet these are only pre- 

 liminaries, — we are only now about to com- 

 mence the interesting part of our voyage. It is 

 to be hoped the poor ' Fox ' has many more 

 lives to spare. 



Monday night, 16#A Aug. — Sailed from Beechey 

 Island this morning, and in the evening landed 

 at Cape Hotham. A small depot of provisions 

 and three boats were left there by former expe- 

 ditions. Of the depot all has been destroyed 

 with the exception of two casks landed in 1850. 

 The boats were sound, but several of their 

 oars, which had been secured upright, were 

 found broken down by bears — those inquisitive 

 animals having a decided antipathy to anything 

 stuck up — stuck-up things in general being, 

 in this country, unnatural. Fragments of the 

 depot and the broken oars were tossed about 

 in every direction. Numerous records were 



