258 KING WILLIAM LAND. Chap. XIII. 



to freeze, the moss, I suppose, answering tlae 

 purpose of hair in mortar, to make tlie com- 

 pound adhere more firmly. 



From this spot the shore-line of Matty Island 

 turned sharply to the N.N.E. ; there were some 

 considerable islands to the east, but thinking 

 the most southerly of this group, named 

 " Owut-ta " by the Esquimaux, the most likely 

 place to find the nati^ses, I pushed on in that 

 direction until we encamped. Thick fog en- 

 veloped us for the next two days ; we could not 

 find the island, but found a very small islet near 

 it, ofi" which was another snow-village very 

 recently abandoned, the sledge tracks plainly 

 showing that the inhabitants had gone to the 

 E.N.E., which is straight for Neitchillee. It 

 was now evident that these places of winter 

 resort were deserted, and that here at least we, 

 should not find any natives ; I was the more 

 sorry at having missed them, as, from the quan- 

 tity of wood chips about the huts, they probably 

 had visited the stranded ship alluded to by the 

 last Equimaux we had met, and the route to 

 which lies up an inlet visible from here, and 

 then overland three or four days' journey to 

 the westward, until the opposite coast of King 

 William's Land is reached. 



The largest huts measured 12 feet in diameter, 



