May, 1859. M01>^TREAL ISLAND. 267 



channel which led us through to the west side 

 of the island, and, one of the men appearing 

 seriously ill, we encamped about midnight. 



Whilst encamped this day, explorations were 

 made about the N.E. quarter of the island; 

 islets and rocks were seen to abound in all direc- 

 tions ; eventually it proved to be a separate 

 island upon which we had encamped. The 

 only traces or relics of Europeans found were 

 the following articles, discovered by Petersen, 

 beside a native mark (one large stone set upright 

 on the top of another), at the east side of the 

 main — or Montreal — island : — A piece of a pre- 

 served meat tin, two pieces of iron hoop, some 

 scraps of copper, and an iron-hoop bolt. These 

 probably are part of the plunder obtained from the 

 boat, and were left here until a more favourable 

 opportunity should offer, or perhaps necessity 

 should compel the depositor to return for them. 



All the 16th we were unable to move, not 

 only because Hampton was ill, but the weather 

 was extremely bad, and snow thickly falling with 

 temperature at zero ; certainly strange weather 

 for the middle of May ! We have not had a 

 single clear day since the 1st of the month. 



On the 17th the weather, though dull, was 

 clear, so Mr. Petersen, Thompson, and I set off 

 with the dog-sledge to complete the examina- 



