274 A SKELETON DISCOVEEED. Cbap. XIV. 



similar but smaller cairn, a few miles to the 

 eastward. 



We were now upon the shore along which 

 the retreating crews must have marched. My 

 sledges of course travelled upon the sea-ice 

 close along the shore ; and, although the depth 

 of snow which covered the beach deprived us 

 of almost every hope, yet we kept a very sharp 

 look-out for traces, nor were we unsuccessful. 

 Shortly after midnight of the 25th May, when 

 slowly walking along a gravel ridge near the 

 beach, which the winds kept partially bare of 

 snow, I came upon a human skeleton, partly 

 exposed, with here and there a few fragments 

 of clothing appearing through the snow. The 

 skeleton — now perfectly bleached — was lying 

 upon its face, the limbs and smaller bones 

 either dissevered or gnawed away by small 

 animals. 



A most careful examination of the spot was 

 of course made, the snow removed, and every 

 scrap of clothing gathered up. A pocket-book 

 afforded strong grounds for hope that some 

 information might be subsequently obtained 

 respecting the unfortunate owner and the cala- 

 mitous march of the lost crews, but at the time 

 it was frozen hard. The substance of that 



