298 CONJECTUEES. Chap. XV. 



spoon, such as sailors always use, has been 

 found. Of the many men, probably twenty or 

 thirty, who were attached to this boat, it seemed 

 most strange that the remains of only two indi- 

 viduals were found, nor were there any graves 

 upon the neighbouring flat land ; indeed, bearing 

 in mind the season at which these poor fellows 

 left their ships, it should be remembered that 

 the soil was then frozen hard, and the labour of 

 cutting a grave very great indeed. 



I was astonished to find that the sledge was 

 directed to the N.E., exactly for the next point 

 of land for which we ourselves were travelling ! 



The position of this abandoned boat is about 

 50 miles — as a sledge would travel — from Point 

 Victory, and therefore 65 miles from the posi- 

 tion of the ships ; also it is 70 miles from the 

 skeleton of the steward, and 150 miles from 

 Montreal Island : it is moreover in the depth of 

 a wide bay, where, by crossing over 10 or 12 

 miles of very low land, a great saving of distance 

 would be effected, the route by the coast-line 

 being about 40 miles. 



A little reflection led me to satisfy my own 

 mind at least, that the boat was returning to the 

 ships : and in no other way can I account for 

 two men having been left in her, than by sup- 

 posing the party were unable to drag the boat 



