410 DR JOHN RAE'S EXPLORATIONS— 18AQ-4:7. 



at eleven p.m. After a comfortable night, the party were again on the march at 

 six A.M. On the morning of the 7th thej^ reached the sea, and striking across 

 the land towards Point Hargrave, found themselves in lat. 67° 16', long. 74° 

 30'. The work of exploring and surveying the west shore of Committee Bay 

 with the view of ascertaining whether any sea-way led westward to the 

 Arctic Sea, had now begun in earnest. Cape Lady Pelly was passed on the 

 8th, and after advancing seven miles farther, a halt was made, a snow house 

 built on the ice, and a comfortable night passed, although owing to scarcity 

 of provisions the supper was somewhat scanty. Setting out on the morning 

 of the 9th, Eae led the march in a north-west by west direction, passed a low 

 promontory formed of shingle and mud, which he named Point Swanston, 

 and after a journey of fourteen miles (geographical) erected the usual snow 

 tabernacle and slept. At this camping-place half a bag of pemmican, some 

 flour, shoes, etc., were placed " en cache " for the return journey. Still push- 

 ing along the west shore of Committee Bay, Eae reached Colville Bay on the 

 10th, after a journey of sixteen miles, and then gave orders to erect the 

 usual snug quarters for the night. " Our usual mode of preparing lodgings 

 for the night," says Rae, " was as follows : As soon as we had selected a 

 spot for om" snow house, our Eskimos, assisted by one or more of the men, 

 commenced cutting out blocks of snow. When a sufficient number of these 

 had been raised, the builder commenced his work, his assistants supplying 

 him with the material. A good roomy dwelling was thus raised in an hour, 

 if the snow was in a good state for building. Whilst our principal mason 

 was thus occupied, another of the party was busy erecting a kitchen, which, 

 although our cooking was none of the most delicate or extensive, was still a 

 necessary addition to our establishment, had it been only to thaw snow. 

 As soon as the snow hut was completed, our sledges were unloaded, and 

 everything eatable (including parchment, skin, and moose-skin shoes, which 

 had now become favourite articles with the dogs) taken inside. Our bed 

 was next made by smoothing a snow-bench, and laying upon it one or two 

 reindeer mats, and by the time the snow was thawed or the water boiled, as 

 the case might be, we were all ready for supper. When we used alcohol 

 for fuel (as we usually did in stormy weather) no kitchen was required." 

 When fuel was scarce, the usual supper consisted of an ounce or two of 

 pemmican and a drink of snow-water. 



The long headland on the north side of Colvillp Bay, covered with granite 

 blocks and the debris of hmestone, was named Point Beaufort. Five miles far- 

 ther north Point Sieveright was discovered and named, and from this point the 

 line of the day's march was northward past Cape Barclay and into Keith Bay. 



Fuel was now scarce, and of the two meals a-day, only one (breakfast) 

 was taken hot. In order to save fuel to the utmost, Eae and his companions 

 " filled two small kettles and a bladder with snow, and took them to bed 



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