OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



285 



On the 28th, after divine service, we landed on the middle island, which J^ 822 - 

 was found to be composed of gneiss rock, and in every respect a counter- ^ 

 part of Winter Island in its other mineral productions. To save Ilig-liuk's 

 credit, who had described these islands as inhabited, we found the south 

 end covered with winter huts, of precisely the same kind and materials 

 as those described at Igloolik, but so overgrown with long rich grass 

 as to indicate their having been two or three years deserted. Number- 

 less skulls and bones were lying about them as usual, and some stone 

 lamps and glass beads had also been left "among the ruins. Leading from 

 the huts towards the highest part of the island, was a curious path made 

 by the natives, two feet in width, and formed by removing the stones in 

 places where they were naturally abundant, and where the ground was bare, 

 by placing two regular and parallel rows at that distance apart. The only 

 conjecture we could form respecting the use of this artificial road was that it 

 might be intended for a deer-path, (those animals preferring a regular or 

 beaten track to any other,) by which means the Esquimaux might perhaps 

 kill them from their usual ambush of stones. From the top of this island, 

 which is not more than a mile in length, we obtained a commanding view 

 and good angles of all the surrounding lands. Immediately to the eastward 

 appeared a piece of low land that seemed insular, Avith a great extent of 

 coast of the same kind at the back of it, which we could trace till lost in the 

 distance. Only two islands of the four more immediately forming this group 

 are of the high and rugged primitive formation, the outer one, which from the 

 quantity of sea-weed floating near it, we distinguished by the name of Tangle 

 Island, being low and of the same character as Igloolik, with much shoal 

 water about it. Large flocks of long-tailed, king, and eider ducks were about 

 these islands, but all too wild to be approached, and we procured no game 

 by this visit to the shore. 



■i It blew fresh from the eastward during the night, with continued rain, all Mon. 29. 

 which we considered favourable for dissolving and dislodging the ice, though 

 very comfortless for Captain Lyon on his excursion. The weather at length 

 clearing up in the afternoon, I determined on beating to the eastward, to see 

 if more of the land in that direction could be made out than the unfavourable 

 position of the ice would permit at our last visit. In the mean time, I 

 directed Lieutenant Hoppner to stand over to Igloolik in the Hecla, to see if 

 Captain Lyon had returned, and if not, to leave an officer with a small party 

 at the tents, with signals to announce his arrival. The Fury then made sail 



