OF THE POLAR SEA. 9 



his exertions may be best estimated by the 

 perusal of the following narrative. 



" On quitting Fort Enterprise, with Mr. 

 Wentzel and two Canadians, accompanied 

 by two hunters and their wives, our route 

 lay across the barren hills. We saw, during 

 the day, a number of deer, and, occasionally, 

 a solitary white wolf ; and in the evening 

 halted near a small knot of pines. Owing 

 to the slow T progress made by the wives of 

 the hunters, we only travelled the first day 

 a distance of seven miles and a half. During 

 the night we had a glimpse of the fantastic 

 beauties of the Aurora Borealis, and were 

 somewhat annoyed by the wolves, whose 

 nightly howling interrupted our repose. 

 Early the next morning we continued our 

 march, sometimes crossing small lakes 

 (which were just frozen enough to bear us,) 

 and at other times going large circuits, in 

 order to avoid those which were open. The 

 walking was extremely bad throughout the 

 day ; for independent of the general uneven- 

 ness of the ground, and the numberless large 



