190S.] 



PREVIOUS EXPLORATIONS MACFARLANE. 



78 



mens were brought in by the Eskimo, mainly from l^i\erp(jol Bay. 

 and by the local Indians. Each summer from 1802 to 1865, inclusive, 

 when the trading season was over, MacFarlane made an overland 

 trip to Franklin Bay, mainly in search of the eggs of water birds, 

 and the breeding habits and eggs of many species were first made 

 known through his efforts. In 1862 he left Fort Anderson, accom- 

 panied by five Indians, on June 19, and pursued an easterly course for 

 about 40 miles to the limit of the timbered country. On reaching 

 the Barren Grounds he turned to the northeastward past Rendezvous 

 Lake. Xo more timber was met with until he reached AVilmot 

 Horton River at a point a little to the northward of latitude 69°. 

 This river flows through a deep valley, and its immediate banks are 

 fairly well wooded. Thence to the coast his course lay through the 

 Barren Grounds. He reached Franklin Bay on June 25, and after a 

 stay of about four days, during which the neighborhood was ran- 

 sacked for specimens, retraced his course to Fort Anderson. 



In 1863 he made a similar trip to Franklin Bay. Leaving Fort 

 Anderson on June 20, he pursued practically the same route, but hav- 

 ing a larger party, he divided it, instructing three of his men to fol- 

 low a parallel course to the northward of his route, while another 

 party pursued a similar course to the southward. At Rendezvous 

 Lake, on the borders of the wooded country, the three parties met 

 by appointment, the lake being named from this circumstance. From 

 this point the party continued on to Franklin Bay, reaching it on 

 June 29 at a point a few miles to the northward of the place visited 

 in 1862. The coast for some distance in either direction was examined 

 for eggs, and a small party of Eskimo visited a neighboring large 

 island, on which many water birds were found nesting. That season 

 he spent nine days on the coast and then returned to Fort Anderson, 

 where he arrived on July 11. 



In 1864 a third collecting trip to the coast was made. This time 

 five parties left Fort Anderson on June 18 and pursued parallel 

 courses to Rendezvous Lake, where they assembled on June 24. 

 Here several days were spent arranging and packing the collec- 

 tions, which were then sent back to the post, as was customary, while 

 the main party proceeded to Franklin Bay, reaching it on June 30. 

 Three families of Anderson River Eskimo joined MacFarlane here 

 and assisted in collecting. Three days were spent on the mainland, 

 and a large island 3 miles off shore was visited in an ' oomiak ' on 

 July 4, and ransacked for three days. On account of drifting ice and 

 foggy weather the main shore was regained with difficulty after 

 thirty hours' continual effort. In 1865 a similar trip to Franklin Bay 

 was made, but further investigations in that quarter were prevented 

 by the abandonment of Fort Anderson in the summer of 1866. 



