306 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



long ; and intending to revisit the spot, I soon went back to the 

 sledge. 



During my absence two seals had been killed ; but unnecessari- 

 ly, for it was impossible to carry more than their skins and livers 

 with us. Still, wherever a seal was observed, the two Innuits 

 would away after it. This seriously delayed us, and it was near 

 midnight before we got back to our previous night's encampment 

 on the northern side of Hudson's Island, where we again rested. 



The next day, Monday, June 10th, we once more passed through 

 Dr. Kane's Channel, and at 8 47 P.M. reached the middle of the 

 south shore of Hall's Island. Here we encamped by a little cove 

 on this shore, near the west end of the channel which runs on the 

 north side of the small island which I ascended the day previous. 

 Ebierbing went to seek fuel, which he found on the shore of our 

 little bay in the shape of drift-wood. Koodloo and he then pre- 

 pared our food, while I was off to ascend the mountain that flank- 

 ed the place of our encampment. On the top of this mountain I 

 found an Innuit monument which evidently had been erected cen- 

 turies before, for it was black with the moss of ages. 



The "monument" was a very long stone stuck up between two 

 larger ones, and the whole made firm by other stones wedged in, 

 and in a way peculiarly Innuitish. 



The view from the summit was fine. Meta Incognita, Corne- 

 lius Grinnell Bay, Field Bay, Davis's Straits, and Frobisher Bay, 

 were all in sight. Inshore of me there was a beautiful lakelet a 

 mile long and half a mile wide, surrounded by several hills of 

 rugged rock, that contrasted strangely with its smooth and uni- 

 form white. 



After spending a short time upon the summit, I began my de- 

 scent, when, as I turned toward the north, what was my great as- 

 tonishment and joy to perceive a vessel— a steamer — with English 

 colors, close to the land ! There was the black hull, the smoke- 

 stack, and every thing about her seemed plainly visible. In a, 

 moment I was back to the summit for a more distinct view, and 

 there saw her tack ship again and again, presenting first one side 

 of her hull and then the other, as she worked up and down the 

 open "lead" (a narrow channel of water in the ice), close by the 

 shore. 



What my thoughts were I leave the reader to judge. I was 

 all but overpowered with joy. I should now hear news of my 

 native home — perhaps of dear friends. I should again mingle 



