166 CONCLUSIONS. 
Similar traces were seen toward Caswell's Tower 
and Cape Riley, which gave additional proofs of sys- 
tematic journeyings. They could be traced through 
the comminuted limestone shingle in the direction of 
Cape Spencer; and at intervals further on were scraps 
of paper, lucifer matches, and even the cinders of the 
temporary fire. The sledge parties must have been 
regularly organized, for their course had evidently been 
the subject of a previous reconnoissance. I observed 
their runner tracks not only in the limestone crust, 
but upon some snow slopes further to the north. It 
was startling to see the evidences of a travel nearly 
six years old, preserved in intaglio on a material so 
perishable. 
The snows of the Arctic regions, by alternations of 
congelation and thaw, acquire sometimes an ice-like 
durability ; but these traces had been covered by the 
after-snows of five winters. They pointed, like the 
Sastrugi, or snow- waves of the Siberians, to the march- 
es of the lost company. 
Mr. Grifiin, who performed a journey of research 
along this coast toward the north, found at intervals, 
almost to Cape Bowden, traces of a passing party. A 
corked bottle, quite empty, was among these. Reach- 
ing a point beyond Cape Bowden, he discovered the 
indentation or bay which now bears his name, and on 
whose opposite shores the coast was again seen. 
It is clear to my own mind that a systematic recon- 
noissance was undertaken by Franklin of the upper 
waters of the Wellington, and that it had for its object 
an exploration in that direction as soon as the ice 
would permit. 
There were some features about this deserted home- 
stead inexpressibly touching. The frozen trough of an 
