260 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part i 
that Sir John might have passed up Wellington Channel 
and made his way to the north of Melville Island. It 
was thought that a retreating party might have made its 
way to Bushnan Cove, as Parry had given such a pleasant 
description of that ravine. Thither M'Clintock went, but 
only to find the wheels of Parry's cart and the bleached 
bones of the ptarmigan his party had eaten. He then 
marched overland to Parry's winter quarters, and en- 
camped at the foot of Parry's sandstone rock with the 
inscription carved by Dr Fisher. 
The wayworn sledge travellers started on their return 
on May 27th. They had had the advantage of fresh 
food from musk oxen, hares, and ptarmigan, and ad- 
ditional fuel from bear's blubber. But with the summer 
the most harassing kind of sledge travelling began. Large 
pools of water formed on the ice floes, and the men often 
got wet through in ice-cold water. A mixture of ice and 
snow formed a crust over these pools of water, but not 
strong enough to bear, and through these they had to wade 
and struggle as best they could. At length M'Clintock and 
his gallant band arrived alongside the Assistance on July 
4th. Up to that date it was the greatest Arctic feat on 
record. M'Clintock's party had been 80 days away, 
44 outward and 36 home, and had made 770 miles, reaching 
a distance of 300 miles from the ship. Their rate was 
ioh miles a day, and they were detained 2| days by 
gales. 
Thus was Captain Austin's extensive scheme of search 
ably and completely carried out by the officers who served 
under him, with exemplary fortitude, zeal, and intelligence. 
There were only three amputations of toes, and one death 
from frost-bite. Of all Arctic expeditions, Captain 
Austin's was perhaps the happiest, the healthiest, the 
best administered, and the most successful. Its sledge 
travellers covered 7025 miles on foot, dragging the 
sledges themselves, and discovered 1225 miles of new 
land. 
It was necessary to cut and blast lanes for the ships 
to reach open water. Lieut. Mecham ably conducted the 
blasting operations. The ships were free on the nth of 
August, after having been frozen up for eleven months. 
Captain Austin then proceeded to search Jones Sound in 
