184 Captain Parry and Mr Fisher's Journals of a 
posed of, it is probable that they were only temporary residences. 
They had been all nearly of the same size, that is, about 12 feet 
long, and from 8 to 12 feet broad, besides a space of about 3 feet 
square, formed by 4 flags set upon their edge at the end of each 
hut *. I understand from those who have been often among the 
Esquimaux huts in Greenland, that they have always a small apart- 
ment of this sort at one end of their hut, in which they keep all 
their provisions ; so that we may infer from this circumstance, that 
the ruins we have seen to-day belong to a small tribe or party of Es- 
quimaux, that were here probably on a summer excursion.” P. 102. 
“ Although we are left in doubt as to what time this island was 
visited by man, we have very unequivocal proofs of its being recent- 
ly inhabited by different animals, for we found numerous tracks of 
what we supposed to be rein-deer, some of them apparently very 
lately made, and several of their horns, and small portions of their 
hair, were found in different places where they had been lying. 
We had an equally good proof of this place being frequented by 
musk-oxen ( Bos moschatus, Lin.) for we found the skeleton of one 
in a perfect state, except that the bones of two legs were separated 
from the rest, most probably by some carnivorous animal. The 
skull and horns were perfectly entire ; but from the appearance of 
the horns, and, indeed, of the bones in general, they must have been 
exposed to the weather at least one winter. Whether the cloven 
tracks we saw were chiefly those of musk-oxen or rein-deer, it is 
impossible to say ; but if we were to judge from the number of 
deer’s horns we saw, we should be inclined to consider them as be- 
ing principally those of the latter animal. It would appear that 
bears also frequent this land occasionally : we found two or three 
of their skulls, and their tracks were very numerous along the 
beach .” — Fisher s Journal. 
On the 80th August, a favourable breeze permitted the expe- 
dition to advance to the westward among the ice, round the 
south end of By am Martins Island. On the 1st September they 
came in sight of Melville Island. On the 2d a party landed 
upon it, and on the 4th, at seven o’clock in the evening, they 
crossed the meridian of 110°, and thus accomplished the first 
portion of the discovery of the North-West Passage which the 
British Government had considered worthy of a reward. This 
joyful event was notified officially to the crew, by Captain Parry, 
in the following manner. 
“ After prayers to-day (5th September), all hands were called on 
deck, when Mr Parry told the ship’s company, in an official manner, 
that we had last night passed the meridian of 110° W. of Green- 
wich, and by that means became entitled to the reward of L. 5000, 
promised by Parliament to the first ship that reached that longitude 
• Captain Sabine describes these huts as circular or rather elliptical, and con- 
sisting of stones from 7 to 10 feet in diameter. 
