LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
347 
ventured into his country, to instil into the ductile minds of the 
natives the principles of their philosophy. Capt. Ross was how¬ 
ever not satisfied with the loss of his jugged hare, nor of the 
other delectables, which had found their way into the trowsers of 
Poowutyook. He however issued his orders that a strict watch 
should be kept upon the motions of the young aspirant for the 
advantages and benefits of civilization, and in the mean time, he 
would himself draw up a code of punishment to which he was 
to be subject on the commission of any immoral act, although 
the preliminary was wholly forgotten of first teaching him in what 
immorality consisted. 
The morning of the 18th being remarkably fine, Commander 
Ross accompanied by Poowutyook , one man, seven dogs and 
the sledge, set out on an excursion into the country to the south¬ 
ward. As the open season was advancing, no opportunity was to 
be lost of examining the surrounding country, and of ascertaining 
the precise point to which the future attempts of the navigators 
were to be directed. Flattering as their prospects might have 
been on reaching Felix Harbour, their efforts had certainly not 
been attended with a proportionate degree of success. They 
had however the satisfaction and the consciousness, particularly 
on the part of Commander Ross, on whom the most arduous du¬ 
ties of the expedition devolved, of having left no means within 
their reach untried, that could in any way promote their object. 
Notwithstanding however the repeated excursions of Commander 
Ross in almost every direction, nothing yet had transpired to 
instil into him any sanguine hope that they were in the direct 
route for the discovery of the long-sought-for passage. The 
excursion which he now took added little to his stock of inform¬ 
ation, or of important knowledge of the geographical position of 
the country. According to the opinion which Commander Ross 
now formed, they appeared to be in the midst of a chain of lakes 
common to that part of America, but whether they were in fact 
a part of the polar sea, was a question he found impossible 
to solve. 
Leaving the sledge and the dogs to the care of the man, 
Commander Ross accompanied by Poowutyook ascended an emi- 
