anied by George Dunn, I found Toolemak on landing, who
welcomed us to his tent, in which for two hours it was scarcely
possible to move, in consequence of the crowd who came to gaze at
us. A new deerskin was spread for me, and Dunn having found a corner
for himself, we all lay down to sleep, not, however, until our host,
his wife, their little son, and a dog, had turned in beside me,
under cover of a fine warm skin, all naked except the lady, who,
with the decorum natural to her sex, kept on a part of her clothes.
At ten A.M. we started, and found the sledge on a beach near the
southern ice. Four men were to accompany us on this vehicle, and the
good-natured fellows volunteered to carry our luggage. A second
sledge was under the charge of three boys who had eight dogs, while
our team consisted of eleven. The weather was so thick that at times
we could not see a quarter of a mile before us, but yet went rapidly
forward to the W.N.W., when, after about six hours, we came to a
high, bold land, and a great number of islands of reddish granite,
wild and barren in the extreme. We here found the ice in a very
decayed state, and in many places the holes and fissures were
difficult if not dangerous to pass. At the expiration of eight
hours, our impediments in this respect had increased to such a
degree as to stop our farther progress. Dunn, the old man, and
myself therefore walked over a small island, beyond which we saw a
sheet of water, which precluded any farther advance otherwise than
by boats.

"In the hope that the morning would prove more favourable for our
seeing the land, the only advantage now to be derived from our
visit, since the fishing place was not attainable, it was decided to
pass the night on one of the rocky islands. The Esquimaux having
brought no provisions with them, I distributed our four days'
allowance of meat in equal proportions to the whole party, who
afterward lay down to sleep on the rocks, having merely a piece of
skin to keep the rain from their faces. In this comfortless state
they remained very quietly for eight hours. Our little hunting-tent
just held Dunn and myself, although not in a very convenient manner;
but it answered the purpose of keeping us dry, except from a stream
of water that ran under us all night.

"The morning of the 27th was rather f