ALONG THE COAST.

Coronation Gulf, the large estuary dotted with the islands forming the Duke

of York Archipelago, which the party had now reached, was a sheet of water with

irregular banks, let in, as it were, into the North American continent. At its

western angle opened the mouth of the Coppermine; and on the east a long narrow

creek called Bathurst Inlet ran into the mainland, from which stretched the

jagged broken coast with its pointed capes and rugged promontories, ending in

that confusion of straits, sounds, and channels which gives such a strange

appearance to the maps of North America. On the other side the coast turned

abruptly to the north beyond the mouth of the Coppermine River, and ended in

Cape Krusenstern.

After consulting with Sergeant Long, Lieutenant Hobson decided to give his

party a day's rest here.

The exploration, properly so called, which was to enable the Lieutenant to

fix upon a suitable site for the establishment of a fort, was now really about

to begin. The Company had advised him to keep as much as possible above the

seventieth parallel, and on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. To obey his orders

Hobson was obliged to keep to the west; for on the east-with the exception,

perhaps, of the land of Boothia, crossed by the seventieth parallel-the whole

country belongs rather to the Arctic Circle, and the geographical conformation

of Boothia is as yet but imperfectly known.

After carefully ascertaining the latitude and longitude, and verifying his

position by the map, the Lieutenant found that he was a hundred miles below the

seventieth degree. But beyond Cape Krusenstern, the coast-line, running in a

north-easterly direction, abruptly crosses the seventieth parallel at a sharp

angle near the one hundred and thirtieth meridian, and at about the same

elevation as Cape Bathurst, the spot named as a rendezvous by Captain Craventy.

He must therefore make for that point, and should the site appear suitable the

new fort would be erected there.

"There," said the Lieutenant to his subordinate, Long, "we shall be in the

position ordered by the Company. There the sea, open for a great part of the

year, will allow the vessels from Behring Strait to come right up to the fort,

bringing us fresh provisions and taking away our commodities."

"Not to mention," added Sergeant Long, "that our men will be entitled to

double pay all the time they are beyond the seventieth parallel."

"Of course that is understood," replied Hobson; "and I daresay they will

accept it without a murmur."

"Well then, Lieutenant," said Long simply, "we have now only to start for

Cape Bathurst."

But as a day of rest had been promised, the start did not actually take place

until the next day, June 6th.

The second part of the journey would naturally be very different from the

first. The rules with regard to the sledges keeping their rank need no longer be

enforced, and each couple drove as it pleased them. Only short distances were

traversed at a time; halts were made at every angle of the coast, and the party

often walked. Lieutenant Hobson only urged two things upon his companions not to

go further than three miles from the coast, and to rally their forces twice a

day, at twelve o'clock and in the evening. At night they all encamped in

tents.

The weather continued very fine and the temperature moderate, maintaining a

mean height of 59? Fahrenheit above zero. Two or three times sudden snowstorms

came on; but they did not last long, and exercised no sensible influence upon

the temperature.

The whole of the American coast between Capes Krusenstern and Parry,

comprising an extent of more than two hundred and fifty miles, was examined with

the greatest care between the 6th and 20th of June. Geographical observations

were accurately taken, and Hobson, most effectively aided by Thomas Black, was

able to rectify certain errors in previous marine surveys; whilst the primary

object of the expedition-the examination into the quality and quantity of the

game in the surrounding districts-was not neglected.

Were these lands well stocked with game? Could they count with certainty not

only on a good supply of furs, but also of meat? Would the resources of the

country provide a fort with provisions in the summer months at least? Such were

the grave questions which Lieutenant Hobson had to solve, and which called for

immediate attention. We give a summary of the conclusions at which he

arrived.

Game, properly so called, of the kind for which Corporal Joliffe amongst

others had a special predilection, was not abundant. There were plenty of birds

of the duck tribe; but only a few Polar hares, difficult of approach, poorly

represented the rodents of the north. There seemed, however, to be a good many

bears about. Marbre and Sabine had come upon the fresh traces of several. Some

were even seen and tracked; but, as a rule, they kept at a respectful distance.

In the winter, however, driven by famine from higher latitudes, there would

probably be more than enough of these ravenous beasts prowling about the shores

of the Arctic Ocean.

"There is certainly no denying," said Corporal Joliffe, "that bear's flesh is

very good eating when once it's in the larder; but there is something very

problematical about it beforehand, and it's always just possible that the

hunters themselves may meet the fate they intended for the bears!"

This was true enough. It was no use counting upon the bears to provision

their fort. Fortunately traces were presently found of herds of a far more

useful animal, the flesh of which is the principal food of the Indians and

Esquimaux. We allude to the reindeer; and Corporal Joliffe announced with the

greatest satisfaction that there were plenty of these ruminants on this coast.

The ground was covered with the lichen to which they are so partial, and which

they cleverly dig out from under the snow.

There could be no mistake as to the footprints left by the reindeer, as, like

the camel, they have a small nail-like hoof with a convex surface. Large herds,

sometimes numbering several thousand animals, are seen running wild in certain

parts of America. Being easily domesticated, they are employed to draw sledges;

and they also supply the factories with excellent milk, more nourishing than

that of cows. Their dead bodies are not less useful. Their thick skin provides

clothes, their hair makes very good thread, and their flesh is palatable; so

that they are really the most valuable animals to be found in these latitudes,

and Hobson, being assured of their presence, was relieved from half his

anxiety.

As he advanced he had also reason to be satisfied with regard to the

fur-bearing animals. By the little streams rose many beaver lodges and musk-rat

tunnels. Badgers, lynxes, ermines, wolverenes, sables, polecats, &c.,

frequented these districts, hitherto undisturbed by hunters. They had thus far

come to no trace of the presence of man, and the animals had chosen their refuge

well. Footprints were also found of the fine blue and silver foxes, which are

becoming more and more rare, and the fur of which is worth its weight in gold.

Sabine and Mac-Nab might many a time have shot a very valuable animal on this

excursion, but the Lieutenant had wisely forbidden all hunting of the kind. He

did not wish to alarm the animals before the approaching season-that is to say,

before the winter months, when their furs become thicker and more beautiful. It

was also desirable not to overload the sledges. The hunters saw the force of his

reasoning; but for all that, their fingers itched when they came within

shot-range of a sable or some valuable fox. Their Lieutenant's orders were,

however, not to be disobeyed.

Polar bears and birds were, therefore, all that the hunters had to practise

upon in this second stage of their journey. The former, however, not yet

rendered bold by hunger, soon scampered off, and no serious struggle with them

ensued.

The poor birds suffered for the enforced immunity of the quadrupeds.

White-headed eagles, huge birds with a harsh screeching cry; fishing hawks,

which build their nests in dead trees and migrate to the Arctic regions in the

summer; snow buntings with pure white plumage, wild geese, which afford the best

food of all the Anseres tribe; ducks with red heads and black breasts;

ash-coloured crows, a kind of mocking jay of extreme ugliness; eider ducks;

scoters or black divers, &c. &c., whose mingled cries awake the echoes

of the Arctic regions, fell victims by hundreds to the unerring aim of Marbre

and Sabine. These birds haunt the high latitudes by millions, and it would be

impossible to form an accurate estimate of their number on the shores of the

Arctic Ocean. Their flesh formed a very pleasant addition to the daily rations

of biscuit and corned beef, and we can understand that the hunters laid up a

good stock of them in the fifteen days during which they were debarred from

attacking more valuable game.

There would then be no lack of animal food; the magazines of the Company

would be well stocked with game, and its offices filled with furs and traders;

but something more was wanted to insure success to the undertaking. Would it be

possible to obtain a sufficient supply of fuel to contend with the rigour of an

Arctic winter at so elevated a latitude?

Most fortunately the coast, was well wooded; the hills which sloped down

towards the sea were crowned with green trees, amongst which the pine

predominated. Some of the woods might even be called forests, and would

constitute an admirable reserve of timber for the fort. Here and there Hobson

noticed isolated groups of willows, poplars, dwarf birch-trees, and numerous

thickets of arbutus. At this time of the warm season all these trees were

covered with verdure, and were an unexpected and refreshing sight to eyes so

long accustomed to the rugged, barren polar landscape. The ground at the foot of

the hills was carpeted with a short herbage devoured with avidity by the

reindeer, and forming their only sustenance in winter. On the whole, then, the

Lieutenant had reason to congratulate himself on having chosen the north-west of

the American continent for the foundation of a new settlement.

We have said that these territories, so rich in animals, were apparently

deserted by men. The travellers saw neither Esquimaux, who prefer the districts

round Hudson's Bay, nor Indians, who seldom venture so far beyond the Arctic

Circle. And indeed in these remote latitudes hunters may be overtaken by storms,

or be suddenly surprised by winter, and cut off from all communication with

their fellow-creatures. We can easily imagine that Lieutenant Hobson was by no

means sorry not to meet any rival explorers. What he wanted was an unoccupied

country, a deserted land, suitable as a refuge for the fur-bearing animals; and

in this matter he had the full sympathy of Mrs Barnett, who, as the guest of the

Company, naturally took a great interest in the success of its schemes.

Fancy, then, the disappointment of the Lieutenant, when on the morning of the

20th June he came to an encampment but recently abandoned.

It was situated at the end of a narrow creek called Darnley Bay, of which

Cape Parry is the westernmost point. There at the foot of a little hill were the

stakes which had served to mark the limits of the camp, and heaps of cinders,

the extinct embers of the fires.

The whole party met at this encampment, and all understood how great a

disappointment it involved for Lieutenant Hobson.

"What a pity!" he exclaimed. "I would rather have met a whole family of polar

bears!"

"But I daresay the men who encamped here are already far off," said Mrs

Barnett; "very likely they have returned to their usual hunting grounds."

"That is as it may be," replied the Lieutenant. "If these be the traces of

Esquimaux, they are more likely to have gone on than to have turned back; and if

they be those of Indians, they are probably, like ourselves, seeking a new

hunting district; and in either case it will be very unfortunate for us."

"But," said Mrs Barnett, "cannot we find out to what race the travellers do

belong? Can't we ascertain if they be Esquimaux or Indians from the south? I

should think tribes of such a different origin, and of such dissimilar customs,

would not encamp in the same manner."

Mrs Barnett was right; they might possibly solve the mystery after a thorough

examination of the ground.

Jaspar Hobson and others set to work, carefully examining every trace, every

object left behind, every mark on the ground; but in vain, there was nothing to

guide them to a decided opinion. The bones of some animals scattered about told

them nothing, and the Lieutenant, much annoyed, was about to abandon the useless

search, when he heard an exclamation from Mrs Joliffe, who had wandered a little

way to the left.

All hurried towards the young Canadian, who remained fixed to the spot,

looking attentively at the ground before her.

As her companions came up she said-

"You are looking for traces, Lieutenant; well, here are some."

And Mrs Joliffe pointed to a good many footprints clearly visible in the firm

clay.

These might reveal something; for the feet of the Indians and Esquimaux, as

well as their boots, are totally different from each other.

But what chiefly struck Lieutenant Hobson was the strange arrangement of

these impressions. They were evidently made by a human foot, a shod foot; but,

strange to say, the ball alone appeared to have touched the ground! The marks

were very numerous, close together, often crossing one another, but confined to

a very small circle.

Jaspar Hobson called the attention of the rest of the party to this singular

circumstance.

"These were not made by a person walking," he said.

"Nor by a person jumping," added Mrs Barnett; "for there is no mark of a

heel."

"No," said Mrs Joliffe; "these footprints were left by a dancer."

She was right, as further examination proved. They were the marks left by a

dancer, and a dancer engaged in some light and graceful exercise, for they were

neither clumsy nor deep.

But who could the light-hearted individual be who had been impelled to dance

in this sprightly fashion some degrees above the Arctic Circle?

"It was certainly not an Esquimaux," said the Lieutenant.

"Nor an Indian," cried Corporal Joliffe.

"No, it was a Frenchman," said Sergeant Long quietly.

And all agreed that none but a Frenchman could have been capable of dancing

on such a spot.