entrance of the principal apartment, which was a circular dome, was a flooring of snow, raised about two feet and a half high, and covered with various skins; this formed the sleeping-place of the family. At one end of this platform sat the mistress of the house, opposite the lamp, which being of moss and oil, gave sufficient flame to supply both light and heat. Over the lamp was the cooking-dish of stone, containing the flesh of deer and of seals, with oil, and there seemed abundance of this provision. All these snow-huts were lighted by a large oval piece of clear ice, fixed about half-way up, on the eastern side of the roof. Captain Ross found that all these huts were scarcely a day old. What cares the Esquimaux for wood, and bricks, and slate, and glass? he has his ice and snow, with which he forms a perfect shelter in less time than our builders would require to mark out the ground. This party of Esquimaux, and some others besides, frequently visited the ship, and made themselves very useful to our countrymen, by guiding them on their exploring trips, and catching fish. In payment for

these services they were well pleased to receive files, needles, and chisels—in short, iron in any shape, of which they fully appreciated the use and value.

One poor native, named Tulluiahu, had lost a leg, and was obliged to be drawn on sledges whenever the company moved from place to place. The ship's carpenter set to work and made him a wooden-leg, with which he stumped about with great delight at being once more set upright, and able to walk. In token of gratitude for this service, his wife, Tiriksiu, made Captain Ross a complete female dress, which was a first-rate specimen of Esquimaux tailoring; the skins being most carefully fitted, so that the colours of the fur should match; while there was a fringe below, and a border of white round the hood and arm-holes. In return, the captain gave her a silk handkerchief, which attracted great admiration. Tiriksiu also gave them some useful geographical information: she, in common with many of the natives, perfectly understood the nature and object of a chart. In fact, Ikmalik, one of the most intelligent among them,

had drawn, for the captain's use, a chart of the neighbouring coasts; and Tiriksiu, on being shown it, marked, in addition, several islands, the places where food could be obtained, and where they had better sleep on their journey: and in this, as in other instances, it was found that their information was remarkably accurate.

The sun at length began to appear above the horizon; the winter gradually passed away-at least so it would be considered in those regions; and the Esquimaux departed to their summer haunts.

The ice gradually melted around the ship, and the voyagers made every preparation for sailing away. They watched anxiously, day after day, for an opportunity of getting into open sea; but not until September did the Victory once more float in free water. They got under sail; they advanced about three miles through the loose ice; which soon united again, blocked up the channel by which they had hoped to escape, closed round the Victory, and once more were they bound in for another winter, to be

passed in the same manner as the last, but with diminished hopes of success.

In August, 1831, the Victory floated once more, was towed out of harbour by the boats, and this year they sailed four miles, when they were again blocked up by the ice, and a third dreary winter was before them.

As the summer of 1832 drew near, they determined to abandon the ship, and endeavour to reach, in the open boats, some part of the sea where they might fall in with some of the whaling-ships; for, by this time the stores taken from Fury Beach were becoming exhausted, and it seemed needful to reduce the daily portion of food.

They prepared their sledges, boats, and provisions; they nailed the English flag to the mast of the poor Victory, and abandoned her to her fate. Captain Ross writes-"It was

the first vessel I had ever having served in thirty-six, during a period of forty-two years. It was like parting with an old friend, and I did not pass the point where she ceased to be visible, without

been obliged to abandon, after

stopping to take a sketch of this melancholy desert, rendered more melancholy by the solitary abandoned home of our past years, fixed in immovable ice, till time should perform on her his usual work."

After many difficulties and hardships they again reached Fury Beach on the 1st of July, and found the remainder of the provisions in the same condition as they had left them three years before. Here the poor travellers were once more put on a full allowance of food. They built a house, and rested for a month, in order to recruit after their fatigues in dragging the boats and sledges over the rough ice, or, worse still, the soft, melting snow. By the 1st of August some clear, navigable water appeared; the boats were launched, and they beat about for the next two months, in hopes of gaining the open sea, where they might probably find some whaling-ships. It was, however, in vain; the ice again closed round them, and leaving their boats drawn up in a secure position on the beach, they had once more to return to their house on Fury