Page:Across the sub-Arctics of Canada (1897).djvu/198

 the skeleton of an immense whale, but unfortunately not the part that is of commercial value. This doubtless had been carried away by the Eskimos or by some whaling crew.

During the following day the weather continued fair and feeling that nature was favoring us we made good use of our time. As we followed the coast in a southwesterly direction the outline of Marble Island could be seen against the southern sky; while to the north extended the bold, dark coast-line of rock, unbroken in appearance excepting where here and there lay great banks of snow.

About noon we discovered, on landing, what must very recently have been a large Eskimo encampment. Several kometics (sleds) and other articles were found. The wreck of a large whale-boat lay on the shore, and several dogs were seen lurking about. This camping-place was the summer home of the Eskimos we had met sailing up Chesterfield Inlet, and from a sanitary point of view was no credit to them, for filth and putrefaction everywhere abounded.

The rocks of this locality were of an interesting character, being dark green hornblendic schists of the Huronian formation.

Following these two days of exceptionally fair weather we enjoyed still another, and were permitted to traverse the mouth of Rankin Inlet, which would have required two or three days to coast had the weather been anything but calm. During these three days we had made a distance of just one hundred miles, which, upon such an exposed coast, we considered good progress.

Though we saw little game we still had some dried