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 A TOUR OF THE ISLAND, 1 89 imprisoned on the island, and there was every reason to fear that, when famished with hunger, all the carnivorous beasts would be formidable enemies to the occupants of Fort Hope. Fortunately, however, one race of animals appeared to be quite unrepresented. Not a single white bear was seen ! Once the Sergeant thought he saw an enormous white mass moving about on the other side of a clump of willows, but on close examination decided that he was mistaken. The coast near Walruses' Bay was, on the whole, only slightly elevated above the sea-level, and in the distance the waves broke into running foam as they do upon a sloping beach. It was to be feared that the soil had little stability, but there was no means of judging of the modifications which had taken place since their last visit, and Hobson much regretted that he had not made bench marks about Cape Bat hurst before he left, that he might judge of the amount of sinking or depression which took place. He deter- mined, however, to take this precaution on his return. It will be understood that, under the circumstances, the party did not advance very rapidly. A pause was often made to examine the soil, or to see if there were any sign of an approaching fracture on the coast, and sometimes the explorers wandered inland for half a mile. Here and there the Sergeant planted branches of willow or birch to serve as landmarks for the future, especially wherever undermining seemed to be going on rapidly and the solidity of the ground was doubtful. By this means it would be easy to ascertain the changes which might take place. They did advance, however, and at three o'clock in the after- noon they were only three miles from Walruses' Bay, and Hobson called Mrs B;irnett's attention to the important changes which had been effected by the rupture of the isthmus. Formerly the south-western horizon was shut in by a long slightly curved coast-line, formed by the shores of Liverpool Bay. Now a sea-line bounded the view, the continent having disappeared. Victoria Island ended in an abrupt angle where it had broken off, and all felt sure that on turning round that angle the ocean would be spread out before them, and that its waves would bathe the whole of -the southern side of the island, which was once the con- necting-link between Walruses' Bay and Washburn Bay. Mrs Barnett could not look at the changed aspect of the scene without emotion. She had expected it, and yet her heart beat