Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/418

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Oosisoak; another is his brave queen, Arkadik; and the third Nenook, the finest of Kalutunah's dogs. Three others have come in since; but four are yet missing. I have sent out to seek them, without success. I much fear that they will not have strength to drag themselves on board.

And so my journey ended. If it has had its disappointments, it has had, too, its triumphs and successes. It was unfortunate that I did not get the boat over the Sound, together with a good supply of provisions; but, failing in this, the failure of the foot-party was of little moment. No amount of assistance could, with sledges alone, have helped me further north; or, if I had got further, could have ever got me back again.

June 8th.

I have finished the plotting of my chart, and I find, as I have already had occasion to observe, that the coast-line from Cape Sabine to Cape Frazer differs somewhat from that shown from my journey in 1854, which was made under the embarrassments of partial snow-blindness and a vapory atmosphere. The most important feature in connection with this old survey is the fact that the Sound opening westward from Smith Sound, above Cape Sabine, formerly escaped my observation. The existence of this Sound was abundantly confirmed during my return journey; and my materials, now reduced and put on paper, give me the correct conformation of the coast. The Sound is somewhat wider than Smith Sound, narrowing, however, steadily, from a broad entrance, something like Whale Sound. Whether it continues to the westward, parallel with Jones and Lancaster Sounds, separating the Ellesmere Land, of Ingle