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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:44:16 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:44:16 -0700 |
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diff --git a/14350-h/14350-h.htm b/14350-h/14350-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f173546 --- /dev/null +++ b/14350-h/14350-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,8969 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 2 (of 2), by Sir William Edward Parry</title> +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + } + pre { text-align: left; + } + HR { width: 33%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .note {margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} /* footnote */ + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 1em; font-size: smaller; float: right; clear: right;} + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; + height: 5px; } + a:link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:visited {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:hover {color:red} + pre.pg {font-size: 8pt;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14350 ***</div> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Three Voyages for the Discovery of a +Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an +Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 2 (of 2), by Sir William Edward +Parry</h1> +<table border=0 bgcolor="ccccff" cellpadding=10> + <tr> + <td width="27%" valign="top"> + Transcriber's Note: + </td> + <td> + The character = preceding a vowel is used to indicate that the + vowel is to be pronounced long.<br> + The character ~ preceding a vowel is used to indicate that the + vowel is to be pronounced short.<br> + These characters do not occur otherwise. + </td> + </tr> +</table> +<br> +<br> +<hr class="full" noshade> +<br> +<br> + +<br> + +<a name='THREE_VOYAGES'></a> +<h2>THREE VOYAGES<br> + FOR THE<br> + DISCOVERY OF A NORTHWEST PASSAGE<br> + FROM THE<br> + ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC,<br> + AND NARRATIVE OF<br> + AN ATTEMPT TO REACH THE NORTH POLE.</h2> +<h3>BY</h3> +<h3>SIR W. E. PARRY, CAPT. R.N.. F.R.S.</h3> + +<h3>IN TWO VOLUMES.<br> +<br> +</h3> +<h4>VOL. II.</h4> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<br> + +<h6>New-York:<br> +Harper & Brothers, 82 Cliff-Street.</h6> +<br> + +<h4>1844.</h4> +<center><img alt="001 (160K)" src="images/001.jpg" width="100%"></center> +<br> + +<h3>CONTENTS<br> + OF<br> + THE SECOND VOLUME.</h3> +<br> + <a name='b001_2'></a><a href='#b001'></a> +<h4>SECOND VOYAGE<br> +CONTINUED.</h4> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p><a name="c001"></a><a href="#c001_2">CHAPTER X.</a></p> +<p>Departure from Winter Island.—Meet with some Esquimaux +travelling to the Northward.—Obstruction and Danger from +the Ice and Tides.—Discovery of the Barrow River, and its +Fall.—Favourable Passage to the Northward.—Arrival +off the Strait of the Fury and Hecla.—Progress opposed by a +fixed barrier of Ice.—Communicate with the Natives of +Igloolik.—Unsuccessful Attempt to get between the Ice and +the Land.—Land upon the Calthorpe Islands.—The Fury +drifted by the Ice between two Islands.—Account of a +Journey performed in Sledges up an Inlet to the Westward.</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c002"></a><a href="#c002_2">CHAPTER XI.</a></p> +<p>A Whale killed.—Other Charts drawn by the +Esquimaux.—Account of a Journey to the Narrows of the +Strait.—Discovery of the Sea to the Westward.—Total +Disruption of the Ice at the Eastern Entrance of the +Strait.—Instance of local Attraction on the +Compasses.—Sail through the Narrows, and again stopped by +fixed Ice.—Account of several Land Journeys and Boat +Excursions.—Observations on the Tides.—Continued +Obstacles from fixed Ice.</p> +<br> + +<p><a name="c003"></a><a href="#c003_2">CHAPTER XII.</a></p> +<p>A Journey performed along the South Shore of Cockburn +Island.—Confirmation of an Outlet to the Polar +Sea.—Partial Disruption of the Old Ice, and formation of +New.—Return through the Narrows to the +Eastward.—Proceed to examine the Coast to the +Northeastward.—Fury's Anchor broken.—Stand over to +Igloolik to look for Winter-quarters.—Excursion to the Head +of Quilliam Creek.—Ships forced to the Westward by Gales of +Wind.—A Canal sawed through the Ice, and the Ships secured +in their Winter Station.—Continued Visits of the Esquimaux, +and Arrival of some of the Winter Island Tribe.—Proposed +Plan of Operations in the ensuing Spring.</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c004"></a><a href="#c004_2"> +CHAPTER XIII.</a></p> +<p>Preparations for the Winter.—Various Meteorological +Phenomena to the close of the year 1822.—Sickness among the +Esquimaux.—Meteorological Phenomena to the end of +March.</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c005"></a><a href="#c005_2"> +CHAPTER XIV.</a></p> +<p>Various Journeys to the Esquimaux Stations.—Preparations +for the Hecla's Return to England.—Remarkable Halos, +&c.—Shooting Parties stationed at +Arlagnuk.—Journeys to Quilliam Creek.—Arrival of +Esquimaux from the Northward.—Account of a Journey to the +Westward for the purpose of reaching the Polar Sea.—The +Esquimaux report two Fishing-ships having been Wrecked.—A +Journey performed to Cockburn Island.—Discovery of Murray +Maxwell Inlet</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c006"></a><a href="#c006_2"> +CHAPTER XV.</a></p> +<p>Extraordinary Disruption of Ice in Quilliam Creek.—Some +Appearance of Scurvy among the Seamen and Marines—Discovery +of Gifford River.—Commence cutting the Ice outside the +Ships to release them from their +Winter-quarters.—Considerations respecting the Return of +the Expedition to England.—Unfavourable State of the Ice at +the Eastern Entrance of the Strait.—Proceed to the +Southward.—Ships beset and drifted up Lyon +Inlet.—Decease of Mr. George Fife.—Final Release from +the Ice, and Arrival in England.—Remarks upon the +practicability of a Northwest Passage.</p> +</div> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p><a name='b002_2'></a><a href='#b002'>THIRD VOYAGE</a></p> +<br> +<p><a name="c007"></a><a href="#c007_2"> +INTRODUCTION</a></p> +<br> +<p><a name="c008"></a><a href="#c008_2"> +CHAPTER I.</a></p> +<p>Passage to the Whale-fish Islands, and Removal of Stores from +the Transport.—Enter the Ice in Baffin's +Bay.—Difficulties of Penetrating to the +Westward.—Quit the Ice in Baffin's Bay.—Remarks on +the Obstructions encountered by the Ships, and on the Severity of +the Season.</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c009"></a><a href="#c009_2"> +CHAPTER II.</a></p> +<p>Enter Sir James Lancaster's Sound.—Land at Cape +Warrender.—Meet with young Ice.—Ships beset and +carried near the Shore.—Driven back to Navy-board +Inlet.—Run to the Westward, and enter Prince Regent's +Inlet.—Arrival at Port Bowen.</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c010"></a><a href="#c010_2"> +CHAPTER III.</a></p> +<p>Winter Arrangements.—Improvements in Warming and +Ventilating the Ships.—Masquerades adopted as an Amusement +to the Men.—Establishment of Schools.—Astronomical +Observations.—Meteorological Phenomena</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c011"></a><a href="#c011_2"> +CHAPTER IV.</a></p> +<p>Re-equipment of the Ships.—Several Journeys +undertaken.—Open Water in the Offing.—Commence sawing +a Canal to liberate the Ships.—Disruption of the +Ice.—Departure from Port Bowen.</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c012"></a><a href="#c012_2"> +CHAPTER V.</a></p> +<p>Sail over towards the Western Coast of Prince Regent's +Inlet.—Stopped by the Ice.—Reach the Shore about Cape +Seppings.—Favourable Progress along the Land.—Fresh +and repeated Obstructions from Ice.—Both Ships driven on +Shore.—Fury seriously damaged.—Unsuccessful Search +for a Harbour for heaving her down to repair.</p> +<p><a name="c013"></a><a href="#c013_2"> +CHAPTER VI.</a></p> +<p>Formation of a Basin for heaving the Fury down.—Landing +of the Fury's Stores, and other Preparations.—The Ships +secured within the Basin.—Impediments from the Pressure of +the Ice.—Fury, hove down.—Securities of the Basin +destroyed by a Gale of Wind.—Preparations to tow the Fury +out.—Hecla Re-equipped, and obliged to put to +Sea.—Fury again driven on Shore.—Rejoin the Fury; and +find it necessary finally to abandon her.</p> +<br> +<p><a name="c014"></a><a href="#c014_2"> +CHAPTER VII.</a></p> +<p>Some Remarks upon the Loss of the Fury—And on the +Natural History, &c, of the Coast of North Somerset.—Arrive +at Neill's Harbour.—Death of John Page.—Leave Neill's +Harbour.—Recross the Ice in Baffin's Bay.—Heavy +Gales.—Temperature of the Sea.—Arrival in +England.</p> +</div> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<br> +<p><a name='b003'></a><a href='#b003_2'> +ACCOUNT OF THE ESQUIMAUX</a></p> +<p><a name='b004'></a><a href='#b004_2'> +NARRATIVE OF AN ATTEMPT TO REACH THE NORTH POLE IN BOATS</a></p> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name='b001'></a> +<h2><a href='#b001_2'>SECOND VOYAGE<br> + FOR THE DISCOVERY OF A<br> + NORTHWEST PASSAGE.<br> + CONTINUED.</a></h2> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c001_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c001">CHAPTER X.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Departure from Winter Island.—Meet with some Esquimaux +travelling to the Northward.—Obstruction and Danger from +the Ice and Tides.—Discovery of the Barrow River, and its +Fall.—Favourable Passage to the Northward.—Arrival +off the Strait of the Fury and Hecla.—Progress opposed by a +fixed barrier of Ice.—Communicate with the Natives of +Igloolik.—Unsuccessful Attempt to get between the Ice and +the Land—Land upon the Calthorpe Islands.—The Fury +drifted by the Ice between two Islands.—Account of a +Journey performed in Sledges up an Inlet to the westward.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>The gale, which had for some time been blowing from the +northward, veered to the N.W.b.W., and increased in strength on +the 1st of July, which soon began to produce the effect of +drifting the ice off the land. At six o'clock on the 2d, the +report from the hill being favourable, and the wind and weather +now also sufficiently so, we moved out of our winter's dock, +which was, indeed, in part broken to pieces by the swell that had +lately set into the bay. At seven we made sail, with a fresh +breeze from W.N.W., and having cleared the rocks at the entrance +of the bay, ran quickly to the northward and eastward. The ice in +the offing was of the "hummocky" kind, and drifting rapidly about +with the tides, leaving us a navigable channel varying in width +from two miles to three or four hundred yards.</p> +<p>The closeness of the ice again obliging us to make fast on the +3d, we soon after perceived a party of people with a sledge upon +the land-floe. I therefore sent Mr. Bushnan, with some of our +men, to meet them and to bring them on board, being desirous of +ascertaining whereabout, according to their geography, we now +were. We found the party to consist, as we expected, of those who +had taken leave of us forty days before on their departure to the +northward, and who now readily accompanied our people to the +ships; leaving only Togolat's idiot-boy by the sledge, tying him +to a dog and the dog to the ice. As soon as they came under the +bows, they halted in a line, and, according to their former +promise, gave three cheers, which salutation a few of us on the +forecastle did not fail to return. As soon as they got on board +they expressed extreme joy at seeing us again, repeated each of +our names with great earnestness, and were, indeed, much +gratified by this unexpected encounter. Ewerat being now mounted +on the plank which goes across the gunwales of our ships for +conning them conveniently among the ice, explained, in a very +clear and pilot-like manner, that the island which we observed to +lie off Cape Wilson was that marked by Iligliuk in one of her +charts, and there called <i>Awlikteewik</i>, pronounced by Ewerat +<i>Ow-l=itt~ee-week</i>. On asking how many days' journey it was +still to Amitioke, they all agreed in saying ten; and back to +Winter Island <i>oon=o=oktoot</i> (a great many), so that we had +good reason to hope we were not far from the former place. I may +at once remark, however, that great caution is requisite in +judging of the information these people give of the distances +from one place to another, as expressed by the number of +<i>se=eniks</i> (sleeps) or days' journeys, to which, in other +countries, a definite value is affixed. No two Esquimaux will +give the same account in this respect, though each is equally +desirous of furnishing correct information; for, besides their +deficiency as arithmeticians, which renders the enumeration of +ten a labour, and of fifteen almost an impossibility to many of +them, each individual forms his idea of the distance according to +the season of the year, and, consequently, the mode of travelling +in which his own journey has been performed. Instances of this +kind will be observed in the charts of the Esquimaux, in which +they not only differ from each other in this respect, but the +same individual differs from himself at different times. It is +only, therefore, by a careful comparison of the various accounts, +and by making allowances for the different circumstances under +which the journeys have been made, that these apparent +inconsistencies can be reconciled, and an approximation to the +truth obtained.</p> +<p>Many of our officers and men cordially greeted these poor +people as old acquaintances they were glad to see again, and they +were loaded, as usual, with numerous presents, of which the only +danger to be apprehended was lest they should go mad on account +of them. The women screamed in a convulsive manner at everything +they received, and cried for five minutes together with the +excess of their joy; and to the honour of "John Bull" be it +recorded, he sent by one of the men as he left the ship a piece +of sealskin, as a present to <i>Parree</i>, being the first +offering of real gratitude, and without any expectation of +return, that I had ever received from any of them. I never saw +them express more surprise than on being assured that we had left +Winter Island only a single day; a circumstance which might well +excite their wonder, considering that they had themselves been +above forty in reaching our present station. They had obtained +one reindeer, and had now a large seal on their sledge, to which +we added a quantity of bread-dust, that seemed acceptable enough +to them. As our way lay in the same direction as theirs, I would +gladly have taken their whole establishment on board the ships to +convey them to Amitioke, but for the uncertain nature of this +navigation, which might eventually have put it out of my power to +land them at the precise place of their destination. The ice +again opening, we were now obliged to dismiss them, after half an +hour's visit, when, having run to the Hecla's bows to see Captain +Lyon and his people, they returned to their sledge as fast as +their loads of presents would allow them.</p> +<p>We continued our progress northward, contending with the +flood-tide and the drifting masses of ice; and the difficulties +of such a navigation may be conceived from the following +description of what happened to us on the 9th.</p> +<p>At half past eight on the morning of the 9th, a considerable +space of open water being left to the northward of us by the ice +that had broken off the preceding night, I left the Fury in a +boat for the purpose of sounding along the shore in that +direction, in readiness for moving whenever the Hecla should be +enabled to rejoin us. I found the soundings regular in almost +every part, and had just landed to obtain a view from an +eminence, when I was recalled by a signal from the Fury, +appointed to inform me of the approach of any ice. On my return, +I found the external body once more in rapid motion to the +southward with the flood-tide, and assuming its usual threatening +appearance. For an hour or two the Fury was continually grazed, +and sometimes heeled over by a degree of pressure which, under +any other circumstances, would not have been considered a +moderate one, but which the last two or three days' navigation +had taught us to disregard, when compared with what we had reason +almost every moment to expect. A little before noon a heavy floe, +some miles in length, being probably a part of that lately +detached from the shore, came driving down fast towards us, +giving us serious reason to apprehend some more fatal catastrophe +than any we had yet encountered. In a few minutes it came in +contact, at the rate of a mile and a half an hour, with a point +of the land-ice left the preceding night by its own separation, +breaking it up with a tremendous crash, and forcing numberless +immense masses, perhaps many tons in weight, to the height of +fifty or sixty feet, from whence they again rolled down on the +inner or land side, and were quickly succeeded by a fresh supply. +While we were obliged to be quiet spectators of this grand but +terrific sight, being within five or six hundred yards of the +point, the danger to ourselves was twofold; first, lest the floe +should now swing in, and serve us much in the same manner; and, +secondly, lest its pressure should detach the land-ice to which +we were secured, and thus set us adrift and at the mercy of the +tides. Happily, however, neither of these occurred, the floe +remaining stationary for the rest of the tide, and setting off +with the ebb which made soon after. In the mean while the Hecla +had been enabled to get under sail, and was making considerable +progress towards us, which determined me to move the Fury as soon +as possible from her present situation into the bight I had +sounded in the morning, where we made fast in five and a half +fathoms alongside some very heavy grounded ice, one third of a +mile from a point of land lying next to the northward of Cape +Wilson, and which is low for a short distance next the sea. At +nine o'clock a large mass of ice fell off the land-floe and +struck our stern; and a "calf" lying under it, having lost its +superincumbent weight, rose to the surface with considerable +force, lifting our rudder violently in its passage, but doing no +material injury.</p> +<p>On the 12th, observing an opening in the land like a river, I +left the ship in a boat to examine the soundings of the coast. On +approaching the opening, we found so strong a current setting out +of it as to induce me to taste the water, which proved scarcely +brackish; and a little closer in, perfectly fresh, though the +depth was from fourteen to fifteen fathoms. As this stream was a +sufficient security against any ice coming in, I determined to +anchor the ships somewhere in its neighbourhood; and, having laid +down a buoy in twelve fathoms, off the north point of the +entrance, returned on board, when I found all the boats ahead +endeavouring to tow the ships in-shore. This could be effected, +however, only by getting them across the stream of the inlet to +the northern shore; and here, finding some land-ice, the ships +were secured late at night, after several hours of extreme labour +to the people in the boats.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 13th, the ice being still close in with +the land just to the northward of us, I determined on examining +the supposed river in the boats, and, at the same time, to try +our luck with the seines, as the place appeared a likely one for +salmon. Immediately on opening the inlet we encountered a rapid +current setting outward, and, after rowing a mile and a half to +the N.W.b.W., the breadth of the stream varying from one third of +a mile to four or five hundred yards, came to some shoal water +extending quite across. Landing on the south shore and hauling +the boats up above high-water mark, we rambled up the banks of +the stream, which are low next the water, but rise almost +immediately to the height of about two hundred feet. As we +proceeded we gradually heard the noise of a fall of water; and +being presently obliged to strike more inland, as the bank became +more precipitous, soon obtained a fresh view of the stream +running on a much higher level than before, and dashing with +great impetuosity down two small cataracts. Just below this, +however, where the river turns almost at a right angle, we +perceived a much greater spray, as well as a louder sound; and, +having walked a short distance down the bank, suddenly came upon +the principal fall, of whose magnificence I am at a loss to give +any adequate description. At the head of the fall, or where it +commences its principal descent, the river is contracted to about +one hundred and fifty feet in breadth, the channel being hollowed +out through a solid rock of gneiss.</p> +<p>After falling about fifteen feet at angle of 30° with a +vertical line, the width of the stream is still narrowed to about +forty yards, and then, as if mustering its whole force previous +to its final descent, is precipitated, in one vast, continuous +sheet of water, almost perpendicular for ninety feet more. The +dashing of the water from such a height produced the usual +accompaniment of a cloud of spray broad columns of which were +constantly forced up like the successive rushes of smoke from a +vast furnace, and on this, near the top, a vivid <i>iris</i> or +rainbow was occasionally formed by the bright rays of an +unclouded sun. The basin that receives the water at the foot of +the fall is nearly of a circular form, and about four hundred +yards in diameter, being rather wider than the river immediately +below it.</p> +<p>After remaining nearly an hour, fixed, as it were, to the spot +by the novelty and magnificence of the scene before us, we +continued our walk upward along the banks; and after passing the +two smaller cataracts, found the river again increased in width +to above two hundred yards, winding in the most romantic manner +imaginable among the hills, and preserving, a smooth and +unruffled surface for a distance of three or four miles that we +traced it to the southwest above the fall. What added extremely +to the beauty of this picturesque river, which Captain Lyon and +myself named after our friend Mr. BARROW, Secretary to the +Admiralty, was the richness of the vegetation on its banks, the +enlivening brilliancy of a cloudless sky, and the animation given +to the scene by several reindeer that were grazing beside the +stream. Our sportsmen were fortunate in obtaining four of these +animals; but we had no success with the seines, the ground +proving altogether too rocky to use them with advantage or +safety. We returned on board at thirty minutes past two P.M., +after the most gratifying visit we had ever paid to the shore in +these regions.</p> +<p>We found on our return that a fresh, southerly breeze, which +had been blowing for several hours, had driven the ice to some +distance from the land; so that at four P.M., as soon as the +flood-tide had slackened, we cast off and made all possible sail +to the northward, steering for a headland, remarkable for having +a patch of land towards the sea, that appeared insular in sailing +along shore. As we approached this headland, which I named after +my friend Mr. PENRHYN, the prospect became more and more +enlivening; for the sea was found to be navigable in a degree +very seldom experienced in these regions, and, the land trending +two or three points to the westward of north, gave us reason to +hope we should now be enabled to take a decided and final turn in +that anxiously desired direction. As we rounded Cape Penrhyn at +seven P.M., we began gradually to lose sight of the external body +of ice, sailing close along that which was still attached in very +heavy floes to this part of the coast. Both wind and tide being +favourable, our progress was rapid, and unobstructed, and nothing +could exceed the interest and delight with which so unusual an +event was hailed by us. Before midnight the wind came more off +the land, and then became light and variable, after which it +settled in the northwest, with thick weather for several +hours.</p> +<p>In the course of this day the walruses became more and more +numerous every hour, lying in large herds upon the loose pieces +of drift-ice; and it having fallen calm at one P.M., we +despatched our boats to kill some for the sake of the oil which +they afford. On approaching the ice, our people found them +huddled close to, and even lying upon, one another, in separate +droves of from twelve to thirty, the whole number near the boats +being perhaps about two hundred..Most of them waited quietly to +be fired at: and even after one or two discharges did not seem to +be greatly disturbed, but allowed the people to land on the ice +near them, and, when approached, showed an evident disposition to +give battle. After they had got into the water, three were struck +with harpoons and killed from the boats. When first wounded they +became quite furious, and one, which had been struck from Captain +Lyon's boat, made a resolute attack upon her and injured several +of the planks with its enormous tusks. A number of the others +came round them, also repeatedly striking the wounded animals +with their tusks, with the intention either of getting them away, +or else of joining in the attack upon them. Many of these animals +had young ones, which, when assaulted, they either took between +their fore-flippers to carry off, or bore away on their backs. +Both of those killed by the Fury's boats were females, and the +weight of the largest was fifteen hundred and two quarters +nearly; but it was by no means remarkable for the largeness of +its dimensions. The peculiar barking noise made by the walrus +when irritated, may be heard, on a calm day, with great +distinctness at the distance of two miles at least. We found +musket-balls the most certain and expeditious way of despatching +them after they had been once struck with the harpoon, the +thickness of their skin being such that whale-lances generally +bend without penetrating it. One of these creatures being +accidentally touched by one of the oars in Lieutenant Nias's +boat, took hold of it between its flippers, and, forcibly +twisting it out of the man's hand, snapped it in two. They +produced us very little oil, the blubber being thin and poor at +this season, but were welcomed in a way that had not been +anticipated; for some quarters of this "marine beef," as Captain +Cook has called it, being hung up for steaks, the meat was not +only eaten, but eagerly sought after on this and every other +occasion throughout the voyage, by all those among us who could +overcome the prejudice arising chiefly from the dark colour of +the flesh. In no other respect that I could ever discover, is the +meat of the walrus, when fresh-killed, in the slightest degree +unpalatable. The heart and liver are indeed excellent.</p> +<p>After an unobstructed night's run, during which we met with no +ice except in some loose "streams," the water became so much +shoaler as to make it necessary to proceed with greater caution. +About this time, also, a great deal of high land came in sight to +the northward and eastward, which, on the first inspection of the +Esquimaux charts, we took to be the large portion of land called +<i>Ke=iyuk-tar-ruoke</i>,<a name='FNanchor_001_1'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_001_1'><sup>[001]</sup></a> between which and the +continent the promised strait lay that was to lead us to the +westward. So far all was satisfactory; but, after sailing a few +miles farther, it is impossible to describe our disappointment +and mortification in perceiving an unbroken sheet of ice +extending completely across the supposed passage from one land to +the other. This consisted of a floe so level and continuous, that +a single glance was sufficient to assure us of the disagreeable +fact, that it was the ice formed in its present situation during +the winter, and still firmly attached to the land on every side. +It was certain, from its continuous appearance for some miles +that we ran along its edge, that it had suffered no disruption +this season, which circumstance involved the necessity of our +awaiting that operation, which nature seemed scarcely yet to have +commenced in this neighbourhood, before we could hope to sail +round the northeastern point of the American continent.</p> +<p>At thirty minutes past nine A.M. we observed several tents on +the low shore immediately abreast of us, and presently afterward +five canoes made their appearance at the edge of the land-ice +intervening between us and the beach. We soon found, by the +cautious manner in which the canoes approached us, that our +Winter Island friends had not yet reached this neighbourhood. In +a few minutes after we had joined them, however, a few presents +served to dissipate all their apprehensions, if, indeed, people +could be said to entertain any who thus fearlessly met us half +way; and we immediately persuaded them to turn back with us to +the shore. Being under sail in the boat, with a fresh breeze, we +took two of the canoes in tow, and dragged them along at a great +rate, much to the satisfaction of the Esquimaux, who were very +assiduous in piloting us to the best landing-place upon the ice, +where we were met by several of their companions and conducted to +the tents. Before we had reached the shore, however, we had +obtained one very interesting piece of information, namely, that +it was Igloolik on which we were now about to land, and that we +must therefore have made a very near approach to the strait +which, as we hoped, was to conduct us once more into the Polar +Sea.</p> +<p>We found here two divisions of tents, there being eleven where +we landed, and five more about half a mile to the northward. By +the time we reached the tents we were surrounded by a crowd of +men, women, and children, all carrying some trifling article, +which they offered in barter, a business they seemed to +understand as well, and to need much more than their countrymen +to the southward. We were, of course, not backward in promoting a +good understanding by means of such presents as we had brought +with us, but they seemed to have no idea of our giving them +anything <i>gratis</i>, always offering some trifle in exchange, +and expressing hesitation and surprise when we declined accepting +it. This was not to be wondered at among people who scarcely know +what a free gift is among themselves; but they were not long in +getting rid of all delicacy or hesitation on this score.</p> +<p>The tents, which varied in size according to the number of +occupants, consisted of several seal and walrus skins, the former +dressed without the hair, and the latter with the thick outer +coat taken off, and the rest shaved thin, so as to allow of the +transmission of light through it. These were put together in a +clumsy and irregular patchwork, forming a sort of bag of a shape +rather oval than round, and supported near the middle by a rude +tent-pole composed of several deer's horns or the bones of other +animals lashed together. At the upper end of this is attached +another short piece of bone at right angles, for the purpose of +extending the skins a little at the top, which is generally from +six to seven feet from the ground. The lower part of the +tent-pole rests on a large stone, to keep it from sinking into +the ground, and, being no way secured, is frequently knocked down +by persons accidentally coming against it, and again replaced +upon the stone. The lower borders of the skins are held down by +stones laid on them outside; and, to keep the whole fabric in an +erect position, a line of thong is extended from the top, on the +side where the door is, to a larger stone placed at some +distance. The door consists merely of two flaps, contrived so as +to overlap one another, and to be secured by a stone laid upon +them at the bottom. This entrance faces the south or southeast; +and as the wind was now blowing fresh from that quarter, and +thick snow beginning to fall, these habitations did not impress +us at first sight with a very favourable idea of the comfort and +accommodation afforded by them. The interior of the tents may be +described in few words. On one side of the end next the door is +the usual stone lamp, resting on rough stones, with the +<i>ootkooseek</i>, or cooking pot, suspended over it; and round +this are huddled together, in great confusion, the rest of the +women's utensils, together with great lumps of raw seahorse flesh +and blubber, which at this season they enjoyed in most disgusting +abundance. At the inner end of the tent, which is also the +broadest, and occupying about one third of the whole apartment, +their skins are laid as a bed, having under them some of the +<i>andromeda tetragona</i> when the ground is hard, but in this +case placed on the bare dry shingle. Comfortless as these simple +habitations appeared to us in a snowstorm, they are, in general, +not deficient in warmth as summer residences; and, being easily +removed from place to place, they are certainly well suited to +the wants and habits of this wandering people. When a larger +habitation than usual is required, they contrive, by putting two +of these together, to form a sort of double tent somewhat +resembling a marquee, and supported by two poles. The difference +between these tents and the one I had seen in Lyon Inlet the +preceding autumn, struck me as remarkable, these having no +<i>wall</i> of stones around them, as is usual in many that we +have before met with, nor do I know their reason for adopting +this different mode of construction.</p> +<p>Even if it were not the natural and happy disposition of these +people to be pleased, and to place implicit confidence wherever +kind treatment is experienced, that confidence would soon have +been ensured by our knowledge of their friends and relations to +the southward, and the information which we were enabled to give +respecting their late and intended movements. This, while it +excited in them extreme surprise, served also at once to remove +all distrust or apprehension, so that we soon found ourselves on +the best terms imaginable. In return for all this interesting +information, they gave us the names of the different portions of +land in sight, many of which being recognised in their +countrymen's charts, we no longer entertained a doubt of our +being near the entrance of the strait to which all our hopes were +directed. We now found also that a point of land in sight, a few +miles to the southward of the tents, was near that marked +<i>Ping-=it-k~a-l~ik</i> on Ewerat's chart, and that, therefore, +the low shore along which we had been constantly sailing the +preceding night was certainly a part of the continent.</p> +<p>By the time we had distributed most of our presents, and told +some long stories about Winter Island, to all which they listened +with eager delight and interest, we found the weather becoming so +inclement as to determine us to make the best of our way on +board, and to take a more favourable opportunity of renewing our +visit to the Esquimaux. After pulling out for an hour and a half, +Captain Lyon, who had a boat's crew composed of officers, and +had, unfortunately, broken one of his oars, was under the +necessity of returning to the shore. My anxiety lest the ships +should be ventured too near the shore, from a desire to pick up +the boats, induced me to persevere an hour longer, when the wind +having increased to a gale, which prevented our hearing any of +the guns, I reluctantly bore up for our former landing-place. +Captain Lyon and his party having quartered themselves at the +southern tents, we took up our lodgings at the others, to which +we were welcomed in the kindest and most hospitable manner. That +we might incommode the Esquimaux as little as possible, we +divided into parties of two in each tent, though they would +willingly have accommodated twice that number. Immediately on our +arrival they offered us dry boots, and it was not long before we +were entirely "rigged out" in their dresses, which, thoroughly +drenched as we were by the sea, proved no small comfort to us. +With these, and a sealskin or two as a blanket, we kept ourselves +tolerably warm during a most inclement night; and the tents, +which but a few hours before we had looked upon as the most +comfortless habitations imaginable, now afforded us a sufficient +and most acceptable shelter.</p> +<p>The evening was passed in dealing out our information from the +southward, and never did any arrival excite more anxious +inquiries than those we were now obliged to answer. So intimate +was the knowledge we possessed respecting many of their +relationships, that, by the help of a memorandum-book in which +these had been inserted, I believe we almost at times excited a +degree of superstitious alarm in their minds. This sort of +gossip, and incessant chattering and laughing, continued till +near midnight, when the numerous visitors in our tents began to +retire to their own and to leave us to our repose. Awaking at +four A.M. on the 17th, I found that the weather had moderated and +cleared up, and the ships soon after appearing in sight, we +called our boat's crew up, and sent one of the Esquimaux round to +the other tents to inform Captain Lyon of our setting out. +Several of the natives accompanied us to our boat, which they +cheerfully helped us to launch, and then went round to another +part of the beach for their own canoes. A thick fog had come on +before this time, notwithstanding which, however, we managed to +find the ships, and got on board by seven o'clock. Five canoes +arrived soon after, and the wind being now light and variable, we +lay-to for an hour to repay our kind friends for the hospitable +reception they had given us. After supplying them abundantly with +tin canisters, knives, and pieces of iron hoop, we hauled to the +northeastward to continue our examination of the state of the +ice, in hopes of finding that the late gale had in this respect +done us some service.</p> +<p>Finding that a farther examination of the eastern lands could +not at present be carried on, without incurring the risk of +hampering the ships at a time when, for aught that we knew, the +ice might be breaking up at the entrance of the strait, we stood +back to the westward, and, having fetched near the middle of +Igloolik, were gratified in observing that a large "patch" of the +fixed ice<a name='FNanchor_002_2'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_002_2'><sup>[002]</sup></a> had broken off and drifted +out of sight during our absence. At nine A.M. we saw eleven +canoes coming off from the shore, our distance from the tents +being about four miles. We now hoisted two of them on board, +their owners K=a-k~ee and N~u-y=ak-k~a being very well pleased +with the expedient, to avoid damaging them alongside. Above an +hour was occupied in endeavouring to gain additional information +respecting the land to the westward, and the time when we might +expect the ice to break up in the strait, after which we +dismissed them with various useful presents, the atmosphere +becoming extremely thick with snow, and threatening a repetition +of the same inclement weather as we had lately experienced.</p> +<p>On the 23d we went on shore to pay another visit to the +Esquimaux, who came down on the ice in great numbers to receive +us, repeatedly stroking down the front of their jackets with the +palm of the hand as they advanced, a custom not before mentioned, +as we had some doubt about it at Winter Island, and which they +soon discontinued here. They also frequently called out +<i>tima</i>, a word which, according to Hearne, signifies in the +Esquimaux language, "What cheer!" and which Captain Franklin +heard frequently used on first accosting the natives at the mouth +of the Coppermine River. It seems to be among these people a +salutation equivalent to that understood by these travellers, or +at least some equally civil and friendly one, for nothing could +exceed the attention which they paid us on landing. Some +individual always attached himself to each of us immediately on +our leaving the boat, pointing out the best road, and taking us +by the hand or arm to help us over the streams of water or +fissures in the ice, and attending us wherever we went during our +stay on shore. The day proving extremely fine and pleasant, +everything assumed a different appearance from that at our former +visit, and we passed some hours on shore very agreeably. About +half a mile inland of the tents, and situated upon the rising +ground beyond the swamps and ponds before mentioned, we found the +ruins of several winter habitations, which, upon land so low as +Igloolik, formed very conspicuous objects at the distance of +several miles to seaward. These were of the same circular and +dome-like form as the snow-huts, but built with much more durable +materials, the lower part or foundation being of stones, and the +rest of the various bones of the whale and walrus, gradually +inclining inward and meeting at the top. The crevices, as well as +the whole of the outside, were then covered with turf, which, +with the additional coating of snow in the winter, serves to +exclude the cold air very effectually. The entrance is towards +the south, and consists of a passage ten feet long, and not more +than two in height and breadth, built of flat slabs of stone, +having the same external covering as that of the huts. The beds +are raised by stones two feet from the ground, and occupy about +one third of the apartment at the inner end; and the windows and +a part of the roofs had been taken away for the convenience of +removing their furniture in the spring. It was a natural +inference, from the nature of these habitations, that these +people, or at least a portion of them, were constant residents on +this spot, which, indeed, seemed admirably calculated to afford +in luxurious profusion all that constitutes Esquimaux felicity. +This, however, did not afterward prove to be absolutely the case; +for though Igloolik (as perhaps the name may imply) is certainly +one of their principal and favourite rendezvous, yet we +subsequently found the inland entirely deserted by them at the +same season.</p> +<p>In every direction around the huts were lying innumerable +bones of walruses and seals, together with sculls of dogs, bears, +and foxes, on many of which a part of the putrid flesh still +remaining sent forth the most offensive effluvia. We were not a +little surprised to find also a number of human sculls lying +about among the rest, within a few yards of the huts; and were +somewhat inclined to be out of humour on this account with our +new friends, who not only treated the matter with the utmost +indifference, but, on observing that we were inclined to add some +of them to our collections, went eagerly about to look for them, +and tumbled, perhaps, the craniums of some of their own relations +into our bag, without delicacy or remorse. In various other parts +of the island we soon after met with similar relics no better +disposed of; but we had yet to learn how little pains these +people take to place their dead out of the reach of hungry bears +or anatomical collectors.</p> +<p>The account we gave of our visit to the shore naturally +exciting the curiosity and interest of those who had not yet +landed, and the ice remaining unchanged on the 24th, a couple of +boats were despatched from each ship, with a large party of the +officers and men, while the ships stood off and on. On the return +of the boats in the evening, I found from Lieutenant Reid that a +new family of the natives had arrived to-day from the main land, +bringing with them a quantity of fine salmon and venison, of +which some very acceptable samples were procured for both ships. +Being desirous of following up so agreeable a kind of barter, I +went on shore the next morning for that purpose, but could only +procure a very small quantity of fish from the tent of the +new-comer, a middle-aged, noisy, but remarkably intelligent and +energetic man named <i>T=o=ol~em~ak</i>. After some conversation, +we found from this man that, in order to obtain a fresh supply of +fish, three days would be required; this prevented my putting in +execution a plan of going out to the place where the fish were +caught, which we at first understood to be near at hand. We +therefore employed all our eloquence in endeavouring to procure a +supply of this kind by means of the Esquimaux themselves, in +which we at length so far succeeded, that Toolemak promised, for +certain valuable considerations of wood and iron, to set out on +this errand the following day.</p> +<p>Shortly, after I returned on board Captain Lyon made the +signal "to communicate with me," for the purpose of offering his +services to accompany our fisherman on his proposed journey, +attended by one of the Hecla's men; to which, in the present +unfavourable state of the ice, I gladly consented, as the most +likely means of procuring information of interest during this our +unavoidable detention. Being equipped with a small tent, +blankets, and four days' provision, Captain Lyon left us at ten +P.M., when I made sail to re-examine the margin of the ice.</p> +<p>It blew fresh from the eastward during the night of the 28th, +with continued rain, all which we considered favourable for +dissolving and dislodging the ice, though very comfortless for +Captain Lyon on his excursion. The weather at length clearing up +in the afternoon, I determined on beating to the eastward, to see +if any more of the land in that direction could be made out than +the unfavourable position of the ice would permit at our last +visit. The Fury then made sail and stood to the eastward, +encountering the usual strength of tide off the southwest point +of Tangle Island, and soon after a great quantity of heavy +drift-ice, apparently not long detached from some land.</p> +<p>I determined to avoid, if possible, the entanglement of the +Fury among the ice, which now surrounded her on every side, and +to stand back to Igloolik, to hear what information Captain +Lyon's journey might have procured for us.</p> +<p>At the distance of one third of a mile from Tangle Island, +where we immediately gained the open sea beyond, we observed the +Hecla standing towards us, and rejoined her at a quarter before +eleven, when Captain Lyon came on board to communicate the result +of his late journey, of which he furnished me with the following +account, accompanied by a sketch of the lands he had seen, as far +as the extremely unfavourable state of the weather would +permit.</p> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>"Accompanied by George Dunn, I found Toolemak on landing, who +welcomed us to his tent, in which for two hours it was scarcely +possible to move, in consequence of the crowd who came to gaze at +us. A new deerskin was spread for me, and Dunn having found a +corner for himself, we all lay down to sleep, not, however, until +our host, his wife, their little son, and a dog, had turned in +beside me, under cover of a fine warm skin, all naked except the +lady, who, with the decorum natural to her sex, kept on a part of +her clothes. At ten A.M. we started, and found the sledge on a +beach near the southern ice. Four men were to accompany us on +this vehicle, and the good-natured fellows volunteered to carry +our luggage. A second sledge was under the charge of three boys +who had eight dogs, while our team consisted of eleven. The +weather was so thick that at times we could not see a quarter of +a mile before us, but yet went rapidly forward to the W.N.W., +when, after about six hours, we came to a high, bold land, and a +great number of islands of reddish granite, wild and barren in +the extreme. We here found the ice in a very decayed state, and +in many places the holes and fissures were difficult if not +dangerous to pass. At the expiration of eight hours, our +impediments in this respect had increased to such a degree as to +stop our farther progress. Dunn, the old man, and myself +therefore walked over a small island, beyond which we saw a sheet +of water, which precluded any farther advance otherwise than by +boats.</p> +<p>"In the hope that the morning would prove more favourable for +our seeing the land, the only advantage now to be derived from +our visit, since the fishing place was not attainable, it was +decided to pass the night on one of the rocky islands. The +Esquimaux having brought no provisions with them, I distributed +our four days' allowance of meat in equal proportions to the +whole party, who afterward lay down to sleep on the rocks, having +merely a piece of skin to keep the rain from their faces. In this +comfortless state they remained very quietly for eight hours. Our +little hunting-tent just held Dunn and myself, although not in a +very convenient manner; but it answered the purpose of keeping us +dry, except from a stream of water that ran under us all +night.</p> +<p>"The morning of the 27th was rather fine for a short time, and +we saw above thirty islands, which I named COXE'S GROUP, varying +in size from one hundred yards to a mile or more in length. Two +deer were observed on the northern land, which was called +<i>Khead-Laghioo</i> by the Esquimaux, and Toolemak accompanied +Dunn in chase of them. On crossing to bring over our game, we +found the old Esquimaux had skinned and broken up the deer after +his own manner, and my companions being without food, I divided +it into shares.</p> +<p>"Arriving on the ice, a skin was taken from the sledge as a +seat, and we all squatted down to a repast which was quite new to +me. In ten minutes the natives had picked the deer's bones so +clean that even the hungry dogs disdained to gnaw them a second +time. Dunn and myself made our breakfast on a choice slice cut +from the spine, and found it so good, the windpipe in particular, +that at dinner-time we preferred the same food to our share of +the preserved meat which we had saved from the preceding +night.</p> +<p>"As we sat I observed the moschetoes to be very numerous, but +they were lying in a half torpid state on the ice, and incapable +of molesting us. Soon after noon we set forward on our return, +and, without seeing any object but the flat and decaying ice, +passed from land to land with our former celerity, dashing +through large pools of water much oftener than was altogether +agreeable to men who had not been dry for above thirty hours, or +warm for a still longer period. Our eleven dogs were large, +fine-looking animals, and an old one of peculiar sagacity was +placed at their head by having a longer trace, so as to lead them +over the safest and driest places, for these animals have a great +dread of water. The leader was instant in obeying the voice of +the driver, who did not beat, but repeatedly talked and called it +by name. It was beautiful to observe the sledges racing to the +same object, the dogs and men in full cry, and the vehicles +splashing through the water with the velocity of rival +stage-coaches.</p> +<p>"We were joyfully welcomed to the dwelling of Ooyarra, whose +guest I was now to become, and the place of honour, the deerskin +seat, was cleared for my reception. His two wives, +<i>K~ai-m=o=o-khi~ak</i> and <i>Aw~a-r=un-n~i</i> occupied one +end, for it was a double tent; while at the opposite extremity +the parents of the senior wife were established. The old mother +N=ow-k~it-y~oo assisted the young woman in pulling off our wet +clothes and boots, which latter being of native manufacture, she +new-soled and mended without any request on our side, considering +us as a part of the family. Dunn slept in the little tent to +watch our goods, and I had a small portion of Ooyarra's screened +off for me by a seal's skin. My host and his wives having retired +to another tent, and my visitors taking compassion on me, I went +comfortably to sleep; but at midnight was awakened by a feeling +of great warmth, and, to my surprise, found myself covered by a +large deerskin, under which lay my friend, his two wives, and +their favourite puppy, all fast asleep and stark naked. Supposing +this was all according to rule, I left them to repose in peace, +and resigned myself to sleep.</p> +<p>"On rising, Dunn and I washed with soap in a pond, which +caused great speculations among the by-standers, on some of whom +we afterward performed miracles in the cleansing way. A large +assemblage being collected to hear me talk of Ney-uning-Eitua, or +Winter Island, and to see us eat, the women volunteered to cook +for us; and, as we preferred a fire in the open air to their +lamps, the good-natured creatures sat an hour in the rain to stew +some venison which we had saved from our shares of the deer. The +fires in summer, when in the open air, are generally made of +bones previously well rubbed with blubber, and the female who +attends the cooking chews a large piece, from which, as she +extracts the oil, she spirts it on the flame.</p> +<p>"After noon, as I lay half asleep, a man came, and, taking me +by the hand, desired Dunn to follow. He led to a tent, which, +from the stillness within, I conjectured was untenanted. Several +men stood near the door, and, on entering, I found eighteen women +assembled and seated in regular order, with the seniors in front. +In the centre, near the tent-pole, stood two men, who, when I was +seated on a large stone, walked slowly round, and one began +dancing in the usual manner, to the favourite tune of 'Amna aya.' +The second person, as I soon found, was the dancer's assistant; +and, when the principal had pretty well exhausted himself, he +walked gravely up to him, and, taking his head between his hands, +performed a ceremony called <i>K=o=on~ik</i>, which is rubbing +noses, to the great amusement and amid the plaudits of the whole +company. After this, as if much refreshed, he resumed his +performance, occasionally, however, taking a koonik to enliven +himself and the spectators. The rub-<i>bee</i>, if I may be +excused the expression, was at length brought forward and put in +the place of the first dancer, who rushed out of the tent to cool +himself. In this manner five or six couples exhibited +alternately, obtaining more or less applause, according to the +oddity of their grimaces. At length a witty fellow, in +consequence of some whispering and tittering among the ladies, +advanced and gave me the koonik, which challenge I Was obliged to +answer by standing up to dance, and my nose was in its turn most +severely rubbed, to the great delight of all present.</p> +<p>"Having been as patient as could be wished for above an hour, +and being quite overpowered by the heat of the crowded tent, I +made a hasty retreat, after having distributed needles to all the +females, and exacting kooniks from all the prettiest in return. A +general outcry was now made for Dunn, a most quiet North +countryman, to exhibit also; but he, having seen the liberties +which had been taken with my nose, very prudently made his +retreat, anticipating what would be his fate if he remained.</p> +<p>"During a short, interval of fine weather, we hung out our +clothes to dry, and the contents of our knapsacks, instruments, +knives, and beads were strewed on the ground, while we went +inland to shoot a few ducks. We cautioned no one against +thieving, and were so much at their mercy that everything might +have been taken without a possibility of detection; yet not a +single article was found to have been removed from its place at +our return. At night I was attended by the same bedfellows as +before; the young puppy, however, being now better acquainted, +took up his quarters in my blanket-bag, as from thence he could +the more easily reach a quantity of walrus-flesh which lay near +my head; and I was awakened more than once by finding him gnawing +a lump by my side.</p> +<p>"On the morning of the 29th I was really glad to find that the +ships were not yet in sight, as I should be enabled to pass +another day among the hospitable natives. While making my rounds +I met several others, who were also visiting, and who each +invited me to call at his tent in its turn. Wherever I entered, +the master rose and resigned his seat next his wife or wives, and +stood before me or squatted on a stone near the door. I was then +told to 'speak!' or, in fact, to give a history of all I knew of +the distant tribe, which, from constant repetition, I could now +manage pretty well. In one tent I found a man mending his paddle, +which was ingeniously made of various little scraps of wood, +ivory, and bone, lashed together. He put it into my hands to +repair, taking it for granted that a Kabloona would succeed much +better than himself. An hour afterward the poor fellow came and +took me by the hand to his tent, where I found a large pot of +walrus-flesh evidently cooked for me. His wife licked a piece and +offered it, but, on his saying something to her, took out +another, and, having pared off the outside, gave me the clean +part, which, had it been carrion, I would not have hurt these +poor creatures by refusing. The men showed me some curious +puzzles with knots on their fingers, and I did what I could in +return. The little girls were very expert in a singular but dirty +amusement, which consisted in drawing a piece of sinew up their +nostrils and producing the end out of their mouths. The elder +people were, for the most part, in chase of the tormentors, which +swarmed in their head and clothes; and I saw, for the first time, +an ingenious contrivance for detaching them from the back, or +such parts of the body as the hands could not reach. This was the +rib of a seal, having a bunch of the whitest of a deer's hair +attached to one end of it, and on this rubbing the places which +require it, the little animals stick to it; from their colour +they are easily detected, and, of course, consigned to the mouths +of the hunters.</p> +<p>"The weather clearing in the afternoon, one ship was seen in +the distance, which diffused a general joy among the people, who +ran about screaming and dancing with delight. While lounging +along the beach, and waiting the arrival of the ship, I proposed +a game at 'leap frog,' which was quite new to the natives, and in +learning which some terrible falls were made. Even the women with +the children at their backs would not be outdone by the men, and +they formed a grotesque party of opposition jumpers. Tired with a +long exhibition, I retreated to the tent, but was allowed a very +short repose, as I was soon informed that the people from the +farthest tents were come to see my performance, and, on going +out, I found five men stationed at proper distances with their +heads down for me to go over them, which I did amid loud cries of +<i>koyenna</i> (thanks).</p> +<p>"As the ship drew near in the evening, I perceived her to be +the Hecla, but, not expecting a boat so late, lay down to sleep. +I soon found my mistake, for a large party came drumming on the +side of the tent, and crying out that a 'little ship' was coming, +and, in fact, I found the boat nearly on shore. Ooyarra's senior +wife now anxiously begged to tattoo a little figure on my arm, +which she had no sooner done than the youngest insisted on making +the same mark; and while all around were running about and +screaming in the greatest confusion, these two poor creatures sat +quietly down to embellish me. When the boat landed, a general +rush was made for the privilege of carrying our things down to +it. Awarunni, who owned the little dog which slept with me, ran +and threw him as a present into the boat; when, after a general +koonik, we pushed off, fully sensible of the kind hospitality we +had received. Toolemak and Ooyarra came on board in my boat, in +order to pass the night and receive presents, and we left the +beach under three hearty cheers."</p> +</div> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c002_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c002">CHAPTER XI.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>A Whale killed.—Other Charts drawn by the +Esquimaux.—Account of a Journey to the Narrows of the +Strait.—Discovery of the Sea to the Westward.—Total +Disruption of the Ice at the Eastern Entrance of the +Strait.—Instance of local Attraction on the +Compasses.—Sail through the Narrows, and again stopped by +fixed Ice.—Account of several Land Journeys and Boat +Excursions.—Observations on the Tides.—Continued +Obstacles from fixed Ice.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p><i>Aug.</i> 1.—The information obtained by Captain Lyon +on his late journey with the Esquimaux served very strongly to +confirm all that had before been understood from those people +respecting the existence of the desired passage to the westward +in this neighbourhood, though the impossibility of Captain Lyon's +proceeding farther in that direction, combined with our imperfect +knowledge of the language, still left us in some doubt as to the +exact position of the strait in question. While, therefore, +Captain Lyon was acquainting me with his late proceedings, we +shaped a course for Igloolik, in order to continue our look-out +upon the ice, and made the tents very accurately by the compass, +after a run of five leagues.</p> +<p>The present state of the ice, which was thin and "rotten,", +served no less to excite our surprise than to keep alive our +hopes and expectations. The spaces occupied respectively by ice +and holes were about equal; and so extensive and dangerous were +the latter, that the men could with extreme difficulty walk +twenty or thirty yards from the ship to place the anchors, and +that at no small risk of falling through. We were astonished, +therefore, to find with what tenacity a field of ice, whose parts +appeared thus loosely joined, still continued to hang together, +notwithstanding the action of the swell that almost constantly +set upon its margin.</p> +<p>We had for several days past occasionally seen black whales +about the ships, and our boats were kept in constant readiness to +strike one, for the sake of the oil, in which endeavour they at +length succeeded this morning. The usual signal being exhibited, +all the boats were sent to their assistance, and in less than an +hour and a half had killed and secured the fish, which proved a +moderate-sized one of above "nine feet bone," exactly suiting our +purpose. The operation of "flinching" this animal, which was +thirty-nine feet and a half in length, occupied most of the +afternoon, each ship taking half the blubber and hauling it on +the ice, "to make off" or put into casks.</p> +<p>As soon as we had completed the stowage of the blubber, and +washed the ships and people's clothes, we cast off on the 6th, +taking in tow the carcass of the whale (technically called the +"crang") for our friends at Igloolik. The wind dying away when +the ships were off the northeast end of the island, the boats +were despatched to tow the whale on shore, while Captain Lyon and +myself went ahead to meet some of the canoes that were paddling +towards us. We soon joined eleven of them, and on our informing +the Esquimaux of the prize the boats were bringing them, they +paddled off with great delight. When they arrived at the spot, +and had civilly asked permission to eat some of it, they dropped +their canoes astern to the whale's tail, from which they cut off +enormous lumps of flesh and ravenously devoured it; after which +they followed our boats in-shore, where the carcass was made fast +to a mass of grounded ice for their future disposal.</p> +<p>As we made several tacks off the island next to the northward +of Igloolik, called by the Esquimaux <i>Neerlo-Nackto</i>, two +canoes came off to us, in one of which was Toolemak. He and his +companions came on board the Fury, when I employed him for a +couple of hours in drawing a chart of the strait. Toolemak, +though a sensible and intelligent man, we soon found to be no +draughtsman, so that his performance in this way, if taken alone, +was not a very intelligible delineation of the coast. By dint, +however, of a great deal of talking on his part, and some +exercise of patience on ours, we at length obtained a copious +verbal illustration of his sketch, which confirmed all our former +accounts respecting the existence of a passage to the westward in +this immediate neighbourhood, and the large extent of land on the +northern side of the strait. Toolemak also agreed with our other +Esquimaux informants in stating, that from the coast of Akkoolee +no land is visible to the westward; nor was any ever heard of in +that direction by the Esquimaux. This fact they uniformly assert +with a whine of sorrow, meaning thereby to intimate that their +knowledge and resources are there both at an end.</p> +<p>The disruption of the ice continued to proceed slowly till +early on the morning of the 14th; the breeze having freshened +from the northwest, another floe broke away from the fixed ice, +allowing us to gain about half a mile more to the westward; such +was the vexatious slowness with which we were permitted to +advance towards the object of our most anxious wishes!</p> +<p>On the 14th I left the ship with Mr. Richards and four men, +and furnished with provisions for ten days, intending, if +possible, to reach the main land at a point where we could +overlook the strait. In this we succeeded after a journey of four +days, arriving on the morning of the 18th at the extreme northern +point of a peninsula, overlooking the narrowest part of the +desired strait, which lay immediately below us in about an east +and west direction, being two miles in width, apparently very +deep, and with a tide or current of at least two knots, setting +the loose ice through to the eastward. Beyond us, to the west, +the shores again separated to the distance of several leagues; +and for more than three points of the compass, in that direction, +no land could be seen to the utmost limits of a clear horizon, +except one island six or seven miles distant. Over this we could +not entertain a doubt of having discovered the Polar Sea; and, +loaded as it was with ice, we already felt as if we were on the +point of forcing our way through it along the northern shores of +America.</p> +<p>After despatching one of our party to the foot of the point +for some of the sea-water, which was found extremely salt to the +taste, we hailed the interesting event of the morning by three +hearty cheers and by a small extra allowance of grog to our +people, to drink a safe and speedy passage through the channel +just discovered, which I ventured to name, by anticipation, THE +STRAIT OF THE FURY AND HECLA. Having built a pile of stones upon +the promontory, which, from its situation with respect to the +Continent of America, I called CAPE NORTHEAST, we walked back to +our tent and baggage, these having, for the sake of greater +expedition, been left two miles behind; and, after resting a few +hours, set out at three P.M. on our return.</p> +<p>We reached the ships at ten o'clock P.M. on Tuesday the 20th. +On almost all the shores both of the main land and islands that +we visited, some traces of the Esquimaux were found; but they +were less numerous than in any other places on which we had +hitherto landed. This circumstance rather seemed to intimate, as +we afterward found to be the case, that the shores of the strait +and its immediate neighbourhood are not a frequent resort of the +natives during the summer months.</p> +<p>We got under way on the 21st, were off Cape Northeast on the +26th, and I gave the name of CAPE OSSORY to the eastern point of +the northern land of the Narrows; but on that day, after clearing +two dangerous shoals, and again deepening our soundings, we had +begun to indulge the most flattering hopes of now making such a +rapid progress as would in some degree compensate for all our +delays and disappointments, when, at once to crush every +expectation of this sort, it was suddenly announced from the +crow's nest that another barrier of <i>fixed</i> ice stretched +completely across the strait, a little beyond us, in one +continuous and impenetrable field, still occupying its winter +station. In less than an hour we had reached its margin, when, +finding this report but too correct, and that, therefore, all +farther progress was at present as impracticable as if no strait +existed, we ran the ships under all sail for the floe, which +proved so "rotten" and decayed that the ships forced themselves +three or four hundred yards through it before they stopped. +Keeping all our canvass spread, we then tried to break the thin +edges about the numerous holes, by dropping weights over the +bows, as well as by various other equally ineffectual expedients; +but the ice was "tough" enough to resist every effort of this +kind, though its watery state was such as to increase, if +possible, our annoyance at being stopped by it. The passage to +the northward of the island was not even so clear as this by +above two miles of ice, so that in every respect our present +route was to be preferred to the other; and thus, after a +vexatious delay of six weeks at the eastern entrance of the +strait, and at a time when we had every reason to hope that +nature, though hitherto tardy in her annual disruption of the +ice, had at length made an effort to complete it, did we find our +progress once more opposed by a barrier of the same continuous, +impenetrable, and hopeless nature as at first!</p> +<p>As soon as the anchors were dropped, my attention was once +more turned to the main object of the expedition, from which it +had for a moment been diverted by the necessity of exerting every +effort for the immediate safety of the ships. This being now +provided for, I had leisure to consider in what manner, hampered +as the ships were by the present state of the ice, our means and +exertions might, during this unavoidable detention, be employed +to the greatest advantage, or, at least, with the best prospect +of ultimate utility.</p> +<p>Whatever doubts might at a distance have been entertained +respecting the identity, or the contrary, of the place visited by +Captain Lyon with that subsequently discovered by myself, there +could be none on a nearer view; as, independently of the observed +latitude, Captain Lyon could not, on approaching the narrows, +recognise a single feature of the land; our present channel being +evidently a much wider and more extensive one than that pointed +out by Toolemak, on the journey. It became, therefore, a matter +of interest, now that this point was settled and our progress +again stopped by an insuperable obstacle, to ascertain the extent +and communication of the southern inlet; and, should it prove a +second strait, to watch the breaking up of the ice about its +eastern entrance, that no favourable opportunity might be missed +of pushing through it to the westward. I therefore determined to +despatch three separate parties, to satisfy all doubts in that +quarter, as well as to gain every possible information as to the +length of the strait, and the extent of the fixed ice now more +immediately before us.</p> +<p>With this view, I requested Captain Lyon to take with him Mr. +Griffiths and four men, and proceed overland in a S.b.E. +direction, till he should determine, by the difference of +latitude, which amounted only to sixteen miles, whether there was +or was not a strait leading to the westward, about the parallel +of 69° 26', being nearly that in which the place called by +the Esquimaux <i>Kh=emig</i> had been found by observation to +lie. In the mean time, Lieutenant Palmer was directed to proceed +in a boat to Igloolik, or Neerlo-Nackto, as might be necessary, +to ascertain whether the passage leading towards Kh=emig was yet +clear of ice; and, should he find any one of the Esquimaux +willing to accompany him to the ships with his canoe, to bring +him on board as a pilot. The third party consisted of Mr. +Bushnan, with three men, under the command of Lieutenant Reid, +who was instructed to proceed along the continental coast to the +westward, to gain as much information as possible respecting the +termination of our present strait, the time of his return to the +ships being limited to four days, at the expiration of which the +other two parties might also be expected to reach us.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 29th, the wind being light from the +eastward, but the weather much more clear than before, we weighed +and stood over to the mainland with the intention of putting our +travellers on shore, but found that coast now so lined with the +ice which had lately broken adrift that it was not possible for a +boat to approach it. Standing off to the westward, to see what +service the late disruption had done us, we found that a +considerable floe had separated, exactly in a line between the +island off which we lay and a second to the westward of it, +subsequently named in honour of LORD AMHERST. Tacking at the +newly-formed margin of the fixed ice, we observed, not only that +it was still firmly attached to the shores, but that it was now +almost entirely "hummocky," and heavier than any we had seen +since making Igloolik; some of the hummocks, as we afterward +found, measuring from eight to ten feet above the surface of the +sea.</p> +<p>The different character now assumed by the ice, while it +certainly damped our hopes of the passage being cleared this +season by the gradual effects of dissolution, confirmed, however, +in a very satisfactory manner, the belief of our being in a broad +channel communicating with a western sea. As the conclusions we +immediately drew from this circumstance may not be so obvious to +others, I shall here briefly explain that, from the manner in +which the hummocky floes are formed, it is next to impossible +that any of these of considerable extent can ever be produced in +a mere inlet having a narrow communication with the sea. There +is, in fact, no ice to which the denomination of "sea-ice" may be +more strictly and exclusively applied than this; and we therefore +felt confident that the immense floes which now opposed our +progress must have come from the sea on one side or the other; +while the current, which we had observed to run in an easterly +direction in the narrows, of this strait, precluded the +possibility of such ice having found its way in from that +quarter. The only remaining conclusion was, that it must have +been set into the strait from the westward towards the close of a +summer, and cemented in its present situation by the frost of the +succeeding winter.</p> +<p>A great deal of snow having fallen in the last two days, +scarcely a dark patch was now to be seen on any part of the land, +so that the prospect at daylight on the 30th was as comfortless +as can well be imagined for the parties who were just about to +find their way among the rocks and precipices. Soon after four +A.M., however, when we had ascertained that the drift-ice was no +longer lying in their way, they were all despatched in their +different directions. For each of the land-parties a depôt +of several days' provision and fuel was, in case of accidents, +established on the beach; and Lieutenant Palmer took in his boat +a supply for nine days.</p> +<p>On the 31st the wind blew fresh and cold from the northwest, +which caused a quantity of ice to separate from the fixed floe in +small pieces during the day, and drift past the ships. Early in +the morning, a she-bear and her two cubs were observed floating +down on one of these masses, and, coming close to the Hecla, were +all killed. The female proved remarkably small, two or three men +being able to lift her into a boat.</p> +<p>At half past nine on the morning of the 1st of September, one +of our parties was descried at the appointed rendezvous on shore, +which, on our sending a boat to bring them on board, proved to be +Captain Lyon and his people. From their early arrival we were in +hopes that some decisive information had at length been obtained; +and our disappointment may therefore be imagined, in finding +that, owing to insuperable obstacles, on the road, he had not +been able to advance above five or six miles to the southward, +and that with excessive danger and fatigue, owing to the depth of +the snow, and the numerous lakes and precipices.</p> +<p>At nine A.M. on the 2d, Lieutenant Reid and his party were +descried at their landing-place, and a boat being sent for them, +arrived on board at half past eleven. He reported that the ice +seemed to extend from Amherst Island as far as they could see to +the westward, presenting one unbroken surface from the north to +the south shore of the strait.</p> +<p>Notwithstanding every exertion on the part of our travellers, +their labours had not thrown much light on the geography of this +part of the coast, nor added any information that could be of +practical use in directing the operations of the ships. The +important question respecting a second passage leading to the +westward still remained as much a matter of mere conjecture as at +first; while the advanced period of the season, and the +unpromising appearance of the ice now opposing our progress, +rendered it more essential than ever that this point should, if +possible, be decided. Under this impression it occurred to me, +that the desired object might possibly be accomplished by +pursuing the route along the head or western shore of Richards's +Bay, part of which I had already traversed on my former journey, +and found it much less laborious walking than that experienced by +Captain Lyon on the higher and more rugged mountains inland. I +determined, therefore, to make this attempt, taking with me Mr. +Richards and most of my former companions.</p> +<p>This night proved the coldest we had experienced during the +present season, and the thermometer stood at 24° when I left +the ships at four A.M. on the 3d, having previously directed +Captain Lyon to remain as near their present station as might be +consistent with safety, and carefully watch for any alteration +that might occur in the western ice.</p> +<p>Being favoured by a strong northwesterly breeze, we reached +the narrows at half past six A.M., and immediately encountered a +race or ripple, so heavy and dangerous that it was only by +carrying a press of canvass on the boat that we succeeded in +keeping the seas from constantly breaking into her. This rippling +appeared to be occasioned by the sudden obstruction which the +current meets at the western mouth of the narrows, aided, in the +present instance, by the strong breeze that blew directly upon +the corner forming the entrance on the south side.</p> +<p>Having landed at Cape Northeast, I made sail for the isthmus +at ten A.M., where we arrived after an hour's run; and hauling +the boat up on the rocks, and depositing the greater part of our +stores near her, set off at one P.M. along the shore of +Richards's Bay, being equipped with only three days' provision, +and as small a weight of clothing as possible. The coast, though +not bad for travelling, led us so much more to the westward than +I expected, in consequence of its numerous indentations, that, +after above five hours' hard walking, we had only made good a +W.S.W. course, direct distance six miles. We obtained on every +eminence a distinct view of the ice the whole way down to +Neerlo-nakto, in which space not a drop of clear water was +discernible; the whole of Richards's Bay was filled with ice as +before.</p> +<p>We moved at six P.M. on the 4th, and soon came to a number of +lakes from half a mile to two miles in length occurring in chains +of three or four together, round which we had to walk, at the +expense of much time and labour. At half past six, on gaining a +sight of the sea from the top of a hill, we immediately +recognised to the eastward the numerous islands of red granite +described by Captain Lyon; and now perceived, what had before +been surmised, that the south shore of Richards's Bay formed the +northern coast of the inlet, up which his journey with the +Esquimaux had been pursued. Our latitude, by account from noon, +being now 69° 28', we felt confident that a short walk +directly to the south must bring us to any strait communicating +with that inlet, and we therefore pushed on in confident +expectation of being near our journey's end. At seven P.M., +leaving the men to pitch the tent in a sheltered valley, Mr. +Richards and myself ascended the hill that rose beyond it, and, +on reaching its summit, found ourselves overlooking a long and +narrow arm of the sea communicating with the inlet before seen to +the eastward, and appearing to extend several miles nearly in an +east and west direction, or parallel to the table-land before +described, from which it is distant three or four miles. That the +creek we now overlooked was a part of the same arm of the sea +which Captain Lyon had visited, the latitude, the bearings of +Igloolik, which was now plainly visible, and the number and +appearance of the Coxe Islands, which were too remarkable to be +mistaken, all concurred in assuring us; and it only, therefore, +remained for us to determine whether it would furnish a passage +for the ships. Having made all the remarks which the lateness of +the evening would permit, we descended to the tent at dusk, being +directed by a cheerful, blazing fire of the <i>andromeda +tetragona</i>, which, in its present dry state, served as +excellent fuel for warming our provisions.</p> +<p>Setting forward at five A.M. on the 5th, along some pleasant +valleys covered with grass and other vegetation, and the resort +of numerous reindeer, we walked six or seven miles in a direction +parallel to that of the creek; when, finding the latter +considerably narrowed, and the numerous low points of its south +shore rendering the water too shoal, to all appearance, even for +the navigation of a sloop of ten tons, I determined to waste no +more time in the farther examination of so insignificant a place. +The farther we went to the westward, the higher the hills became; +and the commanding prospect thus afforded enabled us distinctly +to perceive with a glass that, though the ice had become entirely +dissolved in the creek, and for half a mile below it, the whole +sea to the eastward, even as far as Igloolik, was covered with +one continuous and unbroken floe.</p> +<p>Having now completely satisfied myself, that, as respected +both ice and land, there was no navigable passage for ships about +this latitude, no time was lost in setting out on our return.</p> +<p>At half past eight we arrived on board, where I was happy to +find that all our parties had returned without accident, except +that Lieutenant Palmer had been wounded in his hand and +temporarily blinded by a gun accidentally going off, from which, +however, he fortunately suffered no eventual injury.</p> +<p>The result of our late endeavours, necessarily cramped as they +had been, was to confirm, in the most satisfactory manner, the +conviction that we were now in the only passage leading to the +westward that existed in this neighbourhood. Notwithstanding, +therefore, the present unpromising appearance of the ice, I had +no alternative left me but patiently to await its disruption, and +instantly to avail myself of any alteration that nature might yet +effect in our favour.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c003_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c003">CHAPTER XII.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>A Journey performed along the South Shore of Cockburn +Island.—Confirmation of an Outlet to the Polar +Sea.—Partial Disruption of the Old Ice, and formation of +New.—Return through the Narrows to the +Eastward.—Proceed to examine the Coast to the +Northeastward.—Fury's Anchor broken.—Stand over to +Igloolik to look for Winter-quarters.—Excursion to the Head +of Quilliam Creek.—Ships forced to the Westward by Gales of +Wind—A Canal sawed through the Ice, and the Ships secured +in their Winter Station.—Continued Visits of the Esquimaux, +and Arrival of some of the Winter Island Tribe.—Proposed +Plan of Operations in the ensuing Spring.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>A light air springing up from the eastward on the morning of +the 8th, we took advantage of it to run up the margin of the +fixed ice, which was now, perhaps, half a mile farther to the +westward, in consequence of small pieces being occasionally +detached from it, than it had been when we tacked off it ten days +before.</p> +<p>The pools on the floes were now so hardly frozen, that skating +and sliding were going on upon them the whole day, though but a +week before it had been dangerous to venture upon them.</p> +<p>This latter circumstance, together with the fineness of the +weather, and the tempting appearance of the shore of Cockburn +Island, which seemed better calculated for travelling than any +that we had seen, combined to induce me to despatch another party +to the westward, with the hope of increasing, by the only means +within our reach, our knowledge of the lands and sea in that +direction. Lieutenant Reid and Mr. Bushnan were once more +selected for that service, to be accompanied by eight men, a +large number being preferred, because by this means only is it +practicable to accomplish a tolerably long journey, especially on +account of the additional weight of warm clothing which the +present advanced state of the season rendered indispensable. +Lieutenant Reid was furnished with six days' provisions, and +directed to land where most practicable on the northern shore, +and thence to pursue his journey to the westward as far as his +resources would admit, gaining all possible information that +might be useful or interesting.</p> +<p>On the 14th, while an easterly breeze continued, the water +increased very much in breadth to the westward of the fixed floe +to which we were attached; several lanes opening out, and leaving +in some places a channel not less than three miles in width. At +two P.M., the wind suddenly shifting to the westward, closed up +every open space in a few hours, leaving not a drop of water in +sight from the masthead in that direction. To this, however, we +had no objection; for being now certain that the ice was at +liberty to move in the western part of the strait, we felt +confident that, if once our present narrow barrier were also +detached, the ordinary changes of wind and tide would inevitably +afford us opportunities of making progress. The westerly wind was +accompanied by fine snow, which continued during the night, +rendering the weather extremely thick, and our situation, +consequently, very precarious, should the ice give way during the +hours of darkness.</p> +<p>At four P.M. on the 15th we discovered our travellers upon the +ice. A fresh party being despatched to meet and to relieve them +of their knapsacks, Lieutenant Reid arrived safely on board at +seven P.M., having, by a quick and most satisfactory journey, +ascertained the immediate junction of the Strait of the Fury and +Hecla with the Polar Sea.</p> +<p>The weather continuing very thick, with small snow, and there +being now every reason to suppose a final disruption of the fixed +ice at hand, I determined to provide against the danger to which, +at night, this long-wished-for event would expose the ships, by +adopting a plan that had often before occurred to me as likely to +prove beneficial in an unknown and critical navigation such as +this. This was nothing more than the establishment of a temporary +lighthouse on shore during the night, which, in case of our +getting adrift, would, together with the soundings, afford us +that security which the sluggish traversing of the compasses +otherwise rendered extremely doubtful. For this purpose, two +steady men, provided with a tent and blankets, were landed on the +east point of Amherst Island at sunset, to keep up some bright +lights during the eight hours of darkness, and to be sent for at +daylight in the morning.</p> +<p>On the 17th the wind freshened almost to a gale from the +northwest, with thicker and more constant snow than before. The +thermometer fell to 16-1/2° at six A.M., rose no higher than +20° in the course of the day, and got down to 12° at +night, so that the young ice began now to form about us in great +quantities.</p> +<p>Appearances had now become so much against our making any +farther progress this season, as to render it a matter of very +serious consideration whether we ought to risk being shut up +during the winter in the middle of the strait, where, from +whatever cause it might proceed, the last year's ice was not yet +wholly detached from the shores, and where a fresh formation had +already commenced, which there was too much reason to believe +would prove a permanent one. Our wintering in the strait involved +the certainty of being frozen up for eleven months; a sickening +prospect under any circumstances, but in the present instance, +probably, fatal to our best hopes and expectations.</p> +<p>The young ice had now formed so thick about the Fury, that it +became rather doubtful whether we should get her out without an +increase of wind to assist in extricating her, or a decrease of +cold. At ten A.M., however, we began to attempt it, but by noon +had not moved the ship more than half her own length. As soon as +we had reached the outer point of the floe, in a bay of which we +had been lying, we had no longer the means of applying a force +from without, and, if alone, should therefore have been helpless, +at least for a time. The Hecla, however, being fortunately +unencumbered, in consequence of having lain in a less sheltered +place, sent her boats with a hawser to the margin of the young +ice; and ours being carried to meet it, by men walking upon +planks, at considerable risk of going through, she at length +succeeded in pulling us out; and, getting into clear water, or, +rather, into less tough ice, at three P.M. we shaped a course to +the eastward.</p> +<p>In our return to Igloolik we encountered a severe gale, but we +luckily discovered it at half past ten A.M., though such was the +difficulty of distinguishing this from Neerlo-nakto, or either +from the mainland, on account of the snow that covered them, +that, had it not been for the Esquimaux huts, we should not +easily have recognised the place. At noon on the 24th we arrived +off the point where the tents had first been pitched, and were +immediately greeted by a number of Esquimaux, who came running +down to the beach, shouting and jumping with all their might.</p> +<p>As soon as we had anchored I went on shore, accompanied by +several of the officers, to pay the Esquimaux a visit, a crowd of +them meeting us, as usual, on the beach, and greeting us with +every demonstration of joy. They seemed disappointed that we had +not reached Akkolee, for they always receive with eagerness any +intelligence of their distant country people. Many of them, and +Toolemak among the number, frequently repeated the expressions +"<i>Owyak Na-o</i>!" (no summer), "<i>Took-too Na-o!</i>" (no +reindeer), which we considered at the time as some confirmation +of our own surmises respecting the badness of the past summer. +When we told them we were come to winter among them, they +expressed very great, and, doubtless, very sincere delight, and +even a few <i>koyennas</i> (thanks) escaped them on the first +communication of this piece of intelligence.</p> +<p>We found these people already established in their winter +residences, which consisted principally of the huts before +described, but modified in various ways both as to form and +materials. The roofs, which were wholly wanting in the summer, +were now formed by skins stretched tight across from side to +side. This, however, as we soon afterward found, was only a +preparation for the final winter covering of snow; and, indeed, +many of the huts were subsequently lined in the same way within, +the skins being attached to the sides and roof by slender threads +of whalebone, disposed in large and regular stitches. Before the +passages already described, others were now added, from ten to +fifteen feet in length, and from four to five feet high, neatly +constructed of large flat slabs of ice, cemented together by snow +and water. Some huts also were entirely built of this material, +of a rude circular or octangular form, and roofed with skins like +the others. The light and transparent effect within these +singular habitations gave one the idea of being in a house of +ground glass, and their newness made them look clean, +comfortable, and wholesome. Not so the more substantial bone +huts, which, from their extreme closeness and accumulated filth, +emitted an almost insupportable stench, to which an abundant +supply of raw and half-putrid walrus' flesh in no small degree +contributed. The passages to these are so low as to make it +necessary to crawl on the hands and knees to enter them; and the +floors of the apartments were in some places so slippery, that we +could with difficulty pass and repass, without the risk of +continually falling among the filth with which they were covered. +These were the dirtiest, because the most durable, of any +Esquimaux habitations we had yet seen; and it may be supposed +they did not much improve during the winter. Some bitches with +young were very carefully and conveniently lodged in small square +kennels, made of four upright slabs of ice covered with a fifth, +and having a small hole as a door in one of the sides. The canoes +were also laid upon two slabs of this kind, like tall tombstones +standing erect; and a quantity of spare slabs lying in different +places, gave the ground an appearance somewhat resembling that of +a statuary's yard. Large stores of walrus' and seals' flesh, +principally the former, were deposited under heaps of stones all +about the beach, and, as we afterward found, in various other +parts of the island, which showed that they had made some +provision for the winter, though, with their enormous consumption +of food, it proved a very inadequate one.</p> +<p>Leaving the Fury at seven A.M. on the 26th, and being favoured +by a fresh easterly breeze, we soon cleared the southwest point +of Igloolik; and, having passed the little island of +<i>Oogli=aghioo</i>, immediately perceived to the W.N.W. of us a +group of islands, so exactly answering the description of Coxe's +Group, both in character and situation, as to leave no doubt of +our being exactly in Captain Lyon's former track. Being still +favoured by the wind and by the total absence of fixed ice, we +reached the islands at eleven A.M., and, after sailing a mile or +two among them, came at once in sight of two bluffs, forming the +passage pointed out by Toolemak, and then supposed to be called +<i>Khemig</i>. The land to the north, called by the Esquimaux +<i>Khiadlaghioo</i>, was now found to be, as we had before +conjectured, the southern shore of Richards's Bay. The land on +our left or to the southward proved an island, five miles and a +quarter in length, of the same bold and rugged character as the +rest of this numerous group, and by far the largest of them all. +To prevent the necessity of reverting to this subject, I may at +once add, that two or three months after this, on laying before +Ewerat our own chart of the whole coast, in order to obtain the +Esquimaux names, we discovered that the island just mentioned was +called <i>Khemig</i>, by which name Ormond Island was <i>also</i> +distinguished; the word expressing, in the Esquimaux language, +anything stopping up the mouth of a place or narrowing its +entrance, and applied also more familiarly to the cork of a +bottle, or a plug of any kind. And thus were reconciled all the +apparent inconsistencies respecting this hitherto mysterious and +incomprehensible word, which had occasioned us so much +perplexity.</p> +<p>At daylight on the 27th we crossed to a small island at the +margin of the ice; and leaving the boat there in charge of the +coxswain and two of the crew, Mr. Ross and myself, accompanied by +the other two, set out across the ice at seven A.M. to gain the +main land, with the intention of determining the extent of the +inlet by walking up its southern bank. After an hour's good +travelling, we landed at eight A.M., and had scarcely done so +when we found ourselves at the very entrance, being exactly +opposite the place from which Mr. Richards and myself had +obtained the first view of the inlet. The patch of ice on which +we had been walking, and which was about three miles long, proved +the only remains of last year's formation; so forcibly had nature +struggled to get rid of this before the commencement of a fresh +winter.</p> +<p>Walking quickly to the westward along this shore, which +afforded excellent travelling, we soon perceived that our +business was at an end, the inlet terminating a very short +distance beyond where I had first traced it, the apparent turn to +the northward being only that of a shallow bay.</p> +<p>Having thus completed our object, we set out on our return, +and reached the boat at three P.M., after a walk of twenty miles. +The weather fortunately remaining extremely mild, no young ice +was formed to obstruct our way, and we arrived on board at noon +the following day, after an examination peculiarly satisfactory, +inasmuch as it proved the non-existence of <i>any</i> water +communication with the Polar Sea, however small and unfit for the +navigation of ships, to the southward of the Strait of the Fury +and Hecla.</p> +<p>I found from Captain Lyon on my return, that, in consequence +of some ice coming in near the ships, he had shifted them round +the point into the berths-where it was my intention to place them +during the winter; where they now lay in from eleven to fourteen +fathoms, at the distance of three cables' length from the +shore.</p> +<p>It was not till the afternoon of the 30th that the whole was +completed, and the Fury placed in the best berth for the winter +that circumstances would permit. An early release in the spring +could here be scarcely expected, nor, indeed, did the nature of +the ice about us, independently of situation, allow us to hope +for it; but both these unfavourable circumstances had been +brought about by a contingency which no human power or judgment +could have obviated, and at which, therefore, it would have been +unreasonable, as well as useless, to repine. We lay here in +rather less than five fathoms, on a muddy bottom, at the distance +of one cable's length from the eastern shore of the bay.</p> +<p>The whole length of the canal we had sawed through was four +thousand three hundred and forty-three feet; the thickness of the +ice, in the level and regular parts, being from twelve to +fourteen inches, but in many places, where a separation had +occurred, amounting to several feet. I cannot sufficiently do +justice to the cheerful alacrity with which the men continued +this laborious work during thirteen days, the thermometer being +frequently at <i>zero</i>, and once as low as-9° in that +interval. It was satisfactory, moreover, to find, that in the +performance of this, not a single addition had been made to the +sick-list of either ship, except by the accident of one man's +falling into the canal, who returned to his duty a day or two +afterward.</p> +<p>While our people were thus employed, the Esquimaux had +continued to make daily visits to the ships, driving down on +sledges with their wives and children, and thronging on board in +great numbers, as well to gratify their curiosity, of which they +do not, in general, possess much, as to pick up whatever trifles +we could afford to bestow upon them. These people were at all +times ready to assist in any work that was going on, pulling on +the ropes, heaving at the windlass, and sawing the ice, sometimes +for an hour together. They always accompanied their exertions by +imitating the sailors in their peculiar manner of "singing out" +when hauling, thus, at least, affording the latter constant +amusement, if not any very material assistance, during their +labour. Among the numerous young people at Igloolik, there were +some whose activity on this and other occasions particularly +struck us. Of these I shall, at present, only mention two: +<i>N=o=ogloo</i>, an adopted son of Toolemak, and +<i>K=ong~ol~ek</i>, a brother of "John Bull." These two young +men, who were from eighteen to twenty years of age, and stood +five feet seven inches in height, displayed peculiar <i>tact</i> +in acquiring our method of heaving at the windlass, an exercise +at which <i>K=ong~ol~ek</i> became expert after an hour or two's +practice. The countenances of both were handsome and +prepossessing, and their limbs well-formed and muscular; +qualities which, combined with their activity and manliness, +rendered them (to speak like a naturalist), perhaps, as fine +specimens of the human race as almost any country can +produce.</p> +<p>Some of our Winter Island friends had now arrived also, being +the party who left us there towards the end of the preceding May, +and whom we had afterward overtaken on their journey to the +northward. They were certainly all very glad to see us again, +and, throwing off the Esquimaux for a time, shook us heartily by +the hand, with every demonstration of sincere delight. Ewerat, in +his quiet, sensible way, which was always respectable, gave us a +circumstantial account of every event of his journey. On his +arrival at <i>Owlitteweek</i>, near which island we overtook him, +he had buried the greater part of his baggage under heaps of +stones, the ice no longer being fit for dragging the sledge upon. +Here also he was happily eased of a still greater burden, by the +death of his idiot boy, who thus escaped the miseries to which a +longer life must, among these people, have inevitably exposed +him. As for that noisy little fellow, "John Bull" +(<i>Kooillitiuk</i>), he employed almost the whole of his first +visit in asking every one, by name, "How d'ye do, Mr. So and So?" +a question which had obtained him great credit among our people +at Winter Island. Being a very important little personage, he +also took great pride in pointing out various contrivances on +board the ships, and explaining to the other Esquimaux their +different uses, to which the latter did not fail to listen with +all the attention due to so knowing an oracle.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c004_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c004">CHAPTER XIII.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Preparations for the Winter.—Various Meteorological +Phenomena to the close of the year 1822.—Sickness among the +Esquimaux.—Meteorological Phenomena to the end of +March.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p><i>November</i>.—The measures now adopted for the +security of the ships and their stores, for the maintenance of +economy, cleanliness, and health, and for the prosecution of the +various observations and experiments, being principally the same +as those already detailed in the preceding winter's narrative, I +shall be readily excused for passing them over in silence.</p> +<p>The daily visits of the Esquimaux to the ships throughout the +winter afforded, both to officers and men, a fund of constant +variety and never-failing amusement, which no resources of our +own could possibly have furnished. Our people were, however, too +well aware of the advantage they derived from the schools not to +be desirous of their re-establishment, which accordingly took +place soon after our arrival at Igloolik; and they were glad to +continue this as their evening occupation during the six +succeeding months.</p> +<p>The year closed with the temperature of-42°, the mean of +the month of December having been 27° 8', which, taken in +connexion with that of November, led us to expect a severe +winter.</p> +<p>About the middle of the month of December several of the +Esquimaux had moved from the huts at Igloolik, some taking up +their quarters on the ice at a considerable distance to the +northwest, and the rest about a mile outside the summer station +of the tents. At the close of the year from fifty to sixty +individuals had thus decamped, their object being, like that of +other savages on <i>terra firma</i>, to increase their means of +subsistence by covering more ground; their movements were +arranged so quietly that we seldom heard of their intentions till +they were gone. At the new stations they lived entirely in huts +of snow; and the northerly and easterly winds were considered by +them most favourable for their fishing, as these served to bring +in the loose ice, on which they principally kill the +walruses.</p> +<p>Towards the latter end of January [1823], the accounts from +the huts, as well from the Esquimaux as from our own people, +concurred in stating that the number of the sick, as well as the +seriousness of their complaints, was rapidly increasing there. We +had, indeed, scarcely heard of the illness of a woman named +<i>Kei-m=o=o-seuk</i>, who, it seemed, had lately miscarried, +when an account arrived of her death. She was one of the two +wives of <i>Ooyarra</i>, one of Captain Lyon's fellow-travellers +in the summer, who buried her in the snow, about two hundred +yards from the huts, placing slabs of the same perishable +substance over the body, and cementing them by pouring a little +water in the interstices. Such an interment was not likely to be +a very secure one; and, accordingly, a few days after, the hungry +dogs removed the snow and devoured the body.</p> +<p>Captain Lyon gave me the following account of the death and +burial of another poor woman and her child:</p> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>"The mother, Poo-too-alook, was about thirty-five years of +age, the child about three years—yet not weaned, and a +female; there was also another daughter, Shega, about twelve or +thirteen years of age, who, as well as her father, was a most +attentive nurse. My hopes were but small, as far as concerned the +mother; but the child was so patient that I hoped, from its +docility, soon to accustom it to soups and nourishing food, as +its only complaint was actual starvation. I screened off a +portion of my cabin, and arranged some bedding for them, in the +same manner as the Esquimaux do their own. Warm broth, dry +bedding, and a comfortable cabin, did wonders before evening, and +our medical men gave me great hopes. As an introduction to a +system of cleanliness, and preparatory to washing the sick, who +were in a most filthy state, I scrubbed Shega and her father from +head to foot, and dressed them in new clothes. During the night I +persuaded both mother and child, who were very restless, and +constantly moaning, to take a few spoonfuls of soup. On the +morning of the 24th the woman appeared considerably improved, and +she both spoke and ate a little. As she was covered with so thick +a coating of dirt that it could be taken off in scales, I +obtained her assent to wash her face and hands a little before +noon. The man and his daughter now came to my table to look at +some things I had laid out to amuse them; and, after a few +minutes, Shega lifted up the curtain to look at her mother, when +she again let it fall, and tremblingly told us she was dead.</p> +<p>"The husband sighed heavily, the daughter burst into tears, +and the poor little infant made the moment more distressing by +calling in a plaintive tone on its mother, by whose side it was +lying. I determined on burying the woman on shore, and the +husband was much pleased at my promising that the body should be +drawn on a sledge by men instead of dogs; for, to our horror, +Takkeelikkeeta had told me that dogs had eaten part of +Keimooseuk, and that, when he left the huts with his wife, one +was devouring the body as he passed it.</p> +<p>"Takkeelikkeeta now prepared to dress the dead body, and, in +the first place, stopped his nose with deer's hair and put on his +gloves, seeming unwilling that his naked hand should come in +contact with the corpse. I observed, in this occupation, his care +that every article of dress should be as carefully placed as when +his wife was living; and, having drawn the boots on the wrong +legs, he pulled them off again and put them properly. This +ceremony finished, the deceased was sewed up in a hammock, and, +at the husband's urgent request, her face was left uncovered. An +officer who was present at the time agreed with me in fancying +that the man, from his words and actions, intimated a wish that +the living child might be enclosed with its mother. We may have +been mistaken, but there is an equal probability that we were +right in our conjecture; for, according to Crantz and Egede, the +Greenlanders were in the habit of burying their motherless +infants, from a persuasion that they must otherwise starve to +death, and also from being unable to bear the cries of the little +ones while lingering for several days without sustenance; for no +woman will give them any share of their milk, which they consider +as the exclusive property of their own offspring. My dogs being +carefully tied up at the man's request, a party of our people, +accompanied by me, drew the body to the shore, where we made a +grave, about a foot deep, being unable to get lower on account of +the frozen earth. The body was placed on its back, at the +husband's request, and he then stepped into the grave and cut all +the stitches of the hammock, although without throwing it open, +seeming to imply that the dead should be left unconfined. I laid +a woman's knife by the side of the body, and we filled up the +grave, over which we also piled a quantity of heavy stones, which +no animal could remove. When all was done and we returned to the +ship, the man lingered a few minutes behind us and repeated two +or three sentences, as if addressing himself to his departed +wife; he then silently followed. We found Shega quite composed, +and attending her little sister, between whose eyebrows she had +made a spot with soot, which I learned was because, being +unweaned, it must certainly die. During the night my little +charge called on its mother without intermission, yet the father +slept as soundly until morning as if nothing had happened.</p> +<p>"All who saw my patient on the morning of the 25th gave me +great hopes; she could swallow easily, and was even strong enough +to turn or sit upright without assistance, and in the forenoon +slept very soundly. At noon, the sister of the deceased, +Ootooguak, with her husband and son, came to visit me. She had +first gone to the Fury, and was laughing on deck, and, at her own +request, was taken below, not caring to hurry herself to come to +the house of mourning. Even when she came to the Hecla she was in +high spirits, laughing and capering on deck as if nothing had +happened; but, on being shown to my cabin, where Shega, having +heard of her arrival, was sitting crying in readiness, she began +with her niece to howl most wofully. I, however, put a stop to +this ceremony, for such it certainly was, under the plea of +disturbing the child. The arrival of a pot of smoking +walrus-flesh soon brought smiles on all faces but that of +Takkeelikkeeta, who refused food and sat sighing deeply; the +others ate, chatted, and laughed as if nothing but eating was +worth thinking of. Dinner being over, I received thanks for +burying the woman in such a way that 'neither wolves, dogs, nor +foxes could dig her up and eat her,' for all were full of the +story of Keimooseuk, and even begged some of our officers to go +to Igloolik and shoot the offending dogs. A young woman named +Ablik, sister to Ooyarra, was induced, after much entreaty and a +very large present of beads, to offer her breast to the sick +child, but the poor little creature pushed it angrily away. +Another woman was asked to do the same; but, although her child +was half weaned, she flatly refused.</p> +<p>"The aunt of my little one seeming anxious to remain, and +Shega being now alone, I invited her to stop the night. In the +evening the child took meat and jelly, and sat up to help itself, +but it soon after resumed its melancholy cry for its mother. At +night my party had retired to sleep; yet I heard loud sighing +occasionally, and, on lifting the curtain, I saw Takkeelikkeeta +standing and looking mournfully at his child. I endeavoured to +compose him, and he promised to go to bed; but, hearing him again +sighing in a few minutes, I went and found the poor infant was +dead, and that its father had been some time aware of it. He now +told me it had seen its mother the last time it called on her, +and that she had beckoned it to Khil-la (Heaven), on which it +instantly died. He said it was 'good' that the child was gone; +that no children outlived their mothers; and that the black spot, +which Shega had frequently renewed, was quite sufficient to +ensure the death of the infant.</p> +<p>"My party made a hearty breakfast on the 26th, and I observed +they did not scruple to lay the vessel containing the meat on the +dead child, which I had wrapped in a blanket; and this unnatural +table excited neither disgust nor any other feeling among them +more than a block of wood could have done. We now tied up all the +dogs, as Takkeelikkeeta had desired, and took the child about a +quarter of a mile astern of the ships, to bury it in the snow; +for the father assured me that her mother would cry in her grave +if any weight of stones or earth pressed on her infant. She +herself, he feared, had already felt pain from the monument of +stones which we had laid upon her. The snow in which we dug the +child's grave was not above a foot deep, yet we were not allowed +to cut into the ice, or even use any slabs of it in constructing +the little tomb. The body, wrapped in a blanket, and having the +face uncovered, being placed, the father put the slings by which +its deceased mother had carried it on the right side, and, in +compliance with the Esquimaux custom of burying toys and presents +with their dead, I threw in some beads. A few loose slabs of snow +were now placed so as to cover, without touching, the body, and +with this very slight sepulchre the father was contented, +although a fox could have dug through it in half a minute. We, +however, added more snow, and cemented all by pouring about +twenty buckets of water, which were brought from the ship, on +every part of the mound. I remarked that, before our task was +completed, the man turned and walked quietly to the ships.</p> +<p>"During the last two days I obtained some information with +respect to mourning ceremonies, or, at all events, such as +related to the loss of a mother of a family; three days were to +be passed by the survivors without their walking on the ice, +performing any kind of work, or even having anything made for +them. Washing is out of the question with Esquimaux at most +times, but now I was not allowed to perform the necessary +ablutions of their hands and faces, however greasy or dirty they +might be made by their food; the girl's hair was not to be put +into pig-tails, and everything was neglected; Takkeelikkeeta was +not to go sealing until the summer. With the exception of an +occasional sigh from the man, there were no more signs of grief; +our mourners ate, drank, and were merry, and no one would have +supposed they ever had wife, mother, or sister. When the three +days (and it is singular that such should be the time) were +expired, the man was to visit the grave; and, having talked with +his wife, all duties were to be considered as over. The 28th was +our third day, but a heavy northerly gale and thick drift +prevented our visiting the grave. The 29th, although not fine, +was more moderate, and I accompanied him at an early hour. +Arriving at the grave, he anxiously walked up to it and carefully +sought for foot-tracks on the snow; but, finding none, repeated +to himself, 'No wolves, no dogs, no foxes; thank ye, thank ye.' +He now began a conversation, which he directed entirely to his +wife. He called her twice by name, and twice told her how the +wind was blowing, looking at the same time in the direction from +whence the drift was coming. He next broke forth into a low +monotonous chant, and, keeping his eyes fixed upon the grave, +walked slowly round it in the direction of the sun four or five +times, and at each circuit he stopped a few moments at the head. +His song was, however, uninterrupted. At the expiration of about +eight minutes he stopped, and, suddenly turning round to me, +exclaimed, '<i>Tugw~a</i>' (that's enough), and began walking +back to the ship. In the song he chanted I could frequently +distinguish the word <i>Koyenna</i> (thank you), and it was +occasionally coupled with the Kabloonas. Two other expressions, +both the names of the spirits or familiars of the Annatko, +Toolemak, were used a few times; but the whole of the other words +were perfectly unintelligible to me.</p> +<p>"I now sent Shega and her father home, well clothed and in +good case. The week they had passed on board was sufficient time +to gain them the esteem of every one, for they were the most +quiet, inoffensive beings I ever met with; and, to their great +credit, they never once begged. The man was remarkable for his +extraordinary fondness for treacle, sugar, salt, acids, and +spruce-beer, which the others of the tribe could not even smell +without disgust; and he walked about to the different messes in +hopes of being treated with these delicacies. Shega was a timid, +well-behaved girl, and generally remained eating in my cabin, for +I am confident of speaking far within bounds when I say she got +through eight pounds of solids per diem. As far as gratitude +could be shown by Esquimaux, which is saying 'koyenna' on +receiving a present, my friends were sensible of the attentions I +had shown them."</p> +</div> +<p><i>March</i> 5th.—The Esquimaux were about this time +rather badly off for food, in consequence of the winds having of +late been unfavourable for their fishery; but this had only +occurred two or three times in the course of the winter, and +never so much as to occasion any great distress. It is certain, +indeed, that the quantity of meat which they procured between the +1st of October and the 1st of April was sufficient to furnish +about double the population of working people who were moderate +eaters, and had any idea of providing for a future day; but to +individuals who can demolish four or five pounds at a sitting, +and at least ten in the course of a day,<a name= +'FNanchor_003_3'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_003_3'><sup>[003]</sup></a> and who never bestow a +thought on to-morrow, at least with a view to provide for it by +economy, there is scarcely any supply which could secure them +from occasional scarcity. It is highly probable that the +alternate feasting and fasting to which the gluttony and +improvidence of these people so constantly subject them, may have +occasioned many of the complaints that proved fatal during the +winter; and on this account we hardly knew whether to rejoice or +not at the general success of their fishery. Certain it is, that +on a particular occasion of great plenty, one or two individuals +were seen lying in the huts, so distended by the quantity of meat +they had eaten that they were unable to move, and were suffering +considerable pain, arising solely from this cause. Indeed, it is +difficult to assign any other probable reason for the lamentable +proportion of deaths that took place during our stay at Igloolik, +while, during a season of nearly equal severity, and of much +greater privation as to food, at Winter Island, not a single +death occurred. Notwithstanding their general plenty, there were +times in the course of this winter, as well as the last, when our +bread-dust was of real service to them, and they were always +particularly desirous of obtaining it for their younger children. +They distinguished this kind of food by the name of +<i>k=an~ibr~o~ot</i>, and biscuit or soft bread by that of +<i>sh=eg~al~ak</i>, the literal meaning of which terms we never +could discover, but supposed them to have some reference to their +respective qualities.</p> +<p>Our lengthened acquaintance with the Esquimaux and their +language, which a second winter passed among them afforded, gave +us an opportunity of occasionally explaining to them in some +measure in what direction our country lay, and of giving them +some idea of its distance, climate, population, and productions. +It was with extreme difficulty that these people had imbibed any +correct idea of the superiority of rank possessed by some +individuals among us; and when at length they came into this +idea, they naturally measured our respective importance by the +riches they supposed each to possess. The ships they considered, +as a matter of course, to belong to Captain Lyon and myself, and +on this account distinguished them by the names of +<i>Lyon-oomiak</i> and <i>Paree-oomiak</i>; but they believed +that the boats and other parts of the furniture were the property +of various other individuals among us. They were, therefore, not +a little surprised to be seriously assured that neither the one +nor the other belonged to any of us, but to a much richer and +more powerful person, to whom we all paid respect and obedience, +and at whose command we had come to visit and enrich the +<i>Innuees</i>. Ewerat, on account of his steadiness and +intelligence, as well as the interest with which he listened to +anything relating to <i>Kabloonas</i>, was particularly fit to +receive information of this nature; and a general chart of the +Atlantic Ocean, and of the lands on each side, immediately +conveyed to his mind an idea of the distance we had come, and the +direction in which our home lay. This and similar information was +received by Ewerat and his wife with the most eager astonishment +and interest, not merely displayed in the "hei-ya!" which +constitutes the usual extent of Esquimaux admiration, but +evidently enlarging their notion respecting the other parts of +the world, and creating in them ideas which could never before +have entered their minds. By way of trying their inclinations, I +asked them if they would consent to leave their own country, and, +taking with them their children, go to live in ours, where they +would see no more <i>Innuees</i>, and never eat any more seal or +walrus. To all this they willingly agreed, and with an +earnestness that left no doubt of their sincerity; Togolat +adding, in an emphatic manner, "<i>Shagloo ooagoot nao</i>" (we +do not tell a falsehood), an expression of peculiar force among +them. The eagerness with which they assented to this proposal +made me almost repent my curiosity, and I was glad to get out of +the scrape by saying, that the great personage of whom I had +spoken would not be pleased at my taking them home without having +first obtained his permission. Information of the kind alluded to +was subsequently given to many of the other Esquimaux, some of +whom could at length pronounce the name of "King George" so as to +be tolerably intelligible.</p> +<p>The weather was now so pleasant, and the temperature in the +sun so comfortable to the feelings when a shelter could be found +from the wind, that we set up various games for the people, such +as cricket, football, and quoits, which some of them played for +many hours during the day.</p> +<p>At the close of the month of March, we were glad to find that +its mean temperature, being-19.75°, when taken in conjunction +with those of January and February, appeared to constitute a mild +winter for this latitude. There were, besides, some other +circumstances, which served to distinguish this winter from any +preceding one we had passed in the ice. One of the most +remarkable of these was the frequent occurrence of hard, +well-defined clouds, a feature we had hitherto considered as +almost unknown in the winter sky of the Polar Regions. It is not +improbable that these may have, in part, owed their origin to a +large extent of sea keeping open to the southeastward throughout +the winter, though they not only occurred with the wind from that +quarter, but also with the colder weather, usually accompanying +northwesterly breezes. About the time of the sun's reappearance, +and for a week or two after it, these clouds were not more a +subject of admiration to us on account of their novelty, than +from the glowing richness of the tints with which they were +adorned. It is, indeed, scarcely possible for nature, in any +climate, to produce a sky exhibiting greater splendour and +richness of colouring than we at times experienced in the course +of this spring. The edges of the clouds near the sun often +presented a fiery or burning appearance, while the opposite side +of the heavens was distinguished by a deep purple about the +horizon, gradually softening upward into a warm yet delicate +rose-colour of inconceivable beauty. These phenomena have always +impressed us the most forcibly about the time of the sun's +permanent setting and that of his reappearance, especially the +latter, and have invariably furnished a particular subject of +conversation to us at those periods; but I do not know whether +this is to be attributed so much to the colouring of the sky +exactly at the times alluded to, as to our habit of setting on +every enjoyment a value proportioned to its scarceness and +novelty.</p> +<p>Another peculiarity observed in this winter was the rare +occurrence of the Aurora Borealis, and the extraordinary poorness +of its display whenever it did make its appearance. It was almost +invariably seen to the southward, between an E.S.E. and a W.S.W. +bearing, generally low, the stationary patches of it having a +tendency to form an irregular arch, and not unfrequently with +coruscations shooting towards the zenith. When more diffused it +still kept, in general, on the southern side of the zenith; but +never exhibited any of those rapid and complicated movements +observed in the course of the preceding winter, nor, indeed, any +feature that renders it necessary to attempt a particular +description. The electrometer was frequently tried, by Mr. +Fisher, at times when the state of the atmosphere appeared the +most favourable, but always without any sensible effect being +produced on the gold leaf.</p> +<p>The difference in the temperature of the day and night began +to be sensible as early as the first week in March, and the daily +range of the thermometer increased considerably from that time. +The increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere, +however, is extremely slow in these regions, long after the sun +has attained a considerable meridian altitude; but this is in +some degree compensated by the inconceivable rapidity with which +the days seem to lengthen when once the sun has reappeared. There +is, indeed, no change which continues to excite so much surprise +as that from almost constant darkness to constant day; and this +is, of course, the more sudden and striking, in proportion to the +height of the latitude. Even in this comparatively low parallel, +the change seemed sufficiently remarkable; for, soon after the +middle of March, only ten weeks after the sun's reappearance +above the horizon, a bright twilight appeared at midnight in the +northern heavens.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c005_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c005">CHAPTER XIV.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Various Journeys to the Esquimaux Stations.—Preparations +for the Hecla's Return to England.—Remarkable Halos, +&c.—Shooting Parties stationed at +Arlagnuk.—Journeys to Quilliam Creek.—Arrival of +Esquimaux from the Northward.—Account of a Journey to the +Westward for the purpose of reaching the Polar Sea.—The +Esquimaux report two Fishing-ships having been Wrecked.—A +Journey performed to Cockburn Island.—Discovery of Murray +Maxwell Inlet.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>About the first and second weeks in April, the Esquimaux were +in the habit of coming up the inlet, to the southward of the +ships, to kill the <i>neitiek,</i> or small seal, which brings +forth its young at this season, and probably retires into +sheltered places for that purpose. Besides the old seals, which +were taken in the manner before explained, the Esquimaux also +caught a great number of young ones, by fastening a hook to the +end of a staff, and hooking them up from the sea-hole after the +mother had been killed. Our large fishhooks were useful to them +for this purpose, and the beautiful silvery skins of these young +animals were occasionally brought to the ships as articles of +barter: those of the foetus of the <i>neitiek</i> are more yellow +than the others, and, indeed, both in colour and texture, very +much resemble raw silk.</p> +<p>The first ducks noticed by the Esquimaux were mentioned to us +on the 16th, and a few days afterward immense flocks appeared, +all of the king-duck species, about the open water near the +margin of the ice; but our distance from this was so great, that +we never saw any of them, and the weather was yet too cold to +station a shooting-party in that neighbourhood. Dovekies were now +also numerous, and a gull or two, of the silvery species, had +been seen.</p> +<p>On the 20th, after divine service, I took the opportunity of +Captain Lyon and his people being on board the Fury, to +communicate to the assembled officers and ships' companies my +intentions respecting the future movements of the expedition; at +the same time requesting Captain Lyon to furnish me with a list +of any of the Hecla's men that might volunteer to remain out, as +it would be necessary to fill up, or, perhaps, even to increase +the complement of the Fury.</p> +<p>Our preparations were therefore immediately commenced, a +twelvemonths' provision and other stores being received by the +Fury, and various necessary exchanges made in anchors, cables, +and boats; and, in the course of a single fortnight, the whole of +these were transported from ship to ship without any exposure or +labour to the men outside their respective ships, our invaluable +dogs having performed it for us with astonishing ease and +expedition. It was a curious sight to watch these useful animals +walking off with a bower-anchor, a boat, or a topmast, without +any difficulty; and it may give some idea of what they are able +to perform, to state, that nine dogs of Captain Lyon's dragged +sixteen hundred and eleven pounds a distance of seventeen hundred +and fifty yards in nine minutes, and that they worked in a +similar way between the ships for seven or eight hours a day. The +road was, however, very good at this time, and the dogs the best +that could be procured.</p> +<p>The wind settling to the southward for a few days near the end +of April, brought an increased, and, to us a comfortable degree +of warmth; and it was considered an event of some interest, that +the snow which fell on the 29th dissolved as it lay on our decks, +being the first time that it had done so this season. We now also +ventured to take off some of the hatches for an hour or two in +the day, and to admit some fresh air, a luxury which we had not +known for six months. The Esquimaux, about this time, began to +separate more than before, according to their usual custom in the +spring; some of them, and especially our Winter Island +acquaintance, setting off to the little islands called Oolglit, +and those in our neighbourhood removing to the northeast end of +Igloolik, to a peninsula called <i>Keiyuk-tarruoke</i>, to which, +the open water was somewhat nearer. These people now became so +much incommoded by the melting of their snow-huts, that they were +obliged to substitute skins as the roofs, retaining, however, the +sides and part of the passages of the original habitations. These +demi-tents were miserable enough while in this state, some of the +snow continually falling in, and the floor being constantly wet +by its thawing.</p> +<p>Favourable as the first part of the month of May had appeared +with respect to temperature, its close was by no means equally +promising, and on the first of June, at two A.M., the thermometer +stood at +8°. This unusually low temperature, much exceeding +in severity anything we had experienced at Melville Island at the +same season, rendered it necessary to defer for a time a journey +which it was proposed that Captain Lyon should undertake, across +the land to the westward at the head of Quilliam Creek, and +thence, by means of the ice, along the shores of the Polar Sea, +in the direction towards Akkoolee. The object of this journey, +like that of most of the others which had been performed in +various directions, was to acquire all the information within our +reach of those parts of the continental coast to which the ships +were denied access; and it was hoped that, at the coming season, +some judgment might be formed of the probable state of the ice +along that shore in the summer, by which the future movements of +the Fury might be influenced. Captain Lyon was to be accompanied +by two men, and a complete supply of every kind for a month's +travelling was to be drawn on a sledge by ten excellent dogs, +which he had taken great pains to procure and train for such +occasions. As I was desirous of ascertaining, beyond any doubt, +the identity of the <i>Khemig</i>, to which I had sailed in the +autumn, with that seen by Captain Lyon on his journey with the +Esquimaux, I determined to accompany the travellers on my sledge +as far as the head of Quilliam Creek, and by victualling them +thus far on their journey, enable them to gain a day or two's +resources in advance. Another object which I had in view was to +endeavour to find a lake mentioned by Toolemak; who assured me +that, if I could dig holes in the ice, which was five feet thick, +plenty of large salmon might be caught with hooks, an experiment +which seemed at least well worth the trying.</p> +<p>On the 7th, the weather being more favourable than before, +Captain Lyon and myself set out to the westward at half past +eleven A.M., and the ice proving level, reached Khemig at half +past five; when it was satisfactory to find that the route +followed by Captain Lyon on his journey with Toolemak was +precisely that which I had supposed, every feature of the land, +of which the fog had before scarcely allowed him a glimpse, being +now easily recognised, and every difficulty cleared up. +Proceeding at eight A.M. on the 8th, we soon met with numerous +tracks of deer upon the ice, which, together with the seals that +lay in great numbers near their holes, expedited our journey very +considerably, the dogs frequently setting off at full gallop on +sniffing one of them. Landing at the head of Quilliam Creek at +half past one, we took up an advantageous position for looking +about us, in order to determine on the direction of Captain +Lyon's route over land, which all the Esquimaux concurred in +representing as a laborious one. We met with several reindeer +immediately on our landing; and, while in pursuit of them, +Captain Lyon discovered a lake two or three miles long and a +quarter of a mile broad, a short distance from the tents, which +we concluded to be that of which I was in search. As some of our +party were suffering from snow-blindness, and, what is scarcely +less painful, severe inflammation of the whole face, occasioned +by the heat of the sun, we remained here for the rest of this day +to make our final arrangements.</p> +<p>At nine A.M. on: the 9th we struck the tents, and Captain Lyon +set off to the southward, while we drove over to the lake, which +is one mile N.N.W. of the head of the creek, and, after three or +four hours' labour, completed a hole through the ice, which was +very dark-coloured, brittle, and transparent, and, as Toolemak +had said, about five feet thick. The water, which was eleven +fathoms deep, flowed up within a couple of inches of the surface, +over which lay a covering of snow eighteen inches in depth. In +confident hope of now obtaining some fish, we proceeded exactly +according to Toolemak's instructions; but, after four-and-twenty +hours' trial at all depths, not even a single nibble rewarded our +labour.</p> +<p>Coasting the south shore, on which I wished to obtain +observations and angles for the survey, we the next day entered a +small bay, where we pitched our tent; our whole party being now +so snow-blind with endeavouring to distinguish the land from the +ice (so entirely were both covered with snow), that we could +literally no longer muster one eye among three of us to direct +the sledge. I found a handkerchief tied close, but not too +tightly, round the eyes for a whole night, to be a more effectual +remedy for this disagreeable complaint than any application of +eyewater; and my companions being induced to try the same +experiment, derived equal benefit from it. Reaching Arlagnuk +towards evening of the 13th, we found that our parties had each +thirty or forty ducks ready for the ships; and that the Esquimaux +had lately altogether deserted this station, owing to the +scarcity of walruses, and had removed to Ooglit, where these +animals were said to be abundant at this season. Leaving our +people on the morning of the 14th, I returned on board soon after +noon, where I found that nothing worthy of particular notice had +occurred during my absence.</p> +<p>On the 20th three or four other Esquimaux, strangers to us, +arrived at Igloolik from the northward, and we found from two +young men who visited us on the following day, that they came +from <i>Too-n=o=o-nek</i>, a place undoubtedly situated somewhere +on the western coast of Baffin's Bay, or about some of the inlets +communicating with it, as they had there seen several +<i>Kabloona</i> ships employed in killing whales. It is not +improbable, from the various accounts of the direction and +distance of Toonoonek, communicated by the Esquimaux through the +usual medium of their charts, that the part of the seacoast so +named lies at no great distance from Pond's Bay, in lat. +72-1/2°, which has lately become a common rendezvous of our +Davis's Strait fishermen. Of this fact we had, in the course of +the winter, received intimation from these people from time to +time, and had even some reason to believe that our visit to the +Esquimaux of the River Clyde in 1820 was known to them; but what +most excited our interest at this time was the sledge brought by +the new comers, the runner being composed of large single pieces +of wood, one of them painted black over a lead-coloured priming, +and the cross-bars consisting of heading-pieces of oak-buts, one +flat board with a hinge-mark upon it the upper end of a skid or +small boat's davit, and others that had evidently and recently +been procured from some ship. On one of the heading-pieces we +distinguished the letters <i>Brea</i>—, showing that the +cask had, according to the custom of the whalers, contained bread +on the outward passage. The nature of all these materials led us +to suppose that it must have been procured from some vessel +wrecked or damaged on the coast; and this suspicion was on the +following day confirmed by our obtaining information that, at a +place called Akk=o=odneak, a single day's journey beyond +Toonoonek, two ships like ours had been driven on shore by the +ice, and that the people had gone away in boats equipped for the +purpose, leaving one ship on her beam ends, and the other +upright, in which situation the vessels were supposed still to +remain.<a name='FNanchor_004_4'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_004_4'><sup>[004]</sup></a></p> +<p>We observed on this occasion as on our first arrival at +Igloolik, that the new Esquimaux were obliged to have recourse to +the others to interpret to them our meaning, which circumstance, +as it still appeared to me, was to be attributed, as before, to +our speaking a kind of broken Esquimaux that habit had rendered +familiar to our old acquaintance, rather than to any essential +difference in the true languages of the two people.</p> +<p>Toolemak having some time before promised to accompany me to +the fishing-place, taking with him his wife, together with his +sledge, dogs, and tent, made his appearance from Ooglit on the +23d, bringing, however, only the old lady and abundance of meat. +Having lent him a tent and two of our dogs, and hired others to +complete his establishment, we set out together at five A.M. on +the 24th, my own party consisting of Mr. Crozier and a seaman +from each ship. Arriving at Khemig towards noon, we found among +the islands that the ice was quite covered with water, owing, +probably, to the radiation of heat from the rocks. The weather +proved, indeed, intensely hot this day, the thermometer in the +shade, at the ships, being as high as 51°, and the land in +this neighbourhood preventing the access of wind from any +quarter. The travelling being good beyond this, we arrived within +four or five miles of the head of Quilliam Creek at ten P.M., +where we pitched the tents for the night. In this day's journey +ten dogs had drawn my sledge a distance of forty statute miles +since the morning, the weight on the sledge being about twelve +hundred pounds, and half of the road very indifferent. It is the +custom of the Esquimaux, even when meat is most abundant, to feed +these invaluable animals only once a day, and that in the +evening, which they consider to agree with them better than more +frequent meals; we always observed the same practice with ours, +and found that they performed their journeys the better for +it.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 25th, while passing close to a point of +land, Toolemak suddenly stopped his sledge, and he and his wife +walked to the shore, whither I immediately followed them. The old +woman, preceding her husband, went up to a circle of stones, of +which there were two or three on the spot, and, kneeling down +within it, cried most loudly and bitterly for the space of two or +three minutes, while Toolemak also shed abundant tears, but +without any loud lamentation. On inquiring presently after, I +found that this was the spot on which their tent had been pitched +in the summer, and that the bed-place on which the old woman +knelt had been that of their adopted son <i>Noogloo</i>, whose +premature death we had all so much regretted. The grief displayed +on this occasion seemed to have much sincerity in it, and there +was something extremely touching in this quiet but unaffected +tribute of sorrow on the spot, which so forcibly reminded them of +the object of their parental affection. I have much gratification +in adding, in this place, another circumstance, which, though +trifling in itself, deserves to be noticed as doing honour to +these people's hearts. They had always shown particular +attachment to a dog they had sold me, and which bore the same +name as a young man, a son of their own, whom they had formerly +lost. In the course of this journey, the old woman would +constantly call the dog "Eerninga" (son), which the affectionate +animal never failed to repay by jumping up and licking her face +all over, whenever his trace would allow him; and at night, after +Toolemak had fed his own dogs, he frequently brought to our tent +an extra piece of meat, expressly for <i>Ann=owtalik</i>, to whom +these poor people seemed to take a mournful pleasure in now +transferring their affection.</p> +<p>Landing close to the head of the inlet on the south shore, we +proceeded with difficulty a couple of miles over land till we +came to a river, the limits of which the warmth of the weather +was just rendering discernible, and which, our guides informed us +was to be our fishing place. It was interesting to observe that, +in every case of doubt as to the situation of a place, the best +route, or the most advisable method of overcoming any difficulty, +Toolemak invariably referred to his wife; and a consultation of +some minutes was held by these two before they would determine on +what was to be done, or even return an answer to our questions +respecting it. Pitching our tents upon the banks of the river, we +went upon the ice, which was still quite solid except close to +the shores, and soon made two or three holes for a hook and line, +the thickness of the ice in the middle being from six to seven +feet. The Esquimaux fishhook is generally composed of a piece of +ivory, having a hook of pointed iron, without a barb, let into +it. The ivory they consider useful in attracting the salmon, but +they also bait the hook with a piece of blubber well cleared of +its oil by chewing, and securely tied on with a thread of sinew, +so as to cover nearly the whole of the hook. A small piece of +bone, reindeer's horn, or wood, serves as a rod, and with this +they keep the bait constantly in motion up and down, the bait +being from one to three feet below the surface of the ice. +Previous, however, to commencing the fishery, the old lady, who +took the principal part in this employment, muttered some words, +to me altogether incomprehensible, over the hole, to which +Toolemak, in a formal manner, added something about fish and +<i>Kabloonas</i>; and the whole of this preparatory ceremony +seemed intended to propitiate the spirit to whose department the +salmon particularly belonged. The lady (for it seems she is a +female) did not, however, appear to lend a very favourable ear to +our wants or Toolemak's rhetoric; for, after many hours' patient +trial on this and the following day, only two fish were seen and +one caught to repay our labour.</p> +<p>On the 27th Toolemak and his wife went over to a small shallow +lake, on the opposite side of the river, where they caught three +or four fish of the salmon kind, but none more than one pound in +weight. He then came back to the tent, and made a small spear +according to their own fashion; but with this, to his great +disappointment, he could not strike a single fish. A sort of +<i>fish-gig</i>, which we made out of four large hooks lashed +back to back at the end of a light staff, succeeded much better, +the bait being played in the usual manner to attract the fish, +which were then hooked up with great ease and certainty by this +instrument. In this manner we soon caught a dozen of the same +kind as before; and the rest of our party had in the mean time +killed a deer.</p> +<p>Toolemak began now to be extremely impatient to return home, +his principal anxiety arising, I believe, from a childish desire +to know what I should give him for his trouble; and when, in +writing a note to Lieutenant Nias, I enumerated the articles I +intended to present to him, he expressed more delight than I had +ever before seen escape him. Among these was one of the +rifle-guns supplied as presents, together with a sufficient +quantity of ammunition to last him one summer, after which the +gun would probably become useless itself for want of cleaning. It +was astonishing to see the readiness with which these people +learned to fire at a mark, and the tact they displayed in +everything relating to this art. Boys from twelve to sixteen +years of age would fire a fowling-piece, for the first time, with +perfect steadiness; and the men, with very little practice, would +very soon become superior marksmen.<a name= +'FNanchor_005_5'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_005_5'><sup>[005]</sup></a> As, however, the advantage +they could derive from the use of firearms must be of very short +duration, and the danger to any careless individuals very +considerable, we did not, on any other occasion, consider it +prudent to furnish them in this manner.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 28th Toolemak had left us for the ships, +carrying with him our venison to be left there, and having first +explained when and where the Esquimaux catch the fish with which +he had supplied us the preceding summer; for it now appeared that +they were not found in great abundance, or of that magnitude, in +the river, but at the mouth of a very small stream about two +miles lower down the creek on the same side. Their method is, to +place in the bed of the stream, which is quite narrow, and seldom +or never so deep as a man's middle, though running with great +force, two or three separate piles of stones, which serve the +double purpose of keeping off the force of the stream from +themselves, and of narrowing the passage through which the fish +have to pass in coming up from the sea to feed; thus giving the +people an opportunity of striking them with their spears, and +throwing them on the shore without much difficulty.</p> +<p>On the afternoon of the 1st of July we shifted our tents +overland, and down the creek as far as the salmon stream. In +performing this short journey over bare ground, I was enabled to +form some conception of the difficulties likely to be encountered +by Captain Lyon and his companions; for, even with our light +load, the dogs could scarcely move at times. One of the strongest +of eleven fell down in a fit occasioned by over exertion; the +poor animal lay on his side, foaming at the mouth for a minute or +two, but soon recovered sufficiently to be able to walk; and, +being taken out of the sledge, was quite strong again the next +day. We had scarcely arrived at the stream, when Toolemak's +account was very satisfactorily confirmed by our finding on the +ice near its mouth part of two fine salmon, above two feet in +length, that had been thrown up by the force of the torrent, and +a similar one was seen in the water. Our provisions being now +out, we prepared for returning to the ships the following day; +and I determined in a short time to send out Mr. Crozier with a +larger party, well equipped with everything necessary for +procuring us both fish and deer. We therefore left our tent, +spare ammunition, and various other articles that would be +required here, buried under a heap of stones near the stream, and +on the morning of the 2d set out for the ships. The change which +one week had made upon the ice it is quite impossible to +conceive, the whole surface being now checkered with large and +deep pools of water, where not a symptom of thawing had before +appeared. This continued the whole way to the ships, which we +reached at eight P.M., finding Captain Lyon and his party +returned, after a laborious but unsuccessful endeavour to +penetrate overland to the westward. On my arrival at the ships I +found several new Esquimaux on board, who, to the number of +twenty, had lately arrived from <i>Toon=o=onee-r=o=ochiuk</i>, a +place situated to the westward and northward of Igloolik, and +somewhere upon the opposite coast of Cockburn Island. This party +confirmed the former account respecting the two ships that had +been forced on shore; and, indeed, as an earnest of its truth, +one man named <i>Adloo</i>, who was said to have actually seen +them in this state, was a day or two afterward met by our people +at Arlagnuk, while travelling to the southward, and having on his +sledge a great deal of wood of the same kind as that before +described.</p> +<p>This information having excited considerable interest, +Lieutenant Hoppner, who had taken great pains to ascertain the +facts correctly, volunteered his services to accompany some of +the Esquimaux, who were said to be going northward very shortly, +and to obtain every information on this and other subjects which +might be within the scope of such a journey. On the night of the +4th, having heard that a party of the Esquimaux intended setting +out the following morning, Lieutenant Hoppner and his people went +out to their tents to be in readiness to accompany them. We were +surprised to find the next day, that not only Lieutenant +Hoppner's intended guide, but the whole of the rest of these +people, had altogether left the island, and, as it afterward +proved, permanently for the summer. We were now, therefore, for +the first time since our arrival here, entirely deserted by the +natives, only two or three of whom again visited the ships during +the remainder of our stay. It appears probable, indeed, that +these wandering people are in the habit of residing at their +various stations only at particular intervals of time, perhaps +with the intention of not scaring the walruses and seals too much +by a very long residence at one time upon the same spot. What +made this appear still more likely was the present state of their +winter habitations at Igloolik, which, though offensive enough at +about the same time the preceding year, were then wholesome and +comfortable in comparison. Besides quantities of putrid walrus +flesh, blubber, and oil, carcasses of dogs, and even of human +beings recently deceased, were now to be seen exposed in their +neighbourhood. What remained of the corpse of Keim=o=oseuk was of +course wholly uncovered; a second, of a child, on which the +wolves had feasted, was also lying about; and a third, of a +newly-born infant, was discovered in the middle of a small lake +by Mr. Richards, who caused them all to be buried under +ground.</p> +<p>Our stock of meat for the dogs being nearly expended, and no +seahorses having yet been seen near the shore, I sent Mr. Ross +with a sledge to Tern Island on the 13th, in expectation of being +supplied by the Esquimaux. Mr. Ross returned on the 14th without +success, the whole of the natives having left the island after +plundering the birds' nests, as they had done the preceding +year.</p> +<p>Finding that our valuable dogs must be now wholly dependant on +our own exertions in providing meat, a boat from each ship was +carried down to the neighbourhood of the open water, and shortly +afterward two others, to endeavour to kill walruses for them. +This was the more desirable from the probability of the Fury's +passing her next winter where no natives were resident, and the +consequent necessity of laying in our stock for that long and +dreary season during the present summer. Our people, therefore, +pitched their tents near the old Esquimaux habitations; and thus +were four boats constantly employed, whenever the weather would +permit, for the three succeeding weeks.</p> +<p>On the 16th Lieutenant Hoppner and his party returned to the +ships, having only been enabled to travel to the south shore of +Cockburn Island, on account of their guides not yet proceeding +any farther. Two of the Esquimaux accompanied our travellers back +to Igloolik, and, being loaded with various useful presents from +the ships, returned home the following day.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c006_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c006">CHAPTER XV.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Extraordinary Disruption of Ice in Quilliam Creek.—Some +Appearance of Scurvy among the Seamen and +Marines.—Discovery of Gifford River.—Commence cutting +the Ice outside the Ships to release them from their +Winter-quarters.—Considerations respecting the Return of +the Expedition to England.—Unfavourable State of the Ice at +the Eastern Entrance of the Strait.—Proceed to the +Southward.—Ships beset and drifted up Lyon +Inlet.—Decease of Mr. George Fife.—Final Release from +the Ice, and Arrival in England.—Remarks upon the +practicability of a Northwest Passage.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>Among the various changes which the warmth of the returning +summer was now producing around us, none was more remarkable than +that noticed by Captain Lyon in an excursion to Quilliam Creek, +and which, in a note received from him by the return of the +sledges on the 17th, he thus describes: "Between the two points +forming the entrance of the creek, we saw a high wall of ice +extending immediately across from land to land, and on arriving +at it, found that, by some extraordinary convulsion, the floe had +burst upward, and that immense masses of ice had been thrown in +every direction. Several blocks, eight or nine feet in thickness, +and many yards in diameter, were lying on the level solid floe; +yet we were for some time at a loss to discover whence they had +been ejected, till at length we found a hole or pool, which +appeared so small as to be hardly capable of containing the +immense fragments near it; yet from this place alone must they +have been thrown."</p> +<p>Captain Lyon subsequently added, that "the water, which was +found to be quite fresh, was running rapidly to seaward in this +opening; and it seemed probable that the vast accumulation from +the streams at the head of the creek, although at about ten miles +distance, had burst a passage, and thus ejected the ice. The +force employed for this purpose may be conceived, when I mention +that, of several masses of ice, one in particular was above eight +feet thick, full forty yards in circumference, and lay more than +five hundred yards from the pool. No traces could be found of the +manner in which these bodies had been transported, as not a +single small fragment was seen lying about, to warrant the +supposition that they had fallen with a shock. Neither were there +any marks observable on the smooth uncracked floe to cause a +suspicion that they had slidden over it, the general appearance +of the floe at this place being the same as at all other parts of +the inlet, and bearing no marks of having had any rush of water +over it."</p> +<p>The weather was now, at times, extremely sultry, bringing out +swarms of moschetoes, that soon became very troublesome, even on +board the ships. A thermometer suspended in the middle of the +observatory, and exposed to the sun's rays, was observed by Mr. +Fisher to stand at 92° at five P.M. on the 18th.</p> +<p>On the 19th Captain Lyon returned from Quilliam Creek, +bringing with him the whole of our party stationed there, the ice +being now so broken up in that neighbourhood as to render the +fishing dangerous without proper boats. On this journey, which it +took two days to perform, eleven dogs drew a weight of two +thousand and fifty pounds, of which six hundred and forty were +salmon, and ninety-five venison, procured by our people. The fish +had all been caught in the trawl; and treble the quantity might +easily have been taken with a seine, had we known how wide the +mouth of the stream was to become. They varied in length from +twenty to twenty six inches, and one of the largest, when +cleaned, weighed eight pounds and a half; but their average +weight in this state did not exceed two pounds and a quarter. The +distance of the fishing-place from the ships, the dangerous state +of the ice, and the soreness of the dogs' feet from travelling on +the rough, honey-combed ice, prevented our taking any farther +advantage of this very acceptable change of diet.</p> +<p>Nothing worthy of notice occurred till the 29th, when a patch +of ice, a mile broad, separated from the outer margin of our +barrier and drifted away. The canal formed by laying sand on the +ice was now quite through in most places, showing that the plan +would, in this latitude at least, always ensure a ship's escape +at an earlier season than by the regular course of nature, +provided it could be carried the whole way down to the open +water.</p> +<p>I am now under the disagreeable necessity of entering on a +subject which I had at one time ventured to hope need scarcely +occupy any part of this narrative: I mean that of the scurvy, +some slight but unequivocal symptoms of which disease were this +day reported to me, by Mr. Edwards, to have appeared among four +or five of the Fury's men, rendering it necessary, for the first +time during the voyage, to have recourse to antiscorbutic +treatment among the seamen and marines.</p> +<p>It will, perhaps, be considered a curious and singular fact in +the history of sea-scurvy, that during the whole of the preceding +part of this voyage, none among us but officers were in the +slightest degree affected by it, a circumstance directly contrary +to former experience. To whatever causes this might be +attributed, it could not, however, but be highly gratifying to be +thus assured that the various means employed to preserve the +health of the seamen and marines had proved even beyond +expectation efficacious.</p> +<p>That a ship's company began to evince symptoms of scurvy after +twenty-seven months' entire dependance upon the resources +contained within their ship (an experiment hitherto unknown, +perhaps, in the annals of navigation, even for one fourth part of +that period), could scarcely, indeed, be a subject of wonder, +though it was at this particular time a matter of very sincere +regret. From the health enjoyed by our people during two +successive winters, unassisted as we had been by any supply of +<i>fresh</i> antiscorbutic plants or other vegetables, I had +began to indulge a hope that, with a continued attention to their +comforts, cleanliness, and exercise, the same degree of vigour +might, humanly speaking, be ensured at least as long as our +present liberal resources should last. Present appearances, +however, seemed to indicate differently; for, though our +sick-list had scarcely a name upon it, and almost every +individual was performing his accustomed duty, yet we had at +length been impressed with the unpleasant conviction that a +strong predisposition to disease existed among us, and that no +very powerful exciting cause was wanting to render it more +seriously apparent. Such a conviction at the present crisis was +peculiarly disagreeable; for I could not but lament any +circumstance tending to weaken the confidence in our strength and +resources at a time when more than ordinary exertion was about to +be required at our hands.</p> +<p>The 1st of August had now arrived; and yet, incredible as it +may appear, the ships were as securely confined in the ice as in +the middle of winter, except that a pool of water, about twice +their own length in diameter, was now opened around them. I +determined, therefore, notwithstanding the apparent hopelessness +of sawing our way through four or five miles of ice, to begin +that laborious process; not, indeed, with the hope of cutting a +canal sufficiently large to allow the passage of the ships to +sea, but with a view to weaken it so much as in some measure to +assist its disruption whenever any swell should set in upon its +margin. On this and the following day, therefore, all the gear +was carried down for that purpose, and a large tent pitched for +the ships' companies to dine in, the distance being too great to +allow them to return on board to their meals. On the 3d, however, +we were saved a great deal of unnecessary labour, by the ice +opening out at the crack before mentioned, so that our sawing +might now be commenced within a mile of the Fury. After divine +service, therefore, all hands were sent from both ships to bring +back the tent and tools to the point of Oongalooyat, and the +parties were recalled from the walrus-fishery, except a single +boat's crew: these also returned on board a few days after, the +whole number of seahorses killed being eight, and one large +seal.</p> +<p>On the 4th our sawing work was commenced, with the usual +alacrity on the part of the officers and men, and three hundred +and fifty yards of ice were got out before night, its thickness +varying from one to four feet, but very irregular on account of +the numerous pools and holes. An equal length was accomplished on +the following day, though not without excessive fatigue and +constant wet to the men, several of whom fell into the water by +the ice breaking under them.</p> +<p>On the 5th, the register-thermometer, which had been placed in +the ground in the winter, was taken up, though, to our +astonishment, the ground above and about it had become nearly as +hard and compactly frozen as when we dug the hole to put it down. +How this came about we were quite at a loss to determine; for the +earth had been thrown in quite loosely, whereas its present +consolidated state implied its having been thoroughly thawed and +frozen again. It occupied two men ten days to extricate it, +which, as they approached the thermometer, was done by a chisel +and mallet, to avoid injury by jarring. This, however, was not +sufficient to prevent mischief, the instrument being so +identified with the frozen earth as to render it impossible to +strike the ground near it without communicating the shock to the +tubes, two of which were in consequence found to be broken. Thus +ended our experiment for ascertaining the temperature of the +earth during the winter; an experiment which it would seem, from +this attempt, scarcely practicable to make in any satisfactory +manner without some apparatus constructed expressly for the +purpose.</p> +<p>On the 6th the work was continued as before, and about four +hundred yards of ice were sawn through and floated out, leaving +now a broad canal, eleven hundred yards in length, leading from +the open water towards that formed by the gravelled space.</p> +<p>When the lateness of the season to which the ships had now +been detained in the ice is considered, with reference to the +probability of the Fury's effecting anything of importance during +the short remainder of the present summer, it will not be +wondered at that, coupling this consideration with that of the +health of my officers and men, I began to entertain doubts +whether it would still be prudent to adopt the intended measure +of remaining out in the Fury as a single ship; whether, in short, +under existing circumstances, the probable evil did not far +outweigh the possible good. In order to assist my own judgment on +this occasion upon one of the most material points, I requested +the medical officers of the Fury to furnish me with their +opinions "as to the probable effect that a third winter passed in +these regions would produce on the health of the officers, +seamen, and marines of that ship, taking into consideration every +circumstance connected with our situation." Their answer was +decidedly adverse to remaining; and it was fortified with such +good reasons, connected with the health of the officers and +crews, as scarcely to leave me at liberty to adopt any other +course than that of returning to England with both vessels.</p> +<p>Enclosing to Captain Lyon the replies of the medical +gentlemen, I now also requested his opinion whether, under +existing circumstances, he still considered it expedient to adopt +the measure originally intended, with respect to the separation +of the two ships. I had scarcely despatched a letter to this +effect, when, at 10 A.M. on the 8th, the ice about the Fury began +to move, the pools breaking up, and the gravelled canal soon +entirely closing. A breeze springing up from the northward at +this time, all sail was made upon the ship, and the ice gradually +driving out as it detached itself from the shore, the Fury got +into open water about one P.M. The Hecla, however, still remained +in the middle of her winter's floe, which, though it moved a +little with the rest at first, did not come out of the bay. In +the course of the afternoon, finding her still stationary, I +determined to occupy the time in stretching over to the +northward, for the purpose of examining the state of the fixed +ice at the eastern mouth of the strait; and, arriving at its +margin by ten P.M., found it attached to both shores from the +northeastern part of Neerlo-naktoo across to Murray Maxwell +Inlet. It was the general opinion that this ice was in a more +solid state than at the same time and place the preceding year, +but its situation did not, I believe, differ half a mile from +what it had then been. As the sun went down nearly in the +direction of the strait, we obtained from the masthead a distinct +and extensive view in that quarter, and it is impossible to +conceive a more hopeless prospect than this now presented. One +vast expanse of level solid ice occupied the whole extent of sea +visible to the westward, and the eye wearied itself in vain to +discover a single break upon its surface.</p> +<p>Having finished this examination, which at once destroyed +every hope I had never ceased to indulge of a passage through the +strait, we returned towards Igloolik to rejoin the Hecla. It was +not, however, till the morning of the 9th that we observed her to +be moving out of the bay, when at length (for the first time, +perhaps, that such an event ever occurred) she drove to sea in +the middle of the floe. Thus at the mercy of the ice, she was +carried over the shoals off the southeast point of Igloolik in +six and a half fathoms, but was then fortunately drifted into +deeper water. The swell on the outside was all that was wanting +to break up her icy prison, which, separating at seven A.M., +finally released her from confinement.</p> +<p>Having soon afterward received Captain Lyon's answer to my +communication, it was necessary for me to come to a final +determination on the subject therein alluded to. For various +reasons, he advised that the Fury and Hecla should return to +England together, as soon as such arrangements respecting the +removal of stores and provisions, as I might judge proper to +make, should be completed.</p> +<p>Under such circumstances, to which may be added the +uncertainty of the Hecla's liberation from the ice to the +southward before the close of the season, I no longer considered +it prudent or justifiable, upon the slender chance of eventual +success now before us, to risk the safety of the officers and men +committed to my charge, and whom it was now my first wish to +reconduct in good health to their country and their friends. +Having communicated my intentions to the officers and ships' +companies, I directed several additions to be made to their +ordinary allowance of provisions, particularly in the various +antiscorbutics, which had hitherto been reserved for cases of +emergency; and then beating up to our winter station, which I +named Turton Bay, we anchored there in the afternoon in ten +fathoms, and immediately commenced our preparations for +lightening the Fury. Seven months' provisions, a bower anchor, +and a few other stores, were received by the Hecla, some of her +water, before filled as ballast, being started to make room for +them; and such other arrangements made as circumstances would +permit for improving the stowage of the Fury's hold. The bay was +now entirely clear of ice in every part; and so changed was its +appearance in the course of the last four-and-twenty hours, that +it was scarcely possible to believe it the same place that we had +been accustomed daily to look upon for the ten preceding +months.</p> +<p>The conveyance and stowage of the stores had scarcely been +completed, when some loose ice drifting into the bay with the +tide on the night of the 10th, obliged us hastily to get under +way and stand out. On the following morning I ran across to the +main land in the Fury, for the purpose of erecting, in compliance +with my instructions, a flagstaff fifty-six feet in height, +having at its top a ball, made of iron hoops and canvass, ten +feet in diameter, and a cylinder buried near its foot, containing +a parchment with some account of our visit to this place. In the +mean time, I requested Captain Lyon to stand over to the point of +Igloolik, where our walruses had been landed, and to bring off +these, as well as our boats and tents remaining there. The ice +soon after coming in upon the point, it was not without risk of +the Hecla's being dangerously beset that Captain Lyon succeeded +in bringing off everything but one boat. This was, indeed, no +great loss to us, though a great acquisition to the Esquimaux; +for, being almost worn out, I had intended to break her up +previously to leaving the ice. Besides this, we purposely left +our sledges, and a quantity of wood in pieces of a convenient +size for bows, spears, and paddles, distributing them about in +several places, that one or two individuals might not make a +prize of the whole.</p> +<p>The Hecla rejoining us on the morning of the 12th, we stood +out to the eastward, and finally took our departure from +Igloolik. In the course of the night the favourable breeze failed +us, and on the morning of the 14th was succeeded by a southerly +wind, the ships being close to another island called Ooglit, +about twelve leagues to the S.S.W. of the others. We were here +immediately visited by our old acquaintance the Esquimaux, +several of whom came off in their canoes in the course of the +morning, as if determined to loose no opportunity of profiting by +us. Among these was our worthy old friend Nannow, to whom +everybody was glad to give something; and, indeed, they all +received as many presents as their canoes could safely carry or +tow on shore. Their tents, nine in number were pitched on the +main land, a little to the northward of Ooglit, at a station they +call <i>Ag-wis-se-=o-wik</i>, of which we had often heard them +speak at Igloolik. They now also pointed out to us Amitioke, at +the distance of four or five leagues to the southward and +westward, which proved to be the same piece of low land that we +had taken for it in first coming up this coast. The Esquimaux +told us that a number of their younger men were inland in pursuit +of deer, and that the rest had abundant supplies of walrus, which +animals we saw in considerable numbers about this place.</p> +<p>We were now for some days all but beset in this neighbourhood, +calms or light southerly and easterly breezes constantly +prevailing. During this time the main body of ice remained, in +most parts, close to the shore, leaving us only a "hole" of water +to work about in, and much nearer to the land than on this shoal +and shelving coast was altogether safe for the ships. +Notwithstanding this, however, we had soon occasion to observe +that they not only kept their ground, but even drew to the +southward, owing, no doubt, to the current before found to set in +that direction along the coast.</p> +<p>The ice remained close the whole of the 26th; but we +continued, as usual, to drift generally to the southward, and the +next morning, being off Owlitteeweek, were enabled to cast off +and make sail, the ice being rather more open than before. Being +favoured by a commanding northerly breeze, we ran a considerable +distance to the southward, having, however, only just room to +sail between the points of the closely packed ice and a flat, +dangerous shore. Without escaping for a moment, from our confined +situation, and almost without perceiving any motion of the masses +of ice among themselves, we had, at noon on the 30th, drifted +down within a mile of a small island lying near the northeast +point of Winter Island. On the 31st the tide took us through +between these, the breadth of the passage being three quarters of +a mile, in no less than sixteen fathoms water. We then passed +within a dangerous reef of rocks, lying a full mile from the +shore, and having numerous heavy masses of grounded ice upon it. +After clearing this in a good depth of water, we were, by the +evening, carried along shore within a mile of Cape Fisher.</p> +<p>Thus had we, in a most singular manner, once more arrived at +our old winter-quarters, with scarcely a single successful +exertion on our parts towards effecting that object. The distance +from Ooglit to our present station was about one hundred and +sixty miles along the coast. Of this we had never <i>sailed</i> +above forty, the rest of the distance having been accomplished, +while we were immoveably beset, by mere drifting. The interval +thus employed having been barely eight days, gives an average +drift to the southward of above fifteen miles per day.</p> +<p>In the afternoon of the 6th I was much pained at being +informed by telegraph from the Hecla, that Mr. Fife, Greenland +master of that ship, had just expired, an event which for some +days past there had been but too much reason to apprehend; the +scurvy having within the last three weeks continued to increase +considerably upon him. It is proper for me, however, both in +justice to the medical officers under whose skilful and humane +care he was placed, and to the means with which we were in this +way so liberally supplied, to state, that during a part of that +time Mr. Fife had taken so great a dislike to the various +antiscorbutics which were administered to him, that he could +seldom be induced to use any of them. The disease, in +consequence, reduced him to a state of extreme debility, which at +length carried him off almost without pain. The Hecla being at +the time closely beset, and in a situation of great danger among +the shoals off Winter Island, Captain Lyon caused the remains of +the deceased to be committed to the sea with all the solemnity +which circumstances would permit.</p> +<p>In the night of the 6th, the ships, which had before nearly +closed each other, were again separated to the distance of +several miles, though no motion was perceptible in the masses of +ice about them. On the evening of the 11th, however, the wind at +length began to freshen from the northwest, when the ice +immediately commenced driving down the inlet at the rate of a +mile an hour, carrying the Fury with it, and within half a mile +of the rocks, the whole way down to Cape Martineau, but keeping +her in deep water. In the mean time the Hecla had been swept into +much more dangerous situations, passing along the east and south +sides of Winter Island; and, after driving nearly up to +Five-hawser Bay, being carried near some dangerous shoals about +Cape Edwards, where Captain Lyon expected every other tide that +she would take the ground.</p> +<p>On the 15th, when the ships had closed each other within a +mile, we could see the clear water from the masthead, and the +Hecla could now have been easily extricated. Such, however, are +the sudden changes that take place in this precarious navigation, +that not long afterward the Fury was quite at liberty to sail out +of the ice, while the Hecla was now, in her turn, so immoveably +fast set, and even cemented between several very heavy masses, +that no power that could be applied was sufficient to move her an +inch. In this situation she remained all the 16th, without our +being able to render her any assistance; and the frost being now +rather severe at night, we began to consider it not improbable +that we might yet be detained for another winter. We were +perhaps, indeed, indebted for our escape to a strong westerly +breeze, which blew for several hours on the 17th, when, the ice +being sufficiently close to allow our men to walk to the +assistance of the Hecla, we succeeded, after seven hours' hard +labour, in forcing her into clear water, when all sail was made +to the eastward, and our course shaped for the Trinity Islands in +a perfectly open sea.</p> +<p>We thus finally made our escape from the ice after having been +almost immoveably beset in it for twenty-four days out of the +last twenty-six, in the course of which time the ships had been +taken over no less than one hundred and forty leagues of ground, +generally very close to the shore, and always unable to do +anything towards effecting their escape from danger.</p> +<p>We made the Trinity Islands on the 18th, and ran down Hudson's +Strait with a favourable breeze, reaching the Orkneys on the +morning of Oct. 9th. It can scarcely, perhaps, be imagined by +those who have not been similarly situated, with what eager +interest one or two vessels were this day descried by us, being +the first trace of civilized man that we had seen for the space +of seven-and-twenty months. The breeze increasing to a fresh gale +from the southward in the course of the night, with a heavy sea +from the same quarter, rendering it impossible for us to make any +progress in that direction, I determined to put into Lerwick in +the Shetland Islands, to procure refreshments, and await a change +in our favour. We accordingly bore up for that harbour early on +the morning of the 10th, and at thirty minutes past ten A.M. +anchored there, where we were immediately visited by a great +number of the inhabitants, anxious to greet us on our return to +our native country.</p> +<p>I feel it utterly impossible adequately to express, the +kindness and attention we received for the three or four days +that we were detained in Bressay Sound by a continuance of +unfavourable winds. On the first information of our arrival the +bells of Lerwick were set ringing, the inhabitants flocked from +every part of the country to express their joy at our unexpected +return, and the town was at night illuminated, as if each +individual had a brother or a son among us.</p> +<p>On the 13th, a breeze springing up from the northward, we took +leave of our kind and hospitable friends, deeply sensible of the +cordial and affectionate reception we had experienced; and, being +still favoured by the wind, were abreast of Buchaness the +following evening. On the 16th, being off Whitby, I went on shore +there, and, after receiving the cordial greetings of a great +number of the worthy inhabitants of Whitby, who had assembled to +meet us on landing, set off for London, and arrived at the +Admiralty on the morning of the 18th.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name='b002'></a> +<h2><a href='#b002_2'>THIRD VOYAGE<br> + FOR THE DISCOVERY OF A NORTHWEST PASSAGE.</a></h2> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c007_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c007">INTRODUCTION.</a></h2> +<br> + +<p>Notwithstanding the want of success of the late expedition to +the Polar Seas, it was resolved to make another attempt to effect +a passage by sea, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The +chief alterations in the equipment of the present expedition +consisted in the placing of Sylvester's warming stove in the very +bottom of the ship's hold, in substituting a small quantity of +salt beef for a part of the pork, and in furnishing a much larger +supply of newly corned beef. Preserved carrots and parsnips, +salmon, cream, pickles of onions, beet-root, cabbage, and, to +make the most of our stowage, <i>split</i> peas, instead of whole +ones, were supplied. A small quantity of beef pemmican, made by +pounding the meat with a certain portion of fat, as described by +Captain Franklin, was also furnished.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c008_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c008">CHAPTER I.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Passage to the Whale-fish Islands, and Removal of Stores from +the Transport.—Enter the Ice in Baffin's +Bay.—Difficulties of Penetrating to the +Westward.—Quit the Ice in Baffin's Bay.—Remarks on +the Obstructions encountered by the Ships, and on the Severity of +the Season.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>The equipment of the Hecla and Fury, and the loading of the +William Harris transport, being completed, we began to move down +the river from Deptford on the 8th of May, 1824, and on the 10th, +by the assistance of the steamboat, the three ships had reached +Northfleet, where they received their powder and their ordnance +stores.</p> +<p>Early on the morning of the 3d of July, the whole of our +stores being removed, and Lieutenant Pritchard having received +his orders, together with our despatches and letters for England, +the William Harris weighed with a light wind from the northward, +and was towed out to sea by our boats.</p> +<p>Light northerly winds, together with the dull sailing of our +now deeply-laden ships, prevented our making much progress for +several days, and kept us in the neighbourhood of numerous +icebergs, which it is dangerous to approach when there is any +swell. We counted from the deck, at one time, no less than one +hundred and three of these immense bodies, some of them from one +to two hundred feet in height above the sea; and it was +necessary, in one or two instances, to tow the ships clear of +them with the boats.</p> +<p>From this time, indeed, the obstructions from the quantity, +magnitude, and closeness of the ice were such as to keep our +people almost constantly employed in heaving, warping, or sawing +through it; and yet with so little success, that, at the close of +the month of July, we had only penetrated seventy miles to the +westward, or the longitude of about 62° 10'.</p> +<p><i>Sept</i>. 9th.—I shall, doubtless, be readily excused +for not having entered in this journal a detailed narrative of +the obstacles we met with, and of the unwearied exertions of the +officers and men to overcome them, during the tedious eight weeks +employed in crossing this barrier.</p> +<p>The constant besetment of the ships, and our daily +observations for latitude and longitude, afforded a favourable +opportunity for ascertaining precisely the set of any currents by +which the whole body of ice might be actuated. By attending very +carefully to all the circumstances, it was evident that a daily +set to the southward obtained when the wind was northerly, +differing in amount from two or three, to eight or ten miles per +day, according to the strength of the breeze; but a northerly +current was equally apparent, and fully to the same amount, +whenever the wind blew from the southward. A circumstance more +remarkable than these, however, forced itself strongly upon my +notice at this time, which was, that a <i>westerly</i> set was +very frequently apparent, even against a fresh breeze blowing +from that quarter. I mention the circumstance in this place, +because I may hereafter have to offer a remark or two on this +fact, in connexion with some others of a similar nature noticed +elsewhere.</p> +<p>With respect to the dimensions of the ice through which we had +now scrambled our way, principally by warping and towing, a +distance of between three and four hundred miles, I remarked that +it for the most part increased, as well in the thickness as the +extent of the floes, as we advanced westward about the parallel +of 71°. During our subsequent progress to the north, we also +met with some of enormous dimensions, several of the floes, to +which we applied our hawsers and the power of the improved +capstan, being at their margin more than twenty feet above the +level of the sea; and over some of these we could not see from +the masthead. Upon the whole, however, the magnitude of the ice +became somewhat less towards the northwest, and within thirty +miles of that margin the masses were comparatively small, and +their thickness much diminished. Bergs were in sight during the +whole passage, but they were more numerous towards the middle of +the "pack," and rather the most so to the southward.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c009_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c009">CHAPTER II.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Enter Sir James Lancaster's Sound.—Land at Cape +Warrender.—Meet with young Ice.—Ships beset and +carried near the Shore.—Driven back to Navy-board +Inlet.—Run to the Westward, and enter Prince Regent's +Inlet.—Arrival at Port Bowen.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>All our past obstacles were in a moment forgotten when we once +more saw an open sea before us; but it must be confessed that it +was not so easy to forget that the middle of September was +already near at hand, without having brought us even to the +entrance of Sir James Lancaster's Sound. That not a moment might +be lost, however, in pushing to the westward, a press of canvass +was crowded, and, being happily favoured with an easterly breeze, +on the morning of Sept. 10th we caught a glimpse of the high bold +land on the north side of the magnificent inlet up which our +course was once more to be directed. From the time of our leaving +the main body of ice, we met with none of any kind, and the +entrance to the Sound was, as usual, entirely free from it, +except here and there a berg, floating about in that solitary +grandeur, of which these enormous masses, when occurring in the +midst of an extensive sea, are calculated to convey so sublime an +idea.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 12th we were once more favoured with a +breeze from the eastward, but so light and unsteady that our +progress was vexatiously slow; and on the 13th, when within seven +leagues of Cape York, we had the mortification to perceive the +sea ahead of us covered with young ice, the thermometer having, +for two days past, ranged only from 18° to 20°.</p> +<p>The next breeze sprung up from the westward, drawing also from +the southward, at times, out of Prince Regent's Inlet, and for +three days we were struggling with the young ice to little or no +purpose, now and then gaining half a mile of ground to windward +in a little "hole" of open water, then losing as much by the +necessity of bearing up or wearing (for the ice was too strong to +allow us to tack), sallying from morning to night with all hands, +and with the watch at night, two boats constantly under the bows; +and, after all, rather losing ground than otherwise, while the +young ice was every hour increasing in thickness.</p> +<p>Towards sunset on the 17th we became more and more hampered, +and were eventually beset during the night. The sea was covered +with ice between us and the shore, all of this year's formation, +but now of considerable thickness and formidable appearance. The +wind continuing strong, the whole body was constantly pressed in +upon the land, bearing the ships along with it, and doubling one +sheet over another, sometimes to a hundred thicknesses. We +quickly shoaled the water from seventy to forty fathoms, the +latter depth occurring about a mile from the beach; and after +this we drifted but little, the ice being blocked up between the +point and a high perpendicular berg lying aground off it.</p> +<p>Under such circumstances, it evidently became expedient to +endeavour, by sawing, to get the ships as close in-shore as +possible, so as to secure them either to grounded ice, or by +anchoring within the shelter of a bay at no great distance inside +of us; for it now seemed not unlikely that winter was about to +put a premature stop to all farther operations at sea for this +season. At all events, it was necessary to consult the immediate +safety of the ships, and to keep them from being drifted back to +the eastward. I therefore gave orders for endeavouring to get the +ships in towards the bay, by cutting through what level floes +still remained. So strong had been the pressure while the ice was +forcing in upon us, that on the 20th, after liberating the Hecla +on one side, she was as firmly cemented to it on the other, as +after a winter's formation; and we could only clear her by heavy +and repeated "sallying." After cutting in two or three hundred +yards, while the people were at dinner on the 21st, our canal +closed by the external pressure coming upon the parts which we +had weakened, and in a few minutes the whole was once more in +motion, or, as the seamen not inaptly expressed it, "alive," mass +doubling under mass, and raising those which were uppermost to a +considerable height. The ice thus pressed together was now about +ten feet in thickness in some places, and on an average not less +than four or five, so that, while thus forced in upon a ship, +although soft in itself, it caused her to tremble exceedingly; a +sensation, indeed, commonly experienced in forcing through young +ice of considerable thickness. We were now once more obliged to +be quiet spectators of what was going on around us, having, with +extreme difficulty, succeeded in saving most of our tools that +were lying on the ice when the squeezing suddenly began.</p> +<p>A sudden motion of the ice, on the morning of the 22d, +occasioned by a change of the wind to the S.E., threatened to +carry us directly off the land. It was now, more than ever, +desirable to hold on, as this breeze was likely to clear the +shore, and, at the same time, to give us a run to the westward. +Hawsers were therefore run out to the land-ice, composed of some +heavy masses, almost on the beach. With the Hecla this succeeded, +but the Fury being much farther from the shore, soon began to +move out with the whole body of ice, which, carrying her close to +the large berg off the point, swept her round the latter, where, +after great exertion, Captain Hoppner succeeded in getting clear, +and then made sail to beat back to us. In the mean time the +strain put upon the Hecla's hawsers being too great for them, +they snapped one after another, and a bower-anchor was let go as +a last resource. It was one of Hawkins's, with the double fluke, +and immediately brought up, not merely the ship, but a large floe +of young ice which had just broken our stream-cable. All hands +were sent upon the floe to cut it up ahead, and the whole +operation was a novel, and, at times, a fearful one; for the ice, +being weakened by the cutting, would suddenly gather fresh way +astern, carrying men and tools with it, while the chain cable +continued to plough through it in a manner which gave one the +idea of something alive, and continually renewing its attacks. +The anchor held surprisingly; and after this tremendous strain +had been put upon it for above an hour, we had fairly cut the +floe in two, and the ship was riding in clear water about half a +mile from the shore.</p> +<p>I was in hopes we should make some progress, for a large +channel of clear water was left open in-shore; a breeze blew off +the land, and the temperature of the atmosphere had again risen +considerably. We had not sailed five miles, however, when a +westerly wind took us aback, and a most dangerous swell set +directly upon the shore, obliging me immediately to stand off the +land; and the Fury being still to the eastward of the point, I +ran round it in order to rejoin her before sunset.</p> +<p>After midnight on the 27th the wind began to moderate, and, by +degrees, also drew more to the southward than before. At +daylight, therefore, we found ourselves seven or eight miles from +the land; but no ice was in sight, except the "sludge," of +honey-like consistence, with which almost the whole sea was +covered. A strong blink, extending along the eastern horizon, +pointed out the position of the main body of ice, which was +farther distant from the eastern shore of the inlet than I ever +saw it. Being assisted by a fine working breeze, which, at the +same time, prevented the formation of any more ice to obstruct +us, we made considerable progress along the land, and at noon +were nearly abreast of Jackson Inlet, which we now saw to be +considerably larger than our distant view of it on the former +voyage had led us to suppose. A few more tacks brought us to the +entrance of Port Bowen, which, for two or three days past, I had +determined to make our wintering-place, if, as there was but +little reason to expect, we should be so fortunate as to push the +ships thus far. Beating up, therefore, to Port Bowen, we found it +filled with "old" and "hummocky" ice, attached to the shores on +both sides, as low down as about three-quarters of a mile below +Stony Island. Here we made fast in sixty-two fathoms water, +running our hawsers far in upon the ice, in case of its breaking +off at the margin.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c010_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c010">CHAPTER III.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Winter Arrangements.—Improvements in Warming and +Ventilating the Ships.—Masquerades adopted as an Amusement +to the Men.—Establishment of Schools.—Astronomical +Observations.—Meteorological Phenomena.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p><i>Oct</i>.—Our present winter arrangements so closely +resembled, in general, those before adopted, that a fresh +description of them would prove little more than a repetition of +that already contained in the narratives of our former +voyages.</p> +<p>To those who read, as well as to those who describe, the +account of a winter passed in these regions can no longer be +expected to afford the interest of novelty it once possessed; +more especially in a station already delineated with tolerable +geographical precision on our maps, and thus, as it were, brought +near to our firesides at home. Independently, indeed, of this +circumstance, it is hard to conceive any one thing more like +another than two winters passed in the higher latitudes of the +Polar Regions, except when variety happens to be afforded by +intercourse with some other branch of "the whole family of man." +Winter after winter, nature here assumes an aspect so much alike, +that cursory observation can scarcely detect a single feature of +variety. The winter of more temperate climates, and even in some +of no slight severity, is occasionally diversified by a thaw, +which at once gives variety and comparative cheerfulness to the +prospect. But here, when once the earth is covered, all is +dreary, monotonous whiteness; not merely for days or weeks, but +for more than half a year together. Whichever way the eye is +turned, it meets a picture calculated to impress upon the mind an +idea of inanimate stillness, of that motionless torpor with which +our feelings have nothing congenial; of anything, in short, but +life. In the very silence there is a deadness with which a human +spectator appears <i>out of keeping</i>. The presence of man +seems an intrusion on the dreary solitude of this wintry desert, +which even its native animals have for a while forsaken.</p> +<p>I am persuaded, therefore, that I shall be excused in sparing +the dulness of another winter's diary, and confining myself +exclusively to those facts which appear to possess any scientific +interest, to the few incidents which <i>did</i> diversify our +confinement, and to such remarks as may contribute to the health +and comfort of any future sojourners in these dreary regions.</p> +<p>It may well be supposed that, in this climate, the principal +desideratum which art is called upon to furnish for the promotion +of health, is warmth, as well in the external air as in the +inhabited apartments. Exposure to a cold atmosphere, <i>when the +body is well clothed</i>, produces no bad effect whatever beyond +a frostbitten cheek, nose, or finger. As for any injury to +healthy lungs from the breathing of cold air, or from sudden +changes from this into a warm atmosphere, or <i>vice versa</i>, +it may with much confidence be asserted that, with due attention +to external clothing, there is nothing in this respect to be +apprehended. This inference, at least, would appear legitimate, +from the fact that our crews, consisting of one hundred and +twenty persons, have for four winters been constantly undergoing, +for months together, a change of from eighty to a hundred degrees +of temperature, in the space of time required for opening two +doors (perhaps less than half a minute), without incurring any +pulmonary complaints at all.</p> +<p>In speaking of the external clothing sufficient for health in +this climate, it must be confessed that, in severe exposure, +quite a <i>load</i> of woollen clothes, even of the best quality, +is insufficient to retain a comfortable degree of warmth; a +strong breeze carrying it off so rapidly, that the sensation is +that of the cold piercing through the body. A jacket made very +long, like those called by seamen "pea-jackets," and lined with +fur throughout, would be more effectual than twice the weight of +woollen clothes, and is, indeed, almost weather-proof. For the +prevention of lumbago, to which our seamen are especially liable, +from their well-known habit of leaving their loins imperfectly +clothed, every man should be strictly obliged to wear, under his +outer clothes, a canvass belt a foot broad, lined with flannel, +and having straps to go over the shoulder.<a name= +'FNanchor_006_6'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_006_6'><sup>[006]</sup></a></p> +<p>It is certain, however, that no precautions in clothing are +sufficient to maintain health during a Polar winter, without a +due degree of warmth in the apartments we inhabit. Most persons +are apt to associate with the idea of warmth, something like the +comfort derived from a good fire on a winter's evening at home; +but in these regions the case is inconceivably different: here it +is not simple comfort, but health, and, therefore, ultimately +life, that depends upon it. The want of a constant supply of +warmth is here immediately followed by a condensation of all the +moisture, whether from the breath, victuals, or other sources, +into abundant drops of water, very rapidly forming on all the +coldest parts of the deck. A still lower temperature modifies, +and perhaps improves, the annoyance by converting it into ice, +which again an occasional increase of warmth dissolves into +water. Nor is this the amount of the evil, though it is the only +visible part of it; for not only is a moist atmosphere thus +incessantly kept up, but it is rendered stagnant also by the want +of that ventilation which warmth alone can furnish. With an +apartment in this state, the men's clothes and bedding are +continually in a moist and unwholesome condition, generating a +deleterious air, which there is no circulation to carry off; and, +whenever these circumstances combine for any length of time +together, so surely may the scurvy, to say nothing of other +diseases, be confidently expected to exhibit itself.</p> +<p>Every attention was, as usual, paid to the occupation and +diversion of the men's minds, as well as to the regularity of +their bodily exercise. Our former amusements being almost worn +threadbare, it required some ingenuity to devise any plan that +should possess the charm of novelty to recommend it. This purpose +was completely answered by a proposal of Captain Hoppner, to +attempt a <i>masquerade</i>, in which officers and men should +alike take a part, but which, without imposing any restraint +whatever, would leave every one to his own choice whether to join +in this diversion or not. It is impossible that any idea could +have proved more happy, or more exactly suited to our situation. +Admirably dressed characters of various descriptions readily took +their parts, and many of these were supported with a degree of +spirit and genuine humour which would not have disgraced a more +refined assembly; while the latter might not have disdained, and +would not have been disgraced by, copying the good order, +decorum, and inoffensive cheerfulness which our humble masquerade +presented. It does especial credit to the dispositions and good +sense of our men, that, though all the officers entered fully +into the spirit of these amusements, which took place once a +month, no instance occurred of anything that could interfere with +the regular discipline, or at all weaken the respect of the men +towards their superiors. Ours were masquerades without +licentiousness; carnivals without excess.</p> +<p>But an occupation not less assiduously pursued, and of +infinitely more eventual benefit, was furnished by the +re-establishment of our schools, under the voluntary +superintendence of my friend Mr. Hooper in the Hecla, and of Mr. +Mogg in the Fury. By the judicious zeal of Mr. Hooper, the +Hecla's school was made subservient, not merely to the +improvement of the men in reading and writing (in which, however, +their progress was surprisingly great), but also to the +cultivation of that religious feeling which so essentially +improves the character of a seaman, by furnishing the highest +motives for increased attention to every other duty. Nor was the +benefit confined to the eighteen or twenty individuals whose want +of scholarship brought them to the school-table, but extended +itself to the rest of the ship's company, making the whole +lower-deck such a scene of quiet rational occupation as I never +before saw on board a ship. And I do not speak lightly when I +express my thorough persuasion, that to the moral effects thus +produced upon the minds of the men, were owing, in a very high +degree, the constant yet sober cheerfulness, the uninterrupted +good order, and even, in some measure, the extraordinary state of +health which prevailed among us during this winter.</p> +<p>The extreme facility with which sounds are heard at a +considerable distance in severely cold weather, has often been a +subject of remark; but a circumstance occurred at Port Bowen +which deserves to be noticed, as affording a sort of measure of +this facility, or, at least, conveying to others some definite +idea of the fact. Lieutenant Foster having occasion to send a man +from the observatory to the opposite shore of the harbour, a +measured distance of 6696 feet, or about one statute mile and two +tenths, in order to fix a meridian mark, had placed a second +person half way between, to repeat his directions; but he found, +on trial, that this precaution was unnecessary, as he could, +without difficulty, keep up a conversation with the man at the +distant station. The thermometer was at this time-18°, the +barometer 30.14 inches, and the weather nearly calm, and quite +clear and serene.</p> +<p>About one o'clock on the morning of the 23d February, the +Aurora appeared over the hills in a south direction, presenting a +brilliant mass of light. The rolling motion of the light +laterally was very striking, as well as the increase of its +intensity thus occasioned. The light occupied horizontally about +a point of the compass, and extended in height scarcely a degree +above the land, which seemed, however, to conceal from us a part +of the phenomenon. It was always evident enough that the most +attenuated light of the Aurora sensibly dimmed the stars, like a +thin veil drawn over them. We frequently listened for any sound +proceeding from this phenomenon, but never heard any. Our +variation needles, which were extremely light, suspended in the +most delicate manner, and, from the weak directive energy, +susceptible of being acted upon by a very slight disturbing +force, were never, in a single instance, sensibly affected by the +Aurora, which could scarcely fail to have been observed at some +time or other, had any such disturbance taken place, the needles +being visited every hour for several months, and oftener when +anything occurred to make it desirable.</p> +<p>The meteors called falling stars were much more frequent +during this winter than we ever before saw them, and particularly +during the month of December.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c011_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c011">CHAPTER IV.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Re-equipment of the Ships.—Several Journeys +undertaken.—Open Water in the Offing.—Commence sawing +a Canal to liberate the Ships.—Disruption of the +Ice.—Departure from Port Bowen.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>The height of the land about Port Bowen deprived us longer +than usual of the sun's presence above our horizon. Some of our +gentlemen, indeed, who ascended a high hill for the purpose, +caught a glimpse of him on the 2d of February; on the 15th it +became visible at the observatory, but at the ships not till the +22d, after an absence of one hundred and twenty-one days. It is +very long after the sun's reappearance in these regions, however, +that the effect of his rays, as to warmth, becomes perceptible; +week passes after week, with scarcely any rise in the thermometer +except for an hour or two during the day; and it is at this +period more than any other, perhaps, that the lengthened duration +of a Polar winter's cold is most wearisome, and creates the most +impatience. Towards the third week in March, thin flakes of snow +lying upon black painted wood or metal, and exposed to the sun's +direct rays in a sheltered situation, readily melted. In the +second week of April any very light covering of sand or ashes +upon the snow close to the ships might be observed to make its +way downward into holes; but a coat of sand laid upon the +unsheltered ice, to the distance of about two thirds of a mile, +for dissolving a canal to hasten our liberation, produced no such +sensible effect till the beginning of May. Even then the +dissolution was very trifling till about the first week in June, +when pools of water began to make their appearance, and not long +after this a small boat would have floated down it. On shore the +effect is, in general, still more tardy, though some deception is +there occasioned by the dissolution of the snow next the ground, +while its upper surface is to all appearance undergoing little or +no change. Thus a greater alteration is sometimes produced in the +aspect of the land by a single warm day in an advanced part of +the season, than in many weeks preceding, in consequence of the +last crust of snow being dissolved, leaving the ground at length +entirely bare. We could now perceive the snow beginning to leave +the stones from day to day, as early as the last week in April. +Towards the end of May a great deal of snow was dissolved daily; +but, owing to the porous nature of the ground, which absorbed it +as fast as it was formed, it was not easy to procure water for +drinking on shore, even as late as the 10th of June. In the +ravines, however, it could be heard trickling under stones before +that time; and about the 18th, many considerable streams were +formed, and constantly running both night and day. After this the +thawing proceeded at an inconceivably rapid rate, the whole +surface of the floes being covered with large pools of water +rapidly increasing in size and depth.</p> +<p>The animals seen at Port Bowen may now be briefly noticed. The +principal of these seen during the winter were bears, of which we +killed twelve from October to June, being more than during all +the other voyages taken together; and several others were seen. +One of these animals was near proving fatal to a seaman of the +Fury, who, having straggled from his companions, when at the top +of a high hill saw a large bear coming towards him. Being +unarmed, he prudently made off, taking off his boots to enable +him to run the faster, but not so prudently precipitated himself +over an almost perpendicular cliff, down which he was said to +have rolled or fallen several hundred feet; here he was met by +some of the people in so lacerated a condition as to be in a very +dangerous state for some time after.</p> +<p>A she-bear, killed in the open water on our first arrival at +Port Bowen, afforded a striking instance of maternal affection in +her anxiety to save her two cubs. She might herself easily have +escaped the boat, but would not forsake her young, which she was +actually "towing" off, by allowing them to rest on her back, when +the boat came near them. A second similar instance occurred in +the spring, when two cubs having got down into a large crack in +the ice, their mother placed herself before them, so as to secure +them from the attacks of our people, which she might easily have +avoided herself.</p> +<p>One or two foxes (<i>Canis Lagopus</i>) were killed, and four +caught in traps during the winter, weighing from four pounds and +three quarters to three pounds and three quarters. The colour of +one of these animals, which lived for some time on board the +Fury, and became tolerably tame, was nearly pure white till the +month of May, when he shed his winter coat, and became of a dirty +chocolate colour, with two or three light brown spots. Only three +hares (<i>Lepus Variabilis</i>) were killed from October to June, +weighing from six to eight pounds and three quarters. Their fur +was extremely thick, soft, and of the most beautiful whiteness +imaginable. We saw no deer near Port Bowen at any season, neither +were we visited by their enemies the wolves. A single ermine and +a few mice (<i>Mus Hudsonius</i>) complete, I believe, our scanty +list of quadrupeds at this desolate and unproductive place.</p> +<p>Towards the end of June, the dovekies (<i>Colymbus Grylle</i>) +were extremely numerous in the cracks of the ice at the entrance +of Port Bowen; and as these were the only fresh supply of any +consequence that we were able to procure at this unproductive +place, we were glad to permit the men to go out occasionally with +guns, after the ships were ready for sea, to obtain for their +messes this wholesome change of diet; while such excursions also +contributed essentially to their general health and cheerfulness. +Many hundreds of these birds were thus obtained in the course of +a few days. On the evening of the 6th of July, however, I was +greatly shocked at being informed by Captain Hoppner that John +Cotterell,<a name='FNanchor_007_7'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_007_7'><sup>[007]</sup></a> a seaman of the Fury, had +been found drowned in one of the cracks of the ice by two other +men belonging to the same party, who had been with him but a few +minutes before. We could never ascertain precisely in what manner +this accident happened, but it was supposed that he must have +overreached himself in stooping for a bird that he had killed. +His remains were committed to the earth on Sunday the 10th, with +every solemnity which the occasion demanded, and our situation +would allow; and a tomb of stones, with a suitable inscription, +was afterward erected over the grave.</p> +<p>In order to obtain oil for another winter's consumption, +before the ships could be released from the ice, and our +travelling parties having seen a number of black whales in the +open water to the northward, two boats from each ship were, with +considerable labour, transported four miles along shore in that +direction, to be in readiness for killing a whale and boiling the +oil on the beach, whenever the open water should approach +sufficiently near. Notwithstanding these preparations, however, +it was vexatious to find that on the 9th of July the water was +still three miles distant from the boats, and at least seven from +Port Bowen. On the 12th, the ice in our neighbourhood began to +detach itself, and the boats, under the command of Lieutenants +Sherer and Ross, being launched on the following day, succeeded +almost immediately in killing a small whale of "five feet bone," +exactly answering our purpose. Almost at the same time, and, as +it turned out, very opportunely, the ice at the mouth of our +harbour detached itself at an old crack, and drifted off, leaving +only about one mile and a quarter between us and the sea. Half of +this distance being occupied by the gravelled canal, which was +dissolved quite through the ice in many parts, and had become +very thin in all, every officer and man in both ships were set to +work without delay to commence a fresh canal from the open water +to communicate with the other. This work proved heavier than we +expected, the ice being generally from five to eight feet, and in +many places from ten to eleven in thickness. It was continued, +however, with the greatest cheerfulness and alacrity from seven +in the morning till seven in the evening daily, the dinner being +prepared on the ice, and eaten under the lee of a studding sail +erected as a tent.</p> +<p>On the afternoon of the 19th, a very welcome stop was put to +our operations by the separation of the floe entirely across the +harbour, and about one third from the ships to where we were at +work. All hands being instantly recalled by signal, were, on +their return, set to work to get the ships into the gravelled +canal, and to saw away what still remained in it to prevent our +warping to sea. This work, with only half an hour's intermission +for the men's supper, was continued till half past six the +following morning, when we succeeded in getting clear. The +weather being calm, two hours were occupied in towing the ships +to sea, and thus the officers and men were employed at a very +laborious work for twenty-six hours, during which time there +were, on one occasion, fifteen of them overboard at once; and, +indeed, several individuals met with the same accident three +times. It was impossible, however, to regret the necessity of +these comparatively trifling exertions, especially as it was now +evident that to saw our way out without any canal would have +required at least a fortnight of heavy and fatiguing labour.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c012_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c012">CHAPTER V.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Sail over towards the Western Coast of Prince Regent's +Inlet.—Stopped by the Ice.—Reach the Shore about Cape +Seppings.—Favourable Progress along the Land.—Fresh +and repeated Obstructions from Ice.—Both Ships driven on +Shore.—Fury seriously damaged.—Unsuccessful Search +for a Harbour for heaving her down to repair.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p><i>July</i> 20.—On standing out to sea, we sailed, with +a light southerly wind, towards the western shore of Prince +Regent's Inlet, which it was my first wish to gain, on account of +the evident advantage to be derived from coasting the southern +part of that portion of land called in the chart "North +Somerset," as far as it might lead to the westward; which, from +our former knowledge, we had reason to suppose it would do as far +at least as the longitude of 95°, in the parallel of about +72-3/4º. After sailing about eight miles, we were stopped by +a body of close ice lying between us and a space of open water +beyond. We were shortly after enveloped in one of the thick fogs +which had, for several weeks past, been observed almost daily +hanging over some part of the sea in the offing, though we had +scarcely experienced any in Port Bowen until the water became +open at the mouth of the harbour.</p> +<p>On the clearing up of the fog on the 21st, we could perceive +no opening of the ice leading towards the western land, nor any +appearance of the smallest channel to the southward along the +eastern shore. I was determined, therefore, to try at once a +little farther to the northward, the present state of the ice +appearing completely to accord with that observed in 1819, its +breadth increasing as we advanced from Prince Leopold's Islands +to the southward.</p> +<p>Light winds detained us very much, but, being at length +favoured by a breeze, we carried all sail to the northwest, the +ice very gradually leading us towards the Leopold Isles. Having +arrived off the northernmost on the morning of the 22nd, it was +vexatious, however curious, to observe the exact coincidence of +the present position of the ice with that which it occupied a +little later in the year 1819. The whole body of it seemed to +cling to the western shore, as if held there by some strong +attraction, forbidding, for the present, any access to it. After +running all night, with light and variable winds, through loose +and scattered ice, we suddenly found ourselves, on the clearing +up of a thick fog through which we had been sailing on the +morning of the 24th, within one third of a mile of Cape Seppings, +the land just appearing above the fog in time to save us from +danger, the soundings being thirty-eight fathoms, on a rocky +bottom. The Fury being apprized by guns of our situation, both +ships were hauled off the land, and the fog soon after +dispersing, we had the satisfaction to perceive that the late +gale had blown the ice off the land, leaving us a fine navigable +channel from one to two miles wide, as far as we could see from +the masthead along the shore. We were able to avail ourselves of +this but slowly, however, in consequence of a light southerly +breeze still blowing against us.</p> +<p>The land here, when closely viewed, assumes a very striking, +and magnificent character; the strata of limestone, which are +numerous and quite horizontally disposed, being much more regular +than on the eastern shore of Prince Regent's Inlet, and retaining +nearly their whole perpendicular height of six or seven hundred +feet close to the sea. I may here remark, that the whole of +Barrow's Strait, as far as we could see to the N.N.E. of the +islands, was entirely free from ice; and, from whatever +circumstance it may proceed, I do not think that this part of the +Polar Sea is at any season very much encumbered with it.</p> +<p>It was the general feeling at this period among us, that the +voyage had but now commenced. The labours of a bad summer, and +the tedium of a long winter, were forgotten in a moment when we +found ourselves upon ground not hitherto explored, and with every +apparent prospect before us of making as rapid a progress as the +nature of this navigation will permit, towards the final +accomplishment of our object.</p> +<p>A breeze enabling us again to make some progress, and an open +channel still favouring us, of nearly the same breadth as before, +we passed, during the night of the 25th, a second bay, about the +same size as the other, and also appearing open to the sea; it +lies in latitude (by account from the preceding and following +noon) 73° 19' 30", and its width is one mile and a half. We +now perceived that the ice closed completely in with the land a +short distance beyond us; and, having made all the way we could, +were obliged to stand off and on during the day in a channel not +three quarters of a mile wide.</p> +<p>A light southerly breeze on the morning of the 28th gradually +cleared the shore, and a fresh wind from the N.W. then +immediately succeeded. We instantly took advantage of this +circumstance, and, casting off at six A.M., ran eight or nine +miles without obstruction, when we were stopped by the ice, +which, in a closely packed and impenetrable body, stretched close +into the shore as far as the eye could reach from the crow's +nest. Being anxious to gain every foot of distance that we could, +and perceiving some grounded ice which appeared favourable for +making fast to, just at a point where the clear water terminated, +the ships were run to the utmost extent of it, and a boat +prepared from each to examine the water at the intended anchoring +place. Just as I was about to leave the Hecla for that purpose, +the ice was observed, to be in rapid motion towards the shore. +The Fury was immediately hauled in by some grounded masses, and +placed to the best advantage; but the Hecla, being more advanced, +was immediately beset in spite of every exertion, and, after +breaking two of the largest ice-anchors in endeavouring to heave +in to the shore, was obliged to drift with the ice, several +masses of which had fortunately interposed themselves between us +and the land. The ice slackening around us a little in the +evening, we were enabled, with considerable labour, to get to +some grounded masses, where we lay much exposed, as the Fury also +did. In this situation, our latitude being 72° 51' 51", we +saw a comparatively low point of land three or four leagues to +the southward, which proved to be near that which terminated our +view of this coast in 1819.</p> +<p>The ice opening for a mile and a half alongshore on the 30th, +we shifted the Hecla's berth about that distance to the +southward, chiefly to be enabled to see more distinctly round a +point which before obstructed our view, though our situation as +regarded the security of the ship was much altered for the worse. +In the afternoon it blew a hard gale, with constant rain, from +the northward, the clouds indicating an easterly wind in other +parts. This wind, which was always the troublesome one to us, +soon brought the ice closer and closer, till it pressed with very +considerable violence on both ships, though the most upon the +Fury, which lay in a very exposed situation. Early on the morning +of the 31st, as soon as a communication could be effected, +Captain Hoppner sent to inform me that the Fury had been forced +on the ground, where she still lay; but that she would probably +be hove off without much difficulty at high water, provided the +external ice did not prevent it. A large party of hands from the +Hecla being sent round to the Fury towards high water, she came +off the ground with very little strain, so that, upon the whole, +considering the situation in which the ships were lying, we +thought ourselves fortunate in having incurred no very serious +injury. A shift of wind to the southward in the afternoon at +length began gradually to slacken it, but it was not till six +A.M. on the 1st of August that there appeared a prospect of +making any progress. The signal to that effect was immediately +made; but, while the sails were setting, the ice, which had at +first been three quarters of a mile distant from us, was observed +to be closing the shore The ships were cast with all expedition, +in hopes of gaining the broader channel before the ice had time +to shut us up. So rapid, however, was the latter in this its +sudden movement, that we had but just got the ships' heads the +right way when the ice came boldly in upon us, being doubtless +set in motion by a very sudden freshening of the wind almost to a +gale in the course of a few minutes. The ships were now almost +instantly beset, and in such a manner as to be literally helpless +and unmanageable.</p> +<p>The sails were, however, kept set; and, as the body of ice was +setting to the southward withal, we went with it some little +distance in that direction. The Hecla, after thus driving, and +now and then forcing her way through the ice, in all about three +quarters of a mile, quite close to the shore, at length struck +the ground forcibly several times in the space of a hundred +yards, and being then brought up by it, remained immoveable, the +depth of water under her keel abaft being sixteen feet, or about +a foot less than she drew. The Fury, continuing to drive, was now +irresistibly carried past us, and we escaped, only by a few feet, +the damage invariably occasioned by ships coming in contact under +such circumstances. She had, however, scarcely passed us a +hundred yards, when it was evident, by the ice pressing her in, +as well as along the shore, that she must soon be stopped like +the Hecla; and having gone about two hundred yards farther, she +was observed to receive a severe pressure from a large floe-piece +forcing her directly against a grounded mass of ice upon the +beach. After setting to the southward for an hour or two longer, +the ice became stationary, no open water being anywhere visible +from the masthead, and the pressure on the ships remaining +undiminished during the day. Just as I had ascertained the utter +impossibility of moving the Hecla a single foot, and that she +must lie aground fore and aft as soon as the tide fell, I +received a note from Captain Hoppner, informing me that the Fury +had been so severely "nipped" and strained as to leak a good +deal, apparently about four inches an hour; that she was still +heavily pressed both upon the ground and against the large mass +of ice within her; that the rudder was at present very awkwardly +situated; and that one boat had been much damaged. However, about +high water, the ice very opportunely slacking, the Hecla was hove +off with great ease, and warped to a floe in the offing, to which +we made fast at midnight. The Fury was not long after us in +coming off the ground, when I was in hopes of finding that any +twist or strain by which her leaks might have been occasioned, +would, in some measure, close when she was relieved from pressure +and once more fairly afloat. My disappointment and mortification, +therefore, may in some measure be imagined, at being informed by +telegraph, about two A.M. on the 2d, that the water was gaining +on two pumps, and that a part of the doubling had floated up. +Presently after, perceiving from the masthead something like a +small harbour nearly abreast of us, every effort was made to get +once more towards the shore. In this the ice happily favoured us; +and, after making sail, and one or two tacks, we got in with the +land, when I left the ship in a boat to sound the place and +search for shelter. The whole shore was more or less lined with +grounded masses of ice; but, after examining the soundings within +more than twenty of them, in the space of about a mile, I could +only find two that would allow the ships to float at low water, +and that by some care in placing and keeping them there. Having +fixed a flag on each berg, the usual signal for the ships taking +their stations, I rowed on board the Fury, and found four pumps +constantly going to keep the ship free, and Captain Hoppner, his +officers and men, almost exhausted with the incessant labour of +the last eight-and-forty hours. The instant the ships were made +fast, Captain Hoppner and myself set out in a boat to survey the +shore still farther south, there being a narrow lane of water +about a mile in that direction; for it had now become too evident +that the Fury could proceed no farther without repairs, and that +the nature of those repairs would in all probability involve the +disagreeable, I may say the ruinous, necessity of heaving the +ship down. After rowing about three quarters of a mile, we +considered ourselves fortunate in arriving at a bolder part of +the beach, where three grounded masses of ice, having from three +to four fathoms water at low tide within them, were so disposed +as to afford, with the assistance of art, something like shelter. +Returning to the ships, we were setting the sails in order to run +to the appointed place, when the ice closed in and prevented our +moving, and in a short time there was once more no open water to +be seen. We were therefore under the necessity of remaining in +our present berths, where the smallest external pressure must +inevitably force us ashore, neither ship having more than two +feet of water to spare. One watch of the Hecla's crew were sent +round to assist at the Fury's pumps, which required one third of +her ship's company to be constantly employed at them.</p> +<p>The more leisure we obtained to consider the state of the +Fury, the more apparent became the absolute, however unfortunate, +necessity of heaving her down. Four pumps were required to be at +work without intermission to keep her free, and this in perfectly +smooth water, showing that she was, in fact, so materially +injured as to be very far from seaworthy. One third of her +working men were constantly employed, as before remarked, in this +laborious operation, and some of their hands had become so sore +from the constant friction of the ropes, that they could hardly +handle them any longer without the use of mittens, assisted by +the unlaying of the ropes to make them soft. As, therefore, not a +moment could be lost, we took advantage of a small lane of water, +deep enough for boats, which kept open within the grounded masses +along the shore, to convey to the Hecla some of the Fury's dry +provisions, and to land a quantity of heavy iron work, and other +stores not perishable; for the moment this measure was determined +on, I was anxious, almost at any risk, to commence the lightening +of the ship as far as our present insecurity and our distance +from the shore would permit.</p> +<p>At two A.M. on the 5th, the ice began to slacken near the +ships, and, as soon as a boat could be rowed alongshore to the +southward, I set out, accompanied by a second from the Fury, for +the purpose of examining the state of our intended harbour since +the recent pressure, and to endeavour to prepare for the +reception of the ships by clearing out the loose ice. The Fury +was detained some time by a quantity of loose ice, which had +wedged itself in in such a manner as to leave her no room to move +outward; but she arrived about seven o'clock, when both ships +were made fast in the best berths we could find, but they were +excluded from their intended place by the quantity of ice which +had fixed itself there. Within twenty minutes after our arrival, +the whole body of ice again came in, entirely closing up the +shore, so that our moving proved most opportune.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c013_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c013">CHAPTER VI.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Formation of a Basin for heaving the Fury down.—Landing +of the Fury's Stores, and other Preparations.—The Ships +secured within the Basin.—Impediments from the Pressure of +the Ice.—Fury hove down.—Securities of the Basin +destroyed by a Gale of Wind.—Preparations to tow the Fury +out.—Hecla Re-equipped, and obliged to put to +Sea.—Fury again driven on Shore.—Rejoin the Fury; and +find it necessary finally to abandon her.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>As there was now no longer room for floating the ice out of +the proposed basin, all hands were immediately employed in +preparing the intended securities against the incursions of the +ice. These consisted of anchors carried to the beach, having +bower-cables attached to them, passing quite round the grounded +masses, and thus enclosing a small space of just sufficient size +to admit both ships. The cables we proposed floating by means of +the two hand-masts and some empty casks lashed to them as buoys, +with the intention of thus making them receive the pressure of +the ice a foot or two below the surface of the water. By uncommon +exertions on the part of the officers and men, this laborious +work was completed before night as far as was practicable until +the loose ice should set out; and all the tents were set up on +the beach for the reception of the Fury's stores.</p> +<p>The ice remaining quite close on the 6th, every individual in +both ships, with the exception of those at the pumps, was +employed in landing provisions from the Fury, together with the +spars, boats, and everything from off her upper deck. On the +following day, the ice remaining as before, the work was +continued without intermission, and a great quantity of things +landed. The armorer was also set to work on the beach in forging +bolts for the martingales of the outriggers. In short, every +living creature among us was somehow or other employed, not even +excepting our dogs, which were set to drag up the stores on the +beach; so that our little dock-yard soon exhibited the most +animated scene imaginable. The Fury was thus so much lightened in +the course of the day, that two pumps were now nearly sufficient +to keep her free, and this number continued requisite until she +was hove down.</p> +<p>At night, just as the people were going to rest, the ice began +to move to the southward, and soon after came in towards the +shore, pressing the Fury over on her side to so alarming a +degree, as to warn us that it would not be safe to lighten her +much more in her present insecure situation. One of our bergs +also shifted its position by this pressure, so as to weaken our +confidence in the pier-heads of our intended basin; and a long +"tongue" of one of them forcing itself under the Hecla's +forefoot, while the drifting ice was also pressing her forcibly +from astern, she once more sewed three or four feet forward at +low water, and continued to do so, notwithstanding repeated +endeavours to haul her off, for four successive tides, the ice +remaining so close and so much doubled under the ship, as to +render it impossible to move her a single inch. Notwithstanding +the state of the ice, however, we did not remain idle on the 8th, +all hands being employed in unrigging the Fury, and landing all +her spars, sails, booms, boats, and other top weight.</p> +<p>The ice still continuing very close on the 9th, all hands were +employed in attempting, by saws and axes, to clear the Hecla, +which still grounded on the tongue of ice every tide. After four +hours' labour, they succeeded in making four or five feet of room +astern, when the ship suddenly slid down off the tongue with +considerable force, and became once more afloat. As it very +opportunely happened, the external ice slackened to the distance +of about a hundred yards outside of us on the morning of the +10th, enabling us, by a most tedious and laborious operation, to +clear the ice out of our basin piece by piece. Our next business +was to tighten the cables sufficiently by means of purchases, and +to finish the floating of them in the manner and for the purpose +before described. After this had been completed, the ships had +only a few feet in length, and nothing in breadth to spare, but +we had now great hopes of going on with our work with increased +confidence and security. The Fury, which was placed inside, had +something less than eighteen feet at low water; the Hecla lay in +four fathoms, the bottom being strewed with large and small +fragments of limestone.</p> +<p>While thus employed in securing the ships, the smoothness of +the water enabled us to see, in some degree, the nature of the +Fury's damage; and it may be conceived how much pain it +occasioned us plainly to discover that both the sternpost and +forefoot were broken and turned up on one side with the pressure. +We also could perceive, as far as we were able to see along the +main keel, that it was much torn, and we had therefore much +reason to conclude that the damage would altogether prove very +serious. We also discovered that several feet of the Hecla's +false keel were torn away abreast of the forechains, in +consequence of her grounding forward so frequently.</p> +<p>Being favoured with fine weather, we continued our work very +quickly, so that on the 12th every cask was landed, and also the +powder; and the spare sails and clothing put on board the Hecla. +The coals and preserved meats were the principal things now +remaining on board the Fury, and these we continued landing by +every method we could devise as the most expeditious.</p> +<p>Early on the morning of the 14th, the ice slackening a little +in our neighbourhood, we took advantage of it, though the people +were much fagged, to tighten the cables, which had stretched and +yielded considerably by the late pressure. It was well that we +did so; for in the course of this day we were several times +interrupted in our work by the ice coming with a tremendous +strain on the north cables, the wind blowing strong from the +N.N.W., and the whole "pack" outside of us setting rapidly to the +southward. Indeed, notwithstanding the recent tightening and +readjustment of the cables, the bight was pressed in so much as +to force the Fury against the berg astern of her twice in the +course of the day.</p> +<p>From this trial of the efficacy of our means of security, it +was plain that the Fury could not possibly be hove down under +circumstances of such frequent and imminent risk: I therefore +directed a fourth anchor, with two additional cables, to be +carried out, with the hope of breaking some of the force of the +ice by its offering a more oblique resistance than the other, and +thus, by degrees, turning the direction of the pressure from the +ships. We had scarcely completed this new defence, when the +largest floe we had seen since leaving Port Bowen came sweeping +along the shore, having a motion to the southward of not less +than a mile and a half an hour; and a projecting point of it, +just grazing our outer berg, threatened to overturn it, and would +certainly have dislodged it from its situation but for the cable +recently attached to it.</p> +<p>The Fury being completely cleared at an early hour on the +16th, we were all busily employed in "winding" the ship, and in +preparing the outriggers, shores, purchases, and additional +rigging. Though we purposely selected the time of high water for +turning the ship round, we had scarcely a foot of space to spare +for doing it; and indeed, as it was, her forefoot touched the +ground, and loosened the broken part of the wood so much as to +enable us to pull it up with ropes, when we found the fragments +to consist of the whole of the "gripe" and most of the +"cutwater." In the evening we received the Fury's crew on board +the Hecla, every arrangement and regulation having been +previously made for their personal comfort, and for the +preservation of cleanliness, ventilation, and dry warmth +throughout the ship. The officers of the Fury, by their own +choice, pitched a tent on shore for messing and sleeping in, as +our accommodation for two sets of officers was necessarily +confined. Every preparation being made, at three A.M. on the 18th +we began to heave her down on the larboard side; but when the +purchases were nearly ablock, we found that the strops under the +Hecla's bottom, as well as some of the Fury's shore-fasts, had +stretched or yielded so much that they could not bring the keel +out of water within three or four feet. We immediately eased her +up again, and readjusted everything as requisite, hauling her +farther in-shore than before by keeping a considerable heel upon +her, so as to make less depth of water necessary; and we were +then in the act of once more heaving her down, when a snowstorm +came on and blew with such violence off the land as to raise a +considerable sea. The ships had now so much motion as to strain +the gear very much, and even to make the lower masts of the Fury +bend in spite of the shores; we were, therefore, most unwillingly +compelled to desist until the sea should go down, keeping +everything ready to recommence the instant we could possibly do +so with safety. The officers and men were now literally so +harassed and fatigued as to be scarcely capable of farther +exertion without some rest; and on this and one or two other +occasions, I noticed more than a single instance of stupor, +amounting to a certain degree of failure in intellect, rendering +the individual so affected quite unable at first to comprehend +the meaning of an order, though still as willing as ever to obey +it. It was therefore, perhaps, a fortunate necessity that +produced the intermission of labour which the strength of every +individual seemed to require.</p> +<p>The gale rather increasing than otherwise during the whole day +and night of the 18th, had, on the following morning, when the +wind and sea still continued unabated, so destroyed the bergs on +which our sole dependance was placed, that they no longer +remained aground at low water; the cables had again become slack +about them, and the basin we had taken so much pains in forming +had now lost all its defences, at least during a portion of every +tide. After a night of most anxious consideration and +consultation with Captain Hoppner, who was now my messmate in the +Hecla, it appeared but too plain that, should the ice again come +in, neither ship could any longer be secured from driving on +shore. It was therefore determined instantly to prepare the Hecla +for sea, making her thoroughly effective in every respect; so +that we might at least push <i>her</i> out into comparative +safety among the ice when it closed again, taking every person on +board her, securing the Fury in the best manner we could, and +returning to her the instant we were able to do so, to endeavour +to get her out, and to carry her to some place of security for +heaving down. If, after the Hecla was ready, time should still be +allowed us, it was proposed immediately to put into the Fury all +that was requisite, or, at least, as much as she could safely +carry, and, towing her out into the ice, to try the effect of +"foddering" the leaks by sails under those parts of her keel +which we knew to be damaged, until some more effectual means +could be resorted to.</p> +<p>Having communicated to the assembled officers and ships' +companies my views and intentions, we commenced our work; and +such was the hearty good-will and indefatigable energy with which +it was carried on, that by midnight the whole was +accomplished.</p> +<p>On the 20th, therefore, the reloading of the Fury commenced +with recruited strength and spirits, such articles being in the +first place selected for putting on board as were essentially +requisite for her reequipment; for it was my full determination, +could we succeed in completing this, not to wait even for rigging +a topmast, or getting a lower yard up, in the event of the ice +coming in, but to tow her out among the ice, and there put +everything sufficiently to rights for carrying her to some place +of security. A few hands were also spared, consisting chiefly of +two or three convalescents, and some of the officers, to thrum a +sail for putting under the Fury's keel; for we were very anxious +to relieve the men at the pumps, which constantly required the +labour of eight to twelve hands to keep her free. By a long and +hard day's labour, the people not going to rest till two o'clock +on the morning of the 21st, we got about fifty tons' weight of +coals and provisions on board the Fury, which, in case of +necessity, we considered sufficient to give her stability. Having +hauled the ships out a little from the shore, and prepared the +Hecla for casting by a spring at a moment's notice, all the +people except those at the pumps were sent to rest, which, +however, they had not enjoyed for two hours, when, at four A.M. +on the 21st, another heavy mass coming violently in contact with +the bergs and cables, threatened to sweep away every remaining +security. More hawsers were run out, however, and enabled us +still to hold on; and, after six hours of disturbed rest, all +hands were again set to work to get the Fury's anchors, cables, +rudder, and spars on board, these being absolutely necessary for +her equipment, should we be able to get her out. At two P.M. the +crews were called on board to dinner, which they had not finished +when several not very large masses of ice drove along the shore +near us at a quick rate, and two or three successively coming in +violent contact either with the Hecla or the bergs to which she +was attached, convinced me that very little additional pressure +would tear everything away, and drive both ships on shore. I saw +that the moment had arrived when the Hecla could no longer be +kept in her present situation with the smallest chance of safety, +and therefore immediately got under sail, despatching Captain +Hoppner with every individual, except a few for working the ship, +to continue getting the things on board the Fury, while the Hecla +stood off and on. Captain Hoppner had scarcely been an hour on +board the Fury, and was busily engaged in getting the anchors and +cables on board, when we observed some large pieces of not very +heavy ice closing in with the land near her; and at twenty +minutes past four P.M., being an hour and five minutes after the +Hecla had cast off, I was informed by signal that the Fury was on +shore. As the navigating of the Hecla, with only ten men on +board, required constant attention and care, I could not at this +time, with propriety, leave the ship to go on board the Fury. I +therefore directed Captain Hoppner by telegraph, "if he thought +nothing could be done at present, to return on board with all +hands until the wind changed;" for this alone, as far as I could +see the state of the Fury, seemed to offer the smallest chance of +clearing the shore, so as to enable us to proceed with our work, +or to attempt hauling the ship off the ground. About seven P.M. +Captain Hoppner returned to the Hecla, accompanied by all hands, +except an officer with a party at the pumps, reporting to me, +that the Fury had been forced aground by the ice pressing on the +masses lying near her, and bringing home, if not breaking, the +seaward anchor, so that the ship was soon found to have sewed +from two to three feet fore and aft.</p> +<p>Finding, soon after Captain Hoppner's return, that the current +swept the Hecla a long way to the southward while hoisting up the +boats, and that more ice was drifting in towards the shore, I was +under the painful necessity of recalling the party at the pumps, +rather than incur the risk, now an inevitable one, of parting +company with them altogether. Accordingly, Mr. Bird, with the +last of the people, came on board at eight o'clock in the +evening, having left eighteen inches water in the well, and four +pumps being requisite to keep her free. In three hours after Mr. +Bird's return, more than half a mile of closely packed ice +intervened between the Fury and the open water in which we were +beating, and before the morning this barrier had increased to +four or five miles in breadth.</p> +<p>We carried a press of canvass all night, with a fresh breeze +from the north, to enable us to keep abreast of the Fury, which, +on account of the strong southerly current, we could only do by +beating at some distance from the land. The breadth of the ice +in-shore continued increasing during the day, but we could see no +end to the water in which we were beating, either to the +southward or eastward. It fell quite calm in the evening, when +the breadth of the ice in-shore had increased to six or seven +miles. We did not, during the day, perceive any current setting +to the southward, but in the course of the night we were drifted +four or five leagues to the southwestward.</p> +<p>A southerly breeze enabling us to regain our northing, we ran +along the margin of the ice, but were led so much to the eastward +by it, that we could approach the ship no nearer than before +during the whole day. She appeared to us at this distance to have +a much greater heel than when the people left her, which made us +still more anxious to get near her. The latitude at noon was +72° 34' 57", making our distance from the Fury twelve miles, +which, by the morning of the 25th, had increased to at least five +leagues, the ice continuing to "pack" between us and the shore. +The wind, however, now gradually drew round to the westward, +giving us hopes of a change, and we continued to ply about the +margin of the ice, in constant readiness for taking advantage of +any opening that might occur. It favoured us so much by streaming +off in the course of the day, that by seven P.M. we had nearly +reached a channel of clear water, which kept open for seven or +eight miles from the land. Being impatient to obtain a sight of +the Fury, and the wind becoming light, Captain Hoppner and myself +left the Hecla in two boats, and reached the ship at half past +nine, or about three quarters of an hour before high water, being +the most favourable time of tide for arriving to examine her +condition.</p> +<p>We found her heeling so much outward, that her main channels +were within a foot of the water; and the large floe-piece, which +was still alongside of her, seemed alone to support her below +water, and to prevent her falling over still more considerably. +The ship had been forced much farther up the beach than before, +and she had now in her bilge above nine feet of water, which +reached higher than the lower-deck beams. The first hour's +inspection of the Fury's condition too plainly assured me that, +exposed as she was, and forcibly pressed up upon an open and +stony beach, her holds full of water, and the damage of her hull +to all appearance and in all probability more considerable than +before, without any adequate means of hauling her off to seaward, +or securing her from the farther incursions of the ice, every +endeavour of ours to get her off, or <i>if</i> got off, to float +her to any known place of safety, would be at once utterly +hopeless in itself, and productive of extreme risk to our +remaining ship.</p> +<p>Mr. Pulfer, the carpenter of the Fury, considered that it +would occupy five days to clear the ship of water; that if she +were got off, all the pumps would not be sufficient to keep her +free, in consequence of the additional damage she seemed to have +sustained; and that, if even hove down, twenty days' work, with +the means we possessed, would be required for making her +sea-worthy. Captain Hoppner and the other officers were therefore +of opinion, that an absolute necessity existed for abandoning the +Fury. My own opinion being thus confirmed as to the utter +hopelessness of saving her, and feeling more strongly than ever +the responsibility which attached to me of preserving the Hecla +unhurt, it was with extreme pain and regret that I made the +signal for the Fury's officers and men to be sent for their +clothes, most of which, had been put on shore with the +stores.</p> +<p>The whole of the Fury's stores were of necessity left either +on board her or on shore, every spare corner that we could find +in the Hecla being now absolutely required for the accommodation +of our double complement of officers and men, whose cleanliness +and health could only be maintained by keeping the decks as clear +and well ventilated as our limited space would permit. The spot +where the Fury was left is in latitude 72° 42' 30"; the +longitude by chronometers is 91° 50' 05"; the dip of the +magnetic needle 88° 19' 22"; and the variation 129° 25' +westerly.</p> +<p>When the accident first happened to the Fury, I confidently +expected to be able to repair her damages in good time to take +advantage of a large remaining part of the navigable season in +the prosecution of the voyage; and while the clearing of the ship +was going on with so much alacrity, and the repairs seemed to be +within the reach of our means and resources, I still flattered +myself with the same hope. Those expectations were now at an end. +With a twelvemonth's provisions for both ship's companies, +extending our resources only to the autumn of the following year, +it would have been folly to hope for final success, considering +the small progress we had already made, the uncertain nature of +this navigation, and the advanced period of the present season. I +was therefore reduced to the only remaining conclusion, that it +was my duty, under all the circumstances of the case, to return +to England in compliance with the plain tenour of my +instructions. As soon as the boats were hoisted up, therefore, +and the anchor stowed, the ship's head was put to the +northeastward, with a light air off the land, in order to gain an +offing before the ice should again set in-shore.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name="c014_2"></a> +<h2><a href="#c014">CHAPTER VII.</a></h2> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>Some Remarks upon the Loss of the Fury—And on the +Natural History, &c., of the Coast of North +Somerset.—Arrive at Neill's Harbour.—Death of John +Page.—Leave Neill's Harbour.—Recross the Ice in +Baffin's Bay.—Heavy Gales.—Temperature of the +Sea.—Arrival in England.</p> +</div> +<br> + +<p>The accident which had now befallen the Fury, and which, when +its fatal result was finally ascertained, at once put an end to +every prospect of success in the main object of this voyage, is +not an event which will excite surprise in the minds of those who +are either personally acquainted with the true nature of this +precarious navigation, or have had patience to follow me through +the tedious and monotonous detail of our operations during seven +successive summers. To any persons thus qualified to judge, it +will be plain that an occurrence of this nature was at all times +rather to be expected than otherwise, and that the only real +cause for wonder has been our long exemption from such a +catastrophe.</p> +<p>The summer of 1825 was, beyond all doubt, the warmest and most +favourable we had experienced since that of 1818. Not more than +two or three days occurred, during the months of July and August, +in which that heavy fall of snow took place which so commonly +converts the aspect of nature in these regions, in a single hour, +from the cheerfulness of summer into the dreariness of winter. +Indeed, we experienced very little either of snow, rain, or fog: +vegetation, wherever the soil allowed any to spring up, was +extremely luxuriant and forward; a great deal of the old snow, +which had laid on the ground during the last season, was rapidly +dissolving even early in August; and every appearance of nature +exhibited a striking contrast with the last summer, while it +seemed evidently to furnish an extraordinary compensation for its +rigour and inclemency.</p> +<p>We have scarcely ever visited a coast on which so little of +animal life occurs. For days together, only one or two seals, a +single seahorse, and now and then a flock of ducks, were seen. I +have already mentioned, however, as an exception to this scarcity +of animals, the numberless kittiwakes which were flying about the +remarkable spout of water; and we were one day visited, at the +place where the Fury was left, by hundreds of white whales, +sporting about in the shoal water close to the beach. No black +whales were ever seen on this coast. Two reindeer were observed +by the gentlemen who extended their walks inland; but this was +the only summer in which we did not procure a single pound of +venison. Indeed, the whole of our supplies obtained in this way +during the voyage, including fish, flesh, and fowl, did not +exceed twenty pounds per man.</p> +<p>The weather continuing nearly calm during the 26th, and the +ice keeping at the distance of several miles from the land, gave +us an opportunity of clearing decks, and stowing the things +belonging to the Fury's crew more comfortably for their +accommodation and convenience. I now felt more sensibly than ever +the necessity I have elsewhere pointed out, of both ships +employed on this kind of service being of the same size, equipped +in the same manner, and alike efficient in every respect. The way +in which we had been able to apply every article for assisting to +heave the Fury down, without the smallest doubt or selection as +to size or strength, proved an excellent practical example of the +value of being thus able, at a moment's warning, to double the +means and resources of either ship in case of necessity. In fact, +by this arrangement, nothing but a harbour to secure the ships +was wanted to complete the whole operation in as effectual a +manner as in a dockyard; for not a shore, or outrigger, or any +other precaution was omitted, that is usually attended to on such +occasions, and all as good and effective as could anywhere have +been desired. The advantages were now scarcely conspicuous in the +accommodation of the officers and men, who in a short time became +little less comfortable than in their own ship; whereas, in a +smaller vessel, comfort, to say nothing of health, would have +been quite out of the question.</p> +<p>A breeze from the northward freshening up strong on the 27th, +we stretched over to the eastern shore of Prince Regent's Inlet, +and this with scarcely any obstruction from ice. We could, +indeed, scarcely believe this the same sea which, but a few weeks +before, had been loaded with one impenetrable body of +closely-packed ice from shore to shore, and as far as the eye +could discern to the southward. Having a great deal of heavy work +to do in the restowage of the holds, which could not well be +accomplished at sea, and also a quantity of water to fill for our +increased complement, I determined to take advantage of our +fetching the entrance of Neill's Harbour to put in here, in order +to prepare the ship completely for crossing the Atlantic. I was +desirous also of ascertaining the depth of water in this place, +which was wanting to complete Lieutenant Sherer's survey of it. +Finding the harbour an extremely convenient one for our purpose, +we worked the ship in, and at four P.M. anchored in thirteen +fathoms, but afterward shifted out to eighteen, on a bottom of +soft mud. Almost at the moment of our dropping the anchor, John +Page, seaman of the Fury, departed this life: he had for several +months been affected with a scrofulous disorder, and had been +gradually sinking for some time.</p> +<p>The funeral of the deceased being performed, we immediately +commenced landing the casks and filling water; but, +notwithstanding the large streams which, a short time before, had +been running into the harbour, we could hardly obtain enough for +our purpose by sinking a cask with holes in it. This work, +together with the entire restowage of all the holds, occupied the +whole of the 29th and 30th, during which time Lieutenant Sherer +was employed in completing the survey of the harbour, more +especially the soundings, which the presence of the ice had +before prevented. These arrangements had just been completed, +when the northeasterly wind died away, and was succeeded, on the +morning of the 31st, by a light air from the northwest. As soon +as we had sent to ascertain that the sea was clear of ice on the +outside, and that the breeze which blew in the harbour was the +true one, we weighed and stood out, and before noon had cleared +the shoals at the entrance.</p> +<p>Finding the wind at northwest in Prince Regent's Inlet, we +were barely able to lie along the eastern coast. As the breeze +freshened in the course of the day, a great deal of loose ice, in +extensive streams and patches, came drifting down from the +Leopold Islands, occasioning us some trouble in picking our way +to the northward. By carrying a press of sail, however, we were +enabled, towards night, to get into clearer water, and by four +A.M. on the 1st of September, having beat to windward of a +compact body of ice which had fixed itself on the lee shore about +Cape York, we soon came into a perfectly open sea in Barrow's +Strait, and were enabled to bear away to the eastward. We now +considered ourselves fortunate in having got out of harbour when +we did, as the ice would probably have filled up every inlet on +that shore in a few hours after we left it.</p> +<p>Being again favoured with a fair wind, we now stretched to the +eastward, still in an open sea; and our curiosity was +particularly excited to see the present situation of the ice in +the middle of Baffin's Bay, and to compare it with that in 1824. +This comparison we were enabled to make the more fairly, because +the season at which we might expect to come to it coincided, +within three or four days, with that in which we left it the +preceding year. The temperature of the sea-water now increased to +38° soon after leaving the Sound, where it had generally been +from 33° to 35°, whereas at the same season last year it +rose no higher than 32° anywhere in the neighbourhood, and +remained even so high as that only for a very short time. This +circumstance seemed to indicate the total absence of ice from +those parts of the sea which had last autumn been wholly covered +by it. Accordingly, on the 5th, being thirty miles beyond the +spot in which we had before contended with numerous difficulties +from ice, not a piece was to be seen, except one or two solitary +bergs; and it was not till the following day, in latitude 72° +45', and longitude 64° 44', or about one hundred and +twenty-seven miles to the eastward of where we made our escape on +the 9th of September, 1824, that we fell in with a body of ice so +loose and open as scarcely to oblige us to alter our course for +it. At three P.M. on the 7th, being in latitude 72° 30', and +longitude 60° 05', and having, in the course of eighty miles +that we had run through it, only made a single tack, we came to +the margin of the ice, and got into an open sea on its eastern +side. In the whole course of this distance, the ice was so much +spread that it would not, if at all closely "packed," have +occupied one third of the same space. There were at this time +thirty-nine bergs in sight, and some of them certainly not less +than two hundred feet in height.</p> +<p>On the 8th, being in latitude 71° 55', longitude 60° +30', and close to the margin of the ice, we fell in with the +Alfred, Ellison, and Elizabeth, whalers, of Hull, all running to +the northward, even at this season, to look for whales.</p> +<p>As the whaling-ships were not homeward bound, having as yet +had indifferent success in the fishery, I did not consider it +necessary to send despatches by them. After an hour's +communication with them, and obtaining such information of a +public nature as could not fail to be highly interesting to us, +we made sail to the southward; while we observed them lying to +for some time after, probably to consult respecting the unwelcome +information with which we had furnished them as to the whales, +not one of which, by some extraordinary chance, we had seen since +leaving Neill's Harbour. As this circumstance was entirely new to +us, it seems not unlikely that the whales are already beginning +to shift their ground, in consequence of the increased attacks +which have been made upon them of late years in that +neighbourhood.</p> +<p>On the 10th we had an easterly wind, which, gradually +freshening to a gale, drew up the Strait from the southward, and +blew strong for twentyfour hours from that quarter. The wind +moderated on the 11th, but on the following day another gale came +on, which for nine or ten hours blew in most tremendous gusts +from the same quarter, and raised a heavy sea. We happily came +near no ice during the night, or it would scarcely have been +possible to keep the ship clear of it. It abated after daylight +on the 13th, but continued to blow an ordinary gale for twelve +hours longer.</p> +<p>On the 17th, at noon, we had passed to the southward of the +Arctic Circle, and from this latitude to that of about 58°, +we had favourable winds and weather; but we remarked on this, as +on several other occasions during this season, that a northerly +breeze, contrary to ordinary observation, brought more moisture +with it than any other. In the course of this run, we also +observed more driftwood than we had ever done before, which I +thought might possibly be owing to the very great prevalence of +easterly winds this season driving it farther from the coast of +Greenland than usual.</p> +<p>On, the morning of the 24th, notwithstanding the continuance +of a favourable breeze, we met, in the latitude of 58-1/2°, +so heavy a swell from the northeastward as to make the ship +labour violently for four-and-twenty hours. On the morning of the +25th we had again an easterly wind, which in a few hours reduced +us to the close-reefed topsails and reefed courses. At eight P.M. +it freshened to a gale, which brought us under the main-topsail +and storm-staysails, and at seven the following morning it +increased to a gale of such violence from N.E.b.N. as does not +very often occur at sea in these latitudes. The gusts were at +times so tremendous as to set the sea quite in a foam, and +threatened to tear the sails out of the bolt-ropes. The wind +gradually drew to the westward, with dry weather, after the gale +began to abate, and at six A.M. we were enabled to bear up and +run to the eastward with a strong gale at N.W.</p> +<p>The indications of the barometer previous to and during this +gale deserve to be noticed, because it is only about Cape +Farewell that, in coming from the northward down Davis's Strait, +this instrument begins to speak a language which has ever been +intelligible to us <i>as a weather glass</i>. On the 24th, +notwithstanding the change of wind from north to east, the +mercury rose from 29.51 on that morning, to 29.72 at three A.M. +the following day, but fell to 26.39 by nine P.M. with the strong +but not violent breeze then blowing. After this it continued to +descend very gradually, and had reached 28.84, which was its +minimum, at three P.M. on the 26th, after which it continued to +blow tremendously hard for eleven or twelve hours, the mercury +uniformly, though slowly, ascending to 28.95 during that +interval, and afterward to 29.73 as the weather became moderate +and fine in the course of the täähree following +days.</p> +<p>After this gale the atmosphere seemed to be quite cleared, and +we enjoyed a week of such remarkably fine weather as seldom +occurs at this season of the year. We had then a succession of +strong southerly winds, but we were enabled to continue our +progress to the eastward, so as to make Mould Head, towards the +northwest end of the Orkney Islands, at daylight on the 10th of +October.</p> +<p>After rounding the north end of the Orkneys on the 10th of +October, we were, on the 12th, met by a strong southerly wind +when off Peterhead. I therefore immediately landed (for the +second time) at that place, and, setting off without delay for +London, arrived at the Admiralty on the 16th.</p> +<p>The Hecla arrived at Sheerness on the 20th of October, where +she was detained for a few days for the purpose of Captain +Hoppner, his officers, and ship's company being put upon their +trial (according to the customary and indispensable rule in such +cases) for the loss of the Fury—when, it is scarcely +necessary to add, they received an honourable acquittal. The +Hecla then proceeded to Woolwich, and was paid off on the 21st of +November.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name='ACCOUNT'></a> +<h2>ACCOUNT<br> + OF<br> + THE ESQUIMAUX</h2> +<h3>OF<br> + MELVILLE PENINSULA AND THE ADJOINING ISLANDS:<br> +MORE PARTICULARLY OF WINTER ISLAND AND IGLOOLIK.</h3> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<a name='b003_2'></a> +<h2><a href='#b003'>ACCOUNT OF THE ESQUIMAUX.</a></h2> +<br> + +<p>The number of individuals composing the tribe of Esquimaux +assembled at Winter Island and Igloolik was two hundred and +nineteen, of whom sixty-nine were men, seventy-seven women, and +seventy-three children. Two or three of the men, from their +appearance and infirmities, as well as from the age of their +children, must have been near seventy; the rest were from twenty +to about fifty. The majority of the women were comparatively +young, or from twenty to five-and-thirty, and three or four only +seemed to have reached sixty. Of the children, about one third +were under four years old, and the rest from that age upward to +sixteen or seventeen. Out of one hundred and fifty-five +individuals who passed the winter at Igloolik, we knew of +eighteen deaths and of only nine births.</p> +<p>The stature of these people is much below that of Europeans in +general. One man, who was unusually tall, measured five feet ten +inches, and the shortest was only four feet eleven inches and a +half. Of twenty individuals of each sex measured at Igloolik, the +range was:</p> +Men.—From 5 ft. 10 in. to 4 ft. 11 in.<br> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>The average height, 5 ft. 5-1/3 +in.</span><br> +Women.—From 5 ft. 3-1/2 in. to 4 ft. 8-3/4 in.<br> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>The average height, 5 ft. 0-1/2 +in.</span><br> + +<p>The women, however, generally appear shorter than they really +are, both from the unwieldy nature of their clothes, and from a +habit, which they early acquire, of stooping considerably forward +in order to balance the weight of the child they carry in their +hood.</p> +<p>In their figure they are rather well formed than otherwise. +Their knees are indeed rather large in proportion, but their legs +are straight, and the hands and feet, in both sexes, remarkably +small. The younger individuals were all plump, but none of them +corpulent; the women inclined the most to this last extreme, and +their flesh was, even in the youngest individuals, quite loose +and without firmness.</p> +<p>Their faces are generally round and full, eyes small and +black, nose also small and sunk far in between the cheek bones, +but not much flattened. It is remarkable, that one man T=e-~a, +his brother, his wife, and two daughters, had good Roman noses, +and one of the latter was an extremely pretty young woman. Their +teeth are short, thick, and close, generally regular, and in the +young persons almost always white. The elderly women were still +well furnished in this way, though their teeth were usually a +good deal worn down, probably by the habit of chewing the +sealskins for making boots.</p> +<p>In the young of both sexes the complexion is clear and +transparent, and the skin smooth. The colour of the latter, when +divested of oil and dirt, is scarcely a shade darker than that of +a deep brunette, so that the blood is plainly perceptible when it +mounts into the cheeks. In the old folks, whose faces were much +wrinkled, the skin appears of a much more dingy hue, the dirt +being less easily, and, therefore, less frequently dislodged from +them.</p> +<p>By whatever peculiarities, however, they may in general be +distinguished, they are by no means an ill-looking people; and +there were among them three or four grown-up persons of each sex, +who, when divested of their skin-dresses, their tattooing, and, +above all, of their dirt, might have been considered +pleasing-looking, if not handsome, people in any town in Europe. +This remark applies more generally to the children also; several +of whom had complexions nearly as fair as that of Europeans, and +whose little bright black eyes gave a fine expression to their +countenances.</p> +<p>The hair, both of males and females, is black, glossy, and +straight. The men usually wear it rather long, and allow it to +hang about their heads in a loose and slovenly manner. The women +pride themselves extremely on the length and thickness of their +hair; and it was not without reluctance on their part, and the +same on that of their husbands, that they were induced to dispose +of any of it. Some of the women's hair was tolerably fine, but +would not, in this respect, bear a comparison with, that of an +Englishwoman. In both sexes it is full of vermin, which they are +in the constant habit of picking out and eating; a man and his +wife will sit for an hour together performing for each other that +friendly office. The women have a comb, which, however, seems +more intended for ornament than use, as we seldom or never +observed them comb their hair. When a woman's husband is ill, she +wears her hair loose, and cuts it off as a sign of mourning if he +dies; a custom agreeing with that of the Greenlanders. The men +wear the hair on the upper lip and chin from an inch to an inch +and a half in length, and some were distinguished by a little +tuft between the chin and lower lip.</p> +<p>In winter every individual, when in the open air, wears two +jackets, of which the outer one (<i>C=app~e t=egg~a</i>) has the +hair outside, and the inner one (<i>At-t=e=ega</i>) next the +body. Immediately on entering the hut the men take off their +outer jacket, beat the snow from it, and lay it by. The upper +garment of the females, besides being cut according to a regular +and uniform pattern, and sewed with exceeding neatness, which is +the case with all the dresses of these people, has also the flaps +ornamented in a very becoming manner by a neat border of +deerskin, so arranged as to display alternate breadths of white +and dark fur. This is, moreover, usually beautified by a handsome +fringe, consisting of innumerable long narrow threads of leather +hanging down from it. This ornament is not uncommon also in the +outer jackets of the men. When seal-hunting, they fasten up the +tails of their jackets with a button behind.</p> +<p>Their breeches, of which in winter they also wear two pairs, +and similarly disposed as to the fur, reach below the knee, and +fasten with a string drawn tight round the waist. Though these +have little or no waistband, and do not come very high, the depth +of the jackets, which considerably overlap them, serves very +effectually to complete the covering of the body.</p> +<p>Their legs and feet are so well clothed, that no degree of +cold can well affect them. When a man goes on a sealing +excursion, he first puts on a pair of deerskin boots +(<i>All~ekt=eeg~a</i>) with the hair inside, and reaching to the +knee, where they tie. Over these come a pair of shoes of the same +material; next a pair of dressed sealskin boots, perfectly +water-tight; and over all a corresponding pair of shoes, tying +round the instep. These last are made just like the moccasin of a +North American Indian, being neatly crimped at the toes, and +having several serpentine pieces of hide sewn across the sole to +prevent wearing. The water-tight boots and shoes are made of the +skin of the small seal (<i>neitiek</i>), except the soles, which +consist of the skin of the large seal (<i>oguk~e</i>); this last +is also used for their fishing-lines. When the men are not +prepared to encounter wet, they wear an outer boot of deerskin, +with the hair outside.</p> +<p>The inner boot of the women, unlike that of the men, is loose +round the leg, coming as high as the knee-joint behind, and in +front carried up, by a long pointed flap, nearly to the waist, +and there fastened to the breeches. The upper boot, with the hair +as usual outside, corresponds with the other in shape, except +that it is much more full, especially on the outer side, where it +bulges out so preposterously as to give the women the most +awkward, bow-legged appearance imaginable. This superfluity of +boot has probably originated in the custom, still common among +the native women of Labrador, of carrying their children in them. +We were told that these women sometimes put their children there +to sleep; but the custom must be rare among them, as we never saw +it practised. These boots, however, form their principal pockets, +and pretty capacious ones they are. Here, also, as in jackets, +considerable taste is displayed in the selection of different +parts of the deerskin, alternate strips of dark and white being +placed up and down the sides and front by way of ornament. The +women also wear a moccasin (<i>Itteeg~eg~a</i>) over all in the +winter time.</p> +<p>To judge by the eagerness with which the women received our +beads, especially small white ones, as well as any other article +of that kind, we might suppose them very fond of personal +ornament. Yet of all that they obtained from us in this way at +Winter Island, scarcely anything ever made its appearance again +during our stay there, except a ring or two on the finger, and +some bracelets of beads round the wrist; the latter of these was +probably considered as a charm of some kind or other. We found +among them, at the time of our first intercourse, a number of +black and white beads, disposed alternately on a string of sinew, +and worn in this manner. They would also sometimes hang a small +bunch of these, or a button or two, in front of their jackets and +hair; and many of them, in the course of the second winter, +covered the whole front of their jackets with the beads they +received from us.</p> +<p>Among their personal ornaments must be reckoned that mode of +marking the body called tattooing, which, of the customs not +essential to the comfort or happiness of mankind, is perhaps the +most extensively practised throughout the world. Among these +people it seems to be an ornament of indispensable importance to +the women, not one of them being without it. The operation is +performed about the age of ten, or sometimes earlier, and has +nothing to do with marriage, except that, being considered in the +light of a personal charm, it may serve to recommend them as +wives. The parts of the body thus marked are their faces, arms, +hands, thighs, and in some few women the breasts, but never the +feet, as in Greenland. The operation, which, by way of curiosity, +most of our gentlemen had practised on their arms, is very +expeditiously managed by passing a needle and thread, the latter +covered with lampblack and oil, under the epidermis, according to +a pattern previously marked out upon the skin. Several stitches +being thus taken at once, the thumb is pressed upon the part +while the thread is drawn through, by which means the colouring +matter is retained, and a permanent dye of a blue tinge imparted +to the skin. A woman expert at this business will perform it very +quickly and with great regularity, but seldom without drawing +blood in many places, and occasioning some inflammation. Where so +large a portion of the surface of the body is to be covered, it +must become a painful as well as tedious process, especially as, +for want of needles, they often use a strip of whalebone as a +substitute. For those parts where a needle cannot conveniently be +passed under the skin, they use the method by puncture, which is +common in other countries, and by which our seamen frequently +mark their hands and arms. Several of the men were marked on the +back part of their hands; and with them we understood it to be +considered as a <i>souvenir</i> of some distant deceased person +who had performed it.</p> +<p>In their winter habitations, I have before mentioned that the +only materials employed are snow and ice; the latter being made +use of for the windows alone. The work is commenced by cutting +from a drift of hard and compact snow a number of oblong slabs, +six or seven inches thick and about two feet in length, and +laying them edgeways on a level spot, also covered with snow, in +a circular form, and of a diameter from eight to fifteen feet, +proportioned to the number of occupants the hut is to contain. +Upon this as a foundation is laid a second tier of the same kind, +but with the pieces inclining a little inward, and made to fit +closely to the lower slabs and to each other by running a knife +adroitly along the under part and sides. The top of this tier is +now prepared for the reception of a third, by squaring it off +smoothly with a knife, all which is dexterously performed by one +man standing within the circle and receiving the blocks of snow +from those employed in cutting them without. When the wall has +attained a height of four or five feet, it leans so much inward +as to appear as if about to tumble every moment; but the workmen +still fearlessly lay their blocks of snow upon it, until it is +too high any longer to furnish the materials to the builder in +this manner. Of this he gives notice by cutting a hole close to +the ground in that part where the door is intended to be, which +is near the south side, and through this the snow is now passed. +Thus they continue till they have brought the sides nearly to +meet in a perfect and well-constructed dome, sometimes nine or +ten feet high in the centre; and this they take considerable care +in finishing, by fitting the last block or <i>keystone</i> very +nicely in the centre, dropping it into its place from the +outside, though it is still done by the man within. The people +outside are in the mean time occupied in throwing up snow with +the <i>p~oo=all~er=ay</i> or snow shovel, and in stuffing in +little wedges of snow where holes have been accidentally +left.</p> +<p>The builder next proceeds to let himself out by enlarging the +proposed doorway into the form of a Gothic arch, three feet high +and two feet and a half wide at the bottom, communicating with +which they construct two passages, each from ten to twelve feet +long and from four to five feet in height, the lowest being that +next the hut. The roofs of these passages are sometimes arched, +but more generally made flat by slabs laid on horizontally. In +first digging the snow for building the hut, they take it +principally from the part where the passages are to be made, +which purposely brings the floor of the latter considerably lower +than that of the hut, but in no part do they dig till the bare +ground appears.</p> +<p>The work just described completes the walls of a hut, if a +single apartment only be required; but if, on account of +relationship, or from any other cause, several families are to +reside under one roof, the passages are made common to all, and +the first apartment (in that case made smaller) forms a kind of +antechamber, from which you go through an arched doorway five +feet high into the inhabited apartments. When there are three of +these, which is generally the case, the whole building, with its +adjacent passages, forms a tolerably regular cross.</p> +<p>For the admission of light into the huts, a round hole is cut +on one side of the roof of each apartment, and a circular plate +of ice, three or four inches thick and two feet in diameter, let +into it. The light is soft and pleasant, like that transmitted +through ground glass, and it is quite sufficient for every +purpose. When, after some time, these edifices become surrounded +by drift, it is only by the windows, as I have before remarked, +that they could be recognised as human habitations. It may, +perhaps, then be imagined how singular is their external +appearance at night, when they discover themselves only by a +circular disk of light transmitted through the windows from the +lamps within.</p> +<p>The next thing to be done is to raise a bank of snow, two and +a half feet high, all round the interior of each apartment, +except on the side next the door. This bank, which is neatly +squared off, forms their beds and fireplace, the former occupying +the sides, and the latter the end opposite the door. The passage +left open up to the fireplace is between three and four feet +wide. The beds are arranged by first covering the snow with a +quantity of small stones, over which are laid their paddles, +tentpoles, and some blades of whalebone: above these they place a +number of little pieces of network, made of thin slips of +whalebone, and lastly a quantity of twigs of birch<a name= +'FNanchor_008_8'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_008_8'><sup>[008]</sup></a> and of the <i>andromeda +tetragona</i>. Their deerskins, which are very numerous, can now +be spread without risk of their touching the snow; and such a bed +is capable of affording not merely comfort, but luxurious repose, +in spite of the rigour of the climate. The skins thus used as +blankets are made of a large size and bordered, like some of the +jackets, with a fringe of long, narrow slips of leather, in which +state a blanket is called <i>k=eipik</i>.</p> +<p>The fire belonging to each family consists of a single lamp, +or shallow vessel of <i>lapis ollaris</i>, its form being the +lesser segment of a circle. The wick, composed of dry moss rubbed +between the hands till it is quite inflammable, is disposed along +the edge of the lamp on the straight side, and a greater or +smaller quantity lighted, according to the heat required or the +fuel that can be afforded. When the whole length of this, which +is sometimes above eighteen inches, is kindled, it affords a most +brilliant and beautiful light, without any perceptible smoke or +any offensive smell. The lamp is made to supply itself with oil, +by suspending a long, thin slice of whale, seal, or seahorse +blubber near the flame, the warmth of which causes the oil to +drip into the vessel until the whole is extracted. Immediately +over the lamp is fixed a rude and rickety framework of wood, from +which their pots are suspended, and serving also to sustain a +large hoop of bone, having a net stretched tight within it. This +contrivance, called <i>Inn~et~at</i>, is intended for the +reception of any wet things, and is usually loaded with boots, +shoes, and mittens.</p> +<p>The fireplace just described as situated at the upper end of +the apartment, has always two lamps facing different ways, one +for each family occupying the corresponding bedplace. There is +frequently, also, a smaller and less-pretending establishment on +the same model—lamp, pot, net, and all—in one of the +corners next the door; for one apartment sometimes contains three +families, which are always closely related; and no married woman, +or even a widow without children, is without her separate +fireplace.</p> +<p>With all the lamps lighted and the hut full of people and +dogs, a thermometer placed on the net over the fire indicated a +temperature of 38°; when removed two or three feet from this +situation, it fell to 31°; and, placed close to the wall, +stood at 23°, the temperature of the open air at the time +being 25° below <i>zero</i>. A greater degree of warmth than +this produces extreme inconvenience by the dropping from the +roofs. This they endeavour to obviate by applying a little piece +of snow to the place from which a drop proceeds, and this +adhering, is for a short time an effectual remedy; but for +several weeks in the spring, when the weather is too warm for +these edifices, and still too cold for tents, they suffer much on +this account.</p> +<p>The most important, perhaps, of the domestic utensils, next to +the lamp already described, are the <i>=o=otk~o~os~e~eks</i>, or +stone pots for cooking. These are hollowed out of solid <i>lapis +ollaris</i>, of an oblong form, wider at the top than at the +bottom all made in similar proportion; though of various sizes +corresponding with the dimensions of the lamp which burns under +it. The pot is suspended by a line of sinew at each end to the +framework over the fire, and thus becomes so black on every side +that the original colour of the stone is in no part discernible. +Many of them were cracked quite across in several places, and +mended by sewing with sinew or rivets of copper, iron, or lead, +so as, with the assistance of a lashing and a due proportion of +dirt, to render them quite watertight.</p> +<p>Besides the ootkooseeks, they have circular and oval vessels +of whalebone, of various sizes, which, as well as their ivory +knives made out of a walrus's tusk, are precisely similar to +those described on the western coast of Baffin's Bay in 1820. +They have also a number of smaller vessels of skin sewed neatly +together; and a large basket of the same material, resembling a +common sieve in shape, but with the bottom close and tight, is to +be seen in every apartment. Under every lamp stands a sort of +"save-all," consisting of a small skin basket for catching the +oil that falls over. Almost every family was in possession of a +wooden tray very much resembling those used to carry butcher's +meat in England, and of nearly the same dimensions, which we +understood them to have procured by way of Noowook. They had a +number of the bowls or cups already once or twice alluded to as +being made out of the thick root of the horn of the musk-ox. Of +the smaller part of the same horn they also form a convenient +drinking-cup, sometimes turning it up artificially about one +third from the point, so as to be almost parallel to the other +part, and cutting it full of small notches as a convenience in +grasping it. These or any other vessels for drinking they call +<i>Imm=o=ochiuk</i>.</p> +<p>Besides the ivory knives, the men were well supplied with a +much more serviceable kind, made of iron, and called +<i>panna</i>. The form of this knife is very peculiar, being +seven inches long, two and a quarter broad, quite straight and +flat, pointed at the end, and ground equally sharp at both edges; +this is firmly secured into a handle of bone or wood about a foot +long, by two or three iron rivets, and has all the appearance of +a most destructive spearhead, but is nevertheless put to no other +purpose than that of a very useful knife, which the men are +scarcely ever without, especially on their sealing excursions. +For these, and several knives of European form, they are probably +indebted to an indirect communication with our factories in +Hudson's Bay. The same may be observed of the best of their +women's knives (<i>ooloo</i>), on one of which, of a larger size +than usual, were the names of "Wild and Sorby." When of their own +manufacture, the only iron part was a little narrow slip let into +the bone and secured by rivets.</p> +<p>Of the horn of the musk-ox they make also very good spoons, +much like ours in shape; and I must not omit to mention their +marrow spoons (<i>patt=ekniuk</i>, from <i>p=att~ek</i>, marrow), +made out of long, narrow, hollowed pieces of bone, of which every +housewife has a bunch of half a dozen or more tied together, and +generally attached to her needle-case.</p> +<p>For the purpose of obtaining fire, the Esquimaux use two lumps +of common iron pyrites, from which sparks are struck into a +little leathern case containing moss well dried and rubbed +between the hands. If this tinder does not readily catch, a small +quantity of the white floss of the seed of the ground-willow is +laid above the moss. As soon as a spark has caught, it is gently +blown till the fire has spread an inch around, when, the pointed +end of a piece of oiled wick being applied, it soon bursts into a +flame—the whole process having occupied perhaps two or +three minutes.</p> +<p>In enumerating the articles of their food, we might, perhaps, +give a list of every animal inhabiting these regions, as they +certainly will, at times, eat any one of them. Their principal +dependance, however, is on the reindeer (<i>t=o=okto~o</i>); +musk-ox (<i>=o=om~ingm~uk</i>), in the parts where this animal is +found; whale (<i>=agg~aw~ek</i>); walrus (<i>=ei-~u-~ek</i>); the +large and small seal (<i>=og~uke</i> and <i>n~eitiek</i>); and +two sorts of salmon, the <i>=ew~ee-t=ar~oke</i> (<i>salmo +alpinus?</i>) and <i>ichl=u~ow~oke</i>. The latter is taken by +hooks in fresh-water lakes, and the former by spearing in the +shoal water of certain inlets of the sea. Of all these animals, +they can only procure in the winter the walrus and small seal +upon this part of the coast; and these at times, as we have seen, +in scarcely sufficient quantity for their subsistence.</p> +<p>They certainly, in general, prefer eating their meat cooked, +and, while they have fuel, they usually boil it; but this is a +luxury, and not a necessary to them. Oily as the nature of their +principal food is, yet they commonly take an equal proportion of +lean to their fat, and, unless very hungry, do not eat it +otherwise. Oil they seldom or never use in any way as a part of +their general diet; and even our butter, of which they were fond, +they would not eat without a due quantity of bread.<a name= +'FNanchor_009_9'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_009_9'><sup>[009]</sup></a> They do not like salt meat +as well as fresh, and never use salt themselves; but ship's pork +or even a red herring did not come amiss to them. Of pea-soup +they would eat as much as the sailors could afford to give them; +and that word was the only one, with the exception of our names, +which many of them ever learned in English. Among their own +luxuries must be mentioned a rich soup called k=ay~o, made of +blood, gravy, and water, and eaten quite hot.</p> +<p>Their only drink is water; and of this, when they can procure +it, they swallow an inconceivable quantity; so that one of the +principal occupations of the women during the winter is the +thawing of snow in the ootkooseeks for this purpose. They cut it +into thin slices, and are careful to have it clean, on which +account they will bring it from a distance of fifty yards from +the huts. They have an extreme dislike to drinking water much +above the temperature of 32°. In eating their meals, the +mistress of the family, having previously cooked the meat, takes +a large lump out of the pot with her fingers, and hands it to her +husband, who, placing a part of it between his teeth, cuts it off +with a large knife in that position, and then passes the knife +and meat together to his next neighbour. In cutting off a +mouthful of meat, the knife passes so close to their lips, that +nothing but constant habit could ensure them from the danger of +the most terrible gashes; and it would make an English mother +shudder to see the manner in which children five or six years old +are at all times freely trusted with a knife to be used in this +way.</p> +<p>The length of one of the best of seven canoes belonging to +these Esquimaux was twenty-five feet, including a narrow-pointed +projection, three feet long at each end, which turns a little +upward from the horizontal. The extreme breadth, which is just +before the circular hole, was twenty-one inches, and the depth +ten inches and a half. The plane of the upper surface of the +canoe, except in the two extreme projections, bends downward a +little from the centre towards the head and stern, giving it the +appearance of what in ships is called "broken-backed." The +gunwales are of fir, in some instances of one piece, three or +four inches broad in the centre, and tapering gradually away +towards the ends. The timbers, as well as the fore-and-aft +connecting pieces, are of the same material, the former being an +inch square, and sometimes so close together as to require +between forty and fifty of them in one canoe: which, when thus +"in frame," is one of the prettiest things of the kind that can +be imagined. The skin with which the canoe is covered is +exclusively that of the <i>neitiek</i>, prepared by scraping off +the hair and fat with an <i>ooloo</i>, and stretching it tight on +a frame over the fire; after which and a good deal of chewing, it +is sown on by the women with admirable neatness and strength. +Their paddles have a blade at each end, the whole length being +nine feet and a half; the blades are covered with a narrow plate +of bone round the ends to secure them from splitting; they are +always made of fir, and generally of several pieces scarfed and +woolded together.</p> +<p>In summer they rest their canoes upon two small stones raised +four feet from the ground, and in winter on a similar structure +of snow; in one case to allow them to dry freely, and in the +other to prevent the snowdrift from covering, and the dogs from +eating them. The difficulty of procuring a canoe may be concluded +from the circumstance of there being at Winter Island twenty men +able to manage one, and only seven canoes among them. Of these, +indeed, only three or four were in good repair; the rest being +wholly or in part stripped of the skin, of which a good deal was +occasionally cut off during the winter, to make boots, shoes, and +mittens for our people. We found no <i>oomiak</i>, or woman's +boat, among them, and understood that they were not in the habit +of using them, which may in part be accounted for by their +passing so much of the summer in the interior; they knew very +well, however, what they were, and made some clumsy models of +them for our people.</p> +<p>In the weapons used for killing their game there is +considerable variety, according to the animal of which they are +in pursuit. The most simple of these is the <i>=o=on~ak</i>, +which they use only for killing the small seal. It consists of a +light staff of wood, four feet in length, having at one end the +point of a narwhal's horn, from ten to eighteen inches long, +firmly secured by rivets and wooldings; at the other end is a +smaller and less effective point of the same kind. To prevent +losing the ivory part in case of the wood breaking, a stout thong +runs along the whole length of the wood, each end passing through +a hole in the ivory, and the bight secured in several places to +the staff. In this weapon, as far as it has yet been described, +there is little art or ingenuity displayed; but a considerable +degree of both in an appendage called <i>si=atk~o</i>, consisting +of a piece of bone three inches long, and having a point of iron +at one end, and at the other end a small hole or socket to +receive the point of the oonak. Through the middle of this +instrument is secured the <i>=allek</i>, or line of thong, of +which every man has, when sealing, a couple of coils, each from +four to six fathoms long, hanging at his back.</p> +<p>When a seal is seen, the siatko is taken from a little +leathern case, in which, when out of use, it is carefully +enclosed, and attached by its socket to the point of the spear; +in this situation it is retained by bringing the allek tight down +and fastening it round the middle of the staff by what seamen +call a "slippery-hitch," which may instantly be disengaged by +pulling on the other end of the line. As soon as the spear has +been thrown and the animal struck, the siatko is thus purposely +separated; and being slung by the middle, now performs very +effectually the important office of a barb, by turning at right +angles to the direction in which it has entered the orifice. This +device is in its principle superior even to our barb; for the +instant any strain is put upon the line, it acts like a toggle, +opposing its length to a wound only as wide as its own +breadth.</p> +<p>The <i>=akl~eak</i> or <i>akl=e=eg~a</i>, used for the large +seal, has a blown bladder attached to the staff, for the purpose +of impeding the animal in the water.</p> +<p>The third and largest weapon is that called <i>katteelik</i>, +with which the walrus and whale are attacked. The staff of this +is not longer, but much stouter than that of the others, +especially towards the middle, where there is a small shoulder of +ivory securely lashed to it for the thumb to rest against, and +thus to give additional force in throwing or thrusting the spear. +The ivory point of this weapon is made to fit into a socket at +the end of the staff, where it is secured by double thongs in +such a manner as steadily to retain its position when a strain is +put upon it in the direction of its length, but immediately +disengaging itself with a sort of spring when any lateral strain +endangers its breaking. The siatko is always used with this +spear; and to the end of the allek, when the animal pursued is in +open water, they attach a whole sealskin (<i>h~ow-w=ut-t~a</i>), +inflated like a bladder, for the purpose of tiring it out in its +progress through the water.</p> +<p>They have a spear called <i>~ippoo</i> for killing deer in the +water. They describe it as having a light staff and a small head +of iron; but they had none of these so fitted in the winter. The +<i>n=ug~uee</i>, or dart for birds, has, besides its two ivory +prongs at the end of the staff, three divergent ones in the +middle of it, with several small double barbs upon them turning +inward. The spear for salmon or other fish, called +<i>k=ak~eew~ei</i>, consists of a wooden staff, with a spike of +bone or ivory, three inches long, secured at one end. On each +side of the spike is a curved prong, much like that of a +pitchfork, but made of flexible horn, which gives them a spring, +and having a barb on the inner part of the point turning +downward. Their fishhooks (<i>kakli=okio</i>) consist only of a +nail crooked and pointed at one end, the other being let into a +piece of ivory to which the line is attached. A piece of deer's +horn or curved bone only a foot long is used as a rod, and +completes this very rude part of their fishing-gear.</p> +<p>Of their mode of killing seals in the winter I have already +spoken in the course of the foregoing narrative, as far as we +were enabled to make ourselves acquainted with it. In their +summer exploits on the water, the killing of the whale is the +most arduous undertaking which they have to perform; and one +cannot sufficiently admire the courage and activity which, with +gear apparently so inadequate, it must require to accomplish this +business. Okotook, who was at the killing of two whales in the +course of a single summer, and who described the whole of it +quite <i>con amore</i>, mentioned the names of thirteen men who, +each in his canoe, had assisted on one of these occasions. When a +fish is seen lying on the water, they cautiously paddle up astern +of him, till a single canoe, preceding the rest, comes close to +him on one quarter, so as to enable the man to drive the +<i>katteelik</i> into the animal with all the force of both arms. +This having the <i>siatko</i>, a long <i>allek</i>, and the +inflated sealskin attached to it, the whale immediately dives, +taking the whole apparatus with him except the katteelik, which, +being disengaged in the manner before described, floats to the +surface, and is picked up by its owner. The animal reappearing +after some time, all the canoes again paddle towards him, some +warning being given by the sealskin buoy floating on the surface. +Each man being furnished like the first, they repeat the blows as +often as they find opportunity, till perhaps, every line has been +thus employed. After pursuing him in this manner sometimes for +half a day, he is at length so wearied by the resistance of the +buoys, and exhausted by the loss of blood, as to be obliged to +rise more and more often to the surface, when, by frequent wounds +with their spears, they succeed in killing him, and tow their +prize in triumph to the shore.</p> +<p>In attacking the walrus in the water they use the same gear, +but much more caution than with the whale, always throwing the +<i>katteelik</i> from some distance, lest the animal should +attack the canoe and demolish it with his tusks. The walrus is, +in fact, the only animal with which they use any caution of this +kind. They like the flesh better than that of the seal; but +venison is preferred by them to either of these, and, indeed, to +any other kind of meat.</p> +<p>At Winter Island they carefully preserved the heads of all the +animals killed during the winter, except two or three of the +walrus, which we obtained with great difficulty. As the blood of +the animals which they kill is all used as food of the most +luxurious kind, they are careful to avoid losing any portion of +it; for this purpose they carry with them on their excursions a +little instrument of ivory called <i>t~oop=o=ot~a</i>, in form +and size exactly resembling a "twenty-penny" nail, with which +they stop up the orifice made by the spear, by thrusting it +through the skin by the sides of the wound, and securing it with +a twist.</p> +<p>One of the best of their bows was made of a single piece of +fir, four feet eight inches in length, flat on the inner side and +rounded on the outer, being five inches in girth about the +middle, where, however, it is strengthened on the concave side, +when strung, by a piece of bone ten inches long, firmly secured +by treenails of the same material. At each end of the bow is a +knob of bone, or sometimes of wood covered with leather, with a +deep notch for the reception of the string. The only wood which +they can procure, not possessing sufficient elasticity combined +with strength, they ingeniously remedy the defect by securing to +the back of the bow, and to the knobs at each end, a quantity of +small lines, each composed of a plat or "sinnet" of three sinews. +The number of lines thus reaching from end to end is generally +about thirty; but, besides these, several others are fastened +with hitches round the bow, in pairs, commencing eight inches +from one end, and again united at the same distance from the +other, making the number of strings in the middle of the bow +sometimes amount to sixty. These being put on with the bow bent +somewhat the contrary way, produce a spring so strong as to +require considerable force as well as knack in stringing it, and +giving the requisite velocity to the arrow. The bow is completed +by a woolding round the middle, and a wedge or two, here and +there, driven in to tighten it. A bow in one piece is, however, +very rare; they generally consist of from two to five pieces of +bone of unequal lengths, secured together by rivets and +treenails.</p> +<p>The arrows vary in length from twenty to thirty inches, +according to the materials that can be commanded. About two +thirds of the whole length is of fir rounded, and the rest of +bone let by a socket into the wood, and having a head of thin +iron, or more commonly of slate, secured into a slit by two +treenails. Towards the opposite end of the arrow are two +feathers, generally of the spotted oval, not very neatly lashed +on. The bowstring consists of from twelve to eighteen small lines +of three-sinew sinnet, having a loose twist, and with a separate +becket of the same size for going over the knobs at the end of +the bow.</p> +<p>We tried their skill in archery by getting them to shoot at a +mark for a prize, though with bows in extremely bad order on +account of the frost, and their hands very cold. The mark was two +of their spears stuck upright in the snow, their breadth being +three inches and a half. At twenty yards they struck this every +time; at thirty, sent the arrows always within an inch or two of +it; and at forty or fifty yards, I should think, would generally +hit a fawn if the animal stood still. These weapons are perhaps +sufficient to inflict a mortal wound at something more than that +distance, for which, however, a strong arm would be required. The +animals which they kill with the bow and arrow for their +subsistence are principally the musk-ox and deer, and less +frequently the bear, wolf, fox, hare, and some of the smaller +animals.</p> +<p>The reindeer are killed by the Esquimaux in great abundance in +the summer season, partly by driving them from islands or narrow +necks of land into the sea, and then spearing them from their +canoes; and partly by shooting them from behind heaps of stones +raised for the purpose of watching them, and imitating their +peculiar bellow or grunt. Among the various artifices which they +employ for this purpose, one of the most ingenious consists in +two men walking directly <i>from</i> the deer they wish to kill, +which almost always follows them. As soon as they arrive at a +large stone, one of the men hides behind it with his bow, while +the other continuing to walk on, soon leads the deer within range +of his companion's arrows. They are also very careful to keep to +leeward of the deer, and will scarcely go out after them at all +when the weather is calm. For several weeks in the course of the +summer, some of these people almost entirely give up their +fishery on the coast, retiring to the banks of lakes several +miles in the interior, which they represent as large and deep, +and abounding with salmon, while the pasture near them affords +good feeding to numerous herds of deer.</p> +<p>The distance to which these people extend their inland +migrations, and the extent of coast of which they possess a +personal knowledge, are really very considerable. A great number +of them, who were born at Amitioke and Igloolik, had been to +<i>Noowook</i>, or nearly as far south as Chesterfield Inlet, +which is about the <i>ne plus ultra</i> of their united knowledge +in a southerly direction. Okotook and a few others of the Winter +Island tribe had extended their peregrinations a considerable +distance to the northward, over the large insular piece of land +to which we have applied the name of Cockburn Island; which they +described as high land, and the resort of numerous reindeer. By +the information afterward obtained when nearer the spot, we had +reason to suppose this land must reach beyond the seventy-second +degree of latitude in a northerly direction; so that these people +possess a personal knowledge of the Continent of America and its +adjacent islands, from that parallel to Chesterfield Inlet in +63-3/4°, being a distance of more than five hundred miles +reckoned in a direct line, besides the numerous turnings and +windings of the coast along which they are accustomed to travel. +Ewerat and some others had been a considerable distance up the +Wager River; but no record had been preserved among them of +Captain Middleton's visit to that inlet about the middle of the +last century.</p> +<p>Of the Indians they know enough by tradition to hold them in +considerable dread, on account of their cruel and ferocious +manners. When, on one occasion, we related the circumstances of +the inhuman massacre described by Hearne, they crowded round us +in the hut, listening with mute and almost breathless attention; +and the mothers drew their children closer to them, as if to +guard them from the dreadful catastrophe.</p> +<p>The Esquimaux take some animals in traps, and by a very +ingenious contrivance of this kind they caught two wolves at +Winter Island. It consists of a small house built of ice, at one +end of which a door, made of the same plentiful material, is +fitted to slide up and down in a groove; to the upper part of +this a line is attached, and, passing over the roof, is let down +into the trap at the inner end, and there held by slipping an eye +in the end of it over a peg of ice left for the purpose. Over the +peg, however, is previously placed a loose grummet, to which the +bait is fastened, and a false roof placed over all to hide the +line. The moment the animal drags at the bait, the grummet slips +off the peg, bringing with it the line that held up the door, and +this, falling down, closes the trap and secures him,</p> +<p>A trap for birds is formed by building a house of snow just +large enough to contain one person, who closes himself up in it. +On the top is left a small aperture, through which the man +thrusts one of his hands to secure the bird the moment he alights +to take away a bait of meat laid beside it. It is principally +gulls that are taken thus; and the boys sometimes amuse +themselves in this manner. A trap in which they catch foxes has +been mentioned in another place.</p> +<p>The sledges belonging to these Esquimaux were in general large +and heavily constructed, being more adapted to the carriage of +considerable burdens than to very quick travelling. They varied +in size, being from six feet and a half to nine feet in length, +and from eighteen inches to two feet in breadth. Some of those at +Igloolik were of larger dimensions, one being eleven feet in +length, and weighing two hundred and sixty-eight pounds, and two +or three others above two hundred pounds. The runners are +sometimes made of the right and left jaw-bones of a whale; but +more commonly of several pieces of wood or bone scarfed and +lashed together, the interstices being filled, to make all smooth +and firm, with moss stuffed in tight, and then cemented by +throwing water to freeze upon it. The lower part of the runner is +shod with a plate of harder bone, coated with fresh-water ice to +make it run smoothly, and to avoid wear and tear, both which +purposes are thus completely answered. This coating is performed +with a mixture of snow and fresh water about half an inch thick, +rubbed over it till it is quite smooth and hard upon the surface, +and this is usually done a few minutes before setting out on a +journey. When the ice is only in part worn off, it is renewed by +taking some water into the mouth, and spirting it over the former +coating. We noticed a sledge which was extremely curious, on +account of one of the runners and a part of the other being +constructed without the assistance of wood, iron, or bone of any +kind. For this purpose, a number of sealskins being rolled up and +disposed into the requisite shape, an outer coat of the same kind +was sewed tightly round them; this formed the upper half of the +runner, the lower part of which consisted entirely of moss +moulded while wet into the proper form, and being left to freeze, +adhering firmly together and to the skins. The usual shoeing of +smooth ice beneath completed the runner, which, for more than six +months out of twelve, in this climate, was nearly as hard as any +wood; and for winter use, no way inferior to those constructed of +more durable materials. The cross-pieces which form the bottom of +the sledges are made of bone, wood, or anything they can muster. +Over these is generally laid a sealskin as a flooring, and in the +summer time a pair of deer's horns are attached to the sledge as +a back, which in the winter are removed, to enable them, when +stopping, to turn the sledge up, so as to prevent the dogs +running away with it. The whole is secured by lashings of thong, +giving it a degree of strength combined with flexibility which +perhaps no other mode of fastening could effect.</p> +<p>The colour of the dogs varies from a white, through brindled, +to black and white, or almost entirely black. Their hair in the +winter is from three to four inches long; but, besides this, +nature furnishes them, during this rigorous season, with a thick +under coating of close, soft wool, which they begin to cast in +the spring. While thus provided, they are able to withstand the +most inclement weather without suffering from the cold; and, at +whatever temperature the atmosphere may be, they require nothing +but a shelter from the wind to make them comfortable, and even +this they do not always obtain. They are also wonderfully enabled +to endure the cold even on those parts of the body which are not +thus protected; for we have seen a young puppy sleeping, with its +bare paw laid on an ice-anchor, with the thermometer at-30°, +which, with one of our dogs, would have produced immediate and +intense pain, if not subsequent mortification. They never bark, +but have a long, melancholy howl like that of the wolf, and this +they will sometimes perform in concert for a minute or two +together. They are, besides, always snarling and fighting among +one another, by which several of them are generally lame. When +much caressed and well fed, they become quite familiar and +domestic: but this mode of treatment does not improve their +qualities as animals of draught. Being desirous of ascertaining +whether these dogs are wolves in a state of domestication, a +question which we understood to have been the subject of some +speculation, Mr. Skeoch, at my request, made a skeleton of each, +when the number of all the vertebrae was found to be the same in +both,<a name='FNanchor_010_10'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_010_10'><sup>[010]</sup></a> and to correspond with +the well-known anatomy of the wolf.</p> +<p>When drawing a sledge, the dogs have a simple harness +(<i>annoo</i>) of deer or seal skin going round the neck by one +bight, and another for each of the fore legs, with a single thong +leading over the back and attached to the sledge as a trace. +Though they appear at first sight to be huddled together without +regard to regularity, there is, in fact, considerable attention +paid to their arrangement, particularly in the selection of a dog +of peculiar spirit and sagacity, which is allowed, by a longer +trace, to precede the rest as leader, and to which, in turning to +the right or left, the driver usually addresses himself. This +choice is made without regard to age or sex, and the rest of the +dogs take precedence according to their training or sagacity, the +least effective being put nearest the sledge. The leader is +usually from eighteen to twenty feet from the fore part of the +sledge, and the hindermost dog about half that distance, so that +when ten or twelve are running together, several are nearly +abreast of each other. The driver sits quite low on the fore part +of the sledge, with his feet overhanging the snow on one side, +and having in his hand a whip, of which the handle, made either +of wood, bone, or whalebone, is eighteen inches, and the lash +more than as many feet in length. The part of the thong next the +handle is platted a little way down to stiffen it and give it a +spring, on which much of its use depends; and that which composes +the lash is chewed, by the women to make it flexible in frosty +weather. The men acquire from their youth considerable expertness +in the use of this whip, the lash of which is left to trail along +the ground by the side of the sledge, and with which they can +inflict a very severe blow on any dog at pleasure. Though the +dogs are kept in training entirely by fear of the whip, and +indeed without it would soon have their own way, its immediate +effect is always detrimental to the draught of the sledge; for +not only does the individual that is struck draw back and slacken +his trace, but generally turns upon his next neighbour, and this, +passing on to the next, occasions a general divergency, +accompanied by the usual yelping and showing of teeth. The dogs +then come together again by degrees, and the draught of the +sledge is accelerated; but even at the best of times, by this +rude mode of draught, the traces of one third of the dogs form an +angle of thirty or forty degrees on each side of the direction in +which the sledge is advancing. Another great inconvenience +attending the Esquimaux method of putting the dogs to, besides +that of not employing their strength to the best advantage, is +the constant entanglement of the traces by the dogs repeatedly +doubling under from side to side to avoid the whip, so that, +after running a few miles, the traces always require to be taken +off and cleared.</p> +<p>In directing the sledge the whip acts no very essential part, +the driver for this purpose using certain words, as the carters +do with us, to make the dogs turn more to the right or left. To +these a good leader attends with admirable precision, especially +if his own name be repeated at the same time, looking behind over +his shoulder with great earnestness, as if listening to the +directions of the driver. On a beaten track, or even where a +single foot or sledge mark is occasionally discernible, there is +not the slightest trouble in guiding the dogs; for even in the +darkest night and in the heaviest snowdrift, there is little or +no danger of their losing the road, the leader keeping his nose +near the ground, and directing the rest with wonderful sagacity. +Where, however, there is no beaten track, the best driver among +them makes a terribly circuitous course, as all the Esquimaux +roads plainly show; these generally occupying an extent of six +miles, when with a horse and sledge the journey would scarcely +have amounted to five. On rough ground, as among hummocks of ice, +the sledge would be frequently overturned or altogether stopped +if the driver did not repeatedly get off, and, by lifting or +drawing it to one side, steer it clear of those accidents. At all +times, indeed, except on a smooth and well-made road, he is +pretty constantly employed thus with his feet, which, together +with his never-ceasing vociferations and frequent use of the +whip, renders the driving of one of these vehicles by no means a +pleasant or easy task. When the driver wishes to stop the sledge, +he calls out "Wo, woa," exactly as our carters do; but the +attention paid to his command depends altogether on his ability +to enforce it. If the weight is small and the journey homeward, +the dogs are not to be thus delayed; the driver is therefore +obliged to dig his heels into the snow to obstruct their +progress; and, having thus succeeded in stopping them, he stands +up with one leg before the foremost crosspiece of the sledge, +till, by means of laying the whip gently over each dog's head, he +has made them all lie down. He then takes care not to quit his +position; so that, should the dogs set off, he is thrown upon the +sledge, instead of being left behind by them.</p> +<p>With heavy loads the dogs draw best with one of their own +people, especially a woman, walking a little way ahead; and in +this case they are sometimes enticed to mend their pace by +holding a mitten to the mouth, and then making the motion of +cutting it with a knife, and throwing it on the snow, when the +dogs, mistaking it for meat, hasten forward to pick it up. The +women also entice them from the huts in a similar manner. The +rate at which they travel depends, of course, on the weight they +have to draw and the road on which their journey is performed. +When the latter is level, and very hard and smooth, constituting +what in other parts of North America is called "good sleighing," +six or seven dogs will draw from eight to ten hundred weight, at +the rate of seven or eight miles an hour for several hours +together, and will easily, under those circumstances, perform a +journey of fifty or sixty miles a day; on untrodden snow, +five-and-twenty or thirty miles would be a good day's journey. +The same number of well-fed dogs, with a weight of only five or +six hundred pounds (that of the sledge included), are almost +unmanageable, and will, on a smooth road, run any way they please +at the rate of ten miles an hour. The work performed by a greater +number of dogs is, however, by no means in proportion to this; +owing to the imperfect mode already described of employing the +strength of these sturdy creatures, and to the more frequent +snarling and fighting occasioned by an increase of numbers.</p> +<p>In the summer, when the absence of snow precludes the use of +sledges, the dogs are still made useful on journeys and hunting +excursions, by being employed to carry burdens in a kind of +saddle-bags laid across their shoulders. A stout dog thus +accoutred will accompany his master, laden with a weight of about +twenty or twenty-five pounds.</p> +<p>The scent of the Esquimaux dogs is excellent; and this +property is turned to account by their masters in finding the +seal-holes, which these invaluable animals will discover entirely +by the smell at a very great distance. The track of a single deer +upon the snow will in like manner set them off at a full gallop +when travelling, at least a quarter of a mile before they arrive +at it, when they are with difficulty made to turn in any other +direction; and the Esquimaux are accustomed to set them after +those animals to hunt them down when already wounded with an +arrow. In killing bears the dogs act a very essential part; and +two or three of them, when led on by a man, will eagerly attack +one of those ferocious creatures. An Esquimaux seldom uses any +other weapon than his spear and <i>panna</i> in this encounter, +for which the readiness of the dogs may be implied from the +circumstance of the word "nen-nook" (bear) being often used to +encourage them when running in a sledge. Indeed, the only animal +which they are not eager to chase is the wolf, of which the +greater part of them seem to have an instinctive dread, giving +notice at night of their approach to the huts by a loud and +continued howl. There is not one dog in twenty among them that +will voluntarily, or, indeed, without a great deal of beating, +take the water, if they think it is out of their depth, and the +few that would do so were spoken of as extraordinary +exceptions.</p> +<p>The Esquimaux in general treat their dogs much as an unfeeling +master does his slaves; that is, they take just as much care of +them as their own interest is supposed to require. The bitches +with young are in the winter allowed to occupy a part of their +own beds, where they are carefully attended and fed by the women, +who will even supply the young ones with meat and water from +their mouths as they do their own children, and not unfrequently +also carry them in their hoods to take care of them. It is +probably on this account that the dogs are always so much +attached to the women, who can at any time catch them or entice +them from the huts when the men fail. Two females that were with +young on board the Fury in the month of February, brought forth +six and seven at a litter, and the former number were all +females. Their feeding, which, both in summer and winter, +principally consists of k=a~ow, or the skin and part of the +blubber of the walrus, is during the latter season very +precarious, their masters having then but little to spare. They +therefore become extremely thin at that time of the year, and +would scarcely be recognised as the same animals as when +regularly fed in the summer. No wonder, therefore, that they will +eat almost anything, however tough or filthy, and that neither +whipping nor shouting will prevent their turning out of the road, +even when going at full speed, to pick up whatever they espy. +When at the huts they are constantly creeping in to pilfer what +they can, and half the time of the people sitting there is +occupied in vociferating their names, and driving them by most +unmerciful blows out of the apartments. The dogs have no water to +drink during the winter, but lick up some clean snow occasionally +as a substitute; nor, indeed, if water be offered them, do they +care about it, unless it happens to be oily. They take great +pleasure in rolling in clean snow, especially after or during a +journey, or when they have been confined in a house during the +night. Notwithstanding the rough treatment which they receive +from their masters, their attachment to them is very great, and +this they display after a short absence by jumping up and licking +their faces all over with extreme delight. The Esquimaux, +however, never caress them, and, indeed, scarcely ever take any +notice of them but when they offend, and they are not then +sparing in their blows. The dogs have all names, to which they +attend with readiness, whether drawing in a sledge or otherwise. +Their names are frequently the same as those of the people, and +in some instances are given after the relations of their masters, +which seems to be considered an act of kindness among them. Upon +the whole, notwithstanding the services performed by these +valuable creatures, I am of opinion that art cannot well have +done less towards making them useful, and that the same means in +almost any other hands would be employed to greater +advantage.</p> +<p>In the disposition of these people, there was, of course, +among so many individuals, considerable variety as to the minute +points; but in the general features of their character, which +with them are not subject to the changes produced by foreign +intercourse, one description will nearly apply to all.</p> +<p>The virtue which, as respected ourselves, we could most have +wished them to possess, is honesty; and the impression derived +from the early part of our intercourse was certainly in this +respect a favourable one. A great many instances occurred, some +of which have been related where they appeared even scrupulous in +returning articles that did not belong to them; and this, too, +when detection of a theft, or, at least, of the offender, would +have been next to impossible. As they grew more familiar with us, +and the temptations became stronger, they gradually relaxed in +their honesty, and petty thefts were from time to time committed +by several individuals, both male and female, among them.</p> +<p>The bustle which any search for stolen goods occasioned at the +huts was sufficient proof of their understanding the estimation +in which the crime was held by us. Until the affair was cleared +up, they would affect great readiness to show every article which +they had got from the ships, repeating the name of the donor with +great warmth, as if offended at our suspicions, yet with a half +smile on their countenance at our supposed credulity in believing +them. There was, indeed, at all times, some, trick, and cunning +in this show of openness and candour; and they would at times +bring back some very trifling article that had been given them, +tendering it as a sort of expiation for the theft of another much +more valuable. When a search was making, they would invent all +sorts of lies to screen themselves, not caring on whom besides +the imputation fell; and more than once they directed our people +to the apartments of others who were innocent of the event in +question. If they really knew the offender, they were generally +ready enough to inform against him, and this with an air of +affected secrecy and mysterious importance; and, as if the +dishonesty of another constituted a virtue in themselves, they +would repeat this information frequently, perhaps for a month +afterward, setting up their neighbour's offence as a foil to +their own pretended honesty.</p> +<p>In appreciating the character of these people for honesty, +however, we must not fail to make allowance for the degree of +temptation to which they were daily exposed, amid the boundless +stores of wealth which our ships appeared to them to furnish. To +draw a parallel case, we must suppose an European of the lower +class suffered to roam about amid hoards of gold and silver; for +nothing less valuable can be justly compared with the wood and +iron that everywhere presented themselves to their view on board +the ships. The European and the Esquimaux, who, in cases so +similar, both resist the temptation to stealing, must be +considered pretty nearly on a par in the scale of honesty; and, +judging in this manner, the balance might possibly be found in +favour of the latter, when compared with any similar number of +Europeans taken at random from the lower class.</p> +<p>In what has been hitherto said, regard has been had only to +their dealings with <i>us</i>. In their transactions among +themselves, there is no doubt that, except in one or two +privileged cases, such as that of destitute widows, the strictest +honesty prevails, and that, as regards the good of their own +community, they are generally honest people. We have, in +numberless instances, sent presents by one to another, and +invariably found that they had been faithfully delivered. The +manner in which their various implements are frequently left +outside their huts is a proof, indeed, that robbery is scarcely +known among them.</p> +<p>In the barter of their various commodities, their dealings +with us were fair and upright, though latterly they were by no +means backward nor inexpert in driving a bargain. The absurd and +childish exchanges which they at first made with our people +induced them subsequently to complain that the Kabloonas had +stolen their things, though the profit had eventually been a +hundred-fold in their favour. Many such complaints were made, +when the only fault in the purchaser had been excessive +liberality, and frequently, also, as a retort, by way of warding +off the imputation of some dishonesty of their own. A trick not +uncommon with the women was to endeavour to excite the +commiseration, and to tax the bounty of one person, by relating +some cruel theft of this kind that had, as they said, been +practised upon them by another. One day, after I had bought a +knife of Togolat, she told Captain Lyon, in a most piteous tone, +that <i>Parree</i> had stolen her last <i>ooloo</i>, that she did +not know what to do without one, and at length, coming to the +point, begged him to give her one. Presently after this, her +husband coming in and asking for something to eat, she handed him +some meat, accompanied by a very fine ooloo. Her son, being thus +reminded of eating, made the same request, upon which a second +knife was produced, and immediately after a third of the same +kind for herself. Captain Lyon, having amused himself in watching +these proceedings, which so well confirmed the truth of the +proverb, that certain people ought to have good memories, now +took the knives, one by one, out of their hands, and, holding +them up to Togolat, asked her if Parree had not stolen her last +ooloo. A hearty laugh all round was the only notice taken by them +of this direct detection of the deceit.</p> +<p>The confidence which they really placed in us was daily and +hourly evinced by their leaving their fishing gear stuck in the +snow all round the ships; and not a single instance occurred, to +my knowledge, of any theft committed on their property. The +licking of the articles received from us was not so common with +them as with Esquimaux in general, and this practice was latterly +almost entirely left off by them.</p> +<p>Among the unfavourable traits in their character must be +reckoned an extreme disposition to envy, which displayed itself +on various occasions during our intercourse with them. If we had +made any presents in one hut, the inmates of the next would not +fail to tell us of it, accompanying their remarks with some +satirical observations, too unequivocally expressed to be +mistaken, and generally by some stroke of irony directed against +the favoured person. If any individual with whom we had been +intimate happened to be implicated in a theft, the circumstance +became a subject of satisfaction too manifest to be repressed, +and we were told of it with expressions of the most triumphant +exultation on every occasion. It was, indeed, curious, though +ridiculous, to observe that, even among these simple people, and +even in this obscure corner of the globe, that little gossip and +scandal so commonly practised in small societies among us were +very frequently displayed. This was especially the case with the +women, of whom it was not uncommon to see a group sitting in a +hut for hours together, each relating her <i>quota</i> of +information, now and then mimicking the persons of whom they +spoke, and interlarding their stories with jokes evidently at the +expense of their absent neighbours, though to their own infinite +amusement.</p> +<p>I have already, in the course of the foregoing narrative, +hinted at the want of gratitude evinced by these people in their +transactions with us. Some exceptions, for they were only +exceptions, and rare ones, to this rule, have been mentioned as +they occurred; but in general, however considerable the benefit +conferred, it was forgotten in a day; and this forgetfulness was +not unfrequently aggravated by their giving out that their +benefactor had been so shabby as to make them no present at all. +Even those individuals who, either from good behaviour or +superior intelligence, had been most noticed by us, and +particularly such as had slept on board the ships, and whether in +health or sickness had received the most friendly treatment from +everybody, were in general just as indifferent as the rest; and I +do not believe that any one among them would have gone half a +mile out of his road, or have sacrificed the most trivial +self-gratification to serve us. Okotook and Iligliuk, whom I had +most loaded with presents, and who had never offered me a single +free gift in return, put into my hand, at the time of their first +removal from Winter Island, a dirty, crooked model of a spear, so +shabbily constructed that it had probably been already refused as +an article of barter by many of the ship's company. On my +accepting this, from an unwillingness to affront them, they were +uneasy and dissatisfied till I had given them something in +return, though their hands were full of the presents which I had +just made them. Selfishness is, in fact, almost without +exception, their universal characteristic, and the mainspring of +all their actions, and that, too, of a kind the most direct and +unamiable that can well be imagined.</p> +<p>In the few opportunities we had of putting their hospitality +to the test, we had every reason to be pleased with them. Both as +to food and accommodation, the best they had were always at our +service; and their attention, both in kind and degree, was +everything that hospitality and even good-breeding could dictate. +The kindly offices of drying and mending our clothes, cooking our +provision, and thawing snow for our drink, were performed by the +women with an obliging cheerfulness which we shall not easily +forget, and which commanded its due share of our admiration and +esteem. While thus their guest, I have passed an evening not only +with comfort, but with extreme gratification; for, with the women +working and singing, their husbands quietly mending their lines, +the children playing before the door, and the pot boiling over +the blaze of a cheerful lamp, one might well forget for the time +that an Esquimaux hut was the scene of this domestic comfort and +tranquillity; and I can safely affirm with Cartwright,<a name= +'FNanchor_011_11'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_011_11'><sup>[011]</sup></a> that, while thus lodged +beneath their roof, I know no people whom I would more +confidently trust, as respects either my person or my property, +than the Esquimaux.</p> +<p>The estimation in which women are held among these people is, +I think, somewhat greater than is usual in savage life. In their +general employments they are by no means the drudges that the +wives of the Greenlander's are said to be; being occupied only in +those cares which may properly be called domestic, and, as such, +are considered the peculiar business of the women among the lower +classes in civilized society. The wife of one of these people, +for instance, makes and attends the fire, cooks the victuals, +looks after the children, and is sempstress to her whole family; +while her husband is labouring abroad for their subsistence. In +this respect it is not even necessary to except their task Of +cutting up the small seals, which is, in truth, one of the +greatest luxuries and privileges they enjoy; and, even if it were +esteemed a labour, it could scarcely be considered equivalent to +that of the women in many of our own fishing-towns, where the +men's business is at an end the moment the boat touches the +beach. The most laborious of their tasks occur, perhaps, in +making their various journeys, when all their goods and chattels +are to be removed at once, and when each individual must +undoubtedly perform a full share of the general labour. The women +are, however, good walkers and not easily fatigued; for we have +several times known a young woman of two-and-twenty, with a child +in her hood, walk twelve miles to the ships and back again the +same day, for the sake of a little bread-dust and a tin canister. +When stationary in the winter, they have really almost a sinecure +of it, sitting quietly in their huts, and having little or no +employment for the greater part of the day. In short, there are +few, if any people, in this state of society among whom the women +are so well off. They always sit upon the beds with their legs +doubled under them, and are uneasy in the posture usual with us. +The men sometimes sit as we do, but more generally with their +legs crossed before them.</p> +<p>The women do not appear to be, in general, very prolific. +Illumea indeed had borne seven children, but no second instance +of an equal number in one family afterward came to our knowledge; +three or four is about the usual number. They are, according to +their own account, in the habit of suckling their children to the +age of three years; but we have seen a child of five occasionally +at the breast, though they are dismissed from the mother's hood +at about the former age. It is not uncommon to see one woman +suckling the child of another, while the latter happens to be +employed in her other domestic occupations. They are in the +habit, also, of feeding their younger children from their own +mouths, softening the food by mastication, and then turning their +heads round so that the infant in the hood may put its lips to +theirs. The chill is taken from water for them in the same +manner, and some fathers are very fond of taking their children +on their knees and thus feeding them. The women are more desirous +of having sons than daughters, as on the former must principally +depend their support in old age.</p> +<p>Twelve of the men had each two wives, and some of the younger +ones had also two betrothed; two instances occurred of the father +and son being married to sisters. The custom of betrothing +children in their infancy is commonly practised here, in which +respect these people differ from the natives of Greenland, where +it is comparatively rare. A daughter of Arnaneelia, between two +and three years old, had long been thus contracted to Okotook's +son, a hero of six or seven, and the latter used to run about the +hut calling his intended by the familiar appellation of +<i>N~o~oll=e-~a</i> (wife), to the great amusement of the +parents. When a man has two wives there is generally a difference +of five or six years in their ages. The senior takes her station +next the principal fire, which comes entirely under her +management; and she is certainly considered in some respects +superior to the other, though they usually live together in the +utmost harmony. The men sometimes repudiate their wives without +ceremony, in case of real or supposed bad behaviour as in +Greenland, but this does not often occur. There was a +considerable disparity of age between many of the men and their +wives, the husband being sometimes the oldest by twenty years or +more, and this also when he had never married any former wife. We +knew no instance in which the number of a man's wives exceeded +two, and, indeed, we had every reason to believe that the +practice is never admitted among them. We met with a singular +instance of two men having exchanged wives, in consequence merely +of one of the latter being pregnant at the time when her husband +was about to undertake a long journey.</p> +<p>The authority of the husband seems to be sufficiently +absolute, depending, nevertheless, in great measure on the +dispositions of the respective parties. Iligliuk was one of those +women who seem formed to manage their husbands; and we one day +saw her take Okotook to task in a very masterly style, for having +bartered away a good jacket for an old useless pistol, without +powder or shot. He attempted at first to bluster in his turn, and +with most women would probably have gained his point. But with +Iligliuk this would not do; she saw at once the absurdity of his +bargain, and insisted on his immediately cancelling it, which was +accordingly done, and no more said about it. In general, indeed, +the husband maintains his authority, and in several instances of +supposed bad behaviour in a wife, we saw obedience enforced in a +very summary manner. It is very rare, however, to see them +proceed to this extremity; and the utmost extent of a husband's +want of tenderness towards his wife consists in making her walk +or lead the dogs, while he takes his own seat in the sledge and +rides in comfort. Widows, as might be expected, are not so well +off as those whose husbands are living, and this difference is +especially apparent in their clothes, which are usually very +dirty, thin, and ragged; when, indeed, they happen to have no +near relatives, their fate, as we have already seen, is still +worse than this.</p> +<p>I fear we cannot give a very favourable account of the +chastity of the women, nor of the delicacy of their husbands in +this respect. As for the latter, it was not uncommon for them to +offer their wives as freely for sale as a knife or a jacket. Some +of the young men informed us that, when two of them were absent +together on a sealing excursion, they often exchanged wives for +the time, as a matter of friendly convenience; and, indeed, +without mentioning any other instances of this nature, it may +safely be affirmed, that in no country is prostitution carried to +greater lengths than among these people. The behaviour of most of +the women when their husbands were absent from the huts, plainly +evinced their indifference towards them, and their utter +disregard of connubial fidelity. The departure of the men was +usually the signal for throwing aside restraint, which was +invariably resumed on their return. For this event they take care +to be prepared by the report of the children, one of whom is +usually posted on the outside for the purpose of giving due +notice.</p> +<p>The affection of parents for their children was frequently +displayed by these people, not only in the mere passive +indulgence, and abstinence from corporeal punishment, for which +Esquimaux have before been remarked, but by a thousand playful +endearments also, such as parents and nurses practise in our own +country. Nothing, indeed, can well exceed the kindness with which +they treat their children, and this trait in their character +deserves to be the more insisted on, because it is, in reality, +the only very amiable one which they possess. It must be +confessed, indeed, that the gentleness and docility of the +children are such as to occasion their parents little trouble, +and to render severity towards them quite unnecessary. Even from +their earliest infancy they possess that quiet disposition, +gentleness of demeanour, and uncommon evenness of temper, for +which, in more mature age, they are for the most part +distinguished. Disobedience is scarcely ever known; a word or +even a look from a parent is enough; and I never saw a single +instance of that frowardness and disposition to mischief which, +with our youth, so often requires the whole attention of a parent +to watch over and to correct. They never cry from trifling +accidents, and sometimes not even from very severe hurts, at +which an English child would sob for an hour. It is, indeed, +astonishing to see the indifference with which, even as tender +infants, they bear the numerous blows they accidentally receive, +when carried at their mothers' backs.</p> +<p>They are just as fond of play as any other young people, and +of the same kind; only that while an English child draws a cart +of wood, an Esquimaux of the same age has a sledge of whalebone; +and for the superb baby-house of the former, the latter builds a +miniature hut of snow, and begs a lighted wick from her mother's +lamp to illuminate the little dwelling. Their parents make for +them, as dolls, little figures of men and women, habited in the +true Esquimaux costume, as well as a variety of other toys, many +of them having some reference to their future occupations in +life, such as canoes, spears, and bows and arrows. The drum or +tambarine, mentioned by Crantz, is common among them, and used +not only by the children, but by the grown-up people at some of +their games. They sometimes serrate the edges of two strips of +whalebone and whirl them round their heads, just as boys do in +England to make the same peculiar humming sound. They will +dispose one piece of wood on another, as an axis, in such a +manner that the wind turns it round like the arms of a windmill; +and so of many other toys of the same simple kind. These are the +distinct property of the children, who will sometimes sell them, +while their parents look on without interfering or expecting to +be consulted.</p> +<p>When not more than eight years old, the boys are taken by +their fathers on their sealing excursions, where they begin to +learn their future business; and even at that early age they are +occasionally intrusted to bring home a sledge and dogs from a +distance of several miles over the ice. At the age of eleven we +see a boy with his water-tight boots and moccasins, a spear in +his hand, and a small coil of line at his back, accompanying the +men to the fishery, under every circumstance; and from this time +his services daily increase in value to the whole tribe. On our +first intercourse with them we supposed that they would not +unwillingly part with their children, in consideration of some +valuable present, but in this we afterward found that we were +much mistaken. Happening one day to call myself Toolooak's +<i>attata</i> (father), and pretend that he was to remain with me +on board the ship, I received from the old man, his father, no +other answer than what seemed to be very strongly and even +satirically implied, by his taking one of our gentlemen by the +arm and calling him <i>his</i> son; thus intimating that the +adoption which he proposed was as feasible and as natural as my +own.</p> +<p>The custom of adoption is carried to very great lengths among +these people, and served to explain to us several apparent +inconsistencies with respect to their relationships. The custom +owes its origin entirely to the obvious advantage of thus +providing for a man's own subsistence in advanced life; and it is +consequently confined almost without exception to the adoption of +<i>sons</i>, who can alone contribute materially to the support +of an aged and infirm parent. When a man adopts the son of +another as his own, he is said to "<i>tego</i>," or take him; and +at whatever age this is done (though it generally happens in +infancy), the child then lives with his new parents, calls them +father and mother, is sometimes even ignorant of any such +transfer having been made, especially if his real parents should +be dead; and whether he knows it or not, is not always willing to +acknowledge any but those with whom he lives. The agreement seems +to be always made between the fathers, and to differ in no +respect from the transfer of other property, except that none can +equal in value the property thus disposed of. The good sense, +good fortune, or extensive claims of some individuals were +particularly apparent in this way, from the number of sons they +had adopted. Toolemak, deriving, perhaps, some advantage from his +qualifications as Angetkook, had taken care to negotiate for the +adoption of some of the finest male children of the tribe; a +provision which now appeared the more necessary, from his having +lost four children of his own, besides Noogloo, who was one of +his <i>tego'd</i> sons. In one of the two instances that came to +our knowledge of the adoption of a female child, both its own +parents were still living, nor could we ascertain the motive for +this deviation from the more general custom.</p> +<p>In their behaviour to old people, whose age or infirmities +render them useless, and, therefore, burdensome to the community, +the Esquimaux betray a degree of insensibility bordering on +inhumanity, and ill repaying the kindness of an indulgent parent. +The old man Hikkeiera, who was very ill during the winter, used +to lie day after day, little regarded by his wife, son, daughter, +and other relatives, except that his wretched state constituted, +as they well knew, a forcible claim upon our charity; and, with +this view, it was sure to excite a whine of sympathy and +commiseration whenever we visited or spoke of him. When, however, +a journey of ten miles was to be performed over the ice, they +left him to find his way with a stick in the best manner he +could, while the young and robust ones were many of them drawn on +sledges. There is, indeed, no doubt that, had their necessities +or mode of life required a longer journey than he could thus have +accomplished, they would have pushed on like the Indians, and +left a fellow-creature to perish. It was certainly considered +incumbent on his son to support him, and he was fortunate in that +son's being a very good man; but a few more such journeys to a +man of seventy would not impose this encumbrance upon him much +longer. Illumea, the mother of several grown-up children, lived +also in the same hut with her other relations. She did not, +however, interfere, as in Greenland, with the management of her +son's domestic concerns, though his wife was half an idiot. She +was always badly clothed, and, even in the midst of plenty, not +particularly well-fed, receiving everything more as an act of +charity than otherwise; and she will probably be less and less +attended to, in proportion as she stands more in need of +assistance.</p> +<p>The different families appear always to live on good terms +with each other, though each preserves its own habitation and +property as distinct and independent as any housekeeper in +England. The persons living under one roof, who are generally +closely related, maintain a degree of harmony among themselves +which is scarcely ever disturbed. The more turbulent passions +which, when unrestrained by religious principle, or unchecked by +the dread of human punishment, usually create so much havoc in +the world, seem to be very seldom excited in the breasts of these +people, which renders personal violence or immoderate anger +extremely rare among them; and one may sit in a hut for a whole +day, and never observe an angry word or look, except in driving +out the dogs. If they take an offence, it is more common for them +to show it by the more quiet method of sulkiness, and this they +now and then tried as a matter of experiment with us. Okotook, +who was often in this humour, once displayed it to some of our +gentlemen in his own hut, by turning his back and frequently +repeating the expression "good-by," as a broad hint to them to go +away. Toolooak was also a little given to this mood, but never +retained it long, and there was no malice mixed with his +displeasure. One evening that he slept on board the Fury, he +either offended Mr. Skeoch, or thought that he had done so, by +this kind of humour; at all events, they parted for the night +without any formal reconciliation. The next morning Mr. Skeoch +was awakened at an unusually early hour, by Toolooak's entering +his cabin and taking hold of his hand to shake it, by way of +making up the supposed quarrel. On a disposition thus naturally +charitable, what might not Christian education and Christian +principles effect? Where a joke is evidently intended, I never +knew people more ready to join in it than these are. If ridiculed +for any particularity of manner, figure, or countenance, they are +sure not to be long behind-hand in returning it, and that very +often with interest. If we were the aggressors in this way, some +ironical observation respecting the <i>Kabloonas</i> was +frequently the consequence; and no small portion of wit as well +as irony was at times mixed with their raillery.</p> +<p>In point of intellect as well as disposition, great variety +was, of course, perceptible among the different individuals of +this tribe; but few of them were wanting in that respect. Some, +indeed, possessed a degree of natural quickness and intelligence +which, perhaps, could hardly be surpassed in the natives of any +country. Iligliuk, though one of the least amiable, was +particularly thus gifted. When she really wished to develop our +meaning, she would desire her husband and all the rest to hold +their tongues, and would generally make it out while they were +puzzling their heads to no purpose. In returning her answers, the +very expression of her countenance, though one of the plainest +among them, was almost of itself sufficient to convey her +meaning; and there was, in these cases, a peculiarly decisive +energy in her manner of speaking which was extremely interesting. +This woman would, indeed, have easily learned anything to which +she chose to direct her attention; and had her lot been cast in a +civilized country instead of this dreary region, which serves +alike to "freeze the genial current of the soul" and body, she +would probably have been a very clever person. For want of a +sufficient object, however, neither she nor any of her companions +ever learned a dozen words of English, except our names, with +which it was their interest to be familiar, and which, long +before we left them, any child could repeat, though in their own +style of pronunciation.</p> +<p>Besides the natural authority of parents and husbands, these +people appear to admit no kind of superiority among one another, +except a certain degree of superstitious reverence for their +<i>angetkooks</i>, and their tacitly following the counsel or +steps of the most active seal-catcher on their hunting +excursions. The word <i>nallegak</i>, used in Greenland to +express "master," and "lord" in the Esquimaux translations of the +Scriptures, they were not acquainted with. One of the young men +at Winter Island appeared to be considered somewhat in the light +of a servant to Okotook, living with the latter, and quietly +allowing him to take possession of all the most valuable presents +which he received from us. Being a sociable people, they unite in +considerable numbers to form a settlement for the winter; but on +the return of spring they again separate into several parties, +each appearing to choose his own route, without regard to that of +the rest, but all making their arrangements without the slightest +disagreement or difference of opinion that we could ever +discover. In all their movements, they seem to be actuated by one +simultaneous feeling that is truly admirable.</p> +<p>Superior as our arts, contrivances, and materials must +unquestionably have appeared to them, and eager as they were to +profit by this superiority, yet, contradictory as it may seem, +they certainly looked upon us in many respects with profound +contempt; maintaining that idea of self-sufficiency which has +induced them, in common with the rest of their nation, to call +themselves, by way of distinction, Innue, or mankind. One day, +for instance, in securing some of the gear of a sledge, Okotook +broke a part of it, composed of a piece of our white line, and I +shall never forget the contemptuous sneer with which he muttered +in soliloquy the word "Kabloona!" in token of the inferiority of +our materials to his own. It is happy, perhaps, when people, +possessing so few of the good things of this life, can be thus +contented with the little allotted them.</p> +<p>The men, though low in stature, are not wanting in muscular +strength in proportion to their size, or in activity and +hardiness. They are good and even quick walkers, and occasionally +bear much bodily fatigue, wet, and cold, without appearing to +suffer by it, much less to complain of it. Whatever labour they +have gone through, and with whatever success in procuring game, +no individual ever seems to arrogate to himself the credit of +having done more than his neighbour for the general good. Nor do +I conceive there is reason to doubt their personal courage, +though they are too good-natured often to excite others to put +that quality to the test. It is true, they will recoil with +horror at the tale of an Indian massacre, and probably cannot +conceive what should induce one set of men deliberately and +without provocation to murder another. War is not their trade; +ferocity forms no part of the disposition of the Esquimaux. +Whatever manly qualities they possess are exercised in a +different way, and put to a far more worthy purpose. They are +fishermen, and not warriors; but I cannot call that man a coward +who, at the age of one-and-twenty, will attack a polar bear +single-handed, or fearlessly commit himself to floating masses of +ice, which the next puff of wind may drift for ever from the +shore.</p> +<p>Of the few arts possessed by this simple people, some account +has already been given in the description of their various +implements. As mechanics, they have little to boast when compared +with other savages lying under equal disadvantages as to +scantiness of tools and materials. As carpenters, they can scarf +two pieces of wood together, secure them with pins of whalebone +or ivory, fashion the timbers of a canoe, shoe a paddle, and +rivet a scrap of iron into a spear or arrow-head. Their principal +tool is the knife (panna); and, considering the excellence of a +great number which they possessed previous to our intercourse +with them, the work they do is remarkably coarse and clumsy. +Their very manner of holding and handling a knife is the most +awkward that can be imagined. For the purpose of boring holes, +they have a drill and bow so exactly like our own, that they need +no farther description, except that the end of the drill handle, +which our artists place against their breasts, is rested by these +people against a piece of wood or bone held in their mouths, and +having a cavity fitted to receive it. With the use of the saw +they were well acquainted, but had nothing of this kind in their +possession better than a notched piece of iron. One or two small +European axes were lashed to handles in a contrary direction to +ours, that is, to be used like an adze, a form which, according +to the observation of a traveller<a name='FNanchor_012_12'></a><a +href='#Footnote_012_12'><sup>[012]</sup></a> well qualified to +judge, savages in general prefer. It was said that these people +steamed or boiled wood, in order to bend it for fashioning the +timbers of their canoes. As fishermen or seamen, they can put on +a woolding or seizing with sufficient strength and security, and +are acquainted with some of the most simple and serviceable knots +in use among us. In all the arts, however, practised by the men, +it is observable that the ingenuity lies in the principle, not in +the execution. The experience of ages has led them to adopt the +most efficacious methods, but their practice as handicrafts has +gone no farther than absolute necessity requires; they bestow +little labour upon neatness or ornament.</p> +<p>In some of the few arts practised by the women there is much +more dexterity displayed, particularly in that important branch +of a housewife's business, sewing, which, even with their own +clumsy needles of bone, they perform with extraordinary neatness. +They had, however, several steel needles of a three-cornered +shape, which they kept in a very convenient case, consisting of a +strip of leather passed through a hollow bone, and having its +ends remaining out, so that the needles which are stuck into it +may be drawn in and out at pleasure. These cases were sometimes +ornamented by cutting; and several thimbles of leather, one of +which, in sewing, is worn on the first finger, are usually +attached to it, together with a bunch of narrow spoons and other +small articles liable to be lost. The thread they use is the +sinew of the reindeer (<i>tooktoo =ew=all~o~o</i>), or, when they +cannot procure this, the swallow-pipe of the <i>neiliek</i>. This +may be split into threads of different sizes, according to the +nature of their work, and is certainly a most admirable material. +This, together with any other articles of a similar kind, they +keep in little bags, which are sometimes made of the skin of +birds' feet, disposed with the claws downward in a very neat and +tasteful manner. In sewing, the point of the needle is entered +and drawn through in a direction towards the body, and not from +it or towards one side, as with our seamstresses. They sew the +deerskins with a "round seam," and the water-tight boots and +shoes are "stitched." The latter is performed in a very adroit +and efficacious manner, by putting the needle only half through +the substance of one part of the sealskin, so as to leave no hole +for admitting the water. In cutting out the clothes, the women do +it after one regular and uniform pattern, which probably descends +unaltered from generation to generation. The skin of the deer's +head is always made to form the <i>apex</i> of the hood, while +that of the neck and shoulders comes down the back of the jacket; +and so of every other part of the animal which is appropriated to +its particular portion of the dress. To soften the sealskins of +which the boots, shoes, and mittens are made, the women chew them +for an hour or two together and the young girls are often seen +employed in thus preparing the materials for their mothers. The +covering of the canoes is a part of the women's business, in +which good workmanship is especially necessary to render the +whole smooth and water-tight. The skins, which are those of the +<i>neitiek</i> only, are prepared by scraping off the hair and +the fleshy parts with an <i>ooloo,</i> and stretching them out +tight on a frame, in which state they are left over the lamps or +in the sun for several days to dry; and after this they are well +chewed by the women to make them fit for working. The dressing of +leather and of skins in the hair, is an art which the women have +brought to no inconsiderable degree of perfection. They perform +this by first cleansing the skin from as much of the fat and +fleshy matter as the <i>ooloo</i> will take off, and then rubbing +it hard for several hours with a blunt scraper, called +<i>si=ak~o~ot</i>, so as nearly to dry it. It is then put into a +vessel containing urine, and left to steep a couple of days, +after which a drying completes the process. Skins dressed in the +hair are, however, not always thus steeped; the women, instead of +this, chewing them for hours together till they are quite soft +and clean. Some of the leather thus dressed looked nearly as well +as ours, and the hair was as firmly fixed to the pelt; but there +was in this respect a very great difference, according to the art +or attention of the housewife. Dyeing is an art wholly unknown to +them. The women are very expert at platting, which is usually +done with three threads of sinew; if greater strength is +required, several of these are twisted slackly together, as in +the bowstrings. The quickness with which some of the women plat +is really surprising; and it is well that they do so, for the +quantity required for the bows alone would otherwise occupy half +the year in completing it.</p> +<p>It may be supposed that, among so cheerful a people as the +Esquimaux, there are many games or sports practised; indeed, it +was rarely that we visited their habitations without seeing some +engaged in them. One of these our gentlemen saw at Winter Island, +on an occasion when most of the men were absent from the huts on +a sealing excursion, and in this Iligliuk was the chief +performer. Being requested to amuse them in this way, she +suddenly unbound her hair, platted it, tied both ends together to +keep it out of her way, and then stepping out into the middle of +the hut, began to make the most hideous faces that can be +conceived, by drawing both lips into her mouth, poking forward +her chin, squinting frightfully, occasionally shutting one eye, +and moving her head from side to side as if her neck had been +dislocated. This exhibition, which they call +<i>=ay=ok~it-t=ak-poke</i>, and which is evidently considered an +accomplishment that few of them possess in perfection, distorts +every feature in the most horrible manner imaginable, and would, +I think, put our most skilful horse-collar grinners quite out of +countenance.</p> +<p>The next performance consists in looking steadfastly and +gravely forward, and repeating the words <i>t~ab=ak-tabak, +k~eib=o-keibo, k~e-b=ang-~e-n=u-t~o-~e~ek, kebang-enutoeek, +~am=at~am=a-amatama</i>, in the order in which they are here +placed, but each at least four times, and always by a peculiar +modulation of the voice, speaking them in pairs as they are +coupled above. The sound is made to proceed from the throat in a +way much resembling ventriloquism, to which art it is indeed an +approach. After the last <i>amatama</i> Iligliuk always pointed +with her finger towards her body, and pronounced the word +<i>angetkook,</i> steadily retaining her gravity for five or six +seconds, and then bursting into a loud laugh, in which she was +joined by all the rest. The women sometimes produce a much more +guttural and unnatural sound, repeating principally the word +<i>=ikk~er~ee-ikkeree</i>, coupling them as before, and staring +in such a manner as to make their eyes appear ready to burst out +of their sockets with the exertion. Two or more of them will +sometimes stand up face to face, and with great quickness and +regularity respond to each other, keeping such exact time that +the sound appears to come from one throat instead of several. +Very few of the females are possessed of this accomplishment, +which is called <i>pitkoo-she-r=ak-poke</i>, and it is not +uncommon to see several of the younger females practising it. A +third part of the game, distinguished by the word +<i>keit=ik-poke</i>, consists only in falling on each knee +alternately—a piece of agility which they perform with +tolerable quickness, considering the bulky and awkward nature of +their dress.</p> +<p>The last kind of individual exhibition was still performed by +Iligliuk, to whom in this, as in almost everything else, the +other women tacitly acknowledged their inferiority, by quietly +giving place to her on every occasion. She now once more came +forward, and letting her arms hang down loosely and bending her +body very much forward, shook herself with, extreme violence, as +if her whole frame had been strongly convulsed, uttering at the +same time, in a wild tone of voice, some of the unnatural sounds +before mentioned.</p> +<p>This being at an end, a new exhibition was commenced, in which +ten or twelve women took a part, and which our gentlemen compared +to blind-man's buff. A circle being formed, and a boy despatched +to look out at the door of the hut, Iligliuk, still the principal +actress, placed herself in the centre, and after making a variety +of guttural noises for about half a minute, shut her eyes and ran +about till she had taken hold of one of the others, whose +business it then became to take her station in the centre, so +that almost every woman in her turn occupied this post; and in +her own peculiar way, either by distortion of countenance or +other gestures, performed her part in the game. This continued +three quarters of an hour; and, from the precaution of placing a +look-out, who was withdrawn when it was over, as well as from +some very expressive signs which need not here be mentioned, +there is reason to believe that it is usually followed by certain +indecencies, with which their husbands are not to be acquainted. +Kaoongut was present, indeed, on this occasion, but his age +seemed to render him a privileged person; besides which, his own +wife did not join in the game.</p> +<p>The most common amusement, however, and to which their +husbands made no objection, they performed at Winter Island +expressly for our gratification. The females being collected to +the number of ten or twelve, stood in as large a circle as the +hut would admit, with Okotook in the centre. He began by a sort +of half howling, half singing noise, which appeared as if +designed to call the attention of the women, the latter soon +commencing the <i>Amna Aya</i> song hereafter described. This +they continued without variety, remaining quite still while +Okotook walked round within the circle; his body was rather bent +forward, his eyes sometimes closed, his arms constantly moving up +and down, and now and then hoarsely vociferating a word or two, +as if to increase the animation of the singers, who, whenever he +did this, quitted the chorus and rose into the words of the song. +At the end of ten minutes they all left off at once, and after +one minute's interval commenced a second act precisely similar +and of equal duration; Okotook continuing to invoke their muse as +before. A third act, which followed this, varied only in his +frequently, towards the close, throwing his feet up before and +clapping his hands together, by which exertion he was thrown into +a violent perspiration. He then retired, desiring a young man +(who, as we were informed, was the only individual of several +then present thus qualified) to take his place in the centre as +master of the ceremonies, when the same antics as before were +again gone through. After this description it will scarcely be +necessary to remark, that nothing can be poorer in its way than +this tedious singing recreation, which, as well as everything in +which dancing is concerned, they express by the word +m~om=ek-poke. They seem, however, to take great delight in it; +and even a number of men, as well as all the children, crept into +the hut by degrees to peep at the performance.</p> +<p>The Esquimaux women and children often amuse themselves with a +game not unlike our "skip-rope." This is performed by two women +holding the ends of a line, and whirling it regularly round and +round, while a third jumps over it in the middle, according to +the following order. She commences by jumping twice on both feet, +then alternately with the right and left, and next four times +with the feet slipped one behind the other, the rope passing once +round at each jump. After this she performs a circle on the +ground, jumping about half a dozen times in the course of it, +which bringing her to her original position, the same thing is +repeated as often as it can be done without entangling the line. +One or two of the women performed this with considerable agility +and adroitness, considering the clumsiness of their boots and +jackets, and seemed to pride themselves, in some degree, on the +qualification. A second kind of this game consists in two women +holding a long rope by its ends, and whirling it round in such a +manner, over the heads of two others standing close together near +the middle of the bight, that each of these shall jump over it +alternately. The art, therefore, which is indeed considerable, +depends more on those whirling the rope than on the jumpers, who +are, however, obliged to keep exact time, in order to be ready +for the rope passing under their feet.</p> +<p>The whole of these people, but especially the women, are fond +of music, both vocal and instrumental. Some of them might be said +to be passionately so, removing their hair from off their ears, +and bending their heads forward, as if to catch the sounds more +distinctly, whenever we amused them in this manner. Their own +music is entirely vocal, unless, indeed, the drum and tambarine +before mentioned be considered an exception.</p> +<p>The voices of the women are soft and feminine, and, when +singing with the men, are pitched an octave higher than theirs. +They have most of them so far good ears, that, in whatever key a +song is commenced by one of them, the rest will always join in +perfect unison. After singing for ten minutes, the key had +usually fallen a full semitone. Only two of them, of whom +Iligliuk was one, could catch the tune as pitched by an +instrument, which made it difficult with most of them to complete +the writing of the notes; for if they once left off they were +sure to recommence in some other key, though a flute or violin +was playing at the time.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<p>During the season passed at Winter Island, which appears to +have been a healthy one with the Esquimaux, we had little +opportunity of becoming acquainted with the diseases to which +they are subject. Our subsequent intercourse with a great number +of these people at Igloolik having unfortunately afforded more +frequent and fatal instances of sickness among them, I here +insert Mr. Edwards's remarks on this subject.</p> +<div class='blkquot'> +<p>"Our first communication with these people at Winter Island +gave us a more favourable impression of their general health than +subsequent experience confirmed. There, however, they were not +free from sickness. A catarrhal affection, in the month of +February, became generally prevalent, from which they readily +recovered after the exciting causes, intemperance and exposure to +wet, had ceased to operate. A solitary instance of pleurisy also +occurred, which probably might have ended fatally but for timely +assistance. Our intercourse with them in the summer was more +interrupted; but at our occasional meetings they were observed to +be enjoying excellent health. It is probable that their certain +supplies of food, and the nomade kind of life they lead in its +pursuit during that season, are favourable to health. Nutrition +goes on actively, and an astonishing increase of strength and +fulness is acquired. Active diseases might now be looked for, but +that the powers of nature are providentially exerted with +effect.</p> +<p>"The unlimited use of stimulating animal food, on which they +are from infancy fed, induces at an early age a highly plethoric +state of the vascular system. The weaker, over-distended vessels +of the nose quickly yield to the increased impetus of the blood, +and an active hemorrhage relieves the subject. As the same causes +continue to be applied in excess at frequent intervals, and are +followed by similar effects, a kind of vicarious hemorrhage at +length becomes established by habit; superseding the intervention +of art, and having no small share in maintaining a balance in the +circulating system. The phenomenon is too constant to have +escaped the observation of those who have visited the different +Esquimaux people; a party of them has, indeed, rarely been seen, +that did not exhibit two or three instances of the fact.</p> +<p>"About the month of September, the approach of winter induced +the Esquimaux at Igloolik to abandon their tents and to retire +into their more established village. The majority were here +crowded into huts of a permanent construction, the materials +composing the sides being stones and the bones of whales, and the +roofs being formed of skins, turf, and snow; the rest of the +people were lodged in snow huts. For a while they continued very +healthy; in fact, as long as the temperature of the interior did +not exceed the freezing point, the vapours of the atmosphere +congealed upon the walls, and the air remained dry and tolerably +pure; besides, their hard-frozen winter stock of walrus did not +at this time tempt them to indulge their appetites immoderately. +In January the temperature suffered an unseasonable rise; some +successful captures of walrus also took place; and these +circumstances, combined perhaps with some superstitious customs +of which we were ignorant, seemed the signal for giving way to +sensuality. The lamps were accumulated, and the kettles more +frequently replenished; and gluttony, in its most disgusting +form, became for a while the order of the day. The Esquimaux were +now seen wallowing in filth, while some, surfeited, lay stretched +upon their skins, enormously distended, and with their friends +employed in rolling them about, to assist the operations of +oppressed nature. The roofs of their huts were no longer +congealed, but dripping with wet and threatening speedy +dissolution. The air was, in the bone huts, damp, hot, and beyond +sufferance offensive with putrid exhalations from the decomposing +relics of offals or other animal matter permitted to remain from +year to year undisturbed in these horrible sinks.</p> +<p>"What the consequences might have been had this state of +affairs long continued, it is not difficult to imagine; but, +fortunately for them, an early and gradual dispersion took place, +so that by the end of January few individuals were left in the +village. The rest, in divided bodies, established themselves in +snow huts upon the sea-ice at some distance from the land. Before +this change had been completed, disorders of an inflammatory +character had appeared. A few went away sick, some were unable to +remove, and others taken ill upon the ice, and we heard of the +death of several about this period.</p> +<p>"Their distance from the ships at once precluded any effectual +assistance being rendered them at their huts, and their removal +on board with safety; the complaints of those who died at the +huts, therefore, did not come under observation. It appears, +however, to have been acute inflammation of some of the abdominal +viscera, very rapid in its career. In the generality, the disease +assumed a more insidious and sub-acute form, under which the +patient lingered for a while, and was then either carried off by +a diarrhoea, or slowly recovered by the powers of nature. Three +or four individuals, who, with some risk and trouble, were +brought to the ships, we were providentially instrumental in +recovering; but two others, almost helpless patients, were so far +exhausted before their arrival, that the endeavours used were +unsuccessful, and death was probably hastened by their +removal.</p> +<p>"That affection of the eyes known by the name of +snow-blindness, is extremely frequent among these people. With +them it scarcely ever goes beyond painful irritation, while among +strangers inflammation is sometimes the consequence. I have not +seen them use any other remedy besides the exclusion of light; +but, as a preventive, a wooden eye-screen is worn, very simple in +its construction, consisting of a curved piece of wood, six or +seven inches long, and ten or twelve lines broad. It is tied over +the eyes like a pair of spectacles, being adapted to the forehead +and nose, and hollowed out to favour the motion of the eyelids. A +few rays of light only are admitted through a narrow slit an inch +long, cut opposite to each eye.</p> +<p>"There are, upon the whole, no people more destitute of +curative means than these. With the exception of the hemorrhage +already mentioned, which they duly appreciate, and have been +observed to excite artificially to cure headache, they are +ignorant of any rational method of procuring relief. It has not +been ascertained that they use a single herb medicinally. As +prophylactics, they wear amulets, which are usually the teeth, +bones, or hair of some animal, the more rare apparently the more +valuable. In absolute sickness they depend entirely upon their +Angekoks, who, they persuade themselves, have influence over some +submarine deities who govern their destiny. The mummeries of +these impostors, consisting in pretended consultations with their +oracles, are looked upon with confidence, and their mandates, +however absurd, superstitiously submitted to. These are +constituted of unmeaning ceremonies and prohibitions generally +affecting the diet, both in kind and mode, but never in quantity. +Seal's flesh is forbidden, for instance, in one disease, that of +the walrus in the other; the heart is denied to some, and the +liver to others. A poor woman, on discovering that the meat she +had in her mouth was a piece of fried heart instead of liver, +appeared horror-struck; and a man was in equal tribulation at +having eaten, by mistake, a piece of meat cooked in his wife's +kettle.</p> +<p>"Personal deformity from malconformation is uncommon; the only +instance I remember being that of a young woman, whose utterance +was unintelligibly nasal, in consequence of an imperfect +development of the palatine bones leaving a gap in the roof of +the mouth."</p> +</div> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<p>Whatever may be the abundance sometimes enjoyed by these +people, and whatever the maladies occasioned by their too +frequent abuse of it, it is certain that they occasionally suffer +very severely from the opposite extreme. A remarkably intelligent +woman informed Captain Lyon, that two years ago some Esquimaux +arrived at Igloolik from a place near <i>Akkoolee</i>, bringing +information that, during a very grievous famine, one party of men +had fallen upon another and killed them; and that they afterward +subsisted on their flesh, while in a frozen state, but never +cooked or even thawed it. This horrible account was soon after +confirmed by Toolemak on board the Fury; and though he was +evidently uneasy at our having heard the story, and conversed +upon it with reluctance, yet, by means of our questions, he was +brought to name, upon his fingers, five individuals who had been +killed upon this occasion. Of the fact, therefore, there can be +no doubt; but it is certain, also, that we ourselves scarcely +regarded it with greater horror than those who related it; and +the occurrence may be considered similar to those dreadful +instances on record, even among civilized nations, of men +devouring one another, in wrecks or boats, when rendered +desperate by the sufferings of actual starvation.</p> +<p>The ceremony of crying, which has before been mentioned as +practised after a person's death, is not, however, altogether +confined to those melancholy occasions, but is occasionally +adopted in cases of illness, and that of no very dangerous kind. +The father of a sick person enters the apartment, and, after +looking at him a few seconds without speaking, announces by a +kind of low sob his preparation for the coming ceremony. At this +signal every other individual present composes his features for +crying, and the leader of the chorus then setting up a loud and +piteous howl, which lasts about a minute, is joined by all the +rest, who shed abundant tears during the process. So decidedly is +this a matter of form, unaccompanied by any feeling of sorrow, +that those who are not relatives shed just as many tears as those +that are; to which may be added, that in the instances which we +saw there was no real occasion for crying at all. It must, +therefore, be considered in the light of a ceremony of +condolence, which it would be either indecorous or unlucky to +omit.</p> +<p>I have already given several instances of the little care +these people take in the interment of their dead, especially in +the winter season; it is certain, however, that this arises from +some superstitious notion, and particularly from the belief that +any heavy weight upon the corpse would have an injurious effect +upon the deceased in a future state of existence; for even in the +summer, when it would be an easy matter to secure a body from the +depredations of wild animals, the mode of burial is not +essentially different. The corpse of a child observed by +Lieutenant Palmer, he describes "as being laid in a regular but +shallow grave, with its head to the northeast. It was decently +dressed in a good deerskin jacket, and a sealskin prepared +without the hair was carefully placed as a cover to the whole +figure, and tucked in on all sides. The body was covered with +flat pieces of limestone, which, however, were so light that a +fox might easily have removed them. Near the grave were four +little separate piles of stones, not more than a foot in height, +in one of which we noticed a piece of red cloth and a black silk +handkerchief, in a second a pair of child's boots and mittens, +and in each of the others a whalebone pot. The face of the child +looked unusually clean and fresh, and a few days could only have +elapsed since its decease."</p> +<p>These Esquimaux do not appear to have any idea of the +existence of One Supreme Being, nor indeed can they be said to +entertain any notions on this subject which may be dignified with +the name of Religion. Their superstitions, which are numerous, +have all some reference to the preternatural agency of a number +of <i>to=orng~ow</i> or spirits, with whom, on certain occasions, +the <i>Angetkooks</i> pretend to hold mysterious intercourse, and +who, in various and distinct ways, are supposed to preside over +the destinies of the Esquimaux. On particular occasions of +sickness or want of food, the Angetkooks contrive, by means of a +darkened hut, a peculiar modulation of the voices and the +uttering of a variety of unintelligible sounds, to persuade their +countrymen that they are descending to the lower regions for this +purpose, where they force the spirits to communicate the desired +information. The superstitious reverence in which these wizards +are held, and a considerable degree of ingenuity in their mode of +performing their mummery, prevent the detection of the imposture, +and secure implicit confidence in these absurd oracles. Some +account of their ideas repecting death, and of their belief in a +future state of existence, has already been introduced in the +course of the foregoing pages, in the order of those occurrences +which furnished us with opportunities of observing them.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<a name='b004_2'></a> +<h2><a href='#b004'>NARRATIVE<br> + OF<br> + AN ATTEMPT TO REACH THE<br> + NORTH POLE,</a></h2> +<br> +<h3>IN BOATS FITTED FOR THE PURPOSE,<br> +AND ATTACHED TO HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP HECLA,<br> +<br> +IN THE YEAR 1827.</h3> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<h2>NARRATIVE</h2> +<a name='a001'></a> +<h3><a href='#a001_2'>INTRODUCTION.</a></h3> +<br> + +<p>In April, 1826, I proposed to the Right Honourable Viscount +Melville, first lord commissioner of the Admiralty, to attempt to +reach the North Pole by means of travelling with sledge-boats +over the ice, or through any spaces of open water that might +occur. My proposal was soon afterward referred to the president +and council of the Royal Society, who strongly recommended its +adoption; and an expedition being accordingly directed to be +equipped for this purpose, I had the honour of being appointed to +the command of it; and my commission for his majesty's ship the +Hecla, which was intended to carry us to Spitzbergen, was dated +the 11th of November, 1826.</p> +<p>Two boats were constructed at Woolwich, under my +superintendence, after an excellent model suggested by Mr. Peake, +and nearly resembling what are called "troop-boats," having great +flatness of floor, with the extreme breadth carried well forward +and aft, and possessing the utmost buoyancy, as well as capacity +for stowage. Their length was twenty feet, and their extreme +breadth seven feet. The timbers were made of tough ash and +hickory, one inch by half an inch square, and a foot apart, with +a "half-timber" of smaller size between each two. On the outside +of the frame thus formed was laid a covering of Macintosh's +water-proof canvass, the outer part being covered with tar. Over +this was placed a plank of fir, only three sixteenths of an inch +thick; then a sheet of stout felt; and, over all, an oak plank of +the same thickness as the fir; the whole of these being firmly +and closely secured to the timbers by iron screws applied from +without. The following narrative will show how admirably the +elasticity of this mode of construction was adapted to withstand +the constant twisting and concussion to which the boats were +subject.<a name='FNanchor_013_13'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_013_13'><sup>[013]</sup></a> On each side of the keel, +and projecting considerably below it, was attached a strong +"runner," shod with smooth steel, in the manner of a sledge, upon +which the boat entirely rested while upon the ice; and, to afford +some additional chance of making progress on hard and level +fields, we also applied to each boat two wheels, of five feet +diameter, and a small one abaft, having a swivel for steering by, +like that of a Bath chair; but these, owing to the irregularities +of the ice, did not prove of any service, and were subsequently +relinquished. A "span" of hide-rope was attached to the forepart +of the runners, and to this were affixed two strong ropes of +horse-hair, for dragging the boat: each individual being +furnished with a broad leathern shoulder-belt, which could +readily be fastened to or detached from the drag-ropes. The +interior arrangement consisted only of two thwarts; a locker at +each end for the nautical and other instruments, and for the +smaller stores; and a very slight framework along the sides for +containing the bags of biscuit and our spare clothes. A bamboo +mast nineteen feet long, a tanned duck sail, answering also the +purpose of an awning, a spreat, one boat-hook, fourteen paddles, +and a steer-oar, completed each boat's equipment.</p> +<p>Two officers and twelve men (ten of the latter being seamen, +and two marines) were selected for each boat's crew. It was +proposed to take with us resources for ninety days; to set out +from Spitzbergen, if possible, about the beginning of June; and +to occupy the months of June, July, and August in attempting to +reach the Pole and returning to the ship; making an average +journey of thirteen miles and a half per day. Our provisions +consisted of biscuit of the best wheaten flour; beef +<i>pemmican</i>;<a name='FNanchor_014_14'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_014_14'><sup>[014]</sup></a> sweetened cocoa-powder, +and a small proportion of rum, the latter concentrated to +fifty-five per cent. above proof, in order to save weight and +stowage. The proper instruments were provided, both by the +Admiralty and the Board of Longitude, for making such +observations as might be interesting in the higher latitudes, and +as the nature of the enterprise would permit. Six pocket +chronometers, the property of the public, were furnished for this +service; and Messrs. Parkinson and Frodsham, with their usual +liberality, intrusted to our care several other excellent +watches, on trial, at their own expense.</p> +<p>Annexed is a list of the different articles composing the +equipment of the boats, together with the actual weight of +each.</p> +<br> + +<pre> + Enter- Endeav- + prise our + lbs. lbs. +Boat . . . . . . . . . 1539 1542 +Bamboo mast, 1 spreat, 1 boat-hook, 1 steer-oar. . 46-1/2 46-1/2 +Fourteen paddles . . . . . . . 41 41 +Sail (or awning) . . . . . . . 22 22 +Spare rope and line . . . . . . 6 6 +Small sounding line (750 fathoms in all) . . . 8 10 +Carpenters' tools, screws, nails, &c. . . . 10 10 +Copper and felt for repairs . . . . . 19 19 +Four fowling pieces,with 2 bayonets. . . . 15 15 +Small articles for guns. . . . . . -- 4 +Ammunition . . . . . . . . 17-1/2 17-1/2 +Instruments. . . . . . . . 29 29 +Books. . . . . . . . . 7 5-1/2 +S { . +p {Fur Suits for sleeping in (14 in each boat) . . 162 162 +a {Thick-nailed boots (14 in each boat) . . . 47 47 +r {Esquimaux do., with spare soles (14 in each . +e { boat . . . . . . . . 33 33 +C {Flannel shirts (7 in each boat) . . . . 8-3/4 8-3/4 +l {Guernsey frocks (do. do.) . . . . . 11-1/2 11-1/2 +o {Thick drawers (do. do.) . . . . 14 14 +t {Mittens (28 in each boat) . . . . . 5 5 +h {Comforters (14 in each boat) . . . . 1 1 +e {Scotch caps (do. do.) . . . . . 4 4 +s { +A bag of small articles for the officers, . + including soap, &c., &c. . . . . . 4 4 +Do. do. for the men do. . . . . . 12 12 +Biscuit . . . . . . . . 628 628 +Pemmican . . . . . . . . 564 564 +Rum . . . . . . . . 180 180 +Cocoa powder, sweetened. . . . . . 63 63 +Salt . . . . . . . . . 14 14 +Spirits of Wine . . . . . . . 72 72 +Cooking apparatus. . . . . . . -- 20 +Tobacco . . . . . . . . 20 20 +Medicine chest . 19 -- +Pannikins, knife, fork, and spoon (14 in each boat) . 5 5 +Weighing-dials and measures . 2 2 +Various small articles for repairs, &c., not mentioned +above 14 -- +Packages for provisions, clothes, &c 110 116 + ---- ---- + 14)3753 1/4 3753 3/4 + Weight, per man 268 lbs. +Exclusive of four sledges, weighing 26 lbs. each. +</pre> +<p>I have not thought it necessary, in the course of this volume, +to enter into any examination of the question respecting the +approaches to the North Pole which had already been effected +previous to our late attempt. I shall, therefore, only add that, +after carefully weighing the various authorities, from which +every individual interested in this matter is at liberty to form +his own conclusions, my own impartial conviction, at the time of +our setting out on this enterprise, coincided (with a single +exception) with the opinion expressed by the Commissioners of +Longitude in their memorial to the king, that "the progress of +discovery had not arrived northward, according to any +well-authenticated accounts, so far as eighty-one degrees of +north latitude." The exception to which I allude is in favour of +Mr. Scoresby, who states his having, in the year 1806, reached +the latitude of 81° 12' 42" by actual observation, and +81° 30' by dead reckoning. I therefore consider the latter +parallel as, in all probability, the highest which had ever been +attained prior to the attempt recorded in the following +pages.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<br> + +<p>The Hecla being ready to proceed down the river, she was taken +in tow, at ten A.M. on the 25th of March, 1827, by the Lightning +steam-vessel; and having received and returned the cheers of the +Greenwich pensioners, the children of the Naval Asylum, and of +various ships in the river, she made fast to the moorings at +Northfleet at three P.M. The following day was occupied in +swinging the ship round on the various points of the compass, in +order to obtain the amount of the deviation of the magnetic +needle produced by the attraction of the ship's iron, and to fix +Mr. Barlow's plate for correcting it.<a name= +'FNanchor_015_15'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_015_15'><sup>[015]</sup></a> On the 3d of April the +ship's company received three months' wages in advance, together +with their river-pay; and on the following morning, at half past +four, we weighed and made sail from the Nore.</p> +<p>We had at this time remarkably fine weather for the season of +the year, and such a continuance of southerly winds that we +arrived off the island of Soroe, within which Hammerfest lies, on +the 17th, without having had occasion to make a tack till we +entered the fiord which forms the northern entrance.</p> +<p>The wind becoming light from the southward, and very variable, +we were occupied the whole of the 18th in beating up towards +Hammerfest. In the evening a Lapland boat came on board, and one +of the men undertook to pilot the ship to the anchorage, which, +after beating all night against an ebb tide, we reached at three +A.M. on the 19th. Finding that our reindeer had not arrived, I +immediately despatched Lieutenant Crozier, in one of our own +boats, to Alten, from whence they were expected—a distance +of about sixty English miles. At the same time, we landed our +observatories and instruments at Fugleness, near the +establishment of Messrs. Crowe and Woodfall, the British +merchants residing here; and Lieutenant Foster and myself +immediately commenced our magnetic and other observations, which +were continued during the whole of our stay here. We completed +our supply of water, and obtained a small quantity of venison, +with abundance of good fish (principally torsk and cod), and some +milk. We also purchased a set of snow-shoes for our travelling +party, together with the Lapland shoes of leather (called +Kamooga<a name='FNanchor_016_16'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_016_16'><sup>[016]</sup></a>), which are the most +convenient and comfortable for wearing with them; and we +practised our people in the manner of walking in them in deep +snow, which afforded them fine exercise and amusement.</p> +<p>On the 23d, Lieutenant Crozier returned in the boat from +Alten, and was followed the next day by Mr. Wooodfall, who +brought with him eight reindeer for our use, together with a +supply of moss for their provender (<i>cenomyce rangiferina</i>). +As, however, the latter required a great deal of picking, so as +to render it fit to carry with us over the ice, and as it was +also necessary that we should be instructed in the manner of +managing the deer, I determined on remaining a day or two longer +for these purposes. Nothing can be more beautiful than the +training of the Lapland reindeer. With a simple collar of skin +round his neck, a single trace of the same material attached to +the "pulk" or sledge, and passing between his legs, and one rein, +fastened like a halter about his neck, this intelligent and +docile animal is perfectly under the command of an experienced +driver, and performs astonishing journeys over the softest snow. +When the rein is thrown over on the off side of the animal, he +immediately sets off at a full, trot, and stops short the instant +it is thrown back to the near side. Shaking the rein over his +back is the only whip that is required. In a short time after +setting off, they appear to be gasping for breath, as if quite +exhausted; but, if not driven too fast at first, they soon +recover this, and then go on without difficulty. <a name= +'a003'></a><a href='#a003_2'>The quantity of <i>clean</i> moss +considered requisite for each deer per day is four pounds;</a> +but they will go five or six days without provender, and not +suffer materially. As long as they can pick up snow as they go +along, which they like to eat quite clean, they require no water; +and ice is to them a comfortable bed. It may well be imagined, +with such qualifications, how valuable these animals seemed +likely to prove to us; and the more we became accustomed, and, I +may say, attached to them, the more painful became the idea of +the necessity which was likely to exist, of ultimately having +recourse to them as provision for ourselves.</p> +<p>Our preparations were completed on the 27th, but the wind +continuing fresh from the northwestern quarter in the offing, we +had no prospect of making any progress till the morning of the +29th, when we weighed at six A.M.</p> +<p>On the 5th of May, being in latitude 73° 30', and +longitude 7° 28' E., we met with the first straggling mass of +ice, after which, in sailing about 110 miles in a N.N.W. +direction, there was always a number of loose masses in sight; +but it did not occur in continuous "streams" till the morning of +the 7th, in latitude 74° 55', a few miles to the eastward of +the meridian of Greenwich. On the 10th several whalers were in +sight, and Mr. Bennett, the master of the Venerable, of Hull, +whom we had before met in Baffin's Bay in 1818, came on board. +From him I learned that several of the ships had been in the ice +since the middle of April, some of them having been so far to the +westward as the island of Jan Mayen, and that they were now +endeavouring to push to the northward. They considered the ice to +offer more obstacles to the attainment of this object than it had +done for many years past.<a name='FNanchor_017_17'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_017_17'><sup>[017]</sup></a> None of the ships had yet +taken a single whale, which, indeed, they never expect to do to +the southward of about 78°.</p> +<p>In the afternoon, after waiting for some time for the ice to +open, we again entered it, in company with all the whalers, and +by the following morning had succeeded in pushing about fifty +miles farther to the northward, though not without some heavy +blows in "boring" through the ice.</p> +<p>At five A.M. on the 14th we passed Magdalena Bay, and by ten +o'clock had arrived off Hakluyt's Headland, round which we hauled +to the southeastward, to look, for anchorage in Smerenburg +Harbour. In this, however, we were disappointed, the whole place +being occupied by one unbroken floe of ice, still firmly attached +to the land on each side. Here we made fast, though not without +considerable difficulty; the wind, which was now freshening from +the southward, blowing in such violent and irregular gusts off +the high land that the ship was scarcely manageable. Walruses, +dovekies, and eider-ducks were very numerous here, especially the +former; and four reindeer came down upon the ice near the +ship.</p> +<p>We now prepared a quantity of provisions and other stores to +land at Hakluyt's Headland, as a supply for my party on our +return from the northward; so that, in case of the ship being +obliged to go more to the southward, or of our not being able at +once to reach her, we should be furnished with a few days' +resources of every kind. Our intentions were, however, frustrated +for the present; for we had scarcely secured our hawsers, when a +hard gale came on from the southward, threatening every moment to +snap them in two, and drive us from our anchorage. We held on for +several hours, till, at nine P.M., some swell having set in upon +the margin of the ice, it began to break off and drift away. +Every possible exertion was instantly made to shift our stream +cable farther in upon the floe; but it broke away so quickly as +to baffle every endeavour, and at ten the ship went adrift, the +wind blowing still harder than before. Having hauled in the +hawsers and got the boats on board, we set the close-reefed +topsails, to endeavour to hang to windward; but the wind blew in +such tremendous gusts from the high land as almost to lay the +ship on her beam-ends; so that we were obliged to reduce our +canvass to the main topsail and stormsails, and let her drive to +leeward.<a name='FNanchor_018_18'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_018_18'><sup>[018]</sup></a> The situation of the ship +now appeared a very precarious one, the wind still blowing with +unabated violence, and with every appearance of a continuance of +stormy weather. Under these circumstances, it was the general +opinion of the officers, as well as my own, that it was advisable +to take advantage of the comparatively smooth water within the +stream of ice, and to run the ship into the pack, rather than +incur the risk of having to do the same thing in a heavy sea. +This plan succeeded remarkably well; a tolerably smooth and open +part of the margin being selected, the ship was forced into it at +three A.M., when, after encountering a few severe blows from the +heavy washed pieces which always occur near the sea-edge, she was +gradually carried onward under all sail, and at four A.M. we got +into a perfectly smooth and secure situation, half a mile within +the margin of a "pack."</p> +<p>It was impossible not to consider ourselves highly fortunate +in having thus early, and with no great difficulty, succeeded in +reaching the highest latitude to which it was our object to take +the ship. But, from what we had already seen at Smerenburg, it +was also impossible not to feel much anxiety as to the prospect +of getting her into any secure harbour before the proper time of +my departure to the northward should arrive. However, we could +only wait patiently for the result of a few more days; and, in +the mean time, everybody was busily employed in completing the +arrangements for our departure, so that, if an opportunity did +offer of securing the ship, we might have nothing else to attend +to. Our deer were in good order, having been thriving well ever +since they came on board; they make excellent sailors, and do not +seem to mind bad weather, always lying down quite comfortable +whenever there is any sea.</p> +<p>In order to try what our chances were, at the present low +temperature, of procuring water upon the ice without expense of +fuel, we laid a black painted canvass cloth, and also a piece of +black felt, upon the surface of the snow; the temperature of the +atmosphere being from 18° to 23°. These substances had, +in a couple of hours, sunk half an inch into the snow, but no +water could be collected. I was desirous, also, of ascertaining +whether any part of the real sea-ice was so entirely fresh when +melted as to be drunk without injury or inconvenience. For this +purpose we cut a block of ice from a large hummock, about ten +feet high above the sea; and having broken, pounded, and melted +it, without any previous washing, we found it, both by the +hydrometer and by the chemical test (nitrate of silver), +<i>more</i> free from salt than any which we had in our tanks, +and which was procured from Hammerfest. I considered this +satisfactory, because, in the autumn, the pools of water met with +upon the ice generally become very brackish, in consequence of +the sea-water being drawn up into them by capillary action as the +ice becomes more "rotten" and porous; and we might, therefore, +have to depend chiefly on melted ice for our daily supply.</p> +<p>No change took place till the 21st, when, on the weather +clearing up, we found that the open water we had left to the +westward was now wholly closed up, and that there was none +whatever in sight. It was now also so close in-shore, that on the +22d, Lieutenant Ross, with a party of officers and men, succeeded +in landing without difficulty. They found a small floe of level +ice close to the beach, which appeared very lately formed. +Walking up to a little conspicuous eminence near the eastern end +of the beach, they found it to be composed of clay-slate, tinged +of a brownish red colour. The few uncovered parts of the beach +were strewed with smooth schistose fragments of the same mineral, +and in some parts a quantity of thin slates of it lay closely +disposed together in a vertical position. On the little hillock +were two graves, bearing the dates of 1741 and 1762 on some of +the stones which marked them, and a considerable quantity of fir +driftwood lay upon the beach.</p> +<p>I now clearly saw that there was, for the present, no +reasonable prospect of our getting towards any harbour; and I +could not but feel confident that, even if we did get to the +entrance of any, some time must be occupied in securing the ship. +It may be well imagined how anxious I had now become to delay no +longer in setting out upon the main object of the expedition. I +felt that a few days at the commencement of the season, short as +it is in these regions, might be of great importance as to the +result of our enterprise, while the ship seemed to be so far +secure from any immediate danger as to justify my leaving her, +with a reduced crew, in her present situation. The nature of the +ice was, beyond all comparison, the most unfavourable for our +purpose that I remember to have ever seen. It consisted only of +loose pieces, scarcely any of them fifteen or twenty yards +square; and when any so large did occur, their, margins were +surrounded by the smaller ones, thrown up by the recent pressure +into ten thousand various shapes, and presenting high and sharp +angular masses at every other step. The men compared it to a +stone-mason's yard, which, except that the stones were of ten +times the usual dimensions, it indeed very much resembled. The +only inducement to set out over such a road was the certainty +that floes and fields lay beyond it, and the hope that they were +not <i>far</i> beyond it. In this respect, indeed, I considered +our present easterly position as a probable advantage, since the +ice was much less likely to have been disturbed to any great +extent northward in this meridian than to the westward clear of +the land, where every southerly breeze was sure to be making +havoc among it. Another very important advantage in setting off +on this meridian appeared to me to be, that, the land of +Spitzbergen lying immediately over against the ice, the latter +could never drift so much or so fast to the southward as it might +farther to the westward.</p> +<p>Upon these grounds it was that I was anxious to make an +attempt, at least, as soon as our arrangements could be +completed; and the officers being of the same opinion as myself, +we hoisted out the boats early in the morning of the 27th, and, +having put the things into one of them, endeavoured, by way of +experiment, to get her to a little distance from the ship. Such +however, were the irregularities of the ice, that, even with the +assistance of an additional party of men, it was obvious that we +could not have gained a single mile in a day, and, what was still +more important, not without almost certain and serious injury to +the boats by their striking against the angular masses. Under +these circumstances, it was but too evident to every one that it +would have been highly imprudent to persist in setting out, +since, if the ice, after all, should clear away, even in a week, +so as to allow us to get a few miles nearer the main body, time +would be ultimately saved by our delay, to say nothing of the +wear and tear, and expense of our provisions. I was, therefore, +very reluctantly compelled to yield to this necessity, and to +order the things to be got on board again.</p> +<p>Immediately after we had, on the 27th, proved experimentally +the extreme difficulty of transporting our boats and stores over +the ice which now surrounded us, I made up my mind to the very +great probability there seemed to be of the necessity of adopting +such alterations in our original plans as would accommodate them +to these untoward circumstances at the outset. The boats forming +the main impediment, not so much on account of their absolute +weight as from the difficulty of managing so large a body upon a +road of this nature, I made preparations for the possible +contingency of our having to take only one, continuing the same +number of men in our whole party. All that I saw reason to +apprehend from having only a single boat on our outward journey, +was some occasional delay in ferrying over spaces of water in two +trips instead of one; but we considered that this would be much +more than compensated by the increased rate at which we should go +whenever we were upon the ice, as we expected to be nine days out +of ten. The principal disadvantage, therefore, consisted in our +not all being able to sleep in the boat, and this we proposed to +obviate in the following manner.</p> +<p>We constructed out of the Lapland snow-shoes fourteen sledges, +each sledge consisting of two pairs well fastened together. Upon +these we proposed dragging almost all the weight, so as to keep +the boat nearly without any cargo in her, as we found by +experiment that a man could drag about three hundred pounds on +one of the sledges with more facility than he could drag the boat +when his proportion did not exceed one hundred pounds. Upon these +sledges we proposed lodging half our party alternately each +night, placing them under the lee of the boat, and then +stretching over them, as a sloped roof, a second awning, which we +fitted for the purpose. Upon this plan we likewise could afford +to make our boat considerably stronger, adding some stout iron +knees to the supports of her runners, and increasing our store of +materials for repairing her. The weight reduced by this +arrangement would have been above two thousand pounds, without +taking away any article conducive to our comfort, except the boat +and her gear. I proposed to the officers and men who had been +selected to accompany me this change in our equipment; and I need +scarcely say that they all clearly saw the probable necessity of +it, and cheerfully acquiesced in its adoption, if requisite.</p> +<p>On the 29th I sent Lieutenants Foster and Crozier, with the +greater part of the ship's company, and with a third or spare +travelling-boat, to endeavour to land her on Red Beach, together +with a quantity of stores, including provisions, as a deposite +for us on our return from the northward, should it so happen, as +was not improbable, that we should return to the eastward. It is +impossible to describe the labour attending this attempt. Suffice +it to say, that, after working for fourteen hours, they returned +on board at midnight, having accomplished about four miles out of +the six. The next day they returned to the boat, and, after +several hours' exertion, landed her on the beach with the stores. +What added to the fatigue of this service was the necessity of +taking a small boat to cross pools of water on their return, so +that they had to drag this boat both ways, besides that which +they went to convey. Having, however, had an opportunity of +trying what could be done upon a regular and level floe which lay +close to the beach, everybody was of opinion, as I had always +been, that we could easily travel twenty miles a day on ice of +that kind.</p> +<p>It will not be wondered at if the apparent hopelessness of +getting the ship free for the present again suggested the +necessity of my own setting out: and I had once more, on the 1st +of June, after an anxious consultation with my officers, resolved +on making a second attempt, when the ice near us, which had +opened at regular hours with the tide for three or four days +past, began to set us much more rapidly than usual to the +eastward, and towards a low point which runs off from Red Beach, +near its western end, causing us to shoal the water in a few +hours from fifty-two to twenty fathoms, and on the following +morning to fourteen and a half. By sending a lead-line over the +ice a few hundred yards beyond us, we found ten fathoms water. +However unfavourable the aspect of our affairs seemed before, +this new change could not fail to alter it for the worse. The +situation of the ship now, indeed, required my whole attention; +for the ice occasionally opened and shut within twenty or +twenty-five yards of us on the in-shore side, the ship herself +was still very firmly imbedded by the turned up masses which +pressed upon her on the 19th, and which, on the other side, as +well as ahead and astern, were of considerable extent. Thus she +formed, as it were, part of a floe, which went drifting about in +the manner above described. This was of little importance while +she was in sixty fathoms of water, as she was for the first +fourteen days of our besetment, and a distance of five or six +miles from the land; but now that she had shoaled the water so +considerably, and approached the low point within two or three +miles, it became a matter of importance to try whether any labour +we could bestow upon it would liberate the ship from her present +imbedded state, so as to be at least ready to take advantage of +slack water, should any occur, to keep her off the shore. All +hands were therefore set to work with handspikes, capstan-bars, +and axes, it being necessary to detach every separate mass, +however small, before the larger ones could be moved. The +harassing and laborious nature of this operation is such as +nothing but experience can possibly give an idea of, especially +when, as in this case, we had only a small pool of clear water +near the margin in which the detached pieces could be floated +out. However, we continued at work, with only the necessary +intermissions for rest and meals, during this and the two +following days, and on the evening of the 3d had accomplished all +that the closeness of the ice would permit; but the ship was +still by no means free, numberless masses of ice being doubled +under her, even below her keel, which could not be moved without +more space for working.</p> +<p>Painful as was this protracted delay in setting out upon the +principal object of the expedition, the absolute necessity of it +will scarcely, I think, be doubted by any person conversant in +such matters. So long as the ship continued undisturbed by the +ice, nearly stationary, and in deep water, for several days +together, I had, in my anxiety to lose not a moment's time, +ventured to flatter myself with the hope that, in a case of such +unlooked-for emergency, when every moment of our short and +uncertain season was of importance, I might be justified in +quitting my ship at sea; and in this opinion the zeal of my +officers, both those who were to accompany me and those who were +to remain on board, induced them unanimously to concur. But the +case was now materially altered; for it had become plain to every +seaman in the ship, first, that the safety of the Hecla, if thus +left with less than half her working hands, could not be reckoned +upon for an hour; and, secondly, that no human foresight could +enable us to conjecture, should we set out while she was thus +situated, when or where we should find her on our return. In +fact, it appeared to us at this time, as indeed it was, a very +providential circumstance, that the impracticable nature of the +ice for travelling had offered no encouragement to persevere in +my original intention of setting out a week before this time.</p> +<p>For the two following days we continued closely beset, but +still driving to the eastward across the mouth of Weyde Bay, +which is here six or seven miles in breadth, and appeared to be +very deep, the land in the centre receding to a distance of full +eight leagues. In the afternoon of the 6th, we had driven within +five miles of a point of land, beyond which, to the eastward, it +seemed to recede considerably; and this appearing to answer +tolerably to the situation of Muscle or Mussel Bay, as laid down +in most of the charts, I was very anxious to discover whether we +could here find shelter for the ship. A lane of water leading +towards the land at no great distance from us, I hauled a boat +over the ice and then rowed on shore, accompanied by Lieutenant +Foster and some of the other officers, taking with me another +small store of provisions, to be deposited here, as a future +resource for my party, should we approach this part of the +coast.</p> +<p>Landing at half past six P.M., and leaving Mr. Bird to bury +the provisions, Lieutenant Foster and myself walked without delay +to the eastward, and, on ascending the point, found that there +was, as we had supposed, an indentation in the coast on the other +side. We now began to conceive the most flattering hopes of +discovering something like a harbour for the ship, and pushed on +with all possible haste to examine the place farther; but, after +three hours walking, were much mortified, on arriving at its +head, to find that it was nothing but an open bay, entirely +exposed to the inroads of all the northern ice, and therefore +quite unfit for the ship. We returned to the boat greatly +disappointed, and reached the Hecla at 1.30 A.M. on the 7th.</p> +<p>I do not remember to have ever experienced in these regions +such a continuance of beautiful weather as we now had, during +more than three weeks that we had been on the northern coast of +Spitzbergen. Day after day we had a clear and cloudless sky, +scarcely any wind, and, with the exception of a few days previous +to the 23d of May, a warm temperature in the shade, and quite a +scorching sun. On the 3d of June we had a shower of rain, and on +the 6th it rained pretty hard for two or three hours. After the +1st of June we could procure abundance of excellent water upon +the ice, and by the end of the first week the floe-pieces were +looking blue with it in some parts, and the snow had everywhere +become too soft to bear a man's weight.</p> +<p>On the 7th, the ship, still closely beset, had drifted much +more to the eastward, being within a mile of the spot where the +provisions had been deposited the preceding evening. There was +now no other ice between us and the land except the floe to which +we had been so long attached; and round this we were occasionally +obliged to warp, whenever a little slackening of the ice +permitted, in order to prevent our getting too near the rocks. In +this situation of suspense and anxiety we still remained until +the evening of the 8th, when a breeze at length springing up from +the southward began to open out the ice from the point near which +we lay. As soon as the channel was three or four hundred yards +wide, we warped into the clear water, and, making sail, rounded +the point in safety, having no soundings with twenty fathoms, at +one third of a mile from a small rocky islet lying off it. In the +mean time the wind had been driving the ice so fast off the land +as to form for us a clear communication with the open water +before seen to the eastward; and thus we were at length liberated +from our confinement, after a close and tedious "besetment" of +twenty-four days.</p> +<p>The weather continued so thick, that, impatient as we were to +stand in towards the eastern land, we could not venture to do so +till eleven A.M. on the 10th, when we made sail towards +Brandywine Bay, the wind being now from the W.S.W., or nearly +dead upon that shore. The weather clearing up at 1.15 P.M., we +saw the eastern land, and soon after discovered the grounded ice +off Low Island; Walden's Island was also plainly in sight to the +N.E. The bay seemed deeply indented, and very likely to afford +nooks such as we wanted; and where so large a space of open +water, and, consequently, some sea, had been exerting its +influence for a considerable time, we flattered ourselves with +the most sanguine hopes of now having access to the shores, +sufficiently near, at least, for sawing into some place of +shelter. How, then, shall I express our surprise and +mortification in finding that the whole of the coast, from the +islands northward to Black Point, and apparently also as far as +Walden's Island, was rendered inaccessible by one continuous and +heavy floe, everywhere attached to the shores, and to the +numberless grounded masses about the island, this immense barrier +being in some places six or seven miles in width, and not less +than twelve feet in thickness near the margin.</p> +<p>The prospect from our masthead at this time was certainly +enough to cast a damp over every sanguine expectation I had +formed, of being <i>soon</i> enabled to place the Hecla in +security; and more willingly than ever would I, at this period, +have persuaded myself, if possible, that I should be justified in +quitting her at sea. Such, however, was the nature of this +navigation, as regarded the combined difficulties arising from +ice and a large extent of shoal and unsurveyed ground, that, even +with our full complement of officers and men on board, all our +strength and exertions might scarcely have sufficed, in a single +gale of wind, to keep the ship tolerably secure, and much less +could I have ensured placing her ultimately in any proper +situation for picking up an absent party; for, if once again +beset, she must, of course, be at the mercy of the ice. The +conclusion was, therefore, irresistibly forced upon my mind, that +thus to leave the ship would be to expose her to imminent and +certain peril, rendering it impossible to conjecture where we +should find her on our return, and, therefore, rashly to place +all parties in a situation from which nothing but disaster could +reasonably be expected to ensue.</p> +<p>After beating through much ice, which was all of the drift or +broken kind, and had all found its way hither in the last two +days, we got into an open space of water in-shore, and about six +miles to the northward of Low Island; and on the morning of the +13th stretched in towards Walden Island, around which we found, +as we had feared, a considerable quantity of fixed ice. It was +certainly much less here, than elsewhere; but the inner, or +eastern side of the island was entirely enveloped by it.</p> +<p>Having from twenty-six to twenty-four fathoms at the distance +of four miles from Walden Island, I was preparing two boats, with +the intention of going to sound about its northern point, which +was the most clear of ice, and not without a faint hope of +finding something like shelter there; but I was prevented by a +thick fog coming on. Continuing, therefore, to beat to the +northward, we passed occasionally a good deal of drift ice, but +with every appearance of much clear water in that direction; and +the weather clearing about midnight, we observed in latitude +80°43'32". The Seven Islands were in sight to the eastward, +and the "Little Table Island" of Phipps bore E.N.E. (true) +distant about nine or ten miles. It is a mere craggy rock, +rising, perhaps, from four to five hundred feet above the level +of the sea, and with a small low islet lying off its northern +end. This island, being the northernmost known land in the world, +naturally excited much of our curiosity; and bleak, and barren, +and rugged as it is, one could not help gazing at it with intense +interest.</p> +<p>At midnight on the 14th we had reached the latitude +81°5'32" Our longitude by chronometers at this time was +19° 34' E., Little Table Island bearing S. 26° E. (true), +distant six or seven leagues, and Walden Island S. 4° E.<a +name='FNanchor_019_19'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_019_19'><sup>[019]</sup></a> The depth of water was +ninety-seven fathoms, on a bottom of greenish mud; and the +temperature at ninety-five fathoms, by Six's thermometer, was +29.8°, that at the surface being 31°, and of the air +28°. All that could here be seen to the northward was loose +drift-ice. To the northeast it was particularly open, and I have +no doubt that we might have gone many miles farther in that +direction, had it not been a much more important object to keep +the ship free than to push her to the northward.</p> +<p>We now stood back again to the southward, in order again to +examine the coast wherever we could approach it; but found, on +the 15th, that none of the land was at all accessible, the wind +having got round to the W.N.W., and loaded all the shores with +drift-ice.</p> +<p>Walden Island being the first part clear of the loose ice, we +stretched in for it on the 16th, and, when within two miles, +observed that about half that space was occupied by land-ice, +even on its northwestern side, which was the only accessible one, +the rest being wholly enclosed by it. However, being desirous of +obtaining a better view than our crow's-nest commanded, and also +of depositing here a small quantity of provisions, I left the +ship at one P.M., accompanied by Lieutenant Foster in a second +boat, and, landing upon the ice, walked over about three quarters +of a mile of high and rugged hummocks to the shore. Ascending two +or three hundred feet, we had a clear and extensive view of the +Seven Islands, and of some land far beyond them to the eastward; +and the whole sea was covered with one unbroken land-floe, +attached to all the shores extending from the island where we +stood, and which formed an abutment for it each way along the +land as far as the eye could reach. After this discouraging +prospect, which wholly destroyed every hope of finding a harbour +among the Seven Islands, we returned to the place where the men +had deposited the provisions, and, after making the necessary +observations for the survey, returned immediately on board.</p> +<p>Observing from the island that the sea was perfectly clear to +the northward, we now stood for Little Table Island, with some +slight hope that the rock off its northern end might afford +shelter for the ship; at all events, being the most exposed, on +account of its situation, it was the most likely to be free from +ice. A thick fog prevented our getting near it till the morning +of the 17th, when, having approached it within a mile and a half, +I sent Lieutenant Ross on shore to a little islet, which was +quite free from ice, where he deposited another small store of +provisions, but found nothing like shelter for the ship.</p> +<p>Having no farther business here, and the easterly wind still +continuing, I thought the best thing we could do would be to run +again to the southward of Low Island, and try once more to +approach the shores about the entrance of the Waygatz Strait. We +therefore bore up under all sail to the southwest.</p> +<p>It would be vain to deny that I had lately begun to entertain +the most serious apprehensions as related to the accomplishment +of our principal object. The 17th of June had now arrived, and +all that we saw afforded us the most discouraging prospect as to +our getting the Hecla into harbour; while every day's experience +showed how utterly rash a measure it would be to think of +quitting her in her present situation, which, even with all her +officers and men, was one of extreme precariousness and +uncertainty.</p> +<p>On the evening of the 18th, while standing in for the high +land to the eastward of Verlegen Hook, which, with due attention +to the lead, may be approached with safety, we perceived from the +crow's-nest what appeared a low point, possibly affording some +shelter for the ship, and which seemed to answer to an +indentation of the coast laid down in an old Dutch chart, and +there called <i>Treurenburg Bay</i>.</p> +<p>On the following morning I proceeded to examine the place, +accompanied by Lieutenant Ross in a second boat, and, to our +great joy, found it a considerable bay, with one part affording +excellent landlocked anchorage and, what was equally fortunate, +sufficiently clear of ice to allow the ship to enter. Having +sounded the entrance and determined on the anchorage, we returned +to the ship to bring her in; and I cannot describe the +satisfaction which the information of our success communicated to +every individual on board. The main object of our enterprise now +appeared almost within our grasp, and everybody seemed anxious to +make up, by renewed exertions, for the time we had unavoidably +lost. The ship was towed and warped in with the greatest +alacrity, and at 1.40 A.M. on June 20th, we dropped the anchor in +Hecla Cove, in thirteen fathoms, on a bottom of very tenacious +blue clay, and made some hawsers fast to the land-ice, which +still filled all the upper part of the bay. After resting a few +hours, we sawed a canal a quarter of a mile in length, through +which the ship was removed into a better situation, a bower-cable +taken on shore and secured to the rocks, and an anchor, with the +chain-cable, laid out the other way. On the morning of the 21st +we hauled the launch up on the beach, it being my intention to +direct such resources of every kind to be landed as would render +our party wholly independent of the ship, either for returning to +England or for wintering, in case of the ship being driven to sea +by the ice; a contingency against which, in these regions, no +precaution can altogether provide. I directed Lieutenant Foster, +upon whom the charge of the Hecla was now to devolve, to land +without delay the necessary stores, keeping the ship seaworthy by +taking in an equal quantity of ballast; and, as soon as he should +be satisfied of her security from ice, to proceed on the survey +of the eastern coast; but, should he see reason to doubt her +safety with a still farther diminution of her crew to relinquish +the survey, and attend exclusively to the ship. I also gave +directions that notices should be sent, in the course of the +summer, to the various stations where our depots of provisions +were established, acquainting me with the situation and state of +the ship, and giving me any other information which might be +necessary for my guidance on our return from the northward. These +and other arrangements being completed, I left the ship at five +P.M. with our two boats, which we named the Enterprise and +Endeavour, Mr. Beverly being attached to my own, and Lieutenant +Ross, accompanied by Mr. Bird, in the other. Besides these, I +took Lieutenant Crozier in one of the ship's cutters, for the +purpose of carrying some of our weight as far as Walden Island, +and also a third store of provisions to be deposited on Low +Island, as an intermediate station between Walden Island and the +ship. As it was still necessary not to delay our return beyond +the end of August, the time originally intended, I took, with me +only seventy-one days provisions; which, including the boats and +every other article, made up a weight of 268 lbs. per man; and as +it appeared highly improbable, from what we had seen of the very +rugged nature of the ice we should first have to encounter, that +either the reindeer, the snow-shoes, or the wheels would prove of +any service for some time to come, I gave up the idea of taking +them. We, however, constructed out of the snow-shoes four +excellent sledges for dragging a part of our baggage over the +ice; and these proved of invaluable service to us, while the rest +of the things just mentioned would only have been an +encumbrance.</p> +<p>Having received the usual salutation of three cheers from +those we left behind, we paddled through a quantity of loose ice +at the entrance of the bay, and then steered, in a perfectly open +sea, and with calm and beautiful weather, for the western part of +Low Island, which we reached at half past two on the morning of +the 22d.</p> +<p>Having deposited the provisions, we set off at four A.M., +paddling watch and watch, to give the people a little rest. It +was still quite calm; but there being much ice about the island, +and a thick fog coming on, we were several hours groping our way +clear of it. The walruses were here very numerous, lying in herds +upon the ice, and plunging into the water to follow us as we +passed. The sound they utter is something between bellowing and +very loud snorting, which, together with their grim, bearded +countenances and long tusks, makes them appear, as indeed they +are, rather formidable enemies to contend with. Under our present +circumstances, we were very well satisfied not to molest them, +for they would soon have destroyed our boats if one had been +wounded; but I believe they are never the first to make the +attack. We landed upon the ice still attached to Walden Island at +3.30 A.M. on the 23d. Our flat-bottomed boats rowed heavily with +their loads, but proved perfectly safe, and very comfortable. The +men being much fatigued, we rested here some hours, and, after +making our final arrangements with Lieutenant Crozier, parted +with him at three in the afternoon, and set off for Little Table +Island. Finding there was likely to be so much open water in this +neighbourhood in the autumn, I sent directions to Lieutenant +Foster to have a spare boat deposited at Walden Island in time +for our return, in case of any accident happening to ours.</p> +<p>The land-ice, which still adhered to the Seven Islands, was +very little more broken off than when the Hecla had been here a +week before; and we rowed along its margin a part of the way to +Little Table Island, where we arrived at ten P.M. We here +examined and re-secured the provisions left on shore, having +found our depôt at Walden Island disturbed by the bears. +The prospect to the northward at this time was very favourable, +there being only a small quantity of loose ice in sight; and the +weather still continuing calm and clear, with the sea as smooth +as a mirror, we set off without delay, at half past ten, taking +our final leave of the Spitzbergen shores, as we hoped, for at +least two months. Steering due north, we made good progress, our +latitude by the sun's meridian altitude at midnight being 80° +51' 13". A beautifully-coloured rainbow appeared for some time, +without any appearance of rain falling. We observed that a +considerable current was setting us to the eastward just after +leaving the land, so that we had made a N.N.E. course, distance +about ten miles, when we met with some ice, which soon becoming +too close for farther progress, we landed upon a high hummock to +obtain a better view. We here perceived that the ice was close to +the northward, but to the westward we discovered some open water, +which we reached after two or three hours' paddling, and found it +a wide expanse, in which we sailed to the northward without +obstruction, a fresh breeze having sprung up from the S.W. The +weather soon after became very thick, with continued snow, +requiring great care in looking out for the ice, which made its +appearance after two hours' run, and gradually became closer, +till at length we were stopped by it at noon, and obliged to haul +the boats upon a small floe-piece, our latitude by observation +being 81° 12' 51".</p> +<p>Our plan of travelling being nearly the same throughout this +excursion, after we first entered upon the ice, I may at once +give some account of our usual mode of proceeding. It was my +intention to travel wholly at night, and to rest by day, there +being, of course, constant daylight in these regions during the +summer season. The advantages of this plan, which was +occasionally deranged by circumstances, consisted, first, in our +avoiding the intense and oppressive glare from the snow during +the time of the sun's greatest altitude, so as to prevent, in +some degree, the painful inflammation in the eyes called "snow +blindness," which is common in all snowy countries. We also thus +enjoyed greater warmth during the hours of rest, and had a better +chance of drying our clothes; besides which, no small advantage +was derived from the snow being harder at night for travelling. +The only disadvantage of this plan was, that the fogs were +somewhat more thick by night than by day, though even in this +respect there was less difference than might have been supposed, +the temperature during the twenty-four hours undergoing but +little variation. This travelling by night and sleeping by day so +completely inverted the natural order of things, that it was +difficult to persuade ourselves of the reality. Even the officers +and myself, who were all furnished with pocket chronometers, +could not always bear in mind at what part of the twenty-four +hours we had arrived; and there were several of the men who +declared, and I believe truly, that they, never knew night from +day during the whole excursion.<a name='FNanchor_020_20'></a><a +href='#Footnote_020_20'><sup>[020]</sup></a></p> +<p>When we rose in the evening, we commenced our day by prayers, +after which we took off our fur sleeping-dresses and put on those +for travelling; the former being made of camlet, lined with +racoon-skin, and the latter of strong blue box-cloth. We made a +point of always putting on the same stockings and boots for +travelling in, whether they dried during the day or not; and I +believe it was only in five or six instances, at the most, that +they were not either wet or hard-frozen. This, indeed, was of no +consequence, beyond the discomforture of first putting them on in +this state, as they were sure to be thoroughly wet in a quarter +of an hour after commencing our journey; while, on the other +hand, it was of vital importance to keep dry things for sleeping +in. Being "rigged" for travelling, we breakfasted upon warm cocoa +and biscuit, and, after stowing the things in the boats and on +the sledges, so as to secure them as much as possible from wet, +we set off on our day's journey, and usually travelled from five +to five and a half hours, then stopped an hour to dine, and again +travelled four, five, or even six hours, according to +circumstances. After this we halted for the night, as we called +it, though it was usually early in the morning, selecting the +largest surface of ice we happened to be near for hauling the +boats on, in order to avoid the danger of its breaking up by +coming in contact with other masses, and also to prevent drift as +much as possible. The boats were placed close alongside each +other, with their sterns to the wind, the snow or wet cleared out +of them, and the sails, supported by the bamboo masts and three +paddles, placed over them as awnings, an entrance being left at +the bow. Every man then immediately put on dry stockings and fur +boots, after which we set about the necessary repairs of boats, +sledges, or clothes; and, after serving the provisions for the +succeeding day, we went to supper. Most of the officers and men +then smoked their pipes, which served to dry the boats and +awnings very much, and usually raised the temperature of our +lodgings 10° or 15°. This part of the twenty-four hours +was often a time, and the only one, of real enjoyment to us; the +men told their stories and "fought all their battles o'er again," +and the labours of the day, unsuccessful as they too often were, +were forgotten. A regular watch was set during our resting-time, +to look out for bears or for the ice breaking up round us, as +well as to attend to the drying of the clothes, each man +alternately, taking this duty for one hour. We then concluded our +day with prayers, and, having put on our fur-dresses, lay down to +sleep with a degree of comfort, which perhaps few persons would +imagine possible under such circumstances; our chief +inconvenience being that we were somewhat pinched for room, and +therefore obliged to stow rather closer than was quite agreeable. +The temperature, while we slept, was usually from 36° to +45°, according to the state of the external atmosphere; but +on one or two occasions in calm and warm weather, it rose as high +as 60° to 66°, obliging us to throw off a part of our +fur-dress. After we had slept seven hours, the man appointed to +boil the cocoa roused us when it was ready by the sound of a +bugle, when we commenced our day in the manner before +described.</p> +<p><a name='a002'></a><a href='#a002_2'>Our allowance of +provisions for each man per day was as follows:</a></p> +<br> +<pre> +Biscuit 10 ounces. +Pemmican 9 ounces. +Sweetened Cocoa Powder 1 ounce, to make one pint. +Rum 1 gill. +Tobacco 3 ounces per week. +</pre> +<p>Our fuel consisted entirely of spirits of wine, of which two +pints formed our daily allowance, the cocoa being cooked in an +iron boiler over a shallow iron lamp, with seven wicks; a simple +apparatus, which answered our purpose remarkably well. We usually +found one pint of the spirits of wine sufficient for preparing +our breakfast, that is, for heating twenty-eight pints of water, +though it always commenced from the temperature of 32°. If +the weather was calm and fair, this quantity of fuel brought it +to the boiling point in about an hour and a quarter; but more +generally the wicks began to go out before it had reached. +200°. This, however, made a very comfortable meal to persons +situated as we were. Such, with very little variation, was our +regular routine during the whole of this excursion.</p> +<p>We set off on our first journey over the ice at ten P.M. on +the 24th, Table Island bearing S.S.W., and a fresh breeze blowing +from W.S.W., with thick fog, which afterward changed to rain. The +bags of pemmican were placed upon the sledges, and the bread in +the boats, with the intention of securing the latter from wet; +but this plan we were soon obliged to relinquish. We now +commenced upon very slow and laborious travelling, the pieces of +ice being of small extent and very rugged, obliging us to make +three journeys, and sometimes four, with the boats and baggage, +and to launch several times across narrow pools of water. We +stopped to dine at five A.M. on the 25th, having made, by our log +(which we kept very carefully, marking the courses by compass, +and estimating the distances), about two miles and a half of +northing; and, again setting forward, proceeded till eleven A.M., +when we halted to rest; our latitude, by observation at noon, +being 81° 15' 13".</p> +<p>Setting out again at half past nine in the evening, we found +our way to lie over nothing but small, loose, rugged masses of +ice, separated by little pools of water, obliging us constantly +to launch and haul up the boats, each of which operations +required them to be unloaded, and occupied nearly a quarter of an +hour. It came on to rain very hard on the morning of the 26th; +and, finding we were making very little progress (having advanced +not more than half a mile in four hours), and that our clothes +would be soon wet through, we halted at half past one, and took +shelter under the awnings. The weather improving at six o'clock, +we again moved forward, and travelled till a quarter past eleven, +when we hauled the boats upon the only tolerably large floe-piece +in sight. The rain had very much increased the quantity of water +lying upon the ice, of which nearly half the surface was now +covered with numberless little ponds of various shapes and +extent. It is a remarkable fact, that we had already experienced, +in the course of this summer, more rain than during the whole of +seven previous summers taken together, though passed in latitudes +from 7° to 15° lower than this. A great deal of the ice +over which we passed to-day presented a very curious appearance +and structure, being composed, on its upper surface, of +numberless irregular, needle-like crystals, placed vertically, +and nearly close together; their length varying, in different +pieces of ice, from five to ten inches, and their breadth in the +middle about half an inch, but pointed at both ends. The upper +surface of ice having this structure sometimes looks like +greenish velvet; a vertical section of it, which frequently +occurs at the margin of floes, resembles, while it remains +compact, the most beautiful satin-spar, and asbestos when falling +to pieces. At this early part of the season, this kind of ice +afforded pretty firm footing; but, as the summer advanced, the +needles became more loose and moveable, rendering it extremely +fatiguing to walk over them, besides cutting our boots and feet, +on which account the men called them "penknives."</p> +<p>We pursued our journey at half past nine P.M., with the wind +at N.E., and thick weather, the ice being so much in motion as to +make it very dangerous to cross in loaded boats, the masses being +all very small. On this account we halted at midnight, having +waded three quarters of a mile through water from two to five +inches deep upon the ice. The thermometer was at 33°.</p> +<p>At seven A.M. on the 28th, we came to a floe covered with high +and rugged hummocks, which opposed a formidable obstacle to our +progress, occurring in two or three successive tiers, so that we +had no sooner crossed one than another presented itself. Over one +of these we hauled the boats with extreme difficulty by a +"standing pull," and the weather being then so thick that we +could see no pass across the next tier, we were obliged to stop +at nine A.M. While performing this laborious work, which required +the boats to be got up and down places almost perpendicular, +James Parker, my coxswain, received a severe contusion in his +back, by the boat falling upon him from a hummock, and the boats +were constantly subject to very heavy blows, but sustained no +damage.<a name='FNanchor_021_21'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_021_21'><sup>[021]</sup></a> The weather continued +very foggy during the day, but a small lane of water opening out +at no great distance from the margin of the floe, we launched the +boats at eight in the evening among loose drift-ice, and, after +some time, landed on a small floe to the eastward, the only one +in sight, with the hope of its leading to the northward. It +proved so rugged that we were obliged to make three, and +sometimes four journeys with the boats and provisions, and this +by a very circuitous route; so that the road, by which we made a +mile of northing, was full a mile and a half in length, and over +this we had to travel at least five, and sometimes seven times. +Thus, when we halted to dine at two A.M., after six hours' severe +toil, and much risk to the men and boats, we had only +accomplished about a mile and a quarter in a N.N.E. direction. +After dining we proceeded again till half past six, and then +halted, very much fatigued with our day's work, and having made +two miles and a half of northing. We were here in latitude, by +account, 81° 23", and in longitude, by the chronometers, +21° 32' 34" E., in which situation the variation of the +magnetic needle was observed to be 15° 31' westerly. We now +enjoyed the first sunshine since our entering the ice, and a +great enjoyment it was, after so much thick and wet weather. We +rose at half past four P.M., in the hopes of pursuing our +journey; but, after hauling the boats to the edge of the floe, +found such a quantity of loose, rugged ice to the northward of +us, that there was no possibility, for the present, of getting +across or through it. Observing a small opening at 10.30 P.M., we +launched the boats, and hauled them across several pieces of ice, +some of them being very light and much decayed. Our latitude, by +the sun's meridian altitude at midnight, was 81° 23'; so that +we had made only eight miles of northing since our last +observation at noon on the 25th.</p> +<p>The 30th commenced with snowy and inclement weather, which +soon rendered the atmosphere so thick that we could no longer see +our way, obliging us to halt till two P.M., when we crossed +several small pools with great labour and loss of time. We had +generally very light ice this day, with some heavy, rugged pieces +intermixed; and, when hauling across these, we had sometimes to +cut with axes a passage for the boats among the hummocks. We also +dragged them through a great many pools of fresh water, to avoid +the necessity of going round them. The wind freshening up from +the S.S.W., we afterward found the ice gradually more and more +open, so that, in the course of the day, we made by rowing, +though by a very winding channel, five miles of northing; but +were again stopped by the ice soon after midnight, and obliged to +haul up on the first mass that we could gain, the ice having so +much motion that we narrowly escaped being "nipped." We set out +at 11.30 A.M. on the 1st July, the wind still fresh from the +S.W., and some snow falling: but it was more than an hour before +we could get away from the small pieces of ice on which we slept, +the masses beyond being so broken up and so much in motion, that +we could not, at first, venture to launch the boats. Our +latitude, observed at noon, was 81° 30' 41". After crossing +several pieces, we at length got into a good "lead" of water, +four or five miles in length; two or three of which, as on the +preceding day, occurred under the lee of a floe, being the second +we had yet seen that deserved that name. We then passed over four +or five small floes, and across the pools of water that lay +between them. The ice was now less broken up, and sometimes +tolerably level; but from six to eighteen inches of soft snow lay +upon it in every part, making the travelling very fatiguing, and +obliging us to make at least two, and sometimes three, journeys +with our loads. We now found it absolutely necessary to lighten +the boat as much as possible, by putting the bread-bags on the +sledges, on account of the "runners" of the boats sinking so much +deeper into the snow; but our bread ran a great risk of being +wetted by this plan.</p> +<p>We halted at eleven P.M. on the 1st, having traversed from ten +to eleven miles, and made good, by our account, seven and half in +a N.b.W. direction. We again set forward at ten A.M. on the 2d, +the weather being calm, and the sun oppressively warm, though +with a thick fog. The temperature in the shade was 35° at +noon, and only 47° in the sun; but this, together with the +glare from the snow, produced so painful a sensation in most of +our eyes, as to make it necessary to halt at one P.M., to avoid +being blinded. We therefore took advantage of this warm weather +to let the men wash themselves, and mend and dry their clothes, +and then set out again at half past three. The snow was, however, +so soft as to take us up to our knees at almost every other step, +and frequently still deeper; so that we were sometimes five +minutes together in moving a single empty boat, with all our +united strength. It being impossible to proceed under these +circumstances, I determined to fall into our night-travelling +again, from which we had of late insensibly deviated. We +therefore halted at half past five, the weather being now very +clear and warm, and many of the people's eyes beginning to fail. +We did not set out again till after midnight, with the intention +of giving the snow time to harden after so warm a day; but we +found it still so soft as to make the travelling very fatiguing. +Our way lay at first across a number of loose pieces, most of +which were from five to twenty yards apart, or just sufficiently +separated to give us all the labour of launching and hauling up +the boats, without the advantage of making any progress by water; +while we crossed, in other instances, from mass to mass, by +laying the boats over as bridges, by which the men and the +baggage passed. By these means, we at length reached a floe about +a mile in length, in a northern direction; but it would be +difficult to convey an adequate idea of the labour required to +traverse it. The average depth of snow upon the level parts was +about five inches, under which lay water four or five inches +deep; but, the moment we approached a hummock, the depth to which +we sank increased to three feet or more, rendering it difficult +at times to obtain sufficient footing for one leg to enable us to +extricate the other. The pools of fresh water had now also become +very large, some of them being a quarter of a mile in length, and +their depth above our knees. Through these we were prevented +taking the sledges, for fear of wetting all our provisions; but +we preferred transporting the boats across them, notwithstanding +the severe cold of the snow-water, the bottom being harder for +the "runners" to slide upon. On this kind of road we were, in one +instance, above two hours in proceeding a distance of one hundred +yards.</p> +<p>We halted at half past six A.M. to dine; and to empty our +boots and wring our stockings, which, to our feelings, was almost +like putting on dry ones; and again set out in an hour, getting +at length into a "lane" of water a mile and a quarter long, in a +N.N.E. direction. We halted for the night at half an hour before +midnight, the people being almost exhausted with a laborious +day's work, and our distance made good to the northward not +exceeding two miles and a quarter. We allowed ourselves this +night a hot supper, consisting of a pint of soup per man, made of +an ounce of pemmican each, and eight or ten birds, which we had +killed in the course of the last week; and this was a luxury +which persons thus situated could perhaps alone duly +appreciate.</p> +<p>We rose and breakfasted at nine P.M.; but the weather had +gradually become so inclement and thick, with snow, sleet, and a +fresh breeze from the eastward, that we could neither have seen +our way, nor have avoided getting wet through had we moved. We +therefore remained under cover; and it was as well that we did +so, for the snow soon after changed to heavy rain, and the wind +increased to a fresh gale, which unavoidably detained us till +7.30 P.M. on the 4th. The rain had produced even a greater effect +than the sun in softening the snow. Lieutenant Ross and myself, +in performing our pioneering duty, were frequently so beset in +it, that sometimes, after trying in vain to extricate our legs, +we were obliged to sit quietly down for a short time to rest +ourselves and then make another attempt; and the men, in dragging +the sledges, were often under the necessity of crawling upon +all-fours to make any progress at all. Nor would any kind of +snow-shoes have been of the least service, but rather an +encumbrance to us, for the surface was so irregular, that they +would have thrown us down at every other step. We had hitherto +made use of the Lapland shoes, or <i>kamoogas</i>, for walking +in, which are excellent for dry snow; but there being now so much +water upon the ice, we substituted the Esquimaux boots, which had +been made in Greenland expressly for our use, and which are far +superior to any others for this kind of travelling. Just before +halting, at six A.M. on the 5th, the ice at the margin of the +floe broke while the men were handing the provisions out of the +boats; and we narrowly escaped the loss of a bag of cocoa, which +fell overboard, but fortunately rested on a "tongue." The bag +being made of Mackintosh's waterproof canvass, the cocoa did not +suffer the slightest injury.</p> +<p>We rose at five P.M., the weather being clear and fine, with a +moderate breeze from the south; no land was in sight from the +highest hummocks, nor could we perceive anything but broken loose +ice in any direction. We hauled across several pieces which were +scarcely fit to bear the weight of the boats, and in such cases +used the precaution of dividing our baggage, so that, in case of +the ice breaking or turning over, we should not lose all at once. +The farther we proceeded, the more the ice was broken; indeed, it +was much more so here than we had found it since first entering +the "pack." After stopping at midnight to dine and to obtain the +meridian altitude, we passed over a floe full of hummocks, a mile +and a half in length; but any kind of floe was relief to us after +the constant difficulty we had experienced in passing over loose +ice.</p> +<p>After several hours of very beautiful weather, a thick fog +came on early on the morning of the 6th July, and at five A.M. we +halted, having got to the end of the floe, and only made good two +miles and a half to the northward. The fog continued very thick +all day; but, being unwilling to stop on this account, we set out +again at half past six in the evening, and passed over several +small flat pieces with no great difficulty, but with much loss of +time in launching and hauling up the boats. Towards the end of +our day's journey, we landed on the only really level floe we had +yet met with. It was, however, only three quarters of a mile in +length, but, being almost clear of snow, afforded such good +travelling, that, although much fatigued at the time, we hauled +the boats and all the baggage across it at one journey, at the +rate of about two miles an hour, and halted at the northern +margin at five A.M. on the 7th. The prospect beyond was still +very unfavourable, and at eight in the evening, when we again +launched the boats, there was not a piece of large or level ice +to be seen in a northern direction.</p> +<p>We halted at six A.M. on the 8th, in time to avoid a great +deal of rain which fell during the day, and again proceeded on +our journey at eight in the evening, the wind being fresh from +the E.S.E., with thick, wet weather. We now met with detached ice +of a still lighter kind than before, the only floe in sight being +much to the eastward of our course. This we reached after +considerable labour, in the hope of its leading to the northward, +which it did for about one mile, and we then came to the same +kind of loose ice as before. On the morning of the 9th July, we +enjoyed the indescribable comfort of two or three hours' clear, +dry weather, but had scarcely hung up our wet clothes, after +halting at five A.M., when it again came on to rain; but, as +everything was as wet as it could be, we left them out to take +their chance. The rain continued most of the day, but we set out +at half past seven P.M., crossing loose ice, as usual, and much +of the surface consisting of detached vertical needles. After an +hour, the rain became so heavy that we halted to save our shirts, +which were the only dry clothes' belonging to us. Soon after +midnight, the rain being succeeded by one of the thickest fogs I +ever saw, we again proceeded, groping our way almost yard by yard +from one small piece of ice to another, and were very fortunate +in hitting upon some with level surfaces, and also a few +tolerable-sized holes of water. At half past two we reached a +floe which appeared at first a level and large one; but, on +landing, we were much mortified to find it so covered with +immense ponds, or, rather, small lakes of fresh water, that, to +accomplish two miles in a north direction, we were under the +necessity of walking from three to four, the water being too deep +for wading, and from two hundred yards to one third of a mile in +length. We halted at six A.M., having made only one mile and +three quarters in a N.N.W. direction, the wind still blowing +fresh from the eastward, with a thick fog. We were in latitude +82° 3' 19", and longitude, by chronometers, 23° 17' E., +and we found the variation of the magnetic needle to be 13° +41' westerly. We moved again at seven P.M., with the weather +nearly as foggy as before, our road lying across a very hummocky +floe, on which we had considerable difficulty in getting the +boats, the ice being extremely unfavourable both for launching +and hauling them up. After stopping an hour at midnight to dine, +we were again annoyed by a heavy fall of rain, a phenomenon +almost as new to us in these regions until this summer, as it was +harassing and unhealthy. Being anxious, however, to take +advantage of a lane of water that seemed to lead northerly, we +launched the boats, and by the time that we had crossed it, which +gave us only half a mile of northing, the rain had become much +harder, and our outer clothes, bread bags, and boats were +thoroughly wet. After this we had better travelling on the ice, +and also crossed one or two larger holes of water than we had met +with for a long time, and halted for our night's rest at half +past seven A.M., after nearly twelve hours' hard, but not +altogether unsuccessful labour, having traversed about twelve +miles, and made good by our account, seven and a half, in a +N.W.b.N. direction. The rain ceased soon after we had halted, but +was succeeded, by a thick, wet fog, which obliged us, when we +continued our journey, to put on our travelling clothes in the +same dripping state as when we took them off. The wind continued +fresh from the southeastward, and at nine P.M. the weather +suddenly cleared up, and gave us once more the inconceivably +cheering, I had almost said the blessed, sight of a blue sky, +with hard, well-defined white clouds floating across it. We +halted at six A.M., after making, by our day's exertions, only +three miles and a half of northing, our latitude at this time +being 82° 14' 28", and our longitude, by chronometers, +22° 4' E. The thermometer was from 35° to 36° in the +shade during most of the day, and this, with a clear sky over +head, was now absolute luxury to us. Setting out again at seven +P.M., we crossed a small lane of water to another floe; but this +was so intersected by ponds, and by streams running into the sea, +that we had to make a very circuitous route, some of the ponds +being half-a mile in length. Notwithstanding the immense quantity +of water still upon the ice, and which always afforded us a pure +and abundant supply of this indispensable article, we now +observed a mark round the banks of all the ponds, showing that +the water was less deep in them, by several inches, than it had +been somewhat earlier in the summer; and, indeed, from about this +time, some small diminution in its quantity began to be +perceptible to ourselves. We halted for our resting-time at six +A.M. on the 13th, having gained only two miles and a half of +northing, over a road of about four, and this accomplished by ten +hours of fatiguing exertion. We were here in latitude, by the +noon observation, 82° 17' 10", and could find no bottom with +four hundred fathoms of line. We launched the boats at seven in +the evening, the wind being moderate from the E.S.E., with fine, +clear weather, and were still mortified in finding that no +improvement took place in the road over which we had to travel; +for the ice now before us was, if possible, more broken up and +more difficult to pass over than ever. Much of it was also so +thin as to be extremely dangerous for the provisions; and it was +often a nervous thing to see our whole means of existence lying +on a decayed sheet, having holes quite through it in many parts, +and which the smallest motion among the surrounding masses might +have instantly broken into pieces. There was, however, no choice, +except between this road and the more rugged though safer +hummocks, which cost ten times the labour to pass over. Mounting +one of the highest of these at nine P.M., we could discover +nothing to the north, ward but the same broken and irregular +surface; and we now began to doubt whether we should at all meet +with the solid fields of unbroken ice which every account had led +us to expect in a much lower latitude than this. A very strong, +yellow ice-blink overspread the whole northern horizon.</p> +<p>We stopped to dine at half an hour past midnight, after more +than five hours unceasing labour, in the course of which time we +had only accomplished a mile and a half due north, though we had +traversed from three to four, and walked at least ten, having +made three journeys a great part of the way. We had launched and +hauled up the boats four times, and dragged them over twenty-five +separate pieces of ice. After dinner we continued the same kind +of travelling, which was, beyond all description, harrassing to +the officers and men. In crossing from mass to mass, several of +which were separated about half the length of our sledges, the +officers were stationed at the most difficult places to see that +no precaution, was omitted which could ensure the safety of the +provisions. Only one individual was allowed to jump over at a +time, or to stand near either margin, for fear of the weight +being too great for it; and when three or four men had separately +crossed, the sledge was cautiously drawn up to the edge, and the +word being given, the men suddenly ran away with the ropes, so as +to allow no time for its falling in if the ice should break. +Having at length succeeded in reaching a small floe, we halted at +half past six A.M., much wearied by nearly eleven hours' +exertion, by which we had only advanced three miles and a half in +a N.N.W. direction. We rose at six P.M., and prepared to set out, +but it rained so hard and so incessantly that it would have been +impossible to move without a complete drenching. It held up a +little at five, and at six we set out; but the rain soon +recommenced, though less heavily than before. At eight the rain +again became heavier, and we got under shelter of our awnings for +a quarter of an hour, to keep our shirts and other flannel +clothes dry; these being the only things we now had on which were +not thoroughly wet. At nine we did the same, but before ten were +obliged to halt altogether, the rain coming down in torrents, and +the men being much exhausted by continued wet and cold, though +the thermometer was at 36°, which was somewhat above our +usual temperature. At half past seven P.M. we again pursued our +journey, and, after much laborious travelling, we were fortunate, +considering the fog, in hitting upon a floe which proved the +longest we had yet crossed, being three miles from south to +north, though alternately rugged and flat. From this we launched +into a lane of water half a mile long from east to west, but +which only gave us a hundred and fifty yards of northing.</p> +<p>The floe on which we stopped to dine, at one A.M. on the 16th, +was not more than four feet thick, and its extent half a mile +square; and on this we had the rare advantage of carrying all our +loads at one journey. At half past six the fog cleared away, and +gave us beautiful weather for drying our clothes, and once more +the cheerful sight of the blue sky. We halted at half past seven, +after being twelve hours on the road, having made a N.b.W. +course, distance only six miles and a quarter, though we had +traversed nine miles. We saw, during this last journey, a +mallemucke and a second Ross gull: and a couple of small flies +(to us an event of ridiculous importance) were found upon the +ice.</p> +<p>We again pursued our way at seven in the evening, having the +unusual comfort of putting on dry stockings, and the no less rare +luxury of delightfully pleasant weather, the wind being moderate +from the S.S.E. It was so warm in the sun, though the temperature +in the shade was only 35°, that the tar was running out of +the seams of the boats; and a blackened bulb held against the +paint-work raised the thermometer to 72°. The floes were +larger to-day, and the ice, upon the whole, of heavier dimensions +than any we had yet met with. The general thickness of the floes, +however, did not exceed nine or ten feet, which is not more than +the usual thickness of those in Baffin's Bay and Hudson's +Strait.</p> +<p>The 17th of July being one of the days on which the Royal +Society of Edinburgh have proposed to institute a series of +simultaneous meteorological observations, we commenced an hourly +register of every phenomenon which came under our notice, and +which our instruments and other circumstances would permit, and +continued most of them throughout the day. Our latitude, observed +at noon, was 82° 32' 10", being more than a mile to the +southward of the reckoning, though the wind had been constantly +from that quarter during the twenty-four hours.</p> +<p>After midnight the road became, if possible, worse, and the +prospect to the northward more discouraging than before; nothing +but loose and very small pieces of ice being in sight, over which +the boats were dragged almost entirely by a "standing-pull." The +men were so exhausted with their day's work, that it was +absolutely necessary to give them something hot for supper, and +we again served a little cocoa for that purpose. They were also +put into good spirits by our having killed a small seal, which, +the following night, gave us an excellent supper. The meat of +these young animals is tender, and free from oiliness; but it +certainly has a smell and a look which would not have been +agreeable to any but very hungry people like ourselves. We also +considered it a great prize on account of its blubber, which gave +us fuel sufficient for cooking six hot messes for our whole +party, though the animal only weighed thirty pounds in the +whole.</p> +<p>Setting out at half past seven in the evening, we found the +sun more distressing to the eyes than we had ever yet had it, +bidding defiance to our crape veils and wire-gauze eye-shades;<a +name='FNanchor_022_22'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_022_22'><sup>[022]</sup></a> but a more effectual +screen was afforded by the sun becoming clouded about nine P.M. +At half past nine we came to a very difficult crossing among the +loose ice, which, however, we were encouraged to attempt by +seeing a floe of some magnitude beyond it. We had to convey the +sledges and provisions one way, and to haul the boats over by +another. One of the masses over which the boats came began to +roll about while one of them was upon it, giving us reason to +apprehend its upsetting, which must have been attended with some +very serious consequence: fortunately, however, it retained its +equilibrium long enough to allow us to get the boat past it in +safety, not without several of the men falling overboard, in +consequence of the long jumps we had to make, and the edges +breaking with their weight.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 20th we came to a good deal of ice, +which formed a striking contrast with the other, being composed +of flat bay-floes, not three feet thick, which would have +afforded us good travelling had they not recently been broken +into small pieces, obliging us to launch frequently from one to +another. These floes had been the product of the last winter +only, having probably been formed in some of the interstices left +between the larger bodies; and, from what we saw of them, there +could be little doubt of their being all dissolved before the +next autumnal frost. We halted at seven A.M., having, by our +reckoning, accomplished six miles and a half in a N.N.W. +direction, the distance traversed being ten miles and a half. It +may therefore be imagined how great was our mortification in +finding that our latitude, by observation at noon, was only +82° 36' 52", being less than <i>five</i> miles to the +northward of our place at noon on the 17th, since which time we +had certainly travelled <i>twelve</i> in that direction.</p> +<p>At five A.M. on the 21st, having gone ahead, as usual, upon a +bay-floe, to search for the best road, I heard a more than +ordinary noise and bustle among the people who were bringing up +the boats behind. On returning to them, I found that we had +narrowly, and most providentially, escaped a serious calamity; +the floe having broken under the weight of the boats and sledges, +and the latter having nearly been lost through the ice. Some of +the men went completely through, and one of them was only held up +by his drag-belt being attached to a sledge which happened to be +on firmer ice. Fortunately the bread had, by way of security, +been kept in the boats, or this additional weight would +undoubtedly have sunk the sledges, and probably some of the men +with them. As it was, we happily escaped, though we hardly knew +how, with a good deal of wetting; and, cautiously approaching the +boats, drew them to a stronger part of the ice, after which we +continued our journey till half past six A.M., when we halted to +rest, having travelled about seven miles N.N.W., our longitude by +chronometers being 19° 52' east, and the latitude 82° 39' +10", being only two miles and a quarter to the northward of the +preceding day's observation, or four miles and a half to the +southward of our reckoning.</p> +<p>Our sportsmen had the good fortune to kill another seal +to-day, rather larger than the first, which again proved a most +welcome addition to our provisions and fuel. Indeed, after this +supply of the latter, we were enabled to allow ourselves every +night a pint of warm water for supper, each man making his own +soup from such a portion of his bread and pemmican as he could +save from dinner. Setting out again at seven in the evening, we +were not sorry to find the weather quite calm, which sailors +account "half a fair wind;" for it was now evident that nothing +but a southerly breeze could enable us to make any tolerable +progress, or to regain what we had lately lost.</p> +<p>Our travelling to-night was the very best we had during this +excursion; for though we had to launch and haul up the boats +frequently, an operation which, under the most favourable +circumstances, necessarily occupies much time, yet the floes +being large and tolerably level, and some good lanes of water +occurring, we made, according to the most moderate calculation, +between ten and eleven miles in a N.N.E. direction, and traversed +a distance of about seventeen. We halted at a quarter past eight +A.M. after more than twelve hours' actual travelling, by which +the people were extremely fatigued; but, while our work seemed to +be repaid by anything like progress, the men laboured with great +cheerfulness to the utmost of their strength. The ice over which +we had travelled was by far the largest and heaviest we met with +during our whole journey; this, indeed, was the only occasion on +which we saw anything answering in the slightest degree to the +descriptions given of the main ice. The largest floe was from two +and a half to three miles square, and in some places the +thickness of the ice was from 15 to 20 feet. However, it was a +satisfaction to observe that the ice had certainly improved; and +we now ventured to hope that, for the short time that we could +still pursue our outward journey, our progress would be more +commensurate with our exertions than it had hitherto proved. In +proportion, then, to the hopes we had begun to entertain, was our +disappointment in finding, at noon, that we were in latitude +82° 43' 5", or not quite four miles to the northward of +yesterday's observation, instead of the ten or eleven which we +had travelled! We halted at seven A.M. on the 23d, after a +laborious day's work, and, I must confess, a disheartening one to +those who knew to how little effect we were struggling; which, +however, the men did not, though they often laughingly remarked +that "we were a long time getting to this 83°!" Being anxious +to make up, in some measure, for the drift which the present +northerly wind was in all probability occasioning, we rose +earlier than usual, and set off at half past four in the evening. +At half past five P.M. we saw a very beautiful natural +phenomenon. A broad white fog-bow first appeared opposite the +sun, as was very commonly the case; presently it became strongly +tinged with, the prismatic colours, and soon afterward no less +than five other complete arches were formed within the main bow, +the interior ones being gradually narrower than those without, +but the whole of them beautifully coloured. The larger bow, and +the one next within it, had the red on the outer or upper part of +the circle, the others on the inner side.</p> +<p>We halted at a quarter past three on the morning of the 24th, +having made four miles and a half N.N.E., over a road of about +seven and a half, most of which we traversed, as usual, three +times. We moved again at four P.M. over a difficult road, +composed of small and rugged ice. So small was the ice now around +us, that we were obliged to halt for the night at two A.M. on the +25th, being upon the only piece in sight, in any direction, on +which we could venture to trust the boats while we rested. Such +was the ice in the latitude of 82-3/4°.</p> +<p>The wind had now got round to the W.N.W., with raw, foggy +weather, and continued to blow fresh all day. Snow came on soon +after our halting, and about two inches had fallen when we moved +again at half past four P.M. We continued our journey in this +inclement weather for three hours, hauling from piece to piece, +and not making more than three quarters of a mile progress, till +our clothes and bread-bags had become very wet, and the snow fell +so thick that we could no longer see our way. It was therefore +necessary to halt, which we did at half past seven, putting the +awnings over the boats, changing our wet clothes, and giving the +men employment for the mere sake of occupying their minds. The +weather improving towards noon on the 26th, we obtained the +meridian altitude of the sun, by which we found ourselves in +latitude 82° 40' 23"; so that, since our last observation (at +midnight on the 22d), we had lost by drift no less than thirteen +miles and a half; for we were now more than three miles to the +<i>southward</i> of that observation, though we had certainly +travelled between ten and eleven due north in this interval! +Again, we were but one mile to the north of our place at noon on +the 21st, though we had estimated our distance made good at +twenty-three miles. Thus it appeared that for the last five days +we had been struggling against a southerly drift exceeding four +miles per day.</p> +<p>It had, for some time past, been too evident that the nature +of the ice with which we had to contend was such, and its drift +to the southward, especially with a northerly wind, so great, as +to put beyond our reach anything but a very moderate share of +success in travelling to the northward. Still, however, we had +been anxious to reach the highest latitude which our means would +allow, and with this view, although our whole object had long +become unattainable, had pushed on to the northward for +thirty-five days, or until half our resources were expended, and +the middle of our season arrived. For the last few days the +eighty-third parallel was the limit to which we had ventured to +extend our hopes; but even this expectation had become +considerably weakened since the setting in of the last northerly +wind, which continued to drive us to the southward, during the +necessary hours of rest, nearly as much as we could gain by +eleven or twelve hours of daily labour. Had our success been at +all proportionate to our exertions, it was my full intention to +proceed a few days beyond the middle of the period for which we +were provided, trusting to the resources we expected to find at +Table Island. But I could not but consider it as incurring +useless fatigue to the officers and men, and unnecessary wear and +tear for the boats, to persevere any longer in the attempt. I +determined, therefore, on giving the people one entire day's +rest, which they very much needed, and time to wash and mend +their clothes, while the officers were occupied in making all the +observations which might be interesting in this latitude; and +then to set out on our return on the following day. Having +communicated my intentions to the people, who were all much +disappointed at finding how little their labours had effected, we +set about our respective occupations, and were much favoured by a +remarkably fine day.</p> +<p>The highest latitude we reached was probably at seven A.M. on +the 23d, when, after the midnight observation, we travelled, by +our account, something more than a mile and a half, which would +carry us a little beyond 82° 45'. Some observations for the +magnetic intensity were obtained at this station. We here found +no bottom with five hundred fathoms of line. At the extreme point +of our journey, our distance from the Hecla was only 172 miles in +a S. 8° W. direction. To accomplish this distance, we had +traversed, by our reckoning, 292 miles, of which about 100 were +performed by water, previous to our entering the ice. As we +travelled by far the greater part of our distance on the ice +three, and not unfrequently five, times over, we may safely +multiply the length of the road by two and a half; so that our +whole distance, on a very moderate calculation, amounted to 580 +geographical or 668 statute miles, being nearly sufficient to +have reached the Pole in a direct line.</p> +<p>Our day of rest (27th of July) proved one of the warmest and +most pleasant to the feelings we had yet had upon the ice, though +the thermometer was only from 31° to 36° in the shade, +and 37° in the sun, with occasional fog; but to persons in +the open air, calm and tolerably dry weather affords absolute +enjoyment, especially by contrast with what we had lately +experienced. Our ensigns and pendants were displayed during the +day; and, sincerely as we regretted not having been able to hoist +the British flag in the highest latitude to which we had aspired, +we shall perhaps be excused in having felt some little pride in +being the bearers of it to a parallel considerably beyond that +mentioned in any other well-authenticated record.</p> +<p>At 4.30 P.M. on the 27th, we set out on our return to the +southward, and I can safely say that, dreary and cheerless as +were the scenes we were about to leave, we never turned homeward +with so little satisfaction as on this occasion. To afford a +chance of determining the general set of the current from this +latitude, we left upon a hummock of ice a paper, sewn up in a +water-proof canvass bag, and then enclosed in a water-tight tin +canister, giving an account of the place where it was deposited, +and requesting any person who should find it to send it to the +secretary of the admiralty. Nothing worthy of particular notice +occurred on this and the following day, on each of which we +travelled eleven hours; finding the water somewhat more open and +the floes less rugged than usual. Two of these were from two to +three miles in length, and in one instance the surface was +sufficiently level to allow us to drag the boats for three +quarters of a mile with the sledges <i>in tow</i>. Our latitude, +observed at noon of the 30th, was 82° 20' 37", or twelve +miles and a half to the southward of the preceding day's +observation, though we had travelled only seven by our account; +so that the drift of the ice had assisted us in gaining five +miles and a half in that interval.</p> +<p>Setting out to continue our journey at five P.M., we could +discover nothing from a high hummock but the kind of bay-ice +before noticed, except on the floe on which we had slept. The +travelling was very laborious, but we were obliged to go on till +we could get to a secure floe for resting upon, which we could +not effect till half past four on the 31st, when, in eleven hours +and a half, we had not made more than two miles and a quarter of +southing. However, we had the satisfaction, which was denied us +on our outward journey, of feeling confident that we should keep +all that we gained, and probably make a good deal more; which, +indeed, proved to be the case, for at noon we found our latitude, +by observation, to be 82° 14' 25", or four miles to the +southward of the reckoning.</p> +<p>We halted at five A.M. on the 1st of August, the officers and +men being quite knocked up, and having made by our account only +two miles of southing over a road not less than five in length. +As we came along we had seen some recent bear-tracks, and soon +after discovered Bruin himself. Halting the boats and concealing +the people behind them, we drew him almost within gun-shot; but, +after making a great many traverses behind some hummocks, and +even mounting one of them to examine us more narrowly, he set off +and escaped—I must say, to our grievous disappointment; for +we had already, by anticipation, consigned a tolerable portion of +his flesh to our cooking kettle, over a fire of his own +blubber.</p> +<p>In the course of our journey, on the 2d of August, we met with +a quantity of snow, tinged, to the depth of several inches, with +some red colouring matter, of which a portion was preserved in a +bottle for future examination. This circumstance recalled to our +recollection our having frequently before, in the course of this +journey, remarked that the loaded sledges, in passing over hard +snow, left upon it a light, rose-coloured tint, which, at the +time, we attributed to the colouring matter being pressed out of +the birch of which they were made. Today, however, we observed +that the runners of the, boats, and even our own footsteps, +exhibited the same appearance; and, on watching it more narrowly +afterward, we found the same effect to be produced, in a greater +or less degree, by heavy pressure, on almost all the ice over +which we passed, though a magnifying glass could detect nothing +to give it this tinge. Halting at seven A.M. on the 3d, after +launching and hauling up the boats a great number of times, we +had not only the comfort of drying all our wet clothes, but were +even able to wash many of our woollen things, which dried in a +few hours. The latitude observed at noon was 82° 1' 48", or +twelve miles and a half, to the southward of our place on the +31st, which was about three more than our log gave, though there +had been southing in the wind during the whole interval.</p> +<p>We proceeded on our journey southward at eight P.M., and were +again favoured with a clear and beautiful night, though the +travelling was as slow and laborious as ever, there being +scarcely a tolerable floe lying in our road. The sun now became +so much lower at night, that we were seldom annoyed by the glare +from the snow. It was also a very comfortable change to those who +had to look out for the road, to have the sun behind us instead +of facing it, as on our outward journey. We stopped to rest at a +quarter past six A.M. on the 4th, after accomplishing three miles +in a south direction, over a troublesome road of nearly twice +that length. It was almost calm, and to our feelings oppressively +warm during the day, the thermometer within the boats rising as +high as 66°, which put our fur dresses nearly "out of +commission," though the mercury exposed to the sun outside did +not rise above 39°. Pursuing our journey at eight P.M., we +paid, as usual, for this comfort by the extreme softness of the +snow. The upper crust would sometimes support a man's weight for +a short time, and then suddenly let him down two or three feet, +so that we could never make sure of our footing for two steps +together. Several of the men were also suffering much at this +time from chilblains, which, from the constant wet and cold, as +well as the irritation in walking, became serious sores, keeping +them quite lame. With many of our people, also, the epidermis or +scarfskin peeled off in large flakes, not merely in the face and +hands, which were exposed to the action of the sun and the +weather, but in every other part of the body; this, however, was +attended with no pain, nor with much inconvenience.</p> +<p>A fat bear crossed over a lane of water to visit us, and, +approaching the boats within twenty yards, was killed by +Lieutenant Ross. The scene which followed was laughable, even to +us who participated in it. Before the animal had done biting the +snow, one of the men was alongside of him with an open knife; +and, being asked what he was about to do, replied that he was +about cut out his heart and liver to put into the pot, which +happened to be then boiling for our supper. In short, before the +bear had been dead an hour, all hands of us were employed, to our +great satisfaction, in discussing the merits, not only of the +said heart and liver, but a pound per man of the flesh; besides +which, some or other of the men were constantly frying steaks +during the whole day, over a large fire made of the blubber. The +consequence of all this, and other similar indulgences, +necessarily was, that some of them complained, for several days +after, of the pains usually arising from indigestion; though they +all, amusingly enough, attributed this effect to the quality, and +not the quantity of meat they had eaten. However, notwithstanding +these excesses at first, we were really thankful for this +additional supply of meat; for we had observed for some time +past, that the men were evidently not so strong as before, and +would be the better for more sustenance.</p> +<p>The rain continued so hard at our usual time of setting out, +that I was obliged to delay doing so till six P.M. on the 8th, +when it ceased a little, after falling hard for twenty-four +hours, and less violently for twelve more. When we first launched +the boats, our prospect of making progress seemed no better than +usual, but we found one small hole of water leading into another +in so extraordinary a manner, that, though the space in which we +were rowing seemed always to be coming to an end, we continued to +creep through narrow passages, and, when we halted to dine at +half an hour before midnight, had only hauled the boats up once, +and had made, though by a winding channel, four or five miles of +southing. This was so unusual a circumstance, that we could not +help entertaining some hope of our being at no great distance +from the open sea, which seemed the more probable from our having +seen seven or eight narwhals, and not less than two hundred +rotges, a flock of these little birds occurring in every hole of +water. At noon on the 10th of August, we observed in latitude +81° 40' 13", which was only four miles to the northward of +our reckoning from the last observation, although there had been +almost constantly southing in the wind ever since, and it had +been blowing strong from that quarter for the last thirty hours. +This circumstance afforded a last and striking proof of the +general tendency of the ice to drift southward, about the +meridians on which we had been travelling. Another bear came +towards the boats in the course of the day, and was killed. We +were now so abundantly supplied with meat, that the men would +again have eaten immoderately had we not interposed the necessary +authority to prevent them. As it was, our encampment became so +like an Esquimaux establishment, that we were obliged to shift +our place upon the floe in the course of the day, for the sake of +cleanliness and comfort.</p> +<p>The wind falling towards midnight, we launched the boats at +half past one A.M. on the 11th, paddling alternately in large +spaces of clear water and among streams of loose "sailing ice." +We soon afterward observed such indications of an open sea as +could not be mistaken, much of the ice being "washed" as by a +heavy sea, with small rounded fragments thrown on the surface, +and a good deal of "dirty ice" occurring. After passing through a +good deal of loose ice, it became gradually more and more open, +till at length, at a quarter before seven A.M., we heard the +first sound of the swell under the hollow margins of the ice, and +in a quarter of an hour had reached the open sea, which was +dashing with heavy surges against the outer masses. We hauled the +boats upon one of these, to eat our last meal upon the ice, and +to complete the necessary supply of water for our little voyage +to Table Island, from which we were now distant fifty miles, our +latitude being 81° 34', and longitude 18-1/4° E. A light +air springing up from the N.W., we again launched the boats, and +at eight A.M. finally quitted the ice, after having taken up our +abode upon it for forty-eight days.</p> +<p>We had some fog during the night, so that we steered entirely +by compass, according to our last observations by the +chronometers, which proved so correct, that, at five A.M. on the +12th, on the clearing up of the haze, we made the island right +ahead. At eleven A.M. we reached the island, or rather the rock +to the northward of it, where our provisions had been deposited; +and I cannot describe the comfort we experienced in once more +feeling a dry and solid footing. We found that the bears had +devoured all the bread (one hundred pounds), which occasioned a +remark among the men, with reference to the quantity of these +animals' flesh that we had eaten, that "Bruin was only square +with us." We also found that Lieutenant Crozier had been here +since we left the island, bringing some materials for repairing +our boats, as well as various little luxuries to which we had +lately been strangers, and depositing in a copper cylinder a +letter from Lieutenant Foster, giving me a detailed account of +the proceedings of the ship up to the 23d of July. By this I +learned that the Hecla had been forced on shore on the 7th of +July, by the breaking-up of the ice at the head of the bay, which +came down upon her in one solid mass; but, by the unwearied and +zealous exertions of the officers and men, she had again been +hove off without incurring the slightest damage, and placed in +perfect security. Among the supplies with which the anxious care +of our friends on board had now furnished us, some lemon-juice +and sugar were not the least acceptable; two or three of the men +having for some days past suffered from oedematous swellings of +the legs, and evinced other symptoms apparently scorbutic, but +which soon improved after administering this valuable +specific.</p> +<p>Having got our stores into the boats, we rowed round Table +Island to look for a place on which to rest, the men being much +fatigued; but so rugged and inhospitable is this northern rock, +that not a single spot could we find where the boats could +possibly be hauled up, or lie afloat in security. I therefore +determined to take advantage of the freshening of the N.E. wind, +and to bear up for Walden Island, which we accordingly did at two +P.M. We had scarcely made, sail when the weather became extremely +inclement, with a fresh gale and very thick snow, which obscured +Walden Island from our view. Steering by compass, however, we +made a good landfall, the boats behaving well in a sea; and at +seven P.M. landed in the smoothest place we could find under the +lee of the island. Everything belonging to us was now completely +drenched by the spray and snow; we had been fifty-six hours +without rest, and forty-eight at work in the boats, so that, by +the time they were unloaded, we had barely strength left to haul +them up on the rock. We noticed, on this occasion, that the men +had that wildness in their looks which usually accompanies +excessive fatigue; and, though just as willing as ever to obey +orders, they seemed at times not to comprehend them. However, by +dint of great exertion, we managed to get the boats above the +surf; after which, a hot supper, a blazing fire of driftwood, and +a few hours' quiet rest, quite restored us.</p> +<p>The next morning, the 13th, I despatched Lieutenant Ross, with +a party of hands, to the N.E. part of the island, to launch the +spare boat, which, according to my directions, Lieutenant Foster +had sent for our use, and to bring round the stores deposited +there in readiness for our setting off for Low Island. They found +everything quite undisturbed; but, by the time they reached us, +the wind had backed to the westward, and the weather become very +wet, so that I determined to remain here till it improved.</p> +<p>At ten A.M. on the 14th, the weather being fine, we launched +our three boats and left Walden Island; but the wind backing more +to the westward, we could only fetch into a bay on the opposite +or southern shore, where we hauled the boats up on very rugged +rocks, under cliffs about six hundred feet high, and of the same +granite formation as Walden Island.</p> +<p>The wind dying away on the morning of the 17th, we once more +set out for the ship at nine A.M.; but having a second time +nearly reached Shoal Point, were again met by a strong breeze as +we opened Waygatz Strait, and were therefore obliged to land upon +the low shore to the southward of Low Island.</p> +<p>On the 18th of August the wind increased to a strong breeze +from the S.W., with rain and sleet, which afterward changed to +snow in some of the largest flakes I ever saw, completely +changing the whole aspect of the land from summer to winter in a +few hours. On the following morning we prepared to move at an +early hour, but the wind backed more to the westward, and soon +after increased to a gale, raising so much surf on the beach as +to oblige us to haul the boats higher up. On the 20th, tired as +we were of this tedious confinement, and anxious to reach the +ship, the wind and sea were still too high to allow us to move, +and it was not till half past seven A.M. on the following day +that we could venture to launch the boats. Having now, by means +of the driftwood, converted our paddles into oars, and being +occasionally favoured by a light breeze, with a perfectly open +sea, we made tolerable progress, and at half past four P.M. on +the 21st of August, when within three or four miles of Hecla +Cove, had the gratification of seeing a boat under sail coming +out to meet us. Mr. Weir soon joined us in one of the cutters; +and, after hearing good accounts of the safety of the ship, and +of the welfare of all on board, together with a variety of +details, to us of no small interest, we arrived on board at seven +P.M., after an absence of sixty-one days, being received with +that warm and cordial welcome which can alone be felt, and not +described.</p> +<p>I cannot conclude the account of our proceedings without +endeavouring to do justice to the cheerful alacrity and unwearied +zeal displayed by my companions, both officers and men, in the +course of this excursion; and if steady perseverance and active +exertion on their parts could have accomplished our object, +success would undoubtedly have crowned our labours. I must also +mention, to the credit of the officers of Woolwich dock-yard, who +took so much pains in the construction of our boats, that, +notwithstanding the constant and severe trial to which their +strength had been put—and a more severe trial could not +well be devised—not a timber was sprung, a plank split, or +the smallest injury sustained by them; they were, indeed, as +tight and as fit for service when we reached the ship as when +they were first received on board, and in every respect answered +the intended purpose admirably.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<br> + +<p>On my arrival on board, I learned from Lieutenant Crozier that +Lieutenant Foster, finding that no farther disturbance from ice +was to be apprehended, and after making an accurate plan of the +bay and its neighbourhood, had proceeded on the survey of Waygatz +Strait, and proposed returning by the 26th of August, the day to +which I had limited his absence. I found the ship quite ready for +sea, with the exception of getting on board the launch, with the +stores deposited by my direction on the beach. Lieutenant +Foster's report informed me that, after the ship had been hauled +off the ground, they had again suffered considerable disturbance +for several days, in consequence of some heavy masses of ice +driving into the bay, which dragged the anchors, and again +threatened them with a similar accident. However, after the +middle of July, no ice had entered the bay, and, what is still +more remarkable, not a piece had been seen in the offing for some +weeks past, even after hard northerly and westerly gales.</p> +<p>On the 22d of August, as soon as our people had enjoyed a good +night's rest, we commenced bringing the stores on board from the +beach, throwing out such a quantity of the stone ballast as was +necessary for trimming the ship; after which the cables and +hawsers were cast off from the shore, and the ship hauled off to +single anchor. Lieutenant Foster returned on board on the 24th, +having surveyed the greater part of the shores of the strait, as +far to the southward as 79° 33".</p> +<p>Lieutenant Foster saw some seahorses (narwhals) and white +whales in the course of this excursion, but no black whales; nor +did we, in the whole course of the voyage, see any of these, +except on the ground already frequented by our whalers on the +western coast of Spitzbergen. It is remarkable, however, that the +"crown-bones," and other parts of the skeleton of whales, are +found in most parts where we landed on this coast. The shores of +the strait, like all the rest in Spitzbergen, are lined with +immense quantities of driftwood, wherever the nature of the coast +will allow it to land.</p> +<p>The animals met with here during the Hecla's stay were +principally reindeer, bears, foxes, kittiwakes, glaucus and ivory +gulls, tern, eider-ducks, and a few grouse. Looms and rotges were +numerous in the offing. Seventy reindeer were killed, chiefly +very small, and, until the middle of August, not in good +condition. They were usually met with in herds of from six or +eight to twenty, and were most abundant on the west and north +sides of the bay. Three bears were killed, one of which was +somewhat above the ordinary dimensions, measuring eight feet four +inches from the snout to the insertion of the tail. The +vegetation was tolerably abundant, especially on the western side +of the bay, where the soil is good; a considerable collection of +plants, as well as minerals, was made by Mr. Halse, and of birds +by Mr. M'Cormick.</p> +<p>The neighbourhood of this bay, like most of the northern +shores of Spitzbergen, appears to have been much visited by the +Dutch at a very early period; of which circumstance records are +furnished on almost every spot where we landed, by the numerous +graves which we met with. There are thirty of these on a point of +land on the north side of the bay.<a name= +'FNanchor_023_23'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_023_23'><sup>[023]</sup></a> The bodies are usually +deposited in an oblong wooden coffin, which, on account of the +difficulty of digging the ground, is not buried, but merely +covered by large stones; and a board is generally placed near the +head, having, either cut or painted upon it, the name of the +deceased, with those of his ship and commander, and the month and +year of his burial. Several of these were fifty or sixty years +old; one bore the date of 1738; and another, which I found on the +beach to the eastward of Hecla Cove, that of 1690; the +inscription distinctly appearing in prominent relief, occasioned +by the preservation of the wood by the paint, while the unpainted +part had decayed around it.</p> +<p>The officers who remained on board the Hecla during the summer +described the weather as the most beautiful, and the climate +altogether the most agreeable, they had ever experienced in the +Polar Regions. Indeed, the Meteorological Journal shows a +temperature, both of the air and of the sea water, to which we +had before been altogether strangers within the Arctic Circle, +and which goes far towards showing that the climate of +Spitzbergen is a remarkably temperate one for its latitude.<a +name='FNanchor_024_24'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_024_24'><sup>[024]</sup></a> It must, however, be +observed, that this remark is principally applicable to the +weather experienced <i>near the land</i>, that at sea being +rendered of a totally different character by the almost continual +presence of fogs; so that some of our most gloomy days upon the +ice were among the finest in Hecla Cove, where, however, a good +deal of rain fell in the course of the summer.</p> +<p>The Hecla was ready for sea on the 25th of August; but the +wind blowing fresh from the northward and westward prevented our +moving till the evening of the 28th, when, the weather improving, +we got under way from Hecla Cove, and, being favoured with a +light air from the S.E., stood along the coast to the westward. +On the evening of the 29th, when off Red Beach, we got on board +our boat and other stores which had been left there, finding them +undisturbed and in good order. The weather was beautifully fine, +and the sun (to us for the first time for about four months) just +dipped his lower limb into the sea at midnight, and then rose +again. It was really wonderful to see that, upon this whole +northern coast of Spitzbergen, where in May and June not a "hole" +of clear water could be found, it would now have been equally +difficult to discover a single mass of ice in any direction. This +absence of ice now enabled us to see Moffen Island, which is so +low and flat that it was before entirely hidden from our view by +the hummocks. On rounding Hakluyt's Headland on the 30th, we came +at once into a long swell, such as occurs only in places exposed +to the whole range of the ocean, and, except a small or loose +stream or two, we after this saw no more ice of any kind. On the +31st we were off Prince Charles's Foreland, the middle part of +which, about Cape Sietoe, appeared to be much the highest land we +had seen in Spitzbergen; rising probably to an elevation of above +four thousand feet.</p> +<p>We had favourable winds to carry us clear of Spitzbergen; but +after the 3d of September, and between the parallels of 70° +and 60°, were detained by continual southerly and +southwesterly breezes for a fortnight. On the evening of the 17th +we made Shetland, and on the following day, being close off Balta +Sound, and the wind blowing strong from the S.W., I anchored in +the Voe at two P.M., to wait a more favourable breeze. We were +here received by all that genuine hospitality for which the +inhabitants of this northern part of the British dominions are so +justly distinguished, and we gladly availed ourselves of the +supplies with which their kindness furnished us.</p> +<p>Early on the morning of the 19th of September, the wind +suddenly shifted to the N.N.W., and almost immediately blew so +strong a gale that we could not safely cast the ship until the +evening, when we got under way and proceeded to the southward; +but had not proceeded farther than Fair Island, when, after a few +hours' calm, we were once more met by a southerly wind. Against +this we continued to beat till the morning of the 23d, when, +finding that we made but little progress, and that there was no +appearance of an alteration of wind, I determined to put into +Long Hope, in the Orkney Islands, to await a change in our +favour, and accordingly ran in and anchored there as soon as the +tide would permit.</p> +<p>We found lying here his majesty's revenue cutter the +Chichester; and Mr. Stuart, her commander, who was bound direct +to Inverness, came on board as soon as we had anchored, to offer +his services in any manner which might be useful. The wind died +away in the course of the night of the 24th, and was succeeded on +the following morning by a light air from the northward, when we +immediately got under way; but had not entered the Pentland +Firth, when it again fell calm and then backed to the southward, +rendering it impossible to make any progress in that direction +with a dull-sailing ship. I therefore determined on returning +with the Hecla to the anchorage, and then taking advantage of Mr. +Stuart's offer; and accordingly left the ship at eight A.M., +accompanied by Mr. Beverly, to proceed to Inverness in the +Chichester, and from thence by land to London, in order to lay +before his royal highness the lord high admiral, without farther +delay, an account of our proceedings. By the zealous exertions of +Mr. Stuart, for which I feel greatly obliged to that gentleman, +we arrived off Fort George the following morning, and, landing at +Inverness at noon, immediately set off for London, and arrived at +the Admiralty on the morning of the 29th of September.</p> +<p>Owing to the continuance of southerly winds, the Hecla did not +arrive in the river Thames until the 6th of October, when I was +sorry, though not surprised, to learn the death of Mr. George +Crawford, the Greenland master, who departed this life on the +29th of September, sincerely lamented by all who knew him, as a +zealous, active, and enterprising seaman, and an amiable and +deserving man. Mr. Crawford had accompanied us in five successive +voyages to the Polar Seas, and I truly regret the occasion which +demands from me this public testimony of the value of his +services and the excellence of his character.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<br> + +<p>Having finished my Narrative of this Attempt to reach the +North Pole, I may perhaps be permitted, in conclusion, to offer +such remarks as have lately occurred to me on the nature and +practicability of the enterprise.</p> +<p>That the object is of still more difficult attainment than was +before supposed, even by those persons who were the best +qualified to judge of it, will, I believe, appear evident from a +perusal of the foregoing pages; nor can I, after much +consideration and some experience of the various difficulties +which belong to it, recommend any material improvement in the +plan lately adopted. Among the various schemes suggested for this +purpose, it has been proposed to set out from Spitzbergen, and to +make a rapid journey to the northward with sledges or +sledge-boats, drawn wholly by dogs or reindeer; but, however +feasible this plan may at first sight appear, I cannot say that +our late experience of the nature of the ice which they would +probably have to encounter has been at all favourable to it. It +would, of course, be a matter of extreme imprudence to set out on +this enterprise without the means of crossing, not merely narrow +pools and "lanes," but more extensive spaces of open water, such +as we met with between the margin of the ice and the Spitzbergen +shores; and I do not conceive that any boat sufficiently large to +be efficient and safe for this purpose could possibly be managed +upon the ice, were the power employed to give it motion dependant +on dogs or reindeer. On the contrary, it was a frequent subject +of remark among the officers, that reason was a qualification +scarcely less indispensable than strength and activity in +travelling over such a road; daily instances occurring of our +having to pass over difficult places, which no other animal than +man could have been easily prevailed upon to attempt. Indeed, the +constant necessity of launching and hauling up the boats (which +operations we had frequently to perform eight or ten, and, on one +occasion, seventeen times in the same day) would alone render it +inexpedient, in my opinion, to depend chiefly upon animals; for +it would certainly require more time and labour to get them into +and out of the boats, than their services in the intervals, or +their flesh ultimately used as food, would be worth; especially +when it is considered how large a weight of provender must be +carried for their own subsistence.<a name= +'FNanchor_025_25'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_025_25'><sup>[025]</sup></a></p> +<p>In case of employing reindeer, which, from their strength, +docility, and hardy habits, appear the best suited to this kind +of travelling, there would be an evident advantage in setting out +much earlier in the year than we did; perhaps about the end of +April, when the ice is less broken up, and the snow much harder +upon its surface than at a more advanced part of the season. But +this, it must be recollected, would involve the necessity of +passing the previous winter on the northern coast of Spitzbergen, +which, even under favourable circumstances, would probably tend +to weaken in some degree the energies of the men; while, on the +other hand, it would be next to impossible to procure there a +supply of provender for a number of tame reindeer, sufficient +even to keep them alive, much less in tolerable condition, during +a whole winter. In addition to this, it may be observed, that any +party setting out earlier must be provided with a much greater +weight of warm clothing in order to guard against the severity of +cold, and also with an increased proportion of fuel for procuring +water by the melting of snow, there being no fresh water upon the +ice in these latitudes before the month of June.</p> +<p>In the kind of provisions proper to be employed in such +enterprises—a very important consideration, where almost +the whole difficulty may be said to resolve itself into a +question of weight—I am not aware that any improvement +could be made upon that with which we were furnished; for I know +of none which appears to contain so much nutriment in so small a +weight and compass. It may be useful, however, to remark, as the +result of absolute experience, that our daily allowance of +provisions,<a name='FNanchor_026_26'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_026_26'><sup>[026]</sup></a> although previously tried +for some days on board the ship, and then considered to be +enough, proved by no means sufficient to support the strength of +men living constantly in the open air, exposed to wet and cold +for at least twelve hours a day, seldom enjoying the luxury of a +warm meal, and having to perform the kind of labour to which our +people were subject. I have before remarked, that, previously to +our return to the ship, our strength was considerably impaired; +and, indeed, there is reason to believe that, very soon after +entering upon the ice, the physical energies of the men were +gradually diminishing, although, for the first few weeks, they +did not appear to labour under any specific complaint. This +diminution of strength, which we considered to be principally +owing to the want of sufficient sustenance, became apparent, even +after a fortnight, in the lifting of the bread-bags and other +heavy weights; and I have no doubt that, in spite of every care +on the part of the officers, as well as Mr. Beverly's skilful and +humane attention to their ailments, some of the men, who had +begun to fail before we quitted the ice, would, in a week or two +longer, have suffered very severely, and become a serious +encumbrance, instead of an assistance, to our party. As far as we +were able to judge, without farther trial, Mr. Beverly and myself +were of opinion that, in order to maintain the strength of men +thus employed for several weeks together, an addition would be +requisite of at least one third more to the provisions which we +daily issued. I need scarcely remark how much this would increase +the difficulty of equipping such an expedition.</p> +<p>I cannot dismiss the subject of this enterprise without +attempting to explain, as far as I am able, how it may have +happened that the ice over which we passed was found to answer so +little to the description of that observed by the respectable +authorities quoted in a former part of this volume.<a name= +'FNanchor_027_27'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_027_27'><sup>[027]</sup></a> It frequently occurred to +us, in the course of our daily journeys, that this may, in some +degree, have arisen from our navigators' having generally viewed +the ice from a considerable height. The only clear and commanding +view on board a ship is that from the crow's-nest; and Phipps's +most important remarks concerning the nature of the ice to the +north of Spitzbergen were made from a station several hundred +feet above the sea; and, as it is well known how much the most +experienced eye may thus be deceived, it is possible enough that +the irregularities which cost us so much time and labour may, +when viewed in this manner, have entirely escaped notice, and the +whole surface have appeared one smooth and level plain.</p> +<p>It is, moreover, possible, that the broken state in which we +unexpectedly found the ice may have arisen, at least in part, +from an unusually wet season, preceded, perhaps, by a winter of +less than ordinary severity. Of the latter we have no means of +judging, there being no record, that I am aware of, of the +temperature of that or any other winter passed in the higher +latitudes; but, on comparing our Meteorological Register with +some others kept during the corresponding season and about the +same latitude,<a name='FNanchor_028_28'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_028_28'><sup>[028]</sup></a> it does appear that, +though no material difference is observable in the mean +temperature of the atmosphere, the quantity of rain which we +experienced is considerably greater than usual; and it is well +known how very rapidly ice is dissolved by a fall of rain. At all +events, from whatever cause it may have arisen, it is certain +that, about the meridian on which we proceeded northward in the +boats, the sea was in a totally different state from what Phipps +experienced, as may be seen from comparing our accounts—his +ship being closely beset, near the Seven Islands, for several +days about the beginning of August; whereas the Hecla, in the +beginning of June, sailed about in the same neighbourhood without +obstruction, and, before the close of July, not a piece of ice +could be seen from Little Table Island.</p> +<p>I may add, in conclusion, that, before the middle of August, +when we left the ice in our boats, a ship might have sailed to +the latitude, of 82° almost without touching a piece of ice; +and it was the general opinion among us, that, by the end of that +month, it would probably have been no very difficult matter to +reach the parallel of 83°, about the meridian of the Seven +Islands.</p> +<br> + +<p>THE END.</p> +<hr style='width: 45%;'> +<br> + +<p>FOOTNOTES</p> +<a name='Footnote_001_1'></a><a href='#FNanchor_001_1'>[001]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>This name being applied by the Esquimaux to several other +portions of land, all of which are insular, or nearly so, it is +probable that the word simply signifies an island.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_002_2'></a><a href='#FNanchor_002_2'>[002]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>The expression "fixed ice" appearing better suited to our +present obstacle than that of "land ice," I shall in future adopt +it in speaking of this barrier.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_003_3'></a><a href='#FNanchor_003_3'>[003]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Lest it should be thought that this account is exaggerated, I +may here state, that, as a matter of curiosity, we one day tried +how much a lad, scarcely full grown, would, if freely supplied, +consume in this way. The under-mentioned articles were weighed +before being given to him; he was twenty hours in getting through +them, and certainly did not consider the quantity +extraordinary.</p> +</div> +<pre> + lb. oz. + Seahorse flesh, hard frozen 4 4 + Ditto, boiled 4 4 + Bread and bread-dust 1 12 + ________ + + Total of solids 10 4 + The Fluids were in fair proportion, viz.: + Rich gravy-soup 1-1/4 pint. + Raw spirits 3 wine glasses. + Strong grog. 1 tumbler. + Water 1 gallon 1 pint. +</pre> +<br> +<a name='Footnote_004_4'></a><a href='#FNanchor_004_4'>[004]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>We have since heard that these ships were the Dexterity, of +Leith, and the Aurora, of Hull, which were wrecked on the 28th of +August, 1821, about the latitude of 72°.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_005_5'></a><a href='#FNanchor_005_5'>[005]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>A fine lad, of about sixteen, being one day out in a boat with +one of our gentlemen at Arlagnuk, reminded him, with a serious +face, that he had laid a gun down <i>full-cocked</i>. There +happened to be no charge in the gun at the time; but this was a +proof of the attention the boy had paid to the art of using +firearms, as well as an instance of considerate and manly +caution, scarcely to have been expected in an individual of that +age.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_006_6'></a><a href='#FNanchor_006_6'>[006]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Most Greenland sailors use these; but many persons, both +officers and men, have an absurd prejudice against what they call +"wearing stays."</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_007_7'></a><a href='#FNanchor_007_7'>[007]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>It is remarkable that this poor man had, twice before, within +the space of nine months, been very near death; for, besides the +accident already mentioned, of falling down the hill when +escaping from the bear, he was also in imminent danger of dying +of dropsy during the winter.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_008_8'></a><a href='#FNanchor_008_8'>[008]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>This birch, they said, had been procured from the southward by +way of <i>Noowook</i>. We never met with any of the same kind in +those parts of the country which we visited, except that observed +by Captain Lyon in the deserted habitations of the Esquimaux near +Five Hawser Bay.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_009_9'></a><a href='#FNanchor_009_9'>[009]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Toolooak, who was a frequent visitor at the young gentlemen's +mess-table on board the Fury, once evinced this taste, and no +small cunning at the same time, by asking alternately for a +little more bread and a little more butter, till he had made a +hearty meal.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_010_10'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_010_10'>[010]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Cervical, 7; dorsal, 13; lumbar, 7; sacral, 3; caudal, 19.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_011_11'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_011_11'>[011]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Cartwright's <i>Labrador</i>, iii., 232.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_012_12'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_012_12'>[012]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Ledyard. <i>Proceedings of the African Association</i>, vol i, +p. 30.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_013_13'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_013_13'>[013]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>The first travelling boat, which was built by way of +experiment, was planked differently from these two; the planks, +which were of half-inch oak, being ingeniously "tongued" together +with copper, in order to save the necessity of caulking in case +of the wood shrinking. This was the boat subsequently landed on +Red Beach.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_014_14'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_014_14'>[014]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>This article of our equipment contains a large proportion of +nutriment in a small weight and compass, and is therefore +invaluable on such occasions. The process, which requires great +attention, consists in drying large thin slices of the lean of +the meat over the smoke of wood-fires, then pounding it, and +lastly mixing it with about an equal weight of its own fat. In +this state it is quite ready for use, without farther +cooking.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_015_15'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_015_15'>[015]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>The merits of this simple but valuable invention being now too +well known to require any detailed account of the experiments, it +is only necessary for me to remark, in this place, that the +compass, having the plate attached to it, gave, under all +circumstances, the correct magnetic bearing.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_016_16'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_016_16'>[016]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>It is remarkable, that the Esquimaux word for boot is very +like this—Kameega.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_017_17'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_017_17'>[017]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>I find it to be the universal opinion among the most +experienced of our whalers, that there is much less ice met with, +of late years, in getting to the northward, in these latitudes, +than formerly was the case. Mr. Scoresby, to whose very valuable +local information, contained in his "Account of the Arctic +Regions," I have been greatly indebted on this occasion, mentions +the circumstance as a generally received fact.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_018_18'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_018_18'>[018]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>It was probably some such gale as this which has given to +Hakluyt's Headland, in an old Dutch chart, the appellation of +"Duyvel's Hoek."</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_019_19'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_019_19'>[019]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>I have been thus particular in noticing the Hecla's position, +because our observations would appear to be, with one exception, +the most northern on record at that time. The Commissioners of +Longitude, in their memorial to the king in council, in the year +1821, consider that the "progress of discovery has not arrived +northward, according to any well-authenticated accounts, so far +as eighty-one degrees of north latitude." Mr. Scoresby states his +having observed in lat. 81° 12' 42".</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_020_20'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_020_20'>[020]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Had we succeeded in reaching the higher latitudes, where the +change of the sun's altitude during the twenty-four hours is +still less perceptible, it would have been essentially necessary +to possess the certain means of knowing this; since an error of +twelve hours of time would have carried us, when we intended to +return, on a meridian opposite to, or 180° from, the right +one. To obviate the possibility of this, we had some chronometers +constructed by Messrs. Parkinson and Frodsham, of which the +hour-hand made only one revolution in the day, the twenty-four +hours being marked round the dial-plate.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_021_21'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_021_21'>[021]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>I may here mention, that, notwithstanding the heavy blows +which the boats were constantly receiving, all our nautical and +astronomical instruments were taken back to the ship without +injury. This circumstance makes it, perhaps, worth while to +explain, that they were lashed upon a wooden platform in the +after locker of each boat, sufficiently small to be clear of the +boat's sides, and playing on strong springs of whalebone, which +entirely obviated the effects of the severe concussions to which +they would otherwise have been subject.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_022_22'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_022_22'>[022]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>We found the best preservative against this glare to be a pair +of spectacles, having the glass of a bluish-green colour, and +with side-screens to them.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_023_23'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_023_23'>[023]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Perhaps the name of this bay, from the Dutch word +<i>Treuren</i>, "to lament, or be mournful," may have some +reference to the graves found here.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_024_24'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_024_24'>[024]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Mr. Crowe, of Hammerfest, who lately passed a winter on the +southwestern coast of Spitzbergen, in about latitude 78°, +informed me that he had <i>rain at Christmas</i>; a phenomenon +which would indeed have astonished us at any of our former +wintering stations in a much lower latitude. Perhaps the +circumstance of the reindeer wintering at Spitzbergen may also be +considered a proof of a comparatively temperate climate.</p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_025_25'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_025_25'>[025]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p><a name='a003_2'></a><a href='#a003'>See p. 254 of this +volume.</a></p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_026_26'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_026_26'>[026]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p><a name='a002_2'></a><a href='#a002'>See p. 280 of this +volume.</a></p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_027_27'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_027_27'>[027]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p><a name='a001_2'></a><a href='#a001'>See Introduction.</a></p> +</div> +<a name='Footnote_028_28'></a><a href= +'#FNanchor_028_28'>[028]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Particularly that of Mr. Scoresby during the month of July, +from 1812 to 1818 inclusive, and Captain Franklin's for July and +August, 1818.</p> +</div> +<br> +<br> +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14350 ***</div> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/14350-h/images/001.jpg b/14350-h/images/001.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5e1c0c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/14350-h/images/001.jpg |
