Part 3 (1/2)
by N. We got over the portage (which, although short, was covered with rough granite stones that stuck to our boat's iron-shod keel like glue) at 20 minutes after 6, and embarked on what I then supposed was another lake, but which afterwards turned out to be a portion of the second lake we had entered, and the largest body of fresh water we had yet seen. I named it after my much-respected and kind friend, Alexander Christie, Esq., Governor of Red River Colony, whose name has been so often favourably mentioned by Arctic travellers.
After pulling W.N.W. for eight miles, we were again in doubt about the route, and whilst on my way to some high ground in order to ascertain it, I shot a fine buck with an inch and a half of fat on his haunches.
We advanced two miles to the head of a small inlet, whence I set out with one of the men to a neighbouring rising ground to endeavour to obtain a view of our future route, and, if possible, to get a sight of the sea. After a fatiguing walk over hill and dale, our eyes were gladdened with a sight of what we so anxiously looked for, but the view was far from flattering to our hopes. The sea, or rather the ice on its surface, was seen apparently not more than twelve miles distant, bearing north; but there was not a pool of open water visible. It was evident that our detention in the lakes had as yet lost us nothing. Returning at 8 P.M., I sent four men in two parties to endeavour to discover the best route, one party being ordered to trace a considerable lake in a N.N.W.
direction, and, if possible, discover its outlet.
30th.--The men sent off last night returned between 1 and 2 this morning: those who went to the N.W. reported that there was a small stream flowing towards the Arctic Sea from the farthest extremity of the lake they had traced.
As this account agreed with what we had heard from the Esquimaux, there was no doubt that we were now in the right track. We had to cross two portages, each a quarter of a mile, and traverse a lakelet one mile in extent, before we reached the body of water which the men had traced to its outlet. It was half-past 2 before we accomplished this work, there being many obstructions in the form of large granite stones, among and over which we had to drag the boat.
The lake in which we now found ourselves is upwards of 27 fathoms deep, about 6 miles long, and not more than half a mile broad; it lies nearly N. by W., and is bounded by banks much more steep and rugged than any we had yet pa.s.sed, being in some places two or three hundred feet high. It is situated in lat.i.tude 66 55' N., and longitude 87 35' W. We found that the longest and most difficult portage was now before us. By the time we had the baggage carried half way over it was getting late, and we did not take dinner until 9 P.M.
The following morning was cloudy, with a cold north breeze, which was not at all unfavourable for the work we had to do. We went to work at an early hour, but our advance was very slow, as the portage fully realised the bad opinion that we had formed of it. Hitherto, by laying the anchor out some distance ahead, and having a block attached to the bow of the boat by a strop, or what sailors call a swifter, pa.s.sing round her, we could form a purchase sufficiently strong to move her with facility, but here our utmost exertions were required, and the tracking line was frequently broken. A piece of iron an eighth of an inch thick, which lined the keel from stem to stern, was actually drawn out and doubled up, so that it was necessary to remove the whole. At half-past 10, when half-way across, we breakfasted, after which we met with a bank of snow, over which we went at a great rate. The lat.i.tude, 66 59' 37” N., was observed. Near the extremity of the portage there were some ponds of water deep enough to float the boat, that helped us not a little. The descent of a steep bank fully a hundred feet high brought us into another fine lake eight miles long and one mile broad, lying nearly north and south, with steep rocky sh.o.r.es on its west side: the place where we came upon its waters was about three miles from its southern extremity. This lake was named ”Miles,” after a friend. As it was quite calm, we pulled up due north and entered a narrow inlet, out of which there was no pa.s.sage. We had pa.s.sed at a mile and a half from this a stream flowing from the lake, but it looked so insignificant that I could not suppose it to be the same that the Esquimaux had reported as having sufficient water for floating the boat. It was now too late, however, to look for any other exit, and we all betook ourselves to rest after a hearty supper, for which the fatigues of the day gave us an excellent appet.i.te. Some of the men had large pieces of the skin stripped from their backs whilst lifting the boat over the various obstructions on the portage.
1st August.--Finding that there was no likelihood of there being any other outlet to the lake than the one we had seen, we took out the cargo, and hauling our boat over a shallow part, we reloaded and soon entered a narrow lake, the waters of which were very muddy. At half an hour before noon we landed to have breakfast, and the lat.i.tude 67 4'
22” N., variation of the compa.s.s 66 38' W., were observed. The sh.o.r.es of this lake, being covered with a rich pasturage and a great variety of flowers, afforded a pleasing contrast to the country we had hitherto travelled through. There were great numbers of marmots here, with a well-beaten path leading from one burrow to another. After dragging the boat over many shallows, we arrived a little after 5 P.M. at high-water mark, in lat.i.tude 67 13' N., longitude 87 30' W. The tide being out, and there not being sufficient water to float the boat, I decided on remaining here until the flood made.
The recent foot-tracks of two Esquimaux were seen on the sand.
A short distance below where we stopped, the stream we had descended empties its waters into a small river which flows from the westward.
2nd.--As the tide did not rise so high by two feet during the night as it had done the previous day, the boat did not float; we were, consequently, obliged to carry our baggage a mile further down the stream, and afterwards, with much trouble, haul our boat over numerous shoals. We were now afloat in a salt-water lake, and on pa.s.sing a small point two Esquimaux tents came in view. Not having got breakfast, I landed with the interpreter, and, whilst the men were cooking, went to ascertain if there were any inhabitants. All was quiet inside, but after calling once or twice outside the door of one of the tents, an old woman made her appearance, apparently just out of bed, as she was very coolly drawing on her capacious boots, whilst she surveyed her visitors without showing the slightest symptoms of alarm, although I afterwards learned that I was the first European she had ever seen. An old man soon after popped out his head alongside that of his better half, who appeared to be endowed with a flow of language which set all his efforts to say anything at defiance. A few trifling presents put us all, in a few minutes, on a most friendly footing. Their report of the state of the ice in the large bay before us was far from encouraging; they said that there was seldom sufficient water for the pa.s.sage of one of their small canoes, and present appearances led me to suppose that they were correct. The name of the man was I-il-lak, of the woman Rei-lu-ak. The remainder of the party, consisting of their two sons and their wives, had gone a day's journey inland to hunt the musk-ox. From a chart drawn by the woman, who, as is usual, (at least among the Esquimaux) was much the more intelligent of the two, I was led to infer that there was no opening leading into the large bay but through the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, and Prince Regent's Inlet.
As soon as breakfast was over, in which our new friends joined us, we crossed the lake, which is 6 miles long by 1 broad, and put on sh.o.r.e three of the men (W. Adamson, H. Mineau, and Nibitabo) who had a.s.sisted us across, and were now to walk back to Repulse Bay, a distance of forty-three miles. By them I sent orders to John Folster (the man left in charge) to make every possible preparation for wintering, and to keep up a friendly intercourse with the natives. My crew now consisted of George Flett, John Corrigal, Richard Turner, Edward Hutchison, Peter Mathieson, Jacques St. Germain, and William Ouligbuck. We now pa.s.sed for two miles through a narrow channel--not more than 40 yards wide--among pieces of ice which were carried along with great rapidity by the ebb tide that had just commenced; this led us into the deep inlet which we had seen on the 29th ult. This inlet I named after Donald Ross, Esq., Chief-Factor. We found but little open water; by keeping near the rocks, however, we made some progress northward by using our ice-poles, and after advancing a mile or two I went upon a piece of ice and obtained the lat.i.tude 67 15' N. by a meridian observation of the sun in quicksilver. About eight miles to the north of this we pa.s.sed a rocky point, which was named after Chief-Factor Hargrave, the gentleman in charge of York Factory when the expedition was fitted out, and who afforded every possible a.s.sistance towards its proper equipment. This point is formed of granite and gneiss, and has a very rugged appearance, there being neither moss nor gra.s.s on the rocks to soften their asperities.
At 7 A.M. on the 3rd, when a few miles past Point Hargrave, being completely stopped by ice, we put ash.o.r.e and found a large wooden sledge, which we cut up for fuel. The wood was evidently the planks of some vessel (probably of the Fury or Sir John Ross's steamer the Victory) as there were holes in it bored with an auger. After working our way a mile or two further, we arrived at a high rocky cape having three elevations upon it lying east and west from each other. This headland, which was honoured with the name of the lady of Sir John H.
Pelly, Bart., Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, is situated in lat.i.tude 67 28' N.; longitude by account 87 40' W.; variation of the compa.s.s 82 36' W.
It was low water to-day at 11 A.M., the fall of the tide being 8 feet, and the depth of water within a hundred yards of the beach from 3 to 5 fathoms, on a bottom of mud or sand.
Shortly after noon a fog came on so thick that we could only see a few yards round us; we, however, pushed our way for 2 miles beyond Cape Lady Pelly, along a flat coast lined with mud banks from eight to ten feet high, frozen solid within a foot of the surface. At 4 P.M. the ice was too closely packed to allow us to proceed; we therefore turned towards the sh.o.r.e, and after some trouble effected a landing. The fog still continued so thick, that, after wandering about for a few miles, I had much difficulty in finding the boat again, hid as it was by the surrounding ma.s.ses of ice. We were much at a loss for drinkable water, there not being a drop in the neighbourhood but what resembled chocolate in appearance.
In the forenoon some wolves, part of a band that had serenaded us last night with their dismal howlings, were seen prowling about; and a white-winged silvery gull (_L. leucopterus_), a diminutive sandpiper (_tringa minuta_), and a marmot were shot.
4th.--There was a drizzling rain with thick fog all night, but not a breath of wind. As the tide flowed the ice moved slowly and silently round us, so that in the morning we had not more than a yard or two of open water near us, being blocked in on all sides by pieces from 15 to 20 feet thick. The rise of the tide was not less than nine feet. In the forenoon I walked upwards of five miles along the sh.o.r.e to the north-westward, pa.s.sing a few low sandy points about a mile and a half from each other, which formed a succession of small bays, into each of which a ravine with high and steep mud banks opened, down which a streamlet of pea-soup-coloured water flowed. We fell in with the heads and horns of several musk cattle and reindeer, and saw recent footmarks of some of the latter, but they had probably been driven some distance away by the wolves we saw yesterday. Marmots were numerous in every direction, chattering to each other, and rising on their hind legs to obtain a better view of the strangers. Many golden plovers and different kinds of sandpipers were flying about, and a jager (_L.
parasiticus_) was shot: some plants were also collected. The travelling along this coast was extremely fatiguing, being very often nearly knee-deep in a very adhesive mud.
The thermometer rose as high as 70 in the forenoon; in the afternoon it fell to 48; and in the evening the weather was cold and unpleasant, with heavy rain.
5th.--During the greater part of last night the rain continued, but it was perfectly calm, although by the lead of the clouds we were in hopes of a breeze of wind off sh.o.r.e. Our boat being in danger of injury from some heavy ma.s.ses of ice that were turning over near us, we moved a dozen yards nearer the land. Our new situation, however, was little better than the one we had left, for as soon as the tide began to ebb large pieces of our ”enemy” broke away and fell with a loud crash close alongside of us. It was high-water this morning at 3 o'clock, the rise of the tide being 11 feet 6 inches, whilst that of yesterday evening was only 5 feet, an irregularity resembling that which was observed by Captain Sir J. Ross on the sh.o.r.es of Boothia. The temperature of the air in the morning was 46, but rose to 65 during the day, which was very hazy, with occasional showers and a fresh breeze off sh.o.r.e; but this had not the slightest effect upon the ice, and led me to believe that the Esquimaux report as to the navigation being always obstructed here is correct.
Seeing that there was no probability of our getting along sh.o.r.e towards Dease and Simpson's farthest, I determined to retrace our route, and if possible cross over to Melville Peninsula for the purpose of surveying its western sh.o.r.e, towards the Strait of the Fury and Hecla.
In the evening, when the tide, which on the present occasion rose only 4 feet, was in, we endeavoured to extricate ourselves; and after some hours of hard labour in chopping off some points of ice, and pus.h.i.+ng aside such pieces as were not aground, we got a few hundred yards from the beach, and into water a little more open.
About half-past ten a young buck was observed on a piece of ice half-a-mile to seaward, having been forced to take the water to avoid some wolves, one or two of which were seen skulking along sh.o.r.e watching for the return of the animal. The state of our larder did not permit us to be merciful, so the poor deer had little chance of escape from his biped and quadruped enemies when acting in concert. After a long chase he was shot whilst swimming from one floe to another. Having pulled and poled along sh.o.r.e all night, we landed for breakfast at 8 h. 30 m. A.M., on the 6th, about three miles to the south of Point Hargrave. The continued rain and fog had so completely saturated everything with damp that we had not a dry st.i.tch of clothes to put on, and our bedding and fuel were in the same state; fortunately the weather was mild, so that we did not feel much inconvenience from this.
Finding that the ice was clearing away a little--the effect of a south-east wind,--we directed our course towards the nearest point of Melville Peninsula, which bore east (true) of us, distant ten miles, and after threading our way among much heavy and close-packed floes, which obliged us to make frequent and long detours, after five hours' hard work we reached the land during a thunder-storm accompanied by torrents of rain.