ANOTHER EXPLORING EXPEDITION--MY PROMOTION--WINTER AT
CHIMO--OBTAIN PERMISSION TO VISIT BRITAIN--UNGAVA ABANDONED.
1841.--On the opening of the navigation I set out on another exploring
expedition. Without entering into particulars so devoid of interest,
I would merely observe that, with patience and perseverance, we
ultimately succeeded in making good our passage by the Hamilton, or
Grand River, and found it to answer our expectations in every respect.
On arriving at Esquimaux Bay, we found the vessel from Quebec riding
at anchor--a joyful sight, since it gave assurance that we should hear
from friends and relatives, and receive intelligence of the events
that had occurred in the world for the last twelve months. The
Governor's communication acquainted me with my promotion, and
_sincerely_ congratulated me on the event. Whether I had reason or not
to doubt his sincerity, let the reader judge who knows the treatment I
had experienced at his hands. Fifteen years ago I was assured of being
in the "direct road to preferment,"--twenty years of toil and misery
have I served to obtain it.
Considering myself, therefore, under no obligation to his Excellency,
I addressed a letter to the Directors, expressing my thanks for the
benefit they had conferred upon me, and requesting permission to visit
the land of my nativity next year.
I was fortunate enough to find a couple of canoes at Esquimaux Bay,
sufficiently large to admit of conveying an outfit to the interior,
and equally fortunate to find Mr. Davis, the gentleman in charge of
the district, possessed the will and ability to promote my views. All
my arrangements at this place being completed, I set off on my return,
and was happy to find, on my arrival at the outpost, that the outfit
was rendered in safety, not the slightest accident having occurred on
the way.
I arrived at Fort Chimo in the beginning of October. The dreary winter
setting in immediately, we commenced the usual course of vegetative
existence; and I consider it as unnecessary as it would be
uninteresting to say anything further concerning it than that this
season passed without our being subjected to such grievous privation
as during the last. The greater part of the people being distributed
among the outposts, reduced our expenditure of provisions so much,
that I felt I had nothing now to fear on the score of starvation; and
the precautions I had taken the preceding winter enabled us not only
to indulge occasionally in the _luxuries_ of bread-and-butter, but
also to contemplate the possibility of the non-arrival of the ship
without much anxiety.
1842.--On the opening of the navigation I again set out for Esquimaux
Bay, where I found letters from the Secretary, conveying the welcome
intelligence that my request for permission to visit Britain had been
granted, and that the Directors, agreeably to my recommendation, had
determined on abandoning Ungava, the ship being ordered round this
season to convey the people and property to Esquimaux Bay.