_Departure from Oppernavik. Pass the Ikkerasak of Killinek.
Whirlpools. The coast takes a southerly direction. Meeting with
Esquimaux from the Ungava country, who had never seen an
European. Anchor at Omanek. High tides. Drift-wood. Double Cape
Uibvaksoak. Distant view of Akpatok._
August 2d.--Having made all needful preparations for the voyage, a
gentle but favourable wind, and occasional rowing, brought us, about
nine in the morning, to the entrance of the much dreaded Ikkerasak. The
weather was pleasant and warm, not a flake of ice was to be seen, and
all our fear and anxiety had subsided. Our minds were attuned to praise
and thanksgiving for the providential preservation we had experienced
yesterday. We performed our morning devotions on deck, and all joined in
a joyful hallelujah to God our Saviour, which was sweetly repeated by
echoes among the mountains and precipices on either side. The
scripture-text appointed in the Church of the United Brethren for this
day being read, it seemed as if addressed particularly to us, separated
as we felt ourselves, in these lonely regions, from the rest of the
inhabitants of the earth: "_See now that I, even I, am He, and there is
no God with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal._" Deut.
32, 39. We rejoiced, that we were in the hands of a gracious and
merciful God and Father, who would not forsake us, but deal with us
according to his wonted mercy and favour.
The Ikkerasak, (or strait), is about ten miles in length; the land on
each side high and rocky, and in some places precipitous, but there
appeared no rocks in the strait itself. The water is deep and clear. Its
mouth is wide, and soon after entering, a bay opens to the left, which
by an inlet only just wide enough to admit a boat, communicates with a
lagoon of considerable magnitude, in which lies an island on its western
bank. Beyond this bay, the passage narrows and consequently the stream,
always setting from N. to S. grows more rapid. Here the mountains on
both sides rise to a great height. Having proceeded for two miles in a
narrow channel, the strait opens again, but afterwards contracts to
about 1000 yards across; immediately beyond which, the left coast turns
to the south. As the tide ebbs regularly with the current from N. to S.
along the whole coast of Labrador, the current through the strait is
most violent during its fall, and less, when resisted by its influx on
rising.
We were taught to expect much danger in passing certain eddies or
whirlpools in the narrow parts of the straits, and were therefore
continually upon the look-out for them. When we passed the first narrow
channel, at 12 P.M. it being low water, no whirlpool was perceptible.
Having sailed on for little more than half an hour, with wind and tide
in our favour, we reached the second. Here, indeed, we discovered a
whirlpool, but of no great magnitude at this state of the tide. Near the
north-shore the water was, indeed, whirled round in the manner of a
boiling cauldron of ten or twelve feet diameter, with considerable noise
and much foam; but we passed without the smallest inconvenience, within
thirty or forty feet of the outer circle. Our skin-boat, however, which
we had in tow, with a man in it, was seized by the vortex, and received
a rapid twist; but as the towing-rope did not break, she was immediately
rescued from danger by the swiftness of our course, and the affair
afforded us more diversion than anxiety. The motion of the water in
these eddies is so great, that they never freeze in the severest winter.
The ice being drawn towards them with great force, the largest shoals
are carried under water, and thrown up again, broken into numerous
fragments. The Ikkerasak is at that season utterly impassable for boats.
The Killinek people inhabit an island to the right, after leaving the
strait.
When we quitted the Ikkerasak, and entered the ocean on the western side
of Cape Chudleigh, it seemed as if we were transported to a new world.
Hitherto the coast to our left had always taken a northerly direction.
It now turned to the S.S.W. and is low, with gently sloping hills, the
sea being full of small islands, abounding in sea-fowl.
To the N. and N.W. we saw the open sea in Hudson's Straits, which,
compared to the turbulent Atlantic, seemed calm and peaceful. We sailed
briskly amidst the islands, and overtook the inhabitants of Saeglek,
whom we had seen at Kakkeviak, where they had got the start of us. The
wind being favourable, we did not hail them, but kept on our course. We
now saw with pleasure the Ungava country to the South before us, but had
first to pass the low point of _Uivarsuk_, the bay of _Arvavik_, in
which the people from Saeglek had their summer stations, and the
mountain _Omanek_, of moderate height, and surrounded by many small
islets, called by the Esquimaux _Erngavinget_, (bowels). We now
discovered three skin-boats full of people standing towards us from the
shore. They were inhabitants of Ungava, and welcomed our approach with
loud shouts of joy and firing their pieces, which was answered by our
party. They followed us to Omanek, a round island rising like a loaf
among the rest, where they pitched their tents on shore.
Some of them had formerly dwelt in different places north of Okkak, and
were known to the Missionaries in former times, the rest were perfect
strangers. They declared their intention of coming over to the North of
Okkak, to remain some time in that country, for the sake of trade. It
has been mentioned, that some of the Ungava people have come to Okkak,
and carry on a trade between their countrymen and that place. They are a
kind of middle men, bring fox and bear-skins, and exchange them for
European goods. These they carry back, and sell at a very advanced price
in the Ungava country. They spend two years on such a trading voyage.
Brother Kohlmeister visited the people in their tents. They were about
fifty in number, men, women, and children. He informed them, that
nothing could induce the Missionaries to come into this country, but
love to the poor heathen, and an ardent desire to make them acquainted
with their Creator and Redeemer, that through Him they might attain to
happiness in time and eternity. Some seemed to listen with great
attention, but the greater part understood nothing of what was said.
This, of course, did not surprise us, as most of them were quite
ignorant heathen, who had never before seen an European. They, however,
raised a shout of joy, when we informed them, that we would come and
visit them in their own country. Many were not satisfied with viewing
us on every side with marks of great astonishment, but came close up to
us, and pawed us all over. At taking leave we presented them with a few
trifles, which excited among them the greatest pleasure and
thankfulness.
We recommend these heathen to the mercy of God, and pray, that the day
may soon dawn, when the light of the saving gospel of Jesus may shine
into their hearts.
3d. Several of them came on board, once more to see us, and, in their
way, to express their regard and gratitude. They also got some useful
articles from our people, in exchange for their goods. We now set sail,
passed a point called _Oglarvik_, and the bay _Takpangayok_, and arrived
at _Tuktusiovik_, (a place where reindeer are seen), where we cast
anchor for the night. Already at Omanek we had discovered a great
difference between the rise and fall of the tides there and about
Killinek. In the latter place it rose to four fathoms, but here still
higher. The country looked pleasant, with many berry-bearing plants and
bushes. There was, likewise, plenty of drift-wood all along the coast;
not the large Greenland timber, but small trees and roots, evidently
carried out of the great rivers of the Ungava by the ice. We had, of
course, fire-wood enough, without robbing the graves of their
superstitious furniture. Our Esquimaux pitched their tent on shore, and
we supped with them on a mess of seal's flesh and eider-ducks. The
musquitoes were extremely troublesome during our repast, after which we
retired to sleep on board the boat.
4th. Wind fair. We passed numerous low rocks; a point, by name unknown
to Uttakiyok; the bay _Ikpigitok_, two miles broad, and the cape called
_Uibvaksoak_, the northern boundary of the great bay or gulf of
_Abloriak_. This cape is surrounded by many bare and sunken rocks, which
caused us to stand out pretty far to the westward. While we were off the
point, we descried, at a very great distance to the N.W. a large island,
called by the Esquimaux _Akpatok_. They say, that it encloses the whole
bay or gulf towards the sea, and consists of high land: also, that it is
connected with the western continent at low water by an isthmus. The
north coast of this island appears to be the line laid down in maps and
charts as the coast of America, to the south of Hudson's Straits. But
the district of Ungava is separated from the island by a large inland
bay, extending southward to the 58° N.L. North of Akpatok, the Esquimaux
speak of islands well peopled by their countrymen, who have never seen
Europeans.
Having safely doubled the point or cape of _Uibvaksoak_, we came to an
anchor near a small island to the south, where we spent the night.
5th. Calm weather, and proceeded gently. About 9 A.M. the wind turned
against us, and we ran into a small bay, about five miles from our
former anchoring-place. Here we found the _Andromeda tetragona_ growing
in tolerable quantity, on the banks of a lagoon of fresh water. The face
of the country was unpleasant, with many steep rocks. On a precipice
behind our tent we perceived nests of birds of prey. The naked rocks had
singular shapes, and presented to the imagination the ruins of a
destroyed town. In the vallies we saw many small lagoons, but little
grass, and the excrements of geese. It was about full moon, and the tide
rising here five or six fathom, occasioned the most strange alterations
in the prospect towards the sea, which, being smooth and clear of rocks
at high water, exhibited, after its fall, an archipelago of rugged
islands and black flats.