_Chain of black mountains. The Dragon's dwelling. Changes
occasioned by rise and fall of the tides, and dangers attending
them. Uttakiyok's superstitious customs. Singular effect of the
tide in the bay of Ittimnekoktok. Arrive at Kangertlualuksoak
bay and river. Its situation. Transactions there._
August 6th.--We crossed the bay _Abloriak_, which is large and wide,
with many small islands and rocks towards the sea, and high black
mountains inland, called _Torngaets_. Uttakiyok, who was always very
eager to make us attentive to every object and its name, shewed us here
a wide and deep cavern, in shape like the gable end of an house,
situated at the top of a precipice, in a black mountain, of a very
horrid and dark appearance. This, he informed us, was the dwelling place
of Torngak, the evil spirit. The scenery was, indeed, extremely wild and
terrible, and the beforementioned prospect of the rocks and islands at
low water gave to the whole country a most singularly gloomy character.
Nor is this change, occasioned by the tide in the state of the sea,
merely in appearance terrific, it is so in reality: for we never durst
cast anchor in less than eight or nine fathoms water, lest at ebb-tide
we should find ourselves aground, or even high and dry.
The cavern just spoken of, connected with the chain of black mountains
in which it is situated, we called the Dragon's dwelling, but had no
time to examine the place, though it did not appear inaccessible.
Whether Uttakiyok would have ventured to accompany us into it, is
another question, for he was, with all his good sense, strongly attached
to the superstitious notions and ceremonies of his countrymen. Thus, on
passing dangerous places he always hung the claw of a raven to his
breast, and carried the blown paunch of a seal upon a tent-pole fixed to
one side of his boat. The latter is a common practice among the northern
Esquimaux, and probably considered by them all as a very efficient
charm.
We passed _Sioralik_, and many small and flat rocky islands: the bay
_Issorkitok_, (a grassy place), a nameless headland; and the larger bay
_Nappartolik_, (a woody country). The wood is said to commence at the
interior point of this bay, and to continue throughout the whole of the
Ungava country, which, as we afterwards discovered, extends to a
considerable distance to the southward. Then follows _Tunnuyalik_, a
point, or perhaps an island, on which lies a huge white stone, twenty or
thirty feet high, by which it is distinguished from other similar
headlands. A chain of low, flat islands, runs out into the sea to a
considerable distance, and appearing at a distance as continued land,
they are mistaken for a cape. Farther on is the bay _Ittimnekoktok_,
where it grew dark before we found a suitable anchorage. The wind was
high, and some of our company went on shore in the skin-boat, in order
to pitch their tent, and spend the night.
7th. On rising, to our great surprise, we found ourselves left by the
tide in a shallow pool of water, surrounded by rocky hills; nor could we
at all discover the situation of our skin-boat, till after the water had
begun to rise, and raised us above the banks of our watery dungeon,
when, with great astonishment, not having been able to find it on the
surface of the sea, and accidentally directing our eyes upwards, we saw
it perched upon the top of a considerable eminence, and apparently on
shore. We then landed, and ascending a rising ground, beheld with some
terror, the wonderful changes occasioned by the tides. Our course was
visible to the extent of two or three English miles, but the sea had
left it, and we were obliged to remain in this dismal place, till about
noon, before the water had risen sufficiently to carry us out. We now
began to entertain fears, lest we might not always be able to find
proper harbours, so as to avoid being left high and dry at low water;
for having anchored in nine fathoms last night, we were left in one and
a half this morning. Uttakiyok and Thukkekina were with us on shore. The
eminence on which we stood was overgrown with vaccinia and other plants,
and we saw among them marks of its being visited by hares. Near the
summit was a spot, covered with red sand, which stained one's fingers,
and among it were fragments of a substance resembling cast iron. We
seemed here to stand on a peninsula connected by an isthmus with another
island, or with the continent; but probably at high water it may be a
separate island.
As soon as the tide would permit, we set out, and proceeded towards a
cape called _Kattaktok_, surrounded by small islands. Between the cape
and our anchoring place, we passed, on the left, the following objects;
_Keglo_, a broad deep bay; _Katarusialik_, a headland, probably of the
continent; _Ukkasiksalik_, (meaning a place where soap stone is found),
a peninsula; and to the right of the latter place, an island,
_Kikkertarsoak_, which lies at the entrance of the _Great Bay_, or
estuary of the great river _Kangertlualuksoak_. We sailed with a strong,
but favourable wind, with some rain, between the peninsula and the
island; and not trusting to the depth of the water at ebb-tide, sent two
kayaks forward to sound. They soon brought us into a good harbour, where
we cast anchor about half past five P.M.
_Kangertlualuksoak_ river was the spot to which we had principally
directed our views. It lies about 140 miles S.S.W. of Cape Chudleigh. By
an observation at its mouth its latitude appeared to be 58° 57'. But we
had no means of finding the longitude. At its entrance the bay runs
rather S.S.E. for about ten or twelve English miles, then turns due S.E.
for six or eight more, and after that S.W. At the second turn towards
the S.E. there is the greatest quantity of wood, chiefly Larch, but of
moderate size. We particularly noticed a fine slope facing the south,
which appeared the most pleasant part of the bay, to which a vessel
might approach and anchor with convenience, there being from 24 to 30
fathoms water. We also imagined that the entrance from the sea would be
free from obstructions, as no islands are seen in that direction.
Uttakiyok likewise declared, that there was no bar or sunken rocks near
the mouth of the bay.
We found no inhabitants on our arrival, but on the 13th, a whole company
of people from Killinek joined us.
Our transactions in the bay of _Kangertlualuksoak_, from the 7th, are
here noticed more in detail.
_August_ 8th. We landed, and went in search of our people, who had spent
the night in tents on shore. Okkiksuk accompanied us to the top of a
hill, overlooking the bay _Ittimnekoktok_, where we had anchored the day
before. We saw it quite dry, and full of large fragments of rock.
Turning towards the land, we discovered some wood at a distance. The
weather being calm and warm, the musquitoes were excessively
troublesome. The vallies here are overgrown with verdure, and the hills
pretty well clothed with moss, and berry-bearing plants; but we could
not continue our walk, on account of the musquitoes, which persecuted us
unmercifully, and drove us back to our tents. All our men were out, two
on that side on which we had landed, and the others having crossed the
bay in their kayaks, were employed in hunting reindeer. Jonathan only
remained at home. In the afternoon he accompanied us in the small boat,
to a hill, situated to the South of our station, at about two miles
distant, where we landed, and went up the country, but found nothing
much worth notice. We observed, that round the headland near us, the
water was very rough, with eddies and whirlpools, occasioned by the
rising of the high tides. On returning to our little boat, we found it
aground. We therefore gathered some drift-wood, of which there was
plenty, and made a good fire, at which we sat down and regaled ourselves
with some biscuit and beer. Having pushed the boat into the water, we
set out, but owing to the violence of the current had hard work to get
to the great boat, and did not arrive till dark. Jonas saluted us from
on board, by firing off his piece in token of success, and we found that
he had got two, and his companion three reindeer, and a small black
bear. The carcases were left at the tents, where part was cooked, and a
mess brought to us on board, which proved an agreeable repast after our
fatigue. Jonas and his family spent the night on board, the rest of the
Esquimaux in their tents on shore.
9th. Jonas having found a good harbour on the other side of the bay, and
the current being here very strong, we sailed across and anchored there.
The strand was even, and full of smooth rocks, above high water mark.
The bottom of the bay is mud, and a slimy substance, covering all the
stones and pebbles, left by the tide, makes walking very troublesome.
The land is not high, but pleasant, covered with moss, with many small
ponds, and marks of being frequented by reindeer.
10th. We went farther up the bay in the skin-boat, with Jonathan,
Uttakiyok, Thukkekina, Paul, David, and Okkiksuk. At a short distance
from the place where we had landed yesterday, we came to a fine green
terrace, overgrown with low shrubs and bushes, which delighted us much.
From hence, a woody valley, extending to the left, seemed to invite us
to take that course into the country, but we would not waste our time by
examining it. On sailing farther up the bay, and turning round the
abovementioned terrace, we came to a small inlet, dry at low water, on
the left shore. Its banks were pleasantly covered with low bushes,
interspersed with higher trees, and the place seemed to us very suitable
for a settlement. From hence we perceived, at a short distance, on the
opposite coast, a cape or headland, over which the tops of trees made
their appearance. We sailed towards it, and found behind it a tract
covered with low wood, chiefly larch and pine: on landing we saw the
tracks of rein-deer, which had just left the spot. Jonathan, in an
instant, ran like a young man for his gun, and with it into the wood. We
followed him for two or three miles, but saw nothing but the track of
the deer. The country inland seems in general level, with some low
hills, and many ponds; without wood, but overgrown with rein-deer moss.
No success attended our huntsman, and in the evening we met again in the
boat. Brother Kmoch had kept up with Jonathan, and saw, among the
bushes, the same kind of large partridge, or American wild pheasant,
which is found about Okkak, but seems only to live in woods. It was a
hen, with a covey of young birds, one of which which he caught,
examined, and let go again, nor would he take or shoot the hen, out of
compassion to the young brood.
Brother Kohlmeister had meanwhile gone farther up the bay, and thought
he had discovered the entrance of the river, but no fresh water
appearing, we must still have been a great way off its influx into the
bay.
We now lighted a fire, boiled coffee, and cooked a dish of reindeer
venison. The weather was warm, and the night fine and clear, but frosty.
Having brought our travelling-beds with us on shore, (see page 34), we
crept into them, and spent the night at the fire-side, the Esquimaux
lying down anywhere about us. In the morning, the whole country was
covered with hoar-frost, and the straw we had lain upon was frozen fast
to the ground.