State of things at Repulse Bay--Determine to discontinue the
survey till the spring--Reasons--Party sent to bring over the
boat--Fix on a site for winter residence--Ptarmigan--Laughing
geese--Eider and king ducks--Visits of natives too
frequent--Return of the party sent for the boat--Report the bay
more closely packed than before--Preparations for
wintering--Fort Hope built--Proceed to North Pole and Christie
Lakes to look out for fishing stations--Purchase dogs--Wariness
of the deer--Flocks of geese pass southward--Blue-winged and
snow-geese--Their habits--Snow-storm--Its effects--Return to
Fort Hope--Daily routine--Signs of winter--Deer
numerous--Quantity of game killed--Provision-store built of
snow--Great fall of snow--Effects of the cold--Adventure with a
deer--Visited by a party of natives--Their report of the ice
westward of Melville Peninsula--An island said to be
wooded--Produce of the chase in October--Temperature--Two
observatories built of snow--Band of wolves--A party caught in a
snow-storm--Esquimaux theory of the heavenly bodies--Temperature
of November--Diminished supply of provisions.
On our arrival at Repulse Bay we found the men all well, but getting no
more fish and venison than was barely sufficient to support them. Having
taken but a scanty breakfast, I fully enjoyed my dinner here, but I
reversed the usual order of eating the same, taking my venison steak
first (it being soonest cooked), and salmon as second course.
This was to me the most anxious period during the expedition; nor will
this appear strange when I mention that it was necessary to decide, and
that promptly, on one of two modes of proceeding, namely, whether to
leave the whole survey to be completed during the following spring and
summer, or to endeavour to follow it up this autumn. After mature
consideration I determined on adopting the first of these measures, and
giving up all hopes of prosecuting the survey at present.
My reasons for arriving at this conclusion I shall briefly mention, as
such a step may appear rather premature. I saw from the state of the ice
and the prevalence of northerly winds that there was no probability of
completing the whole of the proposed survey this season; and although
part of the coast, either towards the Strait of Fury and Hecla, or
towards Dease and Simpson's farthest, might be traced, yet to accomplish
even this might detain us so long that there would be no time to make
the necessary preparations for wintering, and we should thus be under
the necessity of returning to Churchill without accomplishing the object
of the expedition, or, if we remained at Repulse Bay, run the risk of
starving, for I could obtain no promise of supplies from the natives,
and all the provisions we had carried with us would not go far to
support the party throughout the winter. We should thus have to depend
almost, if not altogether, upon our own exertions for the means of
existence both in regard to food and fuel.
It ought to be borne in mind that we were differently situated from any
party that had hitherto gone to these cold and barren regions. The
resources of the country were quite unknown to us; it was not likely
that the deer would remain near at hand all winter, as we were at too
great a distance from the woods; and it was very evident, for the same
reason, that we should not be able to procure any sort of fuel after the
first fall of snow, which there was little doubt would occur some time
in September.
Before reaching the Arctic Sea to the west of Melville Peninsula, I was
for various reasons inclined to agree with the opinion of Sir John Ross,
"that Boothia was part of the continent of America." This opinion was
strengthened when I observed the great rise and fall of the tide, which
must have affected the tides at the Castor and Pollux River, had there
been a strait of any width separating Boothia from the mainland, unless
indeed the assumption of Captain Sir J. Ross, that "the sea to the west
of Boothia stands at a higher level than that on the east side," be
correct. In that case there would be a continual easterly current, which
could scarcely fail to have been noticed by so acute an observer as
Simpson.
Retaining one man with myself to guard our stores and attend the nets,
on the 11th I sent over the remaining six to assist in bringing over the
boat. Ouligbuck had now been about two days looking for deer, and I
began to feel anxious about him, when he made his appearance between 9
and 10 A.M. with the venison of a young deer on his back.
As soon as my companion had returned from the nets, out of which he got
no fish, I took a walk for the purpose of looking out for fishing
stations and a site for our winter house. For the latter I could find no
better place than a narrow but not deep valley within a few hundred
yards of our landing-place, and about a hundred and fifty from North
Pole River on its east side. There appeared to be various small bays
along shore to the eastward which were likely to produce fish. A flock
of laughing geese (_anser albifrons_) flew past quite close to me; but
having only my rifle, I could but send a ball after them and missed as
was to be expected.
In a small pond an eider-duck was observed with her young brood
apparently not more than twelve days old. The male eider and king ducks
had already left this quarter, having migrated to the southward.
12th.--A cloudy day with a strong breeze from N.N.W. Two salmon and a
trout were got from the nets, but Ouligbuck killed no deer. In the
evening, when on my way to set a net in a lake at no great distance, I
fell in with a covey of ptarmigan, (_T. rupestris_), most of the young
being strong on the wing, and bagged eighteen brace in an hour or two.
Knocking down those birds on this day made me half fancy myself among
the grouse in my own barren native hills.
On the 13th the weather was raw and cold with frequent showers, and a
gale of wind from the same quarter as the day before. Four salmon were
caught, and a deer was shot. The thermometer varied from 36 deg. to 38
deg. Four Esquimaux men and two women visited us to-day.
The 14th was much like the 13th, but there was no rain. As the visits of
the natives had now become rather frequent, and as they brought nothing
with them, but appeared to expect both food and presents, I bade
Ouligbuck say that we could not afford to feed them any longer, and that
they had better return to their huts, where I knew they were killing
deer enough to support themselves. On returning from my daily walk, I
found that our friends had taken leave rather hurriedly, having been
detected appropriating some salt fish, which they could not eat. For
this they were sharply reprimanded by the interpreter, and one of the
ladies was most ungallantly accused by her husband of being the
offender. Corrigal and I hauled the seine in the evening and caught
thirty-three salmon; fourteen more were got out of the nets.
15th.--This was a beautiful day throughout. In the evening, the sky
being clear and cloudless, some stars were visible, and a few streaks of
orange-coloured aurora showed themselves to the southward. The seine was
again hauled, and thirty-two salmon (some of them very small) caught,
whilst the nets produced eleven more. Just as we were landing our fish,
the men who had been taking over the boat made their appearance, being a
day earlier than I expected. By keeping the proper route three of the
portages were avoided, and they had the advantage of a fine fair breeze
all through the lakes. The large bay (Akkoolee) was reported as being
more closely packed with ice than before. This was nothing but what I
should have expected after the late north-westerly winds.
The two Esquimaux, Arkshuk and Ivitchuk, ("Anglice" Aurora and Walrus,)
who had been engaged to aid in dragging the boat over the portages, had
wrought well, and readily accommodated themselves to the habits of the
men. They were well recompensed; and Ivitchuk (a merry little fellow)
was engaged to accompany me on my intended spring journeys.
The boat was for the present left at North Pole Lake, as it might still
be required there.
The 16th was a day of rest, and the 17th was so stormy and wet that
little work could be done.
All hands were now busily employed making preparations for a long and
dreary winter; for this purpose four men were set to work to collect
stones for building a house, whilst the others were occupied in setting
nets, hunting deer, and gathering fuel. Our work was much impeded by
rainy weather, particularly the house building, as the clay or mud was
washed away as soon as applied.
We found that our nets were so much cut up by a small marine insect from
a half to three-quarters of an inch long, resembling a shrimp in
miniature--the favourite food of the salmon--that it was quite
impossible to keep them in repair. I thought to destroy their taste for
hemp by steeping the nets in a strong decoction of tobacco, but it had
no effect.
On the 2nd September our house was finished; its internal dimensions
were 20 feet long by 14 feet broad, height in front 7-1/2 feet, sloping
to 5-1/2 at the back. We formed a very good roof by using the oars and
masts of our boats as rafters, and covering them with oilcloth and moose
skin, the latter being fixed to the lower or inside of the rafters,
whilst the former was placed on the outside to run off the rain. The door
was made of parchment deer-skins stretched over a frame of wood. The
walls were fully two feet thick, with three small openings, in which a
like number of windows, each having two panes of glass, were placed.
Our establishment was dignified with the name of Fort Hope, and was
situated in 66 deg. 32' 16" N.; longitude (by a number of sets of lunar
distances with objects on both sides of the moon) 86 deg. 55' 51" W. The
variation of the compass on 30th August was 62 deg. 50' 30" W.; mean dip
of the needle, and the mean twice of a hundred vertical vibrations in
the line of declination 226".
A sort of room was formed at one end by putting up a partition of
oilcloth. In this, besides its serving as my quarters, all our pemmican
and some of the other stores were stowed away.
From the 5th to the 13th I was up at North Pole and Christie Lakes in
the boat with three men, our object being to look out for fishing
stations, and also to purchase dogs from the Esquimaux. The wind being
from the north, we did not reach the Esquimaux encampment till the 10th.
They had shifted their tents from the narrows to a small point about
eight miles up Christie Lake, where the deer were more numerous, among
which they seemed to have made great havoc, to judge by the abundance of
skins and venison lying in all directions. Our friends were delighted to
see us, and had improved much in appearance, the only poor animals about
them being their dogs, which appeared to get no more to eat than was
barely sufficient to keep them in life. I looked out four of the best,
being all I wanted at present, for which I promised a dagger each,
intending to take them with us on our return. During our stay here a
band of deer came to the edge of the lake, and after feeding a short
time took the water. Three of the natives slipped noiselessly into their
kayaks, and lay waiting, until the deer were far enough out in the
water, to intercept them, but just as they were on the eve of starting
the wind changed a little, and the deer smelling their enemy wheeled
about, and were soon in safety on the beach from which they had started.
Many large flocks of Hutchins and snow geese had been seen for the last
few days passing to the southward. The blue-winged goose of Edwards is
by some ornithologists considered as the young of the last named bird in
one of its stages towards maturity, but this opinion I believe to be
erroneous, for the following reasons.
During a ten years' residence at Moose Factory, on the shores of
Hudson's Bay, I had many opportunities, every spring and autumn, of
observing both the snow and the blue-winged goose in their passage to
and from their breeding places, the marshes near Moose being favourite
feeding ground.
In spring both species are very nearly alike in size, the blue-winged
goose, although shorter, being rather the heavier bird. In the autumn
there are four distinct varieties, two of which exactly resemble in size
and plumage those seen in the spring, whilst the others are much
smaller, and differ much from these and from each other in their
markings; the young of the snow goose being of a light grey colour,
darkest on the head and upper part of the neck; whilst the young of the
blue-winged goose is of a dark slate colour, approaching to black on the
head and neck. Neither do the young separate from the old, as has been
asserted; for families may be seen feeding by themselves all over the
marshes, the old bird keeping a sharp look-out, and giving timely
warning to her brood of any approaching danger. In fact the Indian, who
has thoroughly studied the habits of the bird, takes advantage of her
affection for her young, and of their attachment to their parent, to
make both his prey. Well knowing that the young are easily decoyed by
imitating their call and by mock geese set up in the marsh, and that the
old bird, although more shy, will follow them, he waits patiently until
she comes within range; if he shoots her he is pretty sure to kill the
greater part of the others, as they continue to fly over and around the
place for some time after.
During the night of the 10th, when near the north end of the lake, we
experienced one of the severest snow storms I ever witnessed. As we were
sleeping on shore we never thought of putting up any sort of shelter;
the consequence was that in the morning we were covered with snow to the
depth of a foot. Our boat, which had been hauled up on the beach, was
blown away from her fastenings, and carried several hundred yards into
the lake among some stones. Being the only one of the party provided on
the spot with Macintosh boots, it fell to my lot to wade out to the
boat, throw overboard the ballast, lift her bows over the stones, and
take a line to the shore; which, from having miscalculated the depth of
the water, I found a more disagreeable task than I had expected.
Fortunately the boat sustained no injury. It was now about 6 o'clock in
the morning of the 11th, and as the storm continued unabated we made a
sort of tent of our sails. In doing this the men got so wet and cold,
from the snow thawing on them, that they could not even light their
pipes.
In the afternoon the weather improved, and we were able to scrape a
little fuel together, with which we cooked some salmon and boiled a
kettle of tea, which made us feel quite comfortable again. We thus
combined breakfast, dinner, and supper in one meal.
The hares had already acquired their winter coat, and the golden plovers
and sandpipers had all disappeared, but some Lapland and snow-buntings
and the shore-lark were still to be seen.
A little after noon on the 13th the wind shifted to the S.W., and we got
under weigh to return home. A couple of hours brought us to the
Esquimaux, where we stopped to take on board our dogs. A young lad also
came with us to carry some medicine for the patriarch of the tribe, who
was labouring under various complaints peculiar to old age. We arrived
at North Pole River at 6 P.M., having had a beautiful run all the way.
As we were not likely to require the boat on the lakes again this
season, she was hauled up and placed in security for the winter. While
at the lake we had not been able to procure much more food than was
necessary for our own use, but this may in part have been attributable
to the bad weather.
The storm of the 10th had been much felt at our house, and so great was
its force that the boat left there was lifted a few yards by it, but
received no injury. Much heavy ice was driven into the bay and lay
heaped up all along the shore.
Our house was still far from comfortable, the clay being quite wet and
producing a most unpleasant feeling of dampness,--far more disagreeable
than a much lower temperature with dry weather.
Our time was now continually occupied in collecting fuel, (portions of
which, as soon as it became dry, were built up into small heaps on the
rocks near the house,) in fishing, and in shooting deer and partridges.
The routine of our day's work was as follows: in the morning we were up
before day-light; the men got their orders for the several duties they
had to perform, which were principally carried on out of doors, and at
which they set to work immediately after rolling up their bedding and
taking breakfast. This meal usually consisted of boiled venison, the
water with which it was cooked being converted into a very excellent
soup by the addition of some deer's blood, and a handful or two of
flour.
Our dinner, or rather supper, consisted of the same materials as our
breakfast, and was taken about 4 or 5 o'clock; after that, my time was
employed in writing my journal or making calculations; whilst the men
were busy improving themselves in reading, arithmetic, &c., in which I
assisted them as much as my time would permit. Divine service was read
every Sunday when practicable.
On the 20th the pools of water were covered with ice sufficiently strong
to be walked upon, and on the 28th some hooks were set under the ice on
the lakes for trout. During the latter part of the month deer were very
numerous. As many as seventeen were shot on the 28th, and on the
following day ten more were got, seven of which were killed by myself
within a few miles of the house. On the 29th a considerable portion of
the bay was frozen over, and the seals were seen popping up their heads
every now and then through the ice to keep breathing places open.
The weather during this month having been very changeable and stormy,
and unfavourable for observations of all kinds, the sextant had
frequently been exchanged for the rifle--a not unwelcome exchange to one
addicted to field-sports "from his youth upwards."
Our sporting book for the month showed that we had been doing something
towards laying in a stock of provisions for winter; 63 deer, 5 hares,
one seal, 172 partridges, and 116 salmon and trout, had been brought in.
October.--During the first part of this month some of the men were
employed in building a store of snow for our provisions, and covering it
with two of the sails. On the 12th and three following days there was
one continued storm which drifted the snow all round the house as high
as the roof, and on the night of the 15th would have choked all our dogs
that were chained outside, had not Adamson and another got up and cut
their fastenings. On the 16th, when it cleared up, the thermometer first
fell to zero.
The cold had now penetrated in-doors and frozen the clay on the walls,
which made us much more comfortable. On attempting to open some books
that had been lying on a shelf, I was surprised to find that the leaves
were all frozen together; when I mention this, and also that our powder
horns and every other article that was bound with brass or silver burst
their fastenings, some idea may be formed of the dampness of our house
whilst the clay on the walls was wet.
On the 19th, when out shooting, having killed one deer, I went in
pursuit of another (a large buck) that had been wounded, and put four
balls through him. Thinking that the last ball had settled the business,
(for he had fallen,) I went carelessly up to him without re-loading my
rifle, and when within a few yards I believe I apostrophized the animal
much in the following strain--"Ah! poor fellow, you are done for at
last!" when the deer, as if he had understood what I said, and thought I
was adding insult to injury, sprung to his legs in a moment, and at a
couple of bounds his horns were within a foot of me. Circumstanced as I
was, I thought with Falstaff "that discretion was the better part of
valour", and beat a hasty retreat, laughing heartily all the time at the
strange figure we must have made. Taking the deer by the horns could
have been of no use, and might have cost me some troublesome bruises and
scratches.
Twelve Esquimaux and a boy visited us on the 23rd; among whom was the
man (named Shi-ma-kuk) to whom the sledge belonged, part of which we had
used for fuel when near Cape Lady Pelly with the boat. He was now
rewarded, and apparently so much to his satisfaction that he would have
had no objections to have another sledge burnt on the same terms. They
reported that the bay, to the west of Melville Peninsula, had been
packed full of ice ever since we were over there, until a few days
before they came away, when there was some open water to be seen.
Besides purchasing five dozen rein-deer tongues, a seal-skin full of
oil, and some other articles, we added two good dogs to our team.
Among other information they told me that there was an island in
Akkoolee (the large bay west of Melville Peninsula,) named Sha-took,
(which means low or flat,) on which large trees grew; but they
acknowledged that none of them had ever been on the island, although
they had been near enough to see the trees distinctly. In this I believe
their imaginations had deceived them, aided perhaps in some degree by a
peculiar state of the atmosphere, during which the appearance of the
land has been so distorted that it has been mistaken for woods. Some
round sticks, probably spars belonging to one of the two vessels left in
Prince Regent's Inlet, having been picked up along the west shore of
Melville Peninsula, had no doubt strengthened the opinion they had
formed. Two of their party whom we had never seen, were drowned in Miles
Lake by falling through the ice; the one in chasing a deer, and the
other, it is supposed, in attempting to save his companion.
Our visitors left us on the 25th, promising to return soon with some
deer-skin dresses. During the whole of the month we were occupied much
the same way as in the previous one. Deer were numerous during the first
part of it, but scarce latterly; sixty-nine were shot, but the produce
of our nets had fallen very low, eighteen salmon and four trout being
all we caught. The highest temperature of the month was 38 deg., whilst
the lowest was 15 deg. Although there was a great deal of very stormy
weather, there were some clear calm nights, of which I took advantage
to obtain lunar distances.
Two observatories had been built of snow, with a pillar of ice in each
(at the suggestion of Captain Lefroy, R.A.), the one for the dip circle,
the other for an horizontally suspended needle to try the effects of the
aurora upon it.
So much snow had fallen that it lay four feet deep on the roof of our
meat store, and was near breaking the masts which supported it; so that
we were obliged to raise its walls about a fathom to prevent such an
occurrence in future.
On the 4th November, when out looking for deer a little before day-light
in the morning, I observed a band of animals coming over a rising ground
at a quick pace directly towards me. I at first supposed them to be
deer, but on a nearer approach they proved to be wolves, seventeen in
number. They continued to advance at full speed until within forty
yards, when they formed a sort of half circle to leeward. Hoping to send
a ball through one of them, I knelt down and took what I thought a sure
aim at a large fellow that was nearest; unfortunately it was not yet
broad day-light, and the rascals all kept end on to me, so that the ball
merely cut off a line of hair and a piece of skin from his side. They
apparently did not expect to meet with such a reception, for after
looking at me a second or two they trotted off, no doubt as much
disappointed at not making a breakfast of me as I was at missing my aim.
Had they come to close quarters (which they sometimes do when pressed
hard for food) I had a large and strong knife which would have proved a
very efficient weapon. On my way home I shot three hares.
On the 5th two partridges were shot which very much resembled the tetrao
saliceti, but which I suppose to be the T. mutus. The parasitae found on
them differed from those usually found on the willow grouse.
We began during this month to find that we could not afford fuel to dry
our clothes; I therefore adopted the plan that a celebrated miser took
to warm his food, by taking them under the blankets with me at night,
and drying them by the heat of the body. This, it may be supposed, was
not very agreeable, particularly when the weather became colder, for the
moisture froze during the day on the blankets, which sparkled with hoar
frost when I went to bed.
In the afternoon of the 9th we had one of the most severe snow storms
that had yet been experienced, and I was much alarmed at the non-arrival
of four men who had gone in the morning to examine some nets and set
others in North Pole Lake eight miles from the house. Guns were fired to
attract the attention of the party, who made their appearance at
half-past 8 P.M., when we had given up all hopes of seeing them until
the following day. They had been upwards of eight hours in coming as
many miles, and were like walking pillars of snow when they came in. The
four dogs they had with them were still missing, having run off with the
sled as soon as they smelt the house. On the following day they were
found entangled with one another, and the sled stuck fast against some
rocks. One or two of the dogs were completely covered up with snow, but
all safe.
About 2 P.M. on the 25th, two Esquimaux men and a boy, named Arkshuk
(Aurora Borealis), Took-oo-lak (the falling stick), and Che-mik-tee
(snuff), came to see us with deer-skin clothes, &c. for barter.
I had a good deal of conversation through the interpreters with Arkshuk,
whom I found rather intelligent and communicative. It appears that the
favourite food of these Esquimaux is musk-ox flesh; venison ranks next,
and bear and walrus are preferred to seal and fish. Their theory
regarding the sun and moon is rather peculiar. It is said that many
years ago, not long after the creation of the world, there was a mighty
conjuror (Esquimaux of course), who gained so much power that at last he
raised himself up into the heavens, taking with him his sister (a
beautiful girl) and a fire. To the latter he added great quantities of
fuel, which thus formed the sun. For some time he and his sister lived
in great harmony, but at last they disagreed, and he, in addition to
maltreating the lady in many ways, at last scorched one side of her
face. She had suffered patiently all sorts of indignities, but the
spoiling of her beauty was not to be borne; she therefore ran away from
him and formed the moon, and continues so until this day. Her brother is
still in chase of her, but although he sometimes gets near, he will
never overtake her. When it is new moon, the burnt side of the face is
towards us; when full moon, the reverse is the case.
The stars are supposed to be the spirits of the dead Esquimaux that have
fixed themselves in the heavens, and falling stars, or meteors, and the
aurora borealis, are those spirits moving from one place to another
whilst visiting their friends.
The highest, lowest, and mean temperature of November were respectively
+28 deg., -25 deg., and +0.68. Only twelve deer, nine hares, and a few
partridges had been shot, whilst our nets produced about sixty fish, the
greater part of which were small.