of rugged sterility, whilst the valleys at this season, are clothed with
luxuriant verdure.
It was not till the 14th, that hy appointment, the boatmen were
to assemble at the house of Mr. Geddes, to engage to accompany
the Expedition. Several persons collected, but to my great mortification,
I found they were all so, strongly possessed with the fearful
apprehension, either that great danger would attend the service, or
that we should carry them further than they would agree to go,
that not a single man would engage with us ; some of them, however,
said they would consider the subject, and give me an answer on the
following day. This indecisive conduct was extremely annoying to
me, especially as the next evening was fixed for the departure of
the ships.
At the appointed time on the following morning four men only
presented themselves, and these, after much hesitation, engaged to
accompany the Expedition to Fort Chepewyan, if they should be
required so far. The bowmen and steersmen were to receive forty
pounds’ wages annually, and the middle men thirty-five pounds.
They stipulated to be sent back to the Orkney Islands, free of
expense, and to receive their pay until the time of arrival. Only
these few men could be procured, although our requisition had been
sent to almost every island, even as far as the northernmost point of
Ronaldsha. I was much amused with the extreme caution these
men used before they would sign the agreement; they minutely
scanned all our intentions, weighed every circumstance, looked narrowly
into the plan of our route, and still more circumspectly to
the prospect of return. Such caution on the part of the northern
mariners forms a singular contrast with the ready and thoughtless
manner in which an English seaman enters upon any enterprise,
however hazardous, without inquiring, or desiring to know, where
he is going, or what he is going about.
The brig Harmony, belonging to the Moravian Missionary Society,
and bound to their settlement at Nain, on the coast of Labrador,
was lying at anchor. With the view of collecting some Esquimaux
words and sentences, or gaining any information respecting the
manners and habits of that people, Dr. Richardson and myself
paid her a visit. We found the passengers, who were going out as
Missionaries,- extremely disposed to communicate; but as they only
spoke the German and Esquimaux languages, of which we were
ignorant, our conversation -was necessarily much confined: by the
aid, however, of an Esquimaux and German Dictionary, some few
words were collected, which we considered might be useful. There
were on board a very interesting girl, and a young man, who were
natives of Disco, in Old Greenland; both of them had fair complexions,
rather handsome features, and a lively manner; the former
was going to be married to a resident Missionary, and the latter to
officiate in that character. The commander of the vessel gave me
a translation of the Gospel of St. John in the Esquimaux language,
printed by the Moravian Society in London.
June 16.—-The wind being unfavourable for sailing, I went on
shore with Dr. Richardson, and took several lunar observations at the
place of our former residence. The result obtained was, latitude
58° 56' 56" N .; longitude 3° 17' 55" W .; variation 37° 50' W. ; dip
of the magnetic needle, 74° 33' 20". In the afternoon the wind
changed in a squall some points towards the north, and the Prince
of Wales made the preparatory signal for sea. At three P.M. the
ships weighed, an hour too early for the tide ; as soon as this served
we entered into the passage between Hoy and Pomona, and had to
beat through against a very heavy Swell, which the meeting of a
weather tide and a strong breeze had occasioned.
Some dangerous rocks lie hear the Pomona shore, and on this side
also the tide appeared to ruh With the greatest strength. On clearing
the outward projecting points of Hoy and Pomona, we entered at