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CHAPTER XII.
Interesting Narrative of the Boat Expedition—Point Barrow—Near Approach to Captain
Franklin—Beset by the Ice—Perilous Situation and fortunate Release of the Barge—
Terrific Gale—Rejoin the Ship—Further Examination of Kotzebue Sound—Discover
Buckland River—Mammoth Bones—Ice Formation—Approach ofWinter obliges the
Ship to quit the Sound—Repass Beering’s Strait—Gale—Proceed to the Southward—
Future Plans—Make St. Paul’s Island—Aleutian Islands—Pass through Oonemak
Channel—Arrived off San Francisco in California.
N a r r a t i v e o f th e P r o c e e d in g s o f th e B a r g e o f H . M . S . B to s som in q u e s t
o f C a p ta in F r a n k lin , a n d to e x p lo r e th e C o a s t N . E . o f I c y C a p e .
A f t e r the signal was made by the Blossom on the night of the
17th of August, to carry orders into execution, the barge stood in
Narrative shore, and the next morning was off Icy Cape. Having a contrary
wind, she beat up along the land to the N. E„ and shortly after noon
the officers landed opposite a village of yourts, which was found to be
deserted, and the houses to be closed up for the summer. These habitations
closely resembled those of theEsquimaux, which have been already
described. The country here was covered with a thick peat which retained
the water and made it very swampy and almost impassable.
E"pon the beach there was found an abundance of coal and driftwood.
Working to the north-eastward from this village, they discovered a
shoal with only eight feet water upon it lying about 150 yards from
the beach, which, having deep water within it, offered a security
against the ice in the event of its closing the shore, and they did not 6HAP.
fail to bear in mind the advantage it might afford in a moment of
necessity. About midnight they were visited by four baidars contain-
ing about sixty persons, from whom they expected to obtain a supply of Barge,
venison, as this kind of provision is. generally speaking, abundant to
the northward of Cape Lisburn ; but being disappointed, they continued
their progress along the land. On the morning of the 20th
there was a fall of snow, and the weather turned very cold. They found
themselves off a village, and were visited by several baidars, the crews of
which were very anxious to get alongside the barge, and in so doing one
of the baidars was upset. An Esquimaux dress is very ill adapted to
aquatic exercises, and persons acquainted with it would think there was
considerable danger in being plunged into the sea thus habited ; but
the natives in the other baidars did not seem to reflect upon these consequences,
and laughed most immoderately at the accident : they, however,
went to the assistance of their friends, and rescued them all. It
must have been a cold dip for these people, as the rigging and masts
were partially covered with ice.
About noon they landed to procure observations, and found the
latitude of this part of the coast to be 70° 43' 47" N., and longitude, from
the bearings of YY"ainwright Inlet, 159° 46' W. Here a post was erected
for Captain Franklin, on which the following inscription was painted :
“ Blossom’s tender, Sunday, August 20th, latitude 70° 4 3 'N., bound
along the coast to the N .E . I f Captain Franklin should pass this
place, he will probably leave some memorandum.” The coast was here
low, and more dry than that in the vicinity of tyainwright Inlet, with a
beach of sand and gravel mi.xed, upon which there was an abundance of
coal and drift wood. In the evening they passed several yourts, but
saw no inliabitants until nine o’clock, when several came off and annoyed
the crew with their importunities and disorderly conduct. The
coast was here more populous than any where to the southward, wliich
their visiters probably thought a good protection against the small
force of our boat, and they were not easily driven away.
On the 21st they arrived off a chain of sandy islands lying some
distance from the main laud, which I have distinguished by the name