I ii
CHAP. the advanced state of the season would render extremely fatiguing. At
eight we ascended a hill, but saw not the slightest chance of an opening,
Narrative the icc to the soutliwai’d being quite compact as fiir as the eye could
Barse. reach, and varying in its height from twelve to two feet above the level
of the sea. At midnight the weather was cold, dark, and foggy, and
seemed to indicate a S. W. gale.
Friday, 25th Aug. At four this morning the current appeared to
resume something of its former rapidity, causing the ice to move to the
northward, and leaving small openings. This gave us faint hopes of a
release; but the wind springing np as we had anticipated soon extinguished
them. After breakfast we again visited the hill, but with
uo better success than before. The tide returning or ebbing from the
river brought back with it a quantity of the ice, almost every piece of
which drifted athwart the boat; so that we determined on getting her
afloat, and shifting her to a better berth, where we should be ready to
avail ourselves of the smallest prospect of getting clear. Having laid
out an anchor astern, we with much difficulty got her through the
sandbank that had formed itself round u s ; and finding that at her
own length farther out a channel was left for the ice to drive either out
or into the river, we secured her to a large berg that had grounded and
afforded us much shelter. Towards noon a number of natives visited
us, and were presented with tobacco, &c. Among them was the old man
spoken of the day before; who, on receiving his present, offered up
what we concluded to be a prayer, at the same time blowing with his
mouth, as if imploring an east wind and the dispersion of the ice.—In
the afternoon the wind had increased to a gale. We went to the hill,
and there observed the line of ice within the horizon, and the sea
breaking very heavily outside ; we saw also a number of large bergs
drifting down. At four, fresh gales, with heavy squalls—the ice around
us became closely wedged, the pieces being forced one over another,
forming a solid mass. The body of ice in the offing was still drifting
to the northward. This day Mr. Elson determined, if we should be
compelled to quit the boat, to take every thing out of her except the
gun, to remove her into the deepest part of the river, and there sink
her, so as to prevent the natives from destroying or breaking her up to
M i j.
obtain the iron; from which situation, should we visit this coast next
year, she might with little trouble be raised. The stores and n p in g
also we resolved to bury, and to leave directions where they might be
found. On visiting the village (which was about half a mile distant),
the natives were uncommonly civil. They resided in tents, the frames
of which were made with poles, and covered with seal-skins: the bottom
or floor was merely a few logs laid sidewise on the ground; inside there
was a second lining of rein-deer’s skin, which did not reach quite to
the top • this constituted the whole of their dwelling. Their principal
food appeared to be rein-deer and seal’s flesh; and having procured
more than sufficient ofthese animals for present use, they had buried
the overplus in the sand, to be kept until required. They very
generously led us to a seal that had been thus deposited, ih e flesh
and blubber which had been separated were wrapped in the skin,
and was in a most disgusting oily state. One of them put in his hand,
stirred up the contents, and offered us some, the sight of which alone
was enough to turn one’s stomach. He seemed to pity our want of
taste, and sucked his fingers with the greatest rehsh Each oi the
crew having provided himself with native boots, &c. for travelling in,
returned to the boat. Uuriiig the night the gale abated and the wind
fell almost calm, and it began to freeze hard. M"herever there was any
opening before, the water was covered with young ice. The tide here
rose and fell from eighteen to twenty in c h e s t h e time of change very
irreo-ulav, probably influenced by the ice.
"Saturday, 26th Aug. Our chance of getting clear seemed more remote
now than ever, and we commenced making preparations for the
land journey. The crew were sent on shore to exercise their limbs, and
train themselves for walking. YVe traced the windings of the river
for some distance; the banks were high on each side. It seemed deep, an
its turnings frequent and sudden. The only animal we saw was a red
fox, which avoided our pursuit. In the evening returned to the boat
th e W'eather still frosty. , i rei
Sunday, 2 7 th Aug. A sharp frost d u rin g th e night, a tte n d ed w ith
frozen particles, which fell hkc dust, and covered our clothes. The
wind light from the S. YV., with a thick fog. The freshwater ponds were
s s 2