it ,1 M
CHAPTER XIX.
Arrive a t Chamisso Is lan d— F in d the B arg e wrecked— L ie u te n a n t Belcher’s P roceedings__
Conduct of th e N a tiv e s—Approach o fW in te r— F in a l D e p a rtu re from th e P o la r Sea—
Observations upon th e P ro b ab ility o f th e N o r th -W e s t Passage from th e P acific—
Remarks upon the T rib e in h ab itin g th e N o rth -W e s t Coast of America—R e tu rn to
California— T o u c h â t San Bias, Valparaiso, Coquimbo, Rio Ja n e iro—Conclusion.
A f t e r having so narrowly escaped shipwreck, we beat up all night
with thick weather, and the next morning steered for Chamis.so Island.
As we approached the anchorage we were greatly disappointed at not
seeing the barge at anchor, as her time had expired several days, and
her provisions were too nearly expended for her to remain at sea with
safety to her crew ; but on scrutinizing the shore with our telescopes,
we discovered a flag flying upon the south-west point of Choris Peninsula,
and two men waving a piece of white cloth to attract attention.
Amidst the sensations of hope and fear, a doubt immediately arose
whether the people we saw were the long looked for land expedition,
or the crew of our boat, who had been unfortunate amongst the ice,
or upon the coast, in the late boisterous weather. The possibility
of its being the party under Captain Pranklin arrived in .safety, after
having accomplished its glorious undertaking, was the first, because
the most ardent, wi.sh of our sanguine minds ; but this was soon contradicted
by a nearer view of the flag, which was clearly distinguished
to be the ensign of our own boat, hoisted witli the union downwards,
emblematical of distress. The boats were immediately sent to the
relief of the sufferers, with provisions and blankets, concluding, as we
saw only part of the crew stirring about, and others lying down within
a small fence erected round the flag-staff, that they were ill, or had
received hurts.
On the return of the first boat our conjectures as to the fate of the
barge were confirmed ; but with thi.s difference, that instead of having
been lost upon the coast to the nortliward, she had met her fate in
Kotzebue Sound, and we had the mortification to find that three of the
crew had perished with her. Thus, at the same time that we were
consoling ourselves, in the event of our misfortunes of the preceding
day terminating disastrously, that we should receive relief from our boat,
her crew were anticipating assistance from us.
From the report of Lieutenant Belcher, who commanded the barge,
it appears that after quitting Chamisso Island on the 12th ultimo, he
proceeded along the northern shore of the Sound, and landed upon
Cape Krusenstern, where he waited a short time, and not seeing the
ship, the weather being very thick, he stood on for Cape Thomson,
where he came to an anchor, and replenished his stock of water. He
met some natives on shore who informed him that the ship had passed
to the northward (which was not true), and he therefore pursued his
course; and finding the weather thick, and the wind blowing strong
from the S. E., brought to under the lee of Point Hope, and examined
the bay formed between it and Cape Lisburn, where he discovered a
small cove, which afforded him a convenient anchorage in two fathoms
muddy bottom. This cove, whicli I have named after his relation.
Captain Jlarryat, R. N. is the estuary of a river, which has no doubt
contributed to throw up the point.
After Lieutenant Belcher had constructed a plan of the cove, he
proceeded to Cape Lisburn; the weather still thick and blowing at
S. W. He nevertheless effected a landing upon the north side of the
Cape, and observed its latitude to be 68° 52' 3" N„ and the variation
to be 32" 23' E. From thence he kept close along the shore, for the purpose
of falling in with the land expedition, and arrived off Icy Cape on
the 19th, when he landed and examined every place, in the hope of
discovering some traces of Captain Franklin. He found about twenty
natives on the point living in tents, who received him very civilly, and
assisted him to fill his water casks from a small well they had dug iu