he at firft fuppofed to be piece? of ree* About nine, however, I was
awakened to refplve the doubts which had taken place refpefling this
extraordinary appearance. I immediately perceived that they were
whales; and having ordered the canoe to be prepared, we embarked iri
purfuit o f them. It was, indeed, a very wild and unrefleflingrenterprife*
and it was a very fortunate circumftance that we failed in our attempt to
overtake them, as a ftroke. from the tail of one o f thefe enormous fifti
would have daihed the canoe to pieces. We may, perhaps, have been
Indebted to the foggy weather-for our ftiety, as it prevented OS
from continuing our purfuit. Our guide informed us that they are
the lame hind o f filh which are the principal food of the Efquimaux,
and they were frequently feen as large as our canoe,; Tire part of them
wMeh appeared above the water was altogether white, and they were
much larger than the largefl porpoife.
About twelve the fog difperfed, and being curious to take a view o f
the ice, I gave orders for the canoe to be got ia readineJs, We accordingly
embarked, and the Indians followed ns. We had not, however,
been an hour on the water, when the wind role on a hidden from the
North-Eaft, and obliged us to tack about,.and the return of the fog prevented
us from afeertaining our diftance from the ice; indeed, from this
circumftance, the illand which we had fo lately left was but dimly
feen. Though the wind was dole, we ventured to hoift the fail, and
from the violence o f the fwell it was by great exertions that two men
could bale out the wafer from our canoe. We were in a ftate of aSual
■ danger, and felt every correfponding emotion of pleafure when we
reached the land. The Indians had fortunately got more to windward,
fo
fo that fhfftifwlftrjs1' fom&^eafope %oye them on fhpre, though their
fanpes were{pearly.fillediwith’Vater;; „and had theyglpeen Jadfga, we Sr
fhould have<foen them no more,.. As I did not propofe to ,fatisfytmy:
Curiofity; at the .rifk of fimilar -dangers*. we continued our courfe along
the iflands, which fcreenedr us .frqm the wind.,. I wasjrow determined
to .take a more particular examination of thq.iflands,r, in the hope of
meeting, with-parties of the.natives, fiprawhqrn I. might be able to obtain
fome iatersBing intelligence, though our. conduftordifeouraged my
expeS-ations. by. reprefenting them- -ftiyand inacceffible^people.
;At the,fame timp he-informed me that we^fho.uld prp,bably?ftnd fome o f
thpm,tif we navigated the ^channel,,which he had originally recopmended
us to enter. - -
At eight we encamped on the^Eaftern end of the ifland, which I had
yarned the,^hale, lfland^f{ Itd^bpuitdeyen,;l|agues, in Jength, Eaft
and Weft^hy/cpmpafs.; ;d)ut,-npt mqrq. than half .l;a^mjlsft ,in breadth.
We {aw.- fever^L red, foxes^pne ofwhic^h was fofpcl. £ There, wpjrq aljjp
five /ofilfix.every.old huts on the^pqpit .where had tak<y> o.ur ftatipn.
jThe nets .were, np;W;feL,and one, of them imfive fathoip.'vya^er^.the current
fetting North-Eaft by nompafs. This n^orning I grdered a poft to
be.Pfefled clpfe to, our^tepts^^.,]^^ latitude ?qf the
place, my own name, the,number of perfons which I had with me, .and
the time we remained there.. jj
Being, a'Wiajieined.r^Y fomp, cafoal circurnfiance, at four ?this morning,
I was furprifed on perceiving that the:water had flowed under our baggage.
As the wind had not.change.d, and did not blow with greater violence than
~ when