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Canaat.. Dept. of Marine and
Fisheries
Report of "one Huason's Bay
Expedition
^•au^'.^w:
■\^..
'- i\K:-' r
REPORT
OP THE
HUDSON'S BAY
UNDER THE COMMAND OP
LIEUT. A. R. GORDON, R.N ,
1884.
RKFORT
OF THE
HUDSON'S BAY EXPEDITION,
OMDHB THB COMMAND OF
LIEUT. A. R. GORDON, R.N.,
1884.
Meteorological Office, Toronto.
The Honorable A. W. McLelan,
Minister Marine and Fisheries,
Ottawa.
Sir, — I have honour to submit, herewith, my report on the conduct of the Hud-
son's Bay Expedition of this year, under my command.
I desire to acknowledge the cordial assistance and co-operation which I received
from Dr. Bell, who was appointed as medical officer and geologist to the expedition ;
and also from Mr. W. W. Fox, who accompanied the expedition as a volunteer. Both
Mr. Fox and Dr. Bell took large numbers of photographs of the various posts and
the scenery of the coast. Mr. Fox also made free-hand sketches ot the coast profile,
at many points, for me.
Dr. Bell's report forms Appendix A to this Report.
Appendix B is a series ot tables showing temperature, &c., at Fort Chimo, in
Ungava Bay, taken by Mr. Lucien M. Turner, of the United States Signal Service,
which he has favor^ us with, by kind permission of Greneral Hazon, the chief signal
officer of the United States army.
Of the officers and men forming the staff of the expedition, it gives me much
pleasure to report that they, each and all, performed the several duties assigned to
them in the most satisfactory manner.
The Report submitted herewith is divided into the following sections: —
1st. Narrative.
2nd. Navigation — including Ice, Currents and Meteorological Observations.
3rd. Resources of the Region.
4th. Trade.
6th. Natural History, Inhabitants and Fauna.
6th. Proposed Work for next Year;
Appendix A.— Report of R. Bell, Esq., M.D., F.G.S.
Appendix B. — Observation, at Ungava Bay, by L. M. Tamer, Esq*, United
States Signal Service.
I have the honour to be. Sir,
Your obedient servant,
ANDREW R. GORDON, Lieut., R.N.,
Commanding JS, B. Expedition.
f
The Honorable A. W. McLelan,
Minister Marine and Fibheries,
Ottawa.
Sir, — I have the honour to report, relative to the Hudson's Bay Expedition, that,
in accordance with your letter of instructions, dated 5th July, 1 proceeded to
Halifax, N.S., and took charge of the preparations for the expedition.
On the 14th of the same month I received the following note from Messrs. S.
Cunard and Co. : —
" Halifax, N.S., 14th July, 1884.
' Lieut. A. R. Gordon, R.N.,
" Halifax, N.S.
" Dear Sir, — In accordance with instructions received fi-om Messrs. Job Bros., we
" this day hand over to you the S.S. ' Neptune,'
" Yours truly, .
" S. CUNAED & CO., Agents." ^^
The " Neptune " having been placed at the disposal of the Department, the
greatest dispatch was used in coaling and putting on board the supplies for the ex-
pedition, and at two o'clock in the afternoon of Tuesday, ■22nd July, the coals, lumber
and other supplies being on board, the members of the expedition embarked, and one
hour later we left our moorings at the Marine Wharf for Hudson's Bay.
The staff of the expedition was composed as follows : —
Eobert Bell, M.D., fi'.G.S. , of Ottawa, geologist and medical oflficer.
Messrs. E. F. Stupart, of Toronto ; C. E. Tuttle, of Winnipeg ; W. A. Ashe, of i
Quebec; C. V. Deboucherville and A. N. Laperriere, of Ottawa; William Skynner,
of Springfield, Ont. ; H. M. Burwell, of London, Ont. ; and H. T. Bennett, observers.
Mr. W. W. Pox, of Toronto, photographer,
Messrs. Teadon, McNeill and Quigley, carpenters.
Messrs. E. Curiie, J. B. Campbell, H. M. Eainsiord, W. H. Jordan, M. W. Keat- 1
ing, Fied. Drysdaie, Jno. W. Chaplin, John W. McDaniel, W. F. Esdaile, Andrew (
Inglis, Adam Maher and Eobert Youill, stationmen.
The oflScere and men, who remained out all winter, had each of them been ex-
amined by medical men, and pronounced physically well-fitted to withstand the
rigors of an Artie climate.
The expedition touched at Blanc Sablon on the 26th of July, and on the evening
of Tuesday the 29th anchored in Ford's Harbour, at the east end of Paul's Island. At
this place I went on shox-e and arranged with Mr. Ford to pilot us into Nain. He
boarded the " Neptune " at daylight the following morning, and by nine o'clock we
had anchored off the Nain Mission House.
I visited this place in the hope of obtaining furs for the men who were to re- (
main at the stations during the winter, and of being able to engage Eskimo inter-
preters. I secured a few articles of fur clothing, but there were no interpreters to
be had. The Chief Superintendent of the Mission told me, however, that, in all
probability, I would be able to procure some fur clothing, and interpreters as Wei -
at the Hudson's Bay Co.'s Post at Nachvak, still further to the north, on the Lab-
rador coast.
We remained at Nain during the day and were kindly treated by the mission
aries who, besides imparting religious instruction to the natives, carry on an extensive
trade with them. They have six stations in all on this coast, of which Nain is the
capital. The others are Hopedale, Zoar, Hebron, Okkak and Eamah. During the
day I took observations to ascertain the dip of the magnetic needle and vibrations
for horizontal force, but was unable to obtain sights for the error of the chronometer
or variation, owing to the inclemency of the weather.
During the voyage from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to this place we met with a
great number of icebergs, both in the Straits of Belle Isle, and off the Labrador
coast, north of it.
The expedition left Nain about 4:30 o'clock on the morning of Slst July, and
reached Nachvak Bay about noon on the Ist of August, and cast anchor before the
Hudson's Bay Co. 's post at Nachvak, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Here I
met Mr George Ford, the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company and a brother of our
Nain pilot. From him and from the natives in the vicinity I purchased some skin
clothing, and through his kind assistance was enabled to procure the services of Mr.
James Lane, an Eskimo half-breed of Nachvak Bay as interpreter,
I learned from Mr. Ford that ice takes over the harbour of Nachvak, latitude
59° 10' N., longitude 63° 30' W., about the middle of November in each year and that
for the last seven years it has broken up within a day of the 26th of June in each
year.
On the 2nd of August, at daylight, we left the post at Nachvak, and after taking
Mr. Lane on board at the mouth of the Bay, proceeded to sea for Cape Chid ley. On
the morning of the 3rd— Sunday — the fog was so dense that we were compoUed to
stand off to sea, and lie to. Noon position, lat. 60° 5 V N., long. 64^ 14' W., D. E.
The fog continuing, we were obliged to lay to all day Sunday, all night Sunday
night, all day Monday, and all night Monday night, off the entrance to Hudson
Strait. Noon position Monday, 4th August, D.R. fat- 61° 12' N„ long. 64° 13' W.
At daylight on Tuesday, 5th August, the weather was clearing, and by sunrise it
was bright and fair. At noon we were approaching Cape Chidley, having been
caiTied some forty miles^ to the south whilst laying-to in the fog. We steamed
through Grey Strait, between the Cape and the Button Islands, keeping a close look
out for a harbour. At three o'clock in the afternoon we anchored in a fine harbour
on the north-western shore of the Cape, at the entrance to Ungava Bay.
On the shore of this harbour I selected the site for Observing Station No. 1,
and named the place Port Burwell, after the observer appointed to that station. Two
families of Eskimos were discovered about six miles distant from Port Burwell.
The work of landing lumber and supplies was begun at once, and by 4 o'clock
on the afternoon of Friday the 8th, the buildings were up and all was in readinej^s for
departure. I placed Mr. H. M. Burwell, of London, Ontario, in charge of this station,
with Messrs. Currie and Campbell as stationmen, and besides giving him full direc-
tions verbally, left with him, as also with each of the other observers, a copy of the
following general instructions : —
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFICERS IN CHARGE OF STATIONS IN HUBSON's BAY AND STRAITS.
As the primary object of the whole expedition is to ascertain f ji- what period of
the year the Straits are navigable, all attention is to be paid to the formation, break-
ing up and movements of the ice.
Each station is supplied with a sun dial and time piece, and Ihe clof^k is to be
tested each day when there is sunshine about noon. A table of corrections is sap-
plied for the reduction of apparent time to local mean time, to this ihe difference of
time will be applied to t5th meridian, all entries being made in the time of this me-
ridian, and observations will be taken regularly at the following times throughout
the year, viz., 3 h. 08 m., 7 h. 08 m., 11 h. 08 m., a.m. and p m.
Each morning the sums and means of the observations taken on the previous
day will be taken out and checked over, they will then be entered in the abstract
books supplied for the purpose.
After each observation during day light the observer on duty will take the teles-
cope and carefully examine the Straits, writing down at ihe time all that he sees,
stating direction aud (when possible) velocity of tide, movement of ice, if any, also
describe the condition of the ice, whether much broken up, solid field, &c., &c.
Tidal Observations. — Bach day the time and height of high and low water is to
be carefully observed, and during the open season the character of the tide will be
carefully noted for two days before and three days after the full and change of the
moon. For this purpose a post marked off in feet and fractions of a foot is to be
placed in the water, at low water in some bheltered spot, if any such be available,
and the height of the water noted every half hour during the rise and fall of one
tide on each of these days — the height to be noted most carefully every five minutes
during the hour of high water and the same at low water— the five minute observa-
tions will also be taken for one hour during the most rapid portion of the rise.
Special observations of barometric pressure are to be taken in connection with these
tidal observations.
To check the zero mark for the tidal observatioQ post, select a spot on shore
from which the horizon line will be projected on the tidal post, and record the read-
ing of this line when seen pi'ojocted on the post by the observer, whose eye is to be
placed at a measured height above the datura point selected on shore.
All remarks in regard to the movements of birds, fish, &c., and also as to the
growth of grasses, will be carefully entered.
As it is impossible to give to the officers in charge of stations detailed ipstruo-
tions which would be of service in every contingency which might arise, the officers
are required to observe and enforce the following rules: —
(a.) Every possible precaution is to be taken against fire, and as it is anticipated
that the temperature can be maintained considerably above the freezing point inside
the houses, two buckets full of water are always to be kept ready for instant use.
(b.) As the successful carrying out of the observations will, in a great measure,
depend on the health of the party, the need of exercise is strongly insisted on during
the winter months, and also that each member of the party shall partake freely of
the lime juice supplied.
(c.) Bach party is supplied with a boat, but unless some emergency required it,
it must be a rule that neither afloat nor ashore must any of the party leave the station
for a greater distance than they can be sure of being able to return the same day.
(d.) As soon as possible after the houses are completed and the stores all in
place, the party will set to work collecting sods, grass or any other non-conducting
material, and before the winter sets in the whole house is to be covered with this,
boards overlaid and snow packed over all ; the assistance of the Esquimaux should, if
possible, be obtained, and the whole house arched over with snow,
ANDREW R. GORDON", Lieut. R.N„
Commanding Expedition.
Ottavta, 5th July, 1884.
The expedition left Port Burwell at 5 o'clock on the evening of the 8th, and
shaped course for the Lower Savage Islands, where it was intended that Station No.
2 should be placed. On the following morning there was a dense fog until 8 o'clock,
when it lifted, and at 9 o'clock we sighted Resolution Island. "We passed a number
of icebergs in the forenoon, and passed between Resolution Island and the Lower
Savage Islands to East Bluff, then going about and steering along the south coast of
the Lower Savages.
We spent the day in looking for an anchorage at the Lower Savages, and on a
portion of the north main coast, a boat was sent ashore twice to examine what ap-
peared to be possible harbours; but, on both occasions, the report was unfavourable;
there was a stiff breeze blowing all day. At nightfall we pushed out into the Strait
and laid to until morning, when it was intended to renew the search. At daylight
on the morning of the 10th, we steamed shorewards and examined part of the coast
north of the Lower Savages, but a heavy snow storm setting in, with a fresh gale
from the south-east, and a falling barometer, I decided to abandon Resolution Island
Station for the time being, and push on towards North Bluff. The latter place was
reached about 4 p.m., on Monday, the 11th, after working our way through some
open stretches of ice. Here we found a good anchorage on Big Island (called by
3chwatka, Turenne Island), which forms the southern side of North Bay.
A suitable place was selected for the station buildings, and the place was called
Ashe's Inlet, after Mr. W. A. Ashe, the observer assigned to that station.
We fcund here a number of Eskimos, who seemed to be much pleased at seeing
white peoj)le oomi og into their country.
We were delayed a good deal at Ashe's Inlet by bad weather and by the field ice
coining into the harbour and interfering with the work of landing lumber and sup-
plies, but at noon on the 16th all was in readiness for the start. I left with Mr.
Ashe, for the time being, Mr. Skynner and his two naen, Messrs. Eainsford and
Jordan, whom I was unable to place on Eesolution Island, and at 2:30 the " Nep-
tune " was directed towards the south shore of the strait, and at 8 o'clock on the
morning of the 17th we sighted the north-west shore of Prince of Wales Sound.
On approaching the land, we forced our way through about twelve miles of field-
ice, more or less compact. Towards the shore the ice was more open, and much of
it was aground in three and four fathoms of water. We anchored about 2 p.m. in a
well-sheltered bay, about three miles along the north-west coast of the sound, from
the south main shore ot the strait. A few minutes later a number of Eskimos were
seen on shore. They were very much delighted when they learned that we were
going to establiph a station among them. I named this place Stupart's Bay, after
Mr. K. F. Slupart, the observer assigned to that station.
On account of the magnetic observations to bo taken, two extra buildings were
required at this station, but notwithstanding the extra work to be done, everything
was in readiness for our departure on the evening of the 22nd.
Accordingly we left Stupart's Bay on that evening, and had to work our way
through about eighteen miles of more or less compact field ice. We laid-to in the
ice all night. On reaching the open water we shaped our course so as to clear the
eastern point of Charles Island, after clearing which we steamed towards Nottingham
Island, and succeeded in making a good harbor on the south-east shore of that island
about 3 o'clock on the 24th.
On approaching Nottingham Island we found very heavy ice, extending for
some fifteen or twenty miles eastward from that island and Salisbury, filling the
channel between these islands and extending southward towards Cape Wolstenholme
as far as we could see.
On approaching the harbour we had the misfortune to break one hlade off the
propeller. Fortunately a spare fan had been brought in the ship, and beyond the
work entailed by unshipping the broken one, fitting the shaft in the new one and
getting it into position, which occupied the engineers about three days, we suffered
no damage in consequence.
Soon after our arrival at Nottingham we sighted four vessels in the channel be-
tween us and the south main shore. They were about twelve miles distant, and fast
in the field ice. Later we passed near enough to one to observe that she was bark
rigged, and probably the outgoing Hudson Bay Company's vessel, and to another, an
American whaling schooner, to exchange salutes with her by dipping ensigns.
We met with r <> natives at Nottingham Island. The work of erecting station
buildings and landiog the supplies occupied u^ until the morning of the 29th, when, at
9 o'clock a.m., having taken leave of Mr. C. V. DeBoucherville, the observer appointed
to thct station, and his men, Messrs. Esdaile and Inglis, we left the harbour, which I
had called Port DeBoucherville, and steamed out among the ice towards Mansfield
Islanu .
We found the ice exceedingly heavy and closely packed, so much so that after
ramming our way some five miles out, and while yet within sight of the harbour, we
were compelled to lay to until the change of tide should loosen it. After thi*ee hours*
waiting, we again went ahead with the engines, the ice having run abroad a little;
but when darkness closed upon ug, we were still in the ice and were compelled to lay
to until the morning.
Soon after daylight on Saturday morning, the 30th, we got out of the ice into
the open water of Hudson's Bay, and by 7 o'clock sighted the low, barren shores
of Mansfield Island. A-Ccording to the original plan, a station was to have been
placed on this island, but after coasting its eastern shores without finding an anchor-
age, I decided, about 7 o'clock in the evening, to abandon it altogether, and push
on across the bay, in the hope of being able to place a station on Cape Digges on
the return voyage.
2
Meanwhile, however, I proposed to examine the shojes of Southampton Island,
which lies to the north-west of Mansfield, with a view of ascertaining if that would
be a more suitable place for a station. I did this on Sunday, skirting the south-east
shore from Cape Southampton, some fifty miles, without finding an anchorage.
We then directed our course towards the north-west of the bay, in order to visit
Marble Island, and to see if the northern part of the bay was free of ice. At noon
on the first day of September we were off the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet, no ice
having been sighted.
We then bore up for Marble Island, where we arrived early in the morning of
2nd September, and anchored in the Whalers' Harbour at the south-west of the island,
and remained until seven o'clock in the evening.
During the day I took observations to ascertain the latitude and longitude,
the variation of the compass and the dip of the magnetic needle, and in the afternoon
made a hurried survey of the harbour.
We were somewhat disappointed at not finding native or other inhabitants on
the island, and surprised at seeing so many evidences of the dead, there being no less
than nineteen graves on Dead Man's Island, which forms the southern side of the
harbour, and a monument commemorating the death of six more who had been
drowned in a whale boat, in the " Welcome."
While at Marble Island I found a letter that had been left in a bottle by Capt.
Fisher, of the whaling bark " George and Mary," that had wintered in the harbour.
The letter was probably intended for one of the out going whaling vessels. I made
u copy of the letter, which is as follows: —
" Aug. 7, 1884.— On board the bark " George and Mary," Marble Island. All
well. Three whales. The north part of the bay has been filled with ice since the
lO'h of July. Could not get up the Welcome, nor to the east shore. Had a very
cold winter and spring. On the 23rd of May the thermometer was 4** below zero.
Got out the 7th of June. Laid in the outer harbour all winter. No natives came to
the ship while we lay at Marble Island. Had plenty of scurvy, but came out of it
all right. Shall stay in the Welcome until the last of August, then start for home if
nothing happens.
"(Signed), E. B. FISHER,
of the ' George and Mary.* "
From Marble Island we directed our course towards Churchill, meeting with
heavy weather on the voyage, and arriving off the mouth of the (/hurchill Eiver on
the evening of the 3rd. Owing to heavy north-west winds, fog, and to our not being
acquainted with the approach to Churchill Harbour, we were compelled to lay-to off
Cape Churchill until the forenoon of the 6th, when, the weather clearing, we steamed
into the harbour and anchored.
At this place I received and accepted the resignation, owing to ili-health, of Mr.
C. K. Tuttle, who had been appointed observer at Churchill, and arranged with Mr.
Spencer, the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company stationed there, to take the re-
quired meteorological observations, engaging, on behalf of the Government, to pay
him a salary of Sl20 per year.
Wo remained at Churchill, taking ballast, &c., until [the 9th, when, about T
o'clock in the evening, we started for York Factory.
I must acknowledge the extreme kindness and generous attention extended to
the expedition by the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company at Churchill. They did
all in their power to make our visit pleasant, and to supply me with for clothing, &c.
We arrived in sight of the beacon at York Factory on the morning of the 11th,
and anchored in the roadstead, some eighteen miles distant from the Factory, at ten
o'clock in the forenoon, and signalled for a York boat, which was pushed off at once,
but which, owing to contrary tide and wind, did not reach us until 5o'clock in the
evening.
Mr. Cowie, chief accountant of the post, accompanied the boat out, and he kindly
undertook to take us in and bring us out again the next day. We arrived at the
4
Factory about 3 o'clock on the morning of the 12th, and left again at 3 in the
afternoon.
Mr. Wood, storekeeper at York, has been observer ia connection with tha
meteorological office for some years. I compared his instruments and adjusted them,
and found his meteorological work all well done, and the observer much interested ia
the work.
I obtained some additional clothing from Mr. Fortescue, the chief factor at that
post, and, as at Churchill, was most hospitably received by all the officers of the
company.
We reached the "Neptune " in the York boat about 5 o'clock in the evening of
the 12th, and weighed anchor at 7, and shaped our course for Cape Digges.
We found a good harbour on the south-western extremity of the larger Diggea
Islanj, and anchored on the morning of the 16th. Here I decided to place a station,
in charge of Mr. Laperriere, and called the place Laperriere Harbor. I regarded the
place as most suitable for a companion station to that of Port DeBouchervillo. The
distance between the two is about forty-five miles, and, as the vast stretches of ice
that wo met with between Nottingham and Diggea on both the outward and home-
ward voyages, made that channel a point of the greatest importance, I consider it
as desirable that the two stations should be establised there.
On the morning of 2()th September, the buildings having been completed and
supplies landed, I prepared for departure. Mr. Laperriere was placed in charge of
the station, with Messrs. Quigly and Maher as stationmen. I substituted Mr. Quigly,
one of the carpenters, for Mr. Youill, whose condition of health rendered him unfit to
be left there.
On the homeward voyage the expedition touched at Port DeBoucherville, Ashe's
Inlet and Stupart's Bay, leaving such furs and other clothing as I had obtained for
the comfort of the men. At Ashe's Inlet I took on board Messrs. Skynner, Kainsford
and Jordan, and left with Mr. Ashe, Messrs. Keating and Drysdale, the men originally
intended for that station.
Prom Stupart's Bay we made for Resolution Island, hoping to be able to place a
station on the shores of th^t island. Arriving on the west coast of the island on the
morning of the 26th of September, we coasted along in search of a harbour. At 9
o'clock a boat was sent in to examine a bay that promised well. The vessel followed
some distance astern, going dead slow, with a look-out man on the jib-boom. Leads
were going from both the boat and the ship. Presently the boat reported only four
fathoms; a little distance astern we had ven fathoms from the ship. In canting the
ship, there being a strong northerly breeze, and the tide setting to the southward,
the vessel struck a sunken rock and remained there, grinding a little at each sea, for
about nine minutes. She was, however, worked off without sustaining much serious
damage. A piece of wood came to the surface, supposed to be one of the scarf pieces
butting on the stem plates.
We steamed further down the coast to the south-east, when about noon another bay
was discovered. The mate was again sent in, in charge of the boat, to make soundings.
At length he returned and reported a good harbour. AVe steamed slowly in, following
as nearly as possible, the boat track, the engines alternately going dead slow and
stopping. The lead was going constantly, and there was a lookout in the fore-top
and one on the jib-boom. At 1 o'clock while the leadsman was reporting "twelve
fathoms and no bottom abreast of the main rigging, the ship suddenly struck forward
and the men on the look-out shouted " go astern." The ship struck very heavily and
rolled two or three times. As she rebounded her engines were reversed and she was
put out to sea at once.
We coasted along to Cape Best, but as there were no signs of a harbour, and as
the wind was threatening a gale, and a heavy cross sea running, and as the ship had
struck twice and received considerable damage, Captain Sopp advised that the station
on Resolution Island be abandoned, and I felt, under all the circumstances, bound to
abandon it. We had examined over sixty miles of the coast, and altogether we had
expended nearly three days steaming in search of a harbour. I therefore req^uested
8
the Captain to shape our course for Port Burwell, and in that excellent harbour,
-we anchored at 8 o'clock on the morning of the 27th of September.
At this place we took ballast and filled up the bunkers with coal from the hold.
On our return here, as at the other stations, we found all in good health and
spirits, liking the work, and well satisfied with all that had been provided for them.
The provisions, especially the evaporated fruits and vegetables wei'o spoken of as
being of an excellent quality.
We continued the homeward voyage from Port Burwell at 3 p.m., on 29th Sep-
tember, carrying the ebb tide with us through Grey Strait for Nachvak Bay.
At noon of the 30th we anchored in a cove on the north side of the entrance to
"the bay, and having selected a site for the house, proceeded at once with its erection
and with the work of landing the stores.
On Saturday evening, the Ith October, the work was completed, but as it had
been a week of unusually hard work for all hands, I lay in harbour till daylight on
Monday morning, the 6th, when we proceeded to sea for St. Johns, Newfoundland,
where we arrived on the morning of Saturday, the 11th, and having delivered the
ship up to the owners, Messrs. Job Bros. & Co., I took passage for the entire
party in steamship "City of Mexico," sailing that^day for Halifax.
Navigation.
The ice has been supposed, hitherto, to bo the most formidable barrier to the
navigation of the straits, but its terror disappears, to a great extent, under investiga-
tion. The ice met with on the cruise of the " Neptune " may be divided into throe
classes — having distinctly separate origins. They are : icebergs from the glaciers of
Pox Channel ; heavy arctic field ice from the channel itself, and what may be called
ordinary field ice, being that which had been formed on the shores of the bay and
straits.
We met no icebergs in Hudson's Bay, nor did I hear of any being seen there. In
the straits a good many were seen, principally along the north shore, where many of
them were stranded in the coves, and some were met with in mid-channel. Of those
seen in the eastern end of the straits, some had undoubtedly come in from Davis'
Straits, passing between Eesolution [sland and East Bluff; bat all of those met to the
westward had come from Fox Channel, as observations made by Mr. Ashe, at Korth
IBluff, show, that an iceberg coming in sight from the westward will pass out of view
to tho eastward in from three to four tides, showing an easterly tet of upwards of ten
miles a day. The icebergs seen in Hudson's Straits, in August and September, would
form no greater barriers to navigation than do those met with off the Straits of Belle
Isle, nor were they more numerous in Hudson's Straits than they frequently are off
Belle Isle.
The ordinary field ice was met with off North Bluff and the Upper Savages,
on the 11th of August. This ice, though it would have compelled an ordinary iron
steamer to go dead slow, gave no trouble to the " Neptune," the mate on watch run-
ning the ship at full speed through between the pans, rarely touching one of them.
Just before entering Ashe's Inlet we had to break through a heavy string, which was,
however, done without in the slightest degree injuring the ship. In the harbour
(Ashe Inlet) the ice came in, with the flood tide, and set so fast that the Eskimo
were able to walk off to the ship, a distance of three-quarters of a mile. On the
south shore our experience was much the same, but no ice was met with through
which the ship could not have forced her way without damage. In the centre of the
straita, to the east of North Bluff, no field ice was seen at all, and after leaving Stu-
part's Bay, on the outward voyage, although the vessel lay-to for tho night in the ice,
it was only to wait for daylight, and not because the ice was too heavy. This pack
extended about eighteen miles out into the straits, and after getting over this dis-
tance we came into clear water. From this point to Charles Island, and thence to
the end of Salisbury Island, long strings of ice were frequently seen, but as their
direction was invariably parallel to our course, or nearly so, we coasted round them.
On the homeward voyage none of this field ice was seen. The Eskimo, both at Ashe
Inlet and Stupart's Bay, informed me that there was an unusually great quantity of
ice in the straits this year, and that they had never seen the ice hang to the shores so
late in the season.
The Heavy Arctic Ice. — After passing the east end of Salisbury Island the ice
got heavier and closer, and when off Nottingham Island the pack was so run together
that I determined to give up the attempt to force the ship through it, and working
out again, headed more to the southward. In making in for the laild here we broke
the propeller, but succeeded in taking the ship into harbour with the stumps.
Viewed from the top of a hill on Nottingham Island the sea in every direction
"was one vast ice field, and to the southward, between South-east Point and Cape
Digges, we saw four vessels fast. This ice was altogether of a different type to what
we hud hitherto met with. Some of it was over 40 feet thick of solid blue ice, not field
ice, which had been thickened by piling of pan on pan, but a solid sheet of ice which
Lad evidently been frozen just as we saw it. Much of it was 20 feet thick, and for the
general average of all the field we passed through coming into harbour, I estimate
that the thickness would have been upwards of 15 feet. The question as to the origin
of this ice and whether it will be frequently met with in the west end of the Straits is
an important one ; for in such ice, when closely packed, a vessel oven of the build and
power of the " Neptune," was perfectly helpless. I do not consider that it is possible
for ico to form in Fox channel to a greater thickness than 10 feet in a single year,
and I feel convinced that much of the ico which we encountered was the accumulation
of several years.
The depth to which w.ater will freeze has, so far as I know, never yet been deter-
mined, but it is certain that ice being a very poor conductor of heat, when once a
certain thickness of ice has been formed, the rate of thickening will be very slow. In
regard to this point, measurements of the formation of ice will be made at some of the
observing stations in Hudson's Straits this year, which will assist in finally determin-
ing this question.
If, as seems probable from the reports of the Hudson's Bay ships, this year and
last year have been ex3eptionally heavy ice years, it is reasonable to conclude that
only occasionally does this heavy Fox Channel ice appear in Hudson's Straits.
Another piece of confirmatory evidence ag to the exceptional nature of the ico met
with in the northern part of the Bay this year is the statement in Capt. Fisher's
letter, found at Marble Island and quoted in the narrative portion of my report, that
he had been unable to reach, up to the date of his letter, the east shore, or to go up
the Welcome on account of the ice.
The harbour ice forms at Churchill on the average about the middle of November
and breaks up about the middle of June. As this is the only known harbour on the
west coast of the bay, these times may bo taken as marking the extreme limits of the
season during which it would be possible for a ship to enter and leave the harbour.
It is only fair to state, that had I been making the passage from Cape Chudleigh,
direct to Churchill instead of coasting and working across the straits, 1 do not con-
sider that I should have been delayed by ice, more than forty-eight hours : but no
ordinary iron steamship, built as the modern freight carrier is, could have got through
the heavier ice that we met without incurring serious risk, if not actual disaster.
Since the foregoing was written, I have received a copy of the Report of Lieut.
Kay, United States Sietnal Service, to the Chief Signal Officer, on the conduct of the
observations at Point Barrow in the Arctic. He gives as the greatest thickness of ice
formed in one season 6 feet 2 inches. At Point Barrow the formation of ice on
the shore is certainly influenced by the passage of a current of warm water passing
through Behring Straits and setting north-east.
Fox Channel has no such advantage, and I still think it possible that a sheet of
ice 10 feet in thickness might be formed there in one season.
The Compass. — In working through the straits, especially at the western end,
I found the ordinary compass so sluggish as to be almost useless. The Sir Wm<.
Thomson card, however, worked admirably when properly compensated.
10
The reason of the difficulty with the compass is, that from the proximity to the
magnetic pole the horizontal directive force of the earth's magnetism, which alone
directly affects the compass needle, is very small compared with the whole magnetic
force; consequently, the effect of induced magnetism in the iron of the ship on the
compass becomes very large in comparison with the direct action above mentioned;
the result being, that in an imperfectly compensated compass the error due to local
attraction is very greatly increased.
The means of correcting this error in the Sir Wm. Thomson binnacle are perfect
and easily mastered, and the system is such that the compass can, after the first
Toyage or two, be perfectly compeneated by using certain proportions of soft iron
fcars and magnets, as correctors, the proportion having to be determined by actual
observation and experiment on the voyage.
All steamships making the voyage through the straits should have one of those
compasses as a standard, and the captains should familiarize themselves with the
methods of correcting them, and as often as opportunity offers take azimuth observa-
tions, both stellar and solar.
Currents.
Off the entrance of Hudson's Strait I found the current setting to the southward,
During the two days whilst lying off in fog, the wind was very light, and the drift
of the ship must have been almost entirely due to the current. In the forty-eight
hours lying-to, the ship was set forty miles to the south of her position by dead reck-
oning. This is a somewhat greater amount of southerly set than the Admiralty
directions indicate, and ships approaching the entrance of the straits would, in thick
"weather, have to do so with great caution.
At Port Burwell, near Cape Chudleigh, the tide rises and falls, at springs, about
19 feet, and the current in Grey Strait, between the Button Islands and the
cape, flows at the rate of about four knots an hour ; and when a strong breeza is
blowing against the tide, a very naisty and confused and breaking sea gets up, which
£shing schooners might find dangerous.
At Ashe's Inlet, near North Bluff, the tide rises and falls 32 feet at springs.
There is a tide-race off the Bluff, and within three miles of the shore the velocity of
the tide currents is very great, sometime? reaching six knots.
At Stupart's Bay, near Prince of Wales Foreland, the rise and fall of the tide is
28 feet. The tides of this coast do not show as high velocities as on the north side,
probably owing to the water being shoaler.
At the western end of the straits the tides also run with great velocity. The rise
and fall at Nottingham Island, at spring tides, is 14 feet, and Cape Digges about
10 feet.
At the entrance of Port Churchill there is a tide-race, the velocity of which, at.
half-tide, I estimate at seven knots.
MeieorologicaL
The meteorological work, which is to be done at the stations, is as follows : —
Observations will be taken six times a day, of height of barometer, temperature
of the air, temperature of wet bulb thermometer, velocity and direction of the wind,
reading of hair hygrometer, cloudiness, with record of amount and kind of cloud,
and direction of its movement, and rain and snow fall. Water temperatures will also
he taken. The times of observation are at equal intervals of four hours, and so
selected that three of them are synchronous with the regular telegraphic series
taken by the observers of the Meteorological Service.
Complete observations were taken on board during the voyage and, for the
purpose of illustrating the weather which was met with in Hudson's Straits, I shall
compare it with that experienced at Belle Isle, a station of the Meteorological Ser-
vice, and in the regular trade route between Quebec and Europe.
11
For the first period from Ist to Slst August. — The "Xoptanc" was, on 1st August,
at Nachvak Bay, within 100 miles of the east end of the Straits an'1, on 30th August,
had just left Nottingham Island on the west end, so that the month of August was
spent in the straits region.
The following table is compiled from the Meteorological Eecords : —
Belle hie Hudson's
Straits. Straits.
Number of days on which fog is recorded li 9
Approximate number of hours of fog 220 102
Days on which snow fell 0 4
Days on which rain fell 10 8
Days on which wind exceeded 25 miles per hour, but
did not reach 40 , 6 5
Days on which wind exceeded 40 miles 2 1
The month of August thus shows favourably for Hudson's Straits, the fog
there being reported on six days only, as against thirteen days in Belle Isle ; and
the total number of hours ol fog being respectively 102 in Hudson's Straits, and
Belle Isle, 220; and if the duration of the snow storms in Hudson's Straits, nineteen
hours, be added to the number of hours of fog, it still shows favourably. The num-
ber of gales also is six at Belle Isle for five in the straits; and of heavy gales, two
at Belle Isle, and only one in the straits.
The following comparison for September is between Station No. 1, at Cape
Chudleigh and Belle Isle : —
Belle Isle Hudson's
Straits. Straits.
IS^umber of days on which fog is recorded 7 4
Approximate number of hours of fosr 82 34
Days on which snow fell 3 8
Days on which rain fell 15 6
Days on which velocity of wind was between 25 and
40 miles per hour 4 5
Days on which velocity of wind was 40 miles or over
per hour 11 3
Days on which any snow fell are put down as snow days, though rain as well as
snow may have fallen on those days.
In the character of the weather, therefore, for the two months (August and
September) so far as it affects navigation, Hudson's Straits compare favourably with
the Straits of Belle Isle, there being eleven heavy gales at Belle Isle against three
in Hudson's Straits, and more than double the amount of fog.
The mean temperature of the month at Cape Chudleigh for August was 39° ; for
Belle Isle, 49° 67 ; and for September, Cape Chudleigh, 32°-76 ; Belle Isle, 43°-l.
Eeports formerly received from the Labrador Mission Stations give higher mean
temperature for those months, but those stations may be considered as almost in-
land stations in the character of their weather, and would thus show both higher
temperature in summer and lower in winter than an insular station like Belle Isle.
I have received, through the courteNy of the Chief Signal Ofiicor of the United
States Signal Service, copies of the obseivations taken at Fort Chimo, in Ungava
^^Jj t)y Mr. Lncien Turner, who has spent two years there, and the winter tempera-
tures given in these will not, I think, greatly differ from those in the Straits.
These tables form Appendix B to this report.
The following table gives the weather experienced in Hudson's Bay, from the
Ist to Itith September : —
Cape Digges and Marble Island,
Mean temperature.
September 1. — Pair weather, light N.B. winds 43°
" 2. — Fire and cloudy p.m. with strong N.E. wind 42°
" 3. — Rainy weather, moderate gale from S.E 40°
12
y — - ■^■'
Off Churchill.
September 4. — Eainy weather, strong gale]froni N.W 40**
'< 5. — Cloudy weather, strong gale from N.W 40**
" 6.— Cloudy, light rain, light N.W. wind, thick
weather 39 5°
At Churchill.
September [^. — Fine weather, light S W. wind 42°
« 8.— Fine weather, light N.W. and S.W. wind 44°
" 9. — Fair cloudy weather, moderate N.B. wind... 41°
York.
September 10. — Cloudy weather, light rain, mod. S.B. wind.. 40**
" 11. — Fair weather, moderate N.E. wind 41°
" 12.— Fair weather, light S. wind 46°
York to Digges.
September 13. — Fair weather, light N.E. wind 42**
" 14.— Fog in a.m., fine p m., light N.E. wind 35°
" 15. — Foggy weather, etroner N.W. wind 34°
" 16.— Fair weather, light N.B. wind 3i°
The above shows one gale lasting* nearly three days, viz., the 3rd, 4th and 5tii,
and two days on which fog occurred. On the 14th the fog lasted from 9 a m. to
nearly 3 p.m., closing down again early on the morning of the 15th and continaing
thick fog till about 3 p.m.
Sea Temperatures.
The temperature of the surface water off Belle Isle on 25th July was 41-6 which
gradually decreased as we proceeded northward to 34-7 on 4th August, off the
entrance to Hudhon's Straits.
On the homeward voyage these temperatures were, off Hudson's Straits 32*5
on 29 ih September, and abreast of Belle Isle, but some distance to the eastward, 36° on
9th October.
In Hudson's Straits, the mean surface temperature, as obtained ff^m observa-
tions taken when the ship was at sea, was, on the west-bound voyage, found to be
32.9, the highest mean of a day's observations was 33 3, and the lowest 32'6.
On the homeward voyage the lowest daily mean was 31'8 and the highest 33°. The
highest temperatures were in each case observed at the eastern end ot the straits and
the lowest off Nottingham Island.
In the bay the surface temperatures varied much with the geographical
positions, being 39-4 off Marble Isltnd, 4 ° off Cape Churchill, 39-7 about 100
miles north-east of York Factory, observed whilst steaming across to Cape Digges,
and 36° off the south end of Mansfield Island.
Hudson's Bay may therefore be regarded as a vast basin of comparatively warm
water, the effect of which must bo to considerably ameliorate the winter climate to
the south and oast of it.
The resident factor at Churchill informs me that the bay never freezes over so
far out from t-bore, but that clear water can be seen ; and as the temperature of the
water must be abavo 29*8 Faht. (the freezing point of salt water) when at the same
time the temperature on shore is below zero, we have a set of conditions which will
cause a regular area of low barometric pressure to remain over the bay during the
winter, with prevailing west and north-west winds and very coM weather oa the west
and north west of the bay, as shown by observations at York Factory; whilst on the
opposite side of the bay winds from south-west, south and south-east would prevaiL
13
la concluding this the motoorological portion of the report, I would point oat that
BO far as meteorological conditions are concerned, the bay has been proved navig-
able early in June. The barque ** George and Mary " sawed out on the 7th June of
this year, and was cruising under sail from that date onwards in the northern part
of the bay.
Surveying \ Work,
At Station No. 1, Port Burwell, near Cape Chudleigh, the harbour and part of the
adjacent coast was surveyed by Mr. W. A. Ashe, D.L.S., whowas one of the observers
appointed to the expediiion, and I have prepared sailing directions for entering the
port. Mr. Ashe also surveyed the harbour at Station No. 3 (Ashe Inlet). At all the
other stations in the straits I have myself, besides making determinations of position,
variation and dip, made surveys of the harbors, and written out the necessary sailing
directions for entering the ports. I also made a hurried survey of the harbour at
Marble Island, and have obtained a copy of a plan of Churchill Harbour from one of
the Hudson's Bay Company's officers. Copies of all these I will furniBh you with
hereafter, when I have had time to complete the final reductions and recopy the plans.
Resources of the Begion of EwisorCs Bay and Strait.
As to the resources of these waters, I have the honor to report:
1. That the economic fish and mammals of those waters are the whale, porpoise^
walrus, narwhal, seal, salmon, trout, cod, and a variety of small fish.
2. That the only fishing industries developed so far are, the whale fishery by the
Americans, and the porpoise, walrus, salmon and trout fiwheries by the Hudson's
Bay Company.
3. That the chief whaling ground is^lhe Rowe's Welcome, a vast basin in the
north-western portion of Hudson's Bay. Here the American whalers, chiefly fromt
Massachusetts and Connecticut have been conducting a very profitable fishery foir
more than a quarter of a century, and are t^till in active operations.
The report of the United States Commissioners of Fish and Fisheries for 1875-€
states, that during the eleven years preceding 1874, about fifty voyages were known
to have been made by whaling vet^sels from New England to Hudson's Bay, and their
returns amounted to at least $1,371,000, an average of $27,420 per voyage, which, as
most of the vessels engaged in the trade are comparatively small sailing vessels,
shows a large margin for profit to those engaged in the business. And if we allow aa
average of three vessels per annum since the date of the roturcs up to the present
year, we have $822,600. as the value of the oil and bone taken by our neighbours from
the waters of Hudson's Bay since the date of the report above quoted, making a grand
total of $2,19;^,600.
The wintering quarters of these whalers is at Marble Island, on the north-western
coast of Hudson's Bay The whaling ships, generally, leave Massachusetts or Con-
necticut in July, and reach the island some time in September, where they winter in
a well sheltered harbour, and saw out of the ice in June of the following spring;
They then pross northward as fast as the movin<.r ice will permit, until the whaling
ground is reached, where they fish until the Ist September, and then sail for home,
with their ships well loaded with blubber and bone. One or two whaling vessels,
and occasioniilly more, winter at Marble Island each year.
Although this industry is, as yet, comparatively small, I am persuaded that, from
the large profits realized by those ent^aged in it, from the ample opportunities for
its extension, and the increased attention which is now being given to the resources
of the Hudson's Bay region, a much lat-tror number of vessels will, nndoubtodly, be
drawn into it at an early day. I am satisfied that there are largo numbers of whales
in these waters, from the fact that wo met with thom continually during the cruise
of the " Neptune," and because, so far as I can learn, those engaged in the catch
have never yet been compelled to r«'turn without a fair cargo. The bark " George
and Mary," Capt. Fisher, of Connecticut, wintered at the Island last season, sawed.
14
out of the ico on tlie 7th of last June, and succoedod in taking throe whales in the
open waters of Huison's Bay before reaching the " Welcomj." Considering that
£ve or six of these mammals would complete her cargo, it is easy to see that this
fishery is by no means failing off.
4. Of the fisheries carried on by the Hudson's Bay Company, that of the porpoise
is the most extensive. The blubber of these mammals weighs from 250 to 400
pounds, and is very rich in the finest of oil.
Last year the company secured nearly 200 in one tide at Churchill, and a much
larger number at Ungava Bay. They have established extensive refineries at several
<rf their northern stations, and instead of exporting the blubber in bulk, as formerly,
3-efine it, shipping the pure oil in casks. The porpoises are not shot or har-
pooned, as is the case with the walrus and whale, but ai-e grounded on the flats in;
•coves, where the tide rises 10 or 15 feet or more, and where, by means of trap nets,
Ihcy are held in check until the water recedes, leaving them high and dry on the
l)0ulder8 and sand. The process is very simple and inexpensive. The company also
carry on a walrus bunt, sending two sloops annually from Churchill to two very
productive walrus grounds, north of Marble Island, where they have never failed to
secure as much blubber, ivory and hides as their little vessels will carry in a few
"weeks. They took between twenty and thirty of those animals the present season.
On this trip they also meet the northern Eskimo, and carry on a very valuable trade
with them, exchanging powder, shot, &c., for ivory, oil, musk ox robes, and other
fars.
One of the members of the expedition was furnished with an estimate of the
Talue of the oil secui-ed in the Hudson's Bay region last year by the company and
^h« American whalers, which, although I had no means of verifying it, is probably
within the mark. It places the value of the export at $150,000. I am eatinfied that
the walrus and porpoise fisheries may be developed to almost any extent ; and as in-
"Creased attention is sure nov^^ to be given to this industry, we may rely upon ita
almost immediate extension. We met with walrus in great numbers at the wet-tern
end of the strait. In one afternoon, while steaming from the Digges Islands to
l!>rottingham Island, we found between fifty and a hundred of them on the ice.
5. The company is also engaged at several points, particularly at Ungava, in
the salmon and trout fisheries. These excellent fith abound in vast quantities in
nearly all the streams, and are generally most plentiful at certain seasons just above
smd near the head of tide, where the salt and fresh waters mingle. Fiom what I
•could Jearn of this industry, I conclude that it is but the beginning of what will, in
the near future, become an extensive and profitable business.
At the present time the Hudson's Bay Company have a steamer, called the
'""Diara," which goes from London to Ungava Bay direct. She is fitted out with re-
irigernting apparatus, by means of which they are enabled to send home the salmon
^eeh to the London market, where it realizes high prices, and has, I understand,
proved a pre fitable business for the company. Cargo this year is reported to have
realized $18.(i00. This is the sole business that this little steamer is engaged in, as
another eteampr, called the " Labrador," carries all the freight required for Fort
Chimoand the Ungava district.
6. Cod-fihh. Up to the present time cod have never been found in the waters of
Hudson's Bay or the western portion of the strait, but they are very plentiful in the
fcays round Cape Chudleigh, on both the east and west side. Newfoundland schoo-
ners, even now, work as far north as Nachvak Bay, and seem, year by year, to have
been going further north.
The quality of cod found off Cape Chudleigh, though good, was not of the same
liigh quality as that got on the banks.
7. In conclu-*ion, I have the honour to urge that in any negotiations with the
Government of the United States, relative to a treaty of reciprocal trade, due allow-
;£mce phould be made for the great value of the fisheries of Hudson's Bay.
It American whalers are to be permitted to continue to fish in thofe waterp^
arrangements should be made by which Canada would receive a substantial equiva-
Jent for the privilege.
15
I would further suggest that unless a very large consideration is granted in re-
turn for the privilege, the Canadian Government should reserve the right to make
and enforce such regulations as will prevent the extermination of these valuable
mammals from our northern waters. In support of this suggestion, I would call
your attention to the fact that some years ago whale fishing was a thriving industry
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, some ten schooners being at one time engaged in it, but
that shortly after the Americans were granted the right to fish in these waters, they
had, by use of explosive bombs and other methods of capturing these animals,
completely driven them out of the gulf, and the Canadian whaling business was
destroyed.
Trade.
The trading station for the south side of Hudson's Straits is Fort Chimo, at the
south end of Ungava Bay, and the Eskimo and Indians visit the fort regularly, to
exchange their furs for powder, shot, &c.
At Nachvak Bay also, the company maintain a post, where a number of the
most valuable furs, the black fox, &o., have been obtained from the natives.
The Nachvak station is one of the company's chain of posts on the Labrador
coast, subsidiary to Eigoulette. These posts obtain their supplies by the steamer
"Labrador," and I have been informed that the Newfoundland authorities claim and
collect Customs duties on the whole ship's invoice at Eigoulette, thus collocting
there duties on goods which are destined for consumption in Canada, inasmuch as
all the goods for Fort Chimo are included. Canada is thus the loser, whilst the com-
pany derives no benefit, except what may arise from the difference of the tariffs of
the two countries.
The exports from these and the Mission stations are principally, seal skins and
oil, salted salmon and trout, codfish, ivory, bear, deer and fox skins. From Ungava,
besides fur, porpoise oil is exported, and frozen salmon, as stated previously.
The Hudson's Bay Company, in trading, have to pay duties, and a considerable
sum accrues to the Canadian Government in Customs dues on the importations to
Churchill, York and Moose. Every American whaler, however, which enters the
bay, is an unlicensed trader, carrying in American goods and trading with the
natives in the northwest of the bay, where they compete with the Hudson's Bay
Company, who have to pay duty on their importations.
. A regular trading post has also been established by a Capt. Spicer, an American
citizen, on the north shore of the straits, a little to the west of North Bluff, which I
intended visiting, but was unable to do so.
I was, however, informed by the natives, that each year a ship went to the
station, that an agent lived there through the winter, and that about fifty families
traded with him. The Eskimo at North Bluff had an old whale boat of American
build, but in good repair, and they informed me that they occasionally killed whales
for Capt. Spicer, and that whenever they secured a whale that they were given
spirits. The evil effects of such payment are too well known to need comment.
In reference to the value of the trade, I have heard it estimated, by men whom I
considered competent judges, that a good Eskimo family would be worth 8500 a year
to a trader. The Hudson's Bay Company rate some of their best Indian hunters as
worth $1,000 a year to the company, and, allowing that the straits region is a some-
what poorer region than the northwest of the bay, a family ought still to bo worth
nearly $100 to a trader. This estimate gives the value of Capt. Spicer's station at
$20,000 a year, an estimate which I believe to be rather below than above the truth.
All goods, destined for trade with the natives, on board of the American whalers,
should be chargeable with duty, or a license fee charged them, before they are per-
mitted to enter Hudson's Straits, which would be sufficient to cover the duty, so that
they may be placed on the game footing as the Hudson's Bay Company ; for the value
of the trade in musk ox robes, cariboo robes, seal skins and ivory, forms no unim-
portant part of the profit of the whaling voyage.
16
The use of ardent spirits^as an article of trade, or indeed its importation, should
be absolutely prohibited.
There is room for the profitable establishment of trading posts on the south
shore of the bay, as the natives there have to go upwards of 300 miles, toFort Chimo,
for powder, shot, &c.
I was also informed by the natives at North Bluff, that about the Middle Savage
Islands we would find natives who had never traded with white men, and who had
large quantities of ivory.
That a profitable business can bo carried on in pursuit of whale and porpoise
fishery and walrus hunting, together with the trade with the Eskimo, seems
beyond doubt, and it is unfortunate that none of the profits derived from it are at
present received by Canadians.
NATURAL HISTORY.
The Inhabitants.
With the exception of people who may bo in charge of Capt. Spicers' station, the
only inhabitants of the straits and northern part of the bay are the Eskimo.
On the north side of the Straits they are quite familiar with the ways of white
men, and seem to bo much pleased at the prospects of increased intercourse with
them. Some one or two of them speak English, whilst some others understand
easily what is said to them, but refuse to speak it. They are particularly fond of
any article of clothing, either cotton or woolen, and the head man at North Bluff was
arrayed in all the glory of a stand-up linen collar.
These natives are docile, amiable and willing to work. When landing the stores
and coal at North Bluff they worked all day along with our men, carrying heavy
weights up over the rocks, and working as cheerily and heartily as could be desired,
taking their pay in biscuit, of which they are inordinately fond.
The number met with at the station h&ro was abojit thirty, but during my
absence a largo number of them^visited the station, maintaining the most friendly
relations with our party.
They have no farinaceous food of any kind, and, as a consequence, the mothers
suckle the children till they are from three to four years of age. The fjftnilies are
small, there rarely being more than two or three children, and although early
marriages are the rule among them, I cannot help thinking that their numbers have
sensibly diminished, inasmuch as we found signs of their presence everywhere; yet,
except at Port Burwell, Ashe Inlet and Stnpart's Bay, none were met with. About
six miles south of Port Burwell there is the remains of what must once have been a
large Eskimo settlement, their subterranean dwellings being still in a fair state of
preservation. At the present time, so far as I can loam, there are only some five or
six Eskimo families between Cape Chudleigh and Nachvak.
Along the Labrador coast the Eskimo gather in small settlements round the
Moravian Mission stations. At these places their numbers vary considerably. Nain
is reputed to be the largest settlement and its Eskimo population amounts to about
200 souls.
These are all educated. They can read and write in their own language and the
mieaionaries informed me that they were regular attendants at church and are very
fond of music. No alcoholic or other liquors are given to the natives by these
missionary traders; but they occasionally procure smallfquantities from Newfound-
land fishermen. It is, however, a rare occurence, and there is no record of any dis-
turbance or trouble ever having been caused.
These missions are self supporting, the missionaries supplying the Eskimo on
loan with the very best tra})3, fishi-g lines etc., and puchasing from them all their
produce, whether it be seals, cod, salmon, furs or anything else. They are supplied
by a sailing vessel called the "Harmony," which saiU from London each year, visits
all their Mission stations and then returns, taking with her the great portion of the
season's catch. The Newfoundland mail steamer makes several trips to Nain daring
the summer of each year, but does not go any further north.
IT
I have mentioned these missionary traders and their work, because I am of
opinion that the system, when honourably carried out, as it has been and is on the
Labrador Coast, is the one which best meets the wants of the natives and tends to the
improvement of their condition.
In speaking of the inhabitants of the straits, I mentioned more particularly those
living on the northern side, but those met with at Stupart's Bay were equally tract-
able and ready to assist in the work. They wore, however, from less frequently meet-
ing with white people more simple, but decidely more demonstrative; their delight
on being informed that we were going to build a station and leave a party among
them was exhibited by their forming a circle round the interpreter and dancing and
shouting like a lot of school children.
One word must be said in regard to their honesty. Although scraps of iron and
wood possess a value to them which we can hardly appreciate, they would take
nothing without first asking permission; not even a chip or a broken nail wcis taken
without their first coming to the officer who was on duty at the building for permis-
sion to take it.
As to the pernicious efiects of their contact with American whalers, I beg to
quote from the report of Lieut. Eay, of the United States Signal Service, who was
in charge of the Observatory at Point Barrow, premising that I have every reason
to believe that the New England whalers carry on very much the same sort of trade
that their brethren of the Pacific seem to have done. Lieut. Kay says: —
" The safety of the station would be very much increased if the law reljiting to
the sale of contraband goods by the whale men and traders on this coast could be
enforced." h« * * * * "I believe the offenders in the
fleet this year are confined to two or three ships. I met nearly all the captaiiis when
they first came up, and they promised a strict compliance with the law, but in gpite
of all that, the natives here have been drunk three difierent times during the last
month."
Fauna.
The terrestrial mammalia of Hudson's Straits and northern part of the bay are:
The polar bear, the fox (three varieties), the hare, the reindeer.
The skin of the polar bear is valuable, being held at $12 by the agents of the
Hudson's Bay Company. These animals, though reported by the Eskimo to bo very-
savage, will not, 1 think, as a rule, attack a man unless first wounded or emboldened
by hunger, when I can well understand that they would be dangerous to encoui^ter.
They prey chiefly on the seal. The Eskimo on the south side of the straits, at Stu-
part's Bay, informed me that at certain times of the year there were large numbers
of them in that vicinity. The meat of these bears is not unpalatable, but the liver is
said to be poisonous.
The Fox. — Judging from the number of white fox skins which the natives had,
these animals must be very numerous. These skins, however, have no high com-
mercial value, and are, indeed, almost valueless, unless captured at a certain season
of the year.
The blue fox is a sort of a steel grey colour. Their skins are more valuable
than those of the white fox, but they are much less numerous.
The red fox is valuable as indicating the probability of the presence of the black
fox, whoso fur is so very valuable. The red fox was seen on the south side of the
strait, and black foxes are annually shot or trapped in the country south of Cap©
Chudleigh.
The reindeer are the food and clothing of the Eskimo, and their horns are used
for making the spring bows of their fish spears and for many other purposes. We
procured some of the venison from the Eskimo at North Bluff, which was pronouaced
by every one to be excellent.
The hare is a common animal over the whole coast of the straits, being especi-
ally numerous about North Bluff.
Game Birds. — Many kinds were seen. Geese, swans, duck and ptarmigan werO'
plentiful, 80 that the officers and men at the station can easily procure a palatabl©
change of diet.
18
The Work of the Expedition in the Coming Year.
Much will undoubtedly be learned from the observations taken during this
winter as to the formation and breaking up of the ice and generally in regard to its
movement, and also of the phenomena afifecting navigation, but it would be im-
possible to state definitively from one year's observations what was the average
period of navigability of the straits. I consider, therefore, that it would be desirable
to continue certain of the stations for a second year, and might perhaps be desirable
to keep on three of them for a third year.
For the year 1885 86, 1 have the honour to recommend that the following stations,
Port Burwell, near Cape Chudleigh, Ashe Inlet, near North Bluff, Stuparls' Bay,
near Prince of Wales Foreland, Nottingham Island and Digges Island, be continued.
The station at Nachvak Bay could easily be disposed of, as the Newfoundland
fishermen already visit the place for the cod^ fishing, and if it were advertised in the
St. Johns, Nfld., papers, I do not doubt that the Department would get offers for the
purchase of the house.
The expedition for next year should be ready to start from Halifax about the
16th of May — not later than this date — and arriving off Hudson's Straits about the
1st of June, if possible visit and relieve the stations. Should the ice prevent our
getting on shore, the ship should push on so as to investigate once for all the con-
dition of the ice in the straits and bay in the early part of the season. If successful in
gettiog through the straits, the voyage should be continued to Fort Churchill, the
endeavour being made to arrive there about the opening of navigation, the 15th of
June.
After leaving Churchill the eastern shores of the bay should be visited, and a
running survey made of such portions of the coast as practicable. Beacons should
be erected on the north end of Mansfield Island and the south end of Southampton
Island, Both these islands are low-lying, with shoal water running for some dis-
tance out; they are of a dark grey limestone formation and most difficult to make
out at night, the mariner's only safety being in the constant use of the lead.
Especially are they dangerous on account of the tides, which run along the east coast
of Mansfield Island at the rate of about four knots per hour.
This work could, I think, be accomplished and the ship be back in the straits by
the ir)th August. The remainder of the time should be devoted to making a running
survey of such part of the coast of the straits as may be possible* Capt. Spicers*
station should be called at, and if time permitted, the Hudson's Bay post at Ungava
should also be visited, the expedition returning to Canada in October.
If, however, the Government regard it as more important to investigate the
fisheries of the bay and straits, the ship should push up north for Marble Island as
soon as possible, thence to " The Eowe's Welcome." After spending a short time in
" The Welcome," the porpoieo fishery at Churchill should be examined.
After leaving Churchill, under any circumstances, the east shore should be
visited, audits mineral and other resources examined and reported on.
The vessel should also be fitted with a deep-sea dredging apparatus, wire dredge
rope and deep-sea sounding apparatus.
In the event of your deciding on sending out the expedition in May, it would be
advisable to send to Ashe Inlet a schooner load of coal. If this vessel were to start
so as to be in Ashe Inlet about 20th August, she would have but little difficulty from
the ice. The harbour is an easy one to make, with no outlying shoals or rocks ;
inside it is well sheltered and good holding ground.
I have endeavoured in the foregoing pages to give all the information in my
power in regard, not only to the navigation, but to the resources of the region of
Hudson's Bay and Straits, and I trust that my efforts will meet with your approval.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
ANDEEW R GORDON,
Commanding Hudson^s Bay Expedition*
19
APPENDIX A.
Geoloqical and Natural History Survey,
Museum and Office, Sussex St.,
Ottawa, 19 Ih January, 1885,
The Honorable A. W. McLelan,
Minister of Marine and Fisheries,
Ottawa.
Sib, — In compliance with instructions received from the Hon. Sir David
Macpberson, Minister of the Interior, I have the honor to transmit to you, as
received by me on the 14th inst., the accompanying copy of the report, by Dr. Bell,
of observations made on the shores of Labrador, Hudson Strait and Bay during the
voyage of the steamship "Neptune," from the 22nd July to the 11th of November,
1884.
The botanical and marine zoological collections made during the voyage have
been examined. The plants have been named by Professor Macoun, the crusta-
ceans by Professor S. J. Smith, of Yale College, and the molluscs and echinoderms
by Mr. J. F. Whiteaves. The plants are represented by 118 genera and 227 species.
The Crustacea by 13 genera and 16 species. The molluscs by 19 genera and 25
species, and the echinoderms by 5 genera and 6 species. The brachiopods, cirripeds
or barnacles and the annelids each by 1 species.
Of the plants Professor Macoua states as follows : —
" The collection is a very interesting one and shows conclusively the Arctic
character oT the climate of the Straits and that part of Labrador north of Nachvat.
North of Nain, all the plants obtained are exclusively Arctic, not one of them, except
the Arctic Easpberry (rubus ckamcemorus) and a couple of species of Vacinium ranging
as far south as the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The greater number, however, are widely
distributed on the shores of the Arctic Sea, and are the characteristic plants of both.
Arctic Europe and America."
Mr. Whiteaves states that the marine invertebrata are well known Arctic
species, most of which are common to the St. Lawrence Gulf, their range there
being from about ten fathoms to fifty, where they form a large part of the food of
the codfish — especial thanks are due to Professor Smith, of Yale, for the list of the
Crustacea.
I have the honor to be. Sir,
Your obedient servant,
ALFRED E. C. SELWYN.
Ottawa, 24th November, 1884.
A. E. C. Selwyn, Esq., LL. D., F. E. S.
Sir,— Herewith I beg to submit my report as geologist and naturalist on the
Hudson's Bay Expedition, sent out by the Government of Canada during the present
season.
I have the honor to be. Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) EOBEET BELL.
20
Observations on the Geology, Mineeialogt, ZooLoar, and IJotant op the
Labrador Coast, Hudson's Strait and Bay.
By Egbert Bell, M.D,, LL.D., B.A.Sc, P.E.S., Canada, Assistant Director
OP the Geologic iiL Survey.
Medical Officer to the Expedition.
The question of sending a party by sea into Hudson's Bay, for scientific pur-
poses, at the expense of the Government, has been before the public of Canada for
some years. "Without entering into the subject of the various useful purposes which
it was believed such a party might accomplish, it may be stated that the main object
of the expedition, sent out by steamship the present season, was to establish six
observatory stations on the shores of Hudson's Strait. The parties to be left in
«harge of these stations were to remain one year and to keep regular meteorological
xecords, and to note all seasonal events, especially with regard to the conuition of the
Strait itself in winter, the tidal phenomena, &c., all with a view to throw additional
light on questions regarding the navigation of these waters. If time permitted,
after having built the stations, the vessel was to visit certain parts of Hudson's Bay.
Without interfering with the above mentioned objects, the expedition would afford
an opportunity for obtaining much desirable information in regard to the geology
and mineralogy and the zoology and botany of the places which might be visited.
The writer, who had been on Hudson's Bay in previous years, and who had already
passed through the Strait (see Eeport of the Geological Survey for 1880), was selected
for this duty, and also to act as medical officer to the expedition. 1 also acted as
taxidermist and photographer for geological purposes, and provided myself with
the instruments necessary for various methods of surveying, in case opportunities
for using them should occur.
The expedition was essentially a meteorological one, and Lieut. A. E. Gordon,
II.N., of this branch of the public service, was selected for the command ; and the
general management fell within the province of the Department of Marine. Not-
withstanding that 1 had neither men nor boat at my command, I managed, while
the stations were being built, or while the ship was taking in ballast, to get ashore
Tvith the boats that were passing backward and forward between the vessel and the
land, and in some cases I had the use of a boat and the assistance of officers and mer,
both of the expedition and of the ship's company.
The following letter from the Deputy Minister of Marine, in reply to one
from Dr. Selwyn, will best explain my position with regard to the facilities to be
expected :
" Department of Marine and Fisheries,
" Ottawa, 201h June, 1884.
** Sir, — I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, making
certain enquiries in regard to the Hudson's Bay Expedition and the employment of
Dr. Bell, and in reply 1 am to inform you that the vessel will sail from Halifax about
the 21st of next month. Nothing beyond board and berth accommodation can be
given Dr. Bell, the vessel being chartered to the Department, and no special accom-
modation being guaranteed, but space will doubtless be provided sufficient for the
storage of any specimens, &c., which Dr. Bell may collect or the stores provided for
the preservation of the same. With reference to your enquiry as to what assistance,
as regards men and boats, can be provided for Dn Bell's work, I have to inform you
that Dr. Bell will have the opportunity of landing at every place at which the vessel
21
may call, and every facility will be given him which the oflSicer in charge may con-
sider he is able to aflPord without prejudicing the primary objects of the Expedition,
but no special boat or crew can be furnished for Dr. Bell's uee. I am also to inform
you that it is the intention that the vessel shall return this fall, but it is impossible
to state positively that she will. I am also to state that^no charge will be made for
Dr Bell's maintenance while on board the vessel.
" I am, Sir, *
*' Your most obedient servant,
" W. SMITH,
" Deputy Minister of Marine, (&c."
A. E. C. Selwtn, Esq., LL.D., F.E.S.,
Director Geological and Natural History Survey.
The route followed by the expedition, in going out and returning home, together
with a full narrative of occurrences, will no doubt be given in the report of Lieut.
Gordon to the Minister of Marine ; but in order to make the present report intelligi-
ble by itself, it will te necessary for me here to give a brief sketch of the round
voyage.
The vessel which had been chartered by the Government for this service was
the steamship "Neptune," belonging to the Messrs. Job Brothers, of St. John's, a
wooden vessel of 684 tons burden, which had been built and fitted for the seal fishery.
She was navigated by Captain William Sopp, as sailing master, and a competent staff
of officers and men. We sailed from Halifax on the 22nd of July, our course lying
between Cape North and Cape Eay, and through the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the
Straits of Belle Isle. We anchored for an hour at Blanc Sablon, on the north shore,
but did not land. On the way up the Labrador coast, we called at Ford's Harbor,
Nain and Nachvak, for the purpose of engaging an Eskimo interpreter, which we
succeeded in doing at the last named place.
The first station was built on the north-west point of the promontory between
Ungava Bay and the Atlantic, or near Cape Chudleigh. The second station was to
have been placed on the southern or western part of Eesolution Island, but we did
not succeed in finding a harbor on these shores, and could not land on account of the
stormy weather; but we got a near view of the west coast of the island, and also of
some of the Lower Savage Islands. We therefore proceeded to the locality which
had been determined on for the third station, and found a suitable place on the south
side of Big Island, which is just west of the Upper Savage Islands, at an inlet about
two miles east of North Bluff. We next crossed the Strait to Cape Prince of Wales,
south south-west of North Bluff, and erected a station on the shore of the bay, inside
of the cape, or on its eastern side. From this place we next made the south point of
Nottingham Island, and established a fourth observatory. Again crossing the Strait in
a southerly direction, we passed close to Digges Island, and coasted down the eastern
side of Mansfield Island, looking for a suitable place for another station, but without
success. The south-east shore of Southampton Island was also coasted for some dis-
tance, after which we traversed the northern part of Hudson's Bay to the extrance of
Chesterfield Inlet, We did not land in this neighborhood, however, but turned south
and called at Marble Island, where we anchored and spent one day ashore. From this
island we made Cape Churchill, and then entered the harbor of the same name, at the
mouth of the Churchill Eiver. A short visit was paid to York Factory, from which
we recrossed Hudson's Bay to Digges Island, where a fifth station was built. On
our homeward voyage through Hudson's Strait, we visited all the other stations in
the reverse order in which they had been established. Another attempt was made to
stop at Eesolution Island, in order to build a station, but again without success. It
was then decided to place the party intended for Eesolution Island at Nachvak Inlet,
-and we called there for this purpose and to leave our Eskimo interpreter, on our way
to St. John's, which we reached on the 11th of October, and immediately handed the
3
22
ehip over to her owners, four days before the date fixed for the expiration of the
charter. On the morning of our arrival at St. Johns, we happened to catch a steamer
for Halifax, and so were enabled to continue our homeward journey without an hour's
delay.
Before proceeding to give details of my special work, I may say that at every
place we visited I obtained as full notes as my opportunities would permit in
regard to the geology and mineralogy of the surrounding country. 1 also endeavored to
obtain fiora the natives information as to the occurrence of useful minerals, which,
although not very definite, may in some cases lead to valuable discoveries. The
Eskimo are intelligent and good observers, especially of such matters as affect their
own mode of living and although rocks and minerals would not be expected to •
interest them much, still I. found that in some instances they had taken notice of them.
In order to facilitate enquiries I had provided myself with a collection of all the ores,
minerals and rocks which might be expected to occur in the regions we were to visit,
and on allowing the natives to inspect them, they would point out those which they
thought similar to certain kinds which they had noticed in their own districts. An
interesting feature in the geological phenomena of these northern regions, is that
a study of them will assist us in the elucidation of the surperficial geology of the
more southern portions of the Dominion, which forms so important a branch of the
■work of the Geological Survey.
In regard to zoology, efforts were constantly made to collect specimens in every
class of animals and to obtain new information on all points with reference to them.
Upwards of fifty specimens of mammals and birds were obtained, of which a portion
were from Dr. Matthews, of York Factory. Some of these are rare and will prove to be
very useful and interesting additions to our museum. Many notes were made on the
habits and distribution of the mammals and birds. Attention was paid to the fishes and
their food and to the subject of possible fisheries in these regions. A variety of moUusks
and other invertebrates was secured by dredging. As we were living mostly on ship-
board and in so cool a climate, but little could be done for the science of entomology.
A email collection of butterflies and moths from the shores of Hudson's Strait have
been sent to Mr. H. H. Lyman, a well known entomologist in Montreal, who has
agreed to identify them. One of the missionaries on the Labrador coast has kindly
promised to collect the Lepidoptera of that region and send them to me next year.
With regard to botany, as complete a collection of plants as possible was made at
every place we touched at. These are in the hands of Professor Macoun and a cata-
logue of them will be found in ihe Geological Survey Report. Some new facts of
interest in regard to the ranges of forest-trees in the Labrador peninsula and the
country west of Hudson's Bay were ascertained from persons acquainted with these
regions.
In addition to the technical assistance already acknowledged above,I take this oppor-
tunity of mentioning that Professor C. Hart Merriam has kindly aided me in making
out from my descriptions, the local names, &c , with which he is familiar, the ac-
companying list of the seals of Hudson's Bay and Strait. I may mention that
Professor Merriam, who is justly regai-ded as a high authority on the Pinnapedia, has
liimself gone to the Newfoundland and Labrador seal fishery, and travelled in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence for the express purpose of studying these animals. It would
appear from my observations that we have in both Hudson's Bay and Strait all the
kinds of seals found at any season either in the Gulf or on the coast of Newfound-
land and Labrador; and from all that we could learn, both seals and walruses are
abundant in the Strait and the northern parts of the Bay. But in order to obtain
them in large numbers for commercial purposes, their various resorts and the course
of their migrations at different seasons of the year would require to be studied. The
gentlemen in charge of the observatory stations were instructed to attend to such
matters , and their notes will probably throw some light on the subject in the par-
ticular localities at which they are stationed. In the list of fishes, I have included
species which I had in previous years ascertained to exist in Hudson's Bay or the
waters immediately connected with it. Mr, Lucien M. Turner, who has spent two
23
years in the Ungava district in the interest of the Smithsonian Institution, has
kindly determined some of the fishes which I collected, and added the names of
others which he found in the district named.
I secured about sixty- five photographs of a uniform size of 8 by 5 inches. These
are illustrative of subjects of interest in connection with the expedition, of the
nature of the country and more especially of points bearing on its geology.
I shall confine myself in the following pages to the subjects above referred to,
as all others connected with the work of the expedition will probably be fully re-
ported on by Lieut. Gordon. In regard to the arrangement to be adopted in this
report, it has been considered best to state the facts and observations in the order in
which they were noted, and in connection with them to give other information,
bearing on the subjects referred to, which may have been gathered in previous years.
As already mentioned, we anchored for an hour at Blanc Sablon on the morning of
the 26th of July. Here the horizontal strata of the Quebec group form a conspicuous
feature in the landscape. They are described at pages 287 and 288 of the Geology of
Canada as consisting of 23 1 feet of red and grey sandstones and fine conglomerates
forming the lower part of the section, with 143 feet of grey, redish and greenish
limestones resting upon them. In Foi'teau Bay, a short distance east of Blanc
Sablon, a considerable collection of fossils was made in these limestones by the late
Mr. James Eichardson, which proves them to belong to the Quebec group, and to be
equivalent to the Eed Sand-rock of Vermont. The Laurentian gneiss may be seen
cropping out from beneath these sandstones at and near the sea shore, while the
bills of the same formation rise above the level of the summit of the horizontal
strata all along in the interior.
At the entrance to Chateau Bay on the Labrador side of the Straits of Belle
Isle, opposite to the northern extremity of Newfoundland, are two islands, called
Castle and Henley's Islands, which are capped by flat basaltic summits, the former
being 200 feet above the sea. They form a striking contrast to the prevailing char-
acter of the shore rocks, which everywhere else in the neighborhood appear to be of
Laurentian gneiss. Later in the season I was informed that some men had been
mining mica on the shore of this bay, and in the autumn had brought about one ton
of the mineral to St. Johns, on the way to Boston or New York, but that the plates
did not exceed three by six inches in size, and that they were of a rather dark color.
After passing the Straits of Belle Isle, the Labrador coast continues high and
rugged, and although there are some interruptions to the general rule, the elevation
of the land near the coast may be said to increase gradually in going northward,
until within seventy statute miles of Cape Chudleigh. where it has attained a
beight of about 6,000 feet above the sea. Beyond this, it again diminishes to this
cape, whore it is 1 ,500 feet. Prom what I have seen of the Labrador, and from what I
bave been able to learn through published accounts, Hudson's Bay Company's
officers and the natives, and also judging from the indications afforded by the courses
of the rivers and streams, the highest land of the peninsula lies near the coast all
• along, constituting, in fact, a regular range of mountains, parallel to the Atlantic sea-
board. In a general way, this range becomes progressively narrower from Hamilton
Inlet to Cape Chudleigh.
The distance from the Straits of Belle Isle to Cape Chudleigh, along the Labrador
cjoast, is '760 English statute miles. This is divided into three principal courses, as
follows : From Belle Isle to Porcupine Bay, due north (true), 120 miles ; from
Porcupine Bay to Nain, north-west (true), 290 miles ; from Nain to Cape Chudleigh,
north north-west (true), 350 miles. The coast-line is everywhere indented by inlets
or fjords, and fringed with islands of all sizes, from mere rocks up to some measuring
twenty -five miles in length. Most of the fjords are narrow and about twenty-five miles
long; several are thirty-five miles, and Hamilton Inlet runs in from the open sea a
distance of 160 miles. The general bearing of the fjords is at right angles to the
coast line in the neighborhood. In a great many cases the islands are separated
from one another, or from points on the mainland, by very narrow straits, with deep
water, which bave received the name of " tickles." With regard to the condition
3i
24
below the level of the sea, it is stated in the Neiofoundland Pilot, published by the
Admiralty, that the shores from Davis' Inlet to Nachvak are comparatively free
from reefs and sunken rocks, but that from Nachvak to Cape Chudleigh they are
fringed with islets and rocks, to an average distance of five miles out. The coast of
Eesolution Island seems to be similarly studded with these impediments to naviga-
tion, and these circumstances appear to be connected with certain geological condi-
tiions, which will be referred to further on.
In approaching Ford's Harbor, which is on the eastern point of Paul's Island, the
islands near which we passed consisted of bare rock, and although usually high and
steep, they had rounded or glaciated outlines. Numerous perched boulders lay about,
either singly or in groups or rows, on the naked surface of the rock, wherever they
could find a resting place. A short distance off the entrance of the harbor, we passed
an island which, on the top and one side was literally piled with round(Ki boulders'
On this island I noticed a dyke of trap about 100 feet thick, cutting the
gneiss in a west-north-westerly direction. On going ashore at Ford's Harbor, I
tound the gneiss to consist of common reddish and greyish varieties, some parts of it
massive and others more finely and distinctly laminated. The average strike was
south-east (true). The glacial stria? were quite distinct in many parts, but were
best preserved near the shore. They run in two principal directions, S. 45° E., and
S. 80° E. (mag.) Perched boulders wei-e observed on all the surrounding hilla.
In going from Ford's Harbor to Nain we followed the channel on the north side of
Paul's Island. The rock appeared to be dark, massive and crystalline.
Our stay at Nain was so short that I had only time lo examine the high
ridge or mountain to the north and north-west of the Mission Station. The first
shoulder of this ridge, we were informed, has a height of 8*75 feet above
the sea, but the summit, a short distance further inland, must be at
least 200 feet higher. The rock here consists of a rather light groy gneiss,
which strikes S. 45" E. (mag.) The glacial striae, which were seen with greater or
less distinctness, all the way to the summit, run S. 65° E. (mag.) or about parallel to
the valley which extends inland from the head of the fjord up which we had sailed to
Nain, and with the same general bearing. "Well rounded boulders were scattered
over the flanks and summit of this high ridge; and they were quite prominent on
the high bare hills on both sides of the inlet, all the way from Ford's Harbor, The
appearance of the top of this mountain, with the boulders resting on the bare, sloping
rock, is shown in one of the photographs taken at this spot. Mountains of equal and
greater height were seen in all dii'ections from this summit, except towards the east-
ward, where they die down to the sea level in the distance. On the next hill to th«'
north-west, the weathered surface of the rock showed a rusty belt of a brownish
color, and of considerable extent, which was supposed to be due to iron pyrites. I
was informed by the Moravian missionaries at Nain that the labradorite of this part
of the coast is to be found at different places on Paul's Island, and at a fresh-water
lake called Nunaingok, which lies at no great distance inland from the head of a bay*
to the north-westward of Nain. They said it was also reported to occur on a bay a
short distance to the southward. I had not an opportunity of vi&iting any of these
localities, but from specimens which I have seen, I have little doubt the mineral
occurs as veinstones, in which there are also crystals of pyroxene, iron pyrites and
magnetic iron. In this connection it may be mentioned that I have seen a large
specimen of coarsely cyrstalline labradorite rock from Hamilton Inlet, in which some
of the faces showed a blue iridescence. The rose-red variety of anorthosite, called
latrobite by Gmelin, is stated to come from an island called Amitok, on the old charts
of the Labrador coast, about forty-five miles northward from Nachvak. When at
Nain I obtained specimens of amazon-stone, which the Eskimo told me came from
Port Manvers, and of paulite, a variety of pyroxene or hypersthene, which has also
been called '* Labrador hornblende " and "metalloidal diallage." It was said to have been
brought from Paul's Island. Mr. John Ford informed me that yellow mica, in flakes-
about the size of one's hand, was found on this island, about two miles north-westward
of Ford's Harbor. In regard to the rocks and minerals of the Labrador coast, the fol-
25
lowing notes may be here given : I have received specimens of copper pyrites in a
dark slate, which were labelled as having come from Indian Island, on the n»rth side
of the entrance of Hamilton Inlet, and 1 have been otherwise informed that slates or
fichists occur in that neighborhood. A man from Nova Scotia stated to me that he
had been engaged, with others, two years ago in mining copper and lead ores
on Deadman's Island, which is situated a few miles north of Hamilton Inlet.
They occurred in a vein between a rock like granite and a sort of sandstone or
quartzite. Mr. King, the second mate of the " Neptune, " said that copper ore was also
found at Iron-bound Island or '* Makoubik " (probably Makkovik of the chart), not
far from Cape Harrison. One of the gentlemen we met at Nain informed me that
he had heard of copper ore being found somewhere to the southward of that place,
but was not aware of the locality. These circumstances point to the possible occur-
rence of deposits of copper in quantities of economic value on this coast. It is well
known that productive mines of copper were in operation for a number of yeai'S on
the adjacent coast of Newfoundland.
At Nain I noticed some freshly split slabs of a grey felsitic slate, which where
being used as flag stones, and, on inquiring, was informed that they had been
brought from Ramah, in the bay next south of Nachvak, where there was said to be
plenty of this rock in gitu. The name of the bay is Nullataktok, or Slate Bay. Our
Eskinio interpreter. Lane, who was well acquainted with this bay, Jafter wards informed
mo that slaty rocks were abundant there.
AYhile at Ford's Harbor and Nain I collected as many plants as the limited time
would permit, and Professor Macoun's list of them will be found in the appendix.
The Eev. Dr. S. Weiz, who had loug resided at Nain, had made a collection of the
plants of the vicinitj-, which he had submitted to some of the leading botanists of
Europe, who had attached the proper name to each specimen. Ho kindly allowed
me to make a list of these and it is also given in the appendix, in one of the columns
of the general list.
Although timber disappeared from the outer coast before reaching Nain, yet
groves of trees may be seen in the valleys and on the more favorable slopes at the heads
oftbe inlets, and wowereinformedthataftergoingten to twenty miles inland from Main,
or from the coast for a considerable distance north of it, the whole country may bo
said to be wooded, as far as the condition of the surface will permit of the growth of
trees, and that in favorable situations the epruce and tamarac attain a sufficient size to
bo sawn into lumber. At Nain, the trees consist of spruce, tamarac, and small
willows, but at no great distance inland, balsam fir, poplar, white birch and rowan
begin to make their appearances.
In the gardens at Nain I observed the following vegetables: potatoes (a variety
with low, flat, spreading tops), turnips, carrots, beets, cabbage, Scotch kail, a very
rank variety of spinach, lettuce, peas, beans and onions. There was also a great
variety of flowers. The peas and beans were arranged so that they could be protected
by glass if requisite, and the potatoeo were planted in narrow beds, arched over with
bent rods eo that loug sheets of coarse canvas could be thrown over them on frosty
nights.
Leaving Nain, our next stopping place was the Inlet of Nachvak, about 140
miles south of Cape Ghudleigh. This inlet or fjord, with an average breadth of
from a mile to two miles, runs in from the open sea a distance of about f^rty statute
miles. The water in it is very deep, and the mountains on either side im-
mediately overlooking it rise to heights of from 1,500 to 3,400 feet, but a few
miles inland, especially on the south side, they appear to attain an altitude of
5,000 to 6,000 feet, which would correspond with the height of The Four
Peaks, near the outer coast-line, about midway between Nachvak and Cape Chud-
leigh. The mountains around Nachvak are steep, rough sided, peaked and serrated,
and have no appearance of having been glaciated, excepting close to the sealevol.
The rocks are softened, eroded and deeply decayed. On precipices and steep slopes
the stratification is well brought out by the weathering, so that the dips may be
distinctly seen. The mountains on the north side proved to be mostly Laurentian
26
gneiss, notwithstanding their extraordinary appearance, eo different from the smooth^
solid and more or loss rounded outlines of the hills composed of these rocks in most
other parts of the Dominion. On the present occasion we stopped only at the
Hudson's Bay Company's post, at a narrow part of the fjord, about twenty miles in.
from the open sea, and I had a few hours to examine the rocks, collect plants and
take photographs in the neighbourhood. But in returning, in the month of October,
we stayed for several days at a bight on the north side, a few miles from the enti'ance,
where we built a station, and named the place Skynner's Cove. This enabled me to
extend my explorations of the neighbourhood, and I shall now state the results of
my observations on both occasions.
On the south side of the inlet at the Hudson's Bay Company's post, an escarpment
rises to a height of 3,400 feet, as ascertained by Commander J. G. Bolton, E. N., but
I had not time to visit it to determine the nature of the rock. A brook, which gathers
its waters from higher ground further back, but which is not visible from the ]iost,
precipitates itself from the top of this great precipice in an almost perpendicular fall.
The rock on the north side at this place consists of reddish gneiss, somewhat contorted
and occasionally interstratified with dark micaceous layers. Two or three miles cast
of the post a good sized brook falls, in several almost perpendicular leaps, a height
of 300 or 400 feet over these rocks. The strike of the gaeiss in the neighborhood
of the falls is S. 35° W. (true.)
At a point on the north side, estimated to be about nine miles from the open sea
and eleven from the post, opposite to a bay on the south side, a mountain rises steeply
to a height of 1,500 or 2,000 feet. It is composed of gneiss standing vertically and
striking N. 25° "W. (true), cut diagonally by a great many dykes of dark trap
all underlying westward at an average angle of about 30° from the perpendicular.
Some of them run together and others appear to die out in both directions on the cliff
section. Some dykes of close-grained, almost black diorite, also cut the gneiss in the
Ticinity of Skynner's Cove. Fi*om the point above named to Skynner's Cove the rock
along the north side appears to be all gneiss with a variable strike in different parts.
Around this cove there is a variety of micaceous, and horn blendic schists passing into
thinly bedded gneiss. The average strike is about S.W". (true). I was informed
by our interpreter, whose home is on the south side of the inlet, that the Eskimo
obtained a kind of soapstone for making their pots in the vicinity ol Skynner's Cove
before they were able to procure others of metal. Along the northern part of the
entrance to the inlet or about North- Head of the chart, the rock is a coarse, dull red
syentic gneiss. At one place it encloses a mass, like a bed, of nearly white quartzite
marbled with small elongated gray patches, but it appears to be cut off as it runs up
the slope, although another exposure of white rock was seen some distance oft' in a
north-easterly direction. Here the glacial stri» were seen on projecting points near
the water, running with the axis of the inlet or about east. At Mount Eazorback,
which forms the outer point on the north side of the Nachvak Inlet the stratification
is well seen, the dip being to the southward. The angle of dip on the outer or eastern
part of the mountain is almost 60°, but this diminishes to 45° and fiaally to less than
10", in going to the south-westward. Several large but somewhat irregular dykes of
black-looking rock cut the strata of the mountain side at right angles to the dip in its
varying inclinations.
On the opposite or south side of the entrance of the Nachvak Inlet, the dip of
the bedding is S. S. W. (true), and the inclination, generally from 35*^ to 40°, but
at one part it is 60°. Dykes were seen all along, cutting the face of the mountain
range and running in a south-easterly direction.
On the west shore of the first cove, from the entrance, on the south side of
Nachvak Inlet, the rocks consist of a coarse-grained slaty tufa or breccia, thickly
studded with grains of quartz-opal. To the north, this passes into a sort of coarse
cleavable grey syenite, which could be traced for two miles westward along the
shore; while to the south of it is a coarse grey mica schist, running N. 25° W. (mag.)
vertical. In this rock, and near the slaty breccia, a vein of quartz was found, from
a foot to two feet in thickness, and holding patches of brown-weathering calcspar.
27
The rocks in the mountain, overlooking the south side of the inlet, opposite Sky nner's
Cove, have a slaty appearance, with some great bands of a light color and more solid
aspect, the outcrop running nearly horizontally for some distance. I was unable to visit
these bands, but our interpreter brought me a specimen, which he said he had broken-
off one of them, and which proved to be a tine-grained light grey, silicious schist,
which makes excellent honee. These and the other rocks on ihe south side of the
inlet in this neighborhood, which have jUst been described, as well as a part of those
on ihe north side, may belong to the Huroniau series. Slaty rocks have been men-
tioned as occurring at Ramah, in the inlet, about twenty miles south of Nachvak.
From the specimens which I have seen, these are probably of the same age, and they"
may be connected as one area with the supposed Huronian strata of Nachvak.
We were informed, both by Mr. George Ford, the agent of the Hudson's Bay
Company at Nachvak, and our Eskimo interpreter, that at a short distance beyond
the more distant mountains, seen to the west of the company's post, the country lalla
rapidly on the inland side, and soon becomes comparatively level. This descriptiori
agrees with other accounts of the interior of the Labrador in the Ungava district. A wide
level tract embracing the country drained by the George, the Whale and the Koksok,
South, Big or Ungava Elvers, is said to extend southward a long distance from Ungava
Bay. The surface is reported to be covered with a wet, peaty moss, growing upon
barren pand, with the solid rock everywhere at a short depth beneath. The rivers and
brooks are fringed with spruce and tamarac trees, but very little timber is to bo
met with between them. TJie mouth of the Ungava Eiver is 155 miles
south-west of Cape Chudloigh. In going by sea, from one to the other, Com-
mander Bolton says, in the Newfoundland Pilot: "The high land of the Labrador
shore could be seen towering above the scarcely discernable shore of Ungava Bay,
for the first sixty or seventy miles." The Ungava River is navigable for sja-going:
vessels to a point three or four miles above the Hudson's B ly Company's post. Fort
Chimo, and boats may ascend it for seventy or eighty mile-. The river is from one-
quarter of a mile to a mile and aquarter iu width. Its upward course is S. by E.
(true), and it passes through a barren undulating country. Spring tides at Fort
Chimo rise 38^ feet, and the rapid currents produce dangerous whirlpools.
Salmon frequent the rivers of Ungava Bay in great numbers, and for soma
years the Hudson's Bay Company have annually sent a cargo of them, in a
frozen state, by a small steamship, to the London market, in addition to a con-
siderable quantity of the salted fish. Besides salmon, the trade of this port consists
of furs, peal and white porpoise oil, and deer skins, and is carried on with the Eskimo
of the coasts, Cree Indians from the south-western interior, and Nascopie Indians
from the south eastward.
Spruce timber begins to be met with, according to all accounts, about thirty
miles to the south-west of the Hudson's Bay Company's post at Nachvak. The
tamarac follows a short distance further south. To the westward of Nachvak, the
noi'thern limit of the spruce, according to Capt. William Kennedy, reaches the
shore of Ungava Bay, north of the George River. On the western side of this bay
the Eskimo informed me it begins to be found in the neighbourhood of Bay of Hope's
Advance, or five days' journey south-eastward of Cape Prince of Wales, on the south
side of Hudson's Strait, and that in this neighbourhood it was found further north in
the interior than near the coast. In addition to spr-ice and tamarac, balsam-fir,,
canoe-birch, aspen and balsam poplar are reported, on good authority, to exist in the
interior of northern Labrador, but at some distance further from the coasts of the
Atlantic and the Strait than the first mentioned.
On the East-main coast of Hudson's Bay the northern limit of the spruce was^
found to be a few miles north of Richmond Gulf, but it was reported to extend much
further north at a distance inland from this coast. On the west side of the Bay it
was seen in considerable quantities all along the coast, from Cape Churchill to But-
ton's Bay, and Mr. George McTavish, who has made several coasting voyages to the
north, and who, at my request, has kindly made observations and collected informa-
tion from the natives in regard to the distribution of timber, informs me that it
28
leaves the shore about twenty miles beyond Seal Eiver, He was told by the Eskimo
of these parts, who travel a good deal in the interior, that spruce timber begins to
be met with at two days (say fifty-five miles) west of the mouth of Big River, and
that it is considerably further inland, opposite to Eskimo Point, which is about in
latitude 61* 40'. From this neighbourhood it runs west north-westward and crosses
the Coppermine Eiver about twenty miles from its mouth, and thence reaches nearly
to the mouth of the Mackenzie Eiver.
On leaving Nachvak, we sailed up the coast, passed round Cape Chudleigb,
through Gray's Strait, which is between it and the Button Islands, and entered
TJngava Bay. According to the chart and the Newfoundland Pilot, the cape rises to a
height of 1,506 feet above the sea, and the highest point of the Button Islands
has an equal elevation. The outlines of these islands and of the southern shore of
Oray's Strait, although bold and steep, are I'oundcd, as if they had been glaci-
ated. At the west end of the south-eastern island of the Button group a great rock
has been excavated into the form of a half arch, which rises out of the water and
rests, at its summit, against the cliff which forms the extremity of the island. The
rocks of the islands and the south side of the strait appear to be all gneiss.
On the Ungava Bay side of Cape Chudleigh we entered an inlet about ten miles
flOUihward of the extremity of the land, and discovered a harbour on its north side,
■which we named Port Burwell, after Mr. H. W. Barwell, the gentleman who was
left in charge of the station (No. 1) which we built here. The hills, for a few miles
around Port Barwell, are only moderately high and are not generally steep. Their
outlines are rounded and their rocky surfaces have scattered upon them numerous
boulders as well as finer rocky dibris. The rock everywhere consists of ordinary
vai'ities of gneiss, the commonest of which are massive reddish and dark hornblendic
and micaceous. The strike at the Port varies from N. 20° E. to N. 40° E, (mag.)
The glacial striic at the observatory station run S. 35° E. (mag.), but among the hills
in the neighbourhood they were observed to follow the trends of the valleys with a
general south-eastward course by the compass. A short distance south of the station,
a vein, varying from 8 to 13 inches in width, occurs in the gneiss. Its direction
corresponds nearly with the strike, which is here N. 20° E., running with the
stratification for a short distance, breaking across to other beds, following them for a
short distance and then jogging off to others. It consists of light grey dolomite and
white quartz, holding a little iron pyrites and some crystals of quartz, rendered
ruby-colored by a layer of oxide of iron under the faces.
From Port Burwell I explored the inlet to the south-eastward, and found it to
be a strait dividing into two branches at five miles from the Port, the northern of
■which was ascertained to run through to the Atlantic. The Eskimo whom we met
in this strait informed us (through our interpeter) that the southern branch also
continued through to the ocean. They also told us that there was no other channel
to the south of this between Ungava Bay and the sea to the east. We named this
newly found channel McLelan's Strait, in honor of the Minister of Marine and Fish-
■«ries, and the north-west point of the main land, Cape William Smith, in honor of
the Deputy Minister. At six miles from Port Burwell the northern branch of Mc-
Lelan's Strait has contracted to half a mile in width, and has become flanked by
high and steep hills, rising from either side. The tides, which at springs have here a
rise and fall of upwards of twenty feet, run with great velocity through thii narrow
part. The locality is called Nunaingok by the Eskimo, which means the Hidden
Place, and the same name is applied to one or two other localities on the Labrador
coa*t. In proceeding from Port Burwell to Nunaingok, our course was S. 5° E. (n:ag.)
or 8. 55° E. (true), and the country on either side of McLelan's Sirait bhowed less and
less evidence of glaciation. Even close to the shore, in approaching the higher hills
which begin at JSunaingok, the gneiss is deeply decayed, the softening process having
extended particularly along the joints which run both vei'tically and horizontally,
leaving only hard kernels with a more or less rounded outline, between them.
Nunaingok is situated on an alluvial flat, extending between the two branches of the
strait. The hill which rises steeply on the south side of it is about 700 feet high ; but
29
further in, between the branches and on either side of them, the mountains are from
1,500 to 2,500 feet high, and have rugged tops and sides. Rounded boulders were
found scattered all over the side and top of the hill just referred to; but although it
had probably been somewhat glaciated, it had not been planed down to hard surfaces,
but had an irregular outline, and the rocks were much disintegrated. Among the
transported boulders and pebbles scattered over its surface, some of brecciated drab
limestone with clear quartz grains, pinkish rod sandstone, red jasper and magnetic
iron, were noticed. Fragments of grey, drab and yellowish limestone, with obscure
fossils, were common around the base of the hill. The glacial striiii were well seen on
the southern side of the hill referred to, where, iu one case, they were observed to
groove longitudinally a vertical wall, and even the under side of an overhanging shelf
of rock. The general direction was S. 25* E., or with the course of the south branch
of the strait.
The fixed rocks around Nunaiugok, as far as I had the opportunity to examine
them, were all gneiss, the average strike of which was N. W. (true.) On one of the
mountains on the north side of the northern channel a wide belt of brown, iron-
stained rock runs diagonally through the ridge, the color being probably due to the
decomposition of iron pyrites, but I had not time to visit the place.
At Nunaingok, on top of a bank of sandy earth, are the remains of an old Eskimo
village. The roofs of most of the underground houses had fallen in, leaving only large
circular pits. Some of these had become partially filled up, showing great antiquity.
A few of the newest of them had been inhabited within a year. Some Eskimo camped
in the vicinity informed us, through our interpreter, that this had once been a com-
paratively populous village, and a resort of their people as far back as their traditions
extend. It is their custom to live in the underground houses from the commence-
ment of winter, some time in November, till January-, after which they leave them
and spend the rest of the winter in igloes or snow houses. The water in the north
branch of McLelan's Strait, they informed us, is open all winter at this point, and is^
much frequented bv seals, which afford them a reliable supply of food. These ani-
mals they kill either from their kyaks or by spearing them from hiding places which
they have built of stones on every ledge and point of rock past which the seals are
accustomed to swim. Great numbers of bones of seals, walruses, reindeer, foxes,
hares, birds, &c,, lie scattered about on the surface and mixed with the earth around
the old dwellings. The remains of stone pots and implements near others of European
manufacture showed a transition from the barbarous to a civilized condition. I was
told by one of the Labrador missionaries, who had had a long experience of these
people, that the comforts and conveniences of civilization rendered the Eskimo less
vigorous and healthy, and, as a consequence, their numbers are diminishing.
The " Xeptune " was anchored in 15 fathoms at low tide in Port Burwell. The
bottom was a sandy mud, and was found, by dredging, to abound with shellfish, echi-
noderms and crustaceans. During our stay, fi'om tfie 5th to the 8th of August, the
water teemed with fine cod, which were taken in great numbers by jigging. Many
of them were tolerably large, and they were of excellent quality, contrasting, in this
respect, with the cod we had got at Nachvak, Ford's Harbor and a fishing station
on some islets we had passed to the south-east of it. Most of our crew had had more
or less experience of the Labrador fisheries in previous years, and the superior quality
of the Port Burwell cod was a subject of general remark among them. On our
return to Port Burwell wo found the fish still abundant on the 27th and 28Lh of Sep-
tember, and the party in charge of the station informed us that they could catch
them any time they chose in the interval. At Xachvak the fishermen began to take
cod on the I7th of July, and they were catching them in great numbers at the end
of the month. During our Btay in Skynnor's Cove, in the inlet, from the 30th of Sep-
tember till the Gth of October, we caught as many as desired, by jigging from the
ship's deck. From all that I could learn by enquiries along the Labrador coast and
from our crew, it would appear that although the dates vary in difierent years and at
different places, the average time for the cod to strike the shores is the middle of
July, and that the particular time at any locality depends more on the presence or
30
absence of ice than on its latitude. If this condition happened to be the same all
along, the fish would appear at the same time at every part of the coast. This would
be the natural inference, since there appears to be no other difference in the conditions
which would affect the cod along the whole coast. Bait is used as far north as Capo
Harrison, but beyond that the fish are so numerous and voracious that the naked
jigger alone is required. The fish are dried on Hakes as far as Indian Harbor, but on
the more northern parts of the coast they are spread upon the shingle or the smooth,
rounded rocks.
Station No. 2 was intended to be placed on Resolution Island, or one of the
Lower Savage Islands to the north-westward of it; but after spending part of two
days in endeavoring to fin I an anchorage or a harbar on these islands, the attempt
was abandoned until we should be returning after establishing the remaining stations.
A near view of Resoluiion Island was not obtained on this occasion, but the southern
shores of the Lower Savages were seen closely enough to determine the rocks
to be massive gneiss, of which the prevailing color was rod. The iron bound shores
of these islands rose abruptly several hundred feet above the sea.
On leaving the Lower Savages we proceeded up the Strait to the vicinity of
North Bluff, but at a long distance from shore, until we came directly opposite to it.
We anchored in a bay two miles east of the Bluff, which we called Ashe's Inlet, after
Mr. W. A. Ashe, D.T.S., who was to have charge of the observatory station (No. 3)
which we proceeded to erect on the eastern side of the bay.
The rock^ on the we^t side of Ashe's Inlet consist of dark gi*ey gneiss, composed
principally of quartz and felspar in even beds. The general strike, which is pretty
uniform, is east ard west (true), and the dip, north at an angle of 40°. On the
higher levels the surface of the rock is decayed into half isolated boulder-like masses.
In the vicinity of the station, on the east side, a common variety of gray micaceous
gneiss is met vsitb, striking with regularity to the N.W. (true). A mile to the north-
ward, however, on this side of the inlet, it has become east and west (true), cor-
responding with the trike on the west side. The country was examined for several
miles inland, or what I judged to be about the centre of the (Big) island, and found
to consist entirely of common varieties of gneiss, with a prevailing westerly strike.
It contains many veins of "hungry" or barren milk quartz. Some of them hold
felspar and black mica, giving them a somewhat granitic character. In one
of them the felspar, which was white, was observed to be striated. The hills have
a rounded sweeping outline, and their summits are a considerable distance apart.
The wide even spaces between them hold shallow lakes, surrounded with green
meadow-like flats and mossy slopes. Numerous rivulets and l)rooks run down the-
hills and discharge the w.Uers of one lake into another. The general aspect of the
landscape reminds one of some parts of the Highlands of Scotland. A shallow
looking lake, with many low stony points, begins about three miles northward of
our anchorage, and has a length of about thi-ee miles. It discfiarges south and
westward into Ache's Inlet by a wide, rapid and shallow stream, which we called
Edith Eiver. The Eskimo informed us that at certain seasons large trout were
abundant in this lake and river.
Around Ashe's Inlet the glacial striie run about S. 65° E. (true). On the tops of
the hills the rocks are much weathered and only faint traces of the s,irm remain. In
these sil nations ridges of gneiss boulders, with an easterly direction, were occasionally
met with. One of them, on a hill a short distance north of the obeezvatory station, has-
evidently accumulated in the lee of a knob of rock which stands at its western extremity.
Among the prevailing gneiss boulders scattered on the hills and plains were found
several of grey dolomite like that of the Manitouink group of rocks (Cambrian. See
Geological Sui vej- Report for 1877, p. 11 C.) and of the soft buff grey dolomite like that
of the Churchill River. (S^e Geological Survey Report for 1879, p, 18 C). I also found a
large decomposed boulder which had been made up of coarse radiating crystals of
greenish grey horbnlendo. A bed of the same rock was afterwards found interstrati-
fied with the gneiss atCxpe Prince of Wales, on the south side of the Strait, opposite
10 Ashe's Inlet. A small piece of greyish crystalline limestone was picked up near
31
Ashe's Inlet, which bears a very close resemblance to a variety common in the Lau*
rentian bands of the Ottawa valley.
Some heavy field-ice had di-ifted into Ashe's Inlet before our arrival there. The
Eskimo informed us that this was the first time in their knowledge that such a thing
had occurred, and this circumstance aflfbrded us another proof of the unusual abund-
ance of this kind of ice the present summer. Several of the pieces or " pans " were
upwards of 20 feet thick, aud as the tide has here a rise and fall of more than 30 feet,
some of them were left dry at low water and were found to consist of solid blue ice.
The outlines of these pans, as seen floating in the sea, more frequently approach a
quadrilateral form than any other. This kind of ice was afterwards seen in great
quantities around Salisbury and Nottingham Islands, in the mouth of Fox's Channel,
down which there appears to bo no doubt, all the heavy ice of Hudson's Strait,
comes. On reaching the Strait it projects towards the south shore and
breaks off in fields of greater or less extent which float up and down with the tide^
always working to tho eastward, and part of it finally escapes into Davis' Strait.
Hudson's Strait, however, being about 500 miles long, the tendency of tho wind and
tide is to drive much of it ashore, or to imprison it in bays and inlets. Once it has
reached such situations, the lee afforded by the high lands often prevents it from
being drifted out to deep water again. In this way, during the present season, a
large quantity of it became fixed in Ungava Bay and detained the Hudson's Bay
Company's steamer *' Labrador" for twenty-one days, being the first time, I understand,
that any detention of the kind has taken place Mr. L. M. Turner, of the Smiths-
onian Institution, who was at Fort Chimo at the time, informed us that the thickness
of some of these blocks of ice was measured, and in one case found to be as
much as 42 feet. Mr. Burwell, at Station No. 1, on the west side of Cape
Chudleigh, reported that, during August and September, ho observed theno heavy
pans floating south-westward into Ungava Bay, but never returning past his station^
At Ashe's Inlet the observer reported that the ice always floated back, or westward,
a short distance, with each tide, but finally disappeared to the eastward. Some of
this heavy ice was stranded about Cape Prince of Wales in the latter part of August
and the first half of September, but it had all gone when we re-visited the station
here on the 23rd of September. At Nottingham Island we observed some of tho
heaviest " pans " stranded in 6 fathoms of water, and they would, consequently, he
about 40 feet thick.
I tested the ice of the stranded pans in some places, and always found it fresh.
This would be the case, notwithstanding that tho ice formed in sea water, for most of
the salt would be thrown out in the freezing, and what might remain would draiu
away near the surface on exposure to the mild air of summer. Owing to the some-
what poor heat-conducting power of ice, it is not possible that so great a thickness
as 40 feet could form in one winter in Fox's Channel. It is probable that a good
many years-would be required. In regard to the quantity of ice which has been ob-
served in Hudson's Strait, a study of tho experience of the vessels which have navi-
gatod these waters, as well as of that of tho ships of the Moravian Brethren coming;
to the coast of Labrador, would seem to show that there is a succession of good and
bad years, with a minimum, and a maximum at perliaps seven or eight years apart,
or in cycles of some fourteen or fifteen years; also, that there may be a raaximuni
intensity in these cycles themselves, so that perhaps every third one will be more
favourable in tho rainiraam of ice and more severe in the maximum than the two
intervening ones.
The fact that most of the ice-pans of Hudson's Strait, when not covered with fresh
snow, are colored with dust and earth, points to their formation rear shore, and also
to their i emaining there during one summer at least, when the ground is bare of
snow and the surface not frozen. The dust appeared to be in too great quantity to
be of cosmic origin. These pans sometimes carry gravel on their backs, a circumstance
which was noted in my report for 1880, p 20 C. When at Ashe's Inlet, a fact was
observed which may explain the last mentioned phenomenon. Some tolerably thick
ice still remained attached to the shore at high tide mark. During the melting of
the snow on the hills above it, torrents had carried a quantity of stones and earth
32
•out of an adjacent bank and deposited them upon the surface of the ice. The connec-
tion between this ice and the shore being sufficiently weakened, the next spring-tide
would carry it out to sea, as previous tides had already carried parts of the adjoining
>ice, similarly laden.
The icebergs of Hudson's Strait are of comparatively small size and are or have
been mostly flat-topped. The original appearance of some of them has been altered
by foundering and canting, which have occasionally been repeated several times,
the various positions which the berg has occupied being indicated by water-lines
now standing at different angles to the surface. These small icebergs are most
iaumerous along the northern side of the Strait, and they have never been observed
westof Fox's Channel, out of which they proceed. They are supposed to originate
from glaciers on the shores of this channel, but it is possible that they may come
through the passages which arc believed to run into it from Baffin's Bay and
Lancaster Sound, or through Fury and Hecla Straits, in all of which the current is
known to set southward.
The soil or drift material of Hudson's Strait is probably permanently frozen at a
certain depth below the surface, although our interpreter told me it was not so at
Nachvak, nor does it appear to be the case at Nunaingok, in McLelan's Strait. On
Nottingham and Digges Islands, when the gneiss has been glaciated and its hard
surface exposed to the cold, it appears to have become so deeply chilled that its tem-
perature does not rise above the freezing point in summer, except in the direct sun-
shine. Whenever water in small quantities had flowed over these I'ocks at night or
in the shade during the day it had become frozen.
While the " Neptutao" was lying at Ashe's Inlet a party of Eskimo from the east-
ward came on board. They brought with them plates of good, light coloured mica and
pieces of pure foliated graphite, also a small piece of iron pyrites, and one of amorphous
.graphite. In reply to questions, they stated that they came from a place called
Kimnirook, about two days' journey by kyak. to the eastward, and that they had
gathered these specimens in that vicinity. They further stated that there was plenty,
both of the mica and the foliated graphite. Having assembled these visitors, and
also the Eskimo of North Bay, who were already at the Inlet, a party of thirty-eight
in all, I exhibited to them my collection of minerals, and passing them round, one at a
time, enquired succsssively if any of them had ever seen a mineral like that. In return
for any information which they mightgive, I offered them tobacco, ammunition, kettles,
Ac, all of which they coveted very much and might easily have invented stories as to
the occurence of minerals in these regions in order to gain the articles offered. But
the only kinds they recognized, besides those of which they had brought the speci-
mens above mentioned, were a bright red hsiimatite occurring inland from Kimnirook ,
and a rather hard and inferior variety of soapstone, which they used for making
pots before they obtained metal ones from the white men, at the western end of Big
Island (in which this inlet and North Bluff are situated). They said they had
observed plenty of hard white stones, like the quartz exhibited, in various localities, but
no soft white ones such as the marble, gypsum, barytes, &e., the hardness of which
they tested with their knives.
During our stay at Ashe's Inlet, the Eskimo killed two reindeer in the vicinity,
and, judgiug from the numerous tracks, of these animals they would appear to bo
common ; but the natives informed us that they were much more abundant on the
mainland to the north, whei'e they are in the habit of hunting them most of the
summer, coming again to the sea shore to live on seals and walruses during the winter.
Three young harp seals were killed in the inlet during our visit, and as we steamed out
of it we saw two walruses. One of our party obtained the tusk of a narwhal from the
Eskimo who visited this inlet. Arctic hares were numerous on a small island, to which
the foxes could not gain access. Gulls, gannets, guillemots, eider ducks and ptarmigan
were the commonest birds. The young of the last named were about three parts
grown on the 15th of August, and could fly with the adult birds. The Eskimo
informed us that largo trout were abundant, at certain seasons, in what we named
Edith Lake and River, a few miles north of the observatory station.
33
Driftwood, all spriico, of which a considerable quantity had been seen at Port
Burwell and in McLelan Strait, was entirely absent at Ashe's Inlet, and Nottingham
Island, and was scarce at Digges Island and Cape Prince of Wales.
We left Ashe's Inlet on the evening of the 16th August, and arrived at Cape
Prince of Wales, on the opposite side of the Strait, on the morning of the ITth, the
distance being about 60 geographical miles, and the course about S. S. W. (true).
Prince of Wales Sound lies to the south-eastward of the cape, and appeared to be
about 15 miles broad. We selected a place on the inner side of the cape for
building the observatory station, and named it Stupart's Bay, after Mr. E. F. Stupart
of Toronto, who was to have charge of it. The highest hill on the west side of the
bay was ascertained to have a height, according to the barometer, of 340 feet, and
the highest to the south of it to have a height of 180 feet. The rocks in the vicinity
of the bay were found to consist entirely of Laurentian gneiss. In the hills on the
west side of Slupart's Bay, the strike is from S. to S. 40° E. (mag.), or nearly east
and west (true). The gueies in the hills, both to the south and west, is cut by nume-
rous veins and bunches of milk-white quartz, which in various parts are so conspic-
uous on the bare surface as to be seen from considerable distances. In one place on
the eastward slope of the hill to the west a group of parallel veins of this mineral,
varying from a ioot to two feet in width, is traceable for some distance. Their course
is slightly sinuous, but the average run is N. 55° W. (mag.). Eed felspar occurs in
some of these, and occasionally a little black mica. The to|>of this hill is rounded
and striated. The glacial grooves are quite distinct. On the highest point their
direction is S. GO" E. (mag.). A little below the summit, on the south side, they run
S. 50° E., while at the observatory station, near the sea shore, their course is S. 40®
E. (mag.).
Viewed from the top of the hill just referred to, the slopes and valleys to the north-
eastward are full of ponds resting in basins of solid rock. Boulders are perched on
the summits and slopes of all the hills around. Beaches of shingle, as fresh looking
as those on the present sea shore, except that the stones are covered with lichens,
may bo seen at all levels, up to the tops of the highest hiHs in this vicinity. The long
sloping hillside to the south of the observatory station is covered with fields of
shingle and small round boulders, all blackened by the lichens. At the northern base
of the ridge, to the north-west of the station, is a large dry basin-like depression, with a
notch on the outer side, through which it has formerly communicated with the sea.
From the notch, the shingle and mud are spread over the floor of the basin in a fan-
like fashion, as if the tides had rushed violently in through this opening. The
materials of the raised beaches above referred to consist principally of gneiss with,
milk quartz from the veins of the neighbourhood, together with a few fragments of
yellowish grey dolomite, with obscure fossils, a hard and nearly black variety of
silicious clay-slate, with an occasional boulder of dark, hard crystalline diorito.
Prince of Wales Sound has a breadth of, apparently, about fifteen miles, in a
due S. E. bearing from Stupart's Station, on the inner side of Cape Prince of Wales,,
and of probably eight or ten miles in a southerlj' direction. A long arm, the north
shore of which I reached at two and a-half miles due S. W. from the station, runs
due west from the western side of the sound. This appeared to be the favourite resort
of the Eskimo, and I propose to name it, for convenience, Eskimo Inlet. A small
rapid river was crossed between the station and the inlet. The Eskimo informed me
that another river enters the head of this inlet, and that it passes through two good
sized lakes not far from the sea. Some large trout, which they had brought to the
ship, were stated to have been caught in this river. Salmon were said to be found
in another river entering the sound at a point about south of Stupart's Bay.
The hills of gneiss between Stupart's Station and Eskimo Inlet are pretty thor-
oughly glaciated. The ridges and hummocks, as a rule, present smooth gradual
slopes to the west and abrupt craggy faces to the east, showing that the movement
of the ancient ice was from the west. The strire are well seen in many places on the
hills, the average direction being S. 40° E., (mag.) or about due east, astronomically.
On the shore of the inlet they run a little north of true oast or parallel with the course
34
of the inlot itself. Here I found a good many boulders of grey and yellowish lime-
stone on the beach.
The gneiss along the northern shore of Eskimo Inlet is of the ordinary variety,
and has an average strike of N. 20° W. (mag.) One of the veins of white quartz in
this locality contains purplish red calcspar, in rather coarse crystals of a uniform size,
both the color and texture closely resembling some varieties of the banded crystalline
limestones of the Laurentian series in the County of Lanark. Dark crystals of
epidote occur along with it. Light green amorphous epldote and a bright red
felspar are associated in some of the quartz veins of the vicinity. One of the Eskimo
liad a small lamp made of a soft, grey variety of schistose mica rock, which he said
occurred on an island in Prince of Wales Sound.
From a hill near Eskimo Inlet a view was obtained far inland to the west. The
•surface of the country in that direction appears in long sweeping outlines, termina-
ting in mountain ranges in some of the higher parts, and resembles the landscapes
m various parts of Newfoundland.
The Eskimo report reindeer to be plentiful around Prince of Wales' Sound at
certain seasons, being most abundant, I understood, in the winter. During the in-
terval between our two visits to the sound, the natives killed several, and a member
of the observatory party shot one in the vicinity of Stupart's Bay. These people
also told us that the polar bear was common on the southern shore of the Strait, to
the west, and that Ane-ugi, or Snow Island, about eight miles above Cape Prince of
Wales, was a favourite place for them to land. The walrus is found at this cape at
most seasons of the year. We saw several in going out and in with the " Neptune,"
and our interpreter killed one while we were lying in Stupart's Bay.
The Greenland, or harp seal, (Phoca grcenlandica, Fabricius) was the sjiecies on
which the Eskimo were living during our visit to Prince of Wales' Sound, but they
had in -their possession the skins of a good many harbor and square-flipper seals.
(^Phoca vituUna) (Linn.) and Erignatlms bnrbatus Fabricius). Some of the last
mentioned were very large, stretching from the apex of a wigwam to the ground,
and measuring 11 or 12 feet in length.
In reply to questions put to the Eskimo here, through our interpreter, they
informed us that not only the Strait itself, but even Prince of Wales' Sound, did not
freeze over in the winter, but that ice drifted up and down with the tides. They
stated that ice formed in the coves and around the shoals and islands off the cape.
The chief reason why they live in this vicinity is that Cape Prince of Wales being
" a good place for ice " they are more certain of a steady supply of seals and walruses
than elsewhere.
As to the supposed passage or channel between Bay of Hope's Advance and
Mosquito Bay, they did not appear to have any personal knowledge. Our inter-
preter did not think it existed, but as he came from the eastern Labrador, ho had no
definite idea on the subject. Being an egotistical individual, and wishing his own
opinion to prevail, it was impossible for me to get a fair expression of the views of
these people on this important matter.
We left Stupart's Bay at Capo Prince of Wales, on the evening of the 22nd of
August, and arrived at the southern part cf Nottingham Island on the morning of
the 24th. In passing the south side of Salisbury Island, the hills of the western part
were observed to have more even outlines than those of the eastern, as if the glacial
force had come from the westward. We anchored in 5 fathoms of water, in an inlet a
few miles east of the most southez'n part of Nottingham Island, and found a suitable
place for the station close to our anchorage, and on the north side of the inlet, which
we named Port DeBoucherville, after Mr. C. DeBoucherville, of Ottawa, who was to
have charge of this observatory.
Around Port DeBoucherville, and for some distance to the westward, the country
consists of island-like hummocks of rock, more or less separated from one another
and surrounded by clayey mud. The lower parts of these muddy intervals are partly
overflowed by the tide, rendering the water turbid in all the bays and inlets of this
part of the island. The clay is mingled with boulders and gravel, and it extends
♦ielow the bottom of the sea on the one hand, and up the valleys to a height of 50 to
35
100 feet. In preparing to leave the port, it was found difficult to start our anchor
out of the mud, some of which came up on one of the flukes, and proved to be an
exceedingly tough bluish-grey clay, containing grains of coarse sand disseminated
through it.
I explored the country to a distance of about three miles in various directions
from our anchorage, and found the rocks to consist of common varieties of gneiss,
the only exeptions noticed being patches of a fine-grained I'ed syenite on both side*
of the inlet. The average direction of the strike is south-west (true) but there are
ainmerous local variations which, however, seldom carry its course outside of the
flouth-west quarter of the circle. The joints in the gneiss run about east, or nearly
parallel with the glacial strisB, and this is also the direction of a number ot long cuts
And straight valleys or gorges in the gneiss, which have, therefore, an oblique angle
io the strike. The bottoms of these depressions are filled with boulder clay, which,
•on the surface, has a structural arrangement parallel with the walls, apparently due
to a process of expansion and contraction and of heaving, on account of the intense
frost of this region. In narrow cuts or gorges the heaving of the clay was greatest
along the sides, which had the effect of sorting out and throwing the boulders to
the centre, where they formed rows as regular as if they had been placed artificially.
The direction of the joints in these rocks may also be that of dykes and
veins, which, owing to decay and subsequent glacial action, would now be concealed
in the bottoms of the depressions above referred to. At a projecting point on the
side of one of them, however, and running parallel to its walls, I found some strag-
gling veins of hard grey dolomite, weathering brown and holding scales of mica.
The rocks of the lower levels are well glaciated, and from upwards of twenty
trials in various situations around Port DeBoucherville, the average course of the
strise across the south end of Nottingham Island was ascertained to be S. 30^ B.
(mag.), or only a few degrees southward of true east. That the direction of the
glacial movement was towards the east is obvious from the contour of the roches
moutonnS, the mode of the fluting of perpendicular walls and of channels cut in the
rocks, as well as by the direction of the curves of the semi-circular lines across the
larger grooves themselves. A valley, with a south-eastward bearing, enters the head
of Port DeBoucherville, and along it the grooves partake of ihe same direction,
showing that while the low southern portion of the island was swept by a great
glacier from the west, another was traversing it from the north-west. Nearly
half of the boulders, stones and gravel of the drift are grey limestone, like that of the
Manitounik (Cambrian) group, indicating the proximity of these rocks to the west-
ward. The grey quartzite of this series is also well represented. One piece of this
rock contained the characteristic spherical spots of a softer nature and lighter
colour, which usually weather out into hollows on exposure. There are also frag-
ments of black slate and red jasper, both of which have been found in the Manitounik
group. Two pieces of fine-grained white quartzite were noticed, which may have
come either from rocks belonging to this group or to the Huronian series. A frag-
ment of red sandstone conglomerate was also observed, of the same kind as that
which underlies unconformably the Manitounik rocks, and is so largely developed at
Little Whale Eiver and Richmond Gulf. (See Report of the Geological Survey for
1877, pp. 13 and 14 C.) No shells were found iu the boulder-clay, but a few com-
mon species were abundant in a bank of stratified sand, having a height of about
8 feet above high- water mark at the head of a bay.
During the interval between our two visits to Nottingham Island, the obser-
vatory party saw a few reindeer, but the numerous tracks and droppings of these
animals show that they exist here in considerable numbers. Several of their shed
antlers were found, and all of them had the upper tines curiously hooked and curved
inwards — a peculiarity which would be incompatible with forest life. We saw a few
walruses when first approaching the island, and while the station was building, but
they were quite numerous upon the ice which we passed through to the south of it
on our return on the 20th of September. These animals accompany the ice during the
summer, and its unusual prevalence in this quarter the present season was shown by
the blighted condition of even the Arctic vegetation of the island. Arctic hares and
foxes were seen, and both appeared to be abundant.
3^
Among the more noticeable birds which breed on IToltingham Island, are the
Arctic loon {colymhus arcticus, Linn), and the whistling swan (cygnus americanus,
Sharpless), We killed four old swans, all moulting, and two young ones, nearly full
grown, on the 27th of August, and the male, female and young of the Arctic loon. :^
At Port DeBouchorville I found distinct remains of a very ancient Eskimo camp
in the form of heaps and circles of stones, like those of the modern Eskimo, on a
raised beach at the head of what had been a cove. From what I have seen of the
situations, which the Eskimo, in various places in Hudson's Bay and Strait , choose
for their camps, there appeared to be little doubt that they had lived here when the
eea-level was 20 to 30 foet higher than it is at present. On the rocks facing the-
open Strait, just south of the inlet, the more recent works of these people are well
preserved, although they are probably upwards of 100 years old. Besides numerous
rings of tent-stones and some shapeless heaps, there are here several rectangular
walls a few feet high, and caches of a bee-hive form, each about 6 feet in height and
7 feet in diameter. Two of the latter are nearly complete, and are adapted either for
storing raept or as hiding places or " stands " from which to kill game. A good
photograjDh of one of them was obtained.
When wo left Nottingham Island, it was proposed to place the next station on
the south point of Mansfield Island, but the locality having been found unsuitable,
the station was built on Digges Island, off Cape Wolstenholm, on our return voy-
age. As the geographical position of this station comes next in order, I shall now
state the observations which were made during our visit to the locality. Heretofore
the name Digges or Cape Digges has been applied on the sketch charts to several
islands, represented as lying off Cape Wolstenholme. Our explorations went, however
to show that there is only one island from ten to fifteen miles in length. The bare hill&
of which it is composed are divided into several detached groups by straight, transverse
valleys, cutting well down towards the sea-level, thus giving the appearance of
separate islands, when viewed from a distance. The greatest length of the island lies
about east and west (true). As this is also the commonest direction of the strike of the
gneiss, most of whichis is red, and also of the glacial strife, the island has become
divided by longitudinal valleys, some of which, too, were traced in nearly straight
courses for several miles.
We found a good harbour on the south side of the island, about a mile from its
western extremity, well sheltered from all quarters except the south-west, with
good holding-ground and a convenient depth of water. The station was built
on its south-oast side, and placed in charge of Mr. A. N. Laporriere of Ottawa, after
whom the harbour was called Port Laporriere. Only a narrow neck of land separates
the head of the harbour from Hudson's Strait to the norih. Between this and the
western extremity of the island the hills have a rounded outline, and raised beaches,
composed mostly of coarse shingle, form a prominent feature on their slopes, all the
way from high tide mark to their summits, the highest of which is between 300 and
400 feet.
On the north side of Port Laperriere a light-colored quartzoso band of gneiss
contains numerous claret-colored garnets. Here the strike is N. 35° W. (mag.), but
to the eastward of the harbour it isN.45^ W. (mag.), the bedding running in straight
lines over a considerable area. At four miles east of the harbour, and towards the
north side of the island, the gneiss strikes N. 50° W. (mag.). A well marked valley,,
with a chain of lakes along its bottom, comes to the south side of the island, about
two miles east of Port Laperriere. It runs about east by north (true), and was
explored for five or six miles without coming to the end of it. The general strike of
the gneiss was parallel with the valley all along.
The red gneiss, which rises from the shore on the north side of the valley, run-
ning eastward from the head of the harbour, is cut by two parallel fissures, only 3
or 4 feet apart, with well defined, slikensided walls, the intervening mass simulat-
ing a vein ; but it is composed of red gneiss, all divided into small, sharp, angular
f)ieces by a multitude of joints intersecting each other in all directions, and often
ined with green epidote, which in this region very frequently accompanies veins and
31
dislocations. These fissures run in a noi'th easterly direction, bnt curve ahont a good
deal. They are accompanied by a small quantity of a handsome variety of rod
pegmatite, the quartz of which is blue, and the mass is occasionally streaked with
bright green epidote.
Around the western part of Digges Island the course of the glacial striae is from
S. 70° E to S. 75^ E. (mag.) ; but in the interior it averages S. 55° B. (mag.), or with
the general direction of the valleys.
We saw no Eskimo about Digges Island, but they appear to have visited Port
Lapoiriere in recent years, as the remains of their camps were found in two or three
places close to high tide mark. Some ancient camping places were also observed
around this harbour, which, from their elevation above the present beach, the decayed
nature of the lai ger bones lying about and the manner in which the circles of stones
were embedded in the moss and overgi'own with lichens, were supposed to be from
100 to 300 years old. Still more ancient works of the Eskimo were discovered in the
valley which comes down to the head of the harbour. These consist of a row of stones
lying in the vegetable matter at the surface, touching each other and running at right
angles to the brook, at a contracted part of the bottom of the valley, which would be
suitable for the Eskimo method of trout-fishing if the sea were 75 or 80 feet higher
than it is at present. If the sea has receded as rapidly as 7 feet a century,
these works would be upwards of 1,000 years old, and if the rate has been less they
must be even more ancient.
The same day that we arrived at Port Laperriere (16th September) a
she polar bear and her two cubs were killed in the interior of the island, about two
miles from the ship. The cubs were somewhat larger than sheep, and were
probably between seven and eight months old. Our party having approached
them cautiously, one of them was observed sucking its mother. I examined
the stomachs of all three, and found them to contain nothing but partially
chewed grass. About four quarts of this were found in the stomach of the old bear
and two and a-half and one and a-half respectively in the cubs' stomachs. I had been
informed by some Eskimo and Hudson's Bay Company's people that the polar bears
sometimes eat grass, and I had occasionally seen along with their tracks, dung which
could scarcely have been dropped by any other animal, and which was made up of
the remains of comminuted grass and other vegetable matter. The three bears
referred to were killed on a grassy spot where they had spent some time, apparently
for the purpose of eating grass, and this was propably their only object in wandering
away from the sea. The presence of the newly swallowed grass in such quantity in
the slomachs of all three convinced me that these creatui-es live, to some extent, on
vegetable food. On the 30th of August, while sailing down the east side of Mans-
field Island, we saw a large polar bear and cub running along the rocks about a mile
back from the shore. Walruses were numerous around Digges Island during our
stay there. They were always in the water and were generally seen in groups of
from three to seven or eight.
We arrived at the eastern part of Mansfield Island, about mid -way down, on the
morning of the 30th of August. Its even outline presented a remarkable contrast to
the shores of Hudson's Strait. It resembled a gigantic ridge of gravel ; but stratified
rocks, in low horizontal ledges, appeared here and there, through the debris, at dif-
ferent levels. At one place, four or five miles inland, the island rises to an elevation
of about 300 feet above the sea, and this was the highest point observed upon it.
Small streams appear to run out upon the eastern shore, as narrow canons are cut in
the rock in a few places. The monotony of the eastern slope of the island is broken
at one localitv by the rocks projecting through the debris in a form resembling an
old castle, with three towers on the left, and a wall broken through by embrasures
on the right. A short distance to the south of this there is a clitf, with a distinct
pillar on the left. These points are considered worth noting, as they have a bearing
on questions as to the glacial phenomena of these regions. For many miles, the
whole of the eastern slope of the island presents a succession of steps or small teri aces,
mostly too low to be distinctly counted, but there might be a hundred of them
4
38
between the sea level and the highest parts of the island visible. These appeared to
be partly ancient beaches, and partly the outercropping edges of nearly horizontal
strata. I landed at a point about the middle of the eastern shore of the island, and
found the shore very flat, with shallow water for a considerable distance out. The
rock proved to be a fossiliferous grey limestone, in rather thin horizontal beds. The
fossils were obscure and scarce at the place referred to. Those collected, Mr.
Whiteaves thinks, are Silurian. The rocks themselves resemble the Lower Silurian '
limestones of the Red and Nelson Rivers. I landed again near the south end of
the island, and found the water very shallow in approaching the shore. No rock was
detected in situ at this place ; but a great extent of gravel and coarser shingle, derived
from limestone like that foucd in situ further north was thrown into a succession of
long, low ridges and terraces, all curving with the contour of the land. Behind most
of the ridges I met with long ponds of clear, fresh water. A number of caches and
" stands," built by the Eskimo, were seen along the shore of Mansfield Island, but
none of these people were observed.
From the southern extremity of Mansfield Island we steamed to Cape South-
ampton, and thence coasted norih eastwai'd, in the hope of finding a suitable site for
building an observatory station, but without success ; and after making between
twenty and thirty miles in that du-eotion, we returned to the cape and passed round it
to the westward, shaping our course thence for the opposite side of Hudson's Bay. The
general charter of this island, and the pai't of its shore which we examined, are quite
like the eastern side of Mansfield Island. It has rather more vegetation upon it than
the last named island, and much of the surface has a brown colour inconsequence.
Shallow water, having a light green colour, extends some distance out all along. The
island slopes gi-adually up from the beach and is thrown into a great many small ter-
races. The highest point seen did not exceed 200 feet above the sea. I noted that the
limestone is evidently exactly the same as that of Mansfield Island. Low cliffs in
the upper levels break through the decayed mass and the dibris, and horizontal ledges
also make their appearance through the loose materials near the sea beach.
We did not observe any natives on the part of the island which we saw, but at four
miles north-east of Cape Southampton there were three fresh houses of the Eskimo,
covered completely with sods and moss, and having the dooi'S built I'ound with
stones. About three-quarters of a mile to the north-eastward of these were five old
Eskimo houses, built of stones and sods, with some sticks and bones lying on their
tops.
Our first landing place on the western side of Hudson's Bay was Marble Island,
but we had a distinct view of the land between it and Chesterfield Inlet. Judging
from specimens which I have received through the kindness of Mr. George Mc-
Tavish, of the Hudson's Bay Company, a portion of this coast is occupied by rocks,
which may be referred to the Huronian series, among them being diorites, horn-
blende-schists and glossy mica-schists characterized by numerous cubes of iron
pyrites. On the coaf t opposite to Marble Island, the last named rock appears to
contain the veins of granular iron pyrites, an assay of a specimen from one of which,
from Inari, was made by Mr. Hoffmann in ISTO. (See p. 23 H., Report Geological
Survey, IS^S-YO.) Those glossy mica-schists were found on Deadman's Island, near
the west end of Marble Island. Prom all that I have been able to learn on the sub-
ject, a set of rocks, very like those of the Township of Ascot, in the Province of
Quebec, and holding similar pyrites veins, which are of great economic value, will
be found in this part of the western coast of Hudson's Bay.
The harbour on Marble Island, which is resorted to by the American whalers, and
in which we also anchored, is situated on the south side of the island, about two and
a-half miles from the western extremity. The outer harbour is formed by Deadman's
Island, about quarter of a mile long, lying across the front of a small bay. The inner
harbour is a basin, which connects with this thiough a narrow gap in the rock with
only about one fathom of water at low tide.
Deadman's Island consists of white and light grey quartzites and glossy micarschist,
striking N. '75° W. (mag). The glacial strise on this island are well marked and run
39
S. 10° E. (mag). In the course of the day which we spent at Marble Island, I rowed
round its western end and thence eastward along its northern shore for some miles.
I also explored the interior and took some photographs between this side of the island
and the harbour. The whole of the western part of the island consists of white and
light coloured quartzite, bearing a strong resemblance to white and veined marble,
from which circumstance it has no doubt received its name. Viewed from sea, the
shores have a very white appearance, the rocks being free from lichens, &c., and the
hills in the interior, which are rounded, are also pare white, and contrast strongly
with the dark brown of the peaty flats and hollows. Even the boulders and coarse
shingle forming the raised beaches remain quite white, and these beaches appear as
conspicuous horizontal lines against the dark vegetable matter. The beds of
quartzite are usually very massive. Their surfaces are often ripple-marked, the
ridges and hollows varying much in size, being sometimes as fine and regular as the
fluting on a washboard, and at others two or three inches apart. On the south side
of the island, near the west point, the quartzite is of a beautiful lilac tint, some of
the beds being more deeply coloured than others. The strike is here N 80° W.
(mag.), the dip being to the northward, at an angle of 80°. The surface of the rock
at this place is marked by large green stains of carbonate of copper, some of them being
3 or 4 feet in diameter. They appear to be due to the decomposition of small quan-
tities of copper pyrites in the quaiizite.
At the north-west point of the island the dip is N. 75** W. (mag.), angle 45°
and the striae here run S. 20^ E. (mag.). This is also the prevailing dip in the
interior of this part of the island. On the north shore of the island, oppo&ite
to the harbour on the south side, the dip is N. 60° W. (mag,), angle 40°. Not only
does the strike vary considerably on the large scale, but the lines of stratificatiou wt-re
in places observed to undulate a good deal on a small scale, while the general course
of the beds was pretty straight, the minor variations appearing as mere corrugations
of the darker lines of stratification on smooth sections.
Although quartzite was the only rock found in situ on the main island, so far as I
had time to explore it, the debris of the glossy mica-schist with cubes of iron pyrites,
was so abundant along the north side that I have no doubt it exists "in place " clo-o by.
A. fragment of the peculiar brown-weathering dolomite with white quartz strings
common in the Huronian series, was also found on this part of the island.
We left Marble Island in the evening of the same day that we arrived there
(2nd September), and entered the harbour of Churchill on the 6th. The geology of
this locality is described in my report for 1879, pages 19 to 21. After leaving
Churchill we paid a visit of twenty -four hours to York Factory, from which we
sailed for Digges, where we built station No. 5, as already stated, and after visiting
all the other stations and building the one at Nachvak, which has been described
in a previous part of this report, we continued our homeward voyage to St. John's,
Newfoundland, which we reached on the 11th of October, and left the same evening
for Halifax, where we arrived on the 14th and at Ottawa on the 16th of the same
month.
GENERAL REMARKS ON GLACIATION.
It will be seen by an inspection of the chart, that Fox's Channel, in respect to
width, general direction, &c., is a continuation of Hudson's Strait, and that the outlet
of Hudson's Bay joins this great channel at right angles. It is much deeper than
Hudson's Bay, the comparative shallowness and the uniformity of the bottom of
which are remarkable features. If the sea in these latitudes were only about 100
fathoms lower than it is at the present time, James' and Hudson's Bays would become
dry land, while the Strait would remain as a long bay, but with a slightly dimin-
ished breadth. The bottom of the Bay would have become a plain, more level
in proportion to its extent than any other on the continent. The numerous rivers
which now flow into it would traverse this plain, converging towards the north-
east and falling into the Strait near Cape Wolstenholme, after having, perhaps, formed
one immense river, flowing northward down the centre of the Bay, or probably
nearer the East-main side.
40
During the " great ice age " the basin of Hudson's Bay may have lormed a
sort of glacial reservoir, receiving streams of ice from the east, north and north west
and giving forth the accumulated result as broad glaciers, mainly towards the south
ard south-west. It has been shown, in a preceeding part of this i*eport, that the direc-
tion of the glaciation, on both sides of Hudson's Strait, was eastward. That an
extensive glacier passed down the Strait may be inferred from the smoothed and
striated character of the rocks of the lower levels, the outline of the glaciated surfaces
pointing to an eastward movement, the composition of the drift, and also from the
fact that the long depression of Fox's Channel and the Strait runs from the north-
westward towards the south-east, and that this great channel or submei'ged valley
deepens as it goes, tei minating in the Atlantic Ocean. Glaciers are said to exist on the
shores of Fox's Channel and they may send down the flat-topped icebergs which float
eastward through the lower part of Hudson's Strait into the Atlantic. During the drift
period, the glacier of the bed of Hudpon's Strait was probably joined by a conti'ibution
from Loe ice which appears to have occupied the site of Hudson's Bay, and by another
also from the southward, coming down the valley of the Koksok River, audits
continuation in the bottom of Ungava Bay. The united glacier still moved eastward
round Cape Chudleigh into the Atlantic.
Throughout the drift period, the top of the coast range of the Labrador, stood
above the ice and was not glaciated, especially the high northern part. Further
south on this coast, the range is lower and there may also have been more ice in this
direction. Here the valleys and the hills, up to the height of 1,000 feet, at any rate,
have been planed by glacial action, the course followed by the ice on the eastern
slope having been down the valleys and fjords directly into the sea. In the southern
part of the Labrador peninsula, the general course of the ancient glaciation appears
to have been southward, varying to the eastward or westward with the courses of
the rivers and valleys, and coming to the north shoi'e of the Gulf of St. Lawrance, in
a general way, at right angles to the coast line. On the island of Newfoundland, the
glaciation appears to have been from the centre towards the sea on all sides.
EOBBRT BELL.
41
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