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‘TEN MONTHS AMONG THE 1? : 


? - ‘HE TUSKI. 


@SSst ‘AVHHNVE seOoL ‘sOCANOT 


asin anew SUN a a eAL 


BITT  Gevantvue “Lf <aWt ‘LYvHNVH sc¥ 7 Ta 


| LIKE 4 
* es oe ge 


ve TEN MONTHS 


AMONG 


THE TENTS OF THE TUSKI, 


WITH INCIDENTS OF AN 


ARCTIC BOAT EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF 
SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, 


AS FAR AS_THE MACKENZIE RIVER, AND CAPE BATHURST. 


BY LIEUT. W. H. HOOPER, R.N. 


WITH A MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 


LONDON: 
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 
1853. 


b - LONDON: ; 7 
BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. 


ie rox =i, gE eee Frees 


eee ty 
Siew 


TO 


JOHN BARROW, Esa. F.R.S. 


&e. &e. &e. 
ADMIRALTY. 
My pear FRIEND, 

WueEN engaged in the first Arctic expedition 
(H.M.S. Plover, with my esteemed friend Captain 
Moore) despatched from England in search of 
H.M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror, (under 
command of the gallant Sir John Franklin,) in the 
equipment of which your honoured and lamented 
father bore so prominent a part, I wrote letters to 
my friends relating my first impressions of scenes 
and incidents encountered in a remote corner of the 
globe, during a long residence amongst an almost 
hitherto unknown race of people. You saw some of 


these letters, expressed approval of and interest in 


vl DEDICATION. 


them, and suggested their being thrown together and 
submitted to a wider circle for perusal. Hence the 


following pages, by illness long deferred. 


Not alone the strong tie of friendship induced me 
to crave your permission to dedicate this book to 
you, but also the knowledge that you have ever stood 
foremost among those who, verbally and practically, 
have evinced their conviction that it would be cruel 
and would be a lasting disgrace to this country to 
relinquish the search for the missing voyagers until 
definitive information respecting them shall be 
obtained, or the lapse of time render an assertion 
of their being no longer im existence no mere 


hypothesis. 


On another plea also I ask you to stand sponsor 
to my literary babe (and herein I feel assured I speak 
for many of those who, like myself, have wandered 
amid the stern and chilling regions of the North). 
There can be few “ Arctic men” who will not unite 
with me in earnest acknowledgment of your ever 


willing aid (not the less energetic because unob- 


DEDICATION. vil 


trusively exerted) towards their particular welfare, as 
well as to the more general furtherance of the 
schemes of humanity in which they were engaged, 


and the great exertions you have gone through. 


You are well aware that I have always entertained 
the most sanguine views with regard to the discovery 
ships; and that, notwithstanding nearly eight years 
have elapsed since tidings were received, I still see 
no reason to despair. A mass of evidence is before 
us* to show that the Polar regions abound in animal 
life: the cases of four Russian sailors who spent six 
years on Spitzbergen, 1743-9, and that of Sir John 
Ross and party, who were four years ice-bound, 
afford precedents for the existence of the party now 
sought for; and when we consider moreover that 
only the mere portals have yet been passed, and 
scarcely the threshold entered upon of that vast 
unknown region, in avy part of which it is possible 
the missing voyagers may be detained, we may relieve 
ourselves from fear of a charge of unreasonableness 


or obstinacy in the persistence of earnest /ope that 


* Wrangell, Anjou, Parry, Richardson, Petermann, &c. 


Vili DEDICATION. 


their families—whose sad suspense all must deeply 
commiserate—their native country, and the entire 
civilised world, will yet welcome with transports of 
delight the return of at least a portion of the veteran 
wanderers. 
With sincerest regard and esteem, 
I am yours faithfully, 
W™. HULME HOOPER. 


Lonpon, May 1, 1853. 


CONTENTS. 


——_ ——_ 


CHAPTER I. 
Page 
Long absence of the “Erebus” and “Terror.”—Consideration of 
Contingencies, and Plans for Relief—H.M.S. “Plover,” Com- 
mander Moore.—Sails for Behring’s Straits—Arrive at Sandwich 
Islands.—Description of Honolulu.—Its Inhabitants.—Beautiful 
Night Scene.—Departure.—Passage to Behring’s Straits—Aleutian 
Islands.—Russian Discoveries.—St. Lawrence Island.—Adverse 
Winds and Currents.—Tchutskoi Noss.—The Tchutski ; ee ae 


CHAPTER II. 


Notices of Visits to Tchutskii—Cook and Billings, &c.—Wrangell’s 
Laments.—Paucity of Information.—First Communication with 
Tchutski—Ludicrous Mistake respecting Sex.—Attempts at Con- 
versation.—Visit the Shore.—See real Women.—Delectable Repast. 
—First Theft.—Council of Officers.—Curious Hut.—Thermometer 
Jack, —Gale.— Detention of Natives.— Their Feast. —Tchutski 
Honour.—Move into Winter Quarters.—First Visit to Natives.— 

An interesting Infant.—Funny Fiddler.—The Sheep.—The House. 
—First Impressions.—The Masquerade.—The Missionary.—The 
Drama . : é : - z . ; : : : Sale: 


CHAPTER III. 


Tuski not Tchutski—Tuski, Proper and Alien: their Difference.— 
Language.—Description.—Resemblance to Chinese.—Conjectures. 
—Difficulty of Discrimination.—A Trip.—Sledges. Fc —Huts. 
—Furniture.—Utensils . : ; ‘ : ; : . 33 


x CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER IV. 


Kaygwan.— A Tuski House.— Rather too Warm.—A Relief.—A 
Delusion.—Magic and Music! !—Snow Storm.—Two good Friends. 
—Port Emma.—Intimacy with Natives.—Tok.—Tuski Skill and 
Ingenuity.— The would-be Priest.—Constitution of Rank.—A 
clever Fellow . ; : : : : j : ; 


CHAPTER YV. 


Welcome little Stranger.—A merry Christmas.—A Christening. — 
A Visit from the Aristocracy.—An ancient, Teo.—A canny 
lad, Enoch.—Miss Propriety, Meeco.—Mi-yo la Petite.—The 
Diplomate, Akoull.—Belconta the Clever.—A Child of Fortune, 
Metra the Slow.—Reindeer, a Tableau.—A Patriarch, Mooldooyah. 
—Yaneengah the Good.—The Friend, Ahmoleen.—The Pet, Ka- 
oong-ah.—A. queer fellow, Omdooyah.—Attah the Knowing . 


CHAPTER VI. 


Friends.— Presents.— Tuski Preferences.—A lLé-loép.—The Tuski 
Dandy.—A State Visit—Curious Dances.—The Oldest Inhabitant. 
—The Dead.—New Ideas.—W ootair.—A ppearances of the Country. 
—A Chief’s Yarang.—The Sea : : : ‘ : 


CHAPTER VII. 


Mooldooyah’s Hospitality—Polygamy.—The Queen of the Yarang.— 
Repudiation.—The Contrast.—Reindeer and their Flesh —Mool- 
dooyah’s Music.—Return to the “ Plover.’’—Oong-wy-sac.—Distor- 
tion of Past Events.—Perplexity and Perseverance.—Tidings.— 
Return to the ship. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Journey towards East Cape.—Arrangement of Villages.—Necessary to 
travel with Dogs.—Preparations.—Deceit.—Costume for Travelling. 
—Bad Weather.—Change Course.—Noowook.—A new Taste of 
Fish.—Tchaytcheen.—Modes of killing Seals.—The Snow Storm. 
—The Polka : : : : : F ‘ 


Page 


48 


62 


80 


98 


eat 


CONTENTS. xi 


CHAPTER IX. 

= Page 

Woman’s Care.—The anxious Guides.—A solemn Ceremony.—Pro- 
longed Misery and a new Disaster—The Dilemma.—A Cruel 
Deception.—The last Night.—A glorious Discovery.—Hope and 
Deliverance.—Hunger of Dogs: its Consequences.—Thirst.— Kind 
Reception.—The Tuski Garrick.—The Hot Spring.—New Cookery 127 


CHAPTER X. 


Way to manage Natives.—The Magical Magnet.—Quit Oongwysac. — 
The Deserted.—A Census.—May-tchoo-emin.—Tuski Games.—The 
trial of Speed.—The Wrestlers.—A large Bear-skin.—Tuski 
Bravery.—Combats and Marks.—The Greek Cross.—A Wanderer’s 
Fate——A Disagreeable Check.—Useless Instruction.—A piece of 
Good Luck.—Yandangah.—Ah-mo-leen.—A Tuski Gentleman.—A 
Tuski Villa.—Hospitality : : : . : , : . 142 


CHAPTER XI. 


Vexatious Detention.—Attempts at Instruction.—Tuski Delicacy.— 
Enmity Explained.—The Coat of Mail.—Yandangah.—Noonah- 
mone.—Startling Information.—Farewell to Ahmoleen.—Tragic 
Tidings.—Return to the “Plover” . P : : : é . 159 


CHAPTER XII. 


A Tuski Feast.—A Tuski Smoke.—The Ladies’ Privilege.—The 
Draught.—The Tuski Plague.—A Sacred Ceremony.—The Shaman. 
—Description of Boats, Rope, &e—Embroidery, Carving, &c.— 
Fire-making . : ; , ; E : : : 2 » 170 


CHAPTER XIII. 


Matricide, a Deed of Horror.—The Bride’s Departure——A Novel 
Punishment. — Snow-Blindness.— Companionship. — Refraction.— 
Games.—The Cripple-—Amusements of Children.—Cutting Out. 
—Caymgliche the Grateful.—The Ungrateful Stranger.—Summary 188 


xil CONTENTS. 


PART IL 


BOAT EXPEDITION. 


CHAPTER XIV. 
Page 


Arrive in Kotzebue Sound.—Mosquitos.—First View of Esquimaux.— 
Joined by “Herald” and “Nancy Dawson.”—Midnight Sun.— 
Start on a Boat Expedition.—Visit of Esquimaux.—Moor to Ice 
Hummock. — Esquimaux Musicand Dancing.—Threatening Attitude 
of Natives.—Burying Ground.—Anchor at Point Barrow.—Lan- 
guage of Signs.—Magnetic Observations.—Deseription of Natives. 
—Concert.—Oomiak.—Bury Intelligence.—Whalebone Henge.— 
Part from “ Nancy Dawson.”—Mr. Shedden . ; : : « 212 


CHAPTER XV. 


Take to Whale-boats and Oomiak.—Return of Mr. Martin and larger 
Boats to the Ship.—Dog Sledges.—Smith’s Bay.—Heavy Sea.— 
Run for Shore——Repair Damages.—Birds in Numbers.—Colville 
Shoals.—Critical position.—Throw over Provisions.— Point Berens. 
—Amber.—Shovel Jack.—Attitude of Natives.—Mirage.—Jones’s 
Islands—Esquimaux Chief fires a Musket.—Native Boats crowd 
us.—Point Beechy.—Visited by Esquimaux.—Prudential Prepara- 
tions.—Shovel Jack again.—Treacherous Demonstrations.—Re- 
embark.—Natives follow.—Return Reef—Fire with Ball.—Con- 
struct Stockade.—Marine charges with Bayonet.—Close of the 
three days’ Demonstrations.—Natives depart.—Breakfast on the 
Ice.—Natives reappear.— Discharge their Arrows.— Reasons for 
Forbearance . “ 5 : : ; : : 2 : . 231 


CONTENTS. xill 


CHAPTER XVI. 

Page 
Lion Reef.—Seals.—Mountains.—Ducks and Divers.—Daily Routine. 
—Flaxman’s Island.—Ice.—Large Drift Wood.—Bury Pemmican. 
—Dog seen.—Native Huts.—Presents.—Ethnographie Distince- 
tions.—European Knife.—Send up Rockets.—Native Wonder.— 
Oomiaks’ mimic Manceuvres.—Esquimaux Family.—Whales.— 
Herschel Island.—Wind shifts Suddenly.—Difficulties.—Calton 
Point.—Esquimaux bring Fish.—Tracking.—Paradoxical Barrows. 
—Land near Sabine Point.—Huts and Women.—Buy a Frock from 
a Lady.—Thefts.—Compasses affected.—Approach to Mackenzie. 
—Tracking up River.—Change in Vegetation.—Bear and Deer 
Tracks.—Erect a Cross.—Indian Visitor.—Peel River.—Mr. Har- 
disty visits us.—Proceed to Fort M‘Pherson.—Changed Phase of 
Existence.—Departure of Mr. Pullen.—Annual Despatch.—Indian 
Paint and Decoration.—Loucheux or Quarrellers.—Rat Indians.-— 
Gluttony.—Indian Betrothals.—Forty Skins for One,—Indian 

Currency.—Esquimaux and Indian Feuds —. ; A 2 . 251 


CHAPTER XVII. 


Horrible Esquimaux Attack.—Massacre of Loucheux.—Indian Bravery, 
-—Anatomical Research.—Five Commoners make one Chief.— 
Mr. Peers’ unsuccessful Mediation.—Indian instincts of Revenge.— 
Indian Supplies——Leave for Fort Norman.—Indian Guides.— 
Followers dog us.—Enemy captures our Stores.—Enter Mac- 
kenzie.—Guides quit us.— Dogs again.—Encamp.—Our Hut takes 
Fire.—Pine Forests.—Ice-master frost-bitten—- Reach Fort Good 
Hope.—Mr. Mec Beath; his kind Attentions.—Cent Sous Rapid. 
—Bear River.—Burning Banks.—Reach Fort Norman.—Mr. 
Me Kenzie; his Hospitality.—Salteaux’ Legend of the Deluge.— 
Wolf Brothers & Co. : : : ‘ : : : : . 274 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


Gastronomy.—River Ice.—Trapping.—Start for Great Bear Lake.— 
Cross the Mackenzie on the Ice.—Felling Trees to encamp.— 
Raising the Wind.—Penetrate dense Forests——Cross Lakes.— 
Cranberries, &c.—Indian Hut.—Salmon Trout.—Summary Eject- 
ment.—Slave Indians.—Indian Divorce.—Selling Wives.—Cannibal 
Acquaintance.—Sir J. Franklin’s Hut.—Dreadful Staryation.— 
Eating an Orkney man.—Our Hut.—An airy Situation.—Occasional 
House-warming.—Lots of Tin.—Fish and Fish with it—Swamp 
Tea.—Aurora.—Literary Destitution.—Novel burial of a Brother- 
in-law. . . - : - : - : : : . 296 


xiv CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XIX. 
Page 
Christmas Festivities —Parhelia—Indian Exaggeration.—A Regular 
Clipper.—Sledging to Fort Norman.—Starving Indians.—Indian 
Theology.—Medicine Men.—Vapour Bath.—Heating Water.—A 
Drone.—Diminution of Infanticide——Making Medicine.—Pulling 
a-head.—Spring sets in.—Woodpeckers.—An Indian Death.— 
Return to New Fort Franklin.—Ravenous Petty Larceny.— Primi- 
tive Notions.—Floods.—Doctor Rae.—Start for Fort Simpson.— 
Hydrodynamic Forces.—Bears.—Indian Dance.—A Tale of Horror 313 


CHAPTER XX. 


Leave Fort Simpson.—Ascent of Mackenzie.—Receive Admiralty 
Despatches.—Mr. Pullen Promoted.—Return to Fort Simpson.— 
The “Logan” and “Try Again.”—Departure for the Sea Coast.— 
Point Separation.—Tiny Tormentors.—A diminutive Gourmand. 
—Re-enter the Arctic Ocean.—Garry Island.—Ice Blink.—Pelly 
Island. — A Change of Climate.— Discover new Islands.— An 
Esquimaux Hamlet.— Vexatious Impediments.—Scheme of Voyage. 
—Heavy Ice.—An Esquimaux Nurse.—Cape Bathurst, meeting 
with Esquimaux.—The Bear Hunt.—Progress checked by Ice.— 
Friendly Demeanour and pilfering Tendencies of Esquimaux.— 
Lose Indians.—Conjectures.— Indians return : ; : . 337 


CHAPTER XXI. 


Return Voyage.—Farewell to Esquimaux.—A Native Swell Mobsman. 
—Beaufort, Pullen, and Hooper Islands.—‘ Locan” Farewell.— 
Fort M‘Pherson.—Horrible Massacre of Esquimaux.—Reflections 
upon its probable Consequences.—Ascent of Mackenzie.—Corro- 
borative Confession of Manuel Hebert.—Arrival at Fort Simpson. — 
Remarks on the late Expedition. Arrangements for Wintering. 
—Effect of Cold upon Metal.—Luxurious Diet.—Ice “Sets Fast.” 
—A Narrow Escape.—Dogged Prejudices : : ‘ : . 362 


CHAPTER XXII. 


New Year's Day Festival—Cyclical Fluctuation in the Breed of 
Rabbits.—Conjectured Causes, and Indian Superstition thereon. 
—Consequent Effect upon fur-bearing Animals.—New Mode of 
catching Foxes.—Severity of Season.—Mercury metamorphosed.— 


CONTENTS. XV 


Page 
Aurora Borealis.—Disruption of the Ice.—A Strange Prophecy.— 
Melancholy Effects of Superstition.—An Indian Marriage.—The 
Fight of the Females.—Farewell to Fort Simpson.—Fort Resolu- 
lution.— Manufacture of Pemmican.—Slave River.— Muddled 
Moments.—The Hudson’s Bay Company of Merchant-Adventurers. 
—The Hardy Voyageur.—The Adventures of a Pack.—Arrival at 
the Noyé.—A beautiful Cascade.—Making a Portage.—Burn the 
Fort Boats.—Chipewyan.—The Chipewyans and Crees, their 
Language and Idiosyncrasy.—An Indian’s Remorse.—Mr. Geero’s 
Predilections.—The Lake of the Hills—Natural Pitch—Clear 
Water River.—Methy Portage.—Mermaid’s Hair . ; : . 880 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


Running a Rapid.—A Rapid Catalogue.—Portage du Diable.—A fatal 
Disaster.—Tales by the Way.—Riviére Maligne.—The “ Pas.”— 
Norway House.—Les Portes d’Enfer.—Return Home. ; . 409 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


——— 
THE TENTS OF THE TUSKI 

WINTER QUARTERS, PORT EMMA 

INTERIOR OF A TUSKI HUT . 

THE GREEK CROSS. 

TUSKI MAN 

NATIVE MAP 

WOMAN AND CHILD . 

TUSKI PIPES 

MY PORTRAIT 

NEW FORT FRANKLIN . 

MEETING WITH ESQUIMAUX, CAPE BATHURST 


MAP 


Page 
Frontispiece. 


306 


348 


At the end of the Book. 


THE 


EENTS. OF THE. TUSKI-. 


CHAPTER I. 


Long absence of the “Erebus” and “ Terror.”—Consideration of Contin- 
gencies, and Plans for Relief.—H.M.S. “ Plover,” Commander Moore.— 
Sails for Behring’s Straits.—Arrive at Sandwich Islands.—Description 
of Honolulu.—lIts Inhabitants.— Beautiful Night Scene.—Departure.— 
Passage to Behring’s Straits.—Aleutian Islands.—Russian Discoveries. 
—St. Lawrence Island—Adverse Winds and Currents.—Tchutskoi 
Noss.—The Tchutski. 


T'nx attention of the Admiralty having been drawn 
to the protracted absence of the two Arctic Discovery 
Ships, “Erebus” and “Terror,” which sailed from 
England, under the command of Sir John Franklin, in 
the spring of 1845, and of which no tidings had been 
received, it was determined in the autumn of 1847, 
after mature consideration of the opinions of those 
most experienced in Arctic affairs, to despatch three 
expeditions as early as possible in 1848 to different 
quarters of the frozen sea, for the purpose of seeking, 


and, if necessary, relieving the missing voyagers. 


B 


’ 


2 ““PLOVERS”” VOYAGE. 


Had the expedition become checked in its earlier 
career, Sir James Ross proceeding up Davis’ Straits 
might expect to fallin with the party. Were it stopped 
between the eastern and western channels leading to 
the Polar Sea, some of Franklin’s people in that case 
would probably be despatched to the northern conti- 
nent of America; it was necessary, therefore, to send 
an expedition thither; this was undertaken by Sir 
John Richardson. A third locality remained, which 
it would have been imprudent to neglect. Conjecturing 
the entrance and medium passage to the westward to 
have been accomplished, exit had yet to be made by 
a region little visited, of which the great opening from 
the North Pacific into the Arctic Ocean, known as 
Behring’s Strait, claimed paramount attention. 

For the last-named quarter H. M.S. “Plover,” under 
Commander T. E. L. Moore (an officer peculiarly fitted 
for this charge by his previous experience in Arctic 
and Antarctic travel), set sail from Plymouth on the 
30th January, 1848. 

I do not desire to enter here upon a recital of 
either the fitting out or our voyage through regions 
interesting indeed, but already well known. Suffice 
it to say that after touching at Madeira and the 
Falklands, rounding Cape Horn and visiting Callao, 
we arrived at Honolulu, the capital of Woahu, 


SANDWICH ISLANDS, 3 


the chief of the Sandwich Islands, on the 23rd of 
August, 1848, the voyage having been greatly pro- 
tracted by calms and contrary winds, and the very 
indifferent sailmg qualities of our vessel. This 
town presents from the outer anchorage the most 
picturesque type of a tropical village in all its loveli- 
ness. It extends along the sea-shore for about two 
miles; the houses are grouped in small clusters, 
surrounded by luxuriant plantations of sugar-cane, 
banana, and other fructiferants of torrid climes, 
surmounted by the lofty palm. 

With the exception of the public edifices and a few 
of the better class of houses, which are built of brick, 
stone, or even slabs of coral, the habitations are for the 
most part only rude huts, yet neat and cleanly-looking 
from a distance : from their sombre hue, they present a 
fine contrast to the varied tints of tree and herbage here 
exhibited. I thought it a perfect paradise. The sweet 
tale of Paul and Virginia, with the description of their 
home, came across my memory, and I pictured their 
land to be such an one as this. 

In the bay were numerous diminutive fishing-boats, 
each with an outrigger to prevent it from overturning, 
so narrow and frail are they. This curious balance is 
composed of a branch of considerable thickness, with 


a straight stem about five feet in length, terminating 
B2 


4. SANDWICH ISLANDS—NATIVES. 


in a flattened fork, which ever and again, as the wee 
shell rocks to and fro, dips in the water and steadies 
her motion ; and in this way with paddle or sail, or 
both, they skim along over the waves. 

The residents at Honolulu are principally Americans, 
who engross much of the trade ; there are also a few 
Chinese shops, where this antiquated people may be 
seen in their national dress and surrounded by their 
native products—Japanned-ware, crapes, silks, ivory 
carved-work, &c., for which they find a ready sale. 
There are several churches and meeting-houses ; also 
one or two large manufactories and warehouses, conspi- 
cuous from their size compared with the surrounding 
buildmgs. On the right of the town is the harbour, 
im which were many vessels; among others, several 
American whalers refittmg for their return home; and 
the old “Basilisk” lies here dismantled and deserted. I 
regarded her with great interest, remembering themany 
important matters im which she took her part, more 
particularly in the French affair with Queen Pomaré. 

Honolulu cannot certainly be lauded for cleanliness 
nor the regularity of its construction : dirt abundantly 
displays itself, and in the streets we were enveloped 
in clouds of dust. The natives appear finely-limbed, 
muscular, and of good stature. ‘The young people have 


handsome and somewhat intellectual countenanees, with 


FISHING BY NIGHT. 5 


splendid eyes, large and sparkling, having the fire and 
dark hue of the Indian; their complexions are of the 
richest deep brown, some approaching copper colour ; 
and the skin so clear, that the blood can be seen 
mantling in their cheeks. Old age seems to transmute 
all their charms into ugliness, for the few aged persons 
I saw were mostly hideous. At night we were 
delighted in viewing the natives fishing by torch- 
light: in the frail canoes I have before noticed brands 
composed of the fibrous husk of the cocoa-nut emitted 
a lurid glare, and being in great numbers and constant 
motion imparted a Salvator-Rosa-like effect to the 
scene; the softened gleam upon the shore was very 
beautiful, throwing up the more prominent objects, 
whose broad shadows, rendered deeper and more 
perfect by the blaze, mingled with and were lost in the 
gloom of the background. 

It was intended that in accordance with our instruc- 
tions we should have met H. M.S. “Herald,” which 
was to co-operate with us, at Panama, but the plan of 
our route having been changed we had not visited that 
port, and hoped to have found her here; in this 
expectation we were, however, disappointed ; and after 
obtaining a plentiful supply of tropical fruits and 
vegetables, proceeded alone on the 25th, trusting 


to fall in with her in Kotzebue Sound. 


6 DEPARTURE FROM SANDWICH ISLANDS. 


Having now quitted our last touchmg point, all our 
attention was directed to preparing for our winter 
sojourn. Warm clothing was distributed; cloaks 
and socks of the fur-seal skin made up, and ice gear 
fitted and inspected. In anticipation of boat expe- 
ditions crews were appoimted, and their several 
supplies apportioned, strong hopes being entertained 
of doing something before being frozen in. 

Some fine meteors were seen early in September, 
and black gull and whale birds observed in considerable 
numbers: a plover flew on board, a goodly omen, and 
dolphins gathered round the vessel. On the 9th we 
saw stormy petrels and sea swallows ; and the former, 
true to their popular reputation, proved harbingers 
of a heavy gale. The weather moderating, the 
nautilus was seen outspreading his tiny sail. 

Towards the end of the month the presence of 
numerous birds, as well as quantities of sea weed, 
indicated the proximity of land; on the 27th, at no 
great distance from Madenoi or Copper Island,—with 
the exception of Behring’s Island, the westernmost of 
the group,—we passed between the Aleutian or Fox 
Islands, and the main-land of Kamtchatka. 

As these islands were among the first-fruits of the 
discovery from the west of the western coast of the 


North American continent, it may not be inappropriate 


BEHRING S EXPEDITION. 7 


to introduce here some slight account of their history 
and native inhabitants. 

The sagacious mind of Peter the Great having been 
stimulated by accounts collected from Kamtchadals, 
and transmitted to St. Petersburgh, concerning the 
vicimity of the north-eastern point of Asia to the 
north-western angle of America, devised an expe- 
dition to ascertain their correctness ; this, however, 
was delayed, by his death; but the Empress 
Catharine, in accordance with his written instructions, 
immediately on ascending the throne, despatched 
Vitus Beering, or, as he is more commonly called, 
Behring, a native of Denmark in the Russian service, 
to obtain information on this point. On the 14th of 
July, 1728, he left the river Kamtchatka in the 
“ Fortune,” with two leutenants and forty men; and 
having coasted the Kamtchadal, Koriak, and Tchutskoi 
countries as far as 67° 18’ north, returned, having 
unawares passed but a very few miles through the 
Straits which now bear his name. This unconsciousness 
is rather curious, as he had some intercourse with people 
in their boats, who would seem to have been Tchutski, 
who inhabit a country on the coast of Asia, within 
thirty miles of the American continent; they, however, 
informed him that their nation, although travelling 


with reim-deer as far as the Kovyma, or Kolyma, 


8 ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. 


which runs into the Northern Ocean, had never 
attempted any passage by sea. He therefore returned 
home disappointed in the object of his search. 

He again made the attempt in 1729, but failed 
from adverse winds. No further effort was made 
till 1741, when Behring again sailed with Tschirikof 
on their notable enterprise in their two vessels, the 
“St. Peter” and “St. Paul;” and steering to the E.S.E., 
and S.E. by E., reached the continent of America 
on the 15th of July. The precise position of the 
spot has been much contested, but there is good 
reason to suppose he landed in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood of Kayes Island, lat. 60° N., long. 144° 30° 
W. It again seems strange that Behring should thus 
have proceeded so far to the east without reaching land, 
as the whole range of Aleutian or Fox Islands, with 
the promontory of Alaska, lay directly mm the course 
between the pomts of his departure from Asia and 
arrival in America, extending in a scattered line from 
America to within ten degrees of the Kamtchatkan 
coast. In the beginning of September, on their return 
voyage, the expedition fell in with the chain of the 
Fox Islands, and on the 6th of November landed on 
Behring’s Island, at first supposing it to be the main- 
land of Avatcha; here they suffered great misery and 


sickness, and on the 8th of November Behring died. 


ALEUTIAN ISLANDERS. 9 


The immense quantity of ammal life which then 
existed on these islands, may be gathered from the 
fact that on one short expedition in 1750, the large 
numbers of 1781 sea otters, 720 blue foxes, and 
840 young sea bears were taken, and their furs and 
skins carried back by one vessel to the Russian 
territories. 

The imhabitants are described’ by the admirable 
and sagacious Steller, who accompanied Behring, as 
mostly young or middle-aged, of moderate stature, 
but tolerably well-proportioned ; their arms and legs 
very fleshy, their hair straight and of a glossy 
blackness, the nose flat but not broad or large, the 
eyes black, the lips thick and turned upward ; necks 
short, shoulders broad, and bodies thick but not 
corpulent. They wore shirts made of the intestines 
of whales ; boots and breeches of seal-skin, stained a 
brown red with alder bark ; and had long iron knives, 
apparently their own manufacture (though he throws 
some doubt on this poimt later im his narrative). They 
made hats of bark which were coloured red and green, 
and ornamented with feathers and grass; and bored 
holes in various parts of the face, in which they 
iserted bones and stones. They had little or no 
beard. 


‘They seemed to migrate from island to island, 


10 ALEUTIAN ISLANDERS. 


and many to the mamland of America, and were 
accustomed to tattoo their faces with a red-hot 
needle. 

Otcheredin, who made a lengthened visit in 1770, 
describes the Fox Islands as generally rocky, but 
destitute of wood, and abounding with rivulets and 
lakes which contain very little fish ; the population, 
free and numerous; living principally in_ holes 
‘dug in the earth, and subsisting on sea animals and 
small shell-fish, with the wild liy-root as their 
greatest luxury. 

Dr. Latham, in his “‘ Varieties of Man,” asserts that 
the inhabitants of these islands, including Behring’s, 
Copper, Rat, Andreanowsky, and Prebiilowiini, are 
all of Esquimaux origin; this he principally infers 
from the radical construction of the language. 

To Captain Cook, our own enterprising navigator, 
belongs the merit of the true discovery of the Straits 
between the two contments, although, with his usual 
good taste and modesty, he gave to them the name 
of Behring, in honour of, as he supposed, the first 
European who ever navigated those seas. There is now, 
however, little ground for reasonable doubt, although 
the fact long remained involved in obscurity, that to 
Simeon Deshnew, or Deshnef, may be attributed the 


first passage of them by civilised man. Iseai Ignatiew, 


VISITS TO BEHRING’S STRAITS. Tt 


who is the first person recorded to have attempted 
the navigation of the Polar Ocean, sailed from 
Kolymsk, east of Kolyma, in 1646; but only reached 
Tchaun Bay. He obtamed some walrus teeth by 
barter with the Tchutski dwelling there, and described 
them as a warlike people. His accounts induced the 
Fedot Alexiew, agent to a Moscow merchant, to make 
an expedition in June, 1647, from the Kolyma, 
designing to reach the Anadyr. Attached to his 
mission was the Cossack Simeon Deshnew, or Deshnef, 
as government representative. Difficulties obliged 
them to return; and in 1648 a second expedition was 
commenced, consisting of seven vessels, of which four 
were probably lost, as further accounts have reached 
us of only three. Deshnew seems to have had a 
favourable season; and, passing Chelagskoi Noss, made 
his way eastward and to the south, until he reached 
the Gulf of Anadyr. He does not appear, however, 
to have had any knowledge of the proximity of the 
coast of America. With these few remarks let us 
now resume our own voyage. 

We steered north-west for the island of St. 
Lawrence, which lies in the fair way to the entrance 
of Behring’s Straits; and struck soundings on the 
5th of October in 150 fathoms; on the same date 


we first experienced snow. A large number of 


hee PROCEED NORTHWARD. 


geese were seen flying to the southward, a notable 
token of the winter setting in. 

Headwinds and strong currents now much impeded 
our progress, and we only sighted the island of St. 
Lawrence early in the morning of 13th October : 
during the night of the 15th, we drifted so far to 
. the north-west, that at three a.m., in the morning, 
the coast of Asia, near the T’chutskoi Noss, was dis- 
covered, with huts and signs of life visible on the 
shore. Here was a deep indentation, with the 
appearance of a river, which boats were despatched 
to examine. Meanwhile, the natives were evidently 
not unconscious of our presence : much bustle was 
observable among them, and after considerable 
running to and fro, they launched four boats, and 
pulled towards us, with signs of trepidation. Their 
diffidence being at length overcome, they paddled 
alongside, and climbed on board. 

This was our first interview with the Tchutski, a 
people of whom less is known than any on the face 
of the habitable globe Gf we except, perhaps, some 
of the tribes in the interior of Africa) ; and whose 
manners and appearance are so singular as to deserve 


a more particular notice hereafter. 


CHAPTER II. 


Notices of Visits to Tchutskii—Cook and Billings, &c.—Wrangell’s 
Laments. — Paucity of information. — First communication - with 
Tchutski.—Ludicrous Mistake respecting Sex.—Attempts at Conversa- 
tion.—Visit the Shore.—See real Women.—Delectable Repast.—First 
Theft.— Council of Officers.— Curious Hut.— Thermometer Jack.— 
Gale.—Detention of Natives.—Their Feast.—Tchutski Honour.—Move 
into Winter Quarters.—First Visit to Natives.—An interesting Infant. 
—Funny Fiddler.—The Sheep.—The House.—First Impressions.— 
The Masquerade.—The Missionary.—The Drama. 

A COMBINATION of untoward circumstances had 
driven us on a coast and among a people rarely 
visited. _ Cook, rankmg only second to Columbus 
among navigators, was the first who touched upon 
this shore, in 1778: his was but a flying visit, as he 
merely landed for about a couple of hours near the 
Tchutskoi Noss, and then re-embarked never to 
return, although doubtless his mtention was to have 
made further acquaintance with so interesting a country. 
Behring, in 1728, communicated with the people of 
this coast, in latitude 64° 30’ north, near the 
Tchutskoi Noss. The eight natives who visited him 


im a baidar, stated that the coast trended to the 


14 VISITS OF COOK, ETC., TO TCHUTSKI. 


westward, and spoke of an island not far distant, which 
he discovered two days after, and called St. Lawrence ; 
but neither he nor Lieutenant Synd, who in 1767 
visited this island, and was close to the main, 
seem to have thought it worth while to land or 
make further mquiry respecting this isolated nation. 
Billings, an officer in the Russian service, who had 
been with Cook m his voyage to the North Pacific, 
anchored in the Bay of St. Lawrence (not St. Lawrence 
Island) on the 4th August, 1790; he does not appear 
to have made any lengthened sojourn, nor to have 
endeavoured to learn much respecting the people ; 
but proceeded at once to the River Kolyma, a journey 
which occupied six months, and thence to St. Peters- 
burgh. We have learned little concerning the Tchutski 
by his experience. Simeon Novikof and Ivan Baccof, 
proceeding in 1749 from Anadyrsk to Kamtchatka 
by sea, saw a few T'chutski upon the heights of their 
coast on the gulf. 

These notices appear to comprehend nearly all 
that is known of this people, until the expedition 
of Wrangell, in 1821, when Matiuschin gained 
sufficient casual experience of them at the fair 
of Ostronowie and elsewhere, to create in his own 
mind and that of Baron Wrangell an intense desire to 


extend their knowledge of that extraordinary race. 


LUDICROUS ERRORS AND CONVERSATION. 15 


The pages of the latter are full of lament at his not 
having succeeded in his attempts to visit them. 
Since his journey no new account has been received ; 
and the further information which I was able to 
collect will, therefore, not be unacceptable. Our 
acquaintance with the T’chutski during our stay on 
their shores was so interwoven with our own existence 
and its occupations, that it would be matter of great 
difficulty to describe minutely, apart from some 
aceount of ourselves, such of their manners and habits 
as came under our notice. 

We had at first considerable doubts as to the sex: 
of our visitants ; all were clad in loose hooded over- 
shirts of skim, to keep them dry; and, being destitute 
of beards, might well be mistaken for the tender sex ; 
but we concluded that the party was of a mixed 
nature, this opimion having its foundation, probably, 
in the fact that some had their heads partially shaved. 
Many endeavours were made to establish verbal inter- 
course. Parry's vocabulary, and the few words 
mentioned by Wrangell, were essayed, but all to no 
purpose; they continually repeated “tam,” after- 


2? 


wards found to mean “no;”’ and our expressions of 
vexation at the ill success of our efforts sounded, in 
many instances, like their word of dissent. So we 


had recourse to signs, and succeeded admirably, and 


16 VISIT THE SHORE. 


speedily got on a very good footing. The fiddle was 
produced for their amusement, and m return we were 
regaled by the monotonous beating of a species of 
drum, which they had brought with them. 

Two of their number, who seemed more intelligent 
than the rest, and took the most prominent share in 
their doings, and were, therefore, conjectured to be 
chiefs, informed us, by signs, of a convenient harbour 
close to our position, and of their desire that we should 
enter it. To ascertain the accuracy of their report, 
Captaim Moore sent me on shore to examine, the. two 
natives before alluded to accompanying me in the boat 
without the slightest trepidation. By their direction, 
I landed on the beach near their huts, and, surmount- 
ing the shingly bank which had been formed by the 
ice forcing up the shore, became in an instant the 
centre of attraction to a varied group of men, women, 
children, and dogs. It was now easy to discover that 
we had as yet seen only men, the women were readily 
distinguished by the difference of their costume and 
other details. Having made the necessary observations, 
I took leave of my companions, and returned to the 
ship. 

On the morrow natives again visited us ; and one 
of those whom we had yesterday supposed to be 


chiefs, and who informed us that his name was, Akoull, 


THE TREAT. Wi 


assisted in piloting us into the harbour before 
indicated, in the entrance to which we anchored 
under the lee of a spit projecting in a curve nearly 
half a mile from the shore. The temperature became 
very much reduced during the night, and ice formed 
around the ship sufficient to cut through a lead line 
which hung from the “ chains.”’ 

On the 18th the harbour was covered with a crust 
of ice which only melted away in the noon-day sun. 
We were again visited by the natives, among whom 
were now some women ; and on their making signs 
for something to eat, one of the ladies was presented, 
as a jest, with a small tallow candle, called a purser’s 
dip. It was, notwithstanding, a very pleasant joke to 
the damsel; who deliberately munched it up with 
evident relish, and finally drew the wick between her 
set teeth to clear off any remaining morsels of fat. 
This was rather too much for some of us, unaccustomed 
to such sights; but it was a mere trifle to scenes 
often afterwards witnessed. 

At night the first appearance of Aurora Borealis 
was presented at N.W. by W., with rays con- 
verging to the zenith. We were engaged on the 
19th in a search for water, but the rivulets were 
already frozen up; we were consequently obliged to 


fill our tanks withice. The natives being, as usual, on 


Cc 


18 CONSULTATION—THE THIEF. 


board, one of the many thermometers was missed, and 
had evidently been purloined by one of our visitors. 
The strong adverse winds having continued 
hitherto, on the 20th the Captain called a council of 
officers, who, after much deliberation, recommended 
that, unless a favourable change of circumstances should 
occur sufficient to warrant the expectation of reaching 
Kotzebue Sound by the 26th, the “ Plover” should 
winter in the commodious harbour where she then was. 
The natives were informed of the loss of the thermo- 
meter, and on whom our suspicions rested. Parties 
were sent on shore at the spit to take observations, 
and to cut turf wherewith to eke out the winter’s 
fuel. Here, besides fragments of bones of whales, we 
discovered a winter hut or yourt, much dilapidated, 
and apparently long abandoned ; it was constructed 
partly by excavation ; the upper part appeared to be of 
mud and shingle ; around the interior, which formed 
an irregular ellipse, seats had been cut in the soil. 
On the 22nd (Sunday) Divine Service was _per- 
formed. The natives were allowed to come on 
board, but bartermg was prohibited, and they were 
made to understand, as well as might be, that one 
day in seven was set aside for rest and relaxation. 
This they seemed to comprehend, but were, neverthe- 


less, greatly astonished. The thermometer was ° 


NATIVES REMAIN ON BOARD—THEIR FEAST. 19 


restored to-day by the wife of the reputed thief, who 
thereupon received from our witty tars the cognomen 
of “Thermometer Jack.” During the night the 
wind increased to a gale, which, however, did not 
deter the natives from their accustomed visit. They 
brought accounts that the upper harbour was freezing 
over. In the afternoon the wind and sea became so 
boisterous, that our visitors were unable to return to 
shore ; their boats were hoisted up, and preparations 
made for their accommodation during the night. 

It was of course necessary to provide them with food ; 
and as they did not like our usual diet, culinary in- 
vention was brought to bear upon the subject most 
successfully. We had on board a large pitch-kettle 
which fortunately had not yet been in use; in this 
were boiled together oatmeal, biscuit, and fat, which 
latter the episode of the tallow candle convinced us 
would be appreciated. The mixture was distributed to 
groups and individuals in all the vessels we could 
muster, and was devoured with manifest appreciation, 
the diligence of the partakers only lessening upon an 
approach to satiety. Immediately upon the conclusion 
of the meal, pipes were universally produced and filled, 
fire struck with flint and steel, and a smoke taken by 
each, after which the demand for tin-tin-mee-mil 


(fresh water) became general, which we had great 


Co 2 


20 NATIVE MUSIC. 


difficulty im fully satisfying, for each person took such 
an enormous draught, that ice, which we were now 
using, could not be melted sufficiently fast. We 
had so large a number of visitants on board that it 
would have been inconvenient, as well as imprudent, 
to have permitted them to remain below during the 
night, which, moreover, was not necessary to people 
of such hardy habits ; the greater number enwrapped 
themselves in the spare sails brought on deck for that 
purpose, and a few stowed themselves in the hammock- 
nettings, which were capacious, and protected by cloths 
of tarpaulin, making a very snug resting-place. Our 
arms were of course kept in readiness, and the pistols 
loaded ; but these precautions, with unfailing vigilance 
on the part of the watch, were all that was considered 
necessary. 

Ere our guests disposed themselves to rest, 
much bartermg was carried on, besides mutual 
endeavours at amusement: the fiddle, again put 
im requisition, was a prolific source of delight; one 
or two of the strangers evinced some slight prac- 
tical knowledge of its use, but uniformly produced 
only a monotonous succession of sounds. Vocal 
displays of a similar description were also offered ; these 
were given in a low crooning tone, the compass being 


generally very limited, though occasional notes showed 


TCHUTSKI HONOUR. 21 


an ability for greater range. We were much attracted 
and amused by their expressions of astonishment at any 
new wonder. Kah—kah—kah—was the universal 
ejaculation of surprise; and ké@—kéé—kék kék kée, 
rapidly uttered, informed us that an unfortunate lady 
had burnt her fingers with her hot pannikin of food. 

I made an essay this night upon the honesty 
of our friends; a fine young man named Ahmoleen, 
belonging to a family which pleased me more than any 
of the rest, sold me his outer-coat of reindeer skin ; 
but fearful that he would feel the loss of his garment 
during the night, I restored it to him, making signs 
that it was to be returned on the morrow. Busy next 
day with my duties I did not heed the approaching 
departure of my favourites, and am delighted to record 
that my friend, as I am proud, from after experience, 
to call him, sought me out and delivered up the 
borrowed dress with many signs of acknowledgment 
for the favour. This fixed him in my esteem, nor had I 
ever afterwards cause to alter my opinion of his probity. 

On the 25th, all hope of making further progress 
this season bemg abandoned, the ship was moved 
further up the harbour, opposite to the small 
village of which we supposed Akoull to be the chief. 
At night the sky, though cloudy, was curiously 


illumined, supposed to be caused by the Aurora. 


22 MOVE INTO BERTH AND HOUSE IN. 


On the 28th, the ship was finally placed im her 
intended winter’s position, and the work of “stripping” 
commenced. Warping into berth was a severe fore- 
taste of winter’s inclemency; the temperature was 
at + 28°; the water froze on the hawsers as they came 
in, nor was the boat-work necessary im laying out the 
anchors more pleasant, as the wind blew freshly, and 
spray drenched those engaged. 

Navigation and seamanship were now to be 
dispensed with for awhile; we had before us a 
long and severe winter to be passed in an ice-bound 
ship, and we prepared accordingly to render our 
residence as comfortable and little irksome as might 
be. The sails were “wunbent,” dried, and stowed 
away, yards and lesser spars got on deck, leaving only 
the lower masts standing, the lower rigging being 
secured around them to be clear of the housing, which 
shortly enclosed the upper deck. Parties were sent on 
shore to build a small house and cut turf. Desirous 
of early and definitely establishing among our new 
friends a wholesome knowledge of our power, without 
displaying a hostile or precautionary intention, the 
pistols were discharged at a mark, and the 12-pounder 
howitzer, which was mounted on the forecastle, loaded 
with grape, and fired at a number of seals which lay 


on the land ice at the head of the harbour. 


FIRST VISIT TO NATIVES. 23 


On the lst of November, the first visit was made to 
the native habitations. A party of officers went to 
Woorel, the village where Akoull resided; they repaired 
to his, and then to other huts, and were received with 
joyful hospitality, bemg nearly roasted, as with the 
T’chutski the increase of heat is the increase of honour ; 
on their departure they were presented with reindeer 
skins and meat, and bade farewell to their hosts with 
mutual good will. Next day, according to fashionable 
usage, the return visit was made by a rather numerous 
party, two of whom were invited into the gun-room and 
partook of our dinner. ‘They were by no means 
awkward in their use of the knife and fork, and handled 
their spoons to perfection—salt food, pickles, pepper, 
or any other naturally hot comestible, they rejected 
with extreme dislike ; but sweets of any kind were 
consumed with an avidity that proved how agreeable 
such delicacies were to their tastes. A boat-full of 
natives, whom we had not before seen, came on board 
to-day : their arrival reduced the monopoly of native 
productions, and the bartering was “done at a lower 
figure.’ Among them was a young man with light 
brown hair and fair complexion; he would easily 
have passed for an European, the flat nose of the 
tribe being scarcely distinguishable in him. ‘The 


chief’s (Akoull’s) youngest child, about two years old, 


24. AN INTERESTING INFANT. 


was also brought on board by his mother, and amused 
us much by his ludicrous appearance and precocious 
manner. He was completely enveloped in remdeer 
skins, dressed with the hair on, a large cushion of the 
same material was placed at the back of his head as a 
protection and support, and as he was- withal 
exceedingly fat, and had a mouth like a cocked hat, 
we laughed at every new glimpse of the young 
monster. Laughing was not however a practice with 
this imp of saturnime temperament, who despised 
moreover the usual amusements of children, and 
scrutinised all objects with an immovable countenance, 
as if quite accustomed to their contemplation ; yet 
this child, although eating blubber, meat, or anything 
else that was offered to him, was not weaned, taking 
the breast, not only from his mother, but from any 
other dame who would accommodate him. ‘The 
other two sons of Akoull were respectively about 
nineteen and thirteen years old, both very in- 
telligent and lively. The eldest had been for some 
time married, and was already a father; his wife was 
a very nice looking girl: they both played on the 
fiddle, but thei imstrument had only two strings 
made of deer-gut or simew—lI also saw one of silk— 
and the bow was much shorter and thinner than ours. 


Several of the young men had a notion of playing, 


DEATH OF POOR JACK. 25 


but I heard only one tune, which in time and other 
features much resembled a highland coronach. The 
fingermg was good, but bowing execrable, the action 
bemg from the shoulder, with which as a centre and 
stiffened arm and hand as a radius, they made a series 
of sweeps greater or less as required by the time and 
string touched: they placed great weight upon the 
bow, producing hideous screeching notes ; slurring or 
stops they had evidently no idea of. I have little 
doubt that their slight knowledge of the violin has 
been derived from the Russians. 

The “housing over” was completed about this time, 
and we looked cosy enough. From mast to mast, at the 
height of seventeen feet from the deck, the lower yards 
and topmasts were secured as a roof-tree ; on these, 
sloping to the gunwales, the smaller spars were sup- 
ported at equal distances ; across these again, poles and 
staves were placed, forming a species of lattice-work, 
over which a thick covering of felt was stretched, with 
skylights here and there, and a sallyport on the poop. 

Here let me mourn the death of poor Jack. This 
was a sheep which had long survived his comrades 
with whom he had been brought on board at 
Plymouth, and had been reserved for Sir John 
Franklin in case of falling in with him; he had now 


travelled over 20,000 miles with us, and was a general - 


26 FIRST SUNDAY IN TCHUTSKI LAND. 


pet. Jack had learned many tricks, would eat 
biscuits, almonds, and morsels of tobacco, and 
drank grog in the most creditable manner, and when 
in want of food or water would go to the hatchway 
and bleat loudly for his attendant, often even 
descending the ladder, which was steep and awkward. 
Latterly, probably from exposure to cold, and want 
of suitable food, he had become emaciated and very 
weak; and, after weathermg so many storms and 
changes with us, was found one morning under the 
forecastle in a helpless and dying state. A pig which 
we had on board, subsequently surnamed the Cannibal, 
had already commenced to devour him, tearing 
away the skin on the shoulder; of course he was at | 
once put out of his misery. 

Akoull, with some other of the natives, attended 
Divine worship on the Sabbath, and behaved with 
perfect propriety; they evidently comprehended 
that it was a religious ceremony of some kind, 
although ignorant of its object. Our friendly inter- 
course with these people was now firmly established ; 
a very few days had sufficed to show them that we 
had no hostile intentions; and they now came and 
went freely, without the slightest hesitation: although, 
as we afterwards learned, they were greatly alarmed 


. upon our first appearance, and many had retired with 


BUILDING A HOUSE. Q7 


their reindeer from their dwellings to secrete them- 
selves among the fastnesses of their hills. They had 
already found out the gradations in rank, and made 
selection of their favourites, and never visited us 
without bringing as presents, or for barter, articles of 
dress or ornament, reideer, walrus, seal, and even 
whales’ flesh. On the Captain’s paying a visit to 
Woorel, which, as nearest to the ship (at about 
four miles distance), was at first exclusively visited, a 
token of kindly consideration was evinced by Akoull, 
who sent up a reindeer skin as a present to one of the 
officers who was not of the party. 

~The house on shore, intended for bread-baking, 
washing, and other purposes, was a rare proof of what 
may be performed with slight means by ingenuity and 
perseverance. Its walls were composed of large stones, 
dug with great labour from the stony soil, and of 
gravelly shingle from the beach, where it existed in 
considerable quantities : the sloping roof was a com- 
bination of rafters, turf, tarpaulin, and a sheet of whale- 
gut, obtained from the natives. Its extent was twenty 
feet by twelve; and a door and window looked to 
the southward. Perhaps the most remarkable feature 
of the affair was the fire-place or stove. An iron 
tar-cask, cylindrical in form, was given to our 


ingenious blacksmith, who cut two folding-doors in it, 


28 FIRST IMPRESSIONS. 


and converted it into an oven; it was then placed in 
one corner of the house, from the roof of which the 
funnel projected, surmounted by an old bottomless iron 
pot. In front was placed a flag-staff, on whicha Union 
Jack occasionally enlivened the desolation around. 

The temperature, which had lately varied from 
+ 17° to + 23°, rose above the freezing point on the 
6th November, and a general thaw (the most dis- 
agreeable thing that can happen in severe winter) 
occurred. Seals and geese were numerous on the 
land ice ; the latter, none of which we had seen for a 
long time, bemg tempted to alight in this mild 
weather. We endeavoured to kill some, but they 
were far too wary. 

I find in my private note-book, under date 8th 
November, the following remarks, which I insert as an 
instance of first impressions of these people, and interest- 
ing as a comparison with my views upon a more mature 
acquaintance :—‘ Among those who visited us to-day, 
came ‘Thermometer Jack,’ emboldened, I suppose, by 
the civility the rest meet with, as he has not made his 
appearance. since the act which gained him his 
soubriquet. Really we are becoming quite domes- 
ticated with these people ; they visit our mess-room, 
and go from cabin to cabin, eat with us, drink 


with us, and are exceedingly good friends. Whether 


A POLAR NIGHT. 29 


these are the veritable Tchutski (which I am inclined 
somewhat to doubt), or another race, I cannot 
pretend to decide ; but certaimly their manners are as 
much unlike those chronicled by geographers as can 
be. Quiet and peaceful, having no idea of aggression, 
and doing all they can to make us happy and conduce 
to our comfort; exceedingly cleanly also im their 
persons and food, for although they consume fat and 
all kinds of (to us) nasty stuff, they do not take it 
when dirty, and generally cook everything. I am now 
speaking only from very slight personal experience.” 
I must also make another short quotation, as its 
cause made a great impression upon me at the time: 
“This evening the temperature has again fallen, and 
a perfect calm ensued; the harbour is freezing over 
fast, with the water as smooth as glass: a bright 
moon and cloudless starlit sky render the scene one 
of the most perfect- for tranquil beauty I can 
remember ever to have witnessed’; yet here are no 
trees, no woods, no foliage to enliven the view ;—all 
is snow-clad ; mountains and rugged hills frowning in 
their majesty where thrown into deep shade, and 
assuming with the headlands and _ slopes strange 
fantastic shadows, jutting out in bold relief on the 
silent water. So, after all, there may be other than 


tropic nights charming.” 


30 THE MASQUERADE, 


In high latitudes the clearness of atmosphere 
in winter generally precedes an increase of cold ; 
and on the 9th we found the temperature consider- 
ably decreased, one of the men having his fingers 
slightly frost-nipped while scrubbing hammocks. 
A seal was brought on board to-day, which, 
although small, yielded about four inches thickness 
of blubber next the skin. 

Our first masquerade occurred on the 17th 
November, and was, as a novelty, sufficiently amusing. 
We had managed to make up a band, which, on extra- 
ordinary occasions, reached the number of eight ; the 
instruments for music were fiddles and a flute, while 
those added to give effect, which they did most noisily, 
were a gong and small military drum ; and at a later 
season, a chime of bells made from those supplied to 
the ship, and a Tuski drum. One of our men 
who had not always been a sailor, and among 
other phases of his varied life, had once itmerated 
with an organ and a tamburine girl, manufactured a 
tamburine, which he handled in an artistic manner, 
doing the thumb-roll to perfection ; and also tried his 
hand at a tin-flute, which made a good Arctic sub- 
stitute for a piccolo. European and native materials 
were alike employed for costume, the hybrid appear- 


ances creating much mirth. Among the most promi- 


THE MISSIONARY. 31 


nent characters may be noticed Messrs. Jim Crow and 
Paul Pry, a sweep, a dustman, and a gentleman’s valet; 
and the master of the band in the sergeant’s scarlet 
coat, gold epaulettes, and cocked-hat and feather, with 
ablack face. There were also two ladies, a harlequin, 
and a Greek gentleman, whose costume was most 
correct; a huge bear worried the performers, who 
were forced to make frequent visits to an inimitable 
Tom-and-Jerry shop, whose rotund host, our worthy 
cook, was a fit type of Boniface. 

In the afternoon of the 18th, the harbour was, after 
many disruptions, permanently frozen over, and next 
morning the natives came to the ships over the ice with 
dogs and sledges ; but the crew were not permitted to 
run about unrestrainedly until another night had made 
security indisputable ; after which foot-ball, leap-frog, 
and other athletic exercises, were frequently enjoyed. 
On the 28th, a severe gale from the north-north-west 
occurred, which unroofed the house on shore, and 
dragged the stream-anchor, used to secure the cover- 
ing, and weighing five cwt. and a quarter, fifteen 
yards. The snow-drift this day must have proved fatal 
to any parties caught in it, its velocity was estimated 
at thirty miles an hour, and it completely obscured 
objects a few yards distant. 


November concluded with the visit of a native 


oe THE THEATRE. 


missionary, who produced baptismal certificates and 
was a gentleman of speech-rambling propensities. 
I fear his spiritual mission was of little benefit to the 
savage flock, as we afterwards found him sorely 
wanting in the two great laws of Christianity. 

We were now regularly pursuing the occupations 
and amusements of an Arctic winter. A survey of the 
harbour was commenced, and parties were employed 
boiling out oil from blubber which was plentifully 
supplied, fetching water on a large sledge from a 
spring discovered near the ship—which kept open 
all the winter—cutting the edges of the ice round the 
ship to prevent her being forced up, and removing 
accumulations of snow from the housing and otherwise, 
as necessary. A school was regularly established for 
the men, masquerades occurred every week, and on 
the 4th of December the Royal Asiatic Theatre 
opened, with the burlesque of “ Bombastes Furioso,”’ 


when this prologue was delivered— 


“Sure here’s the greatest wonder of the Age, 
In Tchutski Land an European Stage ! !! 
Stern Winter’s chilling frowns we hold for nought, 
And Mirth and Frolic cherish as we ought. 
‘Mid Frost and Snow to keep King Fun alive, 
This evening we an ancient jest revive. 
Our efforts weary moments to beguile 
Kindly reward with an approving smile. 


CHAPTER Til. 


Tuski not Tchutski—Tuski, Proper and Alien: their difference. — 
Language.— Description.—Resemblance to Chinese.—Conjectures.— 
Difficulty of Discrimination— A  Trip.—Sledges.— Dogs.— Huts.— 
Furniture.—Utensils. 


In all our doings, whether of industry or relaxation, 
the natives took an active part, behaving almost 
uniformly with perfect good nature, and evincing a 
most obliging disposition towards us. Of course we 
soon began to understand each other; but they did 
not learn English nearly so quickly as many of us 
acquired their tongue. The officers were from this 
time until May seldom all on board together, expedi- 
tions bemg constantly afoot to seek tidings of 
Franklin, and to gain information respecting the 
country and inhabitants, of whom, having been con- 
stantly among them, I had the good fortune to learn 
much, and will here endeavour to describe their 
appearance and other characteristics. 

I have first to make aremark respecting the correct 
designation of this people, which I think all-important 


_ towards the decision of a long-disputed question, beside 


D 


34 TUSKI. 


bemg a remarkable feature in character. Tchouski, 
Tchuktche, Tchutski, 'T'chekto, and other similar appel- 
lations, I believe to have all arisen from the word 
Tuski, meaning a confederation or brotherhood, which 
exists among them, and is endowed with some extra- 
ordinary customs, of which one or two are perhaps 
unique in practice. We sought assiduously for the self- 
distinguishing name of this people; and it was con- 
jectured, on one occasion, that they called themselves 
“ Nootiisken Callowole,”’ but this was afterwards found 
to mean simply, “people of a country,” or, in fact, 
“‘ natives ;’ thus ‘““Gumneen Nootusken,” and ‘“ Giin- 
neen Nootiisken,’’ mean severally ‘ my country,” and 
“your country.’ The mention of the numerous appel- 
lations given to them by strangers, with inquiry as to 
their correctness, invariably produced a negative 
reply, with the use of the word Tuski, and a full 
explanation of its particular meaning, whence they 
call themselves “'Tuski Callowole,”’ or people of the 
Tuski brotherhood. 

Lengthened intercourse and observation led to the 
opinion, in myself a confirmed one, that we had two 
distinct races, or at least branches, before us, differmg 
in language, appearance, and many details of dress and 
occupation, but living close to and holding friendly 


intercourse with each other. The Reindeer 7xshz, or, 


THE TUSKI PROPER. 35 


as I shall call them, Tuski Proper, evidently the original 
proprietors or occupants of the soil, having their 
hamlets situate with a regard to pasture for their 
large herds of tame reindeer, rather than to the con- 
veniences of fishing, which is pursued by them 
apparently more as an amusement than a necessity, 
dressing neatly and with taste in the well-cured skins 
of the deer slaughtered for food, of which the meat 
is eaten fresh, or smoked, or converted into deli- 
cious* pemmican; and the fishing, or Alien Tuski, 
speaking a dialect evidently first corrupted from the 
Esquimaux, and now further disguised by adoption 
of many words of the Reindeer tribe. These of neces- 
sity have their huts close upon the sea-shore, being 
dependent upon the produce of the sea, dressing in 
seal-skins ; and with much less care than their neigh- 
bours, filthy in their persons, and frequently revolt- 
ing in their food, eating almost exclusively fish, 
whale, seal, and walrus; less athletic, and, indeed, to 
my view, infinitely inferior both in moral and physical 
condition to their neighbours. The Tuski Proper 
exchange skins of the reindeer, and a small portion 
of the meat, for seal-skins, whale, walrus, and seals’ 
flesh, tusks, sinews, &c., all of which are much less 
valuable than their own commodities. Seal-skins 


they need for marine employments, as those of the 
D2 


36 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TUSKI. 


reindeer are destroyed by salt water; the aliens 
require deer-skins for hut furniture. 

The Tuski Proper are mostly either tall or stunted 
in their growth, few persons appearing of a middle 
stature. I estimate the average height of the tall 
men to be about 5ft. 10in., while the more puny 
would probably not exceed 5 ft. 5 in. This differ- 
ence does not hold good as regards their build; all 
are large limbed, broad shouldered, and of a robust 
full habit, possessing great strength, powers of 
endurance, activity, and dexterity in their employ- 
ments. ‘The women do not vary so much in stature, 
and are tall in proportion to the men; they also are 
stout and strong, and display a notable performance 
of their numerous duties. 

The cast of skull and countenance are, as far as 
my very limited knowledge of the subject extends, 
pure Mongolian; faces broad, round and flat; high 
cheek-bones ; nose broad, flat and almost bridgeless, 
in many instances so deeply sunken in the fat face, 
that a ruler would nearly lie across the cheeks 
without touching it; eyes placed in a slightly oblique 
position ; lips large and heavy, displaying much of 
the animal; ears small and delicate; hands and feet 
also very small but rather thick; hair jet black, 


coarse and straight; whiskers or beard but seldom 


THEIR DRESS. 37 


existing, and then only in a few straggling hairs which 
are plucked out with a knife; the whole expression 
of countenance is almost identical with Chinese—a 
point which forcibly struck me at first sight. Their 
limbs are of splendid muscular development ; wrists 
and ancles very fine, but neck generally short and 
thick ; complexions varying from a light olive to a 
deeper hue, but very dark tints only occasionally seen. 
The men generally clip the hair on the crown of the 
head, leaving only a circlet about three inches broad 
around it; the women let the hair grow with the 
exception of that on the forehead which is cut and 
combed down to the eyebrows. The faces of the 
women are tattooed on the chin in diverging lines ; 
men only make a permanent mark on the face for an 
act of prowess or success, such as killing a bear, 
capturing a whale, &c., and possibly also, in war time, 
for the death of an enemy. 

The dress is with the wealthier sort composed 
almost entirely of deer, fawn and dogskin, beau- 
tifully dressed, by the women, with the hair on: the 
poorer people, who are apparently much dependent 
on and obedient to a few rich, often substitute shoes 
and breeches of sealskin. ‘The usual dress consists 
for the men of an inner shirt or frock of fawn 


skin, frequently ante-parturital, worn with the hair 


38 DRESS OF THE TUSKI. 


inwards, and a huge frock of deer-skin reaching 
nearly to the knees, the hair being outwards. The 
breeches are rarely double; they are secured over the 
hips by a drawing string, and reach to the ancle, gomg 
inside the mocassins, which are made of the skin from 
the legs of remdeer, with soles of seal or walrus hide, 
and ornamented with variegated pieces let im at the 
sides with great taste and neatness. Mittens em- 
broidered with deer-hair, an outer and inner cap, 
and a belt often handsomely ornamented, complete the 
ordinary costume, to which in bad weather, 7.e., durmg 
wind and snow, are added the okonch, to keep the 
snow from their garments, and also a piece of reindeer 
skin about eight inches square, which, suspended by a 
string from the neck, closes the opening in front of 
the frock, and catches any drops which may fall 
while the wearer is drinking, &c. The dress of the 
females is materially different ; a frock with a wide 
hood, edged with wolf or dog-skin, is m one piece 
with wide buskins, reaching only to the knee, where 
they are met by handsome mocassins or boots; the 
costume is exceedingly picturesque, and has been 
adopted with a view equally to convenience and 
appearance, as will presently be shown. 

I will here notice, before goimg into further details, 


the few poimts of difference which I observed between 


TUSKI ALIEN. 39 


those whom I consider Proper, and those whom I 
consider Alien. Many of those domiciled on the sea 
shore presented a marked contrast of countenance to 
the ‘ Reindeers ;”” the forehead was higher and more 
narrow, the face longer and less broad, the features 
more distinctly defined, particularly the nose, the tint 
darker, and I also think the person, although as 
muscular, by no means so fleshy; but this may 
have arisen from the difference of food, notwith- 
standmg I am of opinion that their oily diet 
was, of the two, more conducive to condition. ‘The 
languages, as I have before remarked, are essentially 
different,* though now much commingled; and I 
consider even the delivery and intonation different, 
the Aliens dealing much more in guttural sounds. 
Their dress is almost exclusively of seal and dog- 
skin ; only a few of the principal persons wear good 
remdeer clothes, which would indeed be quickly 
spoiled by the nature of their occupations. ‘Their 
huts are neither so large, so clean, nor so well 
furnished as those of the Tuski Proper, and 
it seems to me that they are generally pretty 
well content to accept the inferior and second-hand 
skins and garments of their wealthy companions. 

* This may be seen in Klaproth’s “ Asia Polyglotta” and “Sprachatlas,” 


for which information and much kind assistance, I am indebted to my 
friend Dr. R. G. Latham. 


40 CONJECTURES. 


I must here remark that the distinctions I have 
just drawn, as so decidedly existing between 
the two races, did not, at first view, present 
_ themselves in such force, probably because the line 
of separation is not rigidly followed; but I have 
nevertheless no doubt of thei correctness. I am 
indeed inclined to believe that greater or less 
amalgamation occurs. I cannot speak positively as 
to marriage, but I know that natives of St. Lawrence 
Island who bear the type of the sea-coast tribes, and 
have become prisoners by the chances of war or ship- 
wreck, have passed from one owner to another in the 
capacity of slaves, and, by concubinage, increased the 
difficulty of discrimmating between the races. Never- 
theless, a recurrence of reflection upon this subject 
has convinced me that, as before said, there were two 
races present here, one indigenous to the continent, if 
not to the immediate soil, the other, voluntary or 
accidental immigrants from the adjacent land of 
America. 

I will not, indeed, exclude the view that possibly, 
ut a period of great antiquity, the Esquimaux on 
the American coast, west of the Mackenzie river, 
may themselves have emigrated from the Asiatic 
continent, since there is an evident dissimilitude, 


in many respects, between them and those to the 


FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY. 41 


eastward of that river ; but such an event, if it occurred 
at all, must have been at a very early period, and 
the return was caused probably by the inability to 
extend their footing on the American shore. I deem 
it, therefore, the preferable course to treat of the two 
tribes as one, excepting where peculiar distinctions 
occur. 

I shall make but slight mention of the country, 
since it is almost vain to seek in this truly desolate 
region any more than the least fruitful indications 
of an elsewhere bountiful Nature. The Flora is 
especially meagre ; mosses and lichens, with a very 
few stunted twigs of the Andromeda class, are all that 
are to be found. Ranges of hills cross and recross 
each other with little of variety in their general shape, 
all betokening a volcanic origin; and in many, old 
craters are clearly visible; but I know, by report, 
only of one mountain now burning. 

One of the first visits, in their own style, paid to 
the natives, I had the good fortune to share in; and 
in describing it, I shall take the opportunity of men- 
tioning many interesting points. Mahkatzan, to whose 
hut we were to repair, had brought over sledges and 
dogs for the journey. Mr. Martin and myself had 
therefore only to make arrangements for our own com- 


fort, and to provide a few trifles for our hosts. The 


4.2 TUSKI SLEDGES. 


Tuski travelling sledge—for there are two other kinds 
—is constructed principally for speed, bemg exceed- 
ingly hght, and of an elegant form. Six or nine arches 
of wood, let into flat runners, support a seat about five 
feet long and fourteen inches broad, connected at the 
head with the runners by thin springy curves; a sort 
of basket is formed at the back of the sledge, and 
broad strips of whalebone are secured under the 
wooden runners, which render friction — scarcely 
observable. Braces and uprights further bind the 
parts together, and all is fastened with whalebone in 
a manner perfectly neat and secure. A single thong of 
seal-hide from the under part of the seat serves to attach 
the dogs, which vary from two to as many as ten; as 
far as eight they all run abreast, the single traces of 
their harness radiating from the main thong, to 
which they are secured by loops of ivory. The dogs 
are generally small, long-haired, and wiry, with 
pointed ears and bushy tail; they have many points 
resembling both the wolf and the fox, the bark 
especially being a very melancholy whine. A 
favoured few of the Tuski were possessors of a tall 
and strong mongrel breed—probably by communi- 
cation with the Russians—with short hair, and 
something of the pointer look. One train of dogs we 


saw resembled the staghound, and were capable of 


TUSKI DOGS. 43 


immense speed and endurance of fatigue; but the 
native dogs will outlive cold and hunger, which the 
foreign breed would early succumb to, the feet of the 
strangers being especially tender. 

We started from the ship on a splendid morning, 
with the temperature at 20° below zero, nearly calm. 
I had the honour of conducting the really pretty wife 
of Mahkatzan, who seated herself astride behind 
me on the sledge! while my companion was placed 
with our worthy host. I was of course desirous of 
acquitting myself creditably as a Jehu; but the first 
essay in dog-driving will scarcely be a successful one. 
Reins there are none; the animals are to be guided 
almost entirely by the whip, particularly with 
strangers, their masters alone having power by the 
voice; and hereim great management and watchfulness 
are necessary, and an unpractised hand will be quite 
unable to run the dogs off a beaten track, or prevent 
their returning to ther homes. Fortunately for my 
escape from total discomfiture, Mahkatzan led the way, 
and our canine steeds were going homeward, so we 
dashed along without any more than an occasional 
overturn, my fair companion holdmg me in a 
vigorous grasp in any such case of danger; consequently 
a double effort of clinging to our sledge was of 


course necessary on my part. After a rapid drive of 


44, TUSKI HUTS: 


four hours, during which my companion had_ his 
face slightly frost-nipped, we arrived at Kaygwan, 
where our conductor resided, and were scarcely 
permitted to look round, so eager was he to press 
upon us the hospitable shelter of his roof. Kaygwan 
is a very small place ; I cannot even call it a hamlet, 
since it consisted only, if my memory serve me 
right, of five huts, of which that of our entertaimer, 
though greatly larger than the others, was not of 
extraordinary dimensions. 

As the huts of the Tuski are all of similar form 
and materials, and differ only in size, cleanlmess and 
convenience, I shall here describe them generally, 
noting peculiarities in their proper places. Around, 
and resting upon one or two props, are ranged at 
equal distances ribs of the whale, their number and 
the area of the hut or tent, which is mostly circular 
or oblong spheroidal in shape, depending upon the 
dimensions. Over these, tightly stretched and neatly 
sewn, is drawn a covering of walrus skin, so beau- 
tifully cured and prepared as to retain its elasticity, 
and to be semilucent; some of these skins are of 
an enormous size; I saw one in the roof of Metra’s 
tent at Wootair, which could not have contained 
less than between seventy and eighty square feet, and 


the whole clear as parchment. So much light being 


THEIR EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR. 45 


admitted by the roof, no windows are necessary ; 
an aperture on the most sheltered side serves as 
a door, over which, when not in use, a screen of 
walrus skin is drawn; snow is heaped to the height 
of about eighteen inches round the tent, to keep 
wind or drift from penetrating beneath, and the 
outer shell is complete, with the addition of cords of 
hide sometimes passed over and across the roof to 
secure the skin. 7 
The yaranga (plural of yarang), as these huts are 
‘called, are constructed of a rounded form, to prevent 
snowdrift from collecting at the gables, and to oppose 
few points to the fierce winds which sweep remorse- 
lessly over these treeless regions ; the same rule is not 
observed with regard to the imterior. As the 
yaranga vary so much in size, some being only ten 
or a dozen feet in diameter, while the largest measure 
from thirty to forty, the internal arrangements also 
differ much. In the smaller, a single apartment— 
frequently scarce large enough for two persons—runs 
across the hut opposite to the door, while im the 
habitations of chiefs, who have generally three or four 
generations living under their roofs, the sleeping places 
extend in a front and two sides nearly round the 
walls of the dwelling. These extraordinary chambers 


are formed by posts let mto the soil at a distance from 


46 UTENSILS. 


each other, and from six to eight feet from the 
exterior walls, on which, at heights varying from three 
to five feet, a roof of skins and laths is supported ; 
thick layers of dried grass are placed over all to exclude 
the cold; deerskins dressed with the hair on and 
closely sewn together hang from the edge of this 
roof on the inside, and can be drawn aside or closed 
at will; when shut they entirely exclude the external 
air. On the ground are stretched more well-cured 
walrus’ skins, over which, when repose is taken, 
those of the reindeer and Siberian sheep, beautifully 
prepared, are laid; above, close under the roof, 
against the sides of the hut, small lattice shelves 
are slung, on which mocassins, fur socks, and the 
dried grass which the more prudent place in the 
soles of their boots to absorb moisture, are put 
to dry. A species of dish, oval and shallow, manu- 
factured, as I understood, by themselves, of a plastic 
material and afterwards hardened, but from its 
appearance possibly cut out of stone, serves as a 
lamp ; against a ridge, running along the middle, and 
nearly an inch high, fibres of weet-o-weet, or moss, 
are neatly arranged, only their pomts showing above 
the stone edge: the dish is filled with train oil, often 
hard frozen, and a light of peculiar beauty produced, 


giving enormous heat, without, when well trimmed, 


KAYGWAN. 47 


either smoke or smell, and certainly one of the 
softest lights I ever saw, not the slightest glare 
distressing the eyes; around the outer wall are 
ranged any trifling articles of ornament which may 
be possessed. Wooden vessels scooped from drift- 
wood are placed in the corners; they contain ice and 
snow, of which the Tuski consume vast quantities ; 
indeed, snow-muntching appears to occupy the principal 
part of their time between the important periods of 
food and repose. The area of the yarang not occupied 
by the salons is used quite as an antechamber or 
hall of entrance ; here food is deposited previous to 
preparation for cooking, much of which is also done 
here over larger lamps than those inside. Here are 
unloaded sledges, and the porters of ice and snow; 
the former being afterwards placed on the roof of the 
sleeping apartment. Here too the dogs feed and 
sleep, the faithful creatures ever seeking to lie close 
to their masters at the edge of the imner rooms, and 
even thrusting their noses into the heated atmosphere. 
Now let us go into the air again, and then, with 
my host Mahkatzan, enter his habitation, and note its 


novel features. 


CHAPTER IV. 


Kaygwan.—A Tuski House.—Rather too warm.—A Relief.—A Delusion.— 
Magic and Music! !—Snow Storm.—Two good Friends.—Port Emma. 
—Intimacy with Natives.—Tok.—Tuski Skill and Ingenuity.—The 
would-be Priest.—C onstitution of Rank.—A clever Fellow. 

Kaye@wan had been doubtless chosen as a resi- 
dence for its convenience as a fishing station ; im all 
else it was decidedly undesirable, bemg placed upon 
the brow of a shght eminence overlooking the sea, 
and but little sheltered by the hills south and west 

of it. Before Mahkatzan’s hut, as frequently m 

other places, stood a shght scaffoldmg, upon which 

were placed sledges, harness, frozen fish, and other 
matters, which it was necessary to keep from the 
dogs. Against and upon the hut were poles and 
coils of line of walrus or seal hide, seal and walrus- 
skins but lately removed from the animals, all thrown 
carelessly up; while in the outer hall of the yarang, 
scraps and fragments of fish and blubber, scattered 
straws and lines of snow-drift, gave but small promise 


of neat or cleanly arrangements. Lifting the heavy 


MAHKATZAN S HUT. 4.9 


skins which hung before the imner chamber, 
Mahkatzan ushered us in with officious zeal; here 
we found, besides his wife, who had already slipped 
off the upper part of her dress, a number of girls 
and boys, some quite naked, others only partly so. 
The heat was painfully oppressive after the pure cold 
atmosphere outside; but this did not at all distress 
our host, who deliberately divested himself of his 
garments, which were however disposed about his 
person with perfect propriety. The heat reaching 
at last 100° Fahrenheit, we were glad to follow 
his example, in part, removing our heavy outer 
habiliments, and resigning ourselves to the now 
more tolerable infliction, in shirt and trousers. 

The unaccustomed scene in all its variety had so 
powerful an effect upon us that we were unable to 
do more than look at the viands offered for our 
acceptance ; indeed, on entering the hut, appetite had 
been quite banished by the sight of a walrus which, 
although now frozen, was evidently far gone in 
putrefaction. 

We were glad to get a cup of tea, of which we 
had brought a small stock, and hoped soon to 
forget all our troubles in repose. Fallacious idea ! 
deluded victims! Every instant from that of our 


entrance, the screens were in constant agitation, the 


E 


50 A DELUSION. 


denizens of the hamlet, who I verily believe were 
magically multiplied that night for our torment, 
thrusting in their wondering visages to get sight of 
the “ Atwoken Callowole,’”’ or “ Big boats’ people.” 
These manifestations of wonder were to be tolerated, 
as they really did friendly service, letting in some of 
the delicious cold air which was otherwise denied us ; 
but alas, an ordeal we had little reckoned on was yet 
to come, dread Shamanism in all its terrors. Just 
when we eagerly anticipated the signal for repose, the 
tent was invaded by a host of both sexes, among 
whom two men of a villainous aspect (to us at that 
moment particularly so), carried large drums or 
tambourmes ; and a nocturnal serenade immediately 
commenced, which for screeching and deafening 
uproar equalled music of the Infernos. The perform- 
ances were commenced by the two drum-beating 
Shamans, who sang monotonously while tapping in a 
slow measured time; and these were soon joined by 
the whole body in chorus, with violent shouts and 
gesticulations, increasing in rapidity and vehemence. 
This sort of thing contimued for nearly half an hour, 
by which time Martin and I were almost bewildered, 
and victims of racking headaches. After these rather 
forcible demonstrations of rejoicing, for such our host 


interpreted them to be, we were still further entertained 


THE FESTIVAL. seit 


by gymnastic evolutions or contortions of various 
performers, who at the same time chaunted, accom- 
panied by the drums and chorus. The first were 
young girls, then young men, and lastly, as if to wind 
up and provoke our mirth at any rate, ax» aged woman 
with shrivelled limbs, and hideous puckered visage, 
essayed a feeble exhibition, croonmg out also m a 
thin and shaking tone, and concluding her deed of 
might with a gr of horror. It was so inexpressibly 
ludicrous, that notwithstanding great disgust and pity 
for the poor old creature, our uncontrollable emotions 
were not to be suppressed, and we laughed loudly 
and long, at which the dame seemed greatly flattered, 
and cackled to herself in high glee. 

The Tuski drum is composed of the peritoneum or 
external membrane of the stomach of the deer, seal, or 
walrus, stretched across a slight hollow frame of an 
oblong round, with a short handle to keep clear of the 
skin. This membrane is not generally beaten ; a light 
wand of drift fir is held by the middle and struck 
against the edges of the wooden frame, sound being 
produced by concussion: sometimes two very light 
rods of whalebone with small knobs are used; these 
are gently tapped on the skin itself, and the sound 
then is more shrill. The evolutions practised to-night 


brought only the upper part of the performers’ body 
E 2 


52 A SNOW-STORM. 


into play, their legs being folded under them ; there 
was little worthy of note except the precision with 
which music and movements accompanied each other. 
There is a termination to all human events; we 
were at lastsreleased from this inhuman persecution, 
performers and gazers departed, and our, literally, 
shake-downs were prepared. Mahkatzan and his 
wife hung a curtam of skins from the roof of the 
apartment, laid down others for couches and coverlets ; 
then, pointing out to us the places we were to occupy, 
extinguished the lamp and all lay down to sleep; nor 
were we disturbed until grey dawn appeared, and with 
ita heavy gale and terrible snow-drift, which threatened 
at first to prevent our return to the ship, Mahkatzan 
refusing to guide us thither. On our evincing, how- 
ever, a determination to depart, even if alone, he 
reluctantly harnessed the dogs and set forth with us. 
Those who have never witnessed a heavy snow- 
storm can have but slight idea of the difficulty of 
travelling in it, especially over a barren country where 
there is little shelter, and no check to the furious rush 
of drift. Martin and I were choking and blinded 
before we had gone half-a-dozen yards, and began to 
think our guide was right in his objections ; however 
we persisted in trying it yet awhile, and when we 
had gone some distance, though the weather became 


DESCRIPTION OF THE OKONCH. 53 


worse, thought it better to proceed than turn back. 
Many tracts and lakes, which when we came over had 
been hidden by snow, now lay perfectly bare, only a 
few hardened ridges here and there near stones show- 
ing the resistance offered. On the lakes, which were 
frozen smoothly as glass, friction was so entirely lost 
that sledges, dogs, and men, were carried along by 
the wind without the slightest power of control ; 
contact with hardened waves of snow or fragments 
of rough ice on the borders alone stopped us, the 
sledges then overturning and throwing us off with 
violence. We took just double the time to make the 
return journey that we had before occupied, and 
arrived at the ship well nigh frozen and greatly 
fatigued. 

The covering to protect the dress, as well as the 
square piece worn over the opening in the frock, 
proved on this occasion their great value. The 
okonch, okoncho, or okéncé, is made of the intestines 
of whales, and other marine animals, slit open and 
sewn very neatly together on a double edge ; those of 
the men have a narrow hood and sleeves, and are 
generally plain, of whale gut: the women have them 
mostly of seal gut, which is much thinner and less 
oily : these have broad hoods to receive their hair and 


the large fringed hoods of their frocks ; the sleeves also 


54, PORT EMMA. 


are very wide: some are ornamented with feathers 
from the bill of the eider duck placed apart in rows ; 
others have thin strips of seal skin and hair edging 
the sleeves and bottom, and indeed there are various 
modes of ornament: the strips are sewn together 
horizontally or vertically at the caprice of the maker. 
This species of shirt is when good quite impervious to 
water and exceedingly light, weighing only a few 
ounces: it is manifest what a boon such a protection 
must be in snow, particularly heavy drift, the fine 
particles of which will penetrate into the smallest 
crevice, and so completely fill the hair of the dress 
that its weight becomes unbearable. The little square 
patch is also a trusty friend ; when clogged it is easily 
taken off, beaten, and replaced. 

Frequent visits were now made to the neighbouring 
hamlets, those immediately proximate to our position 
being of course most often repaired to. Of these, 
Woorel, the nearest, was about four miles, nearly south, 
from the ship, in a small bay of the harbour which 
had been christened Port Emma by Captain Moore ; 
it contained ten or eleven huts, and about seventy 
inhabitants. 

Highly interesting as our communication with this 
new people naturally was, it must not be supposed 


that we depended entirely upon them for means of 


BARTER. be 


occupation or amusement: nevertheless they were 
in most cases so intermingled with our employments 
that these acquired a new zest thereby. Naturally 
of an inquisitive, curious disposition, increased 
doubtless by the profusion of unexplaimed and novel 
wonders each day exhibited, our friends beset us 
ever on all sides with countless questions, whether 
we were engaged in making scientific observations, 
reading a book, or mixing a glass of grog as an 
interlude. All was new; all must be made clear 
and common-place to their comprehension. Then 
there were little transactions of “tok,” or barter, to 
be gone into; but herein I certainly believe that our 
friends were more au fait than ourselves : they speedily 
caught at the tastes of each of us and met our desires, 
often before expressed, almost by intuition. But it 
must not be imagined that these efforts were made 
without hope of fee or reward, although some instances 
of pure disinterestedness, I believe, I can venture 
by and by to record. On the side of the natives 
were produced frocks and breeches of remdeer, fawn, 
seal and dog-skin, also of eider duck, okonches or 
over shirts for snow, caps, mocassins, mitts and such 
hke, in all of which the inventive genius of the 
untutored savage was employed; and so extensive 


was the demand for their productions, that great 


56 MANUFACTURING SKILL. 


improvement became speedily manifested, and even 
new branches for profit opened. 

These people embroider very prettily, and to a great 
extent, with the hair of the reindeer and pieces of 
leather cut out in the required form and sewn on; 
they also join many party-coloured pieces of skin 
together, which have frequently a very pretty effect. 
It is curious to notice how with them, as in more 
civilised communities, certain persons were famed for 
their skill in particular branches of manufacture. 
Some women were remarkable for dressing skins in a 
superior manner; others were noted for employing 
better dyes than usual. At Wootair dwelt a cunning 
artist, a very Tuski Cellini, whose skill in sculp- 
turmg ivory was the theme of praise throughout 
the country. One man made whip handles well; 
another produced the best thongs, and so in all 
things we saw; as I believe must inevitably be ; 
chaquun a son métier. These enjoy a monopoly in 
their peculiar pursuits ; and although, I believe, they 
do not exact more than an equitable consideration for 
their productions among themselves, put the screw 
on pretty tightly with strangers, whom a fortunate 
chance had thrown upon their shores; and as, of 
course, curiosities and specimens of the progress of 


the arts and sciences were in great request, a fine 


INDUSTRIAL ARTS. 57: 


harvest was reaped by the more ingenious. In 
addition to the articles of clothing, before spoken 
of, as brought for barter, many really interesting nick- 
nacks were produced. Models of sledges, and of house- 
hold furniture, pipes and toys of ivory, among which 
were ducks, seals, dogs, &c., made for their children, 
and evidencing great taste and variety, fishing-lines 
of whalebone, with hooks and sinkers of ivory, 
seal-skin bags, large and small, coils of rope of 
walrus or seal hide, cut without a jom for full fifty 
fathoms, and of all thicknesses ; dogs, sledges and 
harness ; and, in fact, any and everything they could 
think of within their resources; even the tiniest 
children endeavouring to bring something into the 
market: indeed, their contributions were not the 
least interesting or sought for. Reindeer, or portions 
of a carcase, were occasionally brought for sale or 
gift, also blubber of the whale and seal for oil, and 
walrus flesh for the dogs, of which we had in course 
_ of time a large number for the sledges. Walrus 
tusks also brought a good price, and were at first 
supplied in profusion. 

The exchanges on our side consisted of large and 
small knives, beads, files, saws, tobacco, trade-cloth, 
needles, thimbles, looking-glasses, and any little odds 


and ends which we happened to possess. Preserved 


58 THE MISSIONARY. 


meat tins were a great acquisition to the meagre 
furniture of the Tuski, who were delighted to replace 
the scanty and cumbrous wooden vessels, scooped 
with great pains out of drift wood, or others made 
of thin pieces, bent and hooped, which, although 
lighter, leaked perpetually, by the canisters, which 
they scraped bright, and put neat handles to. Indeed, 
there was great ingenuity displayed in the appli- 
cation of everything transferred from us to them, 
nor was the smallest scrap refused; a tiny bit of 
wood was accepted with the same alacrity as would 
be shown upon the offer of a knife or a necklace ; and 
although we might not be able to conceive the use it 
would be put to, some future occasion would display 
its application. 

I have before spoken of a self-called, and I 
rather think, self-constituted missionary, who visited 
the ship in November; we were favoured by his 
presence on more than one occasion subsequently ; 
and when we came to understand him better, were 
informed, I believe with much exaggeration, that he 
had been regularly ordained at Kolyma by the Greek 
priests, and commissioned. to convey Gospel tidings to — 
his countrymen. His code of ethics was, however, 
greatly at variance with that of our great Master. 


He communicated his intention of proceeding shortly 


AMATEUR THEATRICALS. 59 


on a journey to some place which was evidently 
Russian ; and by the time to be occupied in the 
voyage (two months), and direction pomted out, I 
have little doubt that the Fort on the Anadyr was 
indicated. With a view to sending intelligence of our 
whereabouts to England, a despatch was prepared for 
the secretary of the Admiralty, with a request, in 
French and German, to any one who might receive it, 
to have it forwarded without delay. 

Our friends soon became accustomed to masque- 
rades, football, and other games, and took a lively 
part in all; but plays were a little more mysterious ; 
and when, on the 15th of December, the farce of 
“The Way to Settle Accounts with your Laundress ” 
was enacted, the reversed dummy in the water-butt, 
imaginary victim of suicide, was considered to be an 
acme of conjuring, and is, I believe, an unexplained 
wonder to this day. 

It was long before we were at all able to obtain 
anything like a definite idea of the nature of their social 
ladder ; there were evidently some of our friends who 
were treated with superior consideration, and who, 
when they visited us, always came attended by a 
following, but they seldom attempted anything like 
dictation to their suite. I am even now by no 


means sure as to the actual conditions of rank. but 


60 GRADATIONS OF RANK. 


am disposed to consider them as threefold,—prina- 
pally patriarchal, partly hereditary, and partly priestly. 
There is, at the same time, no doubt that only 
certain individuals were recognised as of a higher 
condition, and these were much disposed to deny—at 
any rate, to us—the pretensions of their fellows, while 
they enlarged upon their own ; and in this, those who 
by serfdom or inclination owned their individual 
importance, supported their statements. 

Of all whose position it gave us the greatest 
trouble to determine, Akoull was certainly pre-eminent; 
and it must be confessed that as a diplomatist he 
far outstripped his comrades. Undoubtedly he was 
a very clever fellow. I believe that even upon his 
first. visit to the ship, while we were yet in the bay, 
his Ime of conduct was decided upon. With the 
comprehensive glance and intuitive appreciation of a 
politician, he instantly divined, from the nature of our 
society, the deference paid to our chiefs, and the 
desire displayed to discover the leaders of his own 
party, the great benefit which must accrue to the 
seeming or actual possession of rank; and so with 
equal assurance and astuteness he at once placed 
himself foremost among them; and, although sub- 
sequent circumstances led us to doubt the correctness 


of his presumptions, he had so adroitly succeeded 


AKOULL. 61 


in rendering himself of service to us, and really by 
his cunning exerted such great influence over his 
companions, that we on all occasions treated him with 
the consideration due to rank. I believe, indeed, that 
his fortunes had formerly been more prosperous than 
now; and that this, with the profession of Shama- 
nism, which he undoubtedly practised, caused him 
to be of some emimence in his tribe. His son was 
married to the daughter of Metra, who was certainly 
the wealthiest, and, but for his very quiet disposition, 
would have been the almost undisputed chief of the 


Tuski Proper in our immediate vicinity. 


CHAPTER V. 


Welcome little Stranger.—A merry Christmas.—A Christening.—A Visit 
from the Aristocracy.—An ancient, Teo.—A canny lad, Enoch.—Miss 
Propriety, Meeco.—Mi-yo, la Petite——The Diplomate, Akoull.—Bel- 
conta the Clever.—A Child of Fortune, Metra the Slow.—Reindeer, a 
Tableau.u—A Patriarch, Mooldoyah.—Yaneengah the Good.—The 
Friend, Ahmoleen.— The Pet, Ka-oong-ah.— A queer fellow, Om- 
dooyah.—Attah the Knowing. 


On the 20th December the first birth since our 
arrival occurred; and on this account, and also 
because the little stranger was granddaughter to 
both Metra and Akoull, its advent was celebrated by 
a salute of twenty-one guns, and an extra masquerade 
in the evening. 

Christmas-day was observed with due form and 
merriment. Our crew dined all together upon deck, 
and the fare would have done no discredit to a more 
genial clime and productive situation. A reindeer 
roasted whole graced the centre of the board in a 
dish made for the occasion; while the carcase of 
“Poor Jack,” the sheep, at one end, was faced by 
goodly rounds of spiced beef at the other. Numerous 


CHRISTMAS. 63 


entremets of preserved meats, with a plentiful supply 
of vegetables and pickles, completed the first course, 
which was followed by enormous puddings of plum,— 
such as ati Englishman’s soul loveth,—and tarts of 
cranberries, and other preserved fruits. An unlimited 
supply of the sailor’s beverage assisted the consumption 
of the edibles ; and our boys enjoyed a glorious repast, 
assisted by a select few of their Tuski friends, 
especially invited on the occasion. The hilarity was 
great and undisturbed; and good feeling reached such 
a pitch ere midnight, that the officers were succes- 
sively carried round the ship with cheers and shouts 
of rejoicing, which proceeding seemed to astonish our 
native friends amazingly. 

Next night a Christmas pantomime, composed on 
board, was performed in a manner highly creditable 
to all concerned in its preparation, and brought 
down thunders of applause from pit and boxes. 

On the 28th, Captain Moore, with two or three of 
our number, went down to Woorel to christen the 
child of Belconta, born on the 20th instant. 
Rockets were sent up in celebration of the event; 
and we were highly diverted to see a native run 
after one of these, which, misplaced in firmg, darted 
along the ground instead of mounting aloft. For- 


tunately for him, he did not succeed in catching it. 


G4 AMUSEMENTS AND EXCURSIONS. 


As amusements were at this time the order of the 
day, a greasy pole was erected upon the ice, sur- 
mounted by a bottle of rum—a challenge to all 
comers—and fine fun it created; nor was it until 
late in the day that one of our men bore off the 
prize in triumph. We ended 1848 by ringing out 
his venerable majesty, and ushered in the infant heir 
with a joyous peal. 

One or two excursions had been undertaken during 
December ; but it was not till 1849 had commenced 
that they assumed a place in our regular pursuits. 
It took some time to establish ourselves firmly with 
our new friends, and to enable us to feel quite secure 
among them when removed from the protection of 
our ship and her resources. Hitherto, also, our 
imperfect acquaintance with the language formed an 
impediment; but now that the way to a more 
extended and less guarded imtercourse was opened, 
many very interesting trips were made. The ones I 
was myself engaged upon I shall mention in their 
order; and these cover, with little intermission, the 
period from January until May. 

On the 8th of January, whether by accident or 
design, I cannot say, we were invaded by an influx of 
distinguished visitors. 'The first who arrived was the 


Chief of Oongwysac, Teo, his daughters Meeco and 


DISTINGUISHED VISITORS. 65 


Mi-yo, and his two sons. Teo had already scen 
many summers, and was infirm; he was, moreover, 
quite lame, having received a disabling wound in 
bygone years from Mooldooyah, who in some 
quarrel had bitten him desperately in the leg, and 
crippled him for life. Teo was deaf and taciturn, and, 
when he spoke, articulated with hesitation and 
difficulty, being apparently afflicted with palsy or 
paralysis. | He was, notwithstanding, a very pleasant 
and well-disposed old gentleman; a little crusty at 
times, perhaps, but very well in all. He brought some 
handsome presents for the captain—among others, a 
sealskm tanned and bleached perfectly white, orna- 
mented all over in painting and staining with figures 
of men, boats, animals, and delineations of whale 
fishing, &c.,—a valuable curiosity. 

Enoch, his son, was in many respects a type of his 
father ; but qualities which in the elder might pass 
for wisdom and deliberation were im the son but 
apparent indications of a sordid nature ; and such I 
believe was the case. No athletic exercises for Enoch, 
no employments and amusements, such as the young 
men of his own age practised,—these were rarely his 
occupations. Rather would he sit the livelong day in 
his compartment of his father’s yarang, fingermg and 


fussmg over his queer little two-stringed fiddle, or 


F 


66 ENOCH AND MEECO. 


some other equally quaint article; or with knife of 
tiny size and crooked blade, scoop out some toy or 
model from fragment of wood or ivory, to be disposed 
of to the Atwoits Callowole upon the first oppor- 
tunity and most favourable terms ; for Enoch was no 
spendthrift fool to dissipate in fruitless gifts the 
results of his industry and ingenuity, both of which 
he possessed in plenty. Enoch was small, and 
neither so well shaped nor so vigorous as his coun- 
trymen generally ; indeed, if I recollect right, he had 
in youth received a spinal injury, from which he 
still suffered; his face bore the sallow tinge of ~ 
delicate health, and his hair, which he wore long, was 
of a lighter hue than was generally seen. It would 
not indeed be unreasonable to conjecture him to be of 
mixed descent. In all his communications with us, 
and they were frequent, Enoch’s manner was subdued 
and obliging: he evidently avoided jars or breaches 
of good feeling, alike with us and his own com- 
panions. 

Teo’s eldest daughter, Meeco, was a strapping lass, 
who conducted all arrangements with perfect self- 
possession and good-humour, and attended to her 
decrepit father with exemplary attention. Neither 
her features, mien, nor manners, with some slight 
exception, would have disgraced a more civilised 


a 


AKOULL THE DIPLOMATE. 67 


region. We afterwards saw much of her; and 
whether abroad or installed as mistress of her father’s 
large yarang, which she managed without control or 
interference, Meeco was Propriety’s self. 

Mi-yo, the second daughter, was much younger 
and smaller than her sister; a quiet, pretty little 
eirl, who said little and smiled much. Both the 
sisters pleased us much by their looks of superior 
cleanliness. Akoull and Belconta soon arrived. It 
was evidently part of the former’s arrangement that 
we should never be permitted to communicate with 
strangers or men of influence without his presence and 
assistance, if possible; or, at any rate, his immediate 
cognisance of the event by means of one of his many 
spies: assuredly friend Akoull had a keen under- 
standing, and a ready fund of assurance which stood 
him in good stead on many ominous occasions, and 
would have conducted him to wealth and distinction 
in other lands where they are sharpened by competi- 
tion, and more speedily appreciated than among these 
people of simple mind. Akoull was a just embodi- 
ment of his moral qualities, small, shrivelled, and 
yellow, yet of nervous and active development and 
habits ; of speech low-toned, fluent, and msinuating, 
with small quick eyes, sparklmg and restless, stealthy 


step and deferential address, he looked himself— 
F 2 


68 BELCONTA. 


a wily, calculating schemer. His son, Belconta, was 
one of the most intelligent among the tribe, and if he 
possessed hike cunning to his father’s, took care to con- 
ceal it ; he excelled in those exercises which call for 
efforts of mental power, being, for instance, a skilful 
charioteer and unrivalled trainer of dogs ; he displayed 
a greater capability than the rest for acquirmg 
information, and speedily learned many of our words 
and even sentences: he was a particular favourite 
with some, and upon the whole was generally liked by 
our party; nor was he ever included in the suspicions 
of double dealing which were more than once raised 
against his parent. 

Belconta was of small stature, light and well- 
proportioned, with cleanly-cut features, good expres- 
sion, and clear complexion; his general aspect was 
prepossessing, and this was certainly required m the 
family as a set-off against that of his father, which 
was decidedly sinister. He played the fiddle, was 
a constant visitor at the ship, and took an animated 
part in our diversions, ever showing a disposition to 
oblige. 

On the return of Messrs. Martin and Simpson from 
Wootair, whither they had been ona visit, they were 
accompanied by Metra, of whom I have already 


spoken, and some of his family. Metra will figure 


METRA. ~ 69 


much in my narrative, and was a person of great 
wealth and importance ; but I fear that in attempting 
to present his picture it will be difficult to delineate 
any remarkable points; he was, in fact, a very 
uninteresting individual, and but for his position 
must have remained unnoticed among the common 
herd. How often do adventitious circumstances 
render men, possessing in themselves no points of 
prominence, objects of importance and_ celebrity. 
Metra was no longer young; his hair had already 
begun to silver, and a few crows’-feet marked the 
progress of time, but he had doubtless worn well, 
being oppressed probably by few cares, and promised 
to enjoy a green old age; his form had lost little of 
its roundness and muscular development, and he 
could show, when he pleased—which was, however, 
seldom—well-nigh as great activity as the youngsters, 
but his ordinary movements were rather snail-like and 
he was evidently not accustomed either to hurry or to 
put himself at all out of the way for any one ; indeed, 
I should say, if such a thing ever occurs among the 
Tuski, that Metra had been a petted child for whom all 
services were performed by obsequious attendants, the 
natural indolence of his character alone preserving it 
from material deterioration. Like Teo, Metra was 


not a man of many words; he had a great partiality 


70 A SLOW COACH. 


for the Russian word Toroma, meaning, I believe, 
welcome, and this he brought in on all occasions, not 
always suitably, but it was of little consequence ; he 
had not, I venture to conclude, many ideas in play at 
one period, and as they circulated but slowly in the 
caverns of his brain, Toroma came in, I fancy, very 
conveniently as a stop-gap to conversation while he 
had time to replace one thought by the next ; occa- 
sionally, however, Metra displayed latent powers of 
mind scarcely to be expected; dry, quaint, and often 
even caustic humour, showed that there was still 
something better than dross beneath the surface; and 
as he was a very shrewd old gentleman at a bargain, 
I do not thmk we ought to dismiss him from our 
sketch as altogether a simpleton, but rather afford him 
the designation of s/ow. 

All these visitors had arrived in their sledges, drawn 
by dogs, of which Metra and Belconta possessed the 
finest teams in the country ; but a new and delightful 
spectacle was afforded us later in the afternoon, by the 
arrival of Mooldooyah, his wife, son, and friend, each 
driving two reindeer harnessed to his sledge. I cannot 
describe the emotions we experienced at this sight, 
so novel and so interesting ; no other incident, since 
the first view of the natives in their atwoits in the 


bay, produced so vivid a remembrance of the distance 


ON iim 
Wi 
aa ial 
: 
; 


* 


Ss if 


A MAOS 


REVIEW OF OUR POSITION. 71 


which lay between us and our homes, and of the 
strange people we were now among. 

In our first interview with the Tuski, after the 
immediate surprise and novelty had passed, we were 
too much employed with our own affairs to pay parti- 
cular attention to each peculiarity upon its primary 
exhibition, and thus many points of striking interest 
had become familiar, while we neglected to notice 
them with due attention. But this incident recalled 
all the strangeness of our position to mind; one 
view of the tableau presented renewed the fresh- 
ness and interest of this phase of our lives. Lofty 
rugged mountains, majestic and snow-bewrapped, 
surrounded the ice-bound harbour, now clad in a 
smooth, almost unbroken mantle of dazzling white ; 
the Atwoit resting upon its bosom like a bird upon 
the water, now long located in her icy home, and 
with snow upon the roof and masts, and a ridge 
of broken ice around her, added to the strangeness 
of the scene; while the crew, clad in all varieties 
of costume, from the semi-military to a close proxi- 
mity with the dresses of our friends, mingling with 
the Tuski in their curious habiliments, now also 
beginning to evidence their intercourse with us by 
scraps of Huropean manufacture, intermixed with 


their own dresses—nearly a hundred dogs, with 


ihea CARE OF ANIMALS. 


numerous sledges—and, to crown all, the new arrivals, 
with their reindeer, filled up the picture which 
needed nothing more to complete its picturesque and 
peculiar beauty. These beautiful animals, attached 
only by light traces to the sledges, and with long reins 
of carefully dressed and rounded hide, fastened to their 
horns, their long loose coats smooth and glossy—for 
the Tuski pay great attention to their tame draught 
animals—branching antlers, soft, lustrous eyes, pen- 
dant dewlaps, and slender springing fetlocks, looked 
models of docility, endurance, and speed. 
Mooldooyah, paterfamilias and leader of the party, 
was a man of enormous mould and striking appear- 
ance. By far the largest of his tribe, he stood 
considerably above six feet in height, with limbs 
and figure of massive development, increased by 
an inclination to obesity, which his mature years 
had begun to display. His face, now large, round, 
and heavy, had, 1 should imagine, once been hand- 
some, being redeemed from the ordinary flat form 
of his fellows by a straight strong nose and well- 
marked brows; his forehead was broad and low; 
mouth and chin heavy and sensual. Like the majority 
of gigantic men, Mooldooyah’s temperament was of a 
phlegmatic turn, and this was a fortunate condition 


of his existence; for, when roused, which rarely 


MOOLDOOYAH. 15 


occurred, Mooldooyah was terrible in his anger. 
Ordinarily he was stolid, mactive, and good-tempered, 
took all things with exemplary patience, let every 
one, particularly his wife, of whom he was justly 
very fond, do as they pleased, and showed a great 
dishke to standing ; added to this, he eat and drank 
in proportion to his vast. bulk, and smoked as often 
as he could afford it, which, after I knew him, was 
very nearly all day long. 

Yaneenga, the wife of Mooldooyah, was, in my 
estimation, without an equal of her sex in the tribe, 
when all points of comparison were considered ; true, 
Mi-yo, the charming petfe sister of Meeco, the amiable 
wife of Yappo, and the fair dame of Mahkatzan, 
might each dispute with her the palm of beauty ; 
but these were still quite young, while Yaneenga’s 
charms had merged into the fuller figure of the 
matron: but who, like Yaneenga, bore so unvaried 
a countenance of good-humour ?—who, like her, was 
always amiable, always thoughtful for the wants or 
comforts of those around her? Of the tallest among her 
sex, large and robust, yet of rounded and well-formed 
figure, with an easy, dignified carriage, which was 
never ungraceful, a countenance originally very 
handsome, though now full and slightly coarse, eyes 


of liquid jet, ever sparkling and beaming with good 


74 AHMOLEEN. 


humour, features generally good, but whose effect 
was much injured by the lips, which, enclosing large 
strong regular teeth of pearly whiteness, were too 
full and heavy for a delicate taste, neat and well- 
made garments put on with judgment, small feet 
and hands, and an open engaging manner, marked 
my friend Yaneenga as one of the best and worthiest 
specimens of her tribe. I shall have much more to 
say of her and her husband presently, so will now pass 
to their son, Ah-mo-leen, of whom I recorded a trait 
honourable to his character, on the occasion of pur- 
chasing his coat at an early stage of our acquaintance. 

Ahmoleen, now the eldest son, was only inferior 
to his father im stature and size, and being much 
younger was less unwieldy in figure ; in other respects 
he greatly resembled Mooldooyah, was a little more 
lively, and of course much more active; but his good 
temper and forbearing disposition were equally con- 
spicuous, nor did he ever take undue advantage of 
his great superiority of physical strength. I believe, 
notwithstanding his inactivity, that Mooldooyah was 
even now much more powerful than his son; but 
next to him Ahmoleen was chief in size and strength. 
Mooldooyah often lamented to me, in moving terms, 
the death of an elder son, who so greatly surpassed 


Ahmoleen in physical development, that, as he 


KA-OONG-AH AND OMDOOYAH. 75d 


expressed it to me, he could have taken Ahmoleen by 
the middle and dashed him down upon the earth. 

Ka-oong-ah, the little daughter of Yaneenga, almost 
the realisation of one’s idea of what she herself must 
have been as a child, concludes my present detail of 
this party ; she was lithe of limb, prattling, rosy, and 
merry as a bird, a most ingenious little sempstress, 
and delighted to make all sorts of queer little bags 
and gloves and dolls for me, whose especial favourite 
she was, and whom it was her delight to plague. 

In addition to these personages we were favoured 
by the presence of Mahkatzan, black, oily, and 
grasping; Omdooyah, and his wife, Attah. Now, 
Omdooyah, although not a chief, was such a very 
queer fellow, that I cannot refrain from noticmg some 
of his peculiarities ; and Attah was so unceasing and 
troublesome, but at the same time so very useful a 
visitor, that she likewise deserves a moment’s atten- 
tion. Omdooyah was an original of the first water, 
and a very funny one to boot. First as to personnel : 
he was unlike everybody else ; his frame was large and 
somewhat heavy, and in this he slightly resembled 
our friend Mooldooyah, but here all comparison 
ended. His frame was broad and square, but loose 
and ungainly, with limbs which constantly disputed 


their mutual affinity, and ever played at hide and 


76 A QUEER FELLOW. 


seek with each other ; a demeanour generally impas- 
sible, but upon the successful conclusion of his 
frequent jokes lighting up in an inexpressibly ludicrous 
manner; a face round and flat as the full moon, with 
a dab for a nose, and a gash for a mouth, around 
which, and the saucer-like eyes inclining at an angle 
to the nose, sly mirth and mischief-lovmg wrinkles 
lay crowding together: Omdooyah was absolutely 
overflowing with fun; everything served him for a 
joke, enjoyment of which was heightened by the quiet 
yet irresistibly droll way in which it was perpetrated, 
and a sort of half-unconscious, half-quizzing expression 
which used to excite us to screams of laughter. No 
matter whether for or against himself, the fun must 
be had, and he must do it. The quintessence of 
good nature too, was Omdooyah, the personification 
of good will to his fellows. We often, to our shame 
be it recorded, tried to put him into a passion by some 
practical joke, for we loved fun as well in that snowy 
clime as in more genial regions ; but it was of no avail ; 
the only result was a grin which made his mouth look 
hke the 'Tower moat, and a sly return of the jest 
presently. I dare say he thought it was too much trouble 
to get in a rage; besides there was no fun in that, so 
it was too dull work. Omdooyah was one of our 


especial favourites, and this entirely from his own 


ATTAH. RE 


amiability ; he had unrestrained ingress to the ship, 
to our mess, and to our cabins, and was never a 
burden because he had withal such innate good sense, 
I may even say delicacy of perception, that we were 
never under fear of his intrusion when preoccupied, 
nor of interference in our communications with others; 
if he found or thought himself de trop, he would 
either quietly seek some other locality, or seat himself, 
hke a half-pay leutenant in the waiting-room at the 
Admiralty, to await the leisure of those he sought, 
studying the objects around, which were already as 
familiar to him as the furniture of the aforesaid 
waiting-room is to myself, with a degree of interest 
and attention only justified by his want of occupation. 

Now for his worthy spouse. Attah was what is 
very generally called ‘exceedingly plain,” which 
means, I suppose, plainly ugly; any juvenile charms, 
any dimpled beauties which might have graced her 
visage in more favourable seasons, had fled for ever : 
wrinkles and puckers held despotic sway there, now 
rendered less inviting by long accumulations of dit, 
for Attah was regardless of the greatest of human 
comforts, and was ever in a sad condition of untidi- 
ness and filth. Attah’s own definition of herself 
would probably have led one to imagine that her 


- disposition was of the most obliging nature, that her 


78 ATTAH. 


sole delight was to be useful to those around her ; and 
so indeed it might appear to a casual observer. But I 
must be less charitable and more just to her character, 
having had irrefragable proofs of a totally different 
leanmg. Think not it was the performance of a service 
which delighted the dame; true, she was ever ready, 
ever officiously volunteering to be of use, but far other 
was the aim of her readiness, of her activity, than 
the promptings of a benevolent nature ; alas! we must 
admit with regret that the chief object of Attah, in all 
her domgs, was the remuneration which should follow 
their completion. Yes; for “ tok,’ which, though 
strictly meaning barter, is also used for payment or gift, 
she would do anything. Being always at hand, very 
quick in her motions, having ever a smiling face, and 
chattermg away in great style, she was at first con- 
sidered a kind, willing creature, whom it was a 
pleasure to employ and reward; but she presumed 
upon the favour shown her, displayed jealousy and 
sulks when other ladies were engaged to perform any 
slight service with the needle, and became, moreover, 
so exacting m her demands, and so determinately 
importunate for gifts, that she was at last unanimously 
voted a bore, and fell into complete disfavour. Yet a 
funny creature was Attah, and generally a merry one ; 


her antics were inimitably ridiculous and grotesque, 


ATTAH. 79 


and accompanied by grimaces which gave one pain 
by sympathy at the unnatural distortion of feature ; 
she possessed a turn for comedy and mimic displays, 
and this was often exercised for our amusement and 


—her profit. 


CHAPTER VI. 


Friends.— Presents.—Tuski Preferences.—A Laé-lo6p—The Tuski Dandy. 
—A State Visit.—Curious Dances.—The Oldest Inhabitant.—The 
Dead.— New Ideas.— Wootair.—Appearance of the Country.— A 
Chief's Yarang.—The Sea. 


Sucu an unexpected influx of distinguished visitors 
obliged us to use exertion for their entertaimment 
and reception. The sledges were carefully disposed 
upon the roof and ice-plank, and the dogs secured in 
their respective bands, on the forecastle or round the 
ship ; the remdeer could not very well be brought on 
board, and moreover required their suppers, which 
our store of blubber and _ half-putrid walrus flesh, 
kept for our dogs, and now borrowed from to feed 
those of our guests, would not serve to supply ; they 
were therefore driven off for the mght to one of the 
neighbouring valleys, where moss abounded. My 
acquaintance with Mooldooyah and his family had by 
this time, by mutual liking, warmed into a sincere 
and durable friendship. I had early been impressed 


with a favourable opinion of their kind and generous 


FRIENDS AND THEIR PRESENTS. 8] 


natures, first created probably by my transaction with 
the son concerning the coat. Subsequent intercourse 
confirmed me in my regard for them ; I found strong 
affection and a self-denying disposition existing with 
them towards each other, and was delighted to bea 
sharer in their regards. Between them and myself 
the usual business of barter was never employed ; gifts 
were interchanged without thought of a bargain ; 
whatever I needed had but to be whispered to be 
immediately supplied; while presents of all kinds, 
some of them really valuable, poured in upon me in 
a manner quite embarrassmg. I do not mean to 
assume that all this was done without expectation of 
a return, but I am quite sure that my gifts, especially 
at first, were inadequate to the worth of theirs. 
Yaneenga had now brought me the entire carcase of 
a reindeer, a pair of mitts, stockings, and breeches, 
all of fawn skin, of superior beauty and dressing, 
and her joy was infinitely greater at giving than my 
really very great delight at receiving so handsome a 
present. The deer was by the local regulations yielded 
up for the use of the ship’s company in common, but 
the other articles were carried to my cabin and neatly 
disposed in the drawers by Yaneenga, who was well 
nigh as much pleased at performing this act of 


confidential service as in the bestowal of her gifts, 


G 


. SB, FOOD. 


which, although presented by her individually, were 
of course understood to be from her husband and 
son also. 

Our friends were distributed between the cabin and 
gun-room, and supplied with refreshment ; but only 
a few of our edibles were relished by them, the 
preserved meats in particular being held in very light 
estimation generally, a few natives only, who per- 
severed in eating them, gaining an acquired taste for 
their flavour. Ithink that the spices employed in their 
preparation were especially disagreeable to the native 
palate. On one occasion, 1 remember a number of 
young men, “ just arrived from the country,” rejecting 
with disgust a large tin of delicious beef, which had 
not been bestowed upon them without murmurs of 
dissatisfaction, and only because there was an absolute 
necessity to provide them with food. As they would 
not eat this, we had nothing left but some blubber 
which had been purchased for the dogs and for oil ; 
this was offered them as a dernier resort, but our 
fears for its favourable reception might have been 
spared ; it was devoured with the greatest avidity. 
Of all our stores, those most preferred were biscuit, 
sugar, raisins, or indeed anythmg sweet, and also 
almonds, of which we had a quantity in our private 


stock. The passion for sugar was general; great and 


THE LA-LOOP. 83 


small begged for it in preference to all else, and - 
a morsel for a “1a-lodp” would make its possessor 
happy for the day. What on earth isa la-lodp? 1 
hear the reader ask. Know, then, that this source of 
delight consisted of a fragment of leaf tobacco which 
enveloped the scrap of sugar before-mentioned, and 
was placed carefully in the cheek, where it remained 
undisturbedly dispensing its liquid medley of sweet 
and bitter to the imfimite content of its consumer. 
Many a brow of cloudy aspect have I smoothed and 
rendered smiling and serene by a well-timed application 
of this little luxury. 

In the evening a masquerade was arranged for the 
amusement of our visitors, some of whom, become 
familiar with the fun, took an active share in the 
festivities ; of these were Omdooyah and his dame, 
Inopincha, the lady who munched the candle, and 
another person whose real name I quite forget, for 
we never called him by it ; we knew him only as the 
Tchouski dandy. 

I suppose it is an inevitable provision of all 
societies that some few among their components are 
doomed to act the popinjay, and seek to be esteemed 
by their outward show. The votary of Bond-street, 
the petit-maitre of the Boulevards, were here fitly 


. represented by our Tuski friend; his dress was 
a2 


84. A DANDY. 


cut and donned im a manner entirely differing 
from the mode adopted by his fellows; pendant 
tags of leather, each strip having a bead, and ‘scraps 
of dyed fur aptly mimicked the frogs and_ braids 
of his more advanced brother m fashion; nor was 
he blind to the indispensable qualifications of the 
fop; his cap and mocassins were as carefully selected 
as hat and boots elsewhere. Thus bedecked and 
bedizened, he strutted on the scene with an air of 
self-satisfaction and of admiration, which, while it 
provoked a smile, incited rather melancholy reflections 
on the likeness of man here and elsewhere. Our 
guests were as much diverted as we could desire, 
and night was far encroached upon ere they were 
all disposed in slumber. 

On the 15th of January, the day being very fine 
and clear, Captain Moore determined to go in state to 
Woorel, to make a formal presentation of christening 
gifts to the child baptised on the 28th of December. 
Attended by a numerous train, his sledge tastefully 
arranged and surmounted by the Union Jack, he 
departed on his errand, and a short time sufficed 
to bring the party to their destination, where 
epaulettes were donned, and the presents displayed. 
They consisted of a black fur dress lined with white 
fox-skin, bracelets and necklace of beads, the latter 


CHRISTENING PRESENTS. 85 


made in the form of a cross, and some other articles 
of dress and ornament, making a very tolerable show. 
After considerable delay the child was brought out 
for the inspection of its sponsors, and a poor little 
wretch it looked; dirty, shivermg, and blind from 
accumulation of serous matter, the result of neglected 
ophthalmia. It was very soon withdrawn into the 
recesses of its paternal dwelling, alike to its own and 
our relief; and the ceremony wound up by an 
interchange of good wishes, and the distribution of 
some of our treasures of provision to the leading 
members of the village, and a scramble of raisins to 
the children, which put them in high glee. 

The fiddle had been brought to aid in the fun, and 
was soon in requisition to accompany the motions of 
a troop of merry girls, who, hand in hand, crowded 
full of glee round the performer, urging a speedy 
commencement of his music, by mimicry and pan- 
tomimic gibe. When he struck up a tune they 
receded in a half moon with mincing step and 
fantastic evolutions of the head and arms ; the centre 
then approached, and wings receded; then all 
alternately approached and retired ex masse, as if to 
tempt their musician to follow, who soon willingly 
humoured their bent and imitated their motions. 


This continued for a while, when the dancers broke 


86 A CURIOUS DANCE, 


their line and dispersed, re-formed once or twice 
behind the player, and advanced upon him unawares ; 
and finally yielded up their places to three funny 
little creatures, whose performances absolutely con- 
vulsed us with laughter; the dance they practised 
is very common among the children, but we now 
saw it for the first time, and considered it a truly 
remarkable spectacle. The dresses of the females are 
made very full and hang in folds; in children they 
make the figure look podgy and squat, and so the 
three actresses appeared as they faced us in a row, 
with their toes turned in and their hands tucked 
into opposite sleeves. The attitude before commencing 
was mirth-provoking; but how shall I succeed in 
conveying a just appreciation of their subsequent 
movements? It is I fear impossible; no art could 
properly pourtray the scene, the inimitable gestures 
or the unrivalled archness of the whole affair. Sway- 
ing bodily, with a shght jump to either side, the 
outside ones faced or turned themselves from the 
centre child by turns, she appearing alternately to 
court and repel their advances ; thus they continued, 
while repeating in a measured chant ‘“ Cah—po— 
moingén, melotah, noingén,’ at the end of which 
all suddenly jumped quite round, and saying, wm—wm 


—wum, with a sort of satisfied enunciation, threw 


AND ITS EXPLANATION, 87 


into their bodies three of the most extraordinary 
contortions I ever beheld. No one could resist the 
last manceuvre ; we all screamed with laughter, which 
brought tears into our eyes; indeed I never witnessed 
this most ridiculous dance without a return of my 
present mirth. I have never been able to translate 
to my satisfaction the words they used on these 
occasions ; but as they almost imvariably derive their 
amusements from natural models, and as I knew 
moingen to be a mouse or an ermine, melotah, a rabbit 
or hare, and zoimgen to mean tail, I venture, from a 
consideration of the pantomimic motions displayed, 


to render the sentence thus— 


Cah-pé moingen melotah noingen, 
Catch ermine rabbit tail, 


or, ermine catch rabbit by the tail; the final expres- 
sions, Um—um—um, might signify that the chase was 
successfully accomplished, and their accompanying 
wriggles personate the struggles of the victim—for 
ermine do catch rabbits, though I never heard of 
their choosing the tail as the best spot for a grip, 
their aim being, I believe, invariably the back of 
the neck. 

Before we departed from the village, its “ oldest 
inhabitant ” was brought out to satisfy her curiosity 


respecting the strangers; but she, poor soul, was 


88 THE ‘‘ OLDEST INHABITANT.” 


stone blind, so could only feel our clothes and faces, 
lingering in surprise upon our beards, which were by 
this time of a very respectable length: she seemed 
much gratified when Captain Moore spoke to her and 
gave her a little tobacco. Her age was guessed at 
hazard to be about eighty, but with the exception of 
sight none of her senses seemed to be impaired, and 
her blindness appeared rather the result of disease 
than of age, her eyes being bleared and sore, and 
running with rheum. Indeed ophthalmia is more or 
less very prevalent here, principally induced I should 
think by snow blindness and neglect. 

We were much shocked to see near the village 
stages erected, upon which the dead were laid, and 
exposed alike to the attacks of the elements and of 
the numerous crows, or rather ravens of immense size, 
which abound in great numbers, and are literally the 
scavengers of the country. These birds have wonderful 
power of beak; with a single blow I have known one 
of them pierce the side of a dead and hard frozen 
dog, penetrating right through to the entrails. 

An earnest endeavour was made on this occasion 
to show Omdooyah and Attah, who lived here, how 
shocking was this practice of exposing the dead ; 
but although they appeared to understand the appeal, 


it made I fear little impression on their cold natures, 


“TRIP TO WOOTAIR. 89 


long accustomed to this frightful habit. It was also 
attempted to explain to them that neither moon 
nor stars are fire, as they supposed, but worlds, 
probably inhabited like our own; this seemed to 
be astounding information, and the kah, kah, kahs, 
were frequent. Attah was readily made to under- 
stand the difference of treatment attending the practice 
of good and evil: that if failmg to do well, she would 
be subject to fire for a long, long time; and if domg 
rightly, would ascend to the skies and be happy. Her 
signs of comprehension on this occasion were touch- 
ingly simple ; she pointed to the lips of her instructor, 
and to her own ears, then laying one hand upon her 
heart, with the other she took his hand, and pressed 
it affectionately. 

On the 23rd of January a trip was taken to 
Wootair, the village m which Metra and Mooldooyah 
resided. The party consisted of Captam Moore, Mr. 
Lindsay, and myself, with some of the natives. 
Proceeding down Emma’s harbour, and for a con- 
siderable distance up the western arm of the bay, 
we struck mght across country to the westward. 
Soon after quitting the ice, our road wound up a 
most tremendous ascent of between two and three 
miles in length: all were here obliged to dismount, 


and even assist the dogs in their labour, and we had 


90 ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY. 


often to stop to breathe, both dogs and men, so steep 
and laborious was the acclivity. We were quite 
delighted when the sun became once more visible over 
the ridge as we attained the summit, where a lengthened 
halt was made while the party partook of refreshment 
with a keen relish. We were now upon a large and 
level plain, which from its appearance and advantageous 
situation for irrigation from the surrounding hills, 
should afford in temperate seasons most excellent 
pasture. It comprised an area of seven or eight 
square miles, encompassed by hills, snow-clad from 
summit to base, excepting only where abrupt over- 
hanging ledges of rock formed an obstruction to the 
deposit of drift, or where enormous blocks and gigantic 
pinnacles of the same material, apparently red granite, 
were numerous, frequently assuming extraordinarily 
fantastic shapes, as in an instance pointed out by 
Captain Moore, where a perpendicular piece pre- 
sented an exact resemblance to an old man with a 
pipe in his mouth. 

We had here a very excellent view of three 
distinct chains of hills, all of similar configuration, 
and evidently, as well as the adjacent eminences, 
and indeed the whole of the mountaims in this part 
of the country, of volcanic formation, mostly in an 


advancing stage, but in many, extinct craters might 


ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY. 91 


be traced. The wind from the S.W. was strong, 
and here swept down over the hills in eddies, 
raising a heavy snow-drift, which made us all look 
like millers. Upon the opposite side of the plain 
we had to descend a long hill, which was not nearly 
so steep as that by which we mounted. At its 
foot lay a frozen sheet of water, m1 which, we were 
informed, was plenty of fish: this was either a lake 
or the estuary of a small river which we presently 
crossed: no tidal marks could be sought for, as its 
edges were covered with snow. Our road now lay 
through a long and narrow valley, at the end of which 
another, but short hill, had to be ascended; mdeed 
we were running across the spurs of a mountain-range, 
and traversed hill and vale until we reached the shore 
of a very large lake, called Yeem-too-oon, four or five 
miles broad, and from twelve to fifteen in length. 
This affords plenty of fish, and we saw upon it a 
number of persons engaged in fishing or seal watching. 
This lake was crossed, and we had now another 
toilsome ascent to encounter; arrived at the summit 
of which, a comprehensive view of Wootair was 
presented, spreading over a large extent of land. 
The huts belonging to Mooldooyah and his family 
were five in number, situated upon an abrupt hill 
overlooking those, twenty in all, which lay in the plain 


92 DANGEROUS TRAVELLING. 


below where Metra’s yarang was. Mooldooyah, with 
his wife and son, who accompanied us on the journey 
as guides, now branched off to their own habitation ; 
the rest of the party continuing the journey over a 
rough descent, which soon became most precipitous, | 
and indeed dangerous to inexperienced drivers. ‘The ; 
sledges flew down this at a frightful pace, frequently 
running over the dogs; and here strong nerves were 
very useful, as a single false turn would have precipi- 
tated us down a shelf, seventy or eighty feet high, 
upon the ice. Reaching the bottom in safety, we 
made a short détour over a frozen inlet, and then up 
the opposite bank to that just quitted, which brought 
us directly in’ front of Metra’s yarang, to which we 
immediately repaired. This yarang was very much 
larger than any we had before visited, the compart- 
ments higher and broader, and infinitely cleaner than 
the disgustingly dirty habitations we had hitherto seen 
at Woorel ; nor were vile odours perceptible, such as 
there assailed our nostrils. We entered the part of 
the dwelling appropriated to Metra and his wife, 
which was kept in beautiful order—a credit to the 
untiring diligence of the matron. Caymgliche, Metra’s 
wife, suffered I think greatly from ill health, and seldom 
left her yarang, preferring also, I believe, the charms 
of her household duties to the rather doubtful 


DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 93 


enjoyment of what is sometimes called ‘ gadding 
about.” At any rate she generally staid at home, and 
was a hard-working, bustling, tidy soul as one would 
desire to see, a little shrewish perhaps, scolding some- 
what occasionally, but then those men were so 
careless! and gave so much trouble! her asperity 
must not be wondered at. And really the place was 
very neat, the walrus hides on the ground were bright 
and clear, not a speck to be seen upon them; not a 
stray hair, which come out of the reindeer skins m 
plenty, was ever permitted to remain after the night- 
coverings were removed; the wooden vessels were 
bright as dairy pails, and the oil in the lamps was 
always carefully purified, and the weet-o-weet [moss] 
wicks arranged with scrupulous regularity. By the 
by, there is considerable skill required in the manage- 
ment of these lamps: the moss, which has been care- 
fully cleansed, dried, and picked, is put into the dish 
by hand, but after that it is only touched with a small 
flat stick, used in the most dexterous manner—a touch 
here and a flick there—to replace any stray morsel ; 
then a rapid pass from one end of the ridge to the 
other, which knocks off the snuffy portions and clears 
the whole line of flame ; and lo! the lamp burnsbrightly 
again. The women are very jealous of these ; no man 


ever thinks of touching them, and it was the greatest 


94, A COOL RECEPTION. 


trial we could make of the ladies’ good humour to take 
up the trimmer or stick and commence to trim the 
light, which I may as well mention we never learned 
to do properly, and even Yaneenga, in whose yarang I 
could do just as I liked, though she never prevented 
me, yet was always in a fidget until I ceased meddling 
with the lamp; one must be careful too in this 
operation; or else the well-nigh boiling oil spatters 
over face and hands most unpleasantly. 

From some cause unexplained, Metra did not 
appear to evince great pleasure at our visit; he 
seemed cool, and his manner constrained; and 
this was the more to be wondered at, as Messrs. 
Simpson and Martin, who had paid a visit here some 
days before, gave a most flattermg account of their 
treatment. I did not, indeed, expect Metra, whose 
manner was always so very deliberate, to display 
any frantic demonstrations of delight; but I was 
obliged to coincide with the view that the agreeability 
of our visit was more than questionable, which was 
surprising, as this honour was rarely paid by our 
chief. We had not, however, come so long a distance 
to sit down in displeasure and discomfort, and 
accordingly made all necessary arrangements for the 
night’s sojourn, the first consideration being to make 


some tea and take supper. ‘To our own provision 


, VES ee oe eee 


AMUSEMENTS. 95 


was added some venison, boiled in the establishment ; 
of which, however, from the delectable flavour of 
oil, &c., which pervaded it, a very slight taste sufficed, 
and we finished from our own stores. Supper over, 
the presents were displayed and distributed by 
Captain Moore: they comprised a saw, knives, beads, 
needles, and tobacco, and gave the recipients great 
delight. After this, determined to keep our spirits 
up, although the place was fearfully hot—90° of 
Fahrenheit—various efforts at amusement were tried : 
the power of the magnet was shown; and the sight 
of some needles, which were made by means of it to 
dance to music, threw the natives into amazement at 
our superior mode of conjurmg. Next we had some 
songs, with the fiddle accompaniment. I suppose 
pretty well two-thirds of the inhabitants of the village 
were crowded into the hut ; the curtain of the apart- 
ment in which we sat was raised, and the space filled 
up with dusky heads, wedged into a compact mass ; 
wild shouts and tones of wonder testified their delight 
and astonishment at our doings. When we ceased, 
a native dancer, or conjuror, appeared, and, seating 
himself in the space before us, performed a number of 
fantastic contortions of face and figure, all in a sitting 
posture, and accompanied by a continued beating of his 
large drum, the noise of which was in that confined 


96 WOOTAIR. 


space quite deafening. Receiving a small present of 
tobacco, he gave place to two young girls, who, 
standing, rehearsed a variety of children’s dances— 
if that could be called dancimg where the feet were 
never lifted; they were rather mimic displays of some 
subject unknown to us. After these and some other 
actors had concluded their performances, we signified 
our desire to repose; the numerous gazers were then 
dismissed, curtains let down, skins of the deer and 
sheep arranged for bedclothes, and all cold air care- 
fully excluded by tucking the bottoms of the pendent 
walls closely under the inner skins. ‘The lights were 
then extinguished, one only being reserved in the outer 
area, where the dogs lay; and we passed the might 
very pleasantly, the apartment being warm, without 
being oppressive. 

Wootair lies upon the shore of a shallow bay, 
indenting northwards ; a small shallow river, which 
we crossed in coming, runs into it. The coast as far 
as this runs nearly west, but from a bold headland 
projecting from the western extremity of the bay, it 
trends to the northward. We were told that the 
river was not more than knee-deep, and only afforded 
fish about the size of sprats; its outlet could not well 
be defined, snow-drift so completely disguising the 


correct formation of the land. Exposed to the whole 


GULF OF ANADYR. 97 


drift of the Gulf of Anadyr, the sea here is rarely 
frozen over, and then insecurely: it was now quite 
open, a speck on the horizon, evidently the land 
floe blown off by the wind, now strong and cold from 
the northward, being the only ice visible. This open 
water is very favourable to the natives, who have thus 
a chance of catching whales and walrus during the 
winter season ; the matter is of no consequence as 
regards seals, as they will bite through the ice to 
reach the surface, where they love to lie, alone or in 


numbers, frequently for hours. 


CHAPTER VII. 


Mooldooyah’s Hospitality.—Polygamy.—The Queen of the Yarang.—Repu- 
diation——The Contrast.—Reindeer and their Flesh.—Mooldooyah’s 
Music.—-Return to the ‘“ Plover.”—Oong-wy-sac.—Distortion of Past 


Events.—Perplexity and Perseverance.—Tidings.—Return to the 
ship. 


Our intention of remaining here awhile was altered 
in consequence of the bad weather, which prevented 
the acquisition of other than very cursory information 
respecting the position and configuration of the coast, 
and we therefore prepared to shift our quarters to the 
habitation of Mooldooyah, not to visit whom would 
have appeared invidious and slighting. The indi- 
cations of our removal were very distasteful to Metra 
and his wife, who endeavoured to persuade us to stay ; 
but they had really annoyed us so much by their 
demeanour, that this had no effect. Captain Moore 
walked up to Mooldooyah’s hut in advance of Lindsay 
and myself, who waited for the sledges and baggage ; 
but friend Metra was very sulky, and would not 
deign to assist us in catching the dogs, which we 


were really incompetent to do; and it was only after 


POLYGAMY. 99 


frequent appeal and some reproach that assistance 
was afforded. ‘The bags which contained our instru- 
ments, stores, and presents, were left in the tent until 
we were ready to start; and on fetching them, 
Lindsay observed Caymgliche inspecting the interior of 
one, hurriedly closing it upon his entrance. True, 
nothing was missed, and curiosity might have been 
the motive, but this was a breach of the duties of 
hospitality sufficiently blameable. - 

I have briefly noticed the size of Metra’s 
yarang, but should mention also the cause of so 
much space being required, and its distribution. 

I have not before spoken of the practice of polygamy, 
which almost universally prevails among the Tuski, 
and this custom is more than usually remarkable 
from the singular circumstances attending it. As a 
general principle, I believe I may assert that only one 
wife is considered as the head of the yarang ; she shares 
and regulates the compartment set aside for its master ; 
and, although seldom interfermg with the internal 
arrangements of the other portions, has general 
superintendence and control over the entire estab- 
lishment. She it is who, upon the arrival of fish or 
meat, directs their division mto the several shares 
for men and dogs ; to her the husband looks for the 


correct conduct and performance of the duties of the 
H 2 


100 CONDITION OF THE WOMEN. 


community; she delivers to the several female 
inmates their portions of skins to be cleaned or 
dressed, and other such work as may be required : 
I am of course, in this extended view of her duties, 
considering only the. condition of the wealthier 
personages, who generally show great order and 
neatness in their arrangements. Many men have 
only one wife, and few more than two. If the 
chief or favourite wife has amy children, they 
occupy the same apartment with herself and lord ; 
but the families of other wives reside with their 
mothers in separate places, which are allotted for 
their sole use; and it is, I imagine, generally con- 
sidered the duty of the man to afford a home and 
sustenance to those wives who have been put aside for 
some new favourite, as well as to the children by 
them ; but repudiation is perfectly recognised; and 
in instances of misconduct, and sometimes of dislike, 
put in force without scruple or censure. In these 
cases the rejected wife returns to her father’s or 
brother’s lodge, and, unless a very bad character, 
does not generally wait long for another husband ; 
very often, however, returning to her original spouse— 
to be perhaps again discarded. Each man has as 
many wives as he can afford to keep, the question of 


food being the greatest consideration. One wealthy 


YOIYSLNI IH PANS Th) dL Ay 


sdAL LUV 


POPULATION. 101 


in herds of reindeer may very frequently indulge his 
fancy for a new spouse, who of course supersedes the 
last as head matron, unless, as sometimes occurs, she 
is considered too young and inexperienced for the 
onerous duties of the office; in which case the two 
ladies occupy the same apartment with their husband, 
and, strange to say, no signs of jealousy are ever dis- 
played, nor is harmony disturbed; long custom, no 
doubt, reconciles the females to these and other as 
curious arrangements. It will thus be seen that very 
large yarangs are required to afford shelter to so many 
persons ; besides which a home is often provided for 
the mother of the master, and possibly also such of 
his father’s wives as may survive in widowhood. 
Metra’s yarang contained twenty-six individuals on 
one occasion when I sought to ascertain the number of 
its inmates ; but [ will not venture to assert that these 
were all residents, although such is my belief, as I visited 
the several places at evening, when the outer door was 
closed, and all inside were certainly going to remain. 
But some may have been visitors. 

From some attempts at a census which I made at 
different periods, I consider ten souls to be about the 
average number of inmates in a hut ; as, although a few 
may contain only a poor old couple, or even a solitary 
creature, dragging out the miserable remainder of 


102 HOSPITALITY. 


their existence, many were very large, and five or 
six children might pretty generally be reckoned upon 
to each woman. ‘Thus Wootair could not upon my 
estimate contain less than two hundred persons, and 
I am disposed to think it exceeded that number. 

Upon reaching Mooldooyah’s habitation, we found 
Captain Moore installed at his ease, with every pro- 
vision made for comfort and convenience. Water 
and venison were suspended over the lamps in prepa- 
ration for dinner; skins nicely arranged for couches, 
and the hangings raised to admit the cool air; our 
baggage was bestowed’ around us with care and 
in quiet, and we were free to take our own way 
of enjoying such unobtrusive hospitality, without a 
crowd of eager gazers watching us like lions at feed ; 
nor were we troubled by importunate begging, such 
as detracted from the dignity of Metra’s station, which 
was undoubtedly high in the tribe. Indeed, the 
entire deportment of our host and his wife, who 
seemed to have an innate perception of propriety, was 
in marked contrast to that of him whose apparently 
unwelcome guests we had so lately been. 

We enjoyed much interestmg conversation with 
our friends here, any hiatus in speech bemg supplied 
by signs, which answered very well. 


This part of the country was, we were informed, 


ae 


Ba eee 


THE REINDEER. 108 


called Koeubtchepeen. I do not know how large a 
district it comprehended, but Wootair was stated to 
be only a small part. 

Neither of the large flocks of remdeer said to be 
possessed by Metra and Mooldooyah were now here ; 
the sudden thaw and as speedy fall of temperature, that 
had lately occurred, had formed a crust of ice upon 
the snow, which prevented the deer from feeding, 
and they had therefore been sent off to a distance 
where pasture could be obtained. There appears to be 
some difficulty in finding good and sufficient food 
for these animals during the winter, for they were 
miserably thin at this season, and we saw meat 
killed in the autumn, which had quite three inches 
thickness of fat upon it. The flavour of the 
meat varies wonderfully with the condition of the 
animal. I never ate anything superior to a piece 
of cold boiled fat venison, which Ahmoleen provided 
for me as a rare treat, for in general the fat meat 
is set aside for pemmican. 

During the evening the amusements of the previous 
night were repeated, a conjuror appearing and per- 
forming many gestures, which we were told were in 
imitation of Payairkets, as they designate the Hsqui- 
maux on the opposite shore of America. Occasionally 


also the inhabitants of Iworien, the island of St. 


104 MORE MUSIC. 


Lawrence, were represented, and the derisive mimicry 
of their actions was greatly applauded and encouraged, 
being evidently mockery of their enemies. The distine- 
tion between the two people was marked by the 
American Esquimaux being represented to wear a 
bead as a labret on both sides of the mouth, and those 
of St. Lawrence but one. The drum beat perpetually 
throughout ; the one used on this occasion was of 
very large size, more than two feet diameter, and 
was used by Mooldooyah, who gently tapped it with 
two very fine united rods of whalebone. The sound 
thus produced was different to the ordinary noise ; 
it was very deep and resonant, but at the same time 
soft and musical; the delivery of the strokes was 
unvaried, a pause occurring after two, of the same 
length with each, but the time, at first very slow, 
increased after awhile, and ended in great rapidity 
and violence, the noise then being quite overpowering. 

On the morrow, after a comfortable night’s rest, 
we set off homewards, accompanied by our host and 
his family, who again acted as guides. Our route 
was different to that by which we had come, but 
we re-passed the lake Yeem-too-oon, and a rough 
sketch was made of its shores. 

We saw a fine salmon-trout caught here through 


a hole in the ice, of which there were several, with 


RETURN TO THE “ PLOVER.” 105 


fishers beside them. On reaching the shore of the bay, 
considerably lower than the spot where we landed 
on the outward trip, a sudden halt occurred, and we 
saw with astonishment the frozen surface of the bay 
broken up into heaps and masses, and apparently inter- 
posing an effectual barrier to our progress. But 
Mooldooyah led the way to a spot his sagacity 
approved, and darted right off into the confusion, 
followed by the rest as they could; he guided us 
across to the ship in safety, but the ice was broken 
up and cracked all over, with deep fissures running 
hither and thither. 

We reached the old “ Plover,’ in the afternoon of 
the 25th, having much enjoyed the excursion, and of 
course now reciprocated their hospitality to our 
kind friends. 

Several natives about this time spoke of vessels 
having been seen in the Straits; and although these 
reports were of a very contradictory nature, both 
as to description and periods, it was probable that 
they had some foundation in truth which it would 
be advantageous to discover. In this hope, and 
likewise with a view to an examination of the coast 
to the eastward, which by the delineations of the 
natives was full of inlets and remarkable points, a 


new excursion was planned to proceed along the 


106 TEO'S VILLAGE. 


coast of the Straits as far as Oong-wy-sac, the village 
of Teo, the lame old gentleman. 

On the morning of the 27th of January, the party, 
consisting of Captam Moore, Messrs. Simpson, 
Martin, and Lindsay, myself, and several of the 
natives, started im nine sledges in gay style, and 
proceeded by short cuts across country to the penin- 
sula, or rather long pomt, on which the village stands. 
This was the Point Tchaplin of our maps, and derives 
its name from “ Oonghee,” a pomt. The village was 
very large, consistmg of thirty-three yarangs, some 
of which were of good size; and the number of 
inhabitants was between three and four hundred. 
This was entirely a fishing station ; nor could a more 
convenient one have been chosen ; for, stretching out 
far beyond the line of coast, it commanded an extensive 
view of the sea east and west. It was, however, now 
frozen up ; and the good folks had little else to do 
than watch for seals upon the ice, fish in lakes near, 
and put their boats and fishing gear in order for the 
first occasion. 

We were welcomed with great delight by Teo 
and his*daughters, as well as the rest of the commu- 
nity, many of whom we knew, and were speedily 
ensconced in the large yarang of the former with 


such comfort as they could provide. _ Our wants were 


PERPLEXING CONVERSATION. 107 


quickly attended to, and there was an evident desire 
to fraternise in the most cordial style with the 
bearded strangers, which of course we were not back- 
ward in responding to. It was from this place 
principally that accounts had been derived respecting 
vessels having been seen; and all set to work with 
diligence to unravel as much as possible of the tangled 
web, which all people, whose communications and 
records are purely oral, are sure to weave round 
simple facts, between the occurrence and recital of 
which any interval of time has intervened. 

Our efforts on this head would have been amusing 
enough to a spectator, but were really rather tiresome 
to ourselves, though many ludicrous misconceptions 
of the ideas intended to be conveyed were productive 
of uncontrollable mirth. For Teo was very deaf, and 
not more than commonly intelligent; and thus it 
was not surprising that we turned in preference to 
la belle Meeco for assistance in surmounting the 
many difficulties occurring; but the old gentleman 
could not rest contented when not engaged in the 
dialogue, and would frequently, just perhaps as the 
long-attempted solution of a question hung upon the 
turn of an instant’s consideration, break in upon the 
confab with some remark perfectly foreign to the 


subiect. He was really very vexatious sometimes 
5, =} 


108 REPORTS OF VESSELS HAVING BEEN SEEN. 


that old fellow; and withal so utterly unconscious of 
the troublesome nature of his interference, that he 
was the more provoking. 

It can scarcely be imagined how much time, 
ingenuity, and perseverance were required to obtain 
anything like definite information ; and although the 
employment could not be otherwise than interesting 
and instructive, one felt at its close weary beyond 
belief. How many schemes were resorted to in 
order to gain our ends! The whole army of signs 
brought into the field, with reinforcements of sketches, 
models, and every possible aid by expression of 
countenance and inflection of voice. Such great and _ 
long-continued endeavours could not be wholly 
unfruitful; and I think, indeed, we had very good 
reason to be satisfied with the information acquired, 
as it set at rest any doubts which had been raised 
respecting the fact of ships having been seen. 

We elicited unmistakeably that four vessels had 
been observed in the Straits lately, all goimg south- 
ward; two of these were represented to have had 
three masts, and the others only two. One had 
been seen six months; two, five; and one, four 
months ago; but from their descriptions none 
answered at all to either the “ Erebus,” “ Terror,” or 


‘“ Herald.’ There can now, however, be little doubt 


OUR RETURN. 109 


that the latter ship was seen both in going to and 
returning from Kotzebue Sound in September and 
October, 1848, to which the dates corresponded ; and 
one vessel was, moreover, said to have been at 
Iworien, which subsequent information showed to 
agree with the “ Herald’s” dogs. At the time we 
were pretty confident that none of these had anything 
to do with us; and, after gaining every scrap possible 
on the subject, with probably not a few additions to 
the actual facts, turned to other subjects. We were 
told that for the next two months the sea would 
remain frozen, that then lanes and patches of water 
would occur, and the Straits would be clear of ice 
in four months’ time. 

‘The appearance of the ice was very curious here, the 
sea having frequently frozen over on calm nights and 
broken up with the wind; the sludge, as it is called, 
thus formed being driven up with masses of drift ice, 
had frozen irregularly into lumps and rough surfaces : 
much of this was soon smoothed over by the deposit 
of snow, which was rather deceptive to unwary 
pedestrians. The feet sometimes suffered severely 
from the sharp upturned points of ice. 

We spent two pleasant days here, visiting the 
different yarangs and objects of interest. Captain 


Moore and myself departed on the 29th to return by 


110 BAD WEATHER. 


the coast line to inspect its configuration. This 
imtention was very nearly fruitless; snow and wind 
prevented our observations, and, with the exception 
of discovering a magnificent land-locked harbour, 
remarking the highly volcanic nature of the moun- 
tams, upon some of which snow would not lie, and 
finding a rivulet proceeding from a hot spring, which 
at the distance of three or four miles from the source 
showed a temperature of 36° Fahrenheit, we had little 
success to boast of. The bad weather prevented our 
reaching the ship this day, and we remained for the 
night in Mahkatzan’s yarang—a measure of disagree- 
able necessity; for we had only brought provisions 
for the day, and Mahkatzan had himself unluckily 
little to give us. A scrap of walrus flesh was made 
into a sort of soup; but even hunger could not over- 
come its disagreeable flavour; and we went nearly 
supperless to bed, and were glad enough to depart 
next morning, notwithstanding it blew a gale, with 
fearful snow drift, and a low temperature. We halted 
for a short time at Woorel, and reached the ship in 


the evening with great delight. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Journey towards East Cape.—Arrangement of Villages.—Necessary to 
travel with Dogs.— Preparations.— Deceit.— Costume for Travelling.— 
Bad Weather.—Change course.—Noowook.—A new Taste of Fish.— 
Tchaytcheen.—Modes of killing Seals.—The Snow Storm.—The Polka. 


I HAVE now arrived at the relation of a journey 
which by far exceeded in duration, interest, and extent, 
any other undertaken during our stay here, and shall 
give the events of each day in detail, as from them 
I hope it will be found that much and important 
information respecting the Tuski and their country 
was gained. 

We continued to receive various conflicting reports 
of vessels seen, among others, that one was, or 
had been, on the American shore ; several rude 
charts had been drawn by the natives, and there 
was evidently so much of important matter to be 
gained, and so much intelligence to be inquired 
into, that Captam Moore decided on despatching 
a party towards Hast Cape, for the decision of 
all these points. My friends, Mooldooyah and 


hae VILLAGES OF THE TUSKI. 


Yaneenga, accepted the office of guides, being familiar 
with the coast and position of the villages; and three 
officers had the honour of appointment to this 
important duty; these were Messrs. H. Martin, 
W. H. Moore, and myself. It will be necessary now 
to offer a few remarks, that the reader may the more 
clearly comprehend the mode in which this and all 
other journeys were performed during our stay. 

The villages of the Tuski are placed at irregular 
distances along the line of coast ; none are ever situated 
inland, as fishing is considered a great resource even by 
those who are the possessors of deer, and who therefore 
select the localities for their dwellings with a two-fold 
view. There was not a tree or even shrub to be 
found for a long distance from the sea; and although 
we might have carried spirit lamps for fuel and 
warmth, and tents for shelter, these would have 
infinitely mcreased the burdens, and were unnecessary, 
as we desired to proceed by the coast line, to learn 
its configuration, and visit each hamlet for information, 
and in these accommodation for repose could easily 
be found. Added to this, the heavy falls of snow and 
the astonishing drift which sweeps over the unshel- 
tered face of the country m high winds, so completely 
alter its appearance, fillmg up the beds of rivers and 


even whole valleys, that it would be rash to adventure 


OUR STORES AND EQUIPMENT. 113 


into the interior, unless with guides, to whom every 
feature of the hills was familiar as the pages of his 
breviary to an eremite; and even under the most 
favourable circumstances I should deem it at all times 
hazardous. 

None of our number had ever practised Arctic 
travelling ; we knew little or nothing of the use of 
snow-shoes, and it was vain to think of journeying 
on foot without those appendages ; besides which, it 
would have been slow and laborious work to have 
carried our stores of provisions, instruments, and 
presents. Reindeer would have been delightful 
steeds, fleet as the wind—and then so romantic; but 
we knew nothing about driving them, nor was 
their food to be always easily obtained; thus we 
came to the only easy and convenient mode of 
travellmg, namely, by sledges and dogs, which were 
therefore universally employed. 

We were provided with provisions for twelve days, 
a number of tools, trinkets, &c., for the natives, and 
the necessary instruments for taking observations, 
such as the dipping-needle and thermometers, 
sextants and artificial horizon, pocket chronometers, 
&c. We also carried a copper fiddle, made on board 
by our clever armourer, which had already visited 


more than one community to enliven its members. 


I 


114 START FOR WOOREL. 


We had some difficulty im obtainmg as many dogs 
as were required for so long a period, as the natives 
had seldom more than one set or “ train,’ and 
required these for daily use : we were therefore obliged 
to take the captain’s team until it could be replaced. 
On the morning of the 8th of February, a clear 
and beautiful day, with the temperature ranging from 
20° to 3° below zero, our little party started from the 
ship under cheers from our comrades, and took the 
direction of Woorel, where we expected to find 
reinforcements of our canine steeds. On our arrival, 
however, we found ourselves wofully deceived, the 
promises to that effect were ingeniously evaded by 
the contractors—Attah invented a_ plausible _ tale, 
which was, to persuade us that her animals were 
lame, and moreover adrift, and not to be caught 
without difficulty; while Amtin had effectually 
disappointed us by betaking himself, sledge, dogs 
and all, to a distance on the sea-ice, for the avowed 
purpose of seal-hunting. However, we were not to 
be thus checked at the outset, and, sending Ahmoleen, 
who was to accompany us for a short time, back to 
the ship to mention our ill-success, and bring on the 
Union-Jack which we had left behind, the journey was 
continued to Mahkatzan’s, where we intended to 


remain the night. 


SNOW-BITE. Ws 


On the road thither, we found the cold consider- 
able ; our pipes ceased to smoke, from the moisture 
congealing in them, and two natives, whom we met, 
pointed out that Martin’s cheek and nose were 
beginning to feel the frost, showmg two white spots, 
which, however, as they gave no pain, he had been 
quite unconscious of, and we who were in Ine, 
either in advance of or behind him, did not see; 
but rubbing his face smartly with snow soon restored 
the circulation. 

We reached Mahkatzan’s in the afternoon, and 
unharnessed for the night; Ahmoleen arrived soon 
after, having travelled fast with a light sledge. He 
brought the Union-Jack, and a note directing us to 
cut out an inscription upon wood, stating the par- 
ticulars of our visit, and to put it up at Laurenne, 
whither we were bound. I fear Mahkatzan was but 
a niggard, or else his resources must have been 
scanty ; only a few small fish were placed before us, 
both frozen and boiled. We did not feel greatly 
inclined to make havoc among the first, but discussed 
the other with a better grace; and with some slight 
addition from our own stores we made a tolerable 
repast, and then retired to rest. 

It may not be uninterestmg to describe our 


ordinary equipment on this trip, which I have since 
12 


116 OUR CLOTHING. 


learned to consider too cumbrous, though well suited 
to repel cold ; against which, however, activity is the 
best antidote. Our dress consisted of under-garments 
of flannel, or fleeces and linen, trowsers of box-cloth, 
or breeches of reindeer or seal-skin, heavy snow-boots, 
which were found to be dreadfully inconvenient, large 
frocks or shirts of reindeer skin, with the hair out- 
wards, over which, in snowy weather, was drawn the 
invaluable okoncho, a welshwig or woollen cap, covered 
by a huge outside one, with a long-haired border 
(mine was made of white bear-skin, provided, as was 
nearly all my excellent equipment, by the foresight 
of Yaneenga) ; worsted gloves, within large gauntlets 
or mitts, completed our costumes, which increased our 
bulk to double its ordinary dimensions, and made us 
look funny enough. 

The 9th was so unfavourable, that we were com- 
pelled to delay our journey, and were sufficiently occu- 
pied in taking magnetic observations, revising our 
wardrobes, and re-arranging the ladings of the sledges, 
as considered advisable, the journey hither having 
suggested some few alterations in that respect ; 
Yaneenga, who seemed to consider us as her especial 
charges, busied herself in making a pair of deer-skin 
mocassins for Martin, that he might discard his snow- 


boots, which were an effectual preventive to exercise. 


OBSTACLES FROM THE WEATHER. 1h 


The morning of the 10th presented an aspect little 
more favourable than that of the previous day ; it blew 
hard with a blindmg snow-drift, but we disliked to 
remain idle, and set off at about 8 a.m. Mahkatzan 
had consented, upon the consideration of certain 
rewards, to lend his train of dogs, and our equipages 
were now pretty well furnished. Mooldooyah had 
four, Yaneenga three, and each of ourselves five. 

Knowing this immediate part of the coast suffi- 
ciently well already, it was not intended to go right 
round it, but to cut across to a village at some 
distance to the eastward; and we proceeded with 
this view for a time in very great discomfort, the fine 
fiercely driven snow blowing directly in our faces 
and nearly blinding us: just when about to branch 
off to the westward of a range of hills near the sea, 
Mooldooyah, who had several times shown signs of 
disinclination to proceed, stopped suddenly, and 
acquainted us with his opinion, that it was folly to 
persevere in face of such obstacles ; and that he could 
by no means feel assured that we should not miss the 
right direction to our destination, which was far off, 
and that in this case the dogs, and even ourselves, 
might perish. 

There was no refuting such arguments ; he knew 


all about the matter—we nothing; so, of course, we 


118 ARRIVAL AT NOOWOOK. 


acceded to his desire of making for Tchaytcheen, 
whence, he said we might next day continue to 
the yarangas before-mentioned. He accordingly led 
the way in a new direction; but the weather became 
much worse, and a man and woman who passed us 
on their sledge gave up their trip and returned on 
our track: these indications were not wasted upon 
our faithful and prudent guide, who would not 
permit us to come to any harm for want of caution 
on his part. He again halted, represented that even 
T'chaytcheen was still distant, and that the desperate 
condition of the weather would render our journey 
thither a matter of doubtful success and safety ; and 
ended by recommending that we should not proceed 
beyond Noowook, a small hamlet now in sight. 
The councils of our mentor were not to be held in 
contempt, and we submitted to his suggestions with- 
out dissent, although murmuring at the ill luck which 
thus checked us m the first stages of our trip. 
Speedily reaching Noowook, which was a miserable 
fishing station, consisting only of six small and dirty 
huts, we took up our quarters first in the habitation 
of Tchi-gwa. 

No matter at what time of day a_ visitor 
arrives, food is instantly set before him, generally 


frozen fish or cold blubber, to keep him occupied 


DIFFERENCES OF TASTE. 119 


until other viands are got ready. Such was our lot 
in this instance; a number of small fish, about four 
inches long, raw and hard frozen, were placed before us, 
our hosts and guides setting the example in disposing 
of them. Unwilling to offend their prejudices, we 
endeavoured to manage a little execution in this line, 
but found it rather contrary to our tastes, although 
fortunately entire congelation disguised some of the 
unpleasant properties attendant on uncooked and 
uncleaned fish. Some blubber was then brought on 
and done justice to by all but ourselves, to whom the 
simple idea was quite enough for a meal. 

This yarang was very much confined ; all the smaller 
huts have barely sittmg height and stretching length, 
so that one is cramped for room ; and as J was desirous 
of making magnetic observations, my comrades were so 
kind as to take up their quarters m another tent for 
the nght. The sea was at this time covered with 
broken patches of ice, a few spots of water, but no 
distinct ‘“‘lanes”’ visible, and it would of course have 
been unsafe to adventure on it. Although striving 
as much as possible to gain and impart information, 
I found my host so stupid, or so apathetic, that the 
efforts were painfully one-sided; even the detail of 
preparations and performance with the dipping-needle, 


generally an object of so much curiosity and wonder, 


120 PURCHASE A DOG. 


were nearly unheeded by him. A little tobacco 
rewarded him amply for the slight trouble of our 
visit, and I lay down to sleep with an earnest hope 
for a favourable morrow. 

The morning of the 11th showed much less wind 
and drift, but was very misty with drizzling snow : this 
was, however, so great an improvement on the last 
two days that we were glad enough to hasten our 
departure. We snatched a hurried breakfast while 
our steeds were being harnessed, and had the vexation 
to discover that one of the dogs, lately lent by Mah- 
katzan, had, with canine fidelity, departed to seek 
his master. 

Bidding farewell to the meagre denizens of the 
village, we followed our guide ez route for Tchaytcheen, 
and were so fortunate as to overtake a gentleman of 
that township who was driving leisurely homewards in 
his two-dog sleigh, and who upon arriving at Tchayt- 
cheen, which we did in company, consented, for the 
consideration of about six ounces of tobacco, (which 
in the leaf looks a large quantity, and indeed is so 
to them,) to replace our lost dog with one of his 
own—a circumstance highly fortunate for us. In all 
such transactions as this I left the entire management 
to Mooldooyah, having implicit reliance upon his 


judgment and probity ; nor had we ever any reason 


HARBOUR OF TCHAYTCHEEN. 121 


to be dissatisfied with his arrangements, mm which 
it must be mentioned the voice of Yaneenga had 
much though quiet influence. Well were it always 
so with wives.. 

Tchaytcheen consisted of five small huts, situated 
under a range of hills, and upon the borders of Tchayt- 
cheen harbour, which is of a magnificent character. 
The yarangas were mean and dirty, and the only point 
of interest it possessed apart from others was the 
arrangement of perhaps eighteen or twenty heads of 
whales disposed in pairs to rest boats on. I think it 
not improbable that it was usual to keep a number of 
boats here fully provided for fishing, ready to be 
launched at an instant’s notice, when whales were 
reported. We desired much to have lingered awhile 
on the harbour which we now crossed, to make a few 
observations for fixing its position; but our mtended 
halting-place was far distant, and even without delay 
we could not hope to reach it until after dusk. 
‘The man who replaced our lost dog accompanied 
us some distance across the harbour, bemg bound on 
a sealing excursion. 

The mode of entrappmg these animals is inge- 
nious and deserving of notice. As I before 
remarked, the seals make holes in the ice, either 


piercing it when the crust is light, and keeping the 


$22 SEAL-CATCHING. 


place open day by day, or biting right up through as 
much as three or four feet of solid ice. Through these 
holes they get on to the ice, and generally lie close to 
the edge of the aperture, but if not rendered shy by 
frequent disturbance will wander off to some distance. 
It has always been a matter of wonder to me how 
they manage (particularly small ones) to climb up the 
wall sides of their holes with so little apparent 
holding powers, but they certainly do so with 
perfect ease. 

The natives, accomplished m all primitive arts 
of obtaining their prey, proceed to their task of 
capture with perfect self-confidence and deliberation : 
two modes are followed, one a simple question 
of patience, the other requirmg much skill and 
strategy. In the first a mound of snow or ice is 
raised at some distance from the seal hole, behind 
which, before his prey emerges from the water, the 
hunter ensconces himself, and where he must wait 
motionless and silent for the seal to appear, which 
often does not occur for a long period ; great skill is 
then necessary to secure his victim, as, unless killed 
instantaneously when struck, it is almost sure to 
escape into its hole. I believe bears have the same 
mode of catching them. In the other mode, the hunter, 


leaving his sledge and dogs at a distance, approaches 


SEAL-CATCHING. 123 


with slow and stealthy step until the seal, which is a 
particularly wary creature, manifests signs of perception 
and alarm; when the hunter, watchful as his quarry, 
sinks by almost imperceptible degrees down upon the 
ice, and remains there motionless until surprise has 
subsided, and the seal once more disposes itself to 
sleep, but he must now no longer remain erect and 
undisguised, nor may his procession be continuous. 
Crouching low upon the snow, he imitates with 
amazing fidelity the actions of the seal itself, and 
drags himself by slow and tortuous advances towards 
the hole: his vigilance must now be unwearied and 
unerring ; the slightest false movement, an instant’s 
motion when the seal is looking, and plunge goes his 
prey into the water, rendering all his care and labour 
fruitless, for there is no chance of a reappearance that 
day ; and when one seal goes in a hurry, the rest never 
wait long behind, shuffling and scurrying along the ice 
in the most ludicrous manner; so that all chance of 
sport is lost. Of this catastrophe the danger of course 
imcreases as the distance lessens, and the wariness of 
skilful hunters is then truly wonderful. The grand 
aim is to get between the seal and its hole, in which 
case capture may be considered pretty certain, but if 
this cannot be accomplished, the chasseur must 


endeavour to crawl right up to the animal unawares 


124 ANOTHER SNOW-STORM. 


and strike it dead at a blow. Success being attained, 
the hunter now goes joyfully off for his sledge, on 
which he places the entire carcase of his victim, for 
the Tuski has no foolish prejudices respecting offal ; 
all parts of the animal are useful, and the skin is taken 
off with very great care and skill, bemg cut only at 
the tail and flippers. Some of these animals are very 
large; a splendid skin with tiger spots, presented to 
me by one of the Tuski chiefs, is more than five feet 
long, exclusive of the head and tail which are cut off, 
nor was this the largest we saw. 

Upon reaching the opposite shore of the harbour, 
we struck off to the westward of a ridge of hills, 
leaving the sea and the road to Oongwysac on 
our right; this and other ranges ran in almost 
regular and parallel lines, in a N.W. direction, and 
did not vary greatly in altitude, being all about four 
or five hundred feet high. We now halted for a 
munch, for which Yaneenga displayed from among 
her hidden stores a small quantity of dry pounded 
venison; this was of a very agreeable flavour, 
slightly resembling our own pemmican, but possessing 
more flavour and freshness. 

The day had been misty throughout, and while 
we thus tarried for a space, fine snow commenced 


to fall thickly, and obscure our path ; imcreasing 


THE POLKA UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 125 


heavily as we continued on our way. Ail surrounding 
country was now completely hidden from view ; 
it was even difficult for myself, who always brought 
up the rear, to distguish with clearness the form 
of our guide, Mooldooyah, who notwithstanding 
pursued his way unhesitatingly until the brief day- 
light began to decrease, when he showed ominous 
signs of wavering and doubt, stopping at times to 
consult with his wife, and peering anxiously into 
the fast thickening gloom. At last, after descending 
a hill, and proceeding for a short time along a level 
surface, Mooldooyah came to a determined halt, and 
realised our fears of his having been misled by telling 
us that we were now on salt-water ice, probably only 
an inlet of the sea, but he did not know what or 
where—in fact, that he had lost his way in the snow- 
fall and darkness, and that we must wait until moon- 
rise for light and guidance. This would not happen 
for four or five hours, so we sat ourselves down 
contentedly to wait for the advent of the queen of 
night to relieve us from our difficulties. _We proposed 
indeed to show the direction of the land by compass ; 
but Mooldooyah rejected the offer as of little use, as 
even then he would be unable to find the road. 
Fortunately the fall of snow had brought a moderation 


of the cold, from which therefore we suffered little ; 


126 SMOKING. 


and so slightly did the condition of affairs depress our 
spirits, that several favourite songs were sung in 
chorus, and Martin and myself had a dance in the 
snow, which deserves the name of the Tuski Polka. It 
was however rather too laborious an amusement to be 
long continued, as we were heavily encumbered with 
our clothes, and the snow was three feet deep: 
recourse was then had to smoking, and sure I am 
that the severest condemners of this practice would 
withhold their strictures in our case, where its 


indulgence was so great a solace. 


Es. 


CHAPTER IX. 


Woman’s Care-—The anxious Guides.—A solemn Ceremony.—Prolonged 
Misery and a new Disaster.—The Dilemma.—A Cruel Deception.— 
The last Night.—A glorious Discovery.—Hope and Deliverance.— 
Hunger of Dogs: its Consequences.—Thirst.—Kind Reception.—The 
Tuski Garrick—The Hot Spring.—New Cookery. 

Tue rising of the moon brought no alteration to 
our condition ; so thickly fell the heavy snow-flakes, 
we could barely tell, by a faint glimmering, in which 
direction she lay, and we were perforce induced to 
arrange our sledges for repose, followmg in this the 
movements of Mooldooyah, and aided by the sugges- 
tions and touch of Yaneenga, who was ever watchful 
of our comfort; not more anxious perhaps than the 
good man, but more alive to our wants,—and—there, 
I need not talk any more to show that woman always 
is worth a dozen of the other sex for tender care and 
attention. 

Mooldooyah and his wife were evidently in a 
state of terrible anxiety for our safety; for them- 


selves they could have little fear, inured as they were 


128 SHAMANISM. 


to the rigour of the climate, although even the natives 
occasionally suffer dreadful, and even fatal injuries by 


such accidents as the present. But the case was 


different as concerned the strangers, whose power - 


to resist the cold they were unacquainted with. 
In this extremity, recourse was had to thy powers, 
dread Shamanism! and whatever people may think of 
it, I freely confess, that although by no means a man of 
weak nerves, the manner of conducting the ceremony, 
notwithstanding the simplicity of its details, struck 
me with a sensation of awe, and first opened my eyes 
to the real danger we were in. Quitting their sledge 
with slow and measured step, the pair removed to a 
distance from us, where Yaneenga prostrated herself 
in the snow, her hands upraised above her buried 
face: the man, turning first to the west, then to the 
north and south, omitting—I know not why, perhaps 
accidentally—the fourth pomt, bowed himself to each 
repeatedly ; like Yaneenga’s, his hands and arms were 
upraised above his head, and he gave forth a succession 
of cries, which still sound m my ears asI write 
of them—long wailing shouts, loud, unearthly and 
despairing, each exhausting the lungs im their emission, 
like a thunder roll at first, and smking by degrees to 
a melancholy faintness. In all my life I never heard 


any sounds to equal these for horrible impressiveness ; 


ya a.” 


DANGEROUS POSITION. 129 


the deathwail of the Irish, the shout of the Red Indian, 
both of which I have heard in force, fall far short of 
Mooldooyah’s appeal to his fates. They presently 
returned to their sledge, where I joined them, and 
found Yaneenga weeping profusely but quietly, 
while her husband sat in moody silence and replied 
only briefly to my questions. Ere long I regained 
my own sledge and reclined against it until morning, 
but sleep came tardily, and then only in broken, fitful 
portions. 

Glimmermg daylight on the 12th brought no 
prospect of relief; the. snow still thickly falling in 
enormous flakes, circumscribed the view at a few 
yards’ extent, and Mooldooyah could not venture to 
proceed in any, as the right, direction, nor even show 
the way off the salt-water ice; this, however, the 
compass enabled us to do, and gaining the shore we 
travelled on until noon in great uncertainty. Being 
still utterly ignorant of our position, we then once 
more halted, obtaining shelter to leeward of a hill, 
for the wind had risen and the temperature fallen 
considerably ; both these occurrences gave good cause 
for dread of their fatal effects in our exposed and 
unprepared condition. 

It was clearly useless to move, since we should 


wander we knew not whither; patience and hope 


K 


130 ILLNESS OF MR. MOORE. 


were our only trusts, and we remained here all day 
without change, once only getting a glimpse of the 
surrounding country, which proved to be table-land, 
at a considerable height, encircled by hills. Our 
sledges were so fully and heavily laden that they 
were of little service as couches; we made holes m 
the snow and lay in a crouching position, exposing 
our heads only; thus a little, very little, miserable 
slumber was occasionally obtained, although two 
days’ weariness courted repose. A new disaster to 
one of our party soon robbed the remainder of 
even this taste of luxury. Our comrade, Mr. 
Moore, became afflicted with diarrhoea so violently 
that we were much alarmed on _ his account, 
and had, moreover, but scanty means of assuaging 
his distress. A small quantity of spirits re- 
lieved him somewhat, but he remained faint and 
prostrated. 

This was a miserable night ; darkness surrounded 
us without relief, for we had neither fuel nor means 
of obtaining light ; the snow, penetrating our outer 
garments, thawed upon the under clothing ; gauntlets 
and caps, frequently dropped or mislayed, were full 
of snow when recovered, and little round crystal balls 
fringing our inner caps and _ hair, greatly mcreased 


our discomfort. It may thus be imagined how truly 


MORE DISASTERS. Loe 


wretched was our situation, that of our poor mess- 
mate particularly, aggravated as it was by illness and 
extra exposure. 

Another day dawned, but brought no comfort to 
our now chilled souls as well as bodies. Think, dear 
friends, of the utter desolation and dreariness of 
uninterrupted snow; the livelong day, the weary 
night, snow, only snow, now falling perpendicularly 
in broad and massive flakes, now driven by the 
freezing blast in slanting sheets which sought each 
nook and cranny for a resting-place. In scenes of 
stirring excitement there is much to blind one to 
possible contingencies, or at least they are congenial 
to the spirit, but this our miserable condition, deso- 
late and monotonous, called for all the quicksilver 
im one’s veins. 

A partial clearance towards noon stimulated 
Mooldooyah to a new effort, but no success attended 
his endeavours, which only created fresh troubles. 
In descending a steep hill, my sledge broke down, 
and we had only just again started, after a long delay 
to repair it, when, at the steepest part of the descent, 
Martin’s equipage turned over and threw him and a 
large case of pemmican out upon the snow. I tried 
to stop his dogs, but they ran, sledge and all, over 


me and escaped to the bottom of the hill, where they 
K 2 


1D2 DESCENT OF A HILU. 


were seized and held by Yaneenga, who with the 
others had arrived there. 

Martin and I were now in a condition of perplexity. 
The snow reached to our hips; it was therefore useless 
to attempt carrying the burden down the hill; we 
tried to roll it, but raised a continually imcreasing 
mass before, and kissed the snow ourselves. One of 
us now, embracing the case affectionately, endeavoured 
to roll down with it, but soon desisted, half choked, 
and a new experiment was essayed, by riding double 
on my sledge; but as we rolled off alternately, this 
scheme also was abandoned. We did that at last 
which reason would at first have suggested; the 
pemmican was added to my load, and poor Martin 
had to trudge down the hill by slow and laborious 
steps. 

Mooldooyah had now another long task, two of the 
sledges being much injured. ‘The repairs being con- 
cluded, we moved on again, though without knowing 
any more of our position than before. 

The snowfall decreased slightly towards evening, 
and this trifling improvement favoured an illusion, 
whose dissipation was a cruel disappointment to us in 
our jaded and dispirited state. We were, uncon- 
sciously, again approaching the sea, and suddenly 
hailed with transports of delight what we took to be 


INTENSE COLD. 135 


a collection of yarangas. ,Strange to say, the dogs 
manifested equally joyous symptoms of recognition, 
and needed little persuasion to make them quicken 
their speed towards the so welcome objects. Alas, 
we might have spared our glad hurrahs ; the fancied 
yarangas were but the bare abrupt faces of the sea 
cliffs, and, as we neared them, seemed to grin derisively 
at our bitter delusions. 

So great a fall of snow had rendered travelling 
exceedingly difficult, particularly with such heavily 
laden sledges ; the dogs could scarcely flounder along, 
and we were constantly obliged to lift one or the 
other runner from its deep furrow. These continued 
efforts were, m our exhausted plight, painfully 
laborious ; and the entire helplessness of Mr. Moore, 
who still suffered from his complaint, added greatly 
to our fatigue. 

We stopped at last, from sheer inability to pro- 
ceed, in the mouth of a small inlet, bordered by 
steep banks, and passed a night of misery and. sus- 
pense, far worse than any of the preceding. The 
wind, sweeping remorselessly through the gorge, 
~ covered us with snow-drift, and sought to freeze the 
very marrow in our bones, the temperature having 
again fallen considerably. 


That might is imprinted indelibly upon my 


134 ARRIVE AT OUR DESTINATION. 


memory: never do I .recall its tardily passing 
moments without shuddering at the thought of what 
might have been our state next morning. That we 
were not all frozen to death will ever be a matter of 
wonder to me, for our under garments had been 
completely saturated with melted snow, and our 
outer dresses were rigid as boards. The morning of 
the 14th presented little to justify more than a faint 
hope of relief. A heavy mist hung around, obscuring 
the scene as much as_ ever; and although we 
journeyed on, it was in a circle, for we crossed our 
old track. Between nine and ten, however, the mist 
cleared off, and gave us a considerable view, by which 
fortunate chance both Martin and Mooldooyah recog- 
nised a headland afar, and then knew that we were 
in Oong-wy-sac Coy-ee-mak, or Oongwysac harbour, 
and consequently could reach the village of Oongwysac 
ere night. We directly took bearings, in case the 
weather should again thicken, but it cleared as the 
day wore on; and using all the very moderate 
dispatch we could exert, Oongwysac was reached after 
a laborious travel of ten hours. We arrived at the 
yarangas in a condition of complete exhaustion; and 
here our first cry was for water. For water! with 
snow im such profusion around! Even so, good 


friends. Thirst was one of our greatest sufferings, 


SUFFERINGS FROM THIRST. 135 


which eating snow only increased, from its inflamma- 
tory effect. Our poor dogs were almost famished. 
Mooldooyah would never allow us to give them our 
own provisions, both because we might not be able 
to spare them, and also that, as he stated, they could 
go without food for three or four days, in cases of 
necessity : the small quantities we nevertheless per- 
sisted in giving them once or twice, were by far 
inadequate to their wants, and the consequence was, 
that when we halted at nights, the dogs, burying them- 
selves in the snow as usual, quietly gnawed away at 
their harness, which was of seal-hide; and in the 
morning, when attempting to depart, a solitary dog, 
representing the team, would possibly emerge from 
its lair, the rest having entirely detached themselves 
from the sledges ; they had then to be sought for, 
and harnessed with whatever could be found. 

My companions and myself repaired to the yarang 
of Teo, our guides taking up their abode in another 
belonging to a friend of theirs, Yappo by name. ‘The 
united barking of the whole assembly of dogs, 
including our own, soon caused the yarangas, closed 
at dusk, to re-open, and we were welcomed with 
eagerness, which, upon a knowledge of our sorry 
plight, was changed into bustling assistance and 


exclamations of sympathy. Scarcely were we 


136 OUR STAY IN TEOS YARANG. 


permitted to retam free motion. Moore, who was 
greatly exhausted, was tended hke a dying man, and 
we were speedily relieved from all troubles save 
the prostration which ensued on this long and 
painful trial. 

Warmth and repose soon restored Martin and 
myself to the power of renewed exertion, but 
Mr. Moore remained in a very feeble state, and I 
wrote to Captain Moore next day, detailing our 
mishaps, and communicated our opinion that he had 
better return at once to the “ Plover.” 

It was resolved that we should remain here until 
our strength should be recruited, when, if the answer 
from Captam Moore should be favourable, Martin 
and myself would endeavour to renew the fulfilment 
of the objects of our excursion, thus disastrously 
impeded. The interval of repose was broken only by 
scientific and other observations, and visiting the 
various yarangas around us. Desiring to communi- 
cate with our guides, I sought them in the hut, to 
which they had overnight repaired ; they had already 
gone forth, and I was directed to a very large yarang, 
whither they had gone. On entering, I found my 
friends, and had also the good fortune to witness a 
national performance of a purely theatrical nature, 


which was curious as unexpected. In this large tent, 


ed 


NATIVE MIMICRY. bad 


apparently erected for and devoted to public pur- 
poses (possibly as a council-room as well as theatre, 
for in place of the usual inner apartments, only a 
species of bench, of raised earth, ran around 
it), were seated numerous spectators. Yaneenga 
made room for me beside her, and I had a 
plam view of the solitary actor, who sustained his 
part with extraordinary skill, activity, and endu- 
rance : this performance was a representation of the 
practices of the Pa-erks (i. e., Esquimaux on the 
opposite shore of the straits:) I had before seen 
this shghtly attempted, but the present was evidently 
a state occasion, and all details were carefully 
presented. He imitated with extravagant action— 
paddling, eating, and drinking, looking for an enemy, 
fighting, and hunting the whale, in which the efforts of 
the men and the struggles of the animals were 2TO- 
tesquely depicted, and he gesticulated throughout with 
furious energy. ‘T'wo musicians seated upon the earth 
beat incessantly upon their drums ; their performances 
seeming to be an indispensably necessary addition 
to the sport. The spectators applauded  voci- 
ferously, in a manner scarcely less interesting than 
the scene they praised, any incident more striking 
than the rest eliciting interjections of kah! kah! 


kah! “da capo diminuendo,” and a low running 


138 THE FACULTY OF IMITATION. 


gurgle of approval with a continuous though sub- 
dued current of conversation, occasionally breaking 
out with the elders in short notes, to thei fellows 
or the actor, of satisfaction at his efforts. By the 
very general interest displayed, I have little doubt 
that he was the Garrick of his tribe; indeed, I 
never saw any other among them so expert as 
himself by many shades: the poor fellow deserved 
applause if only for the labour of his performance. 
It may briefly be noticed, that he was clad to 
resemble those he mimicked, having among other 
peculiarities, only one mitten on—a familiar trait 
of Esquimaux—and threw into his action, tones 
and expression, a character so entirely foreign to 
his own that one would, unwarned, fail to recog- 
nise him as of the Tuski. I was much impressed 
with the view of this spectacle. Here, on the 
extreme of a sterile and desolate waste, on whose 
edge only a few uncivilised persons are scattered, 
the imitative faculty of man had burst forth without 
example, his untaught and unaided ingenuity develop- 
ing itself in athousand instances. The contemplative 
mind cannot but find im all these things indications of 
the universal superiority of man over the brute—ample 
food for reflection upon the mightiness of the Power who 


bestowed reason to direct and capability to perform. 


EXCURSION TO A HOT-SPRING. 139 


The face of the country was so completely hidden 
during the winter, that we were unable to remark 
upon its features and constitution ; accident revealed 
the information that black-lead ore exists on this 
coast, particularly upon the poimt on which we now 
were ; two species of ochre are also found, but more 
rarely, and are exchanged at high prices with the 
denizens of distant villages, bemg held in great 
estimation as dyes, and for painting upon skins, 
paddles, &c., for which black-lead is also extensively 
used. We obtained some fresh venison here from 
one of the natives, who had lately purchased it, and 
found it welcome alike as a change and to the saving 
of our provisions. 

While awaiting the return of our messenger to the 
ship, I made an excursion to a hot-spring, not far 
distant, im company with a Mr. No-tak-en, whose 
interminable garrulity was supportable only on such 
an occasion when one desired to acquire all the 
information possible; but he was very obliging, 
thinking no trouble too great in the service of a 
friend, and this was a saving clause in his disposition. 
He took care to provide mocassins of seal-skin, to 
be assumed upon arrival at the stream ; a number of 
small raw fish, and one or two blue beads; but what 


he was going to do with either of these I had no idea, 


140 HOT SPRING. 


and left the issue to the future. A pleasant run of 
two hours—for having empty sledges our dogs speeded 
merrily along—brought us to a line of high steep 
banks, under a range of rounded barren hills, all now 
enveloped in snow. Long ere we reached the spring, 
clouds of vapour hanging above, and the stream 
proceeding from it, showed where it lay, at the foot 
of a high bank, overhung in a very curious manner 
by a canopy of snow. Drift had, I conjecture, first 
formed in a mass above, which the action of the 
vapour had hollowed out inside, until a sort of cave 
of considerable height was formed ; the melting snow 
and heated vapour had encrusted the inner surface 
with a smooth and glassy coatmg of ice, in which 
numerous apertures, in beautiful crystallisation, per- 
mitted the vapour to escape in volumes; depending 
icicles, like fragments of felspar, added to the 
picturesque appearance of this curious cavern. The 
spring was not at this time boiling at the surface, the 
thermometer showing only 156° of Fahrenheit; the 
water was strongly impregnated with salt and other 
substances, having a mingled taste of iron and copper, 
and bitter as gall. In the cauldron or basin of the 
sprmg I found a_ blue bead, which, however, 
No-tak-en carefully replaced, at the same time adding 
two or three of those he had brought, and telling 


RETURN FROM OUR EXCURSION. 141 


me to do likewise. By his signs and replies to my 
questions I was led to believe that these were placed 
there as an offering to the spirit of the spring, but 
I may have erred as to his meaning. Possibly the 
real intention was to change their colour by the 
chemical action of the water. 

From the bed of the stream I obtained some frag- 
ments of fossil wood, which would lead one to impute 
a petrifymg property to the spring. The fish which 
No-tak-en had brought he placed in the stream for 
about half an hour, then presented them to me as 
cooked ; for curiosity’s sake I tasted them, and found 
that they had become in a measure stewed, but, at 
the same time, had so thoroughly imbibed the 
ingredients of the water as to be quite unfit to eat. 
Two splendid alpine hares, with coats of long and 
spotless fur, trotted leisurely off as we arrived, and 
remained upon the brow of the hill watching us ; we 
had unfortunately brought neither gun nor bow, 
so that they were safe from injury. After having 
examined the spring and stream with great interest, 
I returned with my companion to Oongwysac much 


pleased with the excursion. 


CHAPTER X. 


Way to manage Natives.—The Magical Magnet.—Quit Oongwysac.—The 
Deserted.—A Census.—May-tchoo-emin. —Tuski Games.—The trial of 
speed.—The Wrestlers.—A large bear-skin.—Tuski bravery.—Combats 
and Marks.—The Greek Cross.—A Wanderer’s fate.—A disagreeable 
check.— Useless instruction. —A piece of good luck.—Yandangah 
—Ah-mo-leen.—A Tuski gentleman.—A Tuski villa—Hospitality. 


Durine our stay here, as upon all practicable 
occasions, we used strenuous endeavours to obtain 
and impart information; we had sometimes slight, but 
very often gratifymg results. When become a little 
experienced in the art of communicating with 
primitive people, I found my best chances of success 
to lie in first impressing them with feelings of respect 
by our apparent superiority and performance of 
‘mysterious operations, and then to engage their 
attention by explanation of these seeming effects of 
magic. 

Of all things least open to their comprehension, 
the powers of the magnet were principal. I found it 
quite useless to attempt a solution of the mystery, 


and was necessarily content to leave it enshrouded in 


WONDER AT THE MAGNET. 143 


darkness. ‘That it could lift iron and steel, make 
needles dance, and impart its wonderful powers to 
other portions of metal, were phenomena which were 
ascribed rather to our wizard qualities than to its 
own merits; and the natives continued to regard 
all operations in this respect with a mixture of fear 
and wonder. 

The messenger who had been despatched to the 
ship returned to Oongwysac with fresh instructions, 
and a further supply of provisions for us, permission 
deing accorded for the resumption of the journey 
by Mr. Martin and myself; Mr. Moore, of course, 
returning to the “ Plover.” 

The morning of the 19th—for we had been four 
days detained at Oongwysac—saw us once more astir 
npon our journey, refreshed and re-invigorated : the 
day was clear and sunny, and we sped along the 
hardened snow without a halt, taking to the sea-ice, 
after passing the point we had descried with so much 
joy on the morning of the 14th. 

We passed the island of Tchatlook, which rises 
rocky and abrupt from the water to the height, 
perhaps, of 200 feet, and continued, alternately 
traversing strips of land and arms of the straits, until 
considerably past nightfall. Our guides were again 


slightly at fault on this occasion, as the huts were 


14.4 AURORA BOREALIS. 


upon the shore of a small island or peninsula (we 
could not, from the mass of snowdrift, tell which), 
and mist lay low down upon the horizon. After some 
delay, however, we turned off to the eastward, and 
soon discovered them. The aurora borealis was dis- 
played this night in great beauty; it lay like a fringe 
on a dark bank of clouds which bounded the horizon : 
the effect was almost funereal. Having arrived here 
at a late hour, we delayed repose only to take refresh- 
ment; and set off again early next morning, after 
presenting our host with some tobacco and his wife 
with a few beads. We halted at noon on the sea- 
ice to obtain the latitude; but our guides speedily 
tired of waiting, and set off before us to a village on a 
hill in sight, at some distance, where they were to 
await our arrival. Martin and I, having concluded. 
our observations and a sketch, repacked the instru- 
ments upon the sledges; and he then mounted, and 
set off a little before I reached my carriage: my dogs 
were up and off in an instant after his sledge, and 
both teams, gaining sight of the huts m the distance, 
raced towards them at full speed. Martin could 
not stop his dogs ; it was hopeless to expect mine 
to halt, and away they all scampered, leaving me 
to get over about two miles of distance as I best 


might. 


Cail e ats ales 


A FISHING VILLAGE. 145 


I was fully clad in riding costume, for the tempe- 
rature was very low at this time, and the snow-crust, 
only sufficiently thick to bear dogs and sledges, broke 
in and let me through as far as my knees at each 
footstep. The holes thus made were only just the size 
of my feet, and I was therefore obliged to lift my legs 
perpendicularly each time. My toil may be imagined ; 
but a third of the distance was accomplished with 
dreadful fatigue, when Mooldooyah, seeing and appre- 
ciating my difficulties, despatched one of the villagers 
on my sledge to my deliverance. After a brief halt, 
we continued on until evening, when another village 
was reached, where we obtained lodging for the night. 
A spring of delicious water was passed to-day: it 
showed a temperature of 41. 

At Nootchoome, through which we passed during 
the 21st, we stopped for a short time, more to satisfy 
the curiosity of the mhabitants than for our own 
convenience. It was a fishing village of eight huts ; 
and I obtaimed, with considerable pains, a rough 
statement of the population ; but, although considering 
it near the truth, will not vouch for its correctness : 
these huts were all very small, and did not, therefore, 
reach the general average of number. The inmates 


of each hut were given as follows :— 


146 A CENSUS. 


MEN. WOMEN. CHLLDREN. 
Met ee eT 2 
Gye 8 5 
(3) 0 1 2 
(4) 6 3 2 
tae 0 1 
(6) 0 i A 
(7) 1 0 if 
Gta 1 2 

13 9 19 

Total : ; 41 persons. 


This gives an average of five persons to each 
habitation, which, for the size of the yarangas, may 
be considered greater than usual. 

Bestowing a trifle upon our informant and a few 
others, we pursued our way without matter of great 
interest until reaching May-tchoo-emin, a village 
situated on the border of a harbour of considerable 
capacity and convenience, called in the charts, the 
Bay of Mechigme. We remained here for the mght, 
and found sufficient amusement and interest m infor- 
mation gained, and a further exhibition of native 
customs, which was, I believe, performed for our 
edification. 

A shed or covered stage, erected for the protection of 
boats and fishing-gear during the winter, stood in the 
centre of a level plain fronting the huts. A number of 
the young men, starting at a given signal, commenced 


to run round and round this shed, always keeping at 


CURIOUS TRIAL OF STRENGTH. 147 


a certain distance from it. ‘They continued for a 
very considerable time in motion, at last one by 
one dropped off from exhaustion, until two only 
remained, between whom the struggle was protracted 
and severe. The object of this trial being to ascer- 
tain superiority of endurance, rather than of speed, the 
pace was not rapid, but it was, nevertheless, im- 
perative on the foremost runner to retain his advance, 
and this law caused some hard struggles for place. 

I was confirmed in my view of the nature of this 
species of match by observing that the competitors 
were not allowed to divest themselves of clothing, 
but raced in complete costume ; and that they were 
permitted to provide themselves with the peculiar 
stick which is used by them in travelling on snow or 
ice. ‘This is a long thin staff of drift-wood, shod 
at the foot with pointed ivory or seals’ tooth, and 
furnished with a circular frame, generally of whale- 
bone, sometimes six or eight inches in diameter, 
attached to it three or four inches above the shod ; 
this frame is covered with a net-work of hide-cord, 
and its use is intended to prevent the staff going 
deep in the snow, and_ so tripping him whose 
support it should be: it is a valuable acquisition, 
particularly with snow shoes. 


When this game was concluded, and our plaudits, 


L2 


148 WRESTLING MATCH. 


with more substantial tokens of approbation, had 
been bestowed upon the winners, two gladiators 
entered the arena, nude to the waist, and after rolling 
in the snow to refresh and render their bodies moist 
and slippery, like those of ancient Rome with oil, 
they commenced to wrestle in a peculiar and rather 
violent manner; the principal aim was to seize the 
arm, but they also took hold of each other’s hair, 
and some rather obstinate contests took place, 
heavy falls and ensanguined visages showing the 
severity of the mimic strife. The muscular develop- 
ment of all the combatants was generally very fine ; 
small and large men alike showed compact, solid 
frames with both power and activity. It was 
amusing enough to see them rub their bodies briskly 
with snow, and return to the encounter with renewed 
vigour and spirit. 

We learned positively that a vessel (apparently a 
brig) had entered May-tchoo-emin harbour, and 
remained there for a considerable time, that she came 
from the “ Paerks” land, and went towards 
Iwor-i-en, when there was noice, but our informa- 
tion beyond this pomt was rather too vague for 
reliance. When she had becn here, and how long, 
or of what country she was, were points which only 


a future visit can determine. 


ENORMOUS BEAR-SKIN. 149 


We were in the habit of barterimg for skins of the 
fox, sable, and others as they offered, and had 
purchased a few at different villages as we passed. 
Upon the shed or stage I have above noticed was a 
magnificent white bear-skin of an enormous size; on 
my requiring to see it, four men lifted it off the 
scaffold with difficulty and placed it upon the snow ; 
true the skull and paws had been retained, and the 
skin was what is technically termed “green,”’ that is, 
moist as when taken off the carcase, and it was also 
hard frozen; but an idea of its great size may 
nevertheless be formed from its weight. I endea- 
voured to purchase it, but thought I saw a disposition 
to extortion, which I would not encourage, and 
therefore refused the price demanded. Such skins 
are valuable to these people, as these animals rarely 
appear so low down on the coast of the Frozen Sea. 
They are attacked without hesitation, frequently by 
single individuals, and sanguinary contests are the 
result. We met one man who was said to have 
encountered a huge and savage bear with only a 
species of large dagger-knife, and to have succeeded 
in despatching it. He was frightfully injured in the 
contest on his breast; five huge scars caused by the 
claws of his adversary were visible; a terrible seam 


appeared on one side of his face, and he was, more- 


150 TATTOOING. 


over, crippled for life. Portions of the skin of his 
antagonist, which hung in his yaranga, were pointed 
out by him with great satisfaction, and he proudly 
displayed the tattooed marks on his chest, won by this 
dearly-bought victory. Subjomed are fac-similes of 
other such marks copied by myself from another 


man’s breast on which they were pricked. 


he ingredients for tattooing are tzow-gwit-zow, 
red ochre ; toong-e-rillery, black-lead, and some kind of 
blue like indigo; but this last | never saw, and do not 
know whether it is an indigenous or aequired article. 

Some of the “ Plover’s’” men were, as is common 
among sailors, very much tattooed about the arms 
and breast, and the natives having once discovered 
these barbaric tokens never tired of inspecting them : 
the curious and in many instances unique devices dis- 
played, greatly excited their wonder and admiration ; 
those of us who had not availed ourselves of this 
peculiar branch of art were subjected to many queries 
as to the reasons for the omission. 

We were now within a short distance of the village 
called Lorenne, to which our instructions had defini- 


tively pointed as the probable goal of our efforts, for 


; bys tidy ' StVeay #4, Tee hh 


ad 


| IGEHOTITTAD “iron a 
mee \ AR VYOHAaMC PHA & 2’e es 


| 
| 
| 


MEMENTO MORI. 


Page 151. 


A SAILORS GRAVE. 151 


at the time those orders were written it was conjec- 
tured that this was East Cape; but both Martin 
and myself were now of decided opinion that a 
considerable distance yet lay between us and_ that 
promontory, which, however, we were determined if 
possible to reach or get sight of. 7 

The morning of the 22nd saw us on the road to 
Lorenne, whose principal man, Belconta by name, 
met us about halfway, and returned with us to his 
village. At the distance of about six miles from 
Lorenne, we came to a rude cross of wood which, as 
may well be imagined, engrossed all our attention 
for the time. Halting, we examined it with scrupu- 
lous care, and I think I know nearly every turn of 
the grain. I made a careful sketch of it, copying the 
Russian inscription with particular attention, and 
now present it to my readers iz forma veritas. 
Inquiry elicited that a man lay buried beneath this 
simple monument, one of the crew of a ship which 
had visited here; thegfigures, 1821, on the wood 
told when his clay returned to its kindred dust, and 
this was all we knew of the poor departed—an instance 
of the sailor’s wayward lot and frequent sad and 
solitary fate. 

I cut upon the cross, in two places, “H. M.S. 


d 


Plover,” with the date, as evidence of our visit, and 


152 LORENNE NOT THE EAST CAPE. 


we then resumed our journey. On espying Lorenne 
we also saw two other clusters of huts, about two 
miles’ distance lying between each. At Lorenne, the 
foremost of the three villages, we found Yaneenga’s 
brother living, and our guides desired therefore to ' 
remain with him. ‘To this we could not object, but 
as the day was yet young, we went on in charge of 
Belconta to the furthest range of seven huts, where 
he held his dwelling. 

The necessity of constant watchfulness in driving 
was impressed upon me to day, by a rather forcible 
lesson. Without heeding the road, I permitted my 
sledge to overrun one of my dogs, which accident 
will often lame them, and in trying to disentangle its 
harness, I was bitten in the hand by the poor beast, 
which in its pain inflicted a severe wound. 

Very slight observation confirmed our former view 
respecting the erroneous identification of Lorenne with 
East Cape ; that question was soon settled, and we 
became very anxious to rea¢h the next pomt, which, 
as we could see nothing beyond it, might possibly be 
the much-desired position: this, we were told, was 
called Yandangah, with a ko-ee-mak (harbour) 
contiguous ; and the contimuous trending of the 
coast to the eastward led us to entertain sanguine 


expectation that it would prove the fixed termination 


OUR GUIDES .REFUSE TO PROCEED. 153 


of our advance; we could, unfortunately, place no 
settled reliance upon our observations, from various 
causes, among which the frequent stopping of the 
chronometer from cold was perhaps the greatest 
imconvenience. 

‘To our expressions of desire to proceed to Yandangah, 
Mooldooyah and his wife to our surprise, returned 
only replies indicative of reluctance and even refusal. 
“The people at Yandangah,” said he, “ were unfriendly 
to him, and he would inevitably be ‘ wahl-da,’ 
(knifed) if he appeared among them.” Belconta was 
equally unwilling, and so all others to whom we 
applied; even promises of extra reward could not 
induce any one to take the place of guide. Whether 
the cause of objection was real or imagined I could 
not tell; it was, at any rate, well sustained, and our 
chances of going to Yandangah seemed very small, 
unless we went by ourselves, which would have been 
not only rash, but also a great infraction of our 
instructions both in letter and spirit, and of course 
one or the other of these must always be observed. 
However we awaited patiently the advent of the 
morrow, and meanwhile made ourselves as comfortable 
as might be. Belconta’s tent was of contracted 
dimensions, the inner apartment being only nine feet 


by five feet six inches, but we were becoming used to 


154 FUTILE EFFORTS AT INSTRUCTION: 


scanty space for lodgings. The old gentleman provided 
us with some nice fresh venison, which agreeably 
assisted in economising our provisions, and in return 
for all his attention we presented him with a butcher’s 
and a saddler’s knife, and some tobacco ; his wife was 
made happy by the acquisition of a looking-glass, a 
strmg of beads and some needles. What treasures 
were these ! the jewelled casket of the bride has not 
more charms for her delighted gaze than these simple 
presents to this primitive people. I assure you, dear 
reader, it was a sweet and unalloyed pleasure to 
witness the joyous transports of our simple-minded 
friends upon the acquisition of such gifts. We tried 
to instruct them too, to lead them to some idea of 
worlds other than their own, of people abounding in 
perfection of art and skill ; Religion’s taper was lighted, 
but the flame expired in its first breath, and our 
labour of love was vain. After all these efforts, and 
they were long continued, I had recourse to my faithful 
copper fiddle, which, although now sorely bruised and 
battered by its many trying peregrinations, never 
refused to add its squeaking item to the general 
amusement. 

The dialect spoken here was identical with that at 
Oongwysac and Kay-gwan, being a distinct idiom to 


that more generally employed. 


HALT AT CO-CONE. 155 


We remained here during the meght, and were 
delighted next morning by the visit of a man who 
signified that he belonged to Ah-mo-leen of Yandangah, 
which we had heard was the name of the chief 
residing there. Very little persuasion induced him to 
undertake to conduct us to that place on the morrow, 
and having made satisfactory arrangements, Martin 
and I set off for Lorenne to see Mooldooyah, and to 
watch for opportunities for lunars, &c. 

We found the yarangas here preferable to those we 
had lately left; they were cleaner and more commo- 
dious, both of which were appreciable advantages. 
As we did not intend to make any lengthened journey, 
the heavier lading of the sledges was left under care 
of Mooldooyah, who was to await our return. Bidding 
him and Yaneenga farewell, we started on the morning 
of the 24th escorted by Pelowyo, the man who had 
agreed to guide us, and another native. ‘This was one 
of the finest days and most pleasant travel we had 
seen throughout, and having lightened sledges we 
were less tied to attention to our equipages than 
hitherto. 

A run of a couple of leagues brought us to Co-cone, 
consisting of seven huts of tolerable size; we only 
stopped there a moment to obtain a draught of water, 


then speeded on, passing a river and two fresh-water 


156 THE TUSKI GENTLEMAN. 


lakes, besides occasional small bays of the sea, m our 
transit. A steep declivity of frozen snow, on which, 
while at a rapid pace, my dogs overturned, and much 
scratched me, was the finish to our day’s run; at its 
foot we found three yarangas, from the largest of 
which, ere we had well dismounted, sprang a young 
man, shouting,—‘‘ Toromah! Toromah!” in accents 
of joyous welcome. Shaking us eagerly by the hand, 
he rather dragged than led us into his commodious 
and well-furnished habitation, and as he was a 
likely sprightly young fellow, whose countenance 
beamed with good-humour and _ satisfaction, we 
esteemed ourselves fortunate in fallmg imto such 
good hands. 

I have in a preceding page described a Tuski 
dandy: here let me do justice to the Tuski gentle- 
man, of whom the most perfect exemplification was 
undoubtedly our new friend, Ahmoleen, the second, as 
IT must call him, in distinction to the son of Mooldoo- 
yah, my first and fast friend. 

Ahmoleen’s arrangements were in a style quite 
novel to us among this people. His house, dress, 
sledges, dogs, appomtments, and equipments, were 
all of the first order, and conspicuous for their sur- 
passing neatness and propriety; his manners were 


quite a relief to the ordinary conduct of the natives, 


COMFORTABLE QUARTERS. 157 


and an air of self-respect visible in every action, 
betokened not only his superiority, but also. his 
knowledge of it. 

Entermg the yarang with our host, we were 
ceremoniously presented to his neat and pretty little 
wife, who soon showed that she had been well chosen 
for her industrious habits. A canopy of white sacking, 
variegated with printed cottons, was quickly spread 
over head, and deer-skins of beauty and fine condition 
laid down for our repose. All was bright and clean ; 
not a speck was observable on the walrus-skin floor, nor 
a stray hair lodged upon one’s dress. Every prepa- 
ration that a hearty welcome could suggest was put 
in force for our comfort; we were divested of our 
heavy dresses, and reclined at ease in a moderate 
temperature, for Ahmoleen saw at once our distress 
in great heat, and instantly reduced it. In a very 
brief space of time a delightful, because clean, meal 
of boiled venison was served, upon which our host 
would have had us surfeit ourselves. He seemed 
very desirous that we should remain some time with 
him, counting five upon his fingers, to denote the 
days he would have us stay, and seeming greatly 
disappomted when we intimated our inability to 
accept his kind invitation. We smoked our pipes in 


quiet conversation, after which our host, with 


158 COMFORTABLE QUARTERS. 


delicate perception, seeing that we were fatigued 
with our journey and the cold air, which is mightily 
conducive to sleep, forbore to weary us more with 
many interrogatories, which he must have been eager 
to satisfy, and having our couches arranged, left us 


to repose. 


TUSKI MAN, 


CHAPTER XI. 


Vexatious detention.—Attempts at instruction —Tuski delicacy.—Enmity 
explained.—The coat of mail.— Yandangah.—Noonahmone.—Startling 
information.—Farewell to Ahmoleen.—Tragic tidings.—Return to the 
“ Plover.” 


Wen were greatly annoyed to find the 25th the 
reverse of its predecessor: the wind blew fiercely, 
and snow fell heavily, quite marring all hopes of 
inspection and advance. Thus disappomted in our 
desires, we sought occupation im-doors, first by 
making observations with the magnet, and afterwards 
becoming sufficiently engaged in the society of our 
host. He was full of conversation, and never ceased 
to ply us with questions respecting our visit, our 
country, and our possessions, displaying great 
shrewdness in his queries, and, generally, a ready 
perception of our explanations. On the subject of 
religion alone his ideas were almost entirely at 
fault ; doubtless we were not the most apt teachers, 
although endeavouring to communicate only the 


primitive principles, and those in the — simplest 


. 


160 GENEROUS HOSPITALITY. 


manner. Two broad statements were, however, 
clearly comprehended, and. assented to, but whether 
believed, he alone knows: these were, that those 
wearing the cross should do good, which would 
msure their future elevation; while contrary 
behaviour would infallibly lead to very disagreeable 
torment by fire. 

The generous fellow would not allow us to touch 
our own provisions while staying with him; 
abundance of venison, prepared in many ways, was 
always in readiness to meet our requirements ; nor 
would Ahmoleen receive any present, imagining that 
they were tendered in payment of his hospitality, 
from which his native pride revolted; and it was 
only upon full and repeated assurance that these 
were designed for gifts to our friends, and had been 
sent by our own chief for that purpose, that he 
consented to receive anything. 

Ahmoleen had made many visits to the Russian 
settlement on the Kolyma, and had become much 
softened in his address by even this slight intercourse. 
He possessed much furniture, and other property, of 
immense value here, obtaimed by barter at the annual 
far. Wealthy was he, too, in remdeer and. other 
Tuski goods, and much looked up to by the people 


of Yandangah, which was between two and _ three 


A METAL COAT. 16] 


miles distant from ''choolgen, the name given by 
Ahmoleen to his yarangas. I am of opinion, indeed, 
that he put this slight distance between himself and the 
Yandangahnites, with a view to partial isolation, and 
if this was really the case, his taste must be admired, 
for a dirtier set than the denizens of that village it 
was seldom my lot to see, even among the Tuski. 
The mystery of the difficulty in obtaining guides to 
Tchoolgen was elucidated by Ahmoleen, who stated 
that he was at enmity with those of Lorenne. I 
fancy, however, that the hostility was of a very 
passive nature, and would only be displayed upon 
accidental collision; and Ahmoleen assured us that 
any guide who might have accompanied us to his 
habitation would have been safe as ourselves. 

Durmg our frequent conversations a difficulty 
presented itself, which was only solved after much 
explanation. Ahmoleen repeatedly expressed a desire 
for a Piligwmten Eran, which puzzled me beyond 
measure. I had by this time acquired an extensive 
vocabulary, and really fancied few things could bother 
me; but here I was completely mystified. Pilhg- 
winten certaimly meant metal, and Eran meant coat, 
or, as he pointed to it, waistcoat ; but, good gracious! 
what did the man want of a metal coat? this was a 


poser ; and I became so utterly lost in the mazes of 


M 


162 NATIVE MAP. 


speculation as to this grand mystery, that it never 
occurred to me that it was truly a metal coat, or rather 
a coat of mail, that my friend desired to possess. 
One, of a certain sort, he had indeed already, and 
brought it forth for my mspection, as I will, reader, 
for yours. It consisted of back and breast-plates of 
walrus-hide, at least a quarter of an imch thick, and 
in some places double, a very board for toughness, 
having been dried gradually in the sun. Upon these 
were fastened flat and thin iron plates overlapping each 
other. They were certainly of very little use in 
fortifymg the hide, through which no arrow would be 
likely to pass, and were therefore only-an additional 
incumbrance to an already very clumsy article, which 
was in fact, as Ahmoleen explained, too heavy to be 
worn in combats where activity was required. Hence 
his desire for one of lighter make. He seemed in 
some way to have heard of chain mail, as he described 
it by locking his crooked fingers into one another. 
Ahmoleen constructed a sort of map of the villages 
along the coast, together with the islands in the straits 
and opposite shore, which led us to conclude that 
East Cape would be near the village of ~ Po-orten. 
The ensuing day was in the early part as little favour- 
able as before, and we were almost in despair of 


obtaining observations ; late in the evening however 


AHMOLEEN’S MAP OF BEHRING’S STRAITS. 


Page 162. 


niki ; 
es ary Rak ov 
sits: W584 ’ 
ni Sot a 


JOURNEY TO YANDANGAH. 163 


we were enabled to take lunar distances with Jupiter, 
by which the resulting longitude led us to feel 
pretty well assured that we were not yet so near 
East Cape as we had supposed. 

The 28th saw us still captive at Lorenne, and 
although we were singularly fortunate m our place of 
detention the delay was a serious misfortune; but 
clear weather was indispensable to the due performance 
of our duties, and snow fell incessantly. 

So we set to work to exchange more information, 
and received much enlightenment upon the mean- 
ing of the word Tuski, which was of great import- 
ance in influencing my views respecting the tribe, 
although my present conclusions have come only 
tardily and after much reflection. 

The opening day of March enabled us to set forth 
once more, now for the purpose of viewing Yandangah. 
After bordering the coast for about three and a half 
miles, we observed the settlement spread over a large 
extent of uneven ground. It consisted of twenty- 
six huts mtermingled with numerous boats, and a very 
great number of whale-bones placed in all positions, 
and scattered in all directions. The weather was 
unfavourable, turning out snowy, but this did not 
deter us from gettmg some information of, if real, 


great importance. 


bo 


M 


164, RETURN TO LORENNE. 


Indefinite communications were made that the stern 
part of a vessel had been thrown up on the “ Paerk ”’ 
shore, and that the natives of that coast had obtained 
knives, pots, and guns, from the wreck. ‘These news 
were said to have come from Po-orten, whither they 
were brought from E-mah-leen, the chief of the 
islands near East Cape, about eight months since. 
We passed the night in a small hut very prettily placed 
on the cliff, about thirty feet above the sea, but the 
picturesque exterior little atoned for the discomfort 
inside ; hut, host, and all else, were models of filth. 
The people were moreover brutish and rude, and 
begged importunately for everything we displayed. 

Before continuing the journey towards Hast Cape, 
which was clearly yet far distant, we resolved to 
return to Lorenne for a fresh supply of provisions 
and to communicate with Mooldooyah, who might 
become alarmed at our protracted absence. 

Accordingly, on the 3rd, despite heavy snow and 
bitmg wind, we started under the care of two 
attentive and able guides; reached the village of 
Co-cone after dark, and remained there that might, 
renewing our journey next morning in a lull, for the 
weather was very bad. 

We reached Lorenne at ai early hour, and were 


received with delight by our faithful friends, of whom 


MOOLDOOYAH AND HIS WIFE. 165 


we were sorry to find Yaneenga suffering greatly from 
some affection of the back and chest, probably induced 
by the long exposure to cold and wet lately experi- 
enced. | Mooldooyah was informed of our desire to 
proceed to Noonahmone, and consented with great 
reluctance, declming to go himself, partly m conse- 
quence of Yaneenga’s illness, and also that he would 
not consider himself safe in that quarter. But, as he 
observed, the people would scarcely dare to risk 
condign punishment by injurimg any of the “ Atwoits 
Callowole,” with whom, moreover, they could have no 
cause of enmity. 

As our absence would now be of uncertain length, 
Jt was arranged that Mooldooyah and his wife should 
return to their home at Wootair, visiting the “ Plover” 
on the way to report progress. He furnished us 
with some of his dogs, and obtained a trustworthy 
guide for us, whose name was At-tchoo-re-gen. On 
the 6th we set off towards Noonahmone, touched at 
Co-cone, and reached Tchoolgen in the afternoon. We 
remained there all night to the great delight of our 
friend Ahmoleen, who next morning accompanied us 
to Noonahmone. We crossed Yandangah harbour, 
called in the charts “ Bay of St. Lawrence,” (a splendid 
haven, in which were two fine islands) and reached 


Noonahmone about four in the afternoon; from this a 


166 VIEW OF THE EASTERN CAPE OF ASIA. 


headland to the eastward arrested our attention, and 
making towards it we observed therefrom the three 
islands im the straits and land still trending to 
the eastward; then returning to Noonahmone we 
remained at that place for the night. 

The information gained here respectmg a wreck 
was much the same as that given at Yandangah, but 
our communicant was so stupid as to damp our 
ardent search for further particulars. 

On the 8th we started for Cheengeen, and while 
driving round a bay to its eastern extreme, mounted 
a tall hummock of rough ice on the sea, whence we 
saw with great distinctness the three islands in the 
middle of the straits and the loom of the opposite 
shore. We took a sketch and observations at this 
point, after which we went on to Cheengeen. From 
this position, which was high, we had at last the 
great satisfaction of viewing, without a shadow of 
doubt, the Eastern Cape of Asia, risimg to a con- 
siderable height above the sea, and crowned with 
rough points and a large and populous village. 

Respecting the wreck, about which we naturally 
made inquiries on every possible opportunity, we 
were here told that only fragments of a hull and stern 
frame had been thrown up, from which, in place of 


pots or knives, only nails had been drawn. The 


PROJECTED VISIT TO THE EAST CAPR, 167 


news had been communicated by boats, apparently 
seven or eight months ago, but any more than this 
we could not learn with certainty. 

We were now all agog to proceed to Po-orten, the 
village upon the Cape, but our desires were impera- 
tively checked by the refusal of any one to accompany 
us, and the positive assurance of the great risk we 
should incur by persisting in the attempt. <A 
different language was said to be spoken there, and 
the natives represented to be at feud with their 
neighbours, and of a fierce intractable disposition. 
Thus urgently warned, we did not consider ourselves 
justified im proceeding, particularly without guides, 
and relinquished the ardent hope with deep regret, 
which has never since diminished in my mind. 
We therefore made preparations for return to the 
“Plover ;’ took sketches of the surrounding land and 
islands, made such observations as were possible, 
obtained specimens of black-lead ore and colouring 
stone, and distributed a few presents, our stock of 
which was by this time getting low. On the 9th we 
took a last look at Hast Cape, and quitting Cheengeen 
-commenced our homeward journey. 

Noonahmone was passed without delay, and we 
reached 'I'’choolgen at seven in the evening, passing one 


more night inthe yarang of our obliging and agreeable 


165 DEATH OF ONE OF OUR MEN. 


friend Ahmoleen, who had escorted us on the late 
journey, and was now full of tribulation at our final 
separation. 

On the 10th we ran through Co-cone to Lorenne, 
at which place, from a sledge breaking down, we did 
not arrive until late at might. Our instructions had 
indicated Lorenne as a place of great importance ; we 
desired therefore to make observations conclusive of 
its position, and having been directed to put up an 
inscription, set about preparing it, carving upon a 
piece of board the “ Plover’s” name with place and 
date of wintering. 

Bad weather setting in detained us here until the 
15th, very much to our annoyance, for several reasons, 
of which the principal must by and by be touched 
upon, as without it my narrative would be incomplete. 
On the 15th then we departed, and on the road to 
Maytchooemin met a native of Wootair, who informed 
us of the death of one of our men. We received 
these tidings with sadness rather than surprise, having 
long feared that one poor fellow approached his end, 
and making little doubt that this was he of whom the 
native spoke. 

Our return was accomplished with much less of 
incident and delay than had marked our outward 


journey ; most of the desired information was already 


RETURN TO THE “ PLOVER.” 169 


obtained, and, except in very bad weather, we seldom 
delayed for any length of time. We reached the 
“Plover”? at even on the 20th of March, sufficiently 
rejoiced to be once more among our companions, by 
whom we were pleasantly welcomed, and again to 


know the comforts of cleanliness and the luxury of a 


bed. 


{ hil 
iN i i) 
Lyi 


WOMAN AND CHILD. 


CHAPTER XII. 
A Tuski Feast.—A Tuski Smoke.—The Ladies’ Privilege.—The draught.— 


The Tuski Plague-——A sacred ceremony.—The Shaman.—Description 
of boats, rope, &e.—Embroidery, carving, &c.—Fire-making. 


I nave forborne throughout my narrative to 
enter into more than occasional notice of the food of 
the Tuski, and their modes of preparing it, thinking 
it better to present at one picture thé numerous 
varieties, which indeed are all provided at feasts 
given by the wealthy, but in part only at more 
moderate entertamments. 

I propose now to set before you in detail the 
history of a Tuski repast of the most sumptuous 
nature, as myself and companions partook of it, and 
trust you may find it as much to your taste as they 
do to theirs. It is, I believe, with nearly all people 
in a primitive condition, the first and paramount 
duty of hospitality to provide the visitor with food 
immediately on his entrance, and such was the rule 
in Tuski customs. First was brought in on a huge 


wooden tray, a number of small fish, uncooked, but 


A TUSKI FEAST. leh 


intensely frozen. At these all the natives set to 
work, and we essayed, somewhat ruefully, it must be 
confessed, to follow their example, but, being all 
unused to such gastronomic process, found our- 
selves, as might be expected, rather at a loss how to 
commence. From this dilemma, however, our host 
speedily extricated us, by practical demonstration of 
the correct mode of action, and under his certainly 
very able tuition we shortly became more expert. But 
alas ! a new difficulty was soon presented ; our native 
companions, we presume, either made a hasty bolt of 
each morsel, or had perhaps a relish for the flavour of 
the viands now under consideration. Not so ourselves ; 
it was sadly repugnant to our palates, for, aided by 
the newly-acquired knowledge that the fish were in 
the same condition as when taken from the water, 
uncleaned and unembowelled, we speedily discovered 
that we could neither bolt nor retain the fragments 
which, by the primitive aid of teeth and nails, we 
had rashly detached from our piscatorial share. 

It was to no purpose that our host pressed us to 
_ “fall to;” we%could not manage the consumption of 
this favourite preparation (or rather lack thereof), 
and succeeded with difficulty in evading his earnest 
solicitations. 


The next course was a mess of green stuff, looking 


ize A TUSKI FEAST. 


as if carefully chopped up, and this was also hard 
frozen. To it was added a lump of blubber, which 
the lady presidmg, who did all the carving, dexte- 
rously cut into slices, with a knife, like a cheese- 
monger’s, and apportioned out, at different quarters 
of the huge tray before mentioned, which was used 
throughout the meal, together with a modicum of 
the grass-hke stuff, to the company; the only 
distinction in favour of the strangers and guests of 
high degree being that their slices were cut much 
thinner than for the rest. We tasted this compound, 
ANG) ye eK we didn’t like it; at this no one will 
wonder ; the blubber speaks for itself, and the other 
stuff, which really was not very unpalatable, we 
discovered in after-times to be the waruminated food 
of reindeer which had been slaughtered ; at least, so 
we were told, but I am not quite clear on this point. 
Our dislike to the dish had no offensive effect upon 
our host, who only seemed to be astonished at our 
strange want of taste, and with the rest of the guests, 
soon cleared the board, the managing dame putting 
the finishing stroke by a rapid sweep of her not too 
scrupulously clean fingers over the dish, by way of 
clearmg off the fragments, to prepare for the 
reception of the next delicacy. After this interesting 


operation she conveyed her digits to her mouth, and, 


A TUSKI FEAST. lia 


engulfing them for a brief period, withdrew them 
quite in apple-pie order once more. 

The board was now again replenished, this time 
with viands less repellent to our unnurtured tastes. 
Boiled seal and walrus flesh appeared, and our 
hospitable friends were greatly relieved when they 
beheld us assist in the consumption of these items, 
which, bemg utterly devoid of flavour, were dis- 
tasteful only from their extreme toughness and mode 
of presentation, but we did not, of course, desire to 
appear too singular or squeamish. Next came a 
portion of whale’s flesh, or, rather, whale’s skin; this 
was perfect ebony in hue, and we discovered some 
apprehensions respecting its fitness as an article of 
food; but our fears were groundless. It was cut and 
recut crosswise imto diminutive cubes; venturing 
upon one of which we were agreeably surprised to 
find it possessing a cocoa-nut flavour, like which also 
it ate, “very short ;’’ indeed so much astonished were 
we on this occasion that we had consumed a very 
considerable number of these cubes, and with great 
relish too, before we recovered from our wonder, 
This dish was ever afterwards a favourite with me. On 
its disappearance a very limited quantity of boiled 
reindeer meat, fresh and fat, was served up, to which 


we did ample justice ; then came portions of the gum 


174 SMOKING. 


of the whale, in which the ends of the bone lay still 
embedded, and I do not hesitate to declare that this 
was perfectly delicious, its flavour being, as nearly as 
I can find a parallel, like that of cream cheese. This, 
which the Tuski call their sugar, was the wind-up to 
the repast and ourselves, and we were fain to admit 
that, after the rather unpleasant auspices with which 
our feast commenced, the finale was by no means to 
be contemned. 

Each of those who had borne a part in the 
proceedings of the evening now threw himself back 
in an evident condition of complacency ; ourselves 
only, unused to such a fable dhdte, experienced 
symptoms of slight oppression. 

A new medium of luxury was now put in requi- 
sition—I mean the practice of smoking — which 
demands a special notice. Before our visit to this 
people all the tobacco they used was obtaimed from 
the Russians by barter, principally at the settlement 
of Kolyma, but also, I conjecture, at the fort on the 
Anadyr. It is of course very sparingly supplied, 
and having been brought so great a distance, is much 
valued. In order to eke out the scanty quantity 
as far as compatible with its enjoyment, it is broken 
up into minute fragments, and mixed with wood, 


similarly small,. but differently manufactured, and 


ECONOMY IN THE USE OF TOBACCO, 175 


showing in a remarkable degree how the savage, 
whose share of life’s supplies is limited, economises 
and turns to account every scrap which falls in his 
way. ‘The fragments of drift-wood thrown but rarely 
on this shore are considered with the greatest atten- 
tion as to the best use to which they may be devoted, 
and to which they are then adapted with infinite 
patience and care. A small knife, with a bent blade 
and a handle generally made of the tip of a deer’s 
horn, is in great use among them, and employed to a 
surprising extent; with it they thin down sticks to 
the required size for whip-handles or walking-staves, 
and it is this operation which provides wood to mix 
with the tobacco. No chips are hacked off, that 
would be useless waste. With the fore finger on 
the back of his queer little kmfe, the operator runs 
from one extreme to the other of the stick, in a 
rapid succession of strokes, detaching each time a 
gossamer twisted shred, of the same unbroken length 
as the stick. It is wonderful to sce the regularity 
with which string after string of woody fibre is 
separated, and the skill and patience—well nigh equal 
to that of the Chinese, who rubs down a nail to make a 
needle—employed to reduce the wand to its required 
proportions. When finished, it leaves the hand of 


the operator as smoothly rounded and nicely tapered 


176 MODE OF SMOKING. 


as if produced by the lathe. The shreds are col- 
lected in a bundle, cut and recut across and across, 
until sufficiently fine, when they are mixed with the 
tobacco in proportions varyimmg with the quantity of 
the latter in stock, but generally, I believe, about 
one-third part of wood is used. The mixture is then 
put carefully away in a well-made bag, of dressed 
seal-skin, from which the small pouch hanging to 
the girdle, with picker, steel, and tinder-bag, is 
replenished. 

The Tuski use pipes of wood and ivory, either 
divided along the middle into two parts, for con- 
venience of cleaning, or with a large trap-door in the 
under part, which allows a few pieces of dry grass to 
be laid inside, to absorb the moisture, and when 
closed, is covered with a strip of leather, which 
effectually keeps it air-tight. When about to smoke, 
a pinch of hair is plucked from the deerskin frock 
and pushed with the pricker down the very small 
hole in the bowl of the pipe: this is to prevent the 
tobacco from drawing through; from the pouch at 
the girdle a minute quantity of the mixture, not more 
than half a thimbleful, is then put upon this, and the 
smoker then strikes fire with steel and fragment of 
pebble, generally a tmy morsel of cornelian or agate, 


into the smallest imaginable piece of a kind of fungus, 


* af. 


A TUSKI SMOKE. we," 


resembling German tinder, which is evidently very 
scarce, and used with the greatest economy. But one 
indraught of smoke is taken, a long, deep inspiration, 
the entire volume passing into the lungs; in a 
second or two it is expelled, in a similar manner, with 
a long, loud aspiration, sounding betwixt a groan and 
a sigh: this stertorous kind of breathing is repeated 
several times, heavily, and as if from pain, the person 
closing the mouth each time, as if gasping for breath. 
These operations appear to afford intense enjoyment, 
and are possibly of use in clearing the lungs. The 
process of pipe-cleaning is intrusted to the women, 
who replenish the dry grass in the body of the pipe ; 
the refuse deposit is their perquisite, and devoured 
with great gusto, the essential oil of the tobacco 
forming apparently a pleasant excitant to their oil-be- 
clogged palates. The smoke quite concluded, the 
natives betake themselves to the vessels containing 
water; and we were perfectly amazed at their 
capacity m this respect,—I should think each person 
would swallow at least half a gallon at a draught. 
No doubt so much fluid is necessary to dissolve the 
quantities of oleaginous food consumed. The draught 
is a finishing stroke: all immediately he down to 
sleep, unless, as was to our annoyance most. fre- 


quently the case, on occasions of our visits, religious 


N 


178 THE TUSKI PLAGUE. 


or rejoicing ceremonies are to be practised, when im 
come those horrid drums, and keep one in misery for a 
couple of hours ; and heartily glad were we ever when, 
drums and yells hushed, skin walls let down, and 
lamps extinguished, we were permitted to he down 
and dream of “ marble halls,’ or more genial regions 
than those into which we had adventured. 

I have said that the principal reason for disincli- 
nation to remain in the native huts longer than was 
dictated by absolute necessity, must imperatively be 
noticed ; and I now do so with as light a touch as 
will convey an idea of the absolutely dreadful nature 
of this objection. ; 

The persons, clothes, habitations, and even dogs of 
the Tuski, were covered with vermin, not in a slight 
degree, but absolutely swarming; and it is doubtless 
from this cause that they clip the hair on the head. 
The first days of our journey brought the horrible 
conviction that it was hopeless to avoid the plague 
while in contact with the people. In vain our clothes 
_were changed and washed repeatedly ; in vam we 
attempted to isolate ourselves as much as possible ; 
the evil increased each day ; and at last our condition 
became insupportably tormenting; those of excitable 
temperament beimg denied sleep or rest by the 


constant irritation, and reaching a state bordering 


- 
——— Oe ae 


A SACRED CEREMONY. 179 


upon madness. It was particularly when repose was 
courted that our torment was greatest. When 
travelling out of doors the cold checked the attacks 
of the foe, which only resumed their onslaught with 
new vigour when reanimated by the great heat of the 
yarangas. This was the most fearful infliction 
experienced during our stay in Tuski land, and far 
surpassed anything I ever suffered; producing im me 
an agitation of the nerves, like St. Vitus’ dance. 

A few days’ rest prepared us for renewed efforts. 
On the 24th of March I was dispatched to Wootair, 
for the purpose of obtainimg magnetic and other 
observations ; these were delayed by the occurrence 
of bad weather ; and I returned to the ship only on 
the Ist of April. During my stay at Woorel I was 
witness to a ceremony of a highly curious and 
peculiar nature; but I was unable to form from it, 
and others of a like description, more than a very 
faint idea of the structure of their religion. 

My friend Ahmoleen had been so fortunate as to 
kill a small whale, which was a circumstance to be 
celebrated with feasting and rejoicing. Upon the 
bank above the sea was lit a fire, into which were 
thrown the entrails of a puppy, just strangled ; its 
carcase was then cast into the wave. Fish, venison, 


blubber, and some other sorts of food were boiled 
N 2 


180 THE SHAMAN. 


over this fire, and minced very fine; the head, fins, 
and tail of the whale, were disposed near, and upon 
them were laid small portions of the cooked food, a 
few beads, some tobacco, and mites of several other 
of their most valuable articles. The food, when 
cooked, was handed round in separate platters to 
the assembled crowd, each of whom was _ also 
presented with a small strip of tobacco; nor was I 
omitted in this attention, although the latter article 
had been obtained from me for the purpose. After 
all had been served, and some time allowed to 
elapse, the offermgs upon the fish, together with 
pieces cut from its head, tail and fins were consumed 
in the fire. All was conducted in almost unbroken 
silence ; even the queries, which with ill judgment I 
presumed upon my friendship to put to Ahmoleen, 
who was the person principally officiating, were 
responded to in an under tone; and the company, 
comprising the greater part of the villagers, seemed 
impressed with a sense of the sacred nature of the 
ceremonies. Inside his yarang, Mooldooyah, Ahmo- 
leen’s father, whom I have before said I believed to be 
a shaman, or priest, beat incessantly upon the largest 
drum I ever saw among the people, chanting mo- 
notonously in a succession of quivering notes, and 


drawling out the words to a great length. The 


TUSKI SONG OF REJOICING. 181 


burden of his ditty, which might easily have been 
taken for a dirge rather than a song of rejoicing, ran 
very much in this way :—‘Ah..... mie. 0 
Heo: Gite Kher sa POO... ok? ahi ry: h, Wahl 
aes Gale 2 Ma Owe 2 tm, 2. Kal Marc, 


meee... Meo ally. Waste, eu POGr s+ ¢ ere ee ah, Ka 
Pere. poo.....kah;’’* and so on, ad libitum, with an 
occasional change into “Ah..... Herat! Ieee cae 


aS Ss ah,’ as his breath denied utterance to the 
words. There was much to strike one as extraordi- 
nary in the appearance of this minister of a rude 
religion. Seated crosslegged in his tent, nude from 
the waist upwards, his body swaying to and fro with 
the imtonations of his chant, perspiration streaming 
from every pore of his vast bulk, the huge tambourine 
filling the entire space with its reverberations, and, 
above all, the expression of conviction impressed 
upon his lmeaments of the sacred importance of his 
duty, Mooldooyah acquired a new and imposing 
character, far different to his ordinary nature. 

This ceremony, and the one we witnessed with so 
much effect when lost in the snow, together with the 
slighter mdications of religious practices displayed at 
different times, lead one, in some degree, to draw a 


parallel between them and the ancient observances, 


* Ahmoleen a whale has killed good, good, the whale, the whale, &e. 


182 NATIVE BOATS. 


both Jewish and Roman; one cannot fail especially 
to be struck with the resemblance of the lately related 
ceremonies to the proceedings of the heathen Augurs 
and the burnt and meat offerings of the Jews. 
Mooldooyah and his wife, Yaneengah, had both 
been baptised by Russian priests, upon a visit to 
Kolyma: he received the name of Petroko, or Peter ; 
she was christened Anna; but these titles, together 
with the bare recollection of the ceremony, a small 
Greek cross, and what I conjectured to be certificates 
of baptism, were all that remained of the sacred rite. 
I had a good opportunity here of examining the 
very curious boats of the natives, which serve alike 
to transport great quantities of goods, or for the 
purposes of the chase. They are light but very 
tough, being composed of walrus-skins, which, as I 
have before noticed, are beautifully prepared, sewn 
over a light frame of wood. They are flat-bottomed, 
and nearly wall-sided ; about forty inches in breadth 
at the widest part of the gunwales, and a foot or 
fourteen inches less below, decreasmg in width to 
either end, which is just wide enough to admit a 
man’s body. ‘The edges of the gunwale are neatly 
worked over with thin hide or strips of whalebone. 
They are propelled with great speed by paddles, 


which are also used in bow and stern to direct their 


NATIVE MANUFACTURES. 183 


course. ‘The smooth surface of the walrus-skin offers 
little resistance to their passage through the water, 
and they are carefully prevented from becoming 
sodden or incrusted, being carried on shore the instant 
they are done with, turned over and beaten with stout 
sticks, to drive off the moisture, and keep the skin in 
shape, as it would otherwise be lable to bag. 

The weapons used for whale hunting are lances and 
harpoons, both tipped with ivory barbs, but I do not 
know whether lines are used, although I think it 
probable from the great quantity manufactured and 
its excellence, the lines of walrus-hide particularly, 
which are immensely tough. These are made by 
cutting round and round a skin without a break until 
it is all used; the rope is soaked in water until 
quite soft, then rolled and stretched repeatedly ; by 
these operations it becomes beautifully round without 
any edges visible, and of an uniform thickness 
throughout. 

The Tuski understand the art of tanning, and are 
able to produce very fair specimens, but practise it 
principally with sealskin, which is dressed im all 
colours ; the white is very delicate and much prized. 
Deerskins are dressed with ammonia, red-ochre, and 
other materials, they are rendered very soft and 


pliable, but the mode of curing gives them an 


184 EMBROIDERY, CARVING, ETC. 


exceedingly unpleasant odour, which is only imper- 
ceptible in cold weather. 

Embroidery is much practised, principally with the 
long white hair from the belly of the reindeer ; strips 
and figures of differently coloured leather, dyed fur 
and feathers of the eider-duck are also employed for 
ornament; besides, as I have before mentioned, 
designs in black lead or ochre, and a species of parti- 
coloured patchwork or “ insertion.” 

Much ingenuity is displayed in carving articles from 
ivory, in which employment one of the tribe at this 
village was a proficient. He made ducks, geese, seals, 
canoes, and many other curious toys and models, and 
was also very fond of carving figures ; a pipe of ivory, 
which he made for me in about six hours, had on 
the bow] a face in front and on either side, the back 
was filled up by a figure less than an inch high seated 
upon a block, having one leg crossed upon the knee of 
the other. This was a very handsome and well- 
finished piece of sculpture. Another man here was 
in great request as a maker and ornamenter of wooden 
pipes, particularly for inlaying them with lead or solder, 
which after our arrival was practised to a much greater 
extent than previously. 

‘he snow-shoes in use among this people are 


generally about two feet in length, broad and flat, the 


TUSKI MEDICAL TREATMENT. 185 


fore part eight inches in width, tapering to a point 
behind, where, to prevent sinking in the snow, a piece 
of whalebone four inches broad and eighteen long, is 
attached; the nettings are of seal or walrus-hide. 
For smooth ice or snow, shods of carved ivory, having 
serrated edges, are fastened under the moccasin, and 
prove of great service. 

I am surprised that we never saw any kind of 
spectacles or protection from the blinding glare of the 
snow in spring time, for the people suffer dreadfully 
from snow-blindness and opthalmia. These ailments 
and headache they relieve greatly by perforating the 
skin on the temples, forming a sort of seton, and 
frequent application was made to our obliging surgeon 
for the performance of this operation. I did not learn 
anything respecting any other remedies they employ 
in illness, excepting scarification. In the spring, 
nature relieves the system by copious vicarious 
bleeding, which they do not check. 

The journey to Kolyma occupies, we were told, a 
period of six months; that to the other place they 
visit, conjectured to be the Fort on the Anadyr, takes 
four. While we were on the coast no one departed, 
or we should have noticed their preparations with care, 
but some men had been several times, although 


certainly not, as Wrangell supposes, passing their lives 


186 NATIVE TRADE. 


in such journeys. Mooldooyah, the miscalled Mis- 
sionary, and Amtin, were of the number who had 
thus travelled, and the latter knew more on the subject 
than any one except Ahmoleen of Yandangah, who 
described, and even named, two or three of the 
Russian traders, among whom he spoke of one Simon, 
a man of very obese proportions, which it was fine 
fun to my friend to mimic, for, as I have before 
noticed, this talent they possess in a considerable degree. 
The journeys to Kolyma are undertaken with rein- 
deer and large covered sledges ; furs and ivory are taken 
to be exchanged for tobacco in the leaf, of a very 
inferior nature ; common rough beads, generally of a 
dull opaque blue; knives ; printed cottons, of which 
loose flowing dresses are made to go over the fur 
clothes in place of the okonch ; probably also a little 
sugar, and I rather think very small quantities of 
spirits, as ‘‘ kamisse,”’ or more properly “ ay-ke-mish,”’ 
doubtless a corruption’ of ayak-memil, (fire-water) 
was by no means unknown to them and eagerly sought 
for. To obtain it no sacrifice was considered too 
great, and the most sacred ties were loosed with 
indifference in its pursuit. We were much puzzled 
for a long time to tell how fire was produced each 
morning in the huts,—the husband evidently gave no 


assistance in the way of steel and tinder, but at last we 


HOW TO LIGHT A FIRE. 187 


found out all about it. A piece of flat board has a 
number of small holes made in it, mto one of which 
one end of a pointed stick is placed, the other 
extremity fitting into a sort of breast-plate, put on by 
the woman officiating, who with a bow works the 
stick to and fro rapidly, just as in drillmg ahole. In 
about ten minutes, under favourable circumstances, 
she succeeds in detaching burning fibres of the wood : 
these are hastily put mto a handful of dried grass, 
which envelopes them, and by rapid motion through 
the air kindles into flame. This is a most laborious 
operation, and the poor women were loud in their 
expressions of joy when we struck fire with lucifers 
for them ; a solitary act of the kind was a great boon, 
but a present of half a dozen matches brought down 


blessings on one’s head. 


TUSKI PIPES. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


Matricide, a deed of horror.—The Bride’s departure.—A novel punishment. 
— Snow-Blindness. — Companionship. — Refraction. — Games. — The 
Cripple-—Amusements of children.—Cutting out.—Caymgliche the 
grateful.—The ungrateful Stranger.—Summary. 


A custom exists with this people which must shock 
the least delicate sensibilities of civilisation, so utterly 
repugnant is it to all laws human or divine. Tidings 
were one morning brought to the ship that one of the 
elder women of Woorel had died on the previous 
night. Enquiring into the circumstances of her 
decease, we were informed with the most perfect 
indifference of manner, that she had been ‘“ Wah-let- 
tah” (stabbed) by her son. We could not at first 
conceive this horrible statement to be true, but unmis- 
takeable signs put it beyond a doubt, nor did our 
remarks on the frightful nature of the act elicit the 
slightest token of reciprocal feeling. Why should. 
not the old woman die? aged and feeble, weary of life, 
anda burden to herself and others, she no longer 


desired to cumber the earth, and claimed of him who 


MATRICIDE. 189 


owned nearest relationship, the friendly stroke which 
should let out her scanty remnant of existence. Her 
desire was obeyed with an apathy only to be accounted 
for by the enshrouding veil of custom, and her life 
‘was ended by him to whom she had given it, and 
whose first throbbings she had cherished. What more 
ghastly, more unnatural than this! ‘To take life in 
any way is fearful; infanticide revolts the senses ; but 
for a man to proceed with the utmost deliberation to 
cut the fast diminishing thread of existence of his 
mother, of her who gave him birth and nursed his 
feeble ray of existence into strength, is a deed of which 
the idea curdles the warm blood in one’s veins, and 
creates dark feelings of horror and dismay. 
Returning on the first of April to the ship, I 
received instructions the same evening to depart on 
the morrow with a large party of the natives to a 
place called En-mil-lane, situated at a considerable 
distance along the coast to the westward. The party 
I joined was evidently conducting a bride to her new 
home, together with her dowry, with which six or 
seven sledges were heavily laden. It consisted of 
large bladders of very beautiful pemmican, venison 
fat, reindeer skins and clothes, some few trinkets 
obtained from ourselves, and other matters, but the 


provision greatly preponderated. The bridegroom, 


190 A BRIDAL “PARTY: 


who escorted the damsel, was much younger than his 
bride, and treated with very little distinction by herself 
and the rest of the party. I should think there is no 
waste of tendre amour in this clime; the present 
occasion looked very business-like indeed. We passed - 
four or five days on the journey, halting each night at 
some one of the little villages, which were very com- 
fortless, and I was glad when we reached Enmillane, 
a large and populous village near Cape Atchen, from 
which a sweeping view of great extent may be 
obtained of the coast, both to the south-east and 
north-west. I had now reached the farthest point 
attaied by any of our company to the westward, as 
Mr. Martin and myself had done to the eastward on 
the former protracted journey. The whole distance 
in a bee-line from our farthest to the east and west, or 
more properly north-east and north-west from the ship, 
were not perhaps more than a hundred and twenty, and 
sixty miles respectively, but many hundreds of miles 
were passed over in their accomplishment, from the 
uregularity of the coast-line and frequent occasions of 
return. 

On this last journey I had no civilised companion ; 
for eleven days Tuski were my sole comrades, nor 
had I the shghtest uneasiness among them, although 


now visiting a quarter quite new to us, and of whose 


MY TRAVELLING COMPANIONS. 191 


people many had never seen the Atwoit or its 
Callowole. Secure in the friendly animus nearly 
always displayed, and now speaking the language 
with some facility, l jogged along with my savage 
friends quite complacently, and never was allowed to 
lag behind or need assistance ; an extra dog would be 
speedily afforded if my own team lacked speed to 
keep pace with the rest, and on all occasions of 
halting, unharnessing, &c., many willing hands 
superseded my own efforts. 

We were singularly unfortunate during this trip 
in the weather, and in consequence I made very few 
observations for position, the dipping-needle accom- 
panied me as usual (together with the copper fiddle, 
we three were inseparable), and I obtained a few 
results of the magnetic declination and intensity, but 
otherwise little of importance was achieved beyond 
gaining additional knowledge of the manners and 
customs of this very peculiar people. Some curious 
but cruel modes of punishing the dogs were witnessed, 
which one could scarcely suppose would even be 
imvented as a chastisement. The dogs turn very 
sulky and obstinate sometimes; I have frequently 
seen them stop short im a most determined manner, 
either offended with their fellows, the road, or the 


driver, and scarcely any amount of punishment, in 


192 TREATMENT OF DOGS. 


the regular way, will then induce them to budge. If 
the whip is applied, they throw themselves down im 
the snow, howl vigorously at first, their cries gradually 
subsiding imto a short moan at each blow; occa- 
sionally a good whipping has the desired effect, and 
the dog resumes its labour, but the struggle for 
supremacy between master and beast is often pro- 
tracted and severe. I have seen men, who knew the 
temper of the dog they were about to punish, 
deliberately dispose themselves to the task, place one 
foot upon their sledge, and, throwing back their arms 
to clear their dress, rain down blow after blow upon 
the wretched creature, sometimes for ten minutes or 
a quarter of an hour continuously ; it is seldom this 
treatment fails of success, and the beast, if subdued, 
becomes tractable enough for a long time: but on 
one occasion, Amtin, a man of a particularly cold- 
blooded and savage nature, bemg displeased with the 
conduct of one of his dogs, quietly drew his knife, 
stabbed the animal in two places, unharnessed it, 
wiped the blade of his weapon on its coat, and 
proceeded on his visit to the ship without the least 
concern. 

When ordinary modes of chastisement have failed, 
the proceedings then instituted are very curious 


indeed. The driver gets off his sledge, seizes the 


A NOVEL PUNISHMENT. 193 


the dog which has misconducted itself, and makes a 
nice little hole in the snow, in which he arranges the 
unfortunate wretch’s nose with the greatest care and 
attention to its suitable position ; having thus made 
due preparation, he pounds away at the snout of his 
victim with the butt-end of his whip, which is gene- 
rally a piece of heavy flat ivory, in the most 
remorseless manner. I used, particularly on_ first 
viewing this novel punishment, to be under great 
fears that the noses of the poor beasts must mevitably 
be broken or crushed, but no such consequence 
ensued, nor had our remonstrances any effect ; 
punishment had been determined on, and it was 
certainly administered without wavering. If the 
snow was too soft for the purpose, the man’s foot 
was often placed as a support for the victim’s 
nose. ‘This punishment must be dreadful; the dogs 
know perfectly well what is coming the instant their 
masters touch them, and tremble in every limb: they 
do not attempt to howl loudly, and when released only 
make an occasional short yell as they run; the most 
stubborn tempers are subdued in this way; no more 
trouble will be given im the day’s drive one may be 
quite assured ; it is a most summary way of inducing 
submission. 


Enmillane received the solitary stranger with tokens 


oO 


194 NATIVE HOSPITALITY. 


of great satisfaction, the place of honour by the lamp 
and at the board were awarded him, and no means 
spared to prove that he was welcome. Being 
informed by Belkonta, who was of the party, how 
little the ordmary food was to the taste of the 
strangers, only preparations of venison were offered, 
and I feasted like an alderman. Nothing equalled 
the pemmican for flavour or substance; it was 
manufactured of the finest fresh meat, boiled and 
mixed with hard fat, put imto bladders and allowed 
to freeze, in which state it was delicious, and par- 
ticularly refreshing in the heated yarangas. By the 
way, I cannot understand how the natives can 
endure these great extremes of heat and cold; I have 
quitted an outward temperature of — 20° to enter 
yarangas where the thermometer registered + 100°; 
a change of a hundred and twenty degrees in one day 
seems almost enough to kill one, but this is expe- 
rienced by the 'Tuski pretty well durmg their entire 
lives, and they are certamly hardy and _ robust 
enough. 

On our return the spring had fairly set in, and 
the noonday power of the sun softened the surface 
of the snow, which speedily froze again, on the 
withdrawal of his beams. The face of the country 


became one vast sheet of shinmg sparkling white, 


A. 


SNOW-BLINDNESS. 195 


which reflected the sun’s rays and inflicted great 
meconvenience, and in some cases much pain in the 
eyes. ‘The sensations attending snow-blindness, which 
I partially experienced, are as unpleasant as may 
well be imagined ; one feels as if numerous pricking 
morsels had entered the eyes, the lids wink incessantly, 
and streams of water are exuded; this was the 
extent of my suffermgs, but in aggravated cases the 
inflammation increases, the lids become relaxed, 
and the patient loses the power of vision entirely for 
a time, and suffers intense pain upon exposure to a 
strong light; darkness and cooling lotions, such as 
sugar of lead, diluted spirits, and laudanum, are now 
essential to relief and recovery ; but I believe that those 
who have once been afflicted with this very painful 
disorder, can never again expose themselves to the 
spring snow for any period without experiencing a 
return, and no doubt the eyesight is much weakened 
by it. At this time also the dogs’ feet suffer much 
from the minute crystals on the hard crust of the 
snow; they become very sore, and sometimes bleed. 
The natives have in consequence little socks of leather 
which tie on the paws, and are a great protection. 
The speed with which one travels is however much 
increased from the diminution of friction, and when 


there is a track the dogs keep along it in a 


0 2 


196 TRAVELLING CONVIVIALITIES. 


continuous trot, requiring very little attention. At such 
times the usual watchfulness is relaxed, the sledges 
are allowed to run side by side, or the riders seat 
themselves sideways on their carriages, and converse 
agreeably, or eat a bit of lunch together, combining 
their stores, on our part a few pieces of biscuit, and, 
as a great favour, a wee taste of ay-ke-misch, on the 
other side a store of pemmican, or dried fish, 
pounded fine, which is by no means a disagreeable 
condiment, having much the flavour of caviare. 

A present of homceopathic quantities of sugar 
and leaf tobacco to my companion would now put 
him in possession of a 1a-lodp, and an immense fund 
of good-humour: a fumigation on my part made 
me equally content; thus we jogged along tran- 
quilly at peace with the world and each other. 
Sometimes we struck up a song, alternately or 
together, Belkonta, who acted as my guide on 
this excursion, and was very intelligent, quickly 
following lead, and endeavourmg, with some success, 
to repeat the words ; but of all sounds, and I tried 
all I knew for experiment, none suited him so well 
as German, which he repeated after me with much 
facility, and learned several words of a favourite song 
of mine. At this season “mirage” displays its 


wonders of distortion to a great extent, it produces 


NATIVE ATHLETIC GAMES. 197 


many curious effects which are often very deceptive. 
IT was much diverted by the appearance of some 
natives on the summit of a hill about two miles 
distant from us; they were much magnified, and 
their forms perverted by the haze; ther waddling 
gait was increased to a roll which was irresistibly 
ludicrous. We halted for a night at Wootair, on 
our return, and J was made partaker in amusements 
and exercises, some of which were new to me. 

Two men seated themselves feet to feet on the 
floor of the yarang, and each strove to pull the other 
towards him, which was the aim of the struggle. 
In another game they contended in a similar manner, 
but squatting upon hams and. knees, with their legs 
bent under them. In a third trial, a circular band 
was passed over the necks of the pair, each of whom, 
leaning back, exerted his best endeavours to prove 
himself the most headstrong—a complete satire upon 
matrimony. Several other kinds of gymnastics were 
practised, all callmg for great muscular effort ; the 
natives jumped fair distances, but could not equal 
us in a jump of height, yet they have a very curious 
spring, which we were not at all able to match them 
in; this was leaping right off the ground, kicking, 
while in the air, a bar or rope frequently breast high. 


In the yarangas they slung themselves by one or 


198 AMUSEMEN'S. 


other limb, and performed some puzzling but not 
otherwise difficult contortions. 

In all such exercises we always took a part, but 
were careful to avoid the slightest approach to anger 
or annoyance ; wrestling was the only pastime at all 
hazardous in this respect, as our laws were different 
to theirs, and the. custom of one side might not be 
considered fair on the other, it was therefore rarely 
practised. Ever willing to promote amusement, I 
introduced many of our own games; some were compre- 
hended and fairly imitated. ‘Two rather undignified 
feats I was very fond of performing, as a challenge 
to my friends, whose invariably unsuccessful attempts 
to do likewise never failed to create stifling merri- 
ment among the spectators; the first was, standing 
on my head, which they did not all understand 
how to manage, the other was throwing somersets 
backwards from arecumbent posture ; this manceuvre 
all were unable to accomplish, from the ill-arranged 
balance of their figures, only one person ever 
following me, and he was much more expert than I 
for a very good reason; the poor fellow had no legs, 
or at least only short stumps remaining, so had no 
leverage to overcome; the history of his misfortune, 
told to me in his presence, showed that even men 


so hardy must sometimes succumb to the rigour of 


THE CRIPPLE. 199 


their climate, and recalled with lively recollection the 
period of privation experienced by my companions 
and myself on a late occasion, and conjured up 
paimful images of the horrible fate we might have 
met. On an occasion when it was necessary to drive 
the remdeer to a distance inland for pasture, this 
man, with another, had performed the task, and 
while engaged in tending them, or perhaps on the 
return journey, were surrounded by a snow storm, 
lost their way, and were two days and_ nights 
exposed to the lowest temperature. The end of 
this period found his comrade a rigid corpse, and 
himself a hopeless cripple, his legs being frozen quite 
through nearly to the thighs ; how he reached home 
I do not know, nor how he recovered from such a 
horrible condition; most probably he was sought 
for, or perhaps dragged himself to the nearest hamlet, 
and vigour of constitution must have saved him 
from sinking under the tedious and trying period 
of recovery ; here he was at any rate stumping along 
upon the two remnants of legs, each of which had 
a broad flattened pad beneath, to serve as a sort 
of foot, without which he would sink into the snow. 

I do not know any sight more calculated to excite 
feelmgs of commiseration and melancholy reflection, 


than that of a strong man, full of power and activity, 


200 AGE OF NATIVES. 


struck down in an instant to a mutilated and helpless 
condition : he who before, perhaps, towered above his 
fellows, now moves below the smallest, he who was 
the ready protector of the weak, now blesses a fragile 
woman for assistance. Only blindness equals so 
sad a condition—that is helplessness indeed. The 
man whose sad story I have just related, was among 
the finest of the natives, he had evidently been very 
tall, had a handsome, rather intellectual face, and 
was still quite young, perhaps not more than thirty. 
It was quite impossible to arrive at any conclusion 
respecting the ages of these people, or their average 
term of existence; the age to which they might 
arrive it is of course quite useless to seek, as the 
thread is cut short in so reckless a manner, but I 
have no doubt that they reach an advanced period 
of life, and that a hundred years would not be too 
extended a limit to assign them. An old woman 
at Wootair had lost every particle of hair, was utterly 
blind, nearly toothless, and a very atomy for 
emaciation ; this poor old creature, shrivelled and 
sightless, must have been very aged, and the only 
wonder is that she had been so long permitted to 
live, for although we were only made acquainted 
with one instance of matricide, the utter apathy with 


which the deed was done and the tidmgs communi- 


ee ntl 


a 


CHILDREN’S AMUSEMENTS. 201 


cated, proved it to be an event of frequent, mdeed 
habitual occurrence. We never heard of any 
instance of infanticide, so can make no comment 
upon the information received by Wrangell, that all 
weakly and deformed children are destroyed ; whether 
this is the case or otherwise, I can only remark, that 
I never saw the parent’s love for their offspring more 
strongly exemplified than here ; the natives absolutely 
doat upon their children, particularly in their earlier 
years, expend much time, ingenuity, and expense 
upon their clothes, ‘and cram them with all sorts of 
delicacies ; but it is probable Wrangell’s information 
was correct, as I never remember to have seen a 
deformity nor children of sickly constitution. 

It is very curious to observe how in all lands the 
amusements of the children follow in miniature the 
occupations of their elders. Few countries are there 
where dolls are not a great resource; the Tuski 
children have theirs ; make and clothe them with the 
minutest attention to details ; every article of dress is 
provided, and everything puts on and off in the proper 
manner ; the boys have miniature sledges, boats, and 
bows and arrows, the girls their dolls, and also 
embroidery, which they early begin to practise as a 
pastime, and soon become expert in. 


I returned to the “ Plover” on the 12th of April, 


202 VISIT FROM A BEAR. 


and was immediately despatched to survey the maim 
branch of the harbour, in the lesser fork of which we 
were located ; the tracks of bears, probably the grizzly, 
were now becoming numerous, and I cannot but 
consider that myself and companion, one of the crew, 
had a very narrow escape from death by one of these 
animals. As I was about to go on with work at some 
distance from the ship, we took, one morning, the 
tent and several other articles, tending to remam 
out a night or two, but heavy mist and drizzling snow 
coming on, I resolved to return that day and resume 
on the morrow. Accordingly we dug to some depth 
in the snow and buried the tent, and with it, among 
other things, a pair of snow-boots, which I had brought 
for a change in case of need. Next day on returning 
to the spot we found the track of a very large bear 
leading to it, and discovered that the brute had 
exhumed our buried goods, and finding nothing to its 
taste, had bitten my snow-boots all to pieces, through 
an inch of cork and wooden pins, which must have 
sadly torn its mouth; it had scattered everything 
about as if in mischief or rage, and pulled down our 
marking staves, which were bitten all to pieces. As 
these brutes are very ferocious, particularly when 
hungry, I think we were fortunate in our absence, nor 


did we after this think it wise to risk a night’s stay 


? 


THE “PLOVER” AFLOAT. 203 


out, and always carried fire-arms. By the time this 
task was concluded we had begun to cut out of our 
icy prison, a work which fully employed our small 
crew for the major part of a month. The distance 
from the ship to the edge of the ice was about a 
mile and a quarter, and the ice averaged quite five 
feet in thickness. This work was continued through 
some very severe weather, without other than una- 
voidable cessation, and we were heartily glad on the 
13th of June to see a clear lane of water reaching to 
the long imprisoned “ Plover,” which soon quitted her 
“icy cradle” and lay once more free on the bosom of 
the wave. This event well nigh concluded our 
communications with the Tuski. We anchored near 
Woorel and were invaded by an almost unbroken 
stream of atwoits, which were crowded with natives, 
who came to take a last farewell of the friends so lately 
made to be so soon separated. The greater number 
of our visitants were women, the men being diligently 
engaged in making the most of their brief season of 
summer: they came laden with presents, wild-fowl, 
which had now arrived in numbers; eggs; boots, 
belts, and gloves all finely embroidered, and whatever 
else they thought would be appreciated. I have much 
satisfaction in recording an instance of grateful feeling 


which occurred at this time, a lively proof of the 


204 THE DESIRED OF ALL EYES. 


existence among this people of the best emotions of 
the heart had no other been afforded. 

Of all the articles of dress possessed by our friends, 
none was more coveted than a pair of breeches made 
by Caymgliche for her husband Metra; some one 
among us had seen them when on a visit to Wootair, 
Caymgliche displaying them with honest pride, and 
the encomiums on that occasion inflamed the rest with 
a desire to view and to possess these wondrous 
inexpressibles, which were indeed very handsome, 
being splendidly dressed dogskin, with long glossy 
and perfectly jet black hair. ‘hey created quite a 
furore, but Caymgliche was deaf to all moderate or 
even good offers, and placed a prohibitory price 
upon them, notwithstanding which hopes were still 
entertained of their beg yielded at a lower price 
by and by. 

During one of the many visits I made to Wootair, 
Caymgliche was suffering greatly from violent headache 
and low fever, which, as there was no one present better 
qualified, I endeavoured to relieve; bandaged her 
head with handkerchiefs dipped in cooling lotions, 
prepared some savoury broth, and in fact did a good 
deal in the nursing way, which would have made me 
a subject for mirth among my companions, and I dare 


say with many of my fair readers too. The laugh 


os 
CAYMGLICHE THE GRATEFUL. 205 


may pass, | was rewarded by seeing my _ patient 
convalescent and very thankful for my little care, and 
returning to the ship I soon lost sight of the 
occurrence. Not so Caymgliche, her gratitude had 
remained in full force, and with a delicacy of sentiment 
one would hardly suppose to exist in a mind so untu- 
tored, she determined to display, by an unmistakeable 
token, her recognition of my slight service ; accord- 
ingly, when with Yaneenga and others she came on 
board on the last visit, I was surprised that in addition 
to the offermgs of my friend Mooldooyah’s wife, 
Caymgliche also had her tribute to bestow, and among 
the treasures of her donation were the much coveted 
name-them-nots. ‘This was an enigma. I could not 
for an instant suppose that Caymgliche, who with her 
husband had the character of “screws,” could mean 
otherwise than “ tok,” and quickly asked her price, but 
the poor creature with eagerness and delight made me 
understand that my acceptance was all she desired, and 
with Yaneenga explained the reason for her conduct. 
Caymgliche had I trust no reason to repent her 
generous determination. I turn from this act which 
calls for so much admiration to one which was equally 
culpable as the other was praiseworthy, and which I, 
for my shame is now to be recorded, have never, 


ridiculous as it may seem, ceased to regret. No 


206 THE BROKEN PROMISE. 


articles in our possession were more coveted than 
combs, and as we had only a supply for our own use, 
the natives were not very successful in the fulfillment 
of their desires on this head. My faithful friend 
Yaneenga, who had ever striven with such exemplary 
attention to provide me with whatever she thought 
would be prized, begged but for one token, which would 
be alike valuable for use and as a memorial: this 
desired object was a comb, but as I only possessed 
one, and in the peculiar circumstances of our sojourn 
dared not risk its deprivation, I promised to give her 
one moiety thereof, retaining the other. With blame- 
able negligence I omitted to do this until too late; 
occupied with many duties I did not notice the 
departure of the boats, and I fear Yaneenga upbraids 
to this day the ungrateful stranger who could be so 
unmindful of her parting wish as to neglect to give her 
what, to him a trifle, was to her so ardently coveted a 
treasure ; if ever I see her again, or can send, she 
shall have a gross. 

I have now little more to say of the Tuski, we had 
only trifling further communication with them in our 
passage up Behring’s Straits, and a brief summary 
will conclude your acquaintance with them. We 
sailed from Emma’s Harbour at the end of June, and 


proceeded up Behring’s Straits, anchoring several 


FAREWELL TO THE TUSKI. 207 


times near the Asiatic shore, on which occasions 
parties of our friends visited the ship. The last point 
of contact was the Bay of St. Laurence, on whose 
shore stands Noonahmone, and near which Ahmoleen, 
of Yandangah, resided ; he soon came on board, and 
kindly supphed us with several remdeer for fresh 
provision. Preparations were made at this time to 
despatch boats to the coast of America, to proceed 
along it to the eastward, as light winds created fears 
of the delay of the ship, but a fair breeze springing 
up, the order for their departure was countermanded, 
and bidding farewell to Asia, and the people among 
whom we had so long tarried, we steered for Kotzebue 
Sound, on the American coast, and anchored near 
Chamisso Island on the 14th of July; much ice, 
several American whalers, and multitudes of whales, 
seals, walrus, and wild-fowl, having been seen on the 
passage from our wintering-place. 

We had now taken leave of a race whose 
character and attributes, as they were presented to 
our view, I cannot on the whole regard in other than a 
favourable hight. Previous slight acquaintance has 
represented them as fierce, warlike, and intractable ; 
there is undoubtedly a spirit of independence, united 
with indomitable courage, which would lead them, 


as reported of their conduct when invaded, to resist 


208 CHARACTER OF NATIVES. 


all endeavours at subjugation with constancy and 
firmness ; but of this, we whose intentions and rela- 
tions were avowedly and undeviatingly pacific, had 
no active proof. My experiences lead me _ to 
characterise them as phlegmatic, deliberate in speech 
and action; naturally indolent, perhaps, but obliged 
by the scanty resources of their land to bestir them- 
selves in providing subsistence and the very few 
comforts they possess ; worthy of confidence, although 
shrewd at a bargain, and in occasional instances 
displaying a pilfermg tendency ; (which, however, I 
believe was exercised only upon the property of the 
stranger) and even this some I am sure scorned to 
participate in; hospitable in the extreme, and 
exceedingly fond. of company. Of the structure of 
their religion I know very little. Magic and evil 
spirits are certainly constituents ; how far the former 
is extended I am ignorant, as also whether they 
worship or simply deprecate the displeasure of 
the latter in their ceremonies. I have no means of 
judging of their belief m a benign spirit, but meline 
to the view that the sun is importantly connected 
with their notions, and that they assign to each of 
the elements, and even perhaps the different winds 
and other natural objects, a controlling and dispensing 


spirit. 


AMOR PATRIA. 209 


Of their social condition my narrative offers nearly 
a sufficient picture; they are in a measure socialists, 
and divided into distinct small brotherhoods of a 
very peculiar nature, from which, as I understand, 
their designation of Tuski is derived. They afford 
an additional proof of the love of home alike in 
people of savage as luxurious climes ; questions as 
to whether they would leave their country and go 
with us to see new wonders, and obtain riches in 
profusion, elicited, notwithstanding the dazzling 
prospect, only decided refusal. 

As regards matrimony, it may briefly be remarked, 
that polygamy is a matter of choice, and repudiation 
a recognised, although not a frequent, practice. 
Betrothals take place at an early age, and often 
without regard to equality of the pair in that respect ; 
a dowry is certainly bestowed with the wife. In 
the arts and sciences their advance has necessarily 
been hmited, but ingenuity, patience, and skill, are 
displayed in no common degree in all their perform- 
ances. Boats, sledges, dresses, implements, and toys, 
all bear the stamp of careful and suitable adaptation 
to their several uses. 

Regarding their trade and commerce, the system 
is entirely one of “tok,” or barter: they communicate 
with the Russians at Kolyma, and on the Anadyr, 


5 


210 NATURAL PRODUCTIONS OF TUSKI-LAND. 


and indirectly with the Esquimaux of America, by 
the people of the Diomede Islands, in the straits. 
There is also some slight communication with the 
island of St. Lawrence, but enmity exists between its 
natives and themselves, and more than one proof was 
afforded that they reduced to bondage any of 
those people who, on fishing or other excursions, 
were driven upon their coast; a sufficiently ungene- 
rous proceeding, and one at variance with their 
general hospitality, but practised probably by way of 
reprisal. 

I have already remarked upon the scantiness of 
vegetation, from which they have but slight aid 
except in the subsistence of their reindeer, besides 
some few roots and a long dry grass, which they plait 
into hats and baskets of close texture, nearly 
impervious to water. The only wild animals with 
which we were acquainted, were bears, wolves, foxes, 
sable, otters, ermine, hares, the big horn or great 
sheep of Siberia, and perhaps reindeer; the tame ones 
were reindeer and dogs; the latter are generally 
small and shaggy, their bark, or rather yell, is most 
melancholy, and when a number join in chorus, the 
wail, particularly at night, is startling, and almost 
unearthly. 


In concluding this portion of my book, I beg to 


PORTRAIT OF AUTHOR. 211 


present to my readers a specimen of Tuski drawing, 
being in fact my LIKENESS, drawn by Enoch, the 


Canny lad. Like most portraits, it is too flattering. 


MY PORTRAIT. 


Pa bolt, 


BOAT EXPEDITION. 


f ties 
CHAPTER XIV. 


Arrive in Kotzebue Sound.—Mosquitos.— First view of Esquimaux.— 
Joined by “Herald” and “ Nancy Dawson.’—Midnight Sun.—Start on 
a Boat expedition.—Visit of Esquimaux.—Moor to Ice Hummock.— 
Esquimaux Music and Dancing.—Threatening attitude of Natives.— 
Burying Ground.—Anchor at Point Barrow.—Language of Signs. 
— Magnetic Observations. — Description of Natives. — Concert. — 
Oomiak.—Bury Intelligence.—Whalebone Henge.—Part from “ Nancy 
Dawson.”—Mr. Shedden. 


Tue effort to despatch the party for search along 
the coast, was repeated the morning after reaching 
Kotzebue Sound. Lieutenant Lee, with myself and 
crews in pinnace and gig, started at an early hour 
on the 15th (July), and we had nearly lost sight of 
the parent “Plover,” when a glimpse of H. M. S. 
‘Herald,’ and guns from our own vessel, calling us 
to return, the resumption of the trip was delayed for 
a time. The “Herald” had been despatched to 
replenish our supplies, and otherwise aid in forwarding 


the objects of our mission; and both ships’ crews 


. 
FIRST VIEW OF ESQUIMAUX. 213 


were therefore immediately set to work to transfer 
stores and provisions. Lieutenant Pullen, who held 
the original appomtment to the “ Plover,” and had 
now arrived in the “ Herald,” exchanged places with 
_ Lieutenant Lee, the latter officer going into the 
“Herald” to join his own ship, the “ Asia.” 

Observations were taken on Chamisso Island, those 
engaged suffermg much from the attacks of mus- 
quitos of elephantine proportions. <A cask of flour 
which Captain Beechy, of H. M. S. “Blossom,’’ buried 
in 1826, was exhumed, and found to be very little 
deteriorated. : 

Our first view of Esquimaux was obtained here ; 
between twenty and thirty men in two baidars (the 
term now generally used for this species of boat), 
visiting us on several occasions; they were quite 
friendly, though at first rather shy. I believe 
Lieutenant Cooper and others of the “Herald” remem- 
bered some of them, and were recognised with delight 
im their turn, having met them when the “ Herald” 
sought the “Plover”’ here at this time last year. They 
stole nothing, but I am not charitable enough to 
acquit them of the desire to do so; subsequent expe- 
rience forbids so favourable a construction of their 
intentions. 

On the 18th, the “Herald”’ and “Plover” weighed 


214 THE MIDNIGHT SUN: 


at.an early hour, and ran out of the anchorage ; they 
were shortly joined by the yacht “ Nancy Dawson,” 
owned and commanded by a noble-hearted man, 
named Shedden, of whom I shall presently have 
occasion to speak, m language, alas! of mourning 
as well as of admiration. The three vessels pro- 
ceeded in company to the northward, along the 
American shore, until the 25th, when the anchors 
were dropped off Wainwright Inlet, which it was 
hoped might be found suitable for the “ Plover” to 
winter in. Only two incidents occurrmg on our 
passage hither, will find record in my pages ; a view 
of the midnight sun, which, when seen for the first 
time, cannot fail to excite new emotions and reflec- 
tions in the observant mind; and the profusion of 
life in the waters through which we passed ; a mid- 
night watch m a nearly calm night made me a 
sharer with subdued enjoyment in a scene strange as 
imposing. Whales near and afar throwing up 
mighty volumes of water, with a noise like the sobs 
of a huge steam-engine ; walruses and seals innumer- 
able, the former growling and grunting in a peculiar 
manner, the latter barking much like dogs; eider 


and other ducks almost in myriads, rismg on our 


12 
rw) 
approach im clouds from the sea. All this was new 


and impressive enough. 


START ON BOAT EXPEDITION. Pa 


The two commanders, Kellett and Moore, had 
resolved to make this the startmg point for the oft- 
tried expedition along the coast, and busy preparations 
were immediately instituted to that end. 

Another pen than mime must record the events in 
the remainder of the “ Plover’s”’ flight; I have to tell 
of the doings of her bantlings, from which she now 
separated, and of which enough of interest and 
adventure may be related. 

Four boats were selected for the contemplated 
service: two of these were large, and capable of 
contaiming much provision and stores, and affording 
great comfort and protection to their crews; but 
with these I shall have little to do. The other two 
were whale boats, twenty-seven feet in length and 
nearly five in breadth, open from bow to backboard, 
providing therefore no shelter from the weather. 
‘Twenty-five persons were comprised in the crews of 
all these boats, Lieutenant Pullen having command, 
supported by Mr. Martin and myself. As much 
provisions as could be carried were stowed away, 
amounting to more than seventy days’ allowance for 
the whole party, besides twenty cases of pemmican, 
to be buried along the coast, as depots for any parties 
of the missing voyagers who might chance upon these 


shores. 


\ 


216 - -WALRUS.—WILD FOWL. 


At nearly midnight, three hearty cheers from the 
crews of the vessels, who manned the riggings to 
see us away, sounded farewell to our little band. 
We returned. their shouts with energy, and thus, 
amid waving hands and re-echoing adieus, we pro- 
ceeded on our mission. ‘The vessels weighed also, 
and accompanied us for awhile, but a dense fog 
gathering around, soon hid them from our view, and 
we were fairly alone to rely upon ourselves. Few 
points of interest were presented during the first 
two or three days; walrus were plentiful, dams with 
a single young one, never more, the old ladies looking 
grave and sedate as a matron need, the juveniles 
frolicking about them as only young things can, 
while here and there an old bull reared his massive 
but unsightly head, garnished by a pair of tusks of 
threatening dimensions. 

The midnight sun on the 26th glowed lke a_ ball 
of fire through the haze, and promised little for 
genial warmth on his rising, and large flocks of wild 
fowl, principally geese, passed us from time to time, 
generally going seaward. Early in the morning of 
the 29th, we observed, on a point near Cape Smythe, 
seven Hsquimaux tents of seal-skin; the inmates 
were not observable, and we thought them probably 


asleep or unconscious of our vicinity : not so, however ; 


VISIT OF ESQUIMAUX. 217 


before we had proceeded half a mile they crowded 
the beach, quickly launched their boats, followed and 
came up with us. ‘They were very anxious to barter, 
and delighted to exchange arrows, boots of seal-skin, 
ornaments of ivory, &c., for scraps of tobacco or a 
few beads ; but they coveted more than all else, any 
thing of iron, gazing upon it with longing eyes, and 
we detected an old man endeavouring to appropriate 
one of the chain-plates of the larger boat (which, for 
the information of my non-nautical friends, is a heavy 
piece of iron bolted to the side of the vessel, to secure 
the shrouds); he seemed much astonished that it 
resisted his efforts. 

While running hitherward, we had espied a vessel 
standing in for the land, and speedily recognised the 
“Nancy Dawson.” We went on in company with her 
until the afternoon, making, however, but slow pro- 
gress, as the ice lay thickly in our path, and the boats 
were finally secured to a heavy hummock of ice 
which lay aground, and afforded good shelter, the 
yacht anchoring a little below us. Mr. Shedden had 
been some distance along the ice-barrier, but found 
no break nor opening of any kind, so soon returned. 

It blew strongly next day, and the wind bemg 
contrary, detamed us in our position, which was not 


far from Point Barrow. We were fortunate in 


218 MOOR TO ICE-HUMMOCK. 


possessing so good shelter, for the sea was covered 
with drifting ice, mostly heavy, and having some 
dangerous hummocks amongst it: and the small berg 
to which we were secured, had to withstand continual 
pressure and heavy shocks from the wind and current- 
driven masses. 

The ‘“ Nancy’s”’ position was less enviable than 
ours ; she was anchored in the full force of the stream, 
and we more than once feared for her safety, par- 
ticularly on one occasion, when a small field of ice 
getting athwart her hawse, threatened to break her 
from her anchors. Eventually she was warped up to 
the same shelter as ourselves, and then lay snug 
enough. From the condition and appearance of the 
ice, Mr. Pullen came to the conclusion that it would 
probably be necessary to proceed with the smaller 
boats only ; these were, therefore, loaded with seventy 
days provisions for fourteen persons, in readiness for a 
favourable opportunity. Our friendly shelter proved 
treacherous at last; perhaps we taxed its powers too 


> 


far by the addition of the “ Nancy:” it broke fairly 
in halves, one part remaming aground, the other 
floating off with us. We had, therefore, to get in 
shore as quickly as possible, where such another small 
berg afforded protection, and we remained here until the 


evening, when the weather began to moderate, and the 


TIMEO DANAOS. 219 


~ 


boats pushed on once more. Passing close to the 
shore, we attracted the notice of about fifty Esquimaux, 
to whom belonged four tents near ; these shouted to 
us as we ran by, waving their arms and dancing to a 
drum in a way which forcibly recalled the imitation of 
their manners by certain among the Tuski, and I saw 
that no acting could be truer; they accompanied us 
along the banks for a considerable distance, but did 
not come off in their boats. 

We now began to find the channel much obstructed 
by ice, and on reaching the southern part of a long 
narrow promontory, whose northern extreme is Point 
Barrow, found our progress checked by a large floe, 
which disputed the right of way and constrained us 
to tarry a while. The boats were secured to the 
shore-ice, and our men lay down to sleep. ‘Two or 
three Esquimaux quickly gathered near with bows in 
readiness for defence, we also kept our arms at hand, 
though concealed, and the visitors seeing that no evil 
was intended discontinued further preparation or 
precaution, and came without hesitation to receive 
trifling presents or to barter their furs. 

Little was done on the Ist of August, short 
distances were accomplished with difficulty, sometimes 
by sailing, at others tracking or towing, in which the 


Esquimaux readily assisted us, and often we had to 


220 THE LAND-FLOE. 


get out upon the ice and force the boats through in 
various ways, but all was of little use; we got over 
perhaps three miles by these means, but at last came 
to the land-floe, which had never moved, and through 
which, in its present state, there was no hope of 
passing. It was, however, very much honeycombed, 
and a great deal of water from the melted snow lay 
upon it, which gave us good prospects of its speedy 
disruption. We again secured to the shore, and were 
visited by the people of twelve tents, which were on 
the bank a quarter of a mile distant ; great numbers 
assembled around us, noisy and wondermg enough, 
but quite pacific; their visit was returned by an 
ispection of their tents, which gave them great 
delight ; dancmg and drumming were practised as 
usual, and they were made quite happy by the dis- 
tribution of presents, the scene ending with a scramble, 
which was highly diverting. ‘Towards night the floe 
began to break up and drift away; the channel, to 
our joy, clearmg fast. 

The booming of a distant cannon announcing the 
approach of a vessel from the southward, Mr. Pullen 
started to meet her, and soon after we saw the spars 
of the ‘ Nancy”’ peeping over the southern point. 

During the absence of our commander I went on 


shore to examine the sea to the eastward. In Elson 


NATIVE BURYING-GROUND. DOI 


Bay there was much pack, an occasional piece of 
sailing ice might be seen, as also the barrier to seaward, 
but otherwise all was free. Several small inlets were 
visible along the pot, and one or two lagoons. In 
my walk I came upon a sort of burying-ground ; 
numerous heaps and sods of earth lay about with a 
stick or two placed in them. I counted six human 
skulls upon them, but saw no other bones, and from 
the smallness of the mounds and undisturbed appear- 
ance of the surrounding soil, conjectured that the 
corpses had been buried in an upright position, with 
their heads at or above the surface. The Esquimaux 
did not offer me the slightest molestation, and after 
gathering a few plants and flowers, and picking up a 
piece of coal, which was probably sea-borne from Cape 
Beaufort, where it exists in plenty, I returned to the 
boats. 

At four on the morning of the 2nd, Mr. Pullen 
came on board accompanied by Mr. Shedden, whose 
vessel had become surrounded by the pack. ‘The 
channel had cleared for us beautifully, the wind was 
alike favourable, having veered to the southward, and 
we were therefore happy enough to hurry on to the 
northern extreme of Point Barrow, which is also the 
northernmost point of America. Here we anchored 


for examiation and observation, and Mr. Pullen and 


Q22 LANGUAGE OF SIGNS. 


myself started in search of any marks which might 
have been left by the “ Blossom’s” boat. We pulled 
to the southward, and landed to examine a large post, 
which we had before observed. It was, however, only 
a piece of driftwood, set up by the natives, many 
similar to it being about, generally upright. These, 
as I understood from the Esquimaux, were used as 
land-marks for their fishing boats. I believe, indeed, 
that the ‘“ Blossom’s” boat did not land here, nor 
leave any mark of their visit. There was certainly 
none such to be seen. We carefully examined every 
suspicious object, and dug under several of the posts 
to a considerable depth. 

Our interpreter did not understand the tribe, and 
again recourse was had to the universal language of 
signs. We made a rude model of a vessel, and 
performed sundry antics to signify what we were in 
search of, but could elicit no mformation, and so set 
to work at obtaining observations. We concluded that 
these people must have been entirely misunderstood. 
Far from evidencing any disposition to assail or molest 
us, they were most docile and well-behaved, agreeably 
disappointing us in their conduct. When we arrived 
on the hillock, all, big and little, sat down around us, 
and I amused myself by filling their pipes, becoming 


a great favourite immediately in consequence. 


MAGNETIC OBSERVATIONS. 223 


They had among them a great many knives, which 
we feared would influence the magnet, Mr. Pullen 
therefore kindly drew the crowd off to a distance, 
distributing among them tobacco, beads, snuff, &c. : 
and much to their credit be it said, there was neither 
confusion nor contention, each taking his allotted 
portion, and seeming delighted with his good fortune. 
They took care not to come near the imstruments, 
finding that we did not like their approach ; one or 
two indeed came towards us, but retired instantly 
when laughingly motioned back, and this should be 
considered as a display of great forbearance, inasmuch 
as their curiosity must have been highly excited. 
When the observations were concluded they were 
allowed to inspect the objects of their wonder; then 
fast and thickly to utterance flew their expressions of 
astonishment at the—to them—novel and splendid 
instruments. The trough of quicksilver, liquid and 
restless, especially attracted them, pleasure and wonder 
were evident at the simple view, but when one or two 
had permission to take some from the dish, and found 
it ever elude the grasp, their astonishment knew no 
bounds. | 

The men generally were taller than the average of 
Europeans, strongly built and well formed: some had 


well-marked features, but all expression was completely 


224 DESCRIPTION OF NATIVES. 


destroyed by those odious labrets, of which some wore 
but one, others one on each side of the mouth ; they 
were of beads or stone, and it is incomprehensible how 
these people can consent to make unsightly gashes im 
their faces for such a purpose. I estimate them to be 
of great strength and activity, indeed of the latter 
sufficient proof was afforded. The women were 
generally short, the visages of the younger ones 
tolerably good, but truth compels me to add, that the 
very reverse was the case with the dames of more 
advanced age. heir figures inclined to the squat, 
their mien and expression promised intelligence and 
good nature. Although both sexes had in most 
instances the round flat face of the Mongolian cast, a 
few individuals possessed well-defined, though petite 
features, and all had fine eyes. The women, unlike 
our lady friends on the Asiatic coast, wore closely 
fitting breeches of sealskin, and as these always looked 
old and worn, I have little doubt that they were the 
castings of their husbands’ wardrobes; their figures 
were, therefore, not displayed to advantage, particularly 
as they turned in their toes and walked with a waddle. 
All were horribly filthy in person and habits; a 
perceptible odour of train-oil pervaded the assembly, 
and effectually banished on our side any lingering 


penchant for their caresses, which were however freely 


TOILET OF THE NATIVES. 225 


tendered, particularly the nose-rubbing _ salutation 
which we had some difficulty to avoid without offending. 
The men only appear to wear the labret, and where a 
single one is borne it is generally on the left side of 
the mouth. I observed some men with bare crowns 
in priestly fashion, but the major part left the hair 
untouched: the reason for the practice of clipping 
may be better guessed than alluded to. I saw no 
tattooed marks on the men: in the women all discernible 
were lines, generally in pairs, drawn from the lower 
lip to the chin ; they were of a dark hue and deeply 
punctured; indeed, in some instances the flesh had risen 
up in ridges. The women’s hair was-cut in front 
level with the eyebrows ; behind, it grew long, and was 
gathered into two “rat tails,’ such as young ladies 
sometimes wear in England, but bemg very thick and 
bound tightly round with strips of stiff hide, they 
stuck out on each side like small cable ends, which 
indeed they much resembled. Having concluded the 
observations, and erected a pole on the spot where they 
were taken, we went off to the boats to dine. The 
-Esquimaux assembled on the beach opposite to us, 
and commenced a festival concert, singing, dancing, 
and gesticulating, to the sound of two large native 
drums or tambourines, very like those of the Tuski; 


the burthen of their song was ever—Hi, Yangah 


Q 


226 WE BURY INTELLIGENCE. 


yangah; ha ha, yangah: with variety only in the 
inflection of voice. 

We purchased an oomiak—woman’s, or family boat 
—made of two walrus skins, sewn together, and 
stretched tightly over a light wooden frame: with 
paddles complete its price was a large butcher’s 
knife, a looking-glass, and a quantity of tobacco and 
beads. She differed much in shape from those of the 
Tuski, which are little wider at top than bottom ; this 
one measured seventeen inches at the greatest breadth 
of floor, and forty-three where widest between the 
gunwales ; a species of keel was formed by carrying 
the woodwork to an edge below. Workmanship was 
displayed in the manufacture of her frame which 
would not have disgraced a skilful carpenter ; it was 
particularly neat and well fitted, which made it much 
stronger than its lightness would lead one to suppose. 

In the afternoon we went on shore to bury an 

-account of our past and intended future proceedings ; 
these were placed near the pole, which was about- 
twenty feet long, with a cross-piece near the top, on 
which was inscribed— 

PLOVER'S BOATS. 


AUGUST 2, 1849. 
INTELLIGENCE, 10 FEET, N.E. 


Mr. Shedden surprised us at this time by appearing 


NATIVE WINTER DWELLINGS. 227 


on the hill near, wishing to take a last look of us, and 
learn if we wanted any further assistance ; for these 
purposes he had walked a considerable distance from 
his vessel, which was still icelocked. In the evening 
I went on shore to obtain some rope of seal or walrus 
hide, which I knew would be valuable for towing the 
boats. I was perfectly unarmed, and had some distance 
to walk to the village, but met only with the most 
friendly demonstrations. I took a good visual survey 
of the place, which appeared to be a considerable and 
important settlement. The winter dwellings were 
about thirty in number, and apparently partly made 
by excavation in the soil, some ‘square or oblong in 
shape with flattish roofs, others round and arched ; 
they averaged about five feet from the ground. I could 
not help thinking that these must be what Simpson in 
his narrative mistook for ‘‘ numerous mounds of earth, 
forced up by the pressure of the ice, which look, at a 
distance, like gigantic boulders.” They have much 
of that appearance, and I coincided with his belief, 
until I had a tolerably near mspection, which made 
me pretty confident that such mounds do not exist, 
and these dwellings seem too far distant from the sea to 
be in danger from ice. The summer tents were about 
as numerous as the huts, and pitched near and about 


them either singly or in small clusters; they were 


Q 2 


228 WHALE-RIBS ON POINT BARROW. 


of seal-skin, sewn together, with the hair outwards, 
bell-shaped, and supported by poles. One, which I 
entered, was entirely destitute of any kind of furni- 
ture; its inmates sat on the loose earth, but had of 
course skins to sleep on. 

The most remarkable pecuharity of Pomt Barrow 
is the numerous poles and ribs of whales which are 
erected on it, about the settlement. I tried to 
count them, but became utterly confused in_ the 
calculation before reaching a tithe of the number. 
I should think there must be upwards of a thousand. 
Some were placed so as to form a sort of scaffold, 
others in rows, and a few isolated; their use was 
evident, although I fancied there were infinitely 
more than required. On those arranged together 
were placed oomiaks and kiaks (the latter very like 
our “funnies,” or wager boats, but of hide, and 
covered all over with a hooped aperture for the single 
occupant), skins, dresses, entrails of whales and 
seals, &c., and between the solitary ribs were stretched 
quantities of hide rope in different stages of curing, 
I imagined that each member of the community had 
his own private lot or manufactory, for on signifying 
my desire to become a purchaser, | was seized by 
one of the merchants and conducted right through 


the village to its outskirts, where his property and 


ESQUIMAUX MASK. 229 


winter dwelling were situated, his summer tent being 
more centrally deposited. 

‘The soil is peaty and boggy in some parts, marshy 
in others, and all was now saturated with moisture ; 
the beach was shelving, composed of sand and shingle; 
few shells were to be found, and those all scraps and 
fragments. 

In addition to the hide rope, I purchased a wooden 
mask, which was a ludicrous imitation of the 
“human face divine,’ in the Esquimaux variety. 
During the day we had bartered for many other 
curious trifles, skin dresses of all kinds, from the 
nicely trimmed frock of fawn to less invitmg breeks 
of seal-skin, labrets and other ornaments, bones and 
such like of walrus ivory. 

At nearly midnight on the 3rd, our kind friend 
Shedden bade us adieu, as we started from Point 
Barrow. We gave him three hearty cheers, and 
parted with feelings of regret, which would have been 
much increased had we known that this was our last 
farewell. This generous man, who with noble self- 
disregard had adventured thus far into these dreary 
regions to seek the gallant Franklin and his band, 
with no other hope of reward than the approval of 
his own conscience, and who, finding that he could 


not expect to proceed much further, placed all his 


230 FATE OF SHEDDEN. 


means at our disposal, for, as he told me, “ he would 
take his mainmast out if it would do us any good ;” 
this noble fellow, after striving for awhile longer 
amid great difficulties, perished before he could 
return to his native land. We mourn for thee, gallant 


Shedden, as men should mourn for a true patriot ! 


= 


CHAPTER XV. 


Take to Whale-boats and Oomiak.—Return of Mr. Martin and larger Boats 
to the Ship.—Dog Sledges.—Smith’s Bay.—Heavy Sea.—Run for 
Shore.—Repair Damages—Birds in numbers.—Colville Shoals.— 
Critical position.—Throw over Provisions.—Point Berens.—Amber.— 
Shovel Jack.—Attitude of Natives.—Mirage.—Jones’s Islands.— Esqui- 
maux Chief fires a Musket.—Native Boats crowd us.—Point Beechey. 
—Visited by Esquimaux.—Prudential Preparations.—Shovel Jack 
again.—Treacherous demonstrations.—Re-embark.—Natives follow. 
—Return Reef.—Fire with Ball.—Construct Stockade. — Marine 
charges with Bayonet.—Close of the three days’ demonstrations.— 
Natives depart.—Breakfast on the Ice.—Natives reappear.—Discharge 
their Arrows.—Reasons for forbearance. 


We ran on until the afternoon of the 3rd, when 
we stopped near Fatigue Point, im latitude 71° 6’ N., 
longitude 254° 31’ W., and made preparations to 
divide the party, Mr. Pullen having definitively 
concluded to proceed with the whale boats and 
oomiak, and send the two large ones back. He 
named one of our little craft “ Louisa; I had the 
much esteemed privilege of bestowing on the other 
the title of “ Logan,” and the skin canoe was aptly 
christened “ Supply.” She relieved the other boats 


much, stowmg a large quantity both in weight and 


232 BOAT EXPEDITION. 


bulk, twenty cases of pemmican, eight hundred pounds 
of biscuit, a quantity of preserved meats, and other 
miscellaneous matters, the whole amounting to 
upwards of half a ton weight, with which her gun- 
wales were still eight imches above the water. 
Twelve men were selected to accompany Mr. Pullen 
and myself, and it may well be imagined that four- 
teen men with their arms, baggage—the latter need 
not be too highly estimated—instruments, and 
provisions for nearly a hundred days, were not a 
light lading for our tiny vessels; we were indeed 
very “deep,” but consoled ourselves with the 
reflection that each day would diminish the weight. 
At midnight of the 4th, the word to depart was 
given, the chosen party bade farewell to their less 
fortunate comrades, and our adieux were made with 
-mutual regret. My dear friend Mr. Martin we 
particularly sympathised with; he had so much 
hoped to have pushed on, and was greatly chagrined 
at the disappomtment. As we ran along the shore, 
great quantities of drift-wood were observable, and 
on a pomt above high-water mark were several 
clumsy dog-sledges of the Esquimaux, some perfect, 
others much injured ; they had apparently been left 
there by travelling parties in the spring, when the 


snow had become too soft to employ them, and 


THE ‘SUPPLY’ IN DANGER. 233 


would probably be reclaimed for next winter’s use. 
A rough hut of drift wood had also been thrown up 
near. 

Getting into Smith’s Bay, we found the water very 
shallow, and the beach muddy; and after tracking 
for a time with difficulty, started to go right across 
the bay. The banks here were of solid ice, ten or 
fifteen feet high, with a crust of decayed vegetable 
matter, changed below into fine black mould. We 
had not gone far in our run, when the wind, 
previously strong, increased greatly ; the sea became 
boisterous, and our boats shipped much water ; the 
“Supply,” im particular, bemg within an ace of 
sinking. Part of her ladmg was transferred to the 
other boats; but they could ill bear the additional 
weight; and to prevent more disastrous conse- 
quences, we were obliged to run for the shore, 
landing im a horrid mixture of black stuff, mto which 
we sunk to the knees, the surf breaking over the 
boats. With much labour they were cleared of 
their contents, and hauled up, but not before every- 
thing, including ourselves, was well drenched. 
Particularly cold and miserable we were; for, i the 
first place, there was great difficulty m pitching the 
tents, as the pegs, when through the spongy surface, 


which was not more than four or five inches deep, 


2540 EXPEDIENTS IN A PREDICAMENT. 


refused to enter the icy foundation ; next, the fire- 
wood being wet and rotten, would not be persuaded 
to burn for a long time; and lastly, our very scanty 
wardrobes being as well soaked as the clothes we had 
on, required a little draining before we could enjoy 
the luxury of a change. Next day all our attention 
was required in repairmg, as far as possible, the 
evils of the preceding. Nearly all our biscuit was in 
a pap-like state of saturation, and we constructed a 
rude oven with anchors, rods, and plates of tin from 
the preserved potato-cases, i which to dry it; but 
this expedient was only very partially successful; the 
effects of the salt water were not easily removed ; 
and our bakery, it must be confessed, was not of the 
most artistic description. Our camp presented a 
strange spectacle: the tents all askew, near them 
a large pile of rotten wood, intended for a fire, but 
boasting more of pungent smoke; on one side the 
primitive oven; around, preserved meat-tins, piled 
like shot; casks, oars, masts, and other gear; and 
suspended upon lines, dripping habiliments waved in 
the breeze. Crowning all, were the fantastic garbs 
of the party ; some had donned Esquimaux frocks, 
breeches or caps; the rest of their dress being of 
a more civilised cast ; others, with some misappro- 


priated garment thrown loosely over them, were 


MULTITUDES OF BIRDS. 235 


awaiting, in patience, until the sulky fire should dry 
their clothes ; and one or two, of an ingenious fw7z, 
assumed the position of a roast, revolving slowly 
before the logs; they certainly got well smoked, if 
heat were wanting. We could not afford to spend 
more time in repairing our losses, and resumed the 
voyage on the 7th, at noon. ‘There was a good deal 
of “ sailing’’ ice in our course, and we got one or 
two hard rubs in consequence. Ice which has much 
wasted is very deceptive; long tongues run out 
under the water, and are dangerous, because unseen. 
Near Pomt Pitt avere seven Hsquimaux tents, and 
we landed, to communicate with the inmates, but 
gained no intelligence: they could hardly have ever 
seen whites before, as more than common astonish- 
ment was displayed at sight of us. We obtained 
some fish from them, and experienced great annoy- 
ance from the oft-repeated salutation of nose- 
rubbing, which made us glad enough to depart. 
The shores here were low, the ground chiefly flat 
and swampy. Ducks, geese, and gulls, were 
observed in great numbers, and multitudes of small 
birds kept up a continual twitter. Landing to 
examine a very small sandy island near Point 
kllice, we were jomed by two oomiaks, and recog- 


mised in their crews some of the persons we had 


BSG... BOATS AGROUND. 


lately left. HEndeavours were made to purchase one 


of their boats, but without success. Near Point 


Cameron, where we encamped at night, thousands 
of loons and diving-ducks were assembled, but were 
very shy; and an enormous white owl, which I 
endeavoured to get a shot at, was far too wary for my 
success. ‘The best way to catch these birds is to 
trail some small object like a mouse at a long distance 
behind by a strmg. Landing on Cape Halkett on 
the morning of the 9th, it was resolved, as the day 
was calm, to push for the opposite point of Harrison’s 
Bay, and we started accordingly. We had much 
difficulty in threading our way through the floating 
and grounded ice, but were assisted in our advance 
by a strong easterly current. Late im the afternoon 
a breeze came up from the south-west, to which we 
hoisted sail. Wind and sea gradually increased to 
violence ; the boats grounded on shoals at the mouth 
of the Colville River, and were with difficulty got 
ito deeper water, where their condition was equally 
unfortunate: the poor little craft were in great 
danger of swamping, being too deeply laden to rise 
with sufficient buoyancy to the waves. Much water 
was shipped, particularly by the “Supply,” which bemg 
in tow embarrassed us considerably. Our situation 


became critical, and the boats were of necessity 


eee we 


SACRIFICE OF PROVISIONS. pes 


lightened by throwing overboard some of the pro- 
visions; this relieved them; and the beach near 
Point Berens was reached with great satisfaction soon 
after, when the work of clearing the boats had to be 
repeated, everything being again quite saturated. 
The “Supply”? was much injured, and we had 
thrown overboard about three hundred pounds of 
biscuit, and nearly two hundred pounds of preserved 
potatoes, all of which had been wetted on the 
former occasion; a ten gallon cask of water had 
also been sacrificed. Walking along the beach, I 
picked up a piece of amber, which, although very 
small, was treasured as a curiosity from being found 
here. On the 11th, having somewhat refitted, we 
pulled up to Point Berens, on which were thirteen 
tents, containing, as I calculated, about one hundred 
persons in all. Pemmican was to be deposited 
here, and a pole with four arms, which our car- 
penter had already prepared, was erected. To conceal 
our doings, a visit was made to the tents, which lay 
at a distance; and the attention of the natives bemg 
thus diverted, three cases and a bottle of imtelligence 
were buried, we hoped, without observation, and fires 
made at different places around, to mislead as to the 
position of the depot. Our arrangements concluded, 


we were preparing to depart, when the shovel was 


238 DETERMINED MEASURES. 


missed ; a native gentleman had cleverly shuffled it in 
an instant under the sand with his feet ; and had he not 
been by chance observed, would undoubtedly have 
appropriated it as a waif. We could not spare the 
implement, so dislodged the thief from his position 
over it, and recovered the article; but our friend was 
not satisfied with his deprivation, and seized the 
prow of the boat to prevent our departure, while his 
companions seemed much inclined to make a rush 
upon us. One must be ever watchful and prompt in 
communication with uncivilised people: a couple of 
guns were levelled at the man in an instant, and their 
aspect quickly changed his views; he let go of the 
boat and retreated hastily. We hoisted sail and ran 
along shore, until a mark was observed, which we 
landed to examine, and while so engaged, were 
visited by an oomiak, containing twenty-four men, 
and only one woman. As they came from Point 
Berens we distrusted their honesty, and a line was 
therefore drawn on the sand between the parties, as 
a Rubicon to each. 

A curious instance of the deceptive effect of mirage 
occurred to-day : we thought we saw a small vessel 
or boat running in for the land, and chased it for a 
time, but after all, found it to be only a mass of ice, 


and continued our way with considerable vexation. 


A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT. 239 


The oomiak followed us for some time at a distance, 
but we lost sight of it before landing on the eastern- 
most of Jones’s Islands, where we supped, and the 
men lay down for a time, as we intended to proceed 
during the night. <A party of natives visited us here ; 
they seemed very friendly, and pleased to see us. 
Among them was a tall, spare man, who, by his 
usurping the principal share in the conversation, and 
other tokens, appeared to be a chief. He had a long 
gun, of English manufacture: the name on the lock 
was Barnet: it was very shaky; but, notwithstand- 
ing, evidently highly prized.* He obtained a little 
powder upon solicitation, and a few presents, of 
which tawacah (tobacco) was most welcome, were as 
usual distributed to the rest of the party. He was 
permitted to fire one of the fowling-pieces, for we 
wanted to see how far his knowledge of the use of 
firearms extended ; and his proceeding caused much 
amusement: he kneeled down in the sand, shut his 
eyes, and compressed his lips firmly; and after a 
slight pause, during which he was doubtless resolving 
upon the performance of the great achievement, 
pulled the trigger, and received a smart tap, having 
held the gun loosely from the shoulder. Mightily 


* We have since been informed that this gun was lost from Sir G. Pack’s 
boats in 1826. 


240 FOLLOWED BY OOMIAKS. 


was he relieved when the exploit was concluded, and, 
with his companions, breathed freely once more; for 
they, like him, had been in all-engrossing suspense 
until the deed was done. Our usual endeavours to 
obtain intelligence were employed; a rude model of 
a vessel again constructed, and with other signs put 
in requisition ; but these efforts were unrewarded by 
success. This occupation was interrupted by the 
approach of a number more of the natives, which 
warned us that our position on this narrow strip of 
sand was easily assailable, in case of treachery. We 
re-embarked, therefore, at thirty mmutes past eleven, 
p.m., and pulled to the eastward, for the wind had 
disappointed our expectations, and instead of 
becoming fair, threatened to blow strongly from 
the north-east. We speedily observed four large 
oomiaks, filled with natives, who had apparently 
come from two goodly collections of tents, one on 
the point of the mainland abreast of us, the other, 
and larger, a little to the eastward. The five oomiaks 
crowded upon us much nearer than was agreeable, 
for they contamed quite five times our number. 
Mr. Pullen counted twenty-one men and two women 
in one, and estimated that none of the rest held less 
than sixteen persons. Our three boats were kept 


close together, and the advances of the strangers 


VISIT FROM ESQUIMAUX. 241 


discouraged: they did not seem to comprehend nor 
to relish our reserve. When they found that we 
would not stop for them, nor accept their very 
pressing invitations to land at the larger encampment, 
on passing it, they gave up convoying us, and 
returned to their tents, it bemg now long past mid- 
night. The wind had, as we feared, increased 
greatly, raising the sea also; and so little progress 
was made, that the boats’ heads were turned to shore, 
and we landed at nearly three, a.m., on the 12th, 
near Point Beechy. Half of the party lay down to 
sleep; the rest re-loaded the fire-arms, which had 
nearly all become wetted from the quantity of water 
shipped ; for it must be remembered that our boats 
were so small, and moreover, so heavily laden, that 
they were quite unprotected from the most trifling 
sea or spray, and were unsafe in a breeze. We had 
not been here long when a large number of the 
natives came along the bank from their camp, which was 
about two miles distant from our position. Although 
they had apparently no weapons, we thought it 
necessary to be on our guard, and as on a former 
occasion, drew a line along the sand, across which 
they were not permitted to pass. We were, indeed, 
soon rendered still more cautious by observing among 


the crowd the man who had given us some trouble at 


R 


24.2 “SHOVEL JACK.” 


Point Berens, and whom, in reference to the object 
of his desire on that occasion, our men had christened 
“Shovel Jack.” He evidently wished to remain 
incognito, sitting very quietly among a group of men, 
and being disguised by a pair of snow spectacles, 
which were made of wood, and had a narrow slit 
lengthwise for vision. But we recognised him, not- 
withstanding, and suspected mischief accordingly. 
Foremost in the crowd was the tall man who visited 
us on the preceding night: his gun, which his wife 
now carried, was the only weapon visible. For a time 
the natives remained quiet, and seated themselves 
contentedly around ; but the tall man at last became 
impatient of the restraint imposed by us, and crossed 
the boundary line ; he was speedily re-conducted to 
his own side of the border with the most scrupu- 
lous politeness, which was unfortunately not 
sufficiently appreciated by the native noble; he 
re-crossed the line, and commenced to importune 
for powder. A little tobacco was given to him, but 
this was not satisfactory, and he walked off with a 
number of his men, apparently in dudgeon, I thought 
for good, but, as we soon found, for no good. A 
preconcerted scheme became immediately manifest : 
in a few seconds they were armed with bows and 


arrows, which they had hidden near, and advanced 


THREATENING ASPECT OF NATIVES. 243 


upon us, the rest of the Esquimaux doing the same. 
The scene was now becoming slightly exciting, and 
preparations were instituted for our departure, but 
with as little appearance of hurry as possible. When 
all was ready, we retired slowly to the boats, and 
embarking, pushed off as quickly as might be. We 
were very nearly exchanging missiles, however ; for 
instantly that we quitted the beach the Esquimaux 
mounted on the bank above and prepared to shoot ; 
but as we did likewise, they hesitated probably, to 
reconsider the propriety of an attack. One young 
man, in particular, looked very fierce, and with his 
bent bow and fitted arrow was plainly taking aim at 
our leader, whose life just then would have cost a 
heavy premium for insurance; but the ambitious 
warrior was quickly “covered”’ by five barrels, which 
cooled his ardour in an instant, and he dropped down 
under shelter of the bank. “Jack of the shovel” 
was particularly singled out for one of the first victims 
of the expected skirmish: many fingers itched to 
draw trigger upon him; and this is not to be won- 
dered at, for this man had evidently followed on our 
trail, and by a description of our riches, and the 
smallness of our number, incited the rest to attempt 
to plunder, and probably to kill us. 


I counted eighty-four or eighty-five men on the 
R 2 


244 HOSTILE DEPORTMENT OF NATIVES. 


bank; the women, of whom, indeed, there had not 
been many present, and those probably only as a 
blind, had quickly withdrawn, when matters became 
serious. Our great difficulty in gaining the boats 
was caused by the shallowness of the water, and we 
lost our anchors partly im consequence of this, as 
time was not spared to haul up to them. ‘The 
strong breeze still continuing, we regained the Return 
Reef, landed, and buried three cases of pemmican ; 
we had barely concluded, when three boats full of 
natives having crossed from the village, landed also 
about half a mile off, and came down towards us, 
keeping to windward, that their arrows might fly 
truly. We did not, however, give opportunity for a 
display of their skill, but re-embarked, and pulled 
away, first firing a shot over their heads. The whistling 
ball made them wince and hesitate a little, but they 
became emboldened by perceiving that it had done 
no damage. This manceuvre is perhaps more in- 
jurious than beneficial in its effect upon savages, as 
they ascribe its harmless result rather to want of 
skill or ability than to an intimation of the possession 
of means of aggression or defence. As soon as we 
had embarked, the Esquimaux regained, and launched 
their oomiaks: with ther lght boats it was no 


difficult matter to keep up with our deeply-immersed 


HOSTILE DEPORTMENT OF NATIVES. 245 


craft, and they hung upon our skirts, always keeping 
to windward, and seeking a chance to attack. 

An hour’s severe labour showed the vanity of con- 
tending against a strong breeze, heavy sea, and loose 
pack, and the resolution was made to return to the 
Reef; and should the Esquimaux persist in molesting 
us, no longer to withold their chastisement. Turning 
about accordingly, we were not long in reaching the 
shore, and landing on the seaward side, hauled the 
boats up. Quantities of drift-wood lay around ; of 
this a stockade was constructed, behind which half 
the party lay down to sleep,—for repose was sadly 
needed—the remainder being on watch. The Esqui- 
maux landed, also, and threw up a breastwork, at 
about five hundred yards distance, from behind 
which they intently watched our proceedings, but 
did not dare to advance in face of the fire-arms. 
They made treacherous signals of amity, and erected 
a skin frock on a pole, as an invitation to barter 
and fraternise, but we were not to be so easily 
deluded. 

By and by two natives ventured to approach, 
making all sorts of friendly gestures, but timid 
enough under the mask ; for when about two hundred 
yards distant, they were sent to the right-about in an 


instant by Sullock, the sentinel-marine, who charged 


246 THE SIEGE RAISED. 


them with fixed bayonet, and they scampered back in 
haste to their defences and companions. 

In four hours the besiegers wearied of watching, 
and fearing to try our position by assault, raised the 
blockade, and took to their boats, very much to our 
satisfaction. ‘Two oomiaks went over to the village 
opposite, the third, which doubtless contained the 
redoubtable and never sufficiently to be execrated 
“Shovel Jack,” and his associates, pulling away to 
the westward. When pretty well reposed, Mr. Pullen 
and I walked down to the spot where the pemmican 
was buried, and found it untouched. As we neared 
the encampment on return, some of the seamen came 
running towards us, exclaiming hastily that a sail was 
in sight, and pointing to seaward, where, indeed, 
something much resembling a vessel appeared, and 
the “Nancy Dawson” was suggested, but a few 
seconds sufficed to undeceive us; the object shifted 
its position, and presenting a new phase, showed us 
that it was but a tall hummock of ice, of peculiar 
form. 

The morning of the 13th was favourable for our 
departure from our fortress unobserved ; a thick haze 
overspread the sea, under cover of which we em- 
barked at two, A.m., and pulled to windward out to 


the pack. Passing some very heavy and extensive 


Ses 


LAND ON RETURN REEF. 24,7 


floes, we /anded upon one which lay aground, moored 
the boats with the pickaxe, the only substitute for an 
anchor we possessed, and cooked breakfast with 
spirits of wine. Well drenched with spray, exposed 
to the biting blast, with the temperature below 
freezing, and our only footing ice, it will not be 
doubted that, as a simple question of inconvenience, 
our discomfort this morning was very great; and, to 
increase the wretchedness of our condition, a large 
submerged tongue of ice broke off from the floe, and 
rising up under the boats, well-nigh capsized them, 
and much wetted us. After drinking ‘our cocoa, 
which, in our benumbed state, was. perfect nectar, we 
embarked the pickaxe and ourselves, and resumed the 
oars, until the wind became favourable enough to 
permit of hoisting sail. Among the pack some large 
and high hummocks were observable; the haze 
rendered their outlines undefined, and some curious 
appearances were presented : one mass, in particular, 
looked like a huge pile of gothic architecture. 

Soon after noon we landed on the Return Reef, 
near its eastern extreme, to dine and dry our clothes ; 
the spray and drizzle having drenched all thoroughly. 
Plenty of driftwood lay around, and we speedily 
raised a huge fire, cooked and dispatched dinner, and 


with reinvigorated spirits, were preparing to proceed, 


248 ATTACK OF ESQUIMAUX. 


when we saw two oomiaks, contamimg between forty 
and fifty men, pulling in to the beach. These landed 
as we pushed off, and ran along the strand towards 
our resting-place, preparing their bows as they came, 
and discharging their arrows with great rapidity at 
the sternmost boat: only one arrow fell ahead of the 
boat, the rest dropped short, but were beautifully 
aimed. We fired the fowling-pieces with ball, first 
over, and then at them, for the annoyance had now 
been so long continued, that we were vexed: but 
I do not think any one was hit. They cut some 
ludicrous capers on the occasion, dancing and jump- 
ing about, to divert our aim, and dropping, like dead 
men, the instant they observed the flash. Having 
got beyond the range of their arrows, sail was made 
upon the boats, and we had a fine run until past mid- 
night, passing Poimts Chandos and Anxiety, and 
landing to encamp about two miles to the eastward of 
Foggy Island, seeing no ice throughout. 

We were not again molested by the Esquimaux ; 
and I think it but right to conclude my relation of 
their hostile proceedings with two or three remarks 
on conduct in communication with uncivilised people. 
The reasons for desiring to avoid collision, and the 
great forbearance displayed on our part during the 


late attacks, particularly deserve notice. Setting 


>= 


TREATMENT OF NATIVES. 24.9 


aside the utter uselessness of riskmg myury or death 
to either side, it must be obvious that a sanguinary 
result could only have excited vindictive feelings, 
which, in case any of Franklin’s or other party should 
afterwards be thrown on the coast, probably m a 
reduced condition, would surely find vent in their 
destruction. But it must, on the other hand, be 
confessed that the usual moderation of the whites has 
inspired the Esquimaux with contempt for their 
courage, rather than a correct estimation of thei 
motives. It is most unwise unnecessarily to expose 
to their view trinkets and implements, which have in 
their eyes an almost inestimable value, and cannot 
fail to excite their cupidity. Had our possessions 
been more guardedly veiled at Point Berens, I feel 
persuaded we should never have been subjected to 
the late annoyance. Firmness and unfailing vigilance 
are indispensable to security: never should the 
slightest wavering from an original resolution be 
displayed, nor should distrust ever be apparent, 
though it must also be particularly noticed that 
treachery lurks in every act of the Esquimaux, they 
are not to be confided in for an instant ; and it should 
always be remembered that the adage, “too much 
familiarity breeds contempt,” is peculiarly appropriate 


as regards communication with unenlightened tribes. 


250 ESQUIMAUX ENCAMPMENT. 


The more they have reason to respect visible powers, 
the greater will be the mist of awe thrown around 
uncomprehended properties. 

We passed a most refreshing night of repose after 
the late harassing period of two days, and arose 
reinvigorated for new toil. 

Going in search of water, and to examine a mark 
on a hillock near, we discovered a spot where Esqui- 
maux had lately encamped; the remains of a fire and 
débris of a feast on reindeer and wildfowl were 
visible, and four or five very small three-legged 


stools, to which we never again saw anything similar. 


CHAPTER XVI. 


Lion Reef.—Seals——Mountains.—Ducks and Divers.—Daily routine.— 
Flaxman’s Island.—Ice.—Large Drift Wood.—Bury Pemmican.—Dog 
Seen.—Native Huts. —Presents.— Ethnographic distinctions.—Euro- 
pean Knife.—Send up Rockets.—Native wonder.—Oomiaks’ mimic 
manceuvres. —Esquimaux Family. — Whales. — Herschel Island. — 
Wind shifts suddenly.—Difficulties.—Calton Point. —Esquimaux 
bring Fish.—Tracking.—Paradoxical, Barrows.— Land near Sabine 
Point.—Huts and Women.—Buy a frock from a Lady.—Thefts.— 
Compasses affected.—Approach to Mackenzie.—Tracking up River.— 
Change in Vegetation.—Bear and Deer Tracks.—Erect a Cross.— 
Indian visitor.—Peel River.—Mr. Hardisty visits us.—Proceed to Fort 
M‘Pherson.—Changed phase of existence.—Departure of Mr. Pullen. 
—Annual Despatch.—Indian Paint and Decoration.—Loucheux or 
Quarrellers.— Rat Indians.—Gluttony.— Indian Betrothals.— Forty 
skins for one.—Indian Currency.—Esquimaux and Indian Feuds. 


On the Lion Reef, where we slept on the night of 
the 14th, a multitude of seals were collected, so 
perfectly still, that in the dusk we at first mistook 
them for driftwood ; but their tumultuous rush into 
the water on our approach, enlightened us as to their 
vitality. We observed the Romanzoff Mountains 
from this place, which is island and reef combined : 
they are apparently about thirty miles from the sea, 
their spurs extending far imto the plains around. 


A yise and fall of tide amounting to eighteen inches, 


252 DAILY ROUTINE. 


occurred in the night, the current setting strongly to 
the westward, with the wind fresh from north-east ; and 
may here remark, “en passant,” that our experience 
along this coast led us to consider the currents as 
mainly governed by the wind. I do not recollect a 
single ‘‘ weather tide.” 

Between this island and the main land we were 
unable to find a passage, and were obliged to pass 
outside, where a good deal of heavy sailing ice was 
in motion. The number of ducks and diving-birds 
seen for the last two or three days truly astonished 
us, but they were so wild, that we could kill but 
few. Immense quantities of driftwood lay along the 
shores, much of it of large size, and nearly all very 
straight. The coast lime where not very low, was 
generally composed of banks of mud and ice, with a 
surface of about eighteen inches or two feet of peaty 
stuff, elastic and spongy. 

The routine of one day’s work on this coasting trip 
was very much a sample of the rest: sometimes we 
pulled separately, or in line tacked on to each other ; 
sailed when we could, of course, never removing far 
from the shore, in scarcely any instance beyond two 
or three miles ; and landing, generally to take meals, 
and as much oftener as numerous marks upon the 


shore called for examination. ‘The most trivial signs 


FLAXMAN’S ISLAND. 253 


were scrupulously regarded; and had any strange 
party been on this coast, we could not have failed to 
discover them. With only one or two exceptions, we 
always slept on shore, for it may be easily guessed 
that our boats afforded little space or convenience for 
repose ; and as until the middle of August we had 
constant daylight, that durmg the night-hours being 
very much like the gloom of smoky old London in a 
mist, it would not have been easy for us to have 
passed any animate objects unobserved or unob- 
servant. 

Flaxman’s Island, which was reached on the 16th, 
appears, when approached from the westward, high 
and bold; but this is the character of the eastern 
part only ; its western extreme is little higher than the 
* Tiion,” and encompassed by small spits and shoals. 
We landed in the afternoon on a nice gravelly beach 
at the eastern end, where cliffs about forty feet high 
rise abruptly from it, and on the summit of which 
was found a human skull, and other bones. ‘The 
pack, which was heavy, lay close down upon the 
northern shore of the island, the channel between 
which and the main was also much crowded with drift 
ice. Camden Bay, as viewed from the top of the cliff, 
appeared to be completely blocked up with ice, and 


we were somewhat apprehensive of a stoppage; but 


254 NIGHT ON THE ICE. 


considerable labour in pulling and pushing through 
the ice, brought us to a clear though narrow lane of 
water, close to the beach. We saw here, I think, 
more ice than at any other period during our journey ; 
as far as the eye could range to seaward, nought else 
was visible, and all varieties were presented—the brash, 
or broken-up ice ; the floe, smooth and flat, and often 
many acres in extent ; and the tall ragged hummocks, 
of picturesque outline, bergs in miniature. Frequent 
loud reports broke upon the stillness, and startled the 
ear, as masses rent asunder; the sounds, with their 
reverberating echoes, resembling the rumbling of far- 
off thunder, or booming of distant cannon. 

We were unable to reach the beach this evening, 
owing to the shallowness of the water, and secured to 
a grounded floe with the faithful pickaxe, which 
had deservedly received promotion to an acting-order 
as anchor. Having hauled the boats close together, 
the sails were spread above, the kitchen was estab- 
lished upon the ice, and we reposed with sufficient 
comfort until rudely disturbed by an under-tongue of 
ice; which breaking away, floated up under the 
boats, lifted them out of the water, and threw them 
on their broadsides. With some difficulty we got rid 
of the unwelcome intruder, and soon snoozed again. 


It cost httle trouble to raise camp next morning, and 


BURY PEMMICAN. 255 


we pushed on to Boulder Island to breakfast, the ice 
having happily drifted off shore during the night. 
Here, amongst quantities of drift timber, was a 
straight trunk, full eighty feet in length, and ten in 
circumference at its base. Proceeding onwards, 
eight tents, and a hut of driftwood, were espied 
upon the shore, but, strange to say, no natives 
appeared: we did not halt to examine them, but 
pushed on with a light breeze, and reaching Barter 
Island late at night, landed and encamped. 

I should think that Barter Island is in the winter 
time much overlaid by ice; its shelving, shingly shore 
would yield to the enormous pressure of a gale- 
driven pack. | 

Three cases of pemmican were buried on the 18th, 
on a small island near Manning Point, and a cross 
erected, with directions to search at ten feet distance, 
north-east, where information was deposited. Near 
Humphrey’s Pot, on the morning of the 20th, 
four tents were seen, from which a couple of dozen 
natives came forth to gaze; but being under sail, we 
could not lmger here. We landed near Icy Reef in 
the afternoon to dine, and observed several huts, 
loosely constructed of rods and driftwood, except 
one or two, which were more compactly built, and 


had possibly served as winter dwellings. In one of 


256 NATIVE HUTS. 


these I found a quantity of knife-shavings, some 
small wooden fish for decoys and floats, and the still 
live embers of a fire; we had also seen a dog on 
landing ; and this, in connection with the fire, indi- 
cated that natives could not be far off, if, indeed, our 
appearance had not put them to flight. These con- 
jectures were correct: in a short time we saw a 
number of Esquimaux in two oomiaks, and made 
signs to them to return; but they were evidently too 
timid to approach. 

As they had seen us enter the huts, I judged it 
probable that they would venture thither to seek the 
result of our visit, so drew a_ hieroglyphic epistle 
upon a piece of board, and placed it, with a few 
beads and scraps of tobacco, inside, then departed 
to a distance, where our men were preparing dinner. 
Presently we saw one or two creeping stealthily 
towards the huts, and soon afterwards they came to 
us without distrust, doubtless assured of our good 
intentions by the discovery of the triflmg deposits 
we had left, and which they now brought with 
them. The “entente cordiale” was perfected by a 
distribution of presents, and we engaged in a very 
animated, but unproductive conversation respecting 
the objects of our search, which they had clearly 


seen nothing of. 


PERSONAL APPEARANCE. 257 


The women of this party wore their hair in a 
mode quite different to that we had before seen ; 
it was disposed at the back of the head in two 
immense bows, which we found to contain a quantity 
of loose hair, to increase their size; nor can I say 
that either these or their dusky owners were of pre- 
possessing appearance. The men were of slighter 
figure than those about Pomt Barrow, but evidently 
possessed great activity and endurance of fatigue: 
they wore their hair long, and flowing far over 
their shoulders. One of them had a broad and 
short double-edged knife, on which the names of 
“TJ. and H. Sorby” were imprinted: this must have 
been obtained by barter from the Indians, as it was 
of the kind called dagues, supplied by the Hudson’s 
Bay Company to those people. We quitted our new 
friends after dinner, but could only reach the northern 
end of the reef that night, principally in consequence 
of a dense fog occurring. Our encampment was very 
soon surrounded by a crowd of Esquimaux, of the 
same appearance as our visitors of the morning ; they 
were, however, probably from their numbers, less 
timorous, and, indeed, troubled us much, being 
evidently not disinclined to appropriate any stray 
article. The “Supply,” at first, created great sus- 


picion of our integrity, as it was intimated that we 


s 


258 SURROUNDED BY ESQUIMAUX. 


had probably obtained her by undue, and, possibly, 
violent means: this doubt was, however, speedily 
cleared up by our signs and representations, and, 
more than all, the display and distribution of beads, 
tobacco, and knives, with which also we purchased 
fish, which they had in plenty. Our visitants 
gradually increased to a considerable number ; and as 
they encroached upon the defined boundaries of our 
camp, two rockets were sent up, ostensibly to divert, 
but really in the hope of frightening the natives off to 
a less dangerous proximity. Hugely astonished and 
delighted they were ; and expressed their sensations 
in a rapid flow of speech, grimace, and gesticulation ; 
but they did not draw off to a distance, notwith- 
standing; and unwilling to display the natural 
anxiety attendant on the encircling of our slender 
band by so large a number of strangers, whose 
intentions we were quite ignorant of, the precaution 
was taken, instead, of doubling the sentinels, and 
impressing upon them the necessity of great vigilance. 
These Esquimaux made some signs which, coupled 
with the frequent use of the word “ mah-no-lah” 
(white man), led us to conjecture that they saw the 
expedition of Dease and Simpson, but of this we 
could not be confident. 


The next morning (2]st) we proceeded on our 


FISH-SPEARING. 259 


journey. The good folks collected round five tents 
near our resting-place, which belonged to some of 
them, to bid us farewell; and five men launching 
their tiny and beautiful kiacs, accompanied us for a 
while, the light vessels, propelled by a double-bladed 
paddle, dancing over the rippling waves light as a 
gossamer, and keeping pace with us with perfect ease, 
although we were favoured by a light breeze, and 
used both oars and sail. Two of these men continued 
with us for a considerable time, and amused us 
greatly by their proceedings. They frequently darted 
their fish-spears, or harpoons, at imaginary prey, to 
demonstrate the mode of using them: these spears 
were about a yard long, of thin drift-wood, with 
double or triple barbs of ivory: they were thrown 
from a hand-board, into which they fitted in a socket, 
and had a bladder attached to keep them afloat in 
the water, the hunter pickmg them up with great ease 
as he passed rapidly onwards in his canoe. We 
landed to dine at about noon, and were shortly jomed 
by the family of one of our frieads, who had hailed 
his spouse when passing the spot where his tent was 
pitched. In a very short time they had struck the 
tent: this, with themselves and household gods, now 
filled their oomiak, which was laden to the gunwale. 


Soon a number more of the natives arrived in single 
8 2 


260 MIGRATORY HABITS. 


and family boats, the latter all laden like the first 
oomiak, the party being apparently about to change 
their locality; for im summer their existence is 
entirely nomadic; they migrate from place to place 
as Caprice or convenience suggests. A little bartermg 
was carried on between us, but we only remained on 
shore long enough to cook dinner, then pushed off 
from the land, and drifted slowly onward under 
reduced sail, to eat our meal m peace ; nevertheless, 
this was not altogether permitted; the Esquimaux 
embarked at the same time ; the women and children 
going up in-shore in the oomiaks, the men in their 
kiaks, to the number of a dozen or more, keeping 
company with ourselves, cruismg round and about us, 
and displaymg, as before, mimicry of chase and 
combat. They quitted us only when the freshening 
breeze impelled our craft more rapidly than the 
pace of the deeply-laden oomiaks, which they then 
rejoined. ‘Two whales were seen during the after- 
noon, and later, a goodly collection of tents, with 
about two hundred natives, assembled near: these 
shouted lustily, and danced and sung with energy, 
hoping, by these and other artifices, to Induce us to 
land, of which, however, time did not admit. The 
wind from west became strong towards evening, and, 


as was always the case, the sea quickly rose, upon its 


DISASTROUS SHIFT OF WIND. 261 


increase. To obtain a few bearings of Herschel 
Island, and objects on the mainland, we ran under 
the lee of the pack, which was very solid, consisting 
of floe-pieces, two or three square miles in area, and 
ten or twelve feet thick. Two reefs were now taken 
in the sails, a reduction the force of wind had 
rendered necessary ; but the sea “followed” so fast, 
that we ran some danger of swamping, and shortly 
encamped for the night under the lee of a long spit, 
which formed part of one of the small islands between 
that of Herschel and the continent. The small tent 
only was pitched for Mr. Pullen and myself, the sea- 
men taking up their quarters in a -deserted Esqui- 
maux hut. The ice met with to-day was heavier 
than any before encountered; it lay close into and 
upon the north-western shores of Herschel Island, 
with large floes and loose masses driving rapidly to 
the eastward. LHarly on the 22nd a new disaster 
occurred: the wind shifted suddenly to the south- 
west, to which quarter only our position was 
exposed. The boats were driven broadside on to 
the beach, and instantly filled. This misfortune did 
more injury than any of the previous, as the instru- 
ments, and our only luxuries, consisting of a few 
small stores, were completely immersed, and became 


considerably diminished ; salt, pepper, mustard, sago, 


262 CALTON POINT. 


and arrowroot, were in solution; and the contents 
of the medicine-chest would have required careful 
analysation to determine their respective quantities. 
With much labour, and many duckings, the boats 
were cleared, and all but  irretrievable damages 
repaired; and by seven, we had launched and re- 
loaded the boats. The wind was still very strong 
when we embarked, requiring double-reefed sails, 
with which we proceeded until eleven, when, to 
secure the safety of the “Supply,’ we ran under 
Herschel Island, and took an early dinner; for the 
periods of our meals were at all times subject to 
the convenience of the moment. The afternoon’s 
fortune was little propitious: the three boats all pro- 
ceeded under sail, the “ Supply” being closely waited 
upon by the others, which was indeed a necessary 
measure of precaution, for she shipped a good deal of 
water, and obliged us to come to an early halt under 
the lee of a gravelly island spit, near to and south- 
east of Calton Pomt. Long large fires of drift-wood 
were made, on each side of which the damaged 
biscuit was spread, and in this way considerably 
dried ; but one evil was repaired only by the infliction 
of another ; for m addition to its previous mouldiness 
and gall-like flavour, it was now plentifully inter- 


mixed with sand and grit, which fought fierce battles 


CURIOUS MOUNDS. 263 


with our hapless molars. Kay’s Point was rounded 
in the afternoon of the 23rd, during the morning of 
which we were visited by a small party of Esqui- 
maux, and our night’s sojourn was made a few miles 
to the eastward, where were several deserted huts of 
drift-wood, of which latter great quantities lay upon 
the beach, proving its exposed position. 

The banks were high and steep, and covered with 
grass and flowers in luxuriance, among which we 
chased three red foxes. A single Esquimaux visited 
our bivouac, with few signs of fear; and after re- 
ceiving some small presents, departed to fetch us 
some fish. During this and the previous night a 
heavy dew was first observed. Our visitor returned 
in a few hours, bringing the promised fish; and had 
become so well assured of our amicable disposition, 
that his wife and children now accompanied him. 
We tracked along shore durmg the morning, which 
was the most favourable mode of proceeding. 
Mr. Pullen and myself roamed frequently along and 
above the high banks in search of plants and flowers, 
which we never failed to collect; and while so 
engaged I came upon a very extraordinary spot : four 
or five immense mounds, like the ancient barrows so 
frequently met with in England and elsewhere, stood 


upon -a nearly level space, in a break in the high 


264 ESQUIMAUX WINTER HAMLET. 


banks, between King and Sabine Points. They were 
from twenty to forty feet high, and their summits at 
least a hundred above the sea, conical in form, and 
pierced with innumerable swallow-holes. Placed 
where they could be of no use to any people, too far 
removed from the sea, and too regular in form to 
have been recently shaped by its action, they were a 
complete paradox; and I could conceive no cause, 
natural or artificial, for their existence im this spot, 
unless, as their substance was mud and very fine 
black mould, they were formed by deposit from suc- 
cessive land-slips, in succeeding spring seasons, upon 
the melting of the snows. I had not, unfortunately, 
time for minute notice of these remarkable objects, as 
the boats and my comrades were already far in 
advance, and I was forced to follow in haste. 

We landed in the evening near Sabine Point, and 
found here an Esquimaux winter hamlet, built of 
drift-wood and sods. It was at present only tenanted 
by females of all ages and very young boys, the men 
being all absent on fishing and hunting excursions. 
The younger ladies, some of whom were prettily- 
featured and of tolerable figure, lent their assistance to 
haul the boats upon the beach ; nor was theirs trifling 
aid; for, reared in unremitting toil, they are strong 


and hardy enough; nor does their vigour appear to 


STEALING. 265 


decline early; for although nearly all the old women 
we saw were, candidly to speak, almost hideous, their 
strength did not seem to have forsaken them 
greatly. We obtained by barter some very fine fish, 
among which were beautiful salmon, also various 
articles of dress and curiosity. From one damsel | 
purchased the frock she wore; and although we of a 
milder clime found the night sensibly cold, the loss 
of the garment did not seem to be at all inconvenient ; 
it was decorated with a number of small white beads, 
but these were particularly exempted in the bargain, 
and the girls were all most anxious to obtain this 
kind. A few faint streaks of Aurora were observed 
to night, the first seen during the season. I think it 
worth while to notice the abstraction of two articles 
at this place, taken probably while the boats were 
partly unloaded: one was a bottle, containmg lemon 
syrup; the other a handsome clasp-knife, of Spanish 
manufacture, about ten inches long, having the 
handle of ivory, with etching in compartments ; its 
recognition by any future expedition may be 
productive of interest. 

A strong current running to the westward, of 
fresh and yellow water, evidenced on the 25th 
proximity to the efflux of the Mackenzie, our delight 
at which may well be imagined. We landed in the 


266 WE APPROACH OUR GOAL. 


morning on Escape Reef, to examine the compasses, 
which had become unaccountably sluggish, and 
indeed useless; and passing between this and the 
mainland, grounded in the afternoon in Shoalwater 
Bay, and landed for the mght on Tent Island, which 
is aptly named, for several curious very slight frames 
of wood, which were evidently for tents, stood near 
where we pitched our canvas houses. This was a 
beautiful spot, verdant and level, and intersected by 
long lakes of pellucid water. During the day two 
Esquimaux men—the last we saw on the voyage— 
came out to us in their kiaks, and accompanied us 
for a considerable distance: they were full of talk, 
but we could only make out that a large river was 
near, with white men on its banks. In our progress 
on the 26th, we began to observe low scrub along 
the shore; the water also was greatly discoloured, 
turbid, and perfectly fresh; all evidencing near 
approach to the goal of our ardent wishes. 

We were engaged durmg the 27th in making 
observations and examining sundry labyrinthine 
passages ; and in the afternoon entered a narrow, but 
deep and rapid channel, which we ascended for 
about two miles, where we landed on the left bank, 
and hailed with satisfaction our entrance into 


the Mackenzie River, and the probable speedy 


ASCENT OF THE MACKENZIE RIVER. 267 


termination of this arduous and most comfortless 
voyage. 

A clause in Mr. Pullen’s instructions directed, if 
possible, a visit to Whale Island: this he attempted 
with one boat’s crew next day, but returned in the 
evening of the 29th, without having accomplished 
his object, the weather having been very inimical 
to success. 

The ascent of the river was accomplished princi- 
pally by tracking, which, always laborious, was here 
a very great task for our poor fellows, who were 
almost new to its delights, and had frequently to 
wade knee-deep in water or mud, with a temperature 
considerably below freezing. The banks were covered 
near the sea with low willow scrub; but as we 
proceeded, this grew higher: a few stunted spruce 
firs appeared, and gradually the rigorous character of 
the vegetation changed to a milder aspect. The 
tracks of bears, moose, and reindeer, were frequent ; 
occasionally, also, prints of the mocassins of some 
solitary hunter gave sign of human life. The banks 
displayed the effects of the enormous force exerted by 
the spring-flushes, with their cargoes of ice ; being, 
in the bends of the channel, undermined to within a 
few feet of the surface, and in some places a succes- 


sion of terraces had been formed by the same agents. 


268 FORT MACPHERSON. 


On the 4th of September, after remarking the 
continually increasing luxuriance of vegetation and 
growth of the trees, and passing a channel which we 
took to be the mouth of the Peel River, we reached a 
position at first conjectured to be Pomt Separation, 
which observations placed us four miles to the south 
of. Mr. Pullen and myself left ow encampment with 
one boat to examine the banks, bury information, 
and erect a cross; and on return, learned that an 
Indian had visited the party, and given the men to 
understand by signs that a settlement of whites was 
not far distant, to which Mr. Pullen determined to 
proceed, though now pretty confident that we had 
ascended the Peel by mistake, and were near the fort 
of the Hudson’s Bay Company, established on its 
bank. ‘This opinion was correct; we were met on 
the morning of the 5th by Mr. Wm. Lucas Hardisty, 
the gentleman in charge of the post, who had been 
informed of our approach by the Indian who visited 
the tents last evening; and he now escorted us to 
the establishment, which was styled Fort Macpherson. 

I enter now upon the relation of a period which 
has little in common with the foregoing parts of my 
narrative : an entirely new phase of existence has to 
be presented—new habits, new companions, almost a 


new nature. No longer inmates of a ship, no longer 


PROCEED TO FORT GOOD HOPE. 269 


tempting, on a barren and frozen coast, the fearful 
consequences contingent, in our unprovided condition, 
upon the destruction of our frail barks, or impediment 
to our progress, I have to speak of dreary winter’s 
residence in almost cheerless solitude, amid dense 
forests and universal snow. 

Our ascent of the Mackenzie had been undertaken 
for the purpose of reaching Fort Good Hope, where, 
or at this place, it was intended we should winter : 
the report of the resources of this station induced 
Mr. Pullen to leave a portion of his party here, and 
proceed with the remainder to Fort Good Hope; the 
expedition to unite in the spring to proceed to 
England. He accordingly gave me orders to remain 
with five men; the greater portion of the stores 
with one boat, were also left; and on the 6th of 
September Mr. Pullen with seven men departed in 
the “Logan” for Fort Good Hope, which is the 
most northerly post of the Hudson’s Bay Company on 
the Mackenzie River, and for which place he was 
furnished with a guide. 

There were several Indians at Fort Macpherson, 
who awaited the return of a boat which is yearly 
dispatched up the Mackenzie to Fort Simpson, the 
head-quarters of the district, for supplies to barter 


in exchange for the furs and provisions furnished by 


270 THE LOUCHEUX INDIANS. 


them. They were now preparing for a grand dance 
upon her arrival, which is always a most important 
event and season of rejoicing to them. Upon a 
line on the strand hung several eagle-skins, with the 
feathers of which they would ornament themselves on 
the festal occasion. They were to-day painted in 
different ways and varieties of colour; some with 
broad patches across the face; others with stripes, 
and having one cheek or eyebrow of a different hue 
to its opposite. I observed one or two with 
“wampum” (a kind of long hollow shell), through 
the septum of the nose; but understood that this 
appendage is gradually falling into disuse since the 
settlement of whites in this quarter. The Indians we 
were among belonged to the large tribe of Loucheux, 
or Quarrellers, and were particularly distinguished by 
the title of “Fond du Lac Loucheux,” that being the 
name of an enlargement in this, the Peel River, five 
days’ journey (about a hundred miles) above the fort, 
where these Indians congregate in great numbers to 
fish. Another tribe called ‘“‘ Rats” come across the 
mountains from the Rat river with meat and furs to 
barter. The two tribes speak the same language, but 
have a somewhat different pronunciation of it. The 
very obliging communications of Mr. Hardisty gave 


them a character for great mdolence and improvi- 


CURIOUS MATRIMONIAT CUSTOM. 271 


dence ; the “ Fond du Lacs’? more so perhaps than 
the Rat Indians. They are both great gormandisers, 
and will devour solid fat, or even drink grease to 
surfeiting. When in provision they pass their time 
in continual feasting, and are of course often in the 
opposite extreme, but do not bear starvation with so 
great patience as the ‘“ Dogribs,’ Hare, or Slave- 
Indians. 

A curious custom matrimonial is said to exist 
among them, which Mr. Hardisty thus related to me. 
When a female child becomes two or three years old, a 
bargain is made with the parents, in which the mother is 
most interested, by some youth of the tribe, that she 
is to become his wife when marriageable ; the settle- 
ment is deferred until that period, but the contract is 
always binding: and should another lover step in, 
and by any means succeed in obtaining the damsel, 
she is not considered to be his wife until he has made 
satisfactory compensation to the ci-devant bride- 
groom. Polygamy is practised, generally in proportion 
to the rank and wealth of the man, a young wife 
being added to the stock on hand, when one becomes 
too old for the laborious employments imposed upon 
the females ; the new acquisition becoming, of course, 
the favourite sultana. I saw while here a Loucheux 


Indian, who, some five years since, killed one of the 


272 INDIAN CURRENCY. 


“Rats,” with whom his tribe were then at enmity, 
and his life was sought in return. The company, 
however, redeemed his life by payment of a fine, and 
the tribes are now on a friendly footing: the fine 
paid was forty shizs, to explain which term I must 
notice that the Indian currency, or that set up by the 
Hudson’s Bay Company in their exchanges with the 
Indians, is conducted by means of proportionate 
values to a single standard. This standard is a large 
beaver-skin, and called a skin: thus the price paid 
to redeem this man’s life was not really forty beaver- 


skins, but articles of value equivalent to their amount, 


as follows :— 
A gun ‘ ; ; : equal to 20 skins. 
A blanket . : ; : <5 10 35 


Six measures of powder . A 
Thirty-six bullets . : : a 
A large worsted belt 


>”? 
” 


” 


Total value received . 


|e 
(=) Ll or) 


» 


By this species of exchange or value all articles 
on either side are rated, the company having an 
established tariff for each district, which may not, 
on any account, be deviated from, unless by revision 
at head-quarters. 

The Indians and Esquimaux are still as great 
enemies as when Dease and Simpson made their 


excursions upon the coast, despite the strenuous 


INDIAN QUARRELS. 273 


endeavours of officers of the Company to establish 
friendly intercourse. They are mutually afraid; but 
the Esquimaux are now nonplussed by the guns of 
their adversaries. They say that they only entertain 
hatred against the Loucheux of Fond du Lac, and 
constantly meet and converse with those of the 
Mackenzie, although with an intervening distance, 
each probably standing in suspicious fear of the 
other; but with the Indians of the Peel River the 
case is very different. ‘War to the knife” exists 
between them and the Esquimaux. ‘There is a 
tradition accounting for this, which, although vague, 
I think worthy of mention. 

Many winters ago, how far back is uncertain, the 
two races were friends, and used to hunt together. 
On one of these occasions, when a large party was 
assembled, a few of the Indians, who, with a number 
of the Esquimaux, had been detached from the main 
body, did not return with them. The Esquimaux 
said that they had become separated; but this was 
not credited by the friends of the missing, who 
believed them to have been treacherously murdered. 
Dissembling their intentions, they parted from the 
others, and returning by night, attacked and killed 
many of them: the feud has since that period been 


constantly kept alive by alternate outrages. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


Horrible Esquimaux attack.—Massacre of Loucheux.—Indian bravery.— 
Anatomical research.—Five Commoners make one Chief.—Mr. Peers’ 
unsuccessful mediation.—Indian instincts of revenge.—Indian supplies. 
Leave for Fort Norman.—Indian Guides.—Followers dog us.—Enemy 
captures our stores.—Enter Mackenzie.—Guides quit us.—Dogs again. 
—Encamp.— Our hut takes fire.— Pine Forests.— Ice-master frost- 
bitten.—Reach Fort Good Hope.—Mr. Mc Beath; his kind attentions. 
—Cent Sous Rapid.—Bear River.—Burning banks.—Reach Fort 
Norman.—Mr. Mc Kenzie; his hospitality.—Salteaux’ Legend of the 
Deluge.—Wolf Brothers & Co. 

Four or five years ago a party of fifteen or twenty 
Hsquimaux ascended the Mackenzie, and entered the 
Peel river, where, just at its mouth, were encamped 
a party of Fond du Lac Loucheux, consisting of 
three men, their wives, and five children. ‘These 
they came upon secretly at might, and surrounding 
the lodge wherein they slept, gave a fearful yell, 
which awakened the inmates, who, rushing out im 
affright, were successively struck down by the arrows 
of their merciless foes; only one escaped, a little boy, 
of nine years old, who made his way through the 
woods up to the Company’s fort, to the surprise both 


of friends and enemies, who never expected him to 


AN INDIAN HERO. Pa 


live through the journey, if even able to find his way 
up to the Fort through the tangled maze, which had 
sheltered him. After this ferocious exploit the 
Esquimaux party continued their ascent of the 
“Peel,” and at a couple of miles distance below the 
present Fort encountered an Indian, since nick- 
named Bourreau, or the hangman, but whose proper 
appellation was Vayd-sich-tchah (the deer’s brother). 

The chief and three others crossed a small creek, 
behind which the rest of the party lay nm ambush; 
and counterfeiting friendship, commenced to parley 
with Le Bourreau, who, however, knowing his com- 
pany, was not lightly deceived; and soon observing 
significant winks interchanged, and arrows slily pre- 
paring, instantly anticipated his foes by taking the 
initiative. He felled the chief with his gun, and 
discharged it at another, who was also killed; the 
other two gained their canoes in haste; but one of 
them received a shot, and falling over, capsized his 
frail bark : the other man tried to right his boat, but 
was at last obliged to leave him to his fate, having 
himself been fired at, but without effect. Those in 
ambush also fled; and Le Bourreau commenced a 
post-mortem examination of the chief, merely, as he 
expressed himself, to see if he was fat. He made 


incisions lengthwise and crosswise in the carcase, 
T 2 


276 ESQUIMAUX ANIMOSITY. 


pulled out the interior arrangements, possibly, like 
heathen priests, to consult their auguries, and cutting 
the cheek-bones out, brought them up to the fort, 
and offered to present them as a trophy to Mr. Pruden, 
then in charge of the post. 

Since that period no affray had occurred between 
the hostile parties, nor had Esquimaux been seen i 
the Peel; but the Rat Indians were informed by a 
party of Esquimaux, who live somewhere near the 
Colville, and are friendly, that those near the mouth 
of the Mackenzie declared that they must have five 
lives of Loucheux for that of the chief. who was killed. 

Mr. Peers, one of the Company’s officers, made an 
endeavour, not long before the period of our visit, to 
conciliate the Esquimaux. He sent various presents 
to them with messages of friendly import; but they 
replied that he desired only to entrap them, and that 
the whites supplied the Loucheux with guns for their 
destruction. 

These excellent and praiseworthy endeavours were 
thus rendered abortive ; nor would it be an easy task 
to reconcile the races, since even the Loucheux, when 
offered rewards to abstain from hostilities, would not 
accept them, saying, that they should only break faith 
with their friends the whites, as they could not restrain 


themselves at sight of an Esquimaux, but must have at 


INDIAN SUPPLIES. OTE 


him. ‘This was at any rate an ingenuous and honest 
confession, however much it displayed the revengeful 
tendency of their savage natures. 

An Indian who, with two others, arrived at the Fort 
with meat, had been very successful in his summer’s 
hunt. He had killed since July nearly a hundred 
reindeer and one moose, the dried sides of which had 
been put in “ caches” in the mountains, whence upon 
the snowfall, they would be brought hither by dogs 
and sledges. 

The 18th of September brought the long-expected 
boats from Fort Simpson, and with them came 
Mr. Peers, who resumed charge of the station. 
Myself and party were very disagreeably surprised by 
a communication from that gentleman that we could 
not be retained here during the winter, insufficiency 
of provisions being assigned as the reason. Mr. Peers 
had seen Lieutenant Pullen near Fort Good Hope, 
but no communication had occurred on the subject, 
and a short note from my commander had no reference 
to it. 

I was recommended to proceed immediately to Fort 
Norman, an intermediate post on the Mackenzie, 
where I should find ‘‘ ample maintenance ” for myself 
and party. There was no help for it; go we must, 


and at noon next day we bade farewell to our kind 


278 LEAVE FORT MAC PHERSON. 


friend Mr. Hardisty, whose most obliging disposition 
I here pay tribute to; also to Mr. and Mrs. Peers, that 
gentleman having been accompanied by his bride, and 
departed on a journey which we regretted had not 
been undertaken a fortnight earlier; for, as may well 
be guessed, the advance of the season did not 
increase the mildness of temperature. We were 
obliged to leave four hundred pounds of preserved 
meats and vegetables behind, our boat—which had 
been snugly hauled up on the beach in expectation of 
the winter’s sojourn—being too deeply laden to carry 
them. 

Two Indians accompanied us, to point out the 
nearest cut into the Mackenzie, after which we were to 
find our own way as we best might to Fort Good 
Hope. We did not encamp until a late hour; and 
were greatly amused by the antics of our guides, 
who were continually peeping and peering about 
among the bushes, and into the shadows, evidently in 
an agony of suspense lest Esquimaux should be 
lurking in the vicmity. The Indians were certainly 
greatly afraid of their sea-coast neighbours, who, 
since the acquisition of firearms, also stand much in 
awe of those possessing them. We were greatly 
annoyed, soon after departing from Fort Mac Pherson, 


to see nearly a dozen dogs belonging to the establish- 


ENTER MACKENZIE RIVER. 279 


ment followmg us along the river’s bank, and 
endeavoured to drive them back; but without per- 
manent success, as after encamping at a late hour, 
we were vexed at their running in amongst us; nor 
was their journey bootless. During the night the 
rascals made a determined attack upon the boat, and 
ate up about thirty pounds of fresh venison, which we 
had brought for immediate consumption. They must 
have had cunning and perseverance enough, as it 
was stowed in the bottom of the boat, and well 
covered up. 

On entering the Mackenzie early next morning the 
Indians quitted us, and we pursued our way alone. 
The great breadth and swift current of the river 
presented a remarkable contrast to the narrow 
sluggish stream we had just left, and my wonder 
was great however we could have entered the Peel 
by mistake; but the mystery was easily explained. 
The Mackenzie, at Point Separation, divides into two 
branches, which are again subdivided in their descent 
into a perfect labyrinth of narrow channels. 

Those horrid dogs followed us until late in the 
afternoon, although we crossed the river several times 
for convenience of tracking, which is the universal 
mode of ascending these rapid rivers, unless a strong 


fair breeze makes sails of use. Passing Point 


280 COMFORTS OF THE VOYAGE. 


Separation, the head of the delta, we encamped late 
in the evening, if that may be called encamping which 
was simply lighting a fire and squatting round it, 
with no other shelter than our sail—a very small 
affair—to protect six people. Soon after landing one 
of the crew informed me he had seen an Esquimaux 
oomiak pulling up in-shore at dusk; but not having 
been certain, would not mention it at the time. 
Desirmg him never again to hesitate in such a case, 
I set a watch during the night, and had the arms in 
readiness ; but we saw no sign of the bugbear, and I 
do not doubt he was mistaken. I had procured 
a blanket for each man at Peel’s River; this comfort- 
able provision modified, in a measure, the severity of 
our journey ; but at this late period of the season we 
suffered sufficiently from its mclemency, as frost and 
snow had set in. At that period I was so little expe- 
rienced in this mode of travelling, as to be unable to 
avail myself of many now well-known expedients for 
additional comfort. Nor had the gentlemen at Fort 
Mac Pherson thought of enlightening my ignorance, 
being so much accustomed to this primitive life as to 
deem it probably a matter of course that we should 
know all about it. In our ascent of the river we had 
varied fortune; an occasional fine day, but more 


generally snow and sleet, with biting wmds. Many 


PINE FORESTS. 281 


birds were seen: swans, geese, ducks, hawks, crows, 
a few gulls, and others ; also frequent tracks of moose 
and reindeer. One night we took up our quarters in 
a deserted Indian lodge, a most welcome. shelter, of 
which however we were nearly deprived ; for having 
lit a fire inside, a spark caught the dry material of the 
hut, which was constructed of logs and pine-brush, 
and roofed with bark, and speedily set it in a blaze, 
which we had some difficulty in quenching. 

One is much struck on first acquaintance with the 
dense forests, principally of pine, which cover the face 
of this country, at observing large tracts overrun 
with fire, which withers and scathes trees and lesser 
vegetation alike. We saw many such fires and their 
effects. A spark from an Indian’s pipe, or the unex- 
tinguished fire of a bivouac, ignites the grass and 
moss, and with a breeze very soon overspreads large 
spaces. ‘These fires will frequently smoulder through- 
out the summer amongst the moss and underwood, 
ceasing only when quenched by the winter’s snows. 

The ice-master, who was of the party, was unfor- 
tunately frost-bitten in the toes on the night of the 
24th. The injury was much aggravated by exposure 
to the fire before circulation was restored ; and he 
suffered long and severely. 

We reached Fort Good Hope in the evening of 


282 INDIAN GUIDES. 


the 26th, and were kindly welcomed by Mr. Adam 
Mac Beath, the gentleman im charge of that station, 
who paid every attention to our comfort, and under- 
took the treatment of the injured feet, which, until 
seeing, he would not believe were frost-bitten. He 
applied a poultice made of the imner bark of the 
larch fir, which was a great relief. We remained 
two days here to repose the crew, and experienced 
much kindness and hospitality from Mr. Mac Beath 
and his amiable lady. He furnished me with two 
Indians as guides, and to assist im ascending the 
river to Fort Norman, had mocassins made for the 
party, and lent me his tent, which proved of great 
value in our hitherto unprovided condition. The 
remainder of the journey to Fort Norman was 
accomplished with much more ease and comfort than 
the foregoing. The two Indian lads were of great 
assistance in tracking, though, as guides, little de- 
pendence could be placed in them. A small rapid 
was surmounted soon after quitting Fort Good Hope ; 
and on the Ist October a larger one, called “ Cent 
Sous,” after an Indian of that name, who was, I 
believe, drowned there in his canoe. Mr. Pullen had 
at Fort Good Hope exchanged the “ Logan” for a 
larger boat, in which to continue his journey ; and I 


had the woe unutterable of seeing my god-child and 


BEAR RIVER. 283 


favourite loaded to the gunwale with fish, which 
exhaled any other than pleasing odours, being, in 
fact, fish very much out of water. 

The mouth of Bear River, which is the outlet to 
Bear Lake, and whose crystal waters contrasted 
strongly with the turbid stream of the Mackenzie, 
was passed on the 5th; also, an hour or two later, 
some remarkable burning banks, which sent up 
numerous columns of smoke, but at present emitted 
no flame. The morning of the 6th was bitterly cold ; 
a piercing wind chilled us throughout, and_ frost 
gathered on our hair and beards. We reached Fort 
Norman about noon, and were kindly received by 
Mr. H. E. Mac Kenzie, the gentleman in charge of 
the post, to whom I made known the reasons of our 
visit. From him I learned that Mr..Pullen had safely 
arrived here about a fortnight since, and proceeded 
onwards with his party to Fort Simpson, the head- 
quarters of the district, where he would be accom- 
modated for the winter. 

wo days after our arrival here, the guides who 
had escorted Mr. Pullen to Fort Simpson, touched on 
their return ; and I learnt that he had remained there 
with two men only, the rest of his party being 
despatched to a fishing-station, on Great Slave Lake, 


where they would winter. Although it was not correct 


284 FORT NORMAN. 


that there was ample maintenance for my party at 
Fort Norman during the winter, I decided, for various 
reasons, of which the lateness of the season was the 
most prominent, on proceeding no farther until the 
spring, as I found that Bear Lake would afford my 
party the same subsistence as they would have on 
the Great Slave Lake. On learning my resolve, 
Mr. Mac Kenzie kindly assisted to the best of his 
power in rendering our sojourn as comfortable as 
might be: we were supplied with additional blankets, 
which had now become highly necessary, and sundry 
other articles of wearing apparel, of which all stood 
much in need. My condition was as little enviable 
as that of the others, as I quitted the “Plover” in 
the expectation of being absent about a month only, 
and had not, therefore, provided a varied wardrobe 
nor many other conveniences. 

During more than a month’s stay at Fort Norman, 
rendered necessary by the state of the ice, which 
prevented the journey to Bear Lake, not much of 
incident occurred. The seamen, unaccustomed to the 
peculiar fare of this region, made many wry faces 
when presented, as a treat, with the carcase of a 
beaver. One expressed his very strong conviction 
that a cat would be preferable, and various other 


facetious remarks were made. These objections were 


HOSPITALITY OF MR. MACKENZIE. 285 


really rather unreasonable, for beaver meat is generally 
esteemed a delicacy, though possessing a peculiar 
flavour. I, at any rate, allowed myself no such foolish 
qualms, considering it preferable to my repasts of seal 
and whale-flesh among the Tuski. 

Frost had now set in permanently, and ice com- 
menced to drift in the Mackenzie towards the end of 
the month, increasing day by day, and before the Ist 
of November all but the main channel had frozen up. 
We had little now to amuse or enliven, unless it was 
created by ourselves. Fortunately a great treasure 
was ours in the amusement afforded by a very good 
violin belonging to Mr. Mac Kenzie ; and we were 
thus enabled to have many a merry dance. Nor were 
the pleasures of conversation altogether unprofitable. 
I never tired of asking questions respecting the 
country and tribes we had newly entered upon, and 
gained much information from the intelligent gentle- 
man with whom I was located. Rich was he in store 
of Indian legends, and no niggard in imparting his 
knowledge. 

The following is one among the many tales with 
which he whiled away the weary moments. I have 
made a few slight alterations from his text, which was 
given as narrated by the Salteaux tribe of Indians, in 


communication with whom Mr. Mac Kenzie passed 


286 INDIAN LEGEND 


much of his early life. The vague veil of legendary 
lore has been thrown over stories of this kind, and 
much allowance should be made for the simple nature 
of the Indian, who does not believe all implicitly, but 
apparently likes to have a reason for everything ; and 
where his knowledge ends, calls in the marvellous to 


his aid. 


THE INDIAN LEGEND OF THE DELUGE AND SUBSEQUENT 
REPRODUCTION OF THE UNIVERSE. 

Once upon a time lived Indians, among whom 
dwelt Wis-kay-tchach, a great medicine man. . With 
them were also a Wolf and his two sons, who, in the 
early state of nature supposed to be alluded to, were 
on a footing of intimacy with human bipeds. Indeed, 
Wis-kay-tchach called the old wolf his brother, and 
the young ones his nephews; for he recognised all 
animals as his relations. In the winter time-the whole 
party began to starve; and, for the purpose of seeking 
food, the parent wolf announced his intention of 
separating from the band with his children, upon 
which Wis volunteered his company. Off they set 
accordingly, and shortly came upon the track of a 
moose. “ Here let you and I halt and smoke,” says 
the old Wolf, “while my sons pursue and catch the 


moose.” After a time, the young ones not returning, 


OF THE DELUGE. 287 


Wis and Wolf set off after them, and presently 
found blood upon the snow, by which they knew that 
the moose was killed. Soon they reached the young 
wolves ; but no moose was to be seen, the cubs lying 
panting for breath with distended stomachs, for they 
had eaten up the whole moose. 

They told Wis to make a fire; but he wanted 
to know why he should do this, as they had eaten all. 
“Never mind,” said they ; “make a fire,’ which he 
at last proceeded to do; and, on returning to them, 
found the whole of the moose restored, and already 
quartered and cut up. The young fellows divided 
the spoil into four portions; but one retamed the 
tongue, and the other the mouffle,* which are the chief 
delicacies of the animal. Wis was not pleased at 
this, and grumbled greatly ; and when they had well 
teased him, which was why they withheld these parts, 
they gave them up to the gourmand. Before long, 
the provision was exhausted, upon which one of the 
young wolves said he was gomg to make marrow-fat, 
which is done by breaking up the bones very small, 
and boiling them for a considerable time, when they 
yield a very pure and rich fat, preferable to any other. 
He told the rest to lie down, and not to look at his 

* The upper lip, or moufile of this animal is elongated and cartilaginous ; 


it will boil down into a perfect jelly, and is deservedly much prized as a 
delicacy. 


288 INDIAN LEGEND 


proceedings, lest a bone should fly in their eyes. 
They did so; but Wis presently gets curious, 
takes a sly look, and sees the extractor of fat 
chumping up the bones in his teeth, and, as fore- 
warned, a fragment flies out and strikes him in 
the eye, which makes him roar lustily. “Serve you 
right!” says the Wolf. ‘ You were looking.” Wis 
protested against the accusation; but was never- 
theless obliged to put up with his misfortune. 
When the other had finished, Wis says it is his turn ; 
and, as before, warns the others not to look. He 
pounds away vigorously at the bones, and presently 
throws one at the young wolf which had punished 
him. “ Aha!” says he; “you were looking.” “ No,’ 
says the brother cub; “it was I who was looking, 
and saw you throw the bone at my brother:’’ upon 
which they all laughed heartily at Wis, who was caught 
out in his tricks. This resource being exhausted, they 
again began to starve, and agreed to separate: the 
old Wolf going off with one of his sons, leaving Wis 
and the other to hunt together, as they would by this 
arrangement have more chance for game. 

We now lose sight of the old Wolf, and continue 
with Wis and his nephew. The latter kills a few deer, 
and brings them home in his stomach, disgorging 


them as before upon arrival; but at last informs his 


OF THE DELUGE. 289 


uncle that he cannot catch any more, whereupon 
Wis sits up all night making medicine or conjuring. 
In the morning he tells his nephew to go a-hunting ; 
but to be careful that at every valley, or the least 
hollow place he has to pass, he must throw a stick 
over before jumping it himself, or else some evil will 
certainly befal him. Away goes the hunter ; espies 
and pursues a deer, taking care to follow his uncle’s 
directions. But, alas! when just up with his prey, a 
small hollow intervenes, which he thinks he can jump 
easily ; and, attempting it without the usual pre- 
caution, goes plump into a river, and is there killed 
and devoured by water-lynxes.* After long waiting for 
his nephew, Wis set off in search of him, and coming 
to the spot whence he had jumped, guessed that he 
- ,had neglected his warning, and fallen into the stream. 
He observed, on a tree near, a king-fisher staring 
fixedly into the water, and asked him what he was 
looking at so earnestly. The king-fisher replies that 
he is looking at the skin of Wis-kay-tchach’s nephew, 
which serves as a door-mat to the dwelling of the water- 
lynxes, those animals having devoured him. Wis 
calls the bird to him, and begins to comb its head, 


and put a ruff about its neck to make a queue for it ; 


* My informant did not know what animals were meant by these 
“water-lynxes,” but conjectured them to be of fabled origin, created by 
the mention of seals, which few of the Indians ever see. 

U 


290) INDIAN LEGEND 


but the bird flew away before this was finished, which 
accounts for king-fishers now having only a portion of it 
at the back of their heads. The bird would not return, 
but tells him that the water-lynxes often go on shore 
to lie on the sand ; and that to be revenged, he must 
make himself into a stump near, but take care that 
he is not pulled down by frogs and snakes, which the 
lynxes will be sure to send to try and dislodge him. 
Upon this mformation he returns to his camp, and 
“makes big medicine ;” and provides all things 
which will be needed, of which a /arge canoe, to hold 
all the animals that cannot swim, is the principal. 
Before daylight, having completed his preparations, 
and embarked all the before-mentioned passengers, 
he proceeds to the neighbourhood of the lynxes, and 
secures his boat behind a poimt of land, then 
transforms himself mto a stump, and awaits their 
appearance. Presently the black one comes out and 
lies down upon the sand, then the grey, and lastly, 
the white one which had killed the young wolf, pops 
its head out of the water; but espies the stump, and 
cries out to his brethren that he “never saw that 
before.” ‘They carelessly replied that it must always 
have been there; but the wary one still distrusted, 
and sent frogs and snakes to try and pull it down. 


Wis had a severe struggle to keep himself upright ; 


OF THE DELUGE. 291 


but survived the trial, and the white lynx, beg now 
satisfied, lays itself down upon the sand to repose. Wis 
waits a short time ; then, resuming his natural shape, 
takes his spear and creeps softly up to the white 
lynx. He had been warned by his feathered monitor 
to strike at the shadow of the animal, or he would 
assuredly fail m his aim; but his eagerness makes 
him forget this injunction, and he strikes full at 
the animal, and misses him. ‘The creatures rush to 
the water; but Wis has yet another chance, and 
aiming again, and now at the shadow, desperately 
wounds the beast, which, however, escapes with the 
rest into the river. Instantly the water begins to boil 
and rise, and Wis makes for his boat as fast as he 
can. The water continued flowmg, flowing, until 
land, trees, and hills were all covered. Wis having 
before taken care of all creatures which could not 
swim at all, now busied himself picking up those 
which were able to swim for a short time. 

On his conjuring night everythmg had been pre- 
pared for the reproduction of the earth, with one all- 
important exception ; it was necessary to have a small 
portion of earth to form, as it were, a nucleus for the 
new land; and this he set about obtainmg. Tying a 
strmg to the leg of a loon, he ordered it to try for 


soundings, and to persevere in its descent, even if it 
u 2 


292 INDIAN LEGEND 


should die, for that was of no consequence, as he 
could soon restore it to life. Down goes the diver, 
and presently the string was not jerked any more; so 
Wis pulls up and finds the bird dead: he blows upon 
and brings it back to life, and is told that the bottom 
was not reached. Next he sends an otter, which is 
drawn up in the same plight, and similarly revived, 
and whose success is no better than that of the loon. 
Now he sends a beaver, which, upon being resus- 
citated, reports that it saw the tops of the trees, but 
could not sink any deeper. Last of all, Wis ties a 
large stone to amusquash, and puts them over: down 
goes the rat, and presently the string is slackened ; 
Wis hauls up, and finds the little creature dead, but 
holding a small quantity of earth in its tiny paws. 
He revives the messenger and spreads the earth out to 
dry, after which he blows upon it until it swells and 
spreads until it is yery big. When he thought it large 
enough, a wolf was sent out to try its extent ; but he 
soon returned, saying that the world was not large, 
whereupon Wis blew away again for a long time ; 
then despatched a crow, and as the bird did not 
return, Wis concluded that the world was now large 
enough for all, and, with the animals, quits the canoe. 

All disperse, and Wis in his travels meets a toad, 


? 


which sings as it goes, “ Nee-shay-woo-shin” (or 


OF THE DELUGE. 293 


“T rattle”). “What is that you sing?” asks 
Wis-kay-tchach. “I sing that I rattle,” answers the 
toad. “And what do you sing for?” returns Wis. 
“You must know,” replies the toad, “that I am a 
Great Medicine, and am now going to extract. the 
barb with which that bad man, Wis-kay-tchach, 
wounded my grandson, the water-lynx.”’ Wis knocks 
the Great Medicine on the head, and skinning him, 
assumes the disguise; then trots off to the dwelling 
of the water-lynxes, where he is cordially welcomed by 
the two unwounded brothers, and conducted to his 
victim. He sends the others out of the sick chamber, 
as he must “make very strong medicine,” which 
their presence will disturb ; they accordingly depart, 
and Wis proceeds to push the spear-head farther into, 
instead of drawing it out of the wound. Having 
thus killed his patient, he retires, and tells the 
brothers that they must on no account disturb their 
sick relation, as the medicine must have power until 
the morrow, and so he departs, throwing off the 
disguise when out of sight. 

Not long after this period Wis-kay-tchach meets an 
old woman, who is peeling willows (to make nets with 
the bark), and crying desperately. He asks why she 
laments, and the ancient dame replies that she mourns 


for her son the water-lynx, which that cruel wretch 


294 INDIAN LEGEND 


Wis-kay-tchach has murdered; and that they are 
about to bury him near, and then abandon the place. 
Wis serves the old lady as he did the toad, 


’ 


of ‘big medicine” profession, assumes her dress 
and occupation of collecting willow-bark, and howls 
away far louder and more dismally than she did, and 
in this way returns to the lodge, where, with the 
brothers’ aid, the corpse was placed upon a stage 
prepared for it; and the fictitious mother tells the 
rest to proceed on their journey, as she must remain 
to weep, but will presently follow them. So soon as 
they are out of sight Wis sets to work to “ make 
grease’ from the carcase ; but the sons become tired 
of waiting, and send back snakes (which appear to 
have been their slaves) to look for their mother. 
When they reach Wis he gives them some of the 
grease which he has made, and bids them return with 
it to the brothers, who thereupon see that they have 
been tricked by Wis-kay-tchach, and return to catch 
and punish him. Being hard pressed, and meeting 
with a badger, he entreats it to dig a hole in the 
ground by which he may escape; and promises to 
give one of the bladders of grease with which he is 
now laden as a reward. The badger digs accordingly ; 
and they come up through the ground at a distance 


from their pursuers ; but when the animal claims its 


OF THE DELUGE. 295 


fee, Wis says 1t may consider itself very lucky that he 
did not kill it while passing underground. All the 
bladders are now emptied into a hollow, and form a 
large lake, in which Wis invites all the animals to 
come and swim, that they may gather fat: the rabbit 
and partridge complain, after the unctuous bath, 
that they have gathered too much fat, so Wis cleans 
it from them by running his hand over them; and 
this is the reason why the rabbit has so little fat upon 
the shoulder, and the partridge a small quantity about 
the tail. 

Although the foregoing and other legends are so 
childish, they should nevertheless be presented, as 
indications of the simple nature and primitive ideas of 
the Indian race. Such stories are recounted in a 
monotonous sing-song to the assembled members of a 
lodge, and their repetition never tires. The Indian 
seldom or never laughs boisterously, appreciation of 
the passages considered the most amusing is marked 
by a low grunt of approval; and this is particularly 
the case where the hero of their tales, which 
Mr. Wis-kay-tchach most frequently represents, has 
practised or suffered from some act of duplicity; these 


appear to tickle the listeners mightily. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


Gastronomy.—River Ice.—Trapping.—Start for Great Bear Lake.—Cross 
the Mackenzie on the Ice.—Felling trees to encamp.—Raising the 
Wind.—Penetrate dense Forests.—Cross Lakes.—Cranberries, &c.— 
Indian Hut.—Salmon Trout.—Summary ejectment.—Slave Indians. 
—Indian Divorce.—Selling Wives.——Cannibal acquaintance.—Sir J. 
Franklin’s Hut.—Dreadful Starvation.—Eating an Orkney man.—Our 
Hut.—An airy situation.—Occasional House-warming.—Lots of tin. — 
Fish and fish with it—Swamp Tea.—Aurora.—Literary destitution.— 
Novel burial of a brother-in-law. 


Our diet, since reaching the Mackenzie, was in 
strange contrast to English fare, or that, principally of 
preserved meats, to which we had been accustomed in 
the “Plover.” Dried reindeer or elk-flesh, which 
required vigorous mastication, and made the jaws 
ache apace; fresh goat, bear, and beaver-meat occa- 
sionally ; and during the latter part of our stay at 
Fort Norman, meat could only be furnished two days 
in the week, with fish the other five; and as the 
latter was captured at Bear Lake in the summer and 
fall, and remained disembowelled and intact until 
used, it was i various stages of excellence, varying 


from the slightly-tamted to the absolutely stinking. 


GASTRONOMY. 297 


But as there was nothing else, we managed to eat it ; 
and after all were no worse off than the ancients, who 
esteemed asafetida a delicacy when mixed with their 
food, except that they fared thus from inclination, 
we from necessity ; and this is the case at many of 
the posts in the Hudson’s Bay territory, where meat 
is not abundant. Flour, bread, and such like, seem 
to be considered matters of extreme luxury : a bag of 
flour is the entire allowance to some of the officers ; 
but this proceeds mainly, I imagine, from the difficulty 
of transport through so wild a country and great 
distance. I lived with Mr. Mac Kenzie while here, 
and fared as he did. We had two meals a day; one 
between nine and ten, the other about six. Our bill 
of fare was tolerably unvarying: dry meat boiled, or 
fish roasted with the scales on, which, from want of 
custom I suppose, I found disagreeable when they 
got in my mouth; tea, either black or green, as the 
packet might happen to be; sugar, and occasionally a 
water pancake or fritter;—but these were “like 
angels’ visits,” and appreciated accordingly. At first, 
I sadly missed a bit of bread ; but habit reconciles one 
to everything. For all this, there were occasional 
delicacies. Reindeers’ tongues we often tasted; I 
need not remark upon their excellence; also beaver 


and bear’s meat, which are fat,—the tail of the former 


298 RIVER-ICE. 


entirely so, and, on first acquaintance, rather too rich 
for digestion. 

When the ice had so much increased in the river 
as to begin to crowd upon the shores, along which 
ran a solid edge, we, who were unaccustomed to the 
sight, had much interest in watching its course. The 
current was very strong, and the sludge was turned 
up between the moving and fixed edges, precisely as 
a furrow is turned by the plough, while a kind of 
hissmg roar, continuous and subdued, proved the 
resistance exerted. When the increasing drift re- 
tarded the current, the water rose considerably, and a 
second crust of ice formed on the shore ledges, and 
deceived the unwary when venturing upon it, being 
too weak to bear the feet, although snow-shoes, 
which embrace a larger surface, will sometimes 
enable one to pass on it. As these stations of the 
Hudson’s Bay Company are established for the sole 
purpose of obtaining furs,—witness its motto, “Pro 
pelle cutem,”—no means to that end are neglected. 
Mr. Mac Kenzie had three or four traps set, which I 
often used to visit, and will tell my fortune on one 
of these occasions. Finding the trap had gone from 
its place, I had little trouble in discovermg the 
direction of its migration; the trail was too well 


marked to permit of error, for frozen gouts of blood 


TRAPPING. 299 


and zigzag lines made by the sharp edges of the iron, 
sullied the snow. ‘The track led right across the 
frozen branch of the river; arriving on the opposite 
bank of which I found a fox caught by the paw in 
the trap, which was now entangled in the underwood. 
The poor little creature’s eyes glared with its agony ; 
it was biting at the branches around, and struggling 
desperately ; indeed, it would probably have soon 
escaped with the loss of its foot, which held only by a 
sinew, the bone being broken, and all else cut through 
by the sharp edges of the vice-like trap, much like a 
rat-trap or gin, but without teeth, which it had 
dragged, as I estimated, about a quarter of a mile. 
The sight was sickening, and I hastgned to put it out 
of its misery, but broke my first stick, and had to get 
one heavier to accomplish the task ; sure am I that 
few fair ones who now wear muff and tippet could 
resume them without a pang, had they witnessed the 
torture of this poor animal. 

The ice in the Mackenzie “set fast ” permanently 
on the 12th of November, and two days afterwards, 
four men of my party—the ice-master being left 
behind on account of his frost-bitten feet—three of 
the Company’s, two Indians, and myself, started for 
our intended quarters on Great Bear Lake. The men 


of the Company had each charge of a sledge and 


300 THE CAMP. 


three dogs, laden with 200 pounds of stores and 
provisions ; the Indians led the way on snow-shoes, 
and my party—who had not those convenient 
appendages—brought up the rear. Our road lay 
first across the frozen river, which required much care 
and toil, for the ice was jumbled up in chaotic 
confusion, presenting sharp points and edges which 
hurt the feet, and many irregular masses projecting 
twelve or fifteen feet from the surface. After crossing 
the river, and ascending the steep banks upon the 
opposite side, we entered upon dense woods, and 
continued until sunset, when a halt was made for the 
night, and all set about preparing the encampment. 
A spot was chosep where dead trees abounded, which 
some proceeded to fell, others cleared the snow from 
a space, using their snow-shoes as shovels: some cut 
down small pines, of which the brush was laid down 
to serve as the floor of the camp, and the stems were 
arranged for shelter at the back and sides; with our 
large party, two compartments were necessary, a heap 
of blazing logs lymg between them; and when all 
was completed, a very snug, but of course airy, 
resting-place invited us to repose, which after a hearty 
supper of pemmican was responded to by all. So 
long as the big fire blazed away merrily, the cold did 


not touch one greatly, but by-and-by, when all were 


RAISING THE WIND. 301 


wrapped in slumber, the flames gradually decreased, 
and when I awoke benumbed all over, and my feet, 
oh! so cold! nought was in the place of the red pile 
I last looked upon but a few calcined log ends and a 
heap of smouldering ashes ; so to work I set with a 
will, carried more logs to their destruction, collected 
the burnt ends, raked the ashes together, and blew 
right earnestly until a ruddy blaze appeared; then 
heaping on more logs, and becoming thoroughly 
warmed, I once more lay down to sleep, my com- 
panions dozing, snoring, growling, and starting, m 
happy unconsciousness of my proceedings. 

We were up and afoot each day about daylight, 
and encamped, as described, at sunset; our fare was 
pemmican uncooked, and although ‘not very enticing 
in flavour, it is In my opinion the finest and most 
convenient sustenance one can carry: we consumed 
upon the average about two pounds per day, having 
nothing else but a little cocoa in the morning, and we 
never felt hungry or weak. Our road lay through 
dense forests, across numerous lakes and one or two 
small rivers, all now frozen over and covered with 
snow ; the path is marked in woods by “ blazing ” 
large trees and breaking down small ones, and when 
about to cross lakes, travellers carry branches and 


tops of small trees and stick them in the snow at 


302 SLAVE INDIANS. 


intervals. We saw numerous tracks of rabbits, 
martens, foxes, and others, but few of deer, which do 
not abound here as elsewhere. By digging under the 
snow, cranberries were obtained ; and on bushes grew 
berries of a sharp acid, which were hard frozen, and 
melted away in the mouth, contrasting pleasantly with 
the seeds of the wild rose, which were sweetness 
itself. 

This journey occupied six days ; in the evening of 
the 19th we reached our destined habitation, wherein 
were now comfortably located an Indian with his 
wife and family, little expecting, good souls! such 
unseasonable mtrusion. We supped off some delicious 
salmon-trout caught in Bear Lake, and were glad to 
go to repose after our fatiguing trip. 

A few days sufficed to settle us imto a regular 
mode of life: two of the Company’s men returned to 
Fort Norman; the other, with the old Indian, set 
nets and hooks under the ice in Bear Lake ; our rude 
hut was thoroughly cleansed, and put to rights; and 
arrangements made for the due performance of such 
shght duties as were necessary. Wood had to be 
cut regularly for fuel ; a hole made, and kept open in 
the ice of the lake for water ; and, more than all, the 
grand duties of the kitchen required much considera- 


tion, for the unity of material needed an exercise of 


SELLING A WIFE. 303 


great ingenuity to obtain some variety. The Indians 
whom we had. lately so unceremoniously dispossessed 
of their habitation, speedily constructed a good winter 
lodge at a short distance, and departed thither, bag 
and baggage. It was painful to see the load the 
women were made to carry; but it is the common 
practice, and said to be the reason why the tribe we 
were now among are called “Slave Indians.” With 
them, if a man desire to despoil his neighbour of his 
wife, a trial of strength, of a curious nature, ensues : 
they seize each other by the hair, which is worn long 
and flowing, and thus strive for the mastery, until 
one or another cries “ peccavi.”” Should the victor be 
the envious man, he has to pay a certain number of 
skins for the husband-changing woman, who has 
herself no voice in the matter, but is handed over like 
any other piece of goods, and generally with the same 
unconcern. ‘There’s a pretty story for you, ladies! 
How would you like such arrangements in our land 
of a queen? ‘The old Indian who assisted the fisher- 
man was too remarkable a character to pass un- 
mentioned. During periods of general starvation, 
which are unfortunately but too frequent in this 
region, he had devoured eleven or thirteen persons, 
among whom (charity begins at home) were, I believe, 


his parents, one wife, and the children of two. He 


304 DREADFUL STATE OF STARVATION. 


had now only one son left, a very fine boy, named 
Betshi, of whom he was doatingly fond, and certainly 
would not be likely to make a meal of him until all 
other relations and friends were disposed of. This 
old fellow was one of Sir J. Franklin’s hunters, when 
he wintered here in 1826. I visited the site of his 
dwelling, almost within a stone’s throw of our own 
rude hut; but a shapeless mass of rubbish, and a few 
stones still remaining of some of the chimneys, were all 
to be seen of his resting-place ; and I could not help 
thinking how busy Time had been with both. This 
building must have been large; the traces of eleven 
chimneys mark its extent: it was tenanted by about 
forty persons, including the people of the North-west 
Fur-trading Company. Dr., now Sir John, Richardson, 
was at first here with Sir John Franklin; but the 
quantity of fish caught being insufficient for the 
maintenance of all, he removed with a party to a 
distance along the lake. Their resting-poit has ever 
since been called Richardson’s Fishery. 

The number of victims to starvation in this country 
has been very great. In 1845 (?) the Company’s 
people at Fort Good Hope were without subsistence, 
and the Indians dying in crowds. The gentleman in 
charge of the station at that time heard one night the 


blows of the axe in the lodges near the Fort, by which 


CANNIBALISM. 305 


the weaker were killed, to be devoured. The 
Express-men, one Scotch, the other a native of 
Orkney, who were proceeding with letters to the 
post on the Peel River, were met by a party of 
starving Indians, who stole upon them at night, 
murdered and ate them and their provisions, and, as 
report goes, were m their turn slaughtered and 
devoured. 

The commodious residence in which we were 
located deserves description, if only as a new 


proof that 


“Man wants but little here below.” 


It consisted of a solitary apartment, twenty by 
eighteen feet ; was constructed of roughly-hewn pine- 
logs of large dimensions, the interstices being 
plastered with mud, which I must remark, by the 
by, was the universal substitute for mortar in the 
Mackenzie River and adjacent districts. The two 
casements were formed by tightly-stretched sheets of 
semilucent parchment, which, where imperfect, were 
repaired with scraps of foolscap; the light admitted 
thereby was well suited for weak eyes; the door had 
been made of green wood, and its parts had shrunk 
widely asunder; the openings thus formed were 
stuffed with lynx-skin, which gave it a very motley 


appearance. ‘The roof was flat, of sticks and moss, in 


x 


306 OUR DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS. 


layers ; these being very dry, caught fire three or four 
times during our stay, and caused much trouble, and 
danger of losing our dwelling, which, rough though it 


was, we should sadly have missed at this season. 


NEW FORT FRANKLIN, 


No pampered luxury was evidenced in the nature and 
arrangement of the furniture: one treble, two 
double, and one single bedstead, of workmanship 
curious as elegant, being all the unaided product of 
the axe, stools of massive condition, each formed 


from a single block, and a table, which ever 


GOODS AND CHATTELS. 307 


perversely declined to repose upon more than two legs 
at a time, and whose wrinkled old face displayed a 
perpetual grin as if in mockery at our efforts, con- 
stituted the major part of the property ; the rest of 
the chattels were fishing-nets and lines, blankets, 
ancient garments, and a most unique collection of 
cooking utensils: four tin plates, one tin drinking 
cup, a bouilli tin for the same purpose, a fork, and 
two spoons of silver, and two of native horn, one of 
which from its antiquity might have belonged to 
Nebuchadnezzar, two kettles for fish, a coffee-pot for 
tea, and two pemmican tins for pitchers close the 
catalogue; a tin saw, an auger, and sundry axes 
complete the tale of our riches : and to us important 
they were. 

Of food the variety was not great so far as kind 
was concerned, but then we made amends for this in 
the modes of preparation. Thus, although we had 
only a species of salmon-trout occasionally, and a kind 
of herring always, we had boiled fish and roasted fish, 
dried fish and split fish, smoked fish and cured fish, 
fish soups, fish cakes, and fish, fish, fish, in every 
phase we could invent, one only excepted, of which 
we had a sufficiency while at Fort Norman. 

Mr. Mac Kenzie had, from his scanty store, presented 


me with two pounds of tea, and twelve of sugar ; these 


x2> 


308 GASTRONOMY. 


supplied us with a treat for a few Sundays, but on 
their expenditure we had to turn to the limpid waters 
of Bear Lake to quench thirst ; and though they were 
pure as seraph’s tears, and bright as the eyes of 
loveliness, we had fair experience of the truthful 
adage, “too much of a good thing,” &c. As may be 
supposed fish and water did not materially conduce 
to an increase of health or endurance; our complexions 
became colourless and transparent, and the tone of 
the digestive organs weakened; one or two of us 
were frequently at or directly after a meal seized with 
an involuntary nausea, the stomach peremptorily 
rejecting the offered aliment. There was only one, 
even distant, substitute for the beverages we had 
ever been accustomed to; this was made by boiling 
the plant called Swamp tea, which grows plentifully 
throughout North America—leaves, stalks, and all— 
in water, and drinking the infusion; it has a strong 
bitter taste, liked by few, but it is, I believe, a fine 
tonic, and I tried to fancy I hked it, possibly because 
there was nothing else. 

I have purposely avoided in my _ narrative all 
scientific details; and have, therefore, hitherto left 
unnoticed the frequent occurrence of the Aurora 
Borealis, the most gorgeous as well as most wonderful 


of northern, and perhaps of any other phenomena : 


AURORA BOREALIS. 309 


let it not be imagined, nevertheless, that these 
splendid spectacles were disregarded; my journal 
voluminously records their appearance, but I shall 
here only introduce one extract as a type of the 
rest :— 

“On the 9th of December, at about seven, with 
a cloudless sky, Aurora appeared,—first forming in 
an arch from N.N.E. to N.N.W.,—but later, about 
nine, dispersed into broken vertical rays, coruscating 
towards the zenith. Eleven p.m. I have just come in 
from viewing the Aurora, which now presents a 
gorgeous spectacle; it has shifted from its first 
positions, and now covers the southern half of the 
heavens. 

“Orion bears about $.8.W., and on each side of that 
constellation to about forty-five degrees, rays are con- 
verging nearly to the zenith; they are perfectly regular 
in form and distance, and remind me of the lines of 
longitude upon a globe, like which also they are cut 
just below the zenith. Around and about them are 
wreaths and scrolls, lines and curves, masses and 
skirmishers of the luminous fluid, never still for an 
instant, but waving, rolling, advancing and retiring, 
folding and unfolding, fast and changeful as thought 
can fly; never twice the same, but like the fickle 


kaleidoscope, ever presenting some new appearance, 


310 AURORA BOREALIS. 


beautiful and wondrous as those already seen and 
vanished.”’ 

As the heavy curtain of a theatre is drawn up or 
let down, so are some of the flying lmes expanding 
and contracting incessantly; others, again, seem 
mighty breakers, curling and turning under and 
about. There was one large mass, a perfect blaze of 
light, which seemed to be not twenty feet above me ; 
others with less body appearing far, far away. On 
this occasion I fancied that I eard the Aurora, and 
so much was judgment misled by imagination, that 
I thought I saw the masses vibrating after contact, 
when, in fact, the noise I heard was indubitably 
produced by the cracking of the ice on the lake, as I 
afterwards became assured of. 

On some occasions all the colours of the rambow 
were displayed by turns, each visible but for an 
instant, then succeeded by another hue; vast 
uregular ever-changing fringe-like lines,—at one 
moment of an exquisite violet, the next of a grass- 
green tint,—engaged and delighted the eye: those 
above-named were the predominating colours, but all 
others, im every variety of shade and_ brilliancy, 
were evolved. A scene of sublime and awful 
magnificence. 


We had little durmg our weary sojourn in this 


WANT OF AMUSEMENTS. 311 


miserable log-hut, which was now our home, to 
enliven or beguile its tedium. With scanty daylight, 
and neither oil nor candle, the only hght we had for 
the greater portion of each twenty-four hours was 
that of the log fire which burned in one corner of 
the hovel. No books, not even a newspaper, to read 
and re-spell over, but I managed to obtain ink, pens, 
and paper, and in addition to keepmg a voluminous 
journal of all, to the most trifling, occurrences, 
instituted a school for the seamen, one or two of 
whom improved considerably, though ours was 
literally the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties. 
The preparation of our meagre fare, cutting and 
bringing home fuel, and fetching water from the 
lake, did not fill up a third part of the time ; birds 
or other game there were none, with the exception of 
an occasional white partridge or ptarmigan: this 
period was therefore, from its lack of occupation, 
a most dismal one, and any new idea for employment 
or amusement was hailed with delight. The old 
Indian who assisted the fisherman, and was with his 
son domiciled in the hut, made occasional trips mn 
search of deer and beaver, and to set traps for 
martens, foxes, and wolverines—but his success was 
almost negative; a few martens, a beaver, and one or 


two rabbits were his only prizes, though he was 


312 SCARCITY OF EOOD. 


frequently several days absent with only a scanty 
supply of food, and on one occasion there was quite a 
divided house on the question whether he had killed 
and feasted on the Indian who accompanied him, as 
he was accustomed to such proceedings. ‘The fisher- 
man told me that he had once visited Fort Norman, 
at- a period of starvation, to solicit food ; and had, at 
the same time, the hands of his brother-in-law in_ his 
game-bag, having already otherwise entombed the 


remainder of his respected relation. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


Christmas festivities.—Parhelia.—Indian exaggeration.—A regular clipper. 
—Sledging to Fort Norman.—Starving Indians.—Indian Theology.— 
Medicine Men.—Vapour Bath.—Heating water.—A Drone.—Diminu- 
tion of Infanticide.—Making Medicine.—Pulling a-head.—Spring sets 
in.—Woodpeckers—An Indian death.—Return to New Fort Franklin. 
—Ravenous petty larceny.— Primitive notions.— Floods.—Doctor Rae. 
—Start for Fort Simpson.—Hydrodynamic forces.—Bears.—Indian 
Dance.—A Tale of Horror. 


CuristTMAs arrived, and although prisoners m so 
barbarous a place at this season of rejoicing, we did 
not let it pass over without notice. I had reserved a 
few pounds of preserved meats, with one or two other 
relics of luxury, and we therefore, in comparison—by 
which woes and delights are ever measured—feasted 
royally. Green tea and pemmican, soup, parsnips 
and beef; behold a repast for princes. Ours was. 
quite a picnic—the rugged floor of the den served at 
once for table and chairs, the place of soup-plates was 
supplied by preserved-meat tins, spoons by their tops, 
whose jagged edges were an exciting novelty, and we 


were merry cnough, by comparison, again. 


314 PARHELIA. 


The cold was at times very severe; our breath, 
congealing as it passed the ear, became audible in a 
sharp whirr, like a small escape of steam, and flannel 
froze so rigidly that it could be droken asunder like a 
brittle stick: the mside of our dwelling, particularly 
at the windows, was encrusted with a thick coating 
of rime, formed by the congelation of breath and other 
vapour. 

February was mild even to occasional thaws, and 
this period was prolific im  parhelia, haloes, &e. 
We saw one such very curious “child of mist” 
which I think worthy of mention. Around the 
moon was a vertical halo, slightly flattened on 
the upper part, of about forty degrees diameter. 
On each side of the moon at the outer edges of 
the rmg was a mock or false moon, tolerably well 
defined, and throwing a ray of light to the eastward. 
From these extended a contmuous and_ horizontal 
halo at about thirty-five degrees elevation, m parts 
very bright; and at W. by S. another mock-moon 
was presented in it, also throwing a light to the east- 
ward, but downwards. ‘The sky was much brightened 
under the vertical rmg; above it was misty, the 
horizon clear and the wind gentle from west. 
Our old Indian (the man-eater) prognosticated 


great cold and strong winds from this appearance. 


INDIAN EXAGGERATION. 315 


There are several “articles of belief” in meteor- 
ological signs among the Indians and whites who 
have sojourned long in these regions. For instance, 
if January be fine or cold, March may be looked for 
as the reverse, and vice versa; if, in display of 
parhelia, the mock-sun is seen to the westward of 
the true, or, should there be one on each side, 
if the western sun be last to fade, bad weather is 
sure to ensue. 

The Indians have a sad character for exaggera- 
tion. Some who passed our quarters on return 
from Fort Norman brought doleful news of death 
and starvation.‘ An Indian man and woman had 
been frozen to death near Fort Norman; many were 
dying of starvation, and the Fort was full of people 
im a like condition.” Fortunately Mr. MacKenzie 
had written a note by them which I received next 
day, and found that a few had reached Fort Norman 
without food; a woman had died from extreme old 
age and two boys from sickness, upon which founda- 
tion their tale had been built up. There was little 
danger of starvation either to us or the Indians, while 
the supply of fish remained so plentiful. We had 
used four small nets from the end of November, 
and found at the end of February, that we had 


eighteen hundred fish “en cache ;’’ our consumption, 


316 A REGULAR CLIPPER. 


for dogs and all included, having been about fifty a day. 
‘wo men arriving from Fort Norman for a supply of 
fresh fish, those in store having become really too 
gamy, I resolved to return with them, bemg desirous 
to hear from Mr. Pullen to whom I had written by 
the winter express. With a latent yearning after 
dandyism which was, it must be owned, rather out 
of place, I desired to have my hair cut, and this 
operation was performed by means of a knife and a 
board, for scissors were wanting ; the result exceeded 
that of parish barbers, who clip the crowns of 
charity children by contract and the hundred. On 
the 21st of February, at sunrise, the two men of 
the Fort and myself started from ‘‘ New Fort Franklin” 
(the title by which our palatial residence was. digni- 
fied) each driving a dog-sledge laden in all with 
upwards of six hundred fish. After crossmg Bear 
Lake and following the trail mto the woods on the 
opposite shore, we encountered two Indians who said 
that they were starving; we gave a fish to each as 
a stay until they should reach the lake. An hour 
later we met another whose tale and supply were 
as before. Four or five hours after, we found two 
women with each a couple of children, encamped by 
the wayside; they also clamorously assailed us for 


rehef and received some fish. 


INDIAN RELIGION. oe 


Great is the aid of snow-shoes ; the journey which 
in November occupied my party six days was 
now accomplished easily in three. I remained with 
Mr. MacKenzie until the arrival of the return express 
men from Fort Simpson, who brought letters from 
Mr. Pullen and the gentleman of the station, by which 
we learned all were well. My companion again 
enlivened me with much interesting conversation 
respecting the Indians, and I put much reliance in 
his information as his acquaintance with them was 
very extensive and familiar. They have an idea 
of a supreme being but do not worship him, 
and have an evil spirit, but it is doubtful whether 
they maintained this view until the advent of the 
whites. There are also numerous ideal personages 
who are supposed either to have performed super- 
human works (as Wiskaytchach and his reproduction 
of the world after the flood), or who had or have 
some influential power over them. But although 
they put great faith in the legendary lore, the 
heroes are regarded with little reverence or awe. 
The medicine-men or conjurors have immense power 
among these dwellers in moral darkness; they are 
considered almost infallible, and if their predictions 
fail, the non-success is attributed to some defect in 


the medicine, either that it was not strong enough, 


318 “ MEDICINE-MEN.” 


or that some form was omitted in its preparation. 
The office seems to be druidical in its tendency ; 
much has to be gone through by the neophyte 
before he can be initiated into its mysteries, which 
are conducted with much secresy. It is certainly an 
important and valuable office; none but the privi- 
leged can “make medicine or venture to predict ;” 
ridicule and failure would be sure to follow such 
attempt. These are the doctors of the tribes; they 
are acquaimted with many herbal and mineral reme- 
dies, among which are emetics, and cures for 
spasms, also plants for staunching blood, and of 
healing properties. A favourite prescription is the use of 
the vapour-bath, and from my slight knowledge of their 
habits, I should think that many of their disorders 
may be removed by aqueous visitation. 

The patient is placed in a tightly closed tent, 
wherein are heated stones upon which water is 
thrown; after remaining in the bath for awhile it 
is not unusual to dash right into the ice-cold 
streams; nor does this seem to do any harm. 
Singing is much practised, but it is, though varied, 
of a very humdrum nature. I heard a good deal 
of this by our old friend at Bear Lake ;—some- 
times he sang or droned for singing’s sake; at others 


his lay was in a tone of lament for the dusky 


DECREASE OF INFANTICIDE. 319 


dames and their little ones, whose untimely fate 
himself had hastened, and then he succeeded in 
being very dismal. When he feasted well or had 
been fortunate in his trapping results, he sang in 
notes of rejoicing, and that his good luck might 
be repeated, and sometimes he certainly sang de- 
votionally, but to what power I am quite in the 
dark. ‘Talking of the dark, that was his favourite 
time for this sort of devotional exercise: I have 
often been awakened im the dead hour, by the 
not very musical emanations of the old gentleman, 
who when his solo was concluded, generally rose 
and took an extensive smoke, besides alleviating 
an unfortunate irritation of the skin which occurs 
among Indians, nearly as much as with the Tuski, 
and from the same causes. 

Infanticide, which was at no distant period uni- 
versally prevalent as regarded the female’ children, 
appears to have much diminished ; the “Slaves” have 
the worst character for this crime, which it is to 
be hoped will soon cease entirely. 

The medicine-men must be tolerably clever 
fellows if their aptitude reach the pitch for which 
they have credit. When one is about to conjure, 
a tent is constructed of poles, inclmmg to each 


other at the top, which are encircled by hoops at 


320 “MAKING MEDICINE.” 


different heights, and the whole is then covered 
with leather, when it presents a shape lke the 
frustum of a sugar-loaf. The top is open, and to 
the upper hoop is stitched a blanket, which falls 
down as a funnel: this is to admit the spirits 
which are evoked, but I could not learn what. were 
their attributes, except that there is one which 
seems to have power over the rest, is an_ evil 
being, and puts an end to the proceedings by 
appearing without summons and driving off the 
other creatures of air. The medicine-man goes into 
the tent before the skin covering is finally sewn on, 
and begins to sing away at a great rate, the house 
at the same time shaking with violence, so much 
so as sometimes to fall down ; this, it is supposed, is 
done by the spirits, and certainly the conjurors must 
be very expert: im some instances they have per- 
mitted themselves to be bound hand and _ foot, 
wrapped in a net. and thus thrown into the tent, which 
has immediately began to shake, and in a very: brief 
space the net and bonds were ejected from the tent 
without a knot having been untied. For.their enemies 
they are said'to possess terrible medicines, the effect 
of one being to distort the features to one side— 
probably paralysis by. poison—of another, to render the 


skin perfectly blue, lke the result of nitrate of silver. 


ae 
THE WARRIORS ORDEAL, 321 


Of war and its practices I did not hear a great 
deal, but learned that the ordeal previous to ad- 
mission aS a warrior in some tribes still rules; 
the young men of the Dahcotah or Sioux tribes must 
be able to bear torture without flinching before they 
can be allowed to serve. One trial consists in drag- 
ging a buffalo’s head round the camp by a cord thrust 
through the muscles at the hips. 

April brought the first signs of spring, and a 
warm south wind occasionally, and speedily diminished 
the snow, which was about four feet deep ; the birds 
appeared from the woods, into whose recesses they 
had retired for shelter durmg the extreme cold, and 
shrubs became pliant during noonday, some even 
showing signs of vegetation. arly in the month 
two Indian boys came from Bear Lake bringing me 
intelligence that some of the seamen were attacked 
with illness, and that one of the Indian women, whom 
we had relieved with fish on our journey hither, had 
died from the effects of exposure and famine. Of 
course I hastened to visit the party, and found the 
trip to Bear Lake full of imterest in the comparisons 
to be drawn betwixt winter and dawning spring. 
The snow had fallen from the trees, and left many 
pointed surfaces of rock or earth uncovered ; numbers 


of wood-peckers maintained a continual tapping, for 


¥ 


322 AN ACCIDENT. 


under the bark of decayed pines they find abundance 
of worms: some trees were curiously marked by their 
bills, scarcely an inch of their surfaces being left 
untouched. During the early part of the day we 
walked without snow-shoes, a good crust having 
formed on the ice, but the noonday sun in softening 
the track compelled their adoption. I had the 
misfortune to cut my foot severely with an axe the 
morning after we started, and only continued the 
journey as a lesser evil than those of delaymg my 
companions by their return with me, or retracing my 
steps alone, which, in case of great loss of blood or 
other accident, might be of fatal consequence. So we 
bandaged up the wound, and I donned my mocassin, 
determined to make light of the disaster, although 
blood welled from the gash, and, penetrating through 
blanket-socks and mocassins, congealed upon the 
snow-shoe. I suffered long and severely by this 
accident, the considerable walking (above a hundred 
miles) irritated the wound, and on the return journey 
to Fort Norman the snow had so much melted that 
we had frequently to march ankle or even knee deep 
in ice water; this of course was very bad, and for 
some time nothing would excite the hurt to sensation. 

On arrival at New Fort Franklin, I found several of 


the party very unwell, and all pale and delicate- 


Bah ee 


THE INDIAN WOMAN’S DEATH, 323 


looking,—no doubt, m consequence of their uniform 
diet of fish, to which I had now however brought a 
most welcome change in the shape of a large case of 
pemmican. ‘The tale we had heard of the Indian 
woman was true. After parting with us on the day 
when we had given her and others some fish, she had 
arrived on the shore of Bear Lake, about four miles 
from the hut, and encamped there with several other 
Indians for about three weeks: during this time she 
became very ill, and, being unable to accompany her 
Jriends, was deserted by them—her father and brothers 
among the rest, the latter telling her that they left 
her there to die. Some of the women who had been 
encamped with her, had been employed to net snow- 
shoes for my party, and the Indian boy going over to 
fetch some which had been left, found the poor 
creature, with her two little ones, alone, without either 
fire or food. Le Canard, alias the Cannibal, was 
immediately despatched to help her over to the hut, 
and was obliged to drag her across the lake on his 
snow-shoes, as she was perfectly helpless. The party 
then built her a small lodge, and did all in their 
power to help her; they cut wood for her fire and 
prepared her food, using a case of concentrated gravy- 
soup which I had always reserved for an occasion of 


illness of any of the party. Their cares, however, 


Weg 


324 RETURN TO FORT NORMAN. 


were unavailing ; in ten days she died, after frequently 
asking for “ Be-cah-dre-ahzee,” or the “little Master,” 
meaning myself, whom she well recollected. The 
Indians who were near, deserted the locality imme- 
diately on her decease ; and the men, headed by 'Taylor 
the fisherman, a good-hearted and dry specimen of 
the Orkney Islands, who had been fourteen years in 
the country, proceeded to make a “cache” on the 
brow of the hill behind the hut, wherem they 
deposited the emaciated corpse, and, as customary, 
the few articles she possessed. The worthy fellows 
now took the children under their care ; the poor little 
creatures had been frightfully burned, having several 
times fallen into the fire, and from their tender age 
been unable to extricate themselves; but they were 
with attention restored, and the little girl was 
consigned to an Indian family, the boy remaining 
with the men until their departure.* After a stay of 
two days, I started on return to Fort Norman, the 
journey occupying this time only two and a half days 
with loaded sledges. We had hidden some dried 
meat in the snow on our journey to the lake, but the 
ravens had discovered and appropriated it ; they are 

* T have since learned with great regret that these children perished in 
the winter of 1851-2, during a scarcity of provision. This sad occurrence 


was prognosticated at the time of my visit by Le Canard, who certainly 
was well qualified to give an opinion on this subject. 


REJOINED BY THE BEAR LAKE PARTY. 329 


most daring and clever pilferers. My companions 
were two men of Fort Norman, both half castes : one 
of them belonged to the Colony founded by Lord 
Selkirk on the Red River, and his ideas of highly 
civilised life were rather primitive, rendering our 
conversations sufficiently amusing to me in conse- 
quence; among other questions propounded were 
whether our gracious Queen ever visited poor people, 
and if all the soldiers lived im the palace with her 
Majesty. 

Snow-birds were seen on the 24th of April, the 
first and early arrivals of migrating birds : some which 
were shot were very fat; their condition is considered 
a criterion of that of the wild-fowl. Ducks arrived 
on the 4th of May; geese and swans later: they 
were all im very fair condition, and a truly welcome 
addition to our meagre fare. 

The party which had remamed at Bear Lake 
rejomed me on the 8th of May, by which time the 
snow had greatly decreased, and much water appeared 
upon the river-ice; and on the 13th the ice com- 
menced to break up and pass down: there were, 
however, many stoppages by which the current was 
impeded to such an extent that the river rose about 
five and twenty feet, and flooded the country; the 


fort was surrounded with water, and we brought our 


326 VISIT FROM DR. JOHN RAE. 


boat into the court-yard to the doors of the dwellings ; 
all the fences and much fuel were carried off, and large 
masses of ice floated around, some of which remained 
when the obstruction of the channel was removed and 
the river had free passage again; had the water con- 
tinued to rise much longer the fort would probably 
have been carried off.* On the 22nd, Doctor 
John Rae, the well-known Arctic voyager, at that 
time in charge of the Mackenzie River District, 
came down from Fort Simpson on his way to Fort 
Good Hope, which is visited every year, on the 
breaking up of the ice, by the Head of the District. 
I cannot forbear to offer a tribute to his courteous 
and delicate attention; further acquaintance engend- 
ered sentiments of great esteem for his many excellent 
qualities. On the 24th, my party started for Fort 
Simpson, and we rejoined Mr. Pullen at that place 
on the Ist of June. 

We noted on the journey the enormous force 
exerted by the river when obstructed in its passage 
on the disruption of the ice: it had in many places 
risen to a great height, and here enormous masses and 


great quantities of ice had been deposited along the 


banks. Where abrupt points occurred it was piled to . 


* This actually happened next year, 1851, nearly everything being swept 
away, and the station is now removed to the bank of Bear River. 


args A. he + 
on PER REE Leite i a 


DANCE OF THE SLAVE INDIANS. oer 


the height frequently of forty or fifty feet. We espied 
one or two bears, but did not kill any ; a very nice 
chance was lost by my lending an Indian my double- 
barrel to go in chase: he got within shot of Mr. Bruin, 
and pulled the trigger, but the gun was at half-cock 
only, and he either feared or did not know how to cock 
it, and came back with a very blank visage, whose 
aspect was not improved by our merriment at his 
stupidity. 

We were very glad to reach this place, where, for 
the first time since separating from Mr. Pullen (a 
period of ten months), we enjoyed the luxury of a 
comfortable bed, having scarcely ever during that 
time taken off our clothes for nightly repose. I saw 
here a dance of the Slave Indians, a most uninterest- 
ing spectacle, although there were many performers. 
The dancers moved round and round in acircle, their 
feet shuffling along in the “take close order” style ; 
some moved their feet only, others swayed their bodies 
and arms to and fro, and one or two waved eagles’ 
wings above their heads ; several women were among 
the performers; they were, if possible, less animated 
than the men. All kept up a monotonous chant of the 
most dismal tendency—‘he he, he, he; ha ha; he he; 
ho ho, ho ho; he, he, he,” &c., which was their only 


music, and the whole proceeding was so very “slow,” 


328 PELLY BANKS STATION. 


that it soon exhausted my small stock of patience, and 
I departed, but understood that the amusement was 
continued for several hours, probably for the sake of 
exercise. 

On the 8th of June, three gentlemen of the company 
arrived from the posts on the West Branch or Liard 
River, which falls into the Mackenzie just above 
Fort Simpson. One of these, a Mr. P., had suffered 
almost incredible privations during the past winter, 
the two men who were with him having died from 
starvation. ‘The details are heartrending, horrible, 
and even revolting. . 

Pelly Banks station, where the catastrophe occurred, 
is situated upon the Pelly river, about 1000 miles 
distant from Fort Simpson. The Peliy joms the 
Lewis at Fort Selkirk, 310 miles from Pelly Banks, 
the united stream forming the river Youcon. In the 
spring of 1848, Mr. P. was ordered to this post, and 
remained at that or the Francis Lake station close to it 
during the summer with two men, when they often 
had a scarcity of food, but endured no severe privation. 
Mr. O’Brien arrived at Frances Lake about the middle 
of October, 1851, having been obliged to send thirteen 
men ina boat, out of eighteen men and two boats, back 
to head-quarters in consequence of the lateness of the 


season and state of the waters. ‘here were now seven 


SHORT COMMONS. 329 


men and two officers at the post, with scarcely any food 
coming in, and they were reduced to eating moose, 
rein-deer, bear, and beaver skins ; half a moose skin 
being the allowance for six men for one day. It may 
be considered how little food they had, from the fact 
that Mr. O’Brien started in the spring of 1849 for 
Fort Halkett, 410 miles distant, with five men and 
only four days’ provision, eking out the remainder of 
their subsistence by their guns. During the following 
summer Mr. P., with two white men and an 
engaged Indian, managed to live tolerably on the 
produce of their guns and nets; but at the latter end 
of August food again began to be scarce, and they 
anxiously looked forward to the arrival of the annual 
boats from Fort Simpson with stores, ammunition, &c. 
for the Indian trade. ‘To their deep disappomtment 
none arrived. Having, therefore, no means of barter, 
and this intelligence quickly spreading amongst the 
Indians, nothmg im the shape of provisions was 
brought in by the Indians, with the exception of six- 
teen pounds of meat and six marmots. To add to 
their misery, the Fort took fire late in November, and 
was burned down: thus nearly all remaining resources 
in store, including most of the furs, were destroyed, 
a little powder and some furs only being saved. 


Having eaten up everything to the very pack or 


330 DEATH FROM STARVATION. 


bale-cords made of green hide, leather, and even 
their mocassins, they began in the middle of Decem- 
ber to singe and eat the remaining furs. The Indian 
with his wife, his young brother, and two little girls, 
went to encamp in the woods, where they dragged on 
a miserable existence with the aid of rabbits and 
esculent roots. Mr. P. having, perhaps, more confi- 
dence in his own powers than in those of his men, 
gave them up the furs, telling them to try and make 
them last out until spring, while he himself went 
off in the beginning of January to a lake to try and 
catch fish. Here is his diet-table for 57 days :— 

20 fish. | 1 fox. 

18 rabbits. | 1 crow or raven. 

8 partridges. | 1 owl. 

10 squirrels. | 

On his return, on the 13th of March, he found to 

his horror but one man; and, asking for the other, 
was informed that he had died eight days since from 
sheer manition : for, although the furs were by no means 
exhausted, they did not contain matter sufficient for 
the creation of blood; and thus, though often eating 
to surfeiting, he sank gradually until his last feeble 
breath was drawn. Mr. P. asked the remaining man 
where the body was; he replied that he had cached it 


side, but that the wolves had dragged it away. 


Bi 


A HORRID DISCLOSURE. Sak 


He went out, but could discover no trace of it; and, 
coming in, sat down by the fire, which was composed 
of the boards of the house, the poor fellow being too 
weak to cut up wood. He observed some bones in 
the fireplace, and momentary suspicions of a frightful 
nature crossed his mind, but these were speedily 
dissipated by the remark made by the man, that these 
were the bones of deer, &c., which had, in past time, 
fallen through the chinks of the boards, and had been 
picked up when the floormg was taken for firewood. 
After cutting wood and fetching water enough to last 
until he should return, Mr. P. went off, determming 
again to seek his food rather than deprive his 
companion of the remaining furs, and hoping that he 
might perchance get through the season on them. He 
repaired to the lodge of the Indian, who had been to the 
Fort since the death of the other man, and on Mr. P. 
expressing his wonder that the body was not to be 
found, the Indian replied, “Is it possible, my father, 
that you do not know what has become of it? did 
you not see the bones in the fireplace?” Mr. P. 
replied, that the survivor had told him that those 
were bones picked from under the floor. “ My 
father,’ was the answer, “I am an Indian, yet I know 
that the live man has eaten the dead. Deers’ bones 


I know, and the bones of all other beasts I know. 


332 HUNGER’S EXTREMES, 


‘Those were none such: they were the bones of a 
human being ; for when I went to the house I also 
saw those bones in the ashes, and received a like 
answer to yours, but, taking a piece of skin and 
putting it to roast at the fire, I let it fall as if by 
accident, then raking among the ashes with a stick, 
I turned the bones over, and saw that they were 
certainly those of a human being. My father, I am an 
Indian ; yet, trust what I say, one has eaten the other.” 
In five days, according to promise, Mr. P. retumed 
to the Fort, having existed meanwhile on an occa- 
sional partridge or rabbit. On entering the house he 
found the poor fellow lying before the fire, totally 
unable to help himself, and now told him that, since 
he found him so weak, henceforward, “ live or die, he 
would leave him no more.” He managed to shoot a 
raven for him, and went to fetch wood and water, 
and to try for some game. Returning sooner than 
was expected, and opening the door quickly and wide, 
as had lately been his custom, he saw the kettle on 
the. fire, and on inquiry, was answered that it 
contained merely water ; but, gomg to the pot, he saw 
that it held something more—and, searching the inside 
of the kettle, horrible to tell, drew out a whole liver. 
Paralyzed by this dreadful sight, he could not speak, 


while the poor starving wretch, now discovered in the 


CONFESSION AND REMORSE. aon 


commission of the horrid deed, cowered down on the 
hearth, and dared not lift his eyes to meet those of his 
fellow sufferer. Of him amazement, grief, loathing, 
yet withal pity, took possession alternately ; poor 
fellow ! not equally low with his companion, probably 
because less desponding and more robust in consti- 
tution, weak, and starving as he was, the revolting 
sight overcame him, and he rushed into the open air 
for relief. Compassion for the poor wretch led him 
again to re-enter the house, but, unable to speak, he 
commenced hewing a log. His unfortunate com- 
panion asked him, however, what was the matter—why 
did he rush so wildly out? “ Will you now confess,” 
said Mr. P., “that you have been eating poor Dubois?” 
The miserable being slowly and fearfully acknowledged 
that such was the case, and pleaded that not alone the 
love of life (and oh! when life is fleeting, then is the 
love for it the strongest)—not the love of life alone 
incited him to the deed, but that he wished to 
live—aye !—mark it well—that his aged mother 
might not be deprived of her sole support, her only 
stay. 

Mr. P. now procured wood and water sufficient for 
two days—but he could no longer bear to remain: 
the thought of this deed haunted him like a fate, and 


he departed, promising to return in two days. The 


334 DEATH FROM SURFRIT. 


skeleton before him prayed and entreated him not to go, 
not again to leave him all lone and solitary. But he 
could not stay, poison was in the very atmosphere for 
him. He went, and in two days returned again, and 
throwing the door open quickly as usual— what a 
sight presented itself! ’’ The man, or what had once 
been a man, lay dead upon the hearth, stiff and cold, a 
skin-covered frame of bones. ‘The fire had burnt out 
for lack of fuel, and beside the corpse was the kettle, 
whose contents had so lately confirmed his frightful 
suspicions. It was now perfectly empty—flesh, 
broth—all utterly consumed. 

The wretched being had met his final death-stroke 
in a surfeit of the horrible repast. 

Mr. P. took the body outside the Fort and laid it 
“en cache ;”’ then writing two letters, one for Whites, 
the other for Indians, he took himself to a distance 
and there encamped. For nearly three weeks he 
dragged on a poor existence with skims and some 
little game, and was reduced to the former extremity, 
when the brother of the engaged Indian arrived with 
some meat for him, hoping haply to find him still 
alive. On meeting, they both shed tears of joy. 
“My father, my father,” said the red man, “is it 
possible that you are still alive? oh! what delight for 


us to be able to save you.” He said he was not 


ee 


STRATAGEMS TO OBTAIN FOOD. S00 


surprised to find that the other man was dead, having 
estimated at the last meeting that he would not live 
ten days longer. 

“There was little rest for the kettle that night,” 
and next morning the Indian started off to return to 
his brother, and stop him from drymg the meat he 
had. On the followmg morning Mr. P. departed also 
for the camp, and when arrived soon recovered a 
little strength. After a fortmght’s stay he returned 
to the Fort and encamped opposite to it, as he had 
now some meat to live upon ; but an old woman, whom 
he had succoured on the road, arrived shortly after and 
remained at the camp, so that there was not a 
large share for each. Seven days after his arrival, 
Mr. S. with three men came in; two of these being 
Indians, returned to Fort Selkirk, the others with 
Mr. P. starting next day for Fort Halkett : having 
only forty pounds of pemmican for the journey, 
they had therefore to depend mainly upon their guns ; 
they were fortunately all good shots, and wild fowl 
were in abundance. 

Some of Mr. P.’s stratagems to obtain food during 
the winter were sufficiently ingenious, for he had very 
little shot, although powder enough. At one time 
he looped a partridge with a long pole and a snare 


(these birds are very tame in extreme cold); on 


336 HUNGER THE MOTHER OF INVENTION. 


another occasion he shot a squirrel with a piece of 
green stick, and, the hammer of his gun being broken, 
fired with a piece of birch fungus, used as tinder, 
having first tried a lighted stick, which diverted 


his aim. 


CHAPTER XX. 


Leave Fort Simpson.— Ascent of Mackenzie.— Receive Admiralty 
Despatches.—Mr. Pullen promoted.—Return to Fort Simpson.—The 
“Logan” and “Try Again.”—Departure for the Sea Coast.—Point Sepa- 
ration.— Tiny Tormentors.—A diminutive Gourmand.—Re-enter the 
Arctic Ocean.—Garry Island.—Ice Blink.—Pelly Island.—A change 
of Climate.—Discover New Islands.—An Esquimaux Hamlet. — 
Vexatious Impediments.—Scheme of Voyage.—Heavy Ice.—An 
Esquimaux Nurse.—Cape Bathurst, Meeting with Esquimaux.—The 
Bear Hunt.—Progress checked by Ice.—Friendly demeanour and 
Pilfering tendencies of Esquimaux.—Lose Indians.—Conjectures.— 
Indians return, 

Dr. Raz returned from the lower posts on the 
10th of June, and on the 20th, half of the ‘“ Mac- 
kenzie River Brigade,” consisting of four large boats 
laden with furs, started from Fort Simpson, ex route 
for Methy Portage, the other half having departed 
some days before. The “Plover’s” boat expedition 
accompanied this brigade, expecting to return to 
England, by way of Hudson’s Bay. We continued 
the ascent of the Mackenzie,—principally, as usual, by 
tracking, starting generally at two or three in the 
morning and encamping at nine, for at this season 


there is constant daylight. On the 25th of June, 


Z 


338 RECEIVE DESPATCHES. 


when near Great Slave Lake, we were met by two 
Indians in a canoe who proved to be bearers of an 
“extraordinary express”’ from England, which con- 
tained Mr. Pullen’s commission as Commander and 
the sanction of the Admiralty to renewed prosecution 
of the search for Sir John Franklin’s party, if Captain 
Pullen should consider it practicable. Very little 
consideration was necessary on the subject, and after 
consultation with Dr. Rae, the decision was speedily 
arrived at, to return to the sea-coast. We reached 
the fishing-station called Big Island, at the entrance 
of Great Slave Lake, where some of our party had 
wintered, next day, and attempted to reach Fort 
Resolution to obtain a supply of pemmican, but the 
ice in the lake checked our progress, and Captain 
Pullen decided on returning at once to Fort Simpson, 
to prepare for the second trip. On the 29th, accord- 
ingly, we bade farewell to Dr. Rae and his brigade, 
and retraced our way to Fort Simpson, which was 
reached on the 3rd of July. 

The boats which we had brought from the “Plover”’ 
were so much damaged that only one, the ‘“ Logan,” 
(repaired from the other) could be made available, 
and we were furnished by the company with a large 
new boat, whose dimensions were in strong contrast 


to our own diminutive craft; she measured thirty 


LEAVE FORT SIMPSON. 339 


feet on the keel, forty “over all,” and was nine fect 
broad. She was christened “ Try Again,” in reference 
to our new attempt, in preparations for which we were 
busy enough for several days. On the 11th we 
quitted Fort Simpson, and halting for a night at 
Fort Norman, where my old friend and fisherman, 
Taylor, was in charge, reached Fort Good Hope on 
the 16th, and were kindly welcomed by Mr. M‘Beath, 
who was greatly surprised at our appearance. We 
resumed our descent of the river next day, re-crossed 
_ the Arctic circle during the night, and halted on the 
morrow at Point Separation for observations, and to 
take up the pemmican left here by Sir John Richardson 
in 1848. On the previous day we had met a party of 
Loucheux who informed us with much boasting that 
they had met Esquimaux near Point Separation a 
short time since, and had a battle with them: the 
true particulars of this dastardly affair were only 
made known to us on our return, and will be 
mentioned by and by. Mosquitos and “ bull-dogs”’ 
(i. e., gad-flies,) had long been troublesome, but 
here they were particularly harassing; the latter 
were im such numbers that they literally blackened 
the mainsail of the “Try Again,” hoisted to shelter 
us from the blazing noon-day sun which raised the 


thermometer to nearly 100°, the temperature being 
%2 


340 MOSQUITOS. 


84° in the shade. Apart from the great annoyance 
of the mosquitos, it was curious to notice one of 
these little torments settle upon one’s skin, and how 
its shrunk carcase distended to quadruple its original 
size as it gorged itself with blood, the crimson fluid 
showing plainly beneath, until at last it became 
almost incapable of flight. Hach one of these tiny 
creatures will extract a large drop of blood, so that 
where they are numerous one may suffer consider- 
ably by their homceopathic phlebotomy as well as by 
the distressing irritation they produce. 

After quitting Pomt Separation on the 20th, we 
followed the easternmost channel of the delta,and found 
the mosquitos ten times worse than ever. We un- 
fortunately landed near a swamp in the hope of finding 
a moose, and took myriads more of our persecutors 
into the boats on re-embarking ; a smoky fire had no 
effect in persuading them to quit their well-relished 
sanguineous fare, and they were so thick that our 
joking tars declared they checked the boat’s progress 
down the stream: but the reality was no joke; little 
sleep was obtainable, for to enfold one’s self in blankets 
was to be tormented with heat, and in remaining 
uncovered one received a thousand tiny stings until 
the nerves became almost msupportably excited. 


On the morning of the 22nd, the Arctic ocean was 


PELLY ISLAND. _ 341 


displayed once more to our view, with a strong yellow 
ice-blink on the horizon which did not promise much 
for a clear sea. We landed on Garry Island to dine, 
and had a fine view from its highest part. To the 
north and west a nearly unbroken line of ice appeared, 
and a strong blink gave token of ice to the S. W.; 
N. E. only was clear of ice and dotted with numerous 
islands and sandy patches. 

The abruptness of the change in temperature upon 
quitting the Mackenzie was truly surprising ; instantly 
on our emerging from the channel the almost tropical 
heat we had previously experienced was replaced by 
cutting fog and a chilling atmosphere, and we jumped 
from light clothing into heavy winter habiliments. 

Pelly Island was reached in the evening, and we 
encamped on its northern shores, having found the 
water shallow on the western side. At midnight, 
when the sun, though near to, did not disappear 
below the horizon, the pack was about three miles 
off, driving to the southward; amongst it were 
some large hummocks and heavy floes. In some 
small lakes on the island our two Indian hunters— 
who, with other additions and some exchanges, in- 
creased our party to seventeen persons—found a great 
number of geese with their young: the old ones 


were moulting and fell an easy prey to the guns: 


342 DISCOVER NEW ISLANDS. 


about forty were captured, and made—although very 
thin—an acceptable addition to our ordinary meagre 
fare, and as we could catch no fish they were doubly 
acceptable. The western face of the island is formed 
of high banks, broken down and overhanging ; at 
its northern extreme are steep mud cliffs, apparently 
from thirty to forty feet high, and cut by ice within 
five feet of the top. To the eastward it terminates 
in a long gravel spit. 

On the 23rd some new islands were discovered, 
but we had not then leisure to fix their positions with 
accuracy, and a few bearings sufficed. Kendall Island 
was our resting place this night, and here our hunters 
managed to brmg down a deer which we estimated 
to weigh about 160 pounds clear of offal. The 
higher parts of all these islands. resemble arable 
land lymg fallow, so much are they cracked and 
riven by the intense cold. Flowers are in some 
spots numerous and of considerable variety, but all 
very diminutive; no trees or shrubs are to be met 
with, a species of cotton creeper, whose stem is 
not larger than one’s little finger, bemg the largest 
production. There were innumerable marmot holes ; 
the men were chasing these little animals throughout 
the night. A few ptarmigan were also seen upon 
the hills. The soil is all fine black mould, with 


ESQUIMAUX HAMLET. 343 


neither stones nor shells. Placing a tide-stick at 
night we found next morning a rise and fall of 
about a foot. We encamped on Richard Island 
on the 24th, and here killed another deer which 
afforded luxurious feasting. In the evening of the 
25th, landing for a short time near Toker Point, 
we found a number of Esquimaux winter dwellings ; 
they were built of driftwood and sods of turf or 
mud; on a ground-plan they formed three sides of a 
cross, the roofs were nearly orange-shaped but rather 
more peaked, with a hole in the centre to let out 
the smoke; the apartments were raised about four 
feet from the ground, the entrance bemg from below 
through a sort of trap-hatch. Near the huts were 
several covered pits containing whale and seal blad- 
ders of oil, and upon light scaffolds around were 
disposed several articles of native manufacture. At 
first we thought the village was entirely deserted, 
but a tmy footprint freshly made in the sand _ re- 
futed the supposition. We hung a knife, scissors, 
some beads and tobacco to one of the stages, to- 
gether with a rude hieroglyphic scratched upon a 
board, to assure the Hsquimaux of our friendly 
intentions, then re-embarked and continued our 
journey. Becoming entangled in the pack, we gained 


the beach in Hutchinson’s Bay with difficulty, and 


344 VEXATIOUS IMPEDIMENTS. 


were here detained for three days of very great 
discomfort, having landed on a low, marshy spot, 
with no other shelter than sieve-hke tents from 
melting snow and heavy rains, and with rotten wood 
only for fires. We got away on the 29th, but the 
day was expended in toilsome endeavours to force a 
passage through the ice, which lay in flat pieces 
or fields, several acres in extent, and seven or eight 
feet thick, or rose in masses twenty or thirty feet 
high, like so many houses in ruins. 

It is difficult for inexperience to conceive how 
greatly chilled the wind becomes in its passage over 
ice. Here, in the month of July, a south breeze, which 
should have been the softest and warmest exhalation 
of Aolus, stagnated the blood by its frost-becharged 
breath. In the morning we had forced through the 
pack which belted the shore, hoping to find an open 
sea, and at night succeeded only with great toil and 
some danger in regaining the land, which was right 
welcome after our disagreeable day. Nearly sixteen 
hours in open boats, with thickly driving fogs which 
wetted as badly as rain, and encrusted the masts 
and rigging with ice, while toes and noses com- 
plained sadly, made us duly appreciate our midnight 
bivouac. We had now reached Pomt M‘Kinley, 


upon which was another Esquimaux village, but 


a 


NARROW ESCAPE OF A SEAL. 345 


most of the huts were falling to ruins, and apparently, 
long desolate. Wandering about the settlement, we 
observed the frames of one or two oomiaks and kiaks, 
some harpoons having stone heads bound on with 
sinews of the seal, paddles double and single bladed, 
wooden scoops and ladles, pits for blubber, pieces of 
wood drilled for producing fire, and the bones of 
some small whales. There was also the carcase of a 
wolf, which had, apparently, died from starvation. 
A trifling circumstance occurred here which gave us 
a hearty laugh; a young seal got entangled in the nets 
which we had laid out, and the fisherman—a Canadian, 
who had never visited the sea before—imagined he 
saw some horrible monster, and let it go in affright. 
We were detained for two days at this place: the ice 
surrounded the point and entirely checked our ad- 
vance. We had hoped to be at Cape Bathurst by 
the end of July, the lst of August only saw us de- 
parting from this spot. 

The plan upon which the present trip to the sea 
had been undertaken may be briefly sketched as 
follows :—It was hoped that the season being favour- 
able, the expedition, descending the Mackenzie, would 
reach the sea about the 23rd of July, and gain Cape 
Bathurst in a few days. Thence it was intended to 


strike right across for Banks’ Land, a distance of 


346 CAPE DALHOUSIE. 


rather more than 300 miles: this accomplished, future 
operations would have to depend. upon the contin- 
gencies then arising. 

It was not our good fortune to achieve this grand 
undertaking ; the season was, as regarded ourselves, 
most unfortunate: a succession of northerly winds 
drove the ice down upon the shores, along which 
we had to pass, and our days were frittered away 
in vexatious detentions or useless toil amongst rugged 
ice masses and shallow waters. 

Near Cape Dalhousie, on the 3rd of August, we 
encountered the largest ice we had yet seen, and 
mounted to the top of one of the hummocks, fifty or 
sixty feet high, to look round ; as from the boats our 
view was very contracted, and the ice being so closely 
packed that but few “lanes” were visible. In the 
evening we had to break through the pack to regain 
the shore, an occupation of three hours’ severest 
Jabour, though the neck through which we strove 
to pass was not more than five hundred yards broad, 
but the ice was in large fields, or jomted together and 
under-tongued, and bemg all in motion required 
great management. We remained at Cape Dalhousie, 
which is on an island, durmg the 4th, and reached 
Nicholson’s Island next evening, having in the run 


observed some grampuses, a few seals, and quantities 


i ee 


-ESQUIMAUX WOMEN. 347 


of ducks, which latter made a great uproar and 
commotion. Nicholson’s Island is high in some 
parts, I should thnk 150 to 200 feet above the 
sea. Partridges were in great numbers but very 
wild; besides these there was nothing to be found 
except mushrooms, which were very plentiful and 
excellent. The evening of the 6th saw us at 
Maitland Island: here we found two Esquimaux 
women, an old and a young one, the first of the 
tribe seen on the trip. They were dreadfully fright- 
ened, and chattered away unceasingly, making signs 
for us to depart. Conciliatory gestures, however, 
soon calmed their fears, and the elder dame speedily 
became very friendly—perhaps, indeed, a little too 
familiar, as they were horribly dirty both m person 
and dress. There was a little difference in their 
costume to those we had seen to the westward of 
the Mackenzie; the younger woman had her hair 
bound up in immense bows at the back of the head ; 
she wore a frock of seal-skin, with pomted ends, 
tight breeches, and boots of the same material. She 
had an infant which she always carried with her : 
its wardrobe was very scanty indeed, but a large stock 
of clothes was, apparently, unnecessary, as it was 
generally snugly ensconced inside of its mother’s 


frock next to her skin, and secured from slipping 


348 ESQUIMAUX NURSING. 


down by means of a greasy leather cord which she 
wore as a girdle. The lullaby of an Esquimaux nurse 
is a performance curious as original. Having dis- 
posed of her infant in the manner just described, 
the mother goes about her other avocations, which 
are always calling for performance, and while so 
engaged, should the diminutive burden finding its 
position troublesome, or perhaps slightly oppressive, 
presume to utter cries of discontent, it is very 
summarily hushed into silence. The mother moves 
from one foot to the other, at the same time striking 
the poor infant with either hand alternately, and 
drawling monotonously the universal Hi Yangah chant 
of the Esquimaux, than which few things could be 
invented less devoid of animation or interest. No 
wonder the hapless babe ceases its puerile lamenta- 
tions on the instant. Our Indians (who had never 
before seen Esquimaux) did not at all comprehend the 
specimens before them, particularly on the question of 
sex, nor can this be a matter of surprise ; their aspects 
were decidedly unfeminine, and so were their—it 
must out—pantaloons. Quittmg Point Maitland on 
the morning of the 8th, we crossed Harrowby Bay, 
and in the afternoon, when approaching Cape 
Bathurst, observed twelve Esquimaux tents, some of 


large size, surrounded by crowds of natives. Nearly 


“XNVWINOST HLIM ONILAIW‘ISYNHILVGA adVvO 


BIIT ' cHvanvHd 


eo dl ' LAVANWH KE IN 


mT * IMG 


AMICABLE DISPOSITION OF NATIVES. 349 


twenty kiaks and several oomiaks. pushed off from the 
shore, the women, with which the latter were crowded, 
shouting and vociferating in high glee. Their dis- 
orderly merriment knew no bounds, and although 
they appeared to entertain only friendly sentiments, it 
was necessary to repress a'too great familiarity. We 
were quite overwhelmed by their amicable demonstra- 
tions; the single boats hung upon the gunwales of 
our craft, the oomiaks got athwart our bows, and the 
crews of each threw in pell mell meat, fish, skins, 
dresses, or whatever else they possessed. ‘These were, 
however, all rejected; we consented to receive only 
upon barter, but even on this point had some 
embarrassment, one of the dames being about to 
despatch her husband to us with her infant, either as 
a present, or in exchange for some coveted commodity. 
We landed to dine ina small bay at some distance 
from the camp; the men only accompanied us hither, 
the women and children in their oomiaks having 
returned to their tents. The very friendly demeanour 
of our new acquaintances seemed to render all pre- 
caution unnecessary; but we had learned a grave 
lesson on our first trip, and were always very guarded 
im our intercourse with Hsquimaux. Here, while we 
dined, a boundary line was drawn according to our 


custom upon the sand, but it was too far from our 


350 THRE BOUNDARY JINKE. 


position to please our friends; they drew another 
nearer, to which they then advanced, but not a foot 
passed beyond it, and all united in a song, one of 
them leading, beating time with his knife and spoon 
in place of a drum, and moving his feet also to the 
measure. I now for the first time heard words in the 
song, and these were apparently not improvised, as 
the whole party took up the same word at every 
pause, but the refrain was the old original, Hi Yangah, 
yah, rah. 

By the time that we had concluded our meal and 
embarked, the oomiaks had rejoined us, now bearing 
tents and all possessions, for it does not take an 
Esquimaux family long to remove their summer 
mansion and change their residence. We encamped 
in the evening upon the larger of the Baillie Islands, 
and were very sorry to find heavy ice crowding its 
shores, and, by the reports of the Hsquimaux, of 
whom about ten men remained with us, it would 
entirely impede our passage to the eastward. During 
this day we saw two black whales, the first seen on 
the trip. 

These Esquimaux were very intelligent: vivacious 
curiosity replaced the apathetic air which I had 
generally noticed in others of the tribe ; each and every 


of our proceedings was investigated with a view to its 


CHASE AFTER “ BRUIN.”’ 351 


comprehension, and a ready talent for mimicry was 
displayed. Writing puzzled our friends wonderfully, 
a number of them sat in our tent watching me as | 
wrote, looking alternately at the characters, my pen, 
fingers, and face, as if to seek the clue to the mystery 
by their connection. We pushed on along the shore 
of the island for some time on the 9th, but were 
much encumbered by the heavy ice, and_ finally 
becoming completely checked by it, landed, and 
encamped anew. On nearing the shore we saw a 
huge bear trot off from the beach ; our hunters went 
in chase, but without seeing him, and we gave up 
all hope of Bruin’s reappearance. A number of the 
Esquimaux, of both sexes, jomed us here, and were 
friendly as ever: they had predicted that we should 
not be able to proceed any further at present, and a 
view of the sea to the north and east too truly con- 
firmed their statement. Ice rugged, massive and 
compact, lay like a forest of crystal pimnacles close 
down upon, and around the islands, extending to 
seaward, far as the vision ranged. In the afternoon 
an Esquimaux woman joined us who had seen the 
bear on the top of the island, and in her fright had 
taken to the soft mud banks, through which she had 
trudged middle deep. She was in a pretty pickle; 


but we ungallantly paid less attention to her condition 


352 BEAR-HUNT. 


than to the information she brought, and the united 
forces of Esquimaux and Whites turned out in pursuit 
of the hirsute quadruped. 

The brute was discovered on a huge mass of ice, 
which, with others, had grounded at some distance from 
the beach ; one party started in the “ Logan ” to cut 
off his retreat by sea; another, which I jomed, made 
for the summit of the bank, which we hoped he would 
endeavour to ascend. First blood was drawn by our 
party ; a ball from my fowling-piece struck him in the 
shoulder, and he fell for an instant on the ice and 
began to suck his paw, which made us think it was 
there he had been wounded. Speedily rising, he ran 
on along the hummock, taking to the water and 
climbing the sides of the masses of ice with the 
utmost indifference and ease. Our hunters (Indians 
are always excellent marksmen) now paid him some 
attention ; they hit him several times, but did not 
succeed in turning him : he attempted at last to swim 
to seaward, and would doubtless have succeeded, but 
for a new opponent. One of the Esquimaux, 
launching his kiak, followed the bear, and at close 
proximity discharged arrow after arrow into his body. 
This was the most exciting part of the hunt. Hach 
time that an arrow pierced its body the poor animal 


seized the missile, if within reach, in its teeth, and 


KILLING A BEAR. 3593 


strove to wrench it from the wound, generally however 
breaking it short: then would it turn fiercely on its 
persecutor, who, skilfully manceuvring his light boat, 
hung at two or three yards’ distance only on his rear ; 
so close were they indeed that the man deliberately 
splashed water with his double-bladed paddle into 
poor Bruin’s face, just backing gently to be clear of 
his paws, a single stroke from which would quite have 
reversed the fortune of the combat: when, after a 
hunt, which lasted about four hours, the animal 
received its final death stroke by a ball through the 
brain from the “ Logan:” he was stuck all over with 
arrows, and looked like a barbecued pig. By the 
laws of savage venery, first blood always decides the 
captor, and the Esquimaux readily recognised the rule 
in the present instance, indicating that the prize 
belonged to the Kabloonan. Of course the carcase 
was divided, but I stipulated for, and obtained, the 
skin; which I still possess as a trophy. An hour 
afterwards I ate a bear steak. The HEsquimaux who 
had so importantly contributed to the capture was 
rewarded with a large broad dagger (a very awkward 
weapon in his hands) and some other trifling presents, 
and was delighted with his good fortune. This little 
episode served to while away part of the time of our 


vexatious delay ; the Esquimaux were constantly with 


AA 


354 PICKPOCKRETS. 


us, and never showed the slightest signs of unfriend- 
liness. They were, however, most expert thieves, and 
we had many a laugh at their efforts to victimise us 
in this way. One fellow put a silver spoon up his 
sleeve, another buried the frying-pan (ah, cruel 
attempt), and a third joker was detected endeavouring 
to smuggle away about his person one of the fishing 
nets (only 40 fathoms long). Our pockets were as 
much the property of our friends as of ourselves, but 
the most extraordinary circumstance of all was that 
when upon missing any article we inquired for it 
among our friends, it was immediately restored. I 
suppose they only desired to take care of our goods 
for us. 

On the 10th we quitted the island and encamped 
on the main land a few miles from the Cape. There 
was a tent here contammg an Hsquimaux man and 
four women ; they approached us with some slight 
hesitation, but became reassured by our conciliatory 
words and gestures, and by the distribution of 
presents. We had brought some vermilion with 
us, knowing the partiality evinced for this material, 
and I now bedaubed the faces of our friends im 
artistic style. 

After dinner we endeavoured to beat up for Cape 


Bathurst, and on passing abreast of the Hast and 


ICE-BOUND. 355 


smaller Baillie Islands, observed upon it twenty tents, 
surrounded by Esquimaux, who took to their boats 
and surrounded us in crowds, with shouts and screams 
of delight. Indeed our visit appeared to cause quite 
a festival. The elders of the party warned us that 
we should find no passage, but they nevertheless lent 
their aid in guiding us towards the Cape, leading 
the way in ther kiaks, and sounding with their 
paddles to indicate the channel, for here shoals 
run out a long distance from the mainland towards 
the islands. Gaining with difficulty, by tortuous 
winding through heavy masses of rugged ice, a 
position on the, northern side of the spit lying under 
the Cape, we had a full view of the impossibility 


of a present advance,— 


““The ice was here, the ice was there, 
The ice was all around.” 


Pressing down upon the shore of the island, upon the 
spit, the Cape, and into Franklin Bay, it spread thence 
to seaward in masses heaped tumultuously, sparkling 
and shimmering in the sunshine, each crystallised point 
evolving hues of the prism. Not a lane, not a 
breach appeared ; a barrier as of stone lay between us 
and our desired route. We remained in the neigh- 


bourhood for several days, watching if perhaps a 


A A 2 


356: - OUR COMPULSORY RETURN. 


favourable turn of wind or current might drive 
the ice off shore and afford a passage for advance. 
But such good fortune was not ours, and it was at 
length resolved to turn our boats’ heads once more 
towards the Mackenzie. Those who have fixed their 
ardent hopes on the attainment of some distant goal, 
who in the pursuit have unheedingly encountered toil, 
privation, wearmess, and countless inconveniences, 
and who have finally been forced to relinquish their 
desires, will be able to enter into the sentiments of 
chagrin and disappomtment which possessed our souls 
when “to return’ was spoken. 

During our sojourn here the Esquimaux were 
constantly with us, and accepted without hesitation 
our friendly professions. No lingering distrust was 
ever apparent; if the men were absent in the chase 
by sea or land, the women and children were around 
and about us in unrestrained communication, and 
affording us all the assistance in their power. Their 
curiosity and pilfermg propensities were the only 
annoyances to which we were subjected ; of the latter 
I have already spoken ; to satisfy the former we had 
much ado: our clothes, beards, and possessions, were 
all unsparingly handled, and the Esquimaux ladies 
don’t always have clean hands. One of the young 


men of the tribe had a wound in his arm which he 


HOSTILITY BETWEEN ESQUIMAUX AND INDIANS. 357 


displayed to me, with a request that [ would d/ow on 
it. As it was unclean and festering, I opened it with 
the lancet, washed and dressed it, and dismissed my 
patient with assurance of the speedy improvement of 
the hurt. This did not suffice however ; the wounded 
limb was again extended, and I was entreated to blow 
upon it, which as it was considered so indispensable 
to recovery I of course proceeded to do: the man 
immediately fetched an arrow, which he tendered for 
my acceptance in return for my friendly offices, and 
seemed to doubt the efficacy of the charm he had 
insisted upon my performing when I gently refused 
his gift. 
From causes not clearly explained, our Indian 
hunters were in perpetual fear of our Esquimaux 
friends. No doubt the hostility long existing between 
the races influenced them greatly, and I rather think 
they had been truly informed respecting the collision 
which had lately occurred near Point Separation, and 
of which some Indians had told us on our descent of 
the Mackenzie: but, as we subsequently learnt, with 
details and exaggeration which had completely per- 
verted the aspect of the affair: if this was the case, 
I do not wonder at their alarm lest the treacherous 
conduct of their own people should be visited upon 


them. From whatever cause it occurred, the fact is 


358 DISAPPEARANCE OF TWO HUNTERS, 


certain, that our forest brethren were ever in 
fear and agitation, during our sojourn among the 
sea-coast race. They used to go off to hunt, but 
always together, and never strayed far, so that we 
were much surprised on the morning of the 13th, to 
Jearn that Karias and Louison had been absent all 
night, having departed on the previous evening in 
the hope of finding a deer. Greatly puzzled were 
all to account for their mysterious absence, particularly 
as the day wore on, and they did not return. Three 
conjectures divided the opinions of the party :—Furst, 
that they had possibly fallen upon the track of deer, 
and in the ardour of pursuit been carried farther than 
they intended, or lost the right direction in which to 
return; but this view was imperatively negatived by 
some, who urged, and truly, that in their native 
forests an Indian never by any chance misses his 
way; they forgot that here the case was widely dif- 
ferent ; that of the many tokens which, by instinctive 
and educational observation, guide these children of 
nature m traversing their own woods, here they had 
few or none. 

The next supposition was, that irresistibly incited 
by their fears of the Esquimaux, to which we were 
no strangers, they had suddenly deserted the party 


with the imtention of gaming the banks of the 


AND SPECULATIONS ON THE CAUSE. 359 


“Inconnu”’ River, respecting whose distance and 
direction from our position they had, strange to say, 
more than once inquired, and which stream one of 
them had frequently hunted upon and knew very 
well. There were many arguments both for and 
against this view: their evident fears—their sudden 
departure, and their having full horns of powder on 
the one side: on the other, the improbability of their 
quitting us im an unknown position, and the facts, 
still more significant, that they had taken with them 
neither extra mocassins nor a large store of tobacco, 
and an Indian never likes to undertake a journey 
unprovided in these respects. 

Another conjecture was started, but we could not 
bear to entertain it long. It was, that the poor 
fellows had been followed by some among the Esqui- 
maux, waylaid and assassinated; but, independently 
of the distressing nature of this idea, it did not bear 
the stamp of probability, as the Esquimaux had never 
swerved from their friendly demonstrations to all, 
nor evinced the slightest dislike to the Indians espe- 
cially; indeed, I much doubt whether they were 
acquainted, except by vague rumour, with the enmity 
existing between the Indians and those of their own 
tribe frequenting the mouth of the Mackenzie, and 


probably did not even know that our wanderers 


360 RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 


belonged to that locality. So we hoped this thought 
nearly away. I was despatched with two men, inland, 
to seek for traces of the missing, but found none; 
they did not return during the 13th, and we became 
very greatly alarmed. A longer trip was taken next 
morning to look for them, but unavailingly as before, 
and we had begun to consider of the best course 
to be adopted towards their discovery, when late 
in the afternoon the wanderers were descried in 
the distance, and soon regained the camp, shoeless, 
foot-sore, faint, and famishing. As we had waited 
only for the return of the Indians to break up our 
camp and depart, the orders to do so were speedily 
given, and bidding farewell to the Esquimaux, we 
embarked and, turning our backs upon Cape Bathurst, 
set out on return to the Mackenzie. 

When interrogated as to the reasons for their 
protracted absence, our Indians informed us that 
they had fired at and broken the leg of a deer, and 
in the heat of pursuit followed it right across to 
the shore of Franklin’s Bay, where only they dis- 
covered that they had taken the wrong direction, 
and were, in fact, on the opposite side of the point 
to our position. 

We told them how narrowly they had escaped 


abandonment; that it had been determined to 


CAUSE OF OUR SEPARATION. 361 


depart next morning if they did not return, and 
we asked them what they should have done in such 
a case. 

“We should have dug a hole, lain down and died,” 
said they. 


CHAPTER XXI. 


Return Voyage.—Farewell to Esquimaux.—A Native Swell Mobsman.— 
Beaufort, Pullen, and Hooper Islands.—‘ Logan” Farewell.—Fort 
M‘Pherson.—Horrible Massacre of Esquimaux.—Reflections upon its 
probable consequences.—Ascent of Mackenzie——Corroborative Con- 
fession of Manuel Hebert.—Arrival at Fort Simpson.—Remarks on 
the late Expedition Arrangements for wintering.—Effect of cold 
upon Metal.—Luxurious Diet.—Ice “sets fast.”—-A narrow Escape.— 
Dogged Prejudices. 


We encamped in the evening near the spot where 
our first meeting with this large band of Hsquimaux 
had occurred, and were joimed some time after arrival 
by a small party which, more attached to us than 
the rest, or possibly (uncharitable thought), in the 
hope of gaining further presents, had followed to see 
the last of us. They remained with us during the 
night, to the very great discomfiture of the Indians, 
whose fears were so much excited by their presence, 
that, notwithstanding the imtense fatigue they had 
lately undergone, one of them, more nervous than his 
companion, refused to le down to sleep, but kept 
watch beside our camp-fire. The farewells interchanged 


between ourselves and the few Esquimaux who had 


FAREWELL TO ESQUIMAUX. 363 


followed to witness our final departure on the morning 
of the 15th, were imteresting and indicative of the 
two races and their relative positions. Presents were 
appointed to each of the natives, and we explained 
to them, as well as we could, our gratification at the 
reception we had met with, and the good nature 
and amicable bearing they had displayed. A long 
oration, gesticulatory emphatic, was delivered in reply 
by one of the women: it was clearly valedictory, as 
well as eulogistic of the departing Kabloonan, whose 
general designation figured largely in the discourse, 
together with frequent allusions to particular indivi- 
duals of both parties, and to the sun, skies, sea, 
whales, and other objects. They asked us when we 
should return, and we named ten moons as the period 
which must elapse ere a new visit could be made. 

It would be waste of time to enter upon the details 
of our return-journey, which, like the outward trip, 
was a series of discomfort and toil. Gales, rain, snow, 
shallow water, heavy ice, a freezing temperature and 
wretched food—these tell our tale comprehensively. 

A few small whales were seen (I never saw large 
ones nor met with their bones upon the coast) and near 
Point M‘Kinley we found an Esquimaux family, of 
which the father was as expert in theft as one of our 


own dear swell-mob; he abstracted a kmife, inch by 


364 CLEVER THIEVING. 


inch, from the belt of one of our men with celerity 
and skill which deserved the highest credit, and 
disposed of his booty up his sleeve with the most 
unconcerned air. JI had watched his proceedings 
throughout in great amusement, and our friend was 
greatly disconcerted when his arm was grasped, and 
the retention of the blade in the act revealed me a 
witness to his culpability. At Toker Poimt, where 
we had landed on the 25th of July, and deposited 
some trinkets and a hieroglyphic despatch, the dwell- 
ings were now surrounded by natives, who had 
evidently discovered and comprehended our tokens, 
and were eager for us to halt and visit them. 

They shouted to us, and waved clothes from the 
tops of their dwellings, but we had a fine fair breeze 
and could not delay. On this evening, two Esqui- 
maux approached our encampment, near Refuge Cove, 
but displayed unaccountable signs of trepidation and 
alarm, and needed considerable coaxing and promises 
of presents to induce them to enter the camp; they 
remained near us all night, but it must have been 
im great doubt of our intentions, for they threw up 
a slight breastwork of driftwood, behind which they 
lay, and, on our preparing to depart next morning, 
scampered off to a distance and resumed their bows 


and arrows, which, it seems, they had concealed on 


WE ABANDON THE “ LOGAN.” 365 


their first approach. On the 23rd we passed the 
easternmost channel of the Mackenzie, and gained 
one of the islands we had before discovered. It 
was called after the good Sir Francis Beaufort,* hydro- 
grapher of the navy, a name universally honoured 
throughout Europe. Next day we landed on another 
of our discoveries, a large island, whose summit was 
upwards of a hundred feet from the sea: this will 
henceforth be known as Hooper Island. To the north- 
ward we observed, but did not land upon, another 
island, which was called ‘Pullen,’ after our com- 
mander. On the 26th we proceeded to the westward, 
and passing Pelly Island, landed on Garry Island 
for the night. Next day we steered to the southward 
and sought for a channel, whereby to ascend the 
Mackenzie, failmg im which we proceeded to the 
westward, and after more than one disappointment 
and difficulty, finally entered the river on the 31st, 
by the channel we had discovered last year, and halted 
near the spot which had before received us. 

Here was the “Logan” doomed. ‘T'wo seasons of 
employment and severe trial had left her in a sad 
plight ; she had become sorely shattered and ice-torn: 
it was therefore resolved to abandon her here, as 


otherwise she would only uselessly delay our asétnt of 


* And since named Rae Island. 


366 ASCENT OF THE MACKENZIE. 


the stream: but in return for faithful service in 
arduous undertakings—in commemoration of many 
scenes of toil and privation through which she and 
our little band had passed—she was deposited with 
care and ceremony in her last resting-place. 

On the left bank of the Mackenzie in latitude 
68° 44’ 25” N., longitude 135° 44’ 42” W., was 
upreared the “Logan,” overlooking that element 
whose bosom she had so often pressed in storm 
and in tranquillity ; resting upon ice, to whose rude 
shocks she was no stranger, and supported in her 
upright position by shores of drift-timber, such as 
had marked, for many a mile, the coast along which 
she had passed. I planted a few flowers in the 
mould which had been placed in the end which was 
embedded in the ground; may each succeeding 
spring behold them blossom anew. 

Our ascent of the Mackenzie varied little from 
the same journey last year, and, strange to say, we 
again entered the Peel River unintentionally, although 
endeavouring to avoid it, but the numerous channels 
below Point Separation are provocative of error. On 
the 7th of September Fort M‘Pherson was reached, 
and we were welcomed by Mr. Alexander M‘Kenzie, 
the officer of the Hudson’s Bay Company, in tem- 


porary charge of the post. Here I received, from the 


MASSACRE OF ESQUIMAUX. 367 


lips of a witness (in part concerned in the affair), a de- 
tailed account of the occurrence which had been vaguely 
communicated to us by some Indians, during our 
descent of the Mackenzie in July last, and which 
was now proved to have been an atrocious and 
treacherous massacre of a party of unoffending Esqui- 
maux by some of the Loucheux, aided—I blush to 
say—by one bearing a white skin, which was eternally 
dishonoured in his person. On the breaking up of 
the ice in the spring of 1850, a boat containing four 
white men—Manuel, steersman (French Canadian), 
M‘Kay, Sanderson, and Brown (Orkney men), and two 
Indians, left Fort Good Hope, on the Mackenzie, to 
proceed to Fort M‘Pherson, the station on the Peel 
River. ‘They were detained by the stoppage of the 
ice, which frequently becomes checked in its descent 
after breaking up, and were in some distress for 
food, but fortunately shot some geese, which migrate 
hitherward in the sprmg. At Point Separation they 
landed for a short time, some of the party bemg 
desirous of inspecting the cache of provisions which 
had been placed there by Sir John Richardson. 
Point Separation is nearly the highest spot to which 
the Esquimaux ever now ascend, and it occurred that 
just at the time the party beached their boat among 


the masses of ice which lined the shore, they espied 


368 MASSACRE OF ESQUIMAUX. 


‘an Esquimaux approaching in his canoe, threading his 
way through the lanes left by the ice ; others followed 
him until ten persons were counted. Manuel, either 
from fright or wantonness—most probably the former . 
—desired to fire upon this party, but was more than 
once prevented by M‘Kay, who turned aside the 
muzzle of his gun, and entreated him to forbear, 
until they should display a hostile intention. Manuel 
consented to reserve his fire for awhile, until M‘Kay 
should run back for a short distance to see if a 
band. of Loucheux approached, as they knew they 
could not be far off. At a short distance behind, 
M‘Kay found the Indians who were paddling leisurely 
along, but who, on receipt of the intelligence, could 
not, as my informant said, come fast enough, but 
lightly hauling their bark canoes on shore, ran along 
the beach to the spot. The Loucheux were fourteen 
in number; each man carried his gun, and three more 
fire-arms were in the possession of the Fort Good 
Hope party; the Esquimaux had only their bows and 
arrows. Upon the commencement of a parley, and 
when invited to approach, the chief, or eldest of the 
Esquimaux, desired the Indians to put their guns 
aside, and his request being complied with, he paddled 
in to within a few yards of the beach and fired all 


his arrows into the ground in a circle, then held up 


INDIAN BARTER. 369 


his bow and empty quiver to show that he had no 
more. His example was followed by the others in 
succession, and trade was then instituted between the 
parties ; buttons, knives, &c., being bartered by the 
Indians in exchange for trinkets of bone and ivory, 
furs, &c. When the stock of the Esquimaux was 
nearly exhausted, and business began to slacken, two 
of the Esquimaux departed to bring up the larger 
boat (i.e. oomiak) which contamed the women, and 
more furs, &c. As these did not return quickly, two 
more of the party departed to hasten their arrival, 
-leaving only six Esquimaux. The Loucheux being 
apparently apprehensive that the remainder of the 
band would also go away, invited them to go on shore, 
while waiting for their boat, and have a dance; to 
this they acceded, but landed on the opposite side of 
a small creek, which divided the bank at this spot. 
The old chief was the first who stepped on shore, 
and as he did so, he pulled off his frock, and appear- 
ing only in breeches and mocassins, held up his arms 
and slapped his body to show that he carried no 
weapons : his companions did the same, and Loucheux 
and Esquimaux then began to dance on opposite sides 
of the creek. Good feeling appeared to be firmly 
established, but presently, M‘Kay, who with Manuel 


was looking on, observed one of the Loucheux 


BB 


370 INDIAN MASSACRE. 


skulking round the ice, trailing his gun after him, at 
full cock. He made him take his gun back, and 
“oave him a good scolding,’ but on going to the 
guns which were placed at a distance on the bank he 
found them all at full cock, and shortly saw more of 
the Indians stealing round under cover of the willows 
to endeavour to get behind the Esquimaux; he 
stopped these, but observed that, notwithstanding, half 
only of the Indians were dancing to engage the 
attention of the Esquimaux, while the rest were 
seeking to fall upon them in the rear. He called on 
Manuel to aid him in preventing the accomplishment 
of this treacherous design, but Manuel replied that if 
they wanted to kill them he should not stop them, 
but would rather push them on; that it was no business 
of theirs, &c. Failing to interest his own comrade in 
averting the catastrophe, M‘Kay addressed himself to 
one of the chiefs of the Indians and threatened him 
with the anger of the Company’s officer at the neigh- 
bouring post if this act were perpetrated: the Indian 
promised that they would not fire at them, and M‘Kay 
hoped he had succeeded in stopping the murderous 
deed. The weather was at this time chilly, and as 
M‘Kay had slipped into the water on landing, he ran 
off to a fire which the other two men of his party had 


made at a little distance, as he was now quite satisfied 


INDIAN MASSACRE. ate 


that no evil was intended. He had not reached his 
companions when he heard a shot, succeeded immedi- 
ately by others, and before he could return to the 
spot he had so lately left “the place was all one 
smoke,” and four of the poor deceived Esquimaux lay 
stretched upon the sand; the other two ran to their 
canoes and escaped before the second volley was fired, 
though both were wounded by the first discharge. 
The Loucheux now fired arrows into those who 
remained ; one of these had got into the water after 
being wounded, and now strove to shelter himself 
behind a piece of drift wood, diving under it as the 
arrows flew at him; this poor fellow they finished with 
their guns and he sank, but the others they gashed 
and mutilated, cutting the sinews under the arms and 
laying those limbs over their heads. When, shortly 
afterwards, the party of Whites and Indians reached 
Fort M‘Pherson, and the account of this most 
dastardly massacre was related to the Indians who 
were about the establishment, they sided with M‘Kay 
in condemning the perpetrators, who on their part 
now expressed regret that they had not taken M‘Kay’s 
advice, which, said they, they would have done but 
that they were “ pushed on by Manuel,” who was said 
to have confessed having fired with the Loucheux, but 


denied that his shot had done any execution. 


BB 2 


372 CONSEQUENCES ANTICIPATED. 


Mr. Peers on ascending the Mackenzie in the Fall saw 
the bodies still lying on the shore, but they were 
shortly after buried or carried away by the Esquimaux. 

Alas the day that so foul and bloody an act of 
treachery could be perpetrated! and alas, shame and 
degradation that a white man could be found worse 
fiend than the untutored savage !—to whose religion 
revenge is a duty, as it is sweet to his nature. We 
might perchance seek to palliate the commission of 
this deed in the Red Indian who has some real or 
fancied injury to retaliate, but even the shadow of an 
excuse, or of any other motive than innate wantonness 
and reckless bloodthirstiness, was wanting to the 
fiendish miscreant who shared their hellish plot. 

The ill consequences of this very melancholy affair, 
will, it is to be feared, be extensive and irremediable, 
and it must be a source of deep regret to consider 
how much good might have been accomplished had a 
different line of conduct been pursued. 

The opportunity long and eagerly sought for to con- 
ciliate the Esquimaux, and to place them on a friendly 
footing with the Whites and the Loucheux, with 
which latter they had been so long at feud, was most 
recklessly thrown away. With a display of confidence 
never before met with in them, these Hsquimaux 


had voluntarily yielded up their arms, and trustingly 


BURY PEMMICAN. 373 


placed themselves in close proximity to their hereditary 
enemies, regarding, I have little doubt, the presence 
of the Whites as an assurance against treachery. 
Probably very little persuasion would have prevailed 
on them to proceed to the Fort, where afew presents | 
and judicious treatment would have gone very far to 
establish a friendly intercourse for the future. But, 
mark the disastrous reverse : henceforth the Whiteman 
will be included in the undying vengeance of the 
injured. Esquimaux, who will seek—can we say un- 
reasonably ?—opportunities for clearing off the score 
of revenge. Woe be to detached parties, or solitary 
stragglers, who may fall in their way; a short shrift 
will be their lot, and we warned the scanty garrison 
of Peel River to have a care, lest, unarmed and un- 
prepared, they should some day be surprised by a 
retaliating band. 

We quitted Fort M‘Pherson on the 9th, and in the 
afternoon reached the spot near Point Separation, 
where the massacre, just related, had occurred. ‘The 
kiaks of the poor victims were still here, much hacked 
and broken; numerous foot-prints around were the 
only additional relics of the event. At Point Separation 
pemmican was buried in lieu of that we had removed 
in the summer, and a notice was deposited with it 


for any future expedition. On the 14th of the month, 


— 


374 ARREST FOR MURDER. 


we encountered the boat containing Mr. Peers, and 
the Peel River outfit for the season. With him (as 
steersman) was the man Manuel, who, at the desire 
of Captain Pullen, gave his version of the late shock- 
ing affair. His story differed very little from that of 
M‘Kay’s; he admitted having fired three times at 
the Esquimaux, and that he had replied to M‘Kay’s 
entreaty for his interference with the Loucheux, to 
let them do as they pleased, “laisse les faire.” 
Mr. Peers was apparently, and I think with very 
good reason, not without fears of an attack at some 
future time from the tribe so cruelly wronged ; at 
his request the muskets and ammunition of our party 
were supplied to him,—it is te be hoped they will 
have no occasion to use them. | 

I may here take occasion to remark, that I believe 
the dastardly Manuel Hebert was sent down to 
Canada to take his trial for murder; this demonstra- 
tion may, at any rate, do good in deterring others 
from such cold-blooded conduct in similar instances, 
even if, as I very much fear, the brute will escape 
punishment for want of witnesses. 

Fort Good Hope was gained on the 17th, and we 
received a new and hearty greeting from our kind 
friend Mr. M‘Beath and his amiable spouse. <A 


supply of pemmican, flour, and clothing awaited 


RETROSPECT. Sto 


us; right welcome was the addition of the coimes- 
tibles to our hitherto villanous diet. On the 25th, 
Fort Norman and my old friend Taylor, gave us 
shelter, and we were rejoiced by the sight of Fort 
Simpson, and the termination of this most disagreeable 
trip, on the 5th of October, by which time notable 
tokens of winter were displayed; and we had suf- 
fered much from the inclemency of the season, the 
thermometer having more than once fallen within a 
few degrees of zero,—which, I need not remark, is 
quite cold enough for boat travelling. 

This last expedition must be considered well-nigh 
nugatory in every respect, with the almost unimportant 
exception of the addition of two or three islands 
to those already known about the Mackenzie. From 
the tokens in the early part of the summer previous 
to our arrival in the Arctic Sea, we had hoped for a 
fine and “open” season; these expectations were 
entirely void ; worse weather and a more encumbered 
sea it would have been difficult to have encountered ; 
and, as before remarked, no noteworthy consequences 
resulted from the undertaking. Neither Banks’ Land, 
the grand aim of the voyage, nor Wollaston Land, 
was reached ; nor did we examine the course of that 
river which lies between the Mackenzie and_ the 


Coppermine—its efflux being in Liverpool Bay, and 


376 PROGRAMME FOR THE WINTER MONTHS. 


of which nothmg is known but by the reports of 
Indians, who call it ‘Soon illay tess,” or the “ known 
not river ;’’ by which title, indeed, L’Inconnt, it is 
distinguished in the country. 

Captain Pullen, myself, and the two marines, were 
to remain at Fort Simpson during the winter; the 
remainder of our party were dispatched to the fishery 
on Great Slave Lake, where many of the Company’s 
servants would also be assembled. 

Another long winter had now to be passed, a 
formidable prospect to those who have few means of 
occupation, and less comforts at their disposal. But 
we had here, at any rate, more companions and a 
nearer approach to civilised life than had been the 
lot of some of us last season, and had no intention 
of permittimg black ennui to engross eight or ten 
long months of our lives. There was a small hbrary 
at the Fort, which the gentlemen of the district had 
created to while away weariness at their respective 
posts; of this we were kindly permitted to avail our- 
selves, and found it a great solace. Meteorological 
and astronomical observations occupied much of our 
time. The dipping-needle, which had been my 
faithful companion throughout our wanderings, was 
placed in a bastion of the Fort, and also received its 


share of attention each day. 


EFFECTS OF EXTREME COLD. 377 


One must be cautious im handling instruments or 
other articles of metal in extreme cold, as the bare 
skin is apt to stick to them on contact, and the 
sensations then experienced are identical with those 
of burning: vé®y frequently when incautiously drink- 
ing from a tin-cup which we carried on our journeys, 
one’s lips were for an instant glued to its edge ; and in 
avery low temperature ice when put into our mouths 
would cleave for a second to the tongue. The most 
curious instance I ever experienced of the effects of 
cold was one whose relation has been received with less 
credibility than any other I have made: this was the 
existence of ice m the nostrils, and, strange to say, 
it was neither painful nor troublesome. I had heard 
the fact mentioned at an early period of our arrival, 
and must confess that I was myself suspicious of an 
attempt to impose upon my credulity, but experience 
proved. its truth im my own person. 

Our fare at Fort Simpson—Englishmen always think 
feeding an important item of existence—was no 
doubt luxurious, compared to that which myself and 
companions at Bear Lake had _ subsisted on. the 
preceding winter, yet it favoured. neither gout nor 
bilious tendency. Generally, as is customary in 
the country during the winter, two meals a day 


were provided : the first occurred at about 10, and 


378 FARE AT FORT SIMPSON. 


consisted of fish (either roasted, or boiled and mixed 
with potatoes, forming a kind of “ twice laid,”’) tea, 
and homeeopathic allowances of bread. This was called 
breakfast. Supper took place between 4 to 6 accord- 
ing to the season, and was the gréiid affair of the 
day: dried or fresh rein-deer or moose-meat, rabbits 
sometimes, and now and then beaver, bear, or goat's 
flesh; tea, bread, and an unfrequent pudding, or 
pancake, these comprised nearly all the varieties of 
the repast. A small quantity of wine and spirits had 
been forwarded from the Red River colony for our 
use ; it was, of course, reserved for high days and 
holidays, when each heart recalled its absent ones— 
loved and loving. 

The Mackenzie “set fast’”’ on the 1st of December ; 
had the ice continued much longer in motion, I might 
possibly have had a tragic tale to relate here. Four 
Indians had arrived on the opposite bank on the 18th, 
and an endeavour was made to get a boat through the 
ice to fetch them, but the attempt was necessarily 
relinquished, and they were told as well as the 
distance would allow, to make for the “ rapid fishery,” 
about five days’ journey from the Fort, where a supply 
of fish was stored. ‘T'wo days before the ice stopped, 
two Whitemen and two Indians arrived from Fort 


Confidence, where Dr. John Rae was wintering previous 


DR. RAE’S EXPEDITION. 379 


to proceeding on another Arctic expedition (which has 
since resulted im his reaching Wollaston Land, and 
other valuable consequences, for which partly the 
Gold Council Medal of the Royal Geographical 
Society was awarded him). These men had been 
twenty-six days upon the journey, and had exhausted 
their provisions; they were obliged to kill one of, 
their dogs next day, but the Indians, although starving, 
would not touch its flesh, their superstition holding 
that the dog is their brother. Only two of the Indians 
who first had arrived had departed for the fishery on 
the rapid; the others had remained opposite to the 
Fort, and were now in a very low state, being unable 
from weakness to cross the river immediately upon 


its setting fast. 


CHAPTER XXII. 


New Year's Day Festival.—Cyclical fluctuation in the breed of Rabbits.— 
Conjectured causes, and Indian superstition thereon.— Consequent 
effect upon fur-bearing animals—New mode of catching Foxes,— 
Severity of Season.—Mercury metamorphosed.—Aurora Borealis.— 
Disruption of the Ice.—A. strange prophecy.—Melancholy effects of 
superstition——An Indian Marriage—The Fight of the Females.— 
Farewell to Fort Simpson.—Fort Resolution—Manufacture of Pem- 
mican.—Slave River.— Muddled Moments.—The Hudson’s Bay 
Company of Merchant Adventurers.—The Hardy Voyageur.—The 
Adventures of a Pack.—Arrival at the Noyé.—A beautiful Caseade.— 
Making a Portage.—Burn the Boats.—Fort Chipewyan.—The Chipe- 
wyans and Crees, their Language and Idiosyncrasy.—An Indian’s 
Remorse.—Mr. Geero’s Predilections.—The Lake of the Hills.— 
Natural Pitch—Clear Water River.—Methy Portage.—Mermaid’s 
Hair. 


New Year's day is the principal festival at the posts 
of the Hudson’s Bay Company; that which ushered 
in 1850 was ceremoniously observed at Fort Simpson. 
‘The men assembled at an early hour in front of the 
main dwelling-house, and fired a feu-de-joie in com- 
pliment to their officers and the occasion. All then 
entered the hall, which is very large for the recep- 
tion of Indians, and were welcomed by their Bourgeois 
(Mr. Bell), the title always given to the head of the 


district, and the other gentlemen of the establishment, 


NEW YEAR'S DAY IN THE NORTH. 381 


who shook hands with each in turn, addressing to 
him at the same time a few complimentary phrases. 
The guests then seated themselves upon benches 
ranged round the walls of the apartment, and one 
of their number assuming the office of Ganymede (ye 
Gods, what a satire on the cup-bearer of Jove!), 
administered to each a portion of the soul-rejoicing 
fluids provided by the Bourgeois, who is yearly 
allowed a small quantity of wine, spirits, and shrub. 
Healths and good wishes were interchanged ; pipes, 
with, their attendant weed produced,—and smoke 
and talk now flowed apace. In about an hour the 
visitors, having more than once repeated their libations 
to Bacchus, rose to withdraw, addressing thankful 
acknowledgments to the provider of the treat, and 
accepting joyfully an invitation to devote the coming 
evening to the worship of 'Terpsichore, and partake 
of a feast to be presently prepared. In the afternoon 
the company re-assembled in the hall, where a—to 
them—sumptuous repast was spread, of which, to 
enumerate some of its delicacies, a roasted swan, 
deer’s tongues, potatoes, turnips, and a huge plum- 
pudding, were items. Dinner having succeeded 
drink, was followed by dancing, which was kept up 
unflaggingly until after midnight, refreshments being 
again provided in the shape of supper. ‘Thus ended 


382 INCREASE AND DECREASE OF RABBITS. 


New Year’s day in the far north of the Hudson’s 
Bay Company’s territories. 

It is a very remarkable and well established 
circumstance that the rabbits in the north of America 
are subject to periodical conditions of increase and 
reduction in their numbers. They experience cycles 
of progress and decay, comprising about eight or 
nine years, and so certain is this law of revolution 
that Whites and Indians alike make their calculations 
with a view to its occurrence. Overrunning the land 
in astonishing quantities one year, these aygimals 
gradually lessen their numbers annually, until very 
few can be caught ; having arrived at their mimimum, 
they then gradually increase, until again reaching 
their maximum advance. 

This remarkable ebb and flow of life is ascribed 
to more than one cause. It is said that the rabbits 
migrate at regular intervals to avoid the merciless 
persecutions of their many enemies, lynx, wolf, fox, 
marten, ermine, and even ravens; but another and 
more probable cause assigned is their visitation by an 
epidemic which is fatal to myriads. The Indians 
have, I was told, an idea that when rabbits are 
not to be found near, they have gone up into the 
clouds, and that they frequently hear them crying 


there. 


FISHING FOR A FOX. 383 


Whatever may be the cause of this variation it 
very importantly affects the fur trade in this region. 
The year succeeding that when rabbits are most 
plentiful is generally the most prolific m the supply 
of those animals before-mentioned whose principal 
food they are; and in the same manner the season 
following that of their almost entire absence is wofully 
deficient in its tribute of fur-bearimg creatures. 
Possibly the epidemic which visits the victims may 
also affect the ravenous tyrants, whose prey they 
become ; but independently of this conjecture there 
is no doubt that in the times of scarcity the lesser 
beasts of prey are reduced to great hunger, and feed 
upon each other. I have several times seen martens 
which had been trapped devoured by lynxes. At 
Fort Simpson, on one occasion an Indian who was 
about to set a hook and line in the river for fish 
observed a fox near him, which had been impelled 
by starvation to approach the habitation of man in 
search of food. He threw the baited hook towards 
the animal, it greedily swallowed the deceitful prize 
whose acquisition was its capture and its death. 

We experienced severe cold at Fort Simpson, 
registering more than once 50 below zero; but this 
was mild compared to the temperature at Bear Lake, 


where my last winter was passed. Dr, Rae wrote 


384 AURORA BOREALIS. 


to say that the thermometer had been below —70 at 
Fort Confidence. 

It is very curious to witness the congelation of 
mercury, which takes place about —40: when 
brought into the atmosphere from a considerably higher 
temperature the process is necessarily very gradual ; 
the quicksilver slowly contracts itself, a dull film 
overspreads the mass, and, immediately previous to 
complete congelation, a thin bright fluid appears on 
the surface; the substance is then of a doughlike 
consistence, and may be indented with a pointed 
instrument; but speedily the final change occurs; 
King Frost asserts his sway, and the usually restless 
metal, which whilom played fast and loose with 
finger and dish in its frolicsome gambols, is reduced 
to an inert, indurated solid, presentng the appearance 
of frosted silver. 

Few nights passed without a greater or less display 
of the Aurora Borealis, that wondrous phenomenon 
whose existence after. more than half a century of 
research, is yet unaccounted for satisfactorily. _Lan- 
guage is vain in the attempt to describe its ever- 
varying and gorgeous phases; no pen nor pencil can 
pourtray its fickle hues, its radiance, and its grandeur. 
I insert the following notice of a display which 


occurred on the 22nd of February, 1851, more as an 


AURORA BOREALIS. 385 


instance of the wonderful variety of the phenomenon 
than in the hope of conveying anything like an 
adequate idea of its beauty,—/hat I feel to be 
impossible. 

“At 10°50 p.m., Aurora appeared in a broad 
transverse band of dull diffused light, extending from 
E. by S. to W.N.W., passing through the tail of the 
Great Bear: two narrow bands of faint light from 
the same points passed through the zenith, as 
perfectly and regularly defined as if two ribands 
were stretched athwart the sky: the space between 
them, of equal breadth with themselves, appeared 
very dark, either materially so or by contrast. 

“To the northward a faint diffused lhght appeared 
over dark haze or clouds on the horizon; through 
this haze stars were not perceptible. 

“At 11, Aurora was further displayed im an 
immense mass or bush, which, occupying the space 
between E.N.E. and E.S.E., and covering the entire 
constellation of Ursa Major, gradually narrowed after 
passing the zenith, and thence continued in a ser- 
pentine band of moderate breadth to the west, passing 
in its route a little to the northward of the Pleiades. 
The eastern extremity was of ‘scroll’ or ‘ curtain’ 
character, with considerable motion (easterly), and 


in it prismatic colours were finely developed, red and 


cc 


- 


386 WINTER-LIFE AT FORT SIMPSON. 


violet hues predominating ; the entire display was of a 
bright greenish golden colour or light. To the north- 
ward a few light and faint vertical patches were vasible. 

« At midnight a serpentine arch or band—composed 
of series of vertical lines in continual motion through- 
out its length—extended from H.S.E., considerably 
to the southward of the zenith, to W., its vertex 
sinking slowly towards the S.W. horizon; in this 
also colours were finely though transitorily displayed, 
the main body being of the same hue as before. 

“Five minutes after midnight this arch suddenly 
dispersed itself over all the sky to the northward, and 
partly also to the southward, of the zenith m beams, 
rays, streamers, and every imaginable disposition 
of lines, the most remarkable being innumerable 
vertical patches, with which the sky was as it were 
powdered, all bright and all in motion; a narrow, 
but brilliant serpentine band—a perfect fringe of 
blazing light—rose at east, and ran at a small distance 
above the horizon, through north to west. 

“The weather was clear and calm, but I am 
disposed to conjecture that the instantaneous dis- 
persion of one portion, which occurred with lightning- 
like celerity, and the unceasing motion of the whole 
display, were caused by conflicting currents of air in 
the higher regions of the atmosphere.” 


OPENING OF SPRING. 387 


‘The monotony which characterises a winter in 
the north was but seldom broken in upon during our 
condition of vegetation at Fort Simpson, and we 
gladly hailed the first signs of spring, and the 
prospect of speedy deliverance from our “ durance 
vile.” A wild duck, harbinger of a more genial 
season, was killed on the first of May, a goose was 
shot next day, and the migrating birds now began 
to flock in. On the-4th the long ice-bound river 
burst its bonds, and, rising considerably, carried off 
huge trees, and masses of drift-wood from the banks, 
to add to the vast profusion which we had observed 
on the shores of the ocean, to the westward of the 
Mackenzie’s mouth. 

Our party had received an increase during the 
winter by the arrival of Mr. W. Lane, who was to 
take charge of Fort de Liard in the spring. Upon 
the breaking up of the ice this gentleman prepared 
to depart for his post, and I had the good fortune to 
share his journey, as I could return with the party 
which would bring down the furs collected durmg 
the past season. 

Mr. Lane had been many years a resident in the 
Hudson Bay Company’s territories, and enlivened 
our trip with many a pleasant joke and anecdote. 


One of these was truly remarkable, and would 


cc2 


388 INDIAN PROPHECY. 


scarcely be held as credible had we not the testi- 
mony of an actual witness. 

During the time that Mr. Lane was stationed in 
New Caledonia he received a visit from an aged 
Indian, of the Carrier tribe, who had been with Sir 
Alexander Mackenzie in one of his trips of discovery 
to the sea coast, and had the reputation of being a 
great medicine-man. As he had not’paid a visit to 
the fort for several years his appearance excited some 
surprise, and he was asked why he came. He 
replied that he had come to look at the fort and 
its inmates for the last time. “Did you ever,’ said 
the old man, “ hear thunder in the winter time?” 
Mr. Lane replied in the negative. “Then,” rejoined 
the Indian, ‘‘when in two moons’ time you hear 
a clap of thunder, send to my lodge and you will 
find me dead.” 

Within fifteen days of the appointed time Mr. Lane 
did indeed hear a solitary burst of thunder; the 
nephew of the old Indian, who was the fort inter- 
preter, started off directly to his uncle’s lodge, and 
on arrival found that he had just expired. The 
realisation of this prophecy did not im the least 
surprise the rest of the Indians, who had expressed 
their entire conviction of its fulfilment. 


The superstition of the Indians is a wonderful 


INDIAN WEDDING. 389 


feature of their character, and they frequently pay 
severely for their credulous simplicity. Not many 
years ago a report was prevalent amongst those of 
the Slave Lake quarter, that their dead had been 
restored to life, and had established a fort in the 
interior, where food and supplies of all kinds were 
to be obtained in profusion. So strong was the 
belief, that great numbers made pilgrimages to the 
spot designated, and many died of famine and 
privation in consequence. 
We had not actual experience of the tribes in 
what is called the Southern Department, of which 
the head-quarters are established at Moose Factory 
in James’s Bay, but I was favoured with one or two 
interesting anecdotes of that locality by a gentleman 
who had lately left the district of the south. Here, 
for instance, is an Indian wedding, as it now exists. 
The maidens do not marry until they have reached 
that age which with them as with us is called sweet 
sixteen. The ceremony performed at Moose was 
thus described :—the couple go into the store where 
goods are dispensed in barter, and each receives a 
piece of gingerbread, the man a dram of spirits, the 
woman a printed gown-piece, or some other trifle. 
‘The bridegroom then declares in presence of witnesses 


that he will on no account separate from his wife, 


390 WAGER OF BATTLE. 


upon whose finger a rmg is put by the interpreter ; 
the ceremony is then complete, and is held as 
indissoluble. Separation seldom occurs unless the 
wife becomes recklessly abandoned, which is a rare 
circumstance ; the men are very jealous, and are 
liable to retaliate revengefully upon their offending 
brothers. Weddings generally take place in the 
fall of the year about the time of goose-hunting, and 
the happy couple immediately repair to the marshes 
to spend the honeymoon. The husband generally 
receives a present of ammunition and hastens to pro- 
cure a stock of geese with which he feasts his friends. 

Two young Indian women were observed some 
years ago in violent conflict; they were parted, but 
intreated to be permitted to decide the contest as 
they would then be friends again; this request, 
appearing reasonable, was acceded to, the bystanders 
taking care that there should be fair play. After 
a lengthened and determined struggle the weakest 
succumbed to the superior prowess of her fortunate 
adversary. “It appeared that these girls were in love 
with the same man, and had self-instituted this mode 
of deciding their claims. No wonder they fought 
like wild cats. The defeated damsel was so much 
enraged at her disappointment that she soon after- 


wards shot her rival dead. 


FORT RESOLUTION. 391 


On my return to Fort Simpson preparations were 
already imstituted for our departure, as Captain Pullen 
intended to proceed some time in advance of the 
yearly brigade. Bidding farewell to the companions 
of a long and dreary winter, we quitted Fort 
Simpson on the 5th of June, and ascended the 
Mackenzie by easy stages. 

We reached Big Island on the 13th, remained there 
three days, and gained Fort Resolution on the 20th. 

This was the neatest and cleanest establishment 
we had yet seen; much care was evident in every 
department. The houses were built of well split 
and squared logs placed edge to edge, and closely 
fittmg, and the buildings were enclosed by pickets of 
regular height and make. 

Pemmican had so often been our food during the 
long sojourn in this land of eternal snow and hard 
meat, that I was desirous of carrying with me a 
specimen of the native material, for the mspection of 
the curious in such matters: I was furnished with 
a small quantity made after the most approved fashion, 
and brought it home all safe, but as I fear I cannot 
hand it to each of my readers for examination, I will 
briefly describe the process of preparing the article, 
for the benefit of those who are not already acquainted 


with it. Upon the slaughter of a reindeer or buffalo, 


392 METHOD OF PRESERVING MEAT. 


the hunter has to consider three modes of disposing 
of the carcase. When near a station he generally 
puts the animal “ en cache,” surrounding it with logs 
and heaping snow over all to keep the wild beasts 
from it, a precaution not always successful; the 
wolverine, or glutton, being a most determined 
marauder. Intelligence is then sent to the Fort, 
whence sledges are despatched to bring home the 
prize. In this case the meat is fresh, and will of 
course remain so, while frozen, for any length of 
time. . The other two modes of preparing the flesh 
are similar to each other, differing only according to 
the caprice of the curer or the distance which 
intervenes between the spot where the animal falls 
and the destination of the carcase ; in either case the 
flesh 1s cut into layers and the bones removed, the 
meat is then placed upon stages and subjected to the 
action and smoke of slow fires and the sun’s rays ; 
by this process it gradually becomes desiccated, the 
watery particles evaporate, leaving only the fibre and 
sinew. It is according to the completeness of this 
process that “dried” or “ half-dried meat” are 
obtained. I need not say much about their excellence ; 
neither of them is very nice, and we can only give 
them the degrees of comparison, bad and worse, but 


their preparation is rendered necessary by the great 


hed 


PEMMICAN—MOSQUITOES. 393 


distances which occur between the hunting-grounds 
and the forts, and also by the fact that much of the 
meat is killed in the summer, and could not therefore 
otherwise be kept sound. Dry meat is the principal 
component of pemmican. It is pounded fine, 
almost to powder, often indeed being passed through 
a sieve to intercept the large fragments, and then 
placed in a trough where melted fat is poured upon 
and well mixed with it. The composition is placed in 
a parchment bag, rammed down, and pressed ; when 
cool it is like a mass of lead. Fifty-five pounds of 
the powdered meat mixed with thirty-five of fat make 
a ‘piece’ of pemmican, which the Canadians 
facetiously designate “un taureau,’ in allusion to 
the buffalo, from which a great part is made. 

We remained eight days at Fort Resolution, and 
were much indebted to Mr. W. M‘Murray for his 
considerate attention to our comfort, which was, not- 
withstanding, sadly marred by the unfailing attacks of 
myriads of mosquitoes. Murderous crusades, and 
innumerable inventions for wholesale slaughter by 
fire, smoke, water, gunpowder, &c., were of little avail 
against these pests; it seemed, as was remarked by 
one of the seamen, that a thousand insects flocked to 
the funeral of each one killed, and it was the 


best way after all to resign oneself to the plague. 


394 SALT RIVER SETTLEMENT. 


Mr. M‘Murray and I sought relief from our miseries 
in milk and cranberries, and really I am afraid we had 
more relish than judgment in the discussion of this 
refreshing medley. 

On the last day of June we bade farewell to 
Mr. M‘Murray and the other denizens of Fort 
Resolution, and resumed our journey homewards. 
he ascent of Slave River, which we entered a couple 
of hours after departure, had little of novelty to 
interest wanderers whose thoughts were directed with 
eager hope towards home and its relations. On the 
7th, Salt River, a small tributary of the Slave River, 
was reached. It would be unnoticeable but for the 
existence of a half-caste family, who have formed a 
tiny colony on its banks, and are content to live on 
from year to year in this isolated locality. Their 
possessions consisted of several buildings, some cows, 
horses and dogs, and two or three small plots of 
cultivated ground, in which were potatoes, turnips 
and onions. ‘The good folks supplied us with tops of 
the latter vegetables, but declined to pull up the roots, 
which, they said, always remained in the ground. 
My reminiscences of the spot include those of a 
triflmg accident, which there occurred to me. Being 
about to bathe, as was our daily custom, I jumped 


headlong into the stream, and experienced the reward 


HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. 305 


of my incaution, by finding myself over head and 
hands in soft mud, the water being unexpectedly 
shallow: I was fortunate im escaping suffocation. 
There can scarcely be found a more wonderful 
instance of the combination of ingenuity, perseverance 
and endurance, in the search after commercial 
prosperity, than is afforded by the Hudson’s Bay Fur 
Trading Company, instituted so early as the reign of 
Charles II. In the earlier stages of its existence, 
only a few positions were established on the shores of 
Hudson’s Bay, but the range of operations was 
gradually widely extended, and in North America 
alone they now hunt over an immense territory, and 
give occupation to numerous persons, — Whites, 
Indians, and half-castes. From the shores of Hudson’s 
Bay in the Atlantic, to Vancouver’s Island and the 
Columbia River District on the Pacific, and from the 
borders of Canada to the dreary Arctic circle, 
isolated stations of the Company are established, often 
amid dense forests, and cheerless solitudes. In many 
of these, not more than from two to six men pass 
long winters of monotonous occupation ; to cut wood 
and bring home provisions on sledges are their 
principal avocations, and their diet is im many 
instances fish, uninterruptedly, or varied by dried meat, 


whose ewcellence I have already remarked upon. ‘The 


396 PASSAGE OF PELTRIES TO ENGLAND. 


transport of goods and peltries to and from the 
numerous stations must impress one with a feeling of 
admiration at the indomitable energy and laborious 
perseverance which overcomes every difficulty and 
braves so many dangers to attain its ends. Mountain 
and forest, torrent and shallow, extremes of cold, heat 
and privation, are encountered and set at defiance by 
the enterprising “ voyageur ;’’ where force avails not, 
patience and stratagem are successfully resorted to, 
disaster only seems to create a new spur, and point out 
some new method for the next enterprise. Furs which 
are brought from some of the most distant parts in 
the Northern Department—of which York Factory in 
Hudson’s Bay is the head-quarters—traverse between 
3,000 and 4,000 miles ere they reach that post, 
whence they are shipped for England, and occupy 
nearly a year in their transit, in which they undergo 
extraordinary mutations of travel. The furs are made 
up into parcels or “ packs,’ weighing eighty-four to 
ninety pounds, and pressed by wedges or screws into 
the smallest possible compass ; the body of the pack 
is generally composed of the smaller and finer skins, 
such as muskrat, martens, and otters, of which from 
300 to 600 are required; these are enclosed by 
skins of the bear, wolf, and remdeer. The packs are 


all made of a certain size and shape, and securely 


PASSAGE OF PELTRIES TO ENGLAND. 397 


bound with stout thongs of hide, called pack-cord, 
which in the not unfrequent periods of distress for 
food is generally the first substitute for more legitimate 
aliment, as by long boiling it acquires a jelly-lke 
consistence. 

During the winter they are transported on sledges— 
a service of a severe nature—to the nearest post from 
which water carriage can be made available; and on 
the breaking up of the ice in the spring are placed in 
large boats, of precisely the same make as that (the 
“Try Again”) which we had on our second trip to the 
Arctic sea, and which will carry as many as 110 
“pieces” or “packs,” nearly ten thousand pounds 
weight, but their general load, where the travel is 
bad, is, 1 believe, from seventy to eighty pieces. 
These boats are manned with nine, seven, or even 
five men, and it will presently be seen that the 
poor fellows work like horses #indeed I unhesitatingly 
assert that I never saw toil to equal, for endurance 
and severity, that of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s 
servants during the summer season. From two in 
the morning until eight or nine, and often later, at 
night they are engaged in the most fatiguing labour, 
only halting for a short time to breakfast, and supping 
_when they land at night, taking a snack of pemmican 


as they can catch it during the progress of the boat. 


398 DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSIT. 


Among the principal of the difficulties which 
impede inland navigation and transport m North- 
West America, the numerous rapids must be con- 
sidered chief: where these are trifling they are 
mounted or descended with fully laden boats and 
slight inconvenience or delay; but in passing bad 
rapids great care, preparation, and skill, become 
necessary, and most generally ‘ portages” have to 
be made at a great expense of time and labour. 
The boats are brought to the foot of the rapid, and 
there unloaded, every article being transported on 
the men’s backs through the woods to a point of 
the stream above the embarrassed locality ; the boats 
are then dragged “light ’’ up the rapid, or where 
it is very bad, are themselves carried across the 
portage, after which they are again speedily laden, 
and the party hastens onwards. In the voyage 
between Fort Simpsoff and York Factory, nearly 
ninety places of greater or less difficulty occur ; some 
are of little notice, others dangerous in the extreme, 
and these, I need scarcely observe, require very 
great skill and practice in their passage. We of the 
boat expedition, who might not unreasonably advance 
a claim to some credit for knowledge of boats and 
their management, were quite incompetent to act in 


these positions: there is nearly as much difference 


s* 


ASCENT OF A RAPID. 399 


between a “voyageur’”’ and a sailor, as between the 
latter and a landsman, and none but an unreasonable 
man would fail to recognise the distinction. 

The Noyé Rapid—so named from having caused a 
death by drowning—at which we arrived on the 9th, 
was formed by a ridge of granite, irregular and 
disconnected, lying right across the river, and of 
course greatly obstructing the regular course of the 
stream. It was necessary to make a portage of the 
goods here ; our boat was unladen accordingly, and 
the contents carried across a forest point which 
borders the river; this portage I conjectured to be 
about a quarter of a mile in length. Next morning, 
the 10th, the first brigade of the Mackenzie River 
district, in charge of Mr. O’Brien, reached our 
encampment, and the boats were successively taken 
up the rapid by a steersman of great experience 
and skill. In the ascent they were partly rowed, 
partly tracked up with a stout rope, manned by two 
crews united; the steersman stood in the stern 
handling the huge sweep, more than twenty feet 
long, which serves in place of a rudder, and one 
or two men were stationed in the forepart of the 
boat to keep her from striking the rocks; about 
two and a half hours were expended in the passage 


of this rapid, including unloading and loading. _We 


400 EMULATION OF VOYAGEURS. 


breakfasted at the head of the rapid, and while 
so engaged were joined by Messrs. Bell and Ross, 
who had brought up the second brigade. 

The flotilla was divided into two brigades or bands 
for convenience, as the whole number would delay 
each other’s progress up the rapids, and embarrass 
the portages in the conveyance of goods; for this 
reason it is customary for one division to leave head- 
quarters some days in advance of the other, but the 
emulation of the men is such that the hindmost 
party make the most strenuous exertions to reach 
the vanguard, and in this they frequently succeed, 
as they are generally the stronger and more active. 
At a short distance from the Noyé we encountered the 
Pelican Rapid; here the craft were entirely cleared 
and dragged over a ridge of rocks; the rest of the 
rapid was accomplished with great labour and some 
risk, the bows of the boats beimg frequently high 
upraised and the water rushing in at the stern; at 


? 


one part of this rapid a “ batteau” was lost last 
year. Next came the Mountain, and this being a 
regular fall of about ten feet the boats could not of 
course ascend it, but were dragged over a steep and 
rugged ledge of rocks at an angle of 45° with the 
horizon. Hence we proceeded to the Brilé, and 


having carried the goods across the portage encamped 


PICTURESQUE WATER-FALLS. 401 


for the night, as here it was necessary to transport 
the boats also by land, a distance of about four 
hundred yards. This was accomplished next morning, 
and our journey was continued to the Embarras, so 
called from the great quantities of drift wood which 
obstruct the stream and render a portage of every- 
thing necessary. The island rapid was narrow and 
swift, but we were enabled to ascend it with half- 
laden craft. The “Cassette,” our next difficulty, and 
the last rapid im Slave River, was of picturesque 
beauty : it was composed of several falls in succession, 
one of which, viewed from below, was quite a gem 
among Nature’s bountiful productions: the water fell 
in dense broken volumes between two portals of 
abrupt black rock, steep and massive ; sparkling 
silvery spray, diamond-like in the brilliance of its 
hues, becapped the mass, dancing and glistening in 
the bright sunlight as if in gladness at its freedom ; 
a back ground of hilly foliage, varied in light and 
colour, perfected this exquisite combination of still 
and animated scenery. 

This rapid being impassable we had to renew tlhe 
labour of a portage, “carrying” over bare rock 
for about 400 yards’ distance, over which also the 
boats were dragged. A new operation had now 


to be performed; the numerous portages over rock 


DD 


4.02 “BURNING OUR VESSEL. 


and rough ground had greatly jagged the sides 
and keels of our vessels, which therefore required 
“ burning.” 

The ragged splinters are cut away, and the wood 
smoothed off as well as may be with the crooked 
knife—an implement in universal use in the country, 
having, as its name implies, a bent blade and handle, 
and greatly resembling those used by blacksmiths m 
shoeing horses. Large pieces of birch bark, burning 
with a fierce and lurid flame, are ignited under the 
boat, and grease is rubbed over the bottom to 
decrease resistance in passing through the water ; 
soft resm is also applied to cracks or holes in the 
planks. 

In the evening of the twelfth a partial eclipse of 
the moon occurred, and we also observed a most 
splendid meteor, which bore a train like a bursting 
rocket, and so much resembled a comet, remaining 
stationary for a considerable time, that we sought for 
it next evening, but had no recurrence of the 
phenomenon, and concluded that it must have been 
a meteor or fire-ball. The weather at this period 
was in strong contrast to that of our winter's 
sojourn ; during the hottest days we registered 83° 
of Fahrenheit in shade, 104° m the sun, and by 
concentrating the rays of that body upon a black 


LANGUAGE OF THE CHIPEWYANS. 403 


substance obtamed as high as 112°. On the 14th 
we entered the Riviere de Rocher, thence passed into 
the Athabasca Lake, and in the evening landed at 
Fort Chipewyan, which was once the head-quarters, 
on this side Methy Portage, of the North-West 
Company, once the rival of the Hudsons’ Bay 
Company, with which however a coalition was formed, 
I believe about the year 1827. We were politely 
received by Mr. Todd, and at supper were introduced 
to the Pere Pharoux, a French missionary of the 
Roman Catholic religion, with whom I enjoyed the 
privilege of much interesting conversation. Mons. 
Pharoux had apparently devoted considerable time 
to the study of the Indians in this locality, who 
consist chiefly of Chipewyans, or “ Mountains,” and 
Crees. The men were mostly tall, well made, 
and moderately stout; the females were generally 
tall, slight, and well-featured. With reference to the 
language of the Chipewyans, Mons. Pharoux observed 
that their grammatical rules are distinctly defined, 
though eccentric, and of almost infinite variety, certain 
terminations or prefixes being applied to words in 
classes, or according to the sense in which they were 
to be used; as, for instance, things animate or 
inanimate, natural or artificial, were distinguished by 


certain terms expressing the quality: and here again 


DD 2 


4.04 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS. 


another division, if it may so be called, of class, 
occurred, for in speaking of a house abstractedly one 
term would be used, but when speaking of it in 
connection with anything in or about it a new 
expression became necessary. 

Mons. Pharoux drew a broad line of demarcation 
between the characters of the two races. “The 
Crees,” said he, “ are quick m comprehension, seizing 
an idea with readiness, but, like a mirror, they retain 
the impression so long only as the matter is before 
them, and the consequence is it has in a short time 
to be entirely re-explained. The Chipewyans, on the 
contrary, are very slow (not dull) of comprehension, 
and preserve a greater impassibility of expression ; so 
that often, after explaming a point of difficulty, one 
would dismiss them with the idea that they could 
not understand it, but would find, on questioning 
them afterwards, even at six months’ distance of time, 
that they had either understood the subject at once 
or had pondered over it until perfect comprehension 
was arrived at, and that the impression of the matter 
was, moreover, a lasting one.” 

I was told here of an Indian of the Beaver tribe, 
who, after having experienced with many others the 
horrors of starvation in 1849, visited in the spring of 


the followmg year the fort at Dunvegen. The 


CANNIBALISM. 4.05 


gentleman in charge of the Post offered him his hand 
in greeting, but it was declined, as were also the 
salutations of other Indians present. When asked 
the reason of his strange demeanour, he replied, “1 
am not worthy to shake hands with men; I am no 
longer a man, for I have eaten man’s flesh. It is 
true 1 was starving, was dying of hunger; but I 
cannot forgive myself; the thought of the act is 
killimg me, and I shall die soon, and with content- 
ment, for although I still exist I cannot any longer 
consider myself a human being.” He had, as I 
understood, since died. 

This is very different from the conduct of the 
Slaves and Dogribs, who seem to have little regret 
for the commission of such acts, although the rest 
of the tribes regard them with abhorrence (or fear ?) 
and will seldom intermarry with them. 

This reminds me of an old Indian at Fort Simpson 
named Geero, who had, it was said, assisted in the 
consumption of eighteen individuals during periods 
of starvation, and was reported to prefer human flesh 
to any other. While we were wintering at that fort 
I was very desirous of going off for a few days into 
the woods to try and find remdeer or moose under 
the guidance of an Indian, but it so happened that 


only Geero was at the fort when my wish was 


4.06 SPRINGS OF NATURAL PITCH. 


expressed, and that gentleman refused to be my 
convoy: after much solicitation and pressing for his 
reason, he told the interpreter that the truth of the 
matter was he did not dare to trust himself with any 
one alone in the woods, as he might be tempted to 
treat himself to a repast of his much-esteemed fare. 
On the 16th we quitted Fort Chipewyan, and 
speedily got out of the “Lake of the Hills,” as that 
of Athabasca is frequently called, entering the 
“ Hmbarras”—a narrow sluggish stream, apparently 
an arm of the Athabasca River, into which we 
emerged next day. We encountered on the 18th 
some springs of natural pitch, which oozes out of 
the ground in a half liquid condition, and hardens 
at the surface ; it is used extensively for the boats 
which are made in the country. 

We now began to find berries tolerably ripe, and 
revelled in their refreshing delights ; there were many 
kinds, but the most plentiful and the most pleasant 
were raspberries, gooseberries and currants, of which 
latter two kinds of black preponderated. 

The 21st found us at the junction of the Great 
and Little Athabasca Rivers; the latter is generally 
called the “Clear Water,’ and its title is well 
deserved ; we turned off into it, and contimued to 


ascend until the Cascade was reached—a small shallow 


ITINERARY. 4.07 


rapid where it was necessary to unload the boats, 
and make a portage of nearly half a mile in length. 
After this came the Bonne, of which the portage is 
quite a mile long, but here were encamped numerous 
Indians with horses, and the men were spared the 
labour of “carrying.” Next morning the Bigstone 
and Pine Rapids were successively passed with slight 
delay, and we reached the Terre Blanche in the 
afternoon; this was a succession of short steep falls, 
and both goods and boats had to be transported across 
the Portage. 

On the 26th we arrived at Methy Portage, and 
had now no longer to ascend, but would henceforth 
continually go down current, unless in lakes, to the 
sea. This portage is across a height of land, and as 
it is nine or ten miles long, the goods only are 
transported on horseback, boats being stationed at 
either end, and exchanging their cargoes. 

We commenced our descent towards York Factory 
on the 30th, poled out of the tiny meandering Loche, 
entered the Methy Lake, and thence passed into the 
river of the same name—a very narrow and shallow 
stream. Buffalo Lake was traversed on the 3lst, 
and the lst of August carried us into Deep River, 
and Isle a la Crosse Lake; the fort of this name was 


reached in the afternoon. Athabasca Lake has a 


4.08 CURIOUS PHENOMENON. 


remarkable characteristic; the water is perfectly 
crowded with green particles like short pieces of 
hair: they are apparently separated from vegetation 
at the bottom by the agitation of the water, as I 
understood that in winter, when frozen over, the lake 
is quite clear. The conceit struck me that this was 
the hair-cutting saloon of the mermaids and mermen, 
and these capillary particles the refuse of their 
verdant locks. 

It would needlessly occupy the time of my readers 
did I detail every circumstance of our rapid downward 
route; I shall therefore content myself with mention- 
ing only the more remarkable points of this very 
interesting journey. Running a rapid is one of the 
most exhilarating incidents one can experience ; the 
excitement and risk lend enchantment to the occasion, 
and one’s spirits rise to the boiling pomt. We were 
under the guidance of the first rapid pilot in the 
country, who had had charge, for more than twenty 
years, of the boats which each season carry supplies 
to Methy Portage for the Mackenzie River District, 
and convey the furs of that brigade to York 
Factory, but even L’Esperance, whose skill and 
experience were undoubtedly very great, could not 


avoid “ breaking” a boat sometimes. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


Running a Rapid—A Rapid Catalogue.—Portage du Diable.—A fatal 
disaster.—Tales by the way.—Riviére Maligne.—The “ Pas.” —Norway 
House.— Les Portes d’Enfer.—Return home. 


We have just arrived at the head of a bad rapid, 
and are preparing to “run” it: will you take a seat 
with us in the boat, reader, and share the striking 
episode ? Come then. 

See, our old steersman, who has held the sweep 
during ordinary progress, now relinquishes it to 
L’Esperance, who will here trust only to his own well- 
tried experience and sagacity; the steersman and 
bowmen plant themselves in the bows with long poles 
to push off from rocks or stones, and assist the guide 
in altering the direction of the vessel’s progress. 
Hitherto we have been quietly gliding down a 
moderate current, but now—‘étes-vous prét P— 
tenez !’’ we enter the race, and in an instant are whirled 
into the midst of the boiling rapid, and rush headlong 
onwards with lightning speed, the water bubbling 


and foaming and roarimg around us, spray dashing 


410 A DANGEROUS RAPID. 


into our faces, and the crew straining at their oars as 
if for bare life—now all together, now on one side only, 
and now all suddenly backing water at a shout from 
the guide, who sees that huge stone right m our 
course. Round with the sweep! push off with those 
poles! backwater, good oarsmen, or we must strike, 
and shall infalliibly smash to pieces! Ha! a long 
breath of suspense—hurra! there we go safely past 
the rock; but heavens! there is another we cannot 
escape; pull men, pull! keep her bow off, boys, 
push, hard! Ha! there’s a shock, we’ve struck the 
stone, and for an instant hang upon it; the seething 
waters rushing past, and in their frantic endeavours to 
bear us onward strainmg every plank and _ timber, 
which crack loudly. “Ah bon Dieu! Ah Seigneur! 
Brisé en morceaux!” such are the impassioned 
exclamations which display the alarm and anxiety of 
our guide, who redoubles his efforts notwithstanding, 
and, actively seconded by the crew—who vie with 
him in exertions and noise—he succeeds in releasing 
the craft, and, whirlmg round for an instant in a 
bubbling eddy, we rush on again like a steam-engine. 
Do you see that black abrupt point of rocks, against 
which the torrent hurls itself in impotent fury, 
dashing high in snowy masses and sparkling foam, 


and those surging rollers passing over rocky obstruc- 


THE TRIAL PASSED. 411 


tions, beyond which the angry stream hangs for a 
moment in gurgling gyrations—then speeds on again 
im wild career? At that spot there is a dangerous 
turn of the stream, and a right difficult task shall 
we have to guide our frail bark in safety beyond 
that frowning extremity, and through those lurking 
obstacles. Steady, lads, steady : mind your oars and 
watch me well,—pull easy for a moment,—now pull ! 
pull! don!’ easy now, easy; now pull hard the 
larboard, backwater the starboard oars !—Oh Ciel ! ! 
nous sommes crevé sur le roche! push off with the 
poles—pull! larboard oars push, push! backwater, 
starboard, back—push, push! there, she turns! push, 
pull !—we rush frantically onwards at furious speed—a 
moment of intense excitement and uncertainty, then, 
Ah, grand Dieu, merci! relaxed speed and smoother 
water tell that the difficulty is passed. Our own trial 
is ended; let us turn to watch the fortunes of our 
companion boats. See, the foremost nears the crooked 
channel, the crew pulling lightly and quietly in 
preparation for the approaching struggle: now the 
steersman shouts lustily to his crew, and vigorously 
plies the long sweep to swing his boat; the rowers 
labour at their oars lke tigers; the bowmen shift 
ther poles from spot to spot, as each emergency 


needs, and our comrade hurries towards the narrow 


4.12 NARROW ESCAPE. 


bend; but see, see! they will strike, they will be 
smashed to atoms. They are lost! Push off, good 
bowmen !—push, brave fellows! There!! No—they 
are safe! That pole held its footing well ; and, just 
brushing the rock, the boat swings lightly off, and is 
im a moment reposing quietly by our side. The next 
barge approaches the dangerous pomt; she also 
seems to be running into the very jaws of destruction, 
but her bilge strikes one of the hidden stones. She 
hangs for a moment, is swung round by the resistless 
current, and now, headmg right down the channel, 
releases herself from the stone, and gains the tranquil 
space below the rapid. But look, look! her crew 
are pulling in haste for the shore, and shouting loudly 
for aid: the boat is stove, and rapidly fillmg. We 
hasten to her side; and in a few seconds eighty 
packs of furs are transferred from her to our craft, 
and we all hurry to shore, and drag her up on the 
beach, where she is speedily repaired. 

Such are some of the incidents which attend the 
descent of dangerous rapids, which I need scarcely 
observe are formed by obstruction of the course of 
the stream, or by a sudden and irregular incline in 
its bed. Few scenes can be more stirring; the 
rushing waters, full of whirlpools, hidden rocks, and 


counter-currents, foaming, bubbling, roaring, and 


ITINERARY. 413 


madly bounding onwards—the consciousness of risk 
to be incurred by a single error or accident, and the 
mingled cries of the boatmen, half French-Canadian, 
half English, present as wild a scene as could be 
witnessed. 

The Puise, Crooked, Middle, and Knee rapids, 
Knee and Sandy lakes, the Serpent Rapid, the 
Serpent and Moose lakes, the Pin, Birchwood, 
and Canot Tourné rapids, were successively passed on 
the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th; then proceeded we through 
the Lake of the Bear islets, this having, although called 
a lake, a strong current running through, and several 
rapids in it, of which I pause only to mention the 
Rapide qui ne parle pas, so called from its silent, 
though swift course, and the Cardinal, whose. ways 
were very crooked. Next, passing the Willow 
Portage, we entered Trout Lake, and the Trout and 
Kcore rapids, pulled through the Lake des Ecores, 
and descended the Bigstone river, in which were 
several rapids; then came the Lakes des Cotes and 
du Diable, followed by a rapid and a portage also 
assigned to his Satanic Majesty. We now reached 
the other rapid, separating the smaller Diable from 
the Otter Lake. It was very deep, although turbulent, 
and little hazard was incurred in running it, but its 


ascent is not so safe. I was told that Sir John 


414 ANOTHER DANGEROUS RAPID. 


Franklin’s canoe capsized here in 1822, on his first 
expedition to the Mackenzie, and one of the crew 
was drowned. In running the Mountain Rapid one 
of the boats was badly “stove,” but such accidents 
occurred so frequently, that they were disregarded, 
except for the delay occasioned by the necessary 
repairs. Almost every Hudson’s Bay man is a rough 
carpenter, and a hole is speedily patched up with a 
piece of plank, some resin, and a few nails. On 
the 7th we met the Athabasca Brigade, and shortly 
afterwards encountered a brigade of boats under 
My. Anderson, of which three were laden with pem- 
mican and flour, for the use of any portion of the 
sought or searching expeditions which might ascend 
the Mackenzie. 

The grand Rapid du Fort de Traite required great 
judgment in its descent, having three successive 
stages of passage. Here five or six years ago an 
English half-caste lost his life; having missed his 
footing im the boat of which he was bowman, he 
pitched headlong into the seething torrent, and was 
drowned : his term of service had just expired, and 
he was returning to the Red River colony, accom- 
panied by his wife and family, who at the time 
of the disaster were quietly seated at the foot of 


the rapid, awaiting the descent of the boats, and 


A WHOLE DAY SPENT IN POLING. 415 


little expecting, poor things! their sad and sudden 
bereavement. 

This route has been travelled over for so many 
years, that there was a tale for almost every day’s 
journey. Here a man was drowned; there one was 
buried ; at this spot stood a fort im the time of the 
two companies; in that direction a quarrel occurred 
between their servants; and innumerable trifling 
incidents, or other points of interest, fill wp the inter- 
mediate distances ; nor is superstition absent herein. 
In the case of the poor fellow whose death I have 
above noticed, there were legends of corpse candles 
and other omens having been seen, the night before 
he met his fate, by two persons at a distance from 
each other. 

At the Portage du Bouleau the empty boats were 
lowered down the rapid with ropes, the stream being 
shelving, swift, and shallow. In the “ Accursed” 
River an entire day was passed in poling, or dragging 
over stones and rocks, rough and sharp, and in many 
places scarcely covered by the stream, whose velocity 
was, notwithstandmg, very considerable; and the 
boats were all much injured. Cumberland Lake and 
House were reached on the 13th, and the “Pas,” 
a missionary station presided over by the Rev. 


Mr. Hunter, next morning. A very neat church had 


416 MISSIONARY STATION. 


‘been built here, and great progress has, I believe, 
been made in the conversion of the Indians in this 
locality. We were indebted to Mr. Hunter for sup- 
plies of eggs, bread, and vegetables; these were 
grand luxuries to us in those days. The Grand 
Rapid at the entrance to Lake Winnipeg is one of 
the longest in the country: it is swift and turbulent ; 
but being very deep, may be passed in safety. with 
moderate caution. We were twenty-five minutes 
running it, and then entered Lake Winnipeg; and on 
the 18th reached Norway House, one of the most 
important of the inland stations; it is extensive, and 
in fine order, having a large garden in full cultivation, 
for which it did not seem ungrateful, producing flowers 
and vegetables in profusion. Chief Factors Ross 
and Barnston, with their families, were here, the 
former being about to resign the charge of the post, 
which he had held for many years, to the latter 
gentleman: I feel bound to acknowledge, with 
pleasure, their kind and courteous attentions. . 

On the 21st, two very bad rapids, called Les 
Portes d’Enfer, had to be run; and notwithstanding 
the great experience and exertions of our guide and 
steersmen, not a single boat escaped injury. 

Oxford House, in Oxford Lake, was touched at on 


the 23rd; during the three followmg days we 


AT HOMER. 417 


descended the Hill and Steel rivers, the former of 
which is full of bad rapids** entered the Hay River on 
the 27th, and early in the morning of the 28th, 
reached York Factory in Hudson’s Bay, the long- 
desired end of a wearying though interesting journey, 
in boats, of nearly three months. 

The Hudson’s Bay Company’s ship, “ Prince of 
Wales,” which annually visits York Factory with 
supplies, and bears back a freight. of furs, lay in the 
roads, and by her we were to return to England ; but 
as her lading was not yet complete, we remained at 
the Factory for ten days, which were passed pleasantly 
enough in the agreeable society of its inmates. | 
~ On the 7th of September we embarked, with other 
passengers, on board the “ Prince of Wales,” sailed on 
the 9th, and, having had a very rapid passage of 
three weeks, reached Old England after an absence of 
nearly four years, half frantic with delight to be once 


more 


AT HOME. 


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ALBEMARLE STREET, 
June, 1853. 


MR. MURRAY'S 
LIST OF NEW WORKS. 


SIR HUDSON LOWE’S LETTERS AND JOURNALS, 
giving for the first time the HISTORY OF THE CAPTIVITY OF 
NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA. By WILLIAM FORSYTH, M.A. 
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MR. JOHN HOLWAY’S FOUR WEEKS’ TOUR IN 
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CAPT. ERSKINE’S VISITS TO THE ISLANDS OF THE 
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THE CASTLEREAGH DESPATCHES, opbvurinc tHE 
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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 


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