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CAPT. FRANKLIN’S
JOURNEYS TO THE POLAR SEA.
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LONDON:
PRINTED BY C. ROWORTH, BELL YARD,
TEMPLE BAR.
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AUGUSTUS.
Published by John Murray, London,1825.
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JOURNEY’ @**~ 4 Te
TO THE
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA,
In 1819-20-21-22:
WITH
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE SECOND JOURNEY
In 1825-26-27.
BY
JOHN ERANKLIN, Carr. R.N. F.R.S
AND COMMANDER OF THE, EXERDITION.
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FOUR VOLS.— AVTTE PLATES." 3) 33
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VOL. W. se
LONDON: 29044
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
MDCCCXXIX.
1527
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Sessa a
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5 Sa Te! i
OF THE POLAR SEA. a
of Mr. Hearne having here given the
Indians who accompanied him some of that
liquor. Fish is not found here.
We walked next day over a more level
country, but it was strewed with large
stones. These galled our feet a good deal;
we contrived, however, to wade through the
snow at a tolerably quick pace until five
P.M., having proceeded twelve miles and
a half. We had made to-day our proper
course, south by east, which we could not
venture upon doing before, for fear of falling
again upon some branch of the Contwoy-to.
Some deer were seen in the morning, but
the hunters failed of killmg any, and in the
afternoon we fell into the track. of a large
herd, which had passed the day before, but
did not overtake them. In consequence of
this want of success we had no breakfast,
and but a scanty supper; but we allayed
the pangs of hunger by eating pieces of
singed hide. A little tripe de roche* was
also obtained. These would have satisfied
* The different kinds of gyrophora, are termed in-
discriminately by the voyagers tripe de roche.
26 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
us in ordinary times, but we were now
almost exhausted by slender fare and travel, -
and our appetites had become ravenous.
We looked, however, with humble confi-
dence to the Great Author and Giver of all
good, for a continuance of the support which
had hitherto been always supplied to us at
our greatest need. The thermometer varied
to-day between 25° and 28°. The wind
blew fresh from the south. :
On the 18th the atmosphere was hazy, —
but the day was more pleasant for walking
than usual. The country was level and
gravelly, and the snow very deep. We
went for a short time along a deeply-beaten
road made by the rein-deer, which turned
suddenly off to the south-west, a direction
so wide of our course that we could not
venture upon following it. All the small
lakes were frozen, and we marched across
those which lay in our track. We supped
off the tripe de roche which had _ been
gathered during our halts in the course of
the march. Thermometer at six P.M. 32°.
Showers of snow fell without intermission
OF THE POLAR SEA. oF
through the night, but they ceased in the
morning, and we set out at the usual hour.
The men were very faint from hunger, and
marched with difficulty, having to oppose a
fresh breeze, and to wade through snow
two feet deep. We gained, however, ten
miles by four o’clock, and then encamped.
The canoe was unfortunately broken by the
fall of the person who had it in charge.
No tripe de roche was seen to-day, but in
clearing the snow to pitch the tents we
found a quantity of Iceland moss, which
was boiled for supper. This weed, not
having been soaked, proved so bitter, that
few of the party could eat more than a few
spoonfuls.
Our blankets did not suffice this evening
to keep us in tolerable warmth; the slightest
breeze seeming to pierce through our debi-
litated frames. The reader will, probably,
be desirous to know how we passed our
time in such a comfortless situation; the
first operation after encamping was to thaw
our frozen shoes, if a sufficient fire could
be made, and dry ones were put on; each
28 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
person then wrote his notes of the daily
occurrences, and evening prayers were read ;
as soon as supper was prepared it was eaten,
generally in the dark, and we went to bed,
and kept up a cheerful conversation until
our blankets were thawed by the heat of
our bodies, and we had gathered sufficient
warmth to enable us to fall asleep. On
many nights we had not even the luxury of
going to bed in dry clothes, for when the
fire was insufficient to dry our shoes, we
durst not venture to pull them off, lest they
should freeze so hard as to be unfit to put
on in the morning, and therefore inconve-
nient to carry. !
On the 20th we got into a hilly country,
and the marching became much more labo-
rious, even’ the stoutest experienced great
difficulty in climbing the craggy eminences.
Mr. Hood was particularly weak, and was
obliged to relinquish his station of second
in the line, which Dr. Richardson now took,
to direct the leading man in keeping the
appointed course. I was also unable to
_ keep pace with the men, who put forth their
OF THE POLAR SEA. 29
utmost speed, encouraged by the hope,
which our reckoning had led us to form,
of seeing Point Lake in the evening, but we
were obliged to encamp without gaining a
view of it. We had not seen either deer or
their tracks through the day, and this cir-
cumstance, joined to the disappointment of
not discovering the lake, rendered our
voyagers very desponding, and the meagre
supper of tripe de roche was little calculated
to elevate their spirits. They now threat-
ened to throw away their bundles and quit
us, which rash act they would probably
have committed, if they had known what
track to pursue.
September 21.—We set out at seven this
morning in-dark foggy weather, and changed
our course two points to the westward.
The party were very feeble, and the men
much dispirited; we-made slow progress,
having to march over a hilly and very
rugged country.
_ Just before noon the sun beamed through
the haze for the first time for six days, and
we obtained an observation in latitude 65°
30° JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
7 06” N.; which was six miles to the south-
ward of that part of Point Lake to which
our course was directed. By this observa-
tion we discovered that we had kept to the
eastward of the proper course, which may
be attributed partly to the difficulty of pre-
serving a straight line through an unknown
country, unassisted by celestial observations,
and in such thick weather that our view was
often limited to a few hundred yards, but
chiefly to our total ignorance of the amount
of the variation of the compass.
We altered the course immediately to
west-south-west, and fired guns to apprize
the hunters who were out of our view, and
ignorant of our having done so. After
walking about two miles we waited to col-
lect the stragglers. Two partridges were
killed, and these, with some tripe de roche,
furnished our supper. Notwithstanding a
full explanation was given to the men of the
reasons for altering the course, and they
were assured that the observation had
enabled us to discover our exact distance
from Fort Enterprise, they could not divest
OF THE POLAR SEA. $l
themselves of the idea of our having lost
our way, and a gloom was spread over every
countenance. At this encampment Dr.
Richardson was obliged to deposit his spe-
cimens of plants and minerals, collected on
the sea-coast, being unable to carry them
any farther. The way made to-day was
five miles and a quarter.
September 22.—After walking about two
miles this morning, we came upon the bor-
ders of an extensive lake, whose extremities
could not be discerned in consequence of
the density of the atmosphere; but as its
shores seemed to approach nearer to each
other to the southward than to the north-
ward, we determined on tracing it in that
direction. We were grieved at finding the
lake expand very much beyond the con-
tracted part we had first seen, and incline
to the eastward of south. As, however, it
was considered more than probable, from
the direction and size of the body of water
we were now tracing, that it was a branch
of Poimt Lake; and as, in any case, we
knew that by passing round its south end
32 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
we must shortly come to the Copper-Mine
River, our course was continued in that
direction. ‘The appearance of some dwarf
pines and willows, larger than usual, induced
us to suppose the river was near. We en-
camped early, having come eight miles.
Our supper consisted of tripe de roche and
half a partridge each.
Our progress next day was extremely
slow, from the difficulty of managing the
canoe in passing over the hills, as the breeze
was fresh. Peltier, who had it mm charge,
having received several severe falls, became
impatient, and insisted on leaving his bur-
den, as it had already been much injured
by the accidents of this day; and no argu-
ments we could use were sufficient to pre-
vail on him to continue carrying it. Vail-
lant was, therefore, directed to take it, and
we proceeded forward. Having found that
he got on very well, and was walking even
faster than Mr. Hood could follow, in his
present debilitated state, I pushed forward
to stop the rest of the party, who had got
out of sight during the delay which the dis-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 33
cussion respecting the canoe had occasioned.
I accidentally passed the body of the men,
and followed the tracks of two persons who
had separated from the rest, until two P.M.,
when not seeing any person, I retraced my
steps, and on my way met Dr. Richardson,
who had also missed the party whilst he
was employed gathering tripe de roche, and
we went back together in search of them.
We found they had halted among some wil-
lows, where they had picked up some pieces
of skin, and a few bones of deer that had
been devoured by the wolves last spring.
They had rendered the bones friable by
burning, and eaten them as well as the
skin; and several of them had added their
old shoes to the repast. Peltier and Vail-
lant were with them, having left the canoe,
which, they said, was so completely broken
by another fall, as to be rendered incapable
of repair, and entirely useless. The anguish
this intelligence occasioned may be con-
ceived, but it is beyond my power to de-
scribe it. Impressed, however, with the
necessity of taking it forward, even in the
VOL. IV. D
34 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
state these men represented it to be, we
urgently desired them to fetch it; but they
declined going, and the strength of the of-
ficers was inadequate to the task. ‘To their
infatuated obstinacy on this occasion, a great
portion of the melancholy circumstances
which attended our subsequent progress
may, perhaps, be attributed. The men now
seemed to have lost all hope of beg pre-
served; and all the arguments we could
use failed in stimulating them to the least
exertion. After consuming the remains of
the bones and horns of the deer, we resumed
our march, and in the evening reached a
contracted part of the lake, which, perceiv-
ing it to be shallow, we forded, and en-
camped on the opposite side. Heavy rain
began soon afterwards, and continued all
night. On the following morning the rain
had so wasted the snow, that the tracks of
Mr. Back and his companions, who had
gone before with the hunters, were traced
with difficulty; and the frequent showers
during the day almost obliterated them.
The men became furious at the apprehen-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 85
sion of being deserted by the hunters, and
some of the strongest throwing down their
bundles, prepared to set out after them,
intending to leave the more weak to follow
as they could. ‘The entreaties and threats
of the officers, however, prevented their
executing this mad scheme; but not before
Solomon Belanger was despatched with or-
ders for Mr. Back to halt until we should
_jomhim. Soon afterwards a thick fog came
on, but we continued our march and over-
took Mr. Back, who had been detained in
consequence of his companions having fol-
lowed some recent tracks of deer. After
halting an hour, during which we refreshed.
ourselves with eating our old shoes and a
few scraps of leather, we set forward in the
hope of ascertaining whether an adjoining
piece of water was the Copper-Mine River
or not, but were soon compelled to return
and encamp, for fear of a separation of the
party, as we could not see each other at ten
yards’ distance. The fog diminishing to-
wards evening, Augustus was sent to exa-
mine the water, but having lost his way,
D2
36 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
he did not reach the tents before midnight,
when he brought the information of its be-
ing a lake. We supped upon tripe de roche, —
and enjoyed a comfortable fire, having found
some pines, seven or eight feet high, in a
valley near the encampment.
The bounty of Providence was most sea-~
sonably manifested to us next morning, in
our killing five small deer out of a herd,
which came in sight as we were on the point
of starting. This unexpected supply re-
animated the drooping spirits of our men, —
and filled every heart with gratitude.
The voyagers instantly petitioned for a
day’s rest, which we were most reluctant to
grant, being aware of the importance of
every moment at this critical period of our
journey. But they so earnestly and strongly
pleaded their recent sufferings, and their
conviction that the quiet enjoyment of two
substantial meals, after eight days’ famine,
would enable them to proceed next day
more vigorously, that we could not resist
their entreaties. The flesh, the skins, and
even the contents of the stomachs of the
.
OF THE POLAR SEA. 37
deer were equally distributed among the
party by Mr. Hood, who had volunteered,
on the departure of Mr. Wentzel, to per-
form the duty of issuing the provision.
This invidious task he had all along per-
formed with great impartiality, but seldom
without producing some grumbling amongst
the Canadians; and, on the present occasion,
the hunters were displeased that the heads
and some other parts had not been added
to their portions. It is proper to remark,
that Mr. Hood always took the smallest
portion for his own mess; but this weighed
little with these men as long as their own
appetites remained unsatisfied. We all suf-
fered much inconvenience from eating ani-
mal food after our long abstinence, but
particularly those men who indulged them-
selves beyond moderation. The Canadians,,
with their usual thoughtlessness, had con-°.
sumed above a third of their portions of
meat that evening.
We set out early on the 26th, and after
walking about three miles along the lake,
came to the river which we at once recog-
38 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
nized, from its size, to be the Copper-Mine.
It flowed to the northward, and after wind-
ing about five miles, terminated in Point
Lake. Its current was swift, and there
were two rapids in this part of its course,
which in a canoe we could have crossed
with ease and safety. These rapids, as
well as every other part of the river, were
carefully examined in search of a ford; but
finding none, the expedients secured of
attempting to cross on a raft made of the
willows which were growing there, or in a _
vessel framed with willows, and covered —
with the canvass of the tents; but both
these schemes were abandoned, through
the obstinacy of the interpreters and the
most experienced voyagers, who declared
that they would prove inadequate to the
conveyance of the party, and that much time
would be lost in the attempt. The men, in
fact, did not believe that this was the Cop-
per-Mine River, and so little confidence
had they in our reckoning, and so much
had they bewildered cnevnelents on the
march, that some of them asserted it was
OF THE POLAR SEA. 39
Hood’s River, and others that it was the
Bethe-tessy, (a river which rises from a
lake to the northward of Rum Lake, and
holds a course to the sea parallel with that
of the Copper-Mine.) In short, their de-
spondency had returned, and they all de-
spaired of seeing Fort Enterprise again.
However, the steady assurances of the of-
ficers that we were actually on the banks of
the Copper-Mine River, and that the dis-
‘tance to Fort Enterprise did not exceed
forty miles, made some impression upon
them, which was increased upon our finding
some bear-berry plants (arbutus uva urst),
which are reported by the Indians not to
grow to the eastward of that river. They
then deplored their folly and impatience in
breaking the canoe, being all of opinion,
that had it not been so completely demo-
lished on the 23d, it might have been re-
paired sufficiently to take the party over.
We again closely interrogated Peltier and
Vaillant as to its state, with the intention
of sending for it; but they persisted in the
declaration that it was in a totally unser-
4.0 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
viceable condition. St. Germain being again
called upon to endeavour to construct a ca-
noe frame with willows, stated that he was
unable to make one sufficiently large. It
became necessary, therefore, to search for
pines of sufficient size to form a raft; and
being aware that such trees grow on the
borders of Point Lake, we considered it
best to trace its shores in search of them ;
we, therefore, resumed our march, carefully
looking, but in vain, for a fordable part,
and encamped at the east end of Point
Lake.
As there was little danger of our losing
the path of our hunters whilst we coasted
~the shores of this lake, I determined on
again sending Mr. Back forward, with the
interpreters to hunt. I had m view, in this
arrangement, the further object of enabling
Mr. Back to get across the lake with two of
these men, to convey the earliest possible
account of our situation to the Indians.
Accordingly I instructed him to halt at the
first pines he should come to, and then pre-
pare a raft; and if his hunters had killed
OF THE POLAR SEA. A]
animals, so that the party could be sup-
ported whilst we were making our raft, he
was to cross immediately with St. Germain
and Beauparlant, and send the Indians to
us as quickly as possible with supplies of
meat.
We had this evening the pain of discover-
ing that two of our men had stolen part of
the officers’ provision, which had _ been
allotted to us with strict impartiality. This
conduct was the more reprehensible, as it
was plain that we were suffering even in a
greater degree than themselves, from the
effects of famine, owing to our being of a
less robust habit, and less accustomed to
privations. We had no means of punishing
this crime, but by the threat that they
should forfeit their wages, which had now
ceased to operate.
Mr. Back and his companions set out at
six in the morning, and we started at seven.
As the snow had entirely disappeared, and
there were no means of distinguishing the
footsteps of stragglers, I gave strict orders,
previously to setting out, for all the party
42 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
to keep together: and especially I desired
the two Esquimaux not to leave us, they
having often strayed in search of the re- |
mains of animals. Our people, however,
through despondency, had become careless
and disobedient, and had ceased to dread
punishment, or hope for reward. Much
time was lost in halting and firmg guns to
collect them, but the labour of walking was
so much lightened by the disappearance of
the snow, that we advanced seven or eight
miles along the lake before noon, exclusive
of the loss of distance in rounding its nu-
merous bays. At length we came to an
arm, running away to the north-east, and
apparently connected with the lake which
we had coasted on the 22d, 23d, and 24th
of the month.
The idea of again rounding such an ex-
tensive piece of water and of travelling over
so barren a country was dreadful, and we
feared that other arms, equally large, might
obstruct our path, and that the strength of
the party would entirely fail, long before
we could reach the only part where we were
OF THE POLAR SEA. 43
certain of finding wood, distant in a direct
line twenty-five miles. While we halted to
consider of this subject, and to collect the
party, the carcase of a deer was discovered
in the cleft of a rock into which it had fallen
in the spring. It was putrid, but little less
acceptable to us on that account, in our
present circumstances; and a fire being
kindled, a large portion was devoured on
the spot, affording us an unexpected break-
fast: for, in order to husband our small re-
maining portion of meat, we had agreed to
make only one scanty meal a-day. ‘The
men, cheered by this unlooked-for supply,
became sanguine in the hope of being able
to cross the stream on a raft of willows,
although they had before declared such a
project impracticable, and they unanimously
entreated us to return back to the rapid, a
request which accorded with our own opi-
nion, and was therefore acceded to. Crédit
and Junius, however, were missing, and it
was also necessary to send notice of our in-
tention to Mr. Back and his party. Au-
gustus, being promised a reward, undertook
44 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
the task, and we agreed to wait for him at
the rapid. It was supposed he could not
fail meeting with the two stragglers on his
way to and from Mr. Back, as it was likely
they would keep on the borders of the lake.
He accordingly set out after Mr. Back,
whilst we returned about a mile towards
the rapid, and encamped in a deep valley
amongst some large willows. We supped
on the remains of the putrid deer, and the
men, having gone to the spot where it was
found, scraped together the contents of its
intestines, which were scattered on the rock,
and added them to their meal. We also
enjoyed the luxury to-day of eating a large
quantity of excellent blue-berries and cran-
berries (vaccinitum uliginosum and v. vitis
idea), which were laid bare by the melting
of the snow, but nothing could allay our in-
ordinate appetites.
In the night we heard the report of Cré-
dit’s gun in answer to our signal muskets,
and he rejoined us in the morning, but we
got no intelligence of Junius. We set out
about an hour after daybreak, and encamped
OF THE POLAR SEA. 4}
at two P.M. between the rapids, where the
fiver was about one hundred and thirty
yards wide, being its narrowest part.
Eight deer were seen by Michel and
Crédit, who loitered behind the rest of the
party, but they could not approach them.
A great many shots were fired by those in
the rear at partridges, but they missed, or
at least did not choose to add what they
killed to the common stock. We subse-
quently learned that the hunters often se-
creted the partridges they shot, and ate
them unknown to the officers. Some tripe
de roche was collected, which we boiled for
supper, with the moiety of the remainder
of our deer’s meat. The men commenced
cutting the willows for the construction of
the raft. As an excitement to exertion, I
promised a reward of three hundred livres
to the first person who should convey a line
across the river, by which the raft could be
managed in transporting the party.
September 29.—Strong south-east winds
with fog in the morning, more moderate in
the evening. Temperature of the rapid 38°,
46 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
The men began at an early hour to bind the
willows in fagots for the construction of the
raft, and it was finished by seven; but as
the willows were green, it proved to be very
little buoyant, and was unable to support
more than one man at a time. Even on
this, however, we hoped the whole party
might be transported, by hauling it from
one side to the other, provided a line could
be carried to the other bank. Several at-
tempts were made by Belanger and Benoit,
the strongest men of the party, to convey
the raft across the stream, but they failed
for want of oars. A pole constructed by
tying the tent poles together, was too short
to reach the bottom at a short distance from
the shore; and a paddle which had been
carried from the sea-coast by Dr. Richard-
son did not possess sufficient power to move
the raft in opposition to a strong breeze,
which blew from the other side. All the
men suffered extremely from the coldness
of the water, in which they were necessarily
immersed up to the waists, in their endea-
vours to aid Belanger and Benoit; and
OF THE POLAR SEA. A7
having witnessed repeated failures, they
began to consider the scheme as hopeless.
At this time Dr. Richardson, prompted by
a desire of relieving his suffering compa-
nions, proposed to swim across the stream
with a line, and to haul the raft over. He
launched into the stream with the line
round his middle, but when he had gota
short distance from the bank, his arms be-
came benumbed with cold, and he lost the
power of moving them; still he persevered,
and, turning on his back, had nearly gained
the opposite bank, when his legs also be-
came powerless, and to our infinite alarm
we beheld him sink. We instantly hauled
upon the line and he came again on the
surface, and was gradually drawn ashore in
an almost lifeless state. Being rolled up in
blankets, he was placed before a good fire
of willows, and fortunately was just able to
speak sufficiently to give some slight direc-
tions respecting the manner of treating him.
He recovered strength gradually, and
‘through the blessing of God was enabled in
the course of a few hours to converse, and
48 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
by the evening was sufficiently recovered
to remove into the tent. We then regretted
to learn, that the skin of his whole left side
was deprived of feeling, in consequence of
exposure to too great heat. He did not
perfectly recover the sensation of that side
until the following summer. I cannot de-
scribe what every one felt at beholding the
skeleton which the Doctor’s debilitated
frame exhibited. When he stripped, the
Canadians simultaneously exclaimed, “ Ah!
que nous sommes maigres!” I shall best
explain his state and that of the party, by
the following extract from his journal: “ It
may be worthy of remark that I should
have had little hesitation in any former
period of my life, at plunging into water
even below 38° Fahr.; but at this time I
was reduced almost to skin and bone, and,
like the rest of the party, suffered from
degrees of cold that would have been dis-
regarded in health and vigour. During the
whole of our march we experiénced that no
quantity of clothing could keep us warm
whilst we fasted, but on those occasions on
OF THE POLAR SEA. 49
which we were enabled to go to bed with
full stomachs, we passed the night in a
warm and comfortable manner.”
In following the detail of our friend’s
narrow escape, I have omitted to mention,
that when he was about to step into the
water, he put his foot on a dagger, which
cut him to the bone; but this misfortune
could not stop him from attempting the —
execution of his generous undertaking.
In the evening Augustus came in. He
had walked a day and a half beyond the
place from whence we turned back, but had
neither seen Junius nor Mr. Back. Of the
former he had seen no traces, but he had
followed the tracks of Mr. Back’s party for
a considerable distance, until. the hardness
of the ground rendered them imperceptible.
Junius was well equipped with ammunition,
blankets, knives, a kettle, and other neces-
saries; and it was the opinion of Augustus
that when he found he could not rejoin the
party, he would endeavour to gain the woods
on the west end of Point Lake, and follow
the river until he fell in with the Esqui-
VOL. IV. E
50 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
maux, who frequent its mouth. The Indians
too, with whom we have since conversed
upon this subject, are confident that he
would be able to subsist himself during the
winter. Crédit, on his hunting excursion
to-day, found a cap, which our people re-
cognised to belong to one of the hunters
who had left us in the spring. This cir-
cumstance produced the conviction of our
being on the banks of the Copper-Mine
River, which all the assertions of the officers
had hitherto failed in effecting with some of
the party; and it had the happy consequence
of reviving their spirits considerably. We
consumed the last of our deer’s meat this
evening at supper.
Next morning the men went out in search
of dry willows, and collected eight large
faggots, with which they formed a more
buoyant raft than the former, but the wind
being still adverse and strong, they delayed
attempting to cross until a more favourable
opportunity. Pleased, however, with the
appearance of this raft, they collected some
érype de roche and made a cheerful supper.
OF THE POLAR SEA, 5}
Dr. Richardson was gaining strength, but
his leg was much swelled and very painful.
An observation for latitude placed the en-
campment in 65° 00’ 00” N., the longitude
being 112° 20’ 00" W., deduced from the
last observation.
On the morning of the Ist of October,
the wind was strong, and the weather as
unfavourable as before for crossing on the
raft. We were rejoiced to see Mr. Back
and his party in the afternoon. They had
traced the lake about fifteen miles farther
than we did, and found it undoubtedly con-
nected, as we had supposed, with the lake
we fell in with on the 22d of September;
and dreading, as we had done, the idea of
coasting its barren shores, they returned to
make an attempt at crossing here. St.
Germain now proposed to make a canoe of
the fragments of painted canvass in which
we wrapped our bedding. This scheme
appearing practicable, a party was sent to
our encampment of the 24th and 25th last,
to collect pitch amongst the small pines that
E 2
52 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
grew there, to pay over the seams of the
canoe. :
In the afternoon we had a heavy fall of
snow, which continued all night. A small
quantity of tripe de roche was gathered; and
Crédit, who had been hunting, brought in
the antlers and back bone of a deer which
had been killed in the summer, The wolves
and birds of prey had picked them clean,
but there still remained a quantity of the
spinal marrow which they had not been able
to extract. This, although putrid, was es-
teemed a valuable prize, and the spine
being divided into portions was distributed
equally. After eating the marrow, which
was so acrid as to excoriate the lips, we
rendered the bones friable by burning, and
ate them also.
On the following morning the ground
was covered with snow to the depth of a
foot and a half, and the weather was very
stormy. These circumstances rendered the
men again extremely despondent; a settled
gloom hung over their countenances, and
OF THE POLAR SEA. 53
they refused to pick tripe de roche, choosing
rather to go entirely without eating than to ©
make any exertion. ‘The party which went
for gum returned early in the morning
without having found any; but St. Germain
said he could still make the canoe with the
willows covered with canvass, and removed
with Adam to a clump of willows for that
purpose. Mr. Back accompanied them to
stimulate his exertion, as we feared the
lowness of his spirits would cause him to
be slow in his operations. Augustus went
to fish at the rapid, but a large trout having
carried away his bait, we had nothing to
replace it.
The snow-storm continued all the night,
and during the forenoon of the 3d. Having
persuaded the people to gather some tripe
de roche, 1 partook of a meal with them;
and afterwards set out with the intention of
going to St. Germain to hasten his opera-
tions, but though he was only three quarters
of a mile distant, I spent three hours in a
vain attempt to reach him, my strength
‘being unequal to the labour of wading
54 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
through the deep snow, and I returned
quite exhausted, and much shaken by the
numerous falls I had got. My associates
were all in the same debilitated state, and
poor Hood was reduced to a perfect shadow,
from the severe bowel complaints which the
tripe de roche never failed to give him.
Back was so feeble as to require the support
of a stick in walking, and Dr. Richardson
had lameness superadded to weakness.
The voyagers were somewhat stronger than
ourselves, but more indisposed to exertion,
on account of their despondency. The
sensation of hunger was no longer felt by
any of us, yet we were scarcely able to
converse upon any other subject than the
pleasures of eating. We were much in-
debted to Hepburn at this crisis. The
officers were unable from weakness to
gather tripe de roche themselves, and Sa-
mandré, who had acted as our cook on the
journey from the coast, sharing in the de-
spair of the rest of the Canadians, refused
to make the slightest exertion. Hepburn,
on the contrary, animated by a firm reliance
OF THE POLAR SEA. a
on the beneficence of the Supreme Being,
tempered with resignation to his will, was
indefatigable in his exertions to serve us,
and daily collected all the tripe de roche
that was used in the officers’ mess. Mr.
Hood could not partake of this miserable
fare, and a partridge which had been re-
served for him was, I lament to say, this
day stolen by one of the men.
October 4.—The canoe being finished, it
was brought to the encampment, and the
whole party being assembled in anxious
expectation on the beach, St. Germain
embarked, and amidst our prayers for his
success, succeeded in reaching the opposite
shore. The canoe was then drawn back
again, and another person transported, and
in this manner by drawing it backwards
and forwards, we were all conveyed over
without any serious accident. By these
frequent traverses the canoe was materially
injured; and latterly it filled each time with
water before reaching the shore, so that all
our garments and bedding were wet, and
there was not a sufficiency of willows upon
56 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
the side on which we now were to make a
fire to dry them.
That no time might be lost in wiles
relief, I immediately despached Mr. Back,
with St. Germain, Solomon Belanger, and
Beauparlant, to search for the Indians,
directing him to go to Fort Enterprise,
where we expected they would be, or
where, at least, a note from Mr. Wentzel
would be found to direct us in our search
for them. If St. Germain should kill any
animals on his way, a portion of the meat
was to be put up securely for us, and con-
spicuous marks placed over it.
It is impossible to imagine a more grati-
fying change than was produced in our
voyagers after we were all safely landed on
the southern banks of the river. Their
spirits immediately revived, each of them
shook the officers cordially by the hand,
and declared they now considered the worst
of their difficulties over, as they did not
doubt of reaching Fort Enterprise in a few
days, even in their feeble condition. We
had, indeed, every reason to be grateful,
OF THE POLAR SEA. 57
and our joy would have been complete had
it not been mingled with sincere regret at
the separation of our poor Esquimaux, the
faithful Junius.
The want of tripe de roche caused us to
go supperless to bed. Showers of snow
fell frequently during the night. The
breeze was light next morning, the weather
cold and clear. We were all on foot by
day-break, but from the frozen state of our
tents and bed-clothes, it was long before
the bundles could be made, and, as usual,
the men lingered over a small fire they had
kindled, so that it was eight o’clock before
we started. Our advance, from the depth
of the snow, was slow, and about noon,
coming to a spot where there was some
tripe de roche, we stopped to collect it, and
breakfasted. Mr. Hood, who was now very
feeble, and Dr. Richardson, who attached
himself to him, walked together at a gentle
pace in the rear of the party. I kept with
the foremost men, to cause them to halt
occasionally until the stragglers came up.
Resuming our march after breakfast, we
&
58 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
followed the track of Mr. Back’s party, and —
encamped early, as all of us were much ©
fatigued, particularly Crédit, who having
to-day carried the men’s tent, it being his
turn so to do, was so exhausted, that when
he reached the encampment he was unable
to stand. The tripe de roche disagreed with
this man and with Vaillant, m consequence
of which, they were the first whose strength
totally failed. We had a small quantity of
this weed in the evening, and the rest of
our supper was made up of scraps of roasted
leather. The distance walked to-day was
six miles, As Crédit was very weak in the
morning, his load was reduced to little more
than his personal luggage, consisting of his
blanket, shoes, and gun. Previous to set-.
ting out, the whole party ate the remains of
their old shoes, and whatever scraps of
leather they had, to strengthen their sto-
machs for the fatigue of the day’s journey.
We left the encampment at nine, and pur-
sued our route over a range of black hills,
The wind having increased to a strong gale
in the course of the morning became
OF THE POLAR SEA. 59
piercingly cold, and the drift rendered it
difficult for those in the rear to follow the
track over the heights; whilst in the val-
_ leys, where it was sufficiently marked, from
the depth of the snow the labour of walking
was proportionably great. Those in ad-
vance made, as usual, frequent halts, yet
being unable from the severity of the wea-
ther to remain long still, they were obliged
to move on before the rear could come up,
and the party, of course, straggled very
much.
About noon Samandré coming up in-
formed us that Crédit and Vaillant could
advance no further. Some willows being
discovered in a valley near us, I proposed
to halt the party there, whilst Dr. Richard-
son went back to visit them. I hoped too
that when the sufferers received the infor-
mation of a fire being kindled at so short a
distance they would be cheered, and use
their utmost efforts to reach it, but this
_ proved a vain hope. The Doctor found
Vaillant about a mile and a half in the rear,
much exhausted with cold and fatigue.
60 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
Having encouraged him to advance to the
fire, after repeated solicitations he made the
attempt, but fell down amongst the deep
snow at every step. Leaving him in this
situation, the Doctor went about half a mile
farther back, to the spot where Crédit was
said to have halted, and the track being
nearly obliterated by the snow drift, it be-
came unsafe for him to go further. Re-
turning he passed Vaillant, who, having
moved only a few yards in his absence, had -
fallen down, was unable to rise, and could
scarcely answer his questions. Being un-
able to afford him any effectual assistance,
he hastened on to inform us of his situa-
tion. When J. B. Belanger had heard the
melancholy account, he went immediately
to aid Vaillant, and bring up his burden.
Respecting Crédit, we were informed by
Samandré that he had stopped a short dis-
tance behind Vaillant, but that his intention
was to return to the encampment of the
preceding evening. |
When Belanger came back with Vaillant’s
load, he informed us that he had found him
OF THE POLAR SEA, 61
lying on his back, benumbed with cold, and
incapable of being roused. .The stoutest
men of the party were now earnestly
entreated to bring him to the fire, but they
declared themselves unequal to the task;
and, on the contrary, urged me to allow
them to throw down their loads, and pro-
ceed to Fort Enterprise with the utmost
speed. A compliance with their desire
would have caused the loss of the whole
party, for the men were totally ignorant of
the course to be pursued, and none of the
officers, who could have directed the march,
were sufficiently strong to keep up at the
pace they would then walk; besides, even
supposing them to have found their way, ~~
the strongest men would certainly have
deserted the weak. Something, however,
was absolutely necessary to be done to
relieve them as much as possible from their
burdens, and the officers consulted on the
subject. Mr. Hood and Dr. Richardson
proposed to remain behind, with a single
attendant, at the first place where sufficient
wood and tripe de roche should be found for
62 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
ten days’ consumption, and that I should
proceed as expeditiously as possible with
the men to the house, and thence send them
immediate relief. * They strongly urged
that this arrangement would contribute to
the safety of the rest of the party, by
relieving them from the burden of a tent
and several other articles, and that they
might afford aid to Crédit, if he should
unexpectedly come up. I was distressed
beyond description at the thought of leaving ©
them in such a dangerous situation, and for
a long time combated their proposal; but
they strenuously urged that this step —
afforded the only chance of safety for the
party, and I reluctantly acceded to it. The
ammunition, of which we had a small barrel,
was also to be left with them, and it was
hoped tnat this deposit would be a strong
inducement for the Indians to venture
across the barren grounds to their aid.
We communicated this resolution to the
men, who were cheered at the slightest
prospect of alleviation to their present
‘miseries, and promised, with great appear-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 63
ance of earnestness, to return to those
officers upon the first supply of food.
The party then moved on; Vaillant’s
blanket and other necessaries were left in
the track at the request of the Canadians,
without any hope, however, of his being
able to reach them. After marching till
dusk without seeing a favourable place for
encamping, night compelled us to take
shelter under the lee of a hill amongst some
willows, with which, after many attempts, we
at length made a fire. It was not sufficient,
however, to warm the whole party, much
less to thaw our shoes; and the weather
not permitting the gathering of tripe de roche,
we had nothing to cook. The painful
retrospection of the melancholy events of
the day banished sleep, and we shuddered
as we contemplated the dreadful effects of
this bitterly cold night on our two compa- |
‘nions, if still living. Some faint hopes were
entertained of Crédit’s’ surviving the storm,
as he was provided with a good blanket, —_.
and had leather to eat.
The weather was mild next morning.
64 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
We left the encampment at nine, and a little
before noon came to a pretty extensive
thicket of small willows, near which there
appeared a supply of tripe de roche on the
.-~face of the rocks. At this place Dr.
Richardson and Mr. Hood determined to
remain, with John Hepburn, who volun-
teered to stop with them. The tent was
securely pitched, a few willows collected,
and the ammunition and all other articles
were deposited, except each man’s clothing, —
one tent, a sufficiency of ammunition for —
the journey, and the officers’ journals. I
had only one blanket, which was carried for
me, and two pair of shoes. The offer was
now made for any of the men, who felt
themselves too weak to proceed, to remain
with the officers, but none of them accepted
it. Michel alone felt some inclination to do
so. After we had united in thanksgiving
and prayers to Almighty God, I separated
from my companions, deeply afflicted that a
train of melancholy circumstances should
have demanded of me the severe trial of
parting, in such a condition, from friends
OF THE POLAR SEA. 65
who had become endeared to me by their
constant kindness and co-operation, and a
participation of numerous sufferings. This
trial I could not have been induced to |
undergo, but for the reasons they had so
_ strongly urged the day before, to which my
own judgment assented, and for the sanguine
hope I felt of either finding a supply of
provision at Fort Enterprise, or meeting the
Indians in the immediate vicinity of that
place, according to my arrangements with
Mr. Wentzel and Akaitcho. Previously to
our. starting, Peltier and Benoit repeated
their promises, to return to them with pro-
vision, if any should be found at the house,
or to guide the Indians to them, if any were
met.
Greatly as Mr. Hood was exhausted, and
indeed incapable, as he must have proved,
of encountering the fatigue of our very next
day’s journey, so that I felt his resolution
to be prudent, I was sensible that his deter-
mination to remain was chiefly prompted
by the disinterested and generous wish to
remove impediments to the progress of the
VOL. Iv. E
66 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
rest. Dr. Richardson and Hepburn, who
were both in a state of strength to keep
pace with the men, besides this motive
which they shared with him, were influenced
in their resolution to remain, the former by
the desire which had distinguished his cha-
racter, throughout the expedition, of de-
voting himself to the succour of the weak,
and the latter by the zealous attachment he
had ever shown towards his officers.
We set out without waiting to take any
of the tripe de roche, and walking at a tole-
rable pace, in an hour arrived at a fine
group of pines, about a mile and a quarter
from the tent. We sincerely regretted not
having seen these before we separated from
our companions, as they would have been
better supplied with fuel here, and there
appeared to be more tripe de roche than
where we had left them.
Descending afterwards into a more level
country, we found the snow very deep, and
the labour of wading through it so fatigued
the whole party, that we were compelled to
encamp, after a march of four miles and a
OF THE POLAR SEA. 67
half. Belanger and Michel were left far
behind, and when they arrived at the en-
campment appeared quite exhausted. The
former, bursting into tears, declared - his
inability to proceed, and begged me to let
him go back next morning to the tent, and
shortly afterwards Michel made the same
request. I was in hopes they might recover
a little strength by the night’s rest, and
therefore deferred giving any permission
until morning. ‘The sudden failure in the
‘strength of these men cast a gloom over
the rest, which I tried in vain to remove,
by repeated assurances that the distance to
Fort Enterprise was short, and that we
should, in all probability, reach it in four
days. Not being able to find any tripe de ~
roche, we drank an infusion of the Labrador »/<***
tea plant (ledum palustre), and ate a few
morsels of burnt leather for supper. We
were unable to raise the tent, and found its
weight too great to carry it on; we, there- —
fore cut it up, and took a part of the canvass
for a cover. The night was bitterly cold,
and though we lay as close to each other as
F2
68 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
possible, having no shelter, we could not
keep ourselves sufficiently warm to sleep.
A strong gale came on after midnight, which
increased the severity of the weather. In .
the morning Belanger and Michel renewed
their request to be permitted to go back to
the tent, assuring me they were still weaker
than on the preceding evening, and less ca-
pable of going forward; and they urged
that the stopping at a place where there
was a supply of tripe de roche was their only
chance of preserving life: under these cir-
cumstances I could not do otherwise than
yield to their desire. I wrote a note to Dr.
Richardson and Mr. Hood, informing them
of the pines we had passed, and recom-
mending their removing thither. Having
found that Michel was carrying a consider-
able quantity of ammunition, I desired him
to divide it among my party, leaving him
only ten balls and a little shot, to kill any
animals he might meet on his way to the
tent. ‘This man was very particular in his
inquiries respecting the direction of the
house, and the course we meant to pursue ;
OF THE POLAR SEA. 69
he also said that if he should be able, he
would go and search for Vaillant and Cré-
dit; and he requested my permission to
take Vaillant’s blanket, if he should find it,
which I agreed, and mentioned it in my
notes to the officers.
Scarcely were these arrangements finished
before Perrault and Fontano were seized
with a gaa and betrayed other
symptems of extreme debility. Some tea
was quickly prepared for them, and after
drinking it, and eating a few morsels of
burnt leather, they recovered, and expressed
their desire to go forward; but the other
men, alarmed at what they had just witness-
ed, became doubtful of their own strength,
and, giving way to absolute dejection, de-
clared their mability to move. I now ear-
nestly pressed upon them the necessity of
continuing our journey, as the only means
of saving their own lives, as well as those
of our friends at the tent; and, after much
entreaty, got them to set out at ten A.M.:
Belanger and Michel were left at the en-
campment, and proposed to start shortly
70 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
afterwards. By the time we had gone about
two hundred yards, Perrault became again
dizzy, and desired us to halt, which we did,
until he, recovering, offered to march on.
Ten minutes more had hardly elapsed be-
fore he again desired us to stop, and, burst-
ing into tears, declared he was totally ex-
hausted and unable to accompany us further.
As the encampment was not more than a
quarter of a mile distant, we recommended
that he should return to it, and rejoin Be-
langer and Michel, whom we knew to be.
still there, from perceiving the smoke of a
fresh fire ; and because they had not made
any preparation for starting when we quit-
ted them. He readily acquiesced in the
proposition, and having taken a friendly
leave of each of us, and enjoined us to
make all the haste we could in sending re-
lief, he turned back, keeping his gun and
ammunition. We watched him until he
was nearly at the fire, and then proceeded.
During these detentions, Augustus becoming
impatient of the delay had walked on, and
we lost sight of him. The labour we expe-
~
OF THE POLAR SEA. 71
rienced in wading through the deep snow
induced us to cross a foderate sized lake,
which lay in our track, but we found this
operation far more harassing. As the sur-
face of the ice was perfectly smooth, we
slipt at almost every step, and were fre-
quently blown down by the wind with such
force as to shake our whole frames.
Poor Fontano was completely exhausted
_bytlie Tabour of this traverse, and we made
a halt until his strength was recruited, by
which time the party was benumbed with
cold. Proceeding again, he got on tolerably
well for a an time; but being again seized
with faintness and dizziness, he fell often,
and at | ane exclairfied that he could go
no further. We immediately stopped, and
endeavoured to encourage him to persevere,
until we should find some willows to en-
camp; he insisted, however, that he could
not.march any longer through this deep
snow; and said, that if he should even
reach our encampment this evening, he
must be left there, provided tripe de roche
could not be procured to recruit his strength.
42 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
The poor man was overwhelmed with grief,
and seemed desirous to remain at that spot.
We were about two miles from the place
where the other men had been left, and as_
the track to it was beaten, we proposed to
him to return thither, as we thought it pro-
bable he would find the men still there; at
any rate, he would be able to get fuel to
keep him warm during the night; and, on
the next day, he could follow their track to
the officers’ tent; and, should the path be
covered by the snow, the pines we had
passed yesterday would guide him, as they
were yet in view.
{ cannot describe my anguish on the oc-
casion of separating from another com-
panion under circumstances so distressing.
There was, however, no alternative. The
extreme debility of the rest of the party put
the carrying him quite out of the question,
as he himself admitted ; and it was evident
that the frequent delays he must occasion
if he accompanied us, and did not gain
strength, would endanger the lives of the
whole. By returning he had the prospect
OF THE POLAR SEA. 19
of getting to the tent where tripe de roche
could be obtained, which agreed with him
better than with any other of the party,
and which he was always very assiduous in
_ gathering. After some hesitation he de-
termined on going back, and set out, having
bid each of us farewell in the tenderest
manner. -We watched him with inexpres-
sible anxiety for some time, and were re-
joiced to find, though he got on slowly,
that he kept on his legs better than before..
Antonio Fontano was an Italian, and had
served maiy years in De Meuron’s regi-
ment. He had spoken to me that very
morning and after his first attack of dizzi-
ness, about his father; and had begged,
that should he survive, I would take him
with me to England, and put him in the
way of reaching home.
The party was now reduced to five per-
sons, Adam, Peltier, Benoit, Samandré, and
myself. Continuing the journey, we came,
after an hour’s walk, to some willows, and
encamped under the shelter of a rock, hav-
ing walked in the whole four miles and a
74 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
half. We made an attempt to gather some
tripe de roche, but could not, owing to the
severity of the weather. Our supper,
therefore, consisted of tea and a few mor-
sels of leather.
Augustus did not make his appearance,
but we felt no alarm at his absence, sup-
posing he would go to the tent if he missed
our track. Having fire, we procured a
little sleep. Next morning the breeze was ©
light and the weather mild, which enabled
us to collect some tripe de roche, and to
enjoy the only meal we had had for four —
days. We derived great benefit from it,
and walked with considerably more ease
than yesterday. Without the strength it
supplied, we should certainly have been
unable to oppose the strong breeze we met
in the afternoon. After walking about five —
miles, we came upon the borders of Marten
Lake, and were rejoiced to find it frozen,
so that we could continue our course straight
for Fort Enterprise. We encamped at the
first rapid in Winter River amidst willows
and alders; but these were so frozen, and
*
OF THE POLAR SEA. : 75
the snow fell so thick, that the men had
great difficulty in making a fire. This
proving insufficient to warm us, or even
thaw our shoes, and having no food to pre-
pare, we crept under our blankets. The
arrival in a well-known part raised the spi-
rits of the men to a high pitch, and we kept
up a cheerful conversation until sleep over-
powered us. ‘The night was very stormy,
and the morning scarcely less so; but, being
desirous to reach the house this day, we
commenced our journey very early. We
were gratified by the sight of a large herd
of rein-deer on the side of the hill near the
track, but our only hunter, Adam, was too
feeble to pursue them. Our shoes and
garments were stiffened by the frost, and
we walked in great pain until we arrived at
some stunted pines, at which we halted,
made a good fire, and procured the refresh-
ment of tea. The weather becoming fine
in the afternoon, we continued our journey,
passed the Dog-rib Rock, and encamped
among a clump of pines of considerable
growth, about a mile further on. Here we
76 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
enjoyed the comfort of a large fire for the
first time since our departure from the sea-
coast; but this gratification was purchased
at the expense of many severe falls in cross- .
ing a stony valley, to get to these trees.
There was no tripe de roche, and we drank
tea and ate some of our shoes for supper.
Next moriiing; after taking the usual repast
of tea, we proceeded to the house. Musing
on what we were likely to find there, our
minds were agitated between hope and fear,
and, contrary to the custom we had kept
up, of supporting our spirits by conversa-
tion, we went silently forward.
At length we reached Fort Enterprise, ©
and to our infinite disappointment and grief
There was no deposit of provision, n no + xaed
of the Indians, no letter from Mr. Wentzel
to pomt out where the Indians might be
found. It would be impossible to describe
our sensations after entering this miserable
abode, and discovermg how we had been
neglected: the whole party shed tears, not
so much for our own fate, as for that of our
OF THE POLAR SEA. V7
friends in the rear, whose lives depended.
entirely on our sending immediate relief
from this place.
I found a note, however, from Mr. Back,
stating that he had reached the house two
days before and was going in search of the
Indians, at a part where St. Germain
deemed it probable they might be found.
If he was unsuccessful, he purposed walk-
ing to Fort Providence, and sending suc-
cour from thence: but he doubted whether
either he or his party could perform the jour-
ney to that place in their present debilitated
state. It was evident that any supply that
could be sent from Fort Providence would
be long in reaching us, neither could it be
sufficient to enable us to afford any assist-
ance to our companions behind, and that
the only relief for them must be procured
from the Indians. I resolved, therefore, on
going also in search of them; but my com-
panions were absolutely incapable of pro- |
ceeding, and I thought by halting two or
three days they might gather a little
strength, whilst the delay would afford us
78 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
the chance of Jearnmg whether Mr. Back
had seen the Indians.
We now looked round for the means of
subsistence, and were gratified to find seve-
ral deer-skins, which had been thrown away
during” our former_residence. The bones
were gathéred “from the heap of ashes;
these with the skins, and the addition of
tripe de roche, we considered would support —
us tolerably well for a time. As to the
house, the parchment being torn from the
windows, the apartment we selected for our
abode was exposed to all the rigour of the ©
season. We endeavoured to exclude the
wind as much as possible, by placing loose
boards against the apertures. The tem-
perature was now between 15° and 20°
below zero. We procured fuel by pulling
up the flooring of the other rooms, and
water for cooking, by melting the snow.
Whilst wé'were Saad round the fire, singe-
ing the deer-skin for supper, we were re-
joiced by the unexpected entrance of Au-
gustus. He had followed quite a different
course from ours, and the circumstance of
OF THE POLAR SEA. 79
his having found his way through a part of
the country he had never been in before,
must be considered a remarkable proof of
sagacity. The unusual earliness of this
winter became manifest to us from the
state of things at this spot. Last year at
the same season, and still later, there had
been very little snow on the ground, and
we were surrounded by vast herds of rein-
deer ; now there were but few recent tracks
of these animals, and the snow was upwards
of two feet deep. Winter River was then
“open, now it was frozen two feet thick.
When I arose the following morning, my
body and limbs were so swollen that I was
unabie to walk more than a few yards.
Adam was in a still worse condition, being
absolutely incapable of rising without assist-
ance. My other companions happily ex-
perienced this inconvenience in a less de-
gree, and went to collect bones, and some
tripe de roche, which supplied us with two
meals. The bones were quite acrid, and
the soup extracted from them excoriated
the mouth if taken alone, but it was some-
80 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
what milder when boiled with tripe de roche,
“""/o4 and we even thought the mixture palatable,
with the addition of salt, of Which a cask
had been fortunately left here in the spring.
ie Augustus to-day set two fishing lines below
the rapid. On his way thither he saw two
deer, but had not strength to follow them.
On the 13th the wind blew violently
from south-east, and the snow drifted so
much that the party were confined to the
house. In the afternoon of the following
day Belanger arrived with a note from Mr.
Back, stating that he had seen no trace of ©
the Indians, and desiring further imstruc-
tions as to the course he should pursue.
Belanger’s situation, however, required our
first care, as he came in almost speechless,
and covered with ice, having fallen into a ~
rapid, and, for the third time since we left
the coast, narrowly escaped drowning. He
did not recover sufficiently to answer our:
questions until we had rubbed him for some
time, changed his dress, and given him some
warm soup. My companions nursed him
with the greatest kindness, and the desire
OF THE POLAR SEA. 81
of restoring him to health seemed to absorb
all regard for their own situation. I wit-
nessed with peculiar pleasure this conduct,
so different from that which they had
- recently pursued, when every tender feeling
was suspended by the desire of self-preser-
vation. They now no longer betrayed
impatience or despondency, but were com-
posed and cheerful, and had entirely given
up the practice of swearing, to which the
Canadian,,voyagers are so lamentably ad-
| dicted. Our conversation naturally turned
“apon the prospect of getting relief, and
upon the means which were best adapted
for obtaining it. ‘che absence of all traces
of Indians on Winter River, convinced me
that they were at this time on the way to
Fort Providence, and that by proceeding
towards that post we should overtake them,
as they move slowly when they have their
families with them. ‘This route also offered
us the prospect of killing deer in the vicinity
of Rein-Deer Lake, in which neighbourhood
our men, in their journey to and fro last
winter, had always found them abundant,
VOL. Iv. G
82 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
Upon these grounds I determined on taking
the route to Fort Providence as soon as
possible, and wrote to Mr. Back, desiring
him to join me at Rein-Deer Lake, and
detailmg the occurrences since we parted,
that our friends might receive relief, in
case of any accident happening to me.
Belanger did not recover sufficient strength
to leave us before the 18th. His answers
as to the exact part of Round-Rock Lake, ©
in which he had left Mr. Back, were very
unsatisfactory; and we could only collect
that it was at a considerable distance, and
that he was still going on with the intention
of halting at the place where Akaitcho was
encamped last summer, about thirty miles
off. This distance appeared so great, that
I told Belanger it was very unsafe for him
to attempt it alone, and that he would
be several days in accomplishing it. He
‘stated, however, that as the track was
beaten, he should experience little fatigue,
and seemed so confident, that I suffered him
to depart with a supply of singed hide.
Next day I received aifekdatian? Which
OF THE POLAR SEA. 83
explained why he was so unwilling to
acquaint us with the situation of Mr. Back’s
party. He dreaded that I should resolve
upon joining it, when our numbers would >
be so great as to consume at once every
thing St. Germain might kill, if by accident
he should be successful in hunting. He
even endeavoured to entice away our other
hunter, Adam, and proposed to him to carry
off the only kettle we had, and without
which we could not have subsisted two
days. Adam’s inability to move, however,
“precluded him from agreeing to the pro-
posal, but he could assign no reason for not
acquainting me with it previous to Belan-
ger’s departure. I was at first inclined to
consider the whole matter as a fiction of
-Adam’s, but he persisted in his story without
wavering; and Belanger, when we met again,
Rontessed that every part of it was true. It
is painful to have to y record a fact so deroga-
tory to human nature, but I have deeraed
it proper to mention it, to show the difficul-
ties we had to contend with, and the effect
which distress had in warping the feelings
G2
*
84 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
and understanding of the most diligent and
obedient of our party, for such Belanger
had been always esteemed up to this time, _
‘In making arrangements for our depar-
ture, Adam disclosed to me, for the first
time, that he was affected with cedematous
swellings in some parts of the body, to such
a degree as to preclude the slightest attempt
at marching ; and upon my expressing my
surprise at his having hitherto concealed
from me the extent of his malady, among
other explanations the details of the pre-
ceding story came out. It now became
necessary to abandon the original intention
of proceeding with the whole party towards
Fort Providence, and Peltier and Samandré
having volunteered to remain with Adam,
I determined on setting out with Benoit and
Augustus, intending to send them relief by
the first party of Indians we should meet.
My clothes were so much torn as to be
quite madequate to screen me from the
wind, and Peltier and Samandré, fearing
that I might suffer on the journey in conse-
quence, kindly exchanged with me parts of
OF THE POLAR SEA. 85
their dress, desiring me to send them skins
“in return by the Indians. Having patched
—upttiree pair of snow-shoes, and singed a
quantity of skin for the journey, we started
on the’mnorning of the 20th. Previous to
my departure, I packed up the journals of
the officers, the charts, and some other
documents, together with a letter addressed
to the Under-Secretary of State, detailing
the occurrences of the Expedition up to this
period, which package was given in charge
to Peltier and Samandré, with directions
that it should be brought away by: the
Indians who might come to them. [ also
instructed them to send succour immediately
on its arrival to our companions in the rear,
which they solemnly promised to do, and I
left a letter for my friends, Richardson and
Hood, to be sent at the same time. I
thought it necessary to admonish Peltier,
Samandré, and Adam, to eat two meals
every day, in order to keep up _ their
strength, which they promised me they
would do. No language that. I can use
could adequately describe the partin gscene.
86 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
I shall only say there was far more calmness
and resignation to the Divine will evinced
by every one than could have been ex-
pected. We were all cheered by the hope
that the Indians would be found by the one ©
party, and relief sent to the other. Those
who remained entreated us to make all the
haste we could, and expressed their hope of
seeing the Indians in ten or twelve days.
At first starting we were so feeble as
scarcely to be able to move forwards, and
the descent of the bank of the river through
the deep snow was a severe labour. When
we came upon the ice, where the snow was ~
‘less deep, we got on better, but after walk-
ing six hours we had only gained four
miles, and were then compelled by fatigue
to encamp on the borders of Round-Rock
Lake. Augustus tried for fish here, but
without success, so that our fare was skin
and tea. Composing ourselves to rest, we
~ lay close to each other for warmth. We
found the night bitterly cold, and the wind
pierced through our famished frames.
The next morning was mild and pleasant
OF THE POLAR SEA. 87
for travelling, and we set out after break-
fast. We had not, however, gone many
yards before I had the misfortune to break
my snow-shoes by falling between two
—T‘ocks. This accident prevented me from
keeping pace with Benoit and Augustus,
and in the attempt I became quite ex-
hausted. Feeling convinced that their be-
img delayed on my account might prove of
fatal consequence to the rest, I resolved on
returning to the house, and letting them
proceed alone in search of the Indians. I
therefore halted them only whilst I wrote a
note to Mr. Back, stating the reason of my
return, and desiring he would send meat
from Rein-Deer Lake by these men, if St.
Germain should kill any animals there. If
Benoit should miss Mr. Back, I directed
him to proceed to Fort Providence, and
furnished him with a letter to the gentleman
in charge of it, requesting that immediate
supplies might be sent to us.
On my return to the house I found
Samandré very dispirited, and too weak, as
he said, to render any assistance to Peltier,
88 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
upon whom the whole labour of getting
wood and collecting the means of subsist-
ence would have devolved. Conscious
too that his strength would have been
unequal to these tasks, they had determined
upon taking only one meal each day; so
that I felt my going back particularly for-
tunate, as I hoped to stimulate Samandre
to exertion, and at any rate could contribute
some help to Peltier. I undertook the ©
office of cooking, and insisted they should —
eat twice a-day, whenever food could be —
procured; but as I was too weak to pound,
the bones, Peltier agreed to do that in
addition to his more fatiguing task of get-
ting wood. We had a violent snow storm
all the next day, and this gloomy weather
increased the depression of spirits under
which Adam and Samandré were labouring.
Neither of them would quit their beds, and
they scarcely ceased from shedding ‘tears
all day; in vain did Peltier and myself
endeavour to cheer them. We had even to
use much entreaty before they would take
the meals we had prepared for them. Our
OF THE POLAR SEA. 89
situation was indeed distressing, but, in
comparison with that of our friends in the
rear, we thought it happy. Their condition
gave us unceasing solicitude, and was the
principal subject of our conversation.
Though the weather was stormy on the
26th, Samandré assisted me to gather tripe
de roche. Adam, who was very ill, and
could not now be prevailed upon to eat this
weed, subsisted principally ¢ on bones, though
he also partook of the sotip. The tripe de
roche had hitherto afforded us our chief
support, and we naturally felt great uneasi-
ness at the prospect of being deprived of it,
by its being so frozen as to render it impos-
sible for us to gather it.
We perceived our strength decline every
day, and every exertion began to be irk-
some; when we were once seated the
greatest effort was necessary in order to
rise, and we had frequently to lift each
other from our seats; but even in this
pitiable condition we conversed cheerfully,
being sanguine as to the speedy arrival of
’ the Indians. We calculated, indeed, that
S18) JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
if they should be near the situation where
they had remained last winter, our men
would have reached them by this day.
Having expended all the wood which we
could procure from our present dwelling
without danger of its fall, Peltier began this
day to pull down the partitions of the
adjoining houses. Though these were only
distant about twenty yards, yet the increase
of labour in carrying the wood fatigued him
so much that by the evening he was ex-
hausted. On the next day his weakness
was such, especially in the arms, of which
he chiefly complained, that he with diffi-
culty lifted the hatchet; still he persevered,
while Samandré and I assisted him in
bringing in the wood, but our united
strength could only collect sufficient to
replenish the fire four times in the course
of the day. As the insides of our mouths
had become sore from eating the bone-
soup, we relinquished the use of it, and now
boiled the skin, which mode of dressing we
found more palatable than frying it, as we
had hitherto done. :
OF THE POLAR SEA, GF
On the 29th, Peltier felt his pains more
severe, and could only cut a few pieces of
wood. Samandré, who was still almost as
weak, relieved him a little time, and I
aided them in carrying in the wood. We
endeavoured to pick some tripe de roche,
but in vain, as it was entirely frozen. In
turning up the snow in searching for bones,
I found several pieces of bark, which proved
a valuable acquisition, as we were almost
destitute of dry wood proper for kindling
the fire. We saw a herd of rem-deer
sporting on the river about half a mile from
the house; they remained there a long
_ time, but none of the party felt themselves
strong enough to go after them, nor was
there one of us who could have fired a gun
without resting it.
Whilst we were seated round the fire this
evening, discoursing about the anticipated
relief, the conversation was suddenly inter-
rupted by Peltier’s exclaiming with joy,
“* Ah! le monde!” imagining that he heard
the Indians in the other room; immediately
afterwards, to his bitter disappointment,
92 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
Dr. Richardson and Hepburn entered, each
carrying his bundle. Peltier, however,
soon recovered himself enough to express
his delight at their safe arrival, and his re-
gret that their companions were not with
them. When I saw them alone my own
mind was instantly filled with apprehensions
respecting my friend Hood, and our other
companions, which were immediately con-
firmed by the Doctor’s melancholy com-
munication, that Mr. Hood and Michel
_ were dead. Perrault and Fontano had
~~ neither reached the tent nor been heard of
by them. This intelligence produced a
melancholy despondency im the minds of
my party, and on that account the particu-
lars were deferred until another opportu-
nity. We were all shocked at beholding
the emaciated countenances of the Doctor
and Hepburn, as they strongly evidenced
their extremely debilitated state. The al-
teration in our appearance was equally dis-
‘tressing to them; for since the swellings
had. subsided we were little more than skin
and bone. The Doctor particularly re-
OF THE POLAR SEA, 93
marked the sepulchral tone of our voices,
which he requested us to make more
cheerful if possible, unconscious that his
own parisok of the same key.
Hepburn having shot a partridge, which
was brought to the house, the Doctor tore
out the feathers, and having held it to the
fire a few minutes divided it into six por-
tions. I and my three companions rave-
nously devoured our shares, as it was the
first morsel of flesh any of us had tasted
for thirty-one days, unless, indeed, the small
eristly particles which we re found occasionally
adhering to the pounded. bones may be
termed flesh. Our spirits were revived by
this “small supply, and the Doctor endea-
voured to raise them still higher by the
prospect of Hepburn’s being able to kill a
deer next day, as they had seen, and even
fired at, several near the house. He en-
deavoured too, to rouse us into some atten-
tion to the comfort of our apartment, and
particularly to roll up in the day our
blankets, which (expressly for the conveni-
ence of Adam and Samandré,) we had been
r
9 4. JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
in the habit of leaving by the fire where
we lay on them. The Doctor having
brought his prayer-book and testament,
some prayers and psalms, and portions of
scripture, appropriate to our situation, were
read, and we retired to bed.
Next morning the Doctor and Hepburn
went out early in search of deer; but
though they saw several herds and fired
some shots, they were not so fortunate as
to kill any, being too weak to hold their
guns steadily. Phe cold compelled the
formér to return soon, but Hepburn per-
sisted until late in the evening.
My occupation was to search for skins
under the snow, it being now our object
immediately to get all that we would, but I
had not strength to drag in more than two
of those which were within twenty yards of
the house until the Doctor came and assisted
me. We made up our stock to twenty-six,
but several of them were putrid, and
scarcely eatable, even by men suffering the
extremity of famine. Peltier and Samandreé
continued very weak and dispirited, and
? ag bAeD a A =>
je tH = ike OOD.
Published 1828.by Jolin Murray, London
OF THE POLAR SEA, 95
they were unable to cut fire-wood. . Hep-
burn had in consequence that laborious
task to perform after he came back. The
Doctor having scarified the swelled parts
of Adam’s body, a large quantity of water
flowed out, and he obtained some ease, but
still kept his bed.
After our usual supper. of singed. skin...
and bone-soup, Dr. Richardson aé¢quainted
are with the afflicting circumstances attend-
ing the death of Mr. Hood and Michel,
and detailed the occurrences subsequent to
my departure from them, which I shall
give from his Journal, in his own words;
but I must here be permitted to express
the heart-felt sorrow with which I was
overwhelmed at the loss of so many com-
panions; especially of my friend Mr. Hood,
to whose zealous and able co-operation I
had been indebted for so much invaluable
assistance during the Expedition, whilst
the excellent qualities of his heart engaged
my warmest regard. His scientific obser-
vations, together with his maps and draw-
96 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
ings, evince a variety of talent, which, had
his life been spared, must have rendered
him a distinguished ornament to his profes-
sion, and which will cause his death to be
felt as a loss to the service.
OF THE POLAR SEA, 97
Dr. RICHARDSON’S NARRATIVE.
en?
Arter Captain Franklin had bidden us
farewell we remained seated by the fireside
as long as the willows the men had cut for
us before they departed, lasted. We had
no tripe de roche that day, but drank an in-
fusion of the country tea-plant, which was
grateful from its warmth, although it af-
forded no sustenance. We then retired to
bed, where we remained all the next day,
as the weather was stormy, and the snow-
drift so heavy, as to destroy every prospect
of success in our endeavours to light a fire
with the green and frozen willows, which
were our only fuel. Through the extreme
kindness and forethought of a lady, the
party, previous to leaving London, had been
furnished with a small collection of religious
VOL. IV. H
98 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES:
books of which we still retained two or
three of the most portable, and they proved
of incalculable benefit to us. We read
portions of them to each other as we lay in
bed, in addition to the morning and evening
service, and found that they inspired us on
each perusal with so strong a sense of the
Omnipresence of a beneficent God, that our
situation, even in these wilds, appeared no
longer destitute; and we conversed, not
only with calmness, but with cheerfulness,
detailing with unrestrained confidence the
past events of our lives, and dwelling with
hope on our future prospects. Had my
poor friend been spared to revisit his native
land, I should look back to this period with |
unalloyed delight.
On the morning of the 9th, the weather,
although still cold, was clear, and I went
out in quest of tripe de roche, leaving Hep-
burn to cut willows for a fire, and Mr. Hood
in bed. I had no success, as yesterday’s
snow-drift was so frozen on the surface of
the rocks that I could not collect any of the
weed; but on my return to the tent I found
OF THE POLAR SEA. 99
that Michel, the Iroquois, had come with a
note from Mr. Franklin, which stated that
this man and Jean Baptiste Belanger being
unable to proceed, were about to return to
us, and that a mile beyond our present en-
campment there was a clump of pine-trees,
to which he recommended us to remove the
tent. Michel informed us that he quitted
My. Franklin’s party yesterday morning,
but that having missed his way, he had
passed the night on the snow a mile or two
to the northward of us. Belanger, he said,
being impatient, left the fire about two
hours earlier, and as he had not arrived, he
supposed must have gone astray. It will
be seen in the sequel, that we had more
than sufficient reason to doubt the truth of
this story. |
Michel now produced a hare and a par-
tridge which he had killed in the morning.
This unexpected supply of provision was
received by us with a deep sense of grati-
tude to the Almighty for his goodness, and
we looked upon Michel as the instrument
he had chosen to preserve all our lives. He
ee
100 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
complained of cold, and Mr. Hood offered
to share his buffalo robe with him at night:
I gave him one of two shirts which I wore,
whilst Hepburn in the warmth of his heart,
exclaimed, “ How I shall love this man if
I find that he does not tell lies like the
others!” Our meals being finished, we
arranged that the greatest part of the things
should be carried to the pines the next day;
and, after reading the evening service, re-
tired to bed full of hope.
Early in the morning, Hepburn, Michel,
and myself, carried tha ammunition, and
most of the other heavy articles, to the
pines. Michel was our guide, and it did
not occur to us at the time that his con-
ducting us perfectly straight was mcompa-
tible with his story of having mistaken his’
road in coming to us. He now informed
us that he had, on his way to the tent, left
on the hill above the pines a gun and forty-_
eight balls, which Perrault had given to
him when with the rest of Mr. Franklin’s
party, he took leave of him. It will be
seen, on a reference to Mr. Franklin’s jour-
OF THE POLAR SEA. idl
nal, that Perrault carried his gun and am-
munition with him when they parted from
Michel and Belanger. After we had made
a fire, and drank a little of the country tea,
Hepburn and I returned to the tent, where
we arrived in the evening, much exhausted
with our journey. Michel preferred sleep-
ing where he was, and requested us to leave
him the hatchet, which we did, after he had
promised to come early in the morning to
assist us in carrying the tent and bedding.
Mr. Hood remained in bed all day. Seeing
nothing of Belanger to-day, we gave him
up for lost.
On the 11th, after waiting until late in
the morning for Michel, who did not come,
Hepburn and I loaded ourselves with the
bedding, and accompanied by Mr. Hood,
set out for the pmes. Mr. Hood was much
affected with dimness of sight, giddiness,
and other symptoms of extreme debility, ©
which caused us to move very slowly, and |
to make frequent halts.
_. On arriving at the pines, we were much —
alarmed to find that Michel was absent.
102 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
We feared that he had lost his way in
coming to us in the morning, although it
was not easy to conjecture how that could
have happened, as our footsteps of yester-
day were very distinct. Hepburn went
back for the tent, and returned with it after
dusk, completely worn out with the fatigue
of the day. Michel too arrived at the
same time, and relieved our anxiety on his
account. He reported that he had been
in chase of some deer which passed near
his sleeping-place in the morning, and al-
though he did not come up with them, yet
that he found a wolf which had been killed —
by the stroke of a deer’s horn, and had
brought a part of it. We implicitly believed
this story then, but afterwards became con-
vinced from circumstances, the detail of |
which may be spared, that it must have
been a portion of the body of Belanger or
Perrault.. A question of moment here pre-
sents itself; namely, whether he actually
murdered these men, or either of them, or
whether he found the bodies in the snow.
Captain Franklin, who is the best able to
OF THE POLAR SEA. 103
judge of this matter, from knowing their
situation when he parted from them, sug-
gested the former idea, and that both
Belanger and Perrault had been sacrificed.
When Perrault turned back, Captain Frank-
lm watched him until he reached a small
group of willows, which was immediately
adjoining to the fire, and concealed it from
view, and at this time the smoke of fresh
fuel was distinctly visible. Captain Frank-
lin conjectures, that Michel, having already
destroyed Belanger, completed his crime by
Perrault’s death, in order to screen himself
from detection. Although this opinion is
founded only on circumstances, and is un-
supported by direct evidence, it has been
judged proper to mention it, especially as
the subsequent conduct of the man showed
that he was capable of committing such a
deed. The circumstances are very strong. It
is not easy to assign any other adequate mo-
tive for his concealing from us that Perrault
had turned back; while his request over-
night that we should leave him the hatchet,
and his cumbering himself with it when he
104 = JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
went out in the morning, unlike a hunter,
who makes use only of his knife when he ~
kills a deer, seem to indicate that he took
it for the purpose of cutting up something
that he knew to be frozen. These opi-
nions, however, are the result of subsequent
consideration. We passed this night in the
open air. |
On the following morning the tent was
pitched ; Michel went out early, refused my
offer to accompany him, and remained out
the whole day. He would not sleep in the
‘tent at night, but chose to lie at the fire-
side. fl
On the 13th there was a heavy gale of
wind, and we passed the day by the fire.
Next day, about two P.M., the gale abating,
Michel set out as he said to hunt, but re-
turned unexpectedly in a very short time.
This conduct surprised us, and his con-
tradictory and evasory answers to our
questions excited some suspicions, but they
did not turn towards the truth.
October 15th.—In the course of this day
Michel expressed much regret that he had
OF THE POLAR SEA. 105
stayed behind Mr. Franklin’s party, and
declared that he would set out for the
house at once if he knew the way. We
endeavoured to sooth him, and to raise his
hopes of the Indians speedily coming to our
relief, but without success. He refused to
assist us in cutting wood, but about noon,
after much solicitation, he set out to hunt.
Hepburn gathered a kettleful of tripe de
roche, but froze his fingers. Both Hepburn
and I fatigued ourselves much to-day in
pursuing a flock of partridges from one
part to another of the group of willows, in
which the hut was situated, but we were
too weak to be able to approach them with
sufficient caution. In the evening Michel
returned, having met with no success.
Next day he refused either to hunt or
cut wood, spoke in a very surly manner,
and threatened to leave us. Under these
circumstances, Mr. Hood and I deemed it
better to promise if he would hunt diligently
for four days, that then we would give
Hepburn a letter for Mr. Franklin, a com-
pass, inform him what course to pursue,
106 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
and let them proceed together to the fort. |
The non-arrival of the Indians to our relief, —
now led us to fear that some accident had
happened to Mr. Franklin, and we placed
no confidence in the exertions of the Cana-
dians that accompanied him, but we had
the fullest confidence in Hepburn’s return-
ing the moment he could obtain assistance.
On the 17th I went to conduct Michel to
where Vaillant’s blanket was left, and after
walking about three miles, pointed out the —
hills to him at a distance, and returned to
the hut, having gathered a bagful of tripe de
roche on the way. It was easier to gather
this weed on a march than at the tent, for
the exercise of walking produced a glow of
heat, which enabled us to withstand for a
time the cold to which we were exposed _ in
scraping the frozen surface of the rocks.
On the contrary, when we left the fire, to
collect it in the neighbourhood of the hut,
we became chilled at once, and were obliged
to return very quickly. |
_ Michel proposed to remain out all night,
and to hunt next day on his way back. He
OF THE POLAR SEA. 107
returned in the afternoon of the 18th, hav-
ing found the blanket, together with a bag
containing two pistols, and some other things
which had been left beside it. We had
some tripe de roche in the evening, but Mr.
Hood from the constant griping it produced,
was unable to eat more than one or two
spoonfuls. He was now so weak as to be
scarcely able to sit up at the fire-side, and
complained that the least breeze of wind
seemed to blow through his frame. He
also suffered much from cold during the
night. We lay close to each other, but the
heat of the body was no longer sufficient to
thaw the frozen rime formed by our breaths
en the blankets that covered him.
At this period we avoided as much as
possible conversing upon the hopelessness
of our situation, and generally endeavoured
to lead the conversation towards our future
prospects in life. The fact is, that with the
decay of our strength, our minds decayed, ~
and we were no longer able to bear the
contemplation of the horrors that surrounded
us. Each of us, if I may be allowed to
108 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
judge from my own case, excused himself
from so doing by a desire of not shocking the —
feelings of the others, for we were sensible
of one another’s weakness of intellect, though
blind to our own. Yet we were calm and
resigned to our fate, not a murmur escaped
us, and we were punctual and fervent in our
addresses to the Supreme Being.
On the 19th Michel refused to hunt, or
even to assist in carrying a log of wood to
the fire, which was too heavy for Hepburn’s —
strength and mine. Mr. Hood endeavoured
to point out to him the necessity and duty
of exertion, and the cruelty of his quitting
us without leaving something for our sup-
port; but the discourse, far from producing
any beneficial effect, seemed only to excite
his anger, and amongst other expressions,
he made use of the following remarkable
one: ‘‘ It is no use hunting; there are no
animals; you had better kill and eat me.”
At length, however, he went out, but re-
turned very soon, with a report that he had
seen three deer, which he was unable to
follow from having wet his foot in a small
OF THE POLAR SEA. — 109
stream of water thinly covered with ice,
and being consequently obliged to come to
the fire. The day was rather mild, and
Hepburn and I gathered a large kettleful
of tripe de roche; Michel slept in the tent
this night.
_ Sunday, October 20.—In the morning we
again urged Michel to go a hunting that he
might if possible leave us some provision,
to-morrow being the day appointed for his
quitting us; but he showed great unwil-
lingness to go out, and lingered about the
fire, under the pretence of cleaning his gun.
After we had read the morning service, I
went about noon to gather some tripe de
roche, leaving Mr. Hood sitting before the
tent at the fire-side arguing with Michel;
Hepburn was employed cutting down a tree
at a short distance from the tent, being
desirous of accumulating a quantity of fire-
wood before he left us. A short time after
I went out, I heard the report of a gun, and
about ten minutes afterwards Hepburn
called to me in a voice of great alarm, to
come directly. When I arrived, I found
110 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
poor Hood lying lifeless at the fire-side, a —
ball having apparently entered his forehead.
I was at first horror-struck with the idea,
that in a fit of despondency he had hurried
himself into the presence of his Almighty
Judge, by an act of his own hand; but the
conduct of Michel soon gave rise to other
thoughts, and excited suspicions which were
confirmed when, upon examining the body, ~
I discovered that the shot had entered the
back part of the head, and passed out at the —
forehead, and that the muzzle of the gun
had been applied so close as to set fire to
the night-cap behind. The gun, which was
of the longest kind supplied to the Indians,
could not have been placed in a position to
infiict such a wound, except by a second
person. Upon inquiring of Michel how it
happened, he replied, that Mr. Hood had
sent him into the tent for the short gun, and
that durmg his absence the long gun had
gone off, he did not know whether by acci-
dent or not. He held the short gun in his
hand at the time he was speaking to me.
Hepburn afterwards informed me, that pre-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 111
vious to the report of the gun Mr. Hood
_and Michel were speaking to each other in
an elevated angry tone; that Mr. Hood,
being seated at the fire-side, was hid from
him by intervening willows, but that on
hearing the report he looked up and saw
_ Michel rising up from before the tent-door,
or just behind where Mr. Hood was seated,
and then going into the tent. Thinking
that the gun had been discharged for the
purpose of cleaning it, he did not go to the
fire at first; and when Michel called to him
that Mr. Hood was dead, a considerable
time had elapsed. Although I dared not
openly to evince any suspicion that I thought
Michel guilty of the deed, yet he repeatedly
protested that he was incapable of commit-
ting such an act, kept constantly on his
guard, and carefully avoided leaving Hep-
burn and me together. He was evidently
afraid of permitting us to converse in pri-
_ vate, and whenever Hepburn spoke, he in-
quired if he accused him of the murder. It
is to be remarked, that he understood Eng-
lish very imperfectly, yet sufficiently to
a Re JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
render it unsafe for us to speak on the sub-
ject in his presence. We removed the body.
into a clump of willows behind the tent,
and, returning to the fire, read the funeral
service in addition to the evening prayers.
The loss of a young officer, of such dis-
tinguished and varied talents and applica-
tion, may be felt and duly appreciated by
the eminent characters under whose com-
mand he had served; but the calmness
with which he contemplated the probable —
termination of a life of uncommon promise,
and the patience and fortitude with which —
he sustained, I may venture to say, un-
paralleled bodily suffermgs, can only be
known to the companions of his distresses.
Owing to the effect that the tripe de roche
invariably had, when he ventured to taste
it, he undoubtedly suffered more than any
of the survivors of the party. ickersteth’s
Scripture Help was lying open beside the
body, as if it had fallen from his hand, and —
it is probable, that he was reading it at the
instant of his death. We passed the night —
m the tent together without rest, every one
OF THE POLAR SEA. 113
being on his guard. Next day, having de-
termined on going to the Fort, we began to
patch and prepare our clothes for the jour-
ney. We singed the hair off a part of the
buffalo robe that belonged to Mr. Hood,
and boiled and ate it. Michel tried to per-
suade me to go to the woods on the
Copper-Mine River, and hunt for deer,
instead of going to the Fort. In the after-
noon, a flock of partridges coming near the
tent, he killed several, which he shared with
us.
Thick snowy weather and a head wind
prevented us from starting the- following
day, but on the morning of the 23d we set
out, carrying with us the remainder of the
singed robe. Hepburn and Michel had
each a gun, and I carried a small pistol
which Hepburn had loaded for me. In the
course of the march Michel alarmed us
much by his gestures and conduct, was con-
stantly muttering to himself, expressed an
unwillingness to go to the Fort, and tried to
persuade me to go to the southward to the
woods, where he said he could maintain
VOL. IV. I
114 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
himself all the winter by killing deer. In
consequence of this behaviour, and the ex-
pression of his countenance, I requested
him to leave us, and to go to the southward
by himself. ‘This proposal increased his
— iil-nature; he threw out some obscure hints
of freeing himself from all restrait on the
morrow ; and I overheard him muttering
threats against Hepburn, whom he openly
accused of having told stories against him.
He also, for the first time, assumed such
a tone of superiority in addressing me, as
evinced that he considered us to be com-
pletely in his power; and he gave vent to
several expressions of hatred towards the
white people, or, as he termed us in the
idiom of the voyagers, the French, some of
whom, he said, had killed -afid “eaten his
uncle and two of his relations. In short,
taking every circumstance of his conduct
into consideration, I came to the conclusion
that he would attempt to destroy us on the
first opportunity that offered, and that he
had hitherto abstained from doing so from
his ignorance of his way to the Fort, but
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OF THE POLAR SEA. 115
that he would never suffer us to go thither
in company with him. In the course of the
day he had several times remarked that we
were pursuing the same course that Mr.
Franklin was doing when he left him, and
that by keeping towards the setting sun he
could find his way himself. Hepburn and
I were not in a condition to resist even an
open attack, nor could we by any device
escape from him. Our united strength was
far inferior to his, and, beside his gun, he
was armed with two pistols, an Indian bay-
onet and a knife. In the afternoon, coming
to a rock, on which there was some tripe de
roche, he halted, and said he would gather
it whilst we went on, and that he would
soon overtake us. Hepburn and I were
now lett together for the first time since Mr.
Hood's death, and he acquainted me with
several material circumstances which he had
observed of Michel’s behaviour, and which
confirmed me in the opinion that there was
no safety for us except in his death, and he
offered to be the instrument of it. I deter-
mined, however, as I was thoroughly con-
r2
Stas
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i ad
116 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
vinced of the necessity of such a dreadful
act, to take the whole responsibility upon
myself; and immediately upon Michel’s
coming up, I put an end to his life by
shooting him through the head with a pis-
tol. Had my own life alone been threat-
ened, I would not have purchased it by
such a measure; but I considered myself
as entrusted also with the protection of
Hepburn’s, a man, who, by his humane at-
tentions and devotedness, had so endeared
himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for
his safety than for my own. Michel had
gathered no trine de roche, and it was evi-
dent to us that he had halted for the pur-
pose of putting his gun in erder, with the
intention of attacking us, perhaps, whilst
we were in the act of encamping. *
I have dwelt in the preceding part of the
narrative upon many circumstances of Mi-
chel’s conduct, not for the purpose of aggra-
vating his crime, but to put the reader in
possession of the reasons that influenced me
in depriving a fellow-creature of life. Up
to the period of his return to the tent, his
OF THE POLAR SEA. 117
conduct had been good and respectful to
the officers; and in a conversation between
Captain Franklin, Mr. Hood, and myself, at
Obstruction Rapid, it had been proposed
to give him a reward upon our arrival at a
post. His principles, however, unsupported
by a belief in the divine truths of Christi-
anity, were unable to withstand the pressure
of severe distress. His countrymen, the
Iroquois, are generally Christians, but he
was totally uninstructed and ignorant of
the duties inculcated by Christianity; and,
from his long residence in the Indian coun-
try, seems to have imbibed, or retained, the
rules of conduct which the southern Indians
prescribe to themselves.
On the two following days we had mild
but thick snowy weather, and as the view
was too limited to enable us to preserve a
straight course, we remained encamped
amongst a few willows and dwarf pines,
about five miles from the tent. We found
a species of cornicularia, a kind of lichen,
that was good to eat when moistened and
toasted over the fire; and we had a good
ENG JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
many pieces of singed buffalo, hide re-
maining.
On the 26th, the weather being clear and
extremely cold, we resumed our march,
which was very painful from the depth of
the snow, particularly on the margins of
the small lakes that lay in our route. We
frequently sunk under the load of our
blankets, and were obliged to assist each _
other in getting up. After walking about
three miles and a half, however, we were
cheered by the sight of a large herd of rein-
deer, and Hepburn went in pursuit of them;
but his hand being unsteady through weak-
ness, he missed. He was so exhausted by
this fruitless attempt that we were obliged
to encamp upon the spot, although it was a
very unfavourable one.
Next day we had fine and clear, but cold
weather. We set out early, and, in crossing
a hill, found a considerable quantity of trine
de roche. About noon we fell upon Little
Marten Lake, having walked about two
miles. The sight of a place that we knew
inspired us with fresh vigour, and there
OF THE POLAR SEA, 119
being comparatively little snow on the ice,
we advanced at a pace to which we had
lately been unaccustomed. In the afternoon
we crossed a recent track of a wolverene,
which, from a parallel mark in the snow,
appeared to have been dragging something.
Hepburn traced it, and upon the borders
of the lake found the spine of a deer, that
it had dropped. It was clean picked, and
at least one season old; but we extracted
the spmal marrow from it, which, even in
its frozen state, was so acrid as to excoriate
the lips. We encamped within sight of the
Dog-rib Rock, and from the coldness of the
night and the want of fuel, rested very ill.
On the 28th we rose at day-break, but
from the want of the small fire, that we
usually made in the mornings to warm our
fingers, a very long time was spent in
making up our bundles. This task fell to
Hepburn’s share, as I suffered so much
from the cold as to be unable to take my
hands out of my mittens. We kept a
straight course for the Dog-rib Rock; but,
owing to the depth of the snow in the val-
120 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
leys we had to cross, did not reach it until
late in the afternoon. We would have
encamped, but did not like to pass a second
might without fire; and though scarcely
able to drag our limbs after us, we pushed
on to a clump of pines about a mile to the
southward of the rock, and arrived at them
in the dusk of the evening. During the
last few hundred yards of our march, our
track lay over some large stones, amongst
which I fell down upwards of twenty times,
and became at length so exhausted that I
was unable to stand. If Hepburn had not
exerted himself far beyond his strength,
and speedily made the encampment and
kindled a fire, I must have perished on the
spot. This night we had plenty of dry
wood. |
On the 29th we had clear and fine wea-
ther. We set out at sunrise, and hurried
on in our anxiety to reach the house, but
our progress was much impeded by the
great depth of the snow in the valleys.
Although every spot of ground over which
we travelled to-day had been repeatedly
OF THE POLAR SEA. - 121
trodden by us, yet we got bewildered in a
small lake. We took it for Marten Lake,
which was three times its size, and fancied
that we saw the rapids and the grounds
about the Fort, although they were still far
distant. Our disappointment when this
illusion was dispelled by our reaching the
end of the lake, so operated on our feeble
minds as to exhaust our strength, and we
decided upon encamping; but upon ascend-
ing a small eminence to look for a clump of
wood, we caught a glimpse of the Big
Stone, a well-known rock upon the summit
of a hill opposite to the Fort, and deter-
mined upon proceeding. In the evening
we saw several large herds of rein-deer, but
Hepburn, who used to be considered a good
marksman, was now unable to hold the gun
straight, and although he got near them all
his efforts proved fruitless. In passing
through a small clump of pines we saw a
flock of partridges, and he succeeded in
killing one after firmg several shots. We
came in sight of the Fort at dusk, and it 1s
impossible to describe our sensations when,
129 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
on attaining the eminence that overlooks it,
we beheld the smoke issuing from one of
the chimneys. From not having met with
any footsteps in the snow as we drew nigh
our once cheerful residence, we had been
agitated by many melancholy forebodings.
Upon entering the now desolate building,
we had the satisfaction of embracing Captain
Franklin, but no words can convey an idea
of the filth and wretchedness that met our
eyes on looking around. Our own misery
had stolen upon us by degrees, and we
were accustomed to the contemplation of
each others emaciated figures; but the
ghastly countenances, dilated eye-balls, and
sepulchral voices of Captain Franklin and
those with him, were more than we could
at first bear. |
Conclusion of Dr. Richardson’s Narrative.
OF THE POLAR SEA, 126
Tue morning of the 31st was very cold, the
wind being strong from the north. Hep-
burn went again in quest of deer, and the
Doctor endeavoured to kill some partridges ;
both were unsuccessful. A large herd of
deer passed close to the house, the Doctor
fired once at them, but was unable to pur-
sue them. Adam was easier this day, and
left his bed. Peltier and Samandré were
much weaker, and could not assist in the
labours of the day. . Both complained of
soreness in the throat, and Samandré suf-
fered much from cramps in his fingers.
The Doctor and Hepburn began this day
to cut the wood, and also brought it to the
house. Being too weak to aid in these la-
borious tasks, I was employed in searching
for bones, and cooking, and attending to
our more weakly companions. |
In the evening Peltier, complaming much
of cold, requested of me a portion of a
blanket to repair his shirt and drawers.
The mending of these articles occupied him
124 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
and Samandré until past one A.M., and
their spirits were so much revived by the
employment, that they conversed even
cheerfully the whole time. Adam sat up
with them. The Doctor, Hepburn, and
myself, went to bed. We were afterwards
agreeably surprised to see Peltier and Sa-
mandré carry three or four logs of wood
across the room to replenish the fire, which
induced us to hope they still possessed
more strength than we had supposed.
November 1.— This day was fine and
mild. Hepburn went hunting, but was as
usual unsuccessful, As his strength was
_ rapidly declining, we advised him to desist
from the pursuit of deer, and only to go
“out for a short time, and endeavour to kill
a few partridges for Peltier and Samandré.
The Doctor obtained a little tripe de roche,
but Peltier could not eat any of it, and Sa-
mandré only a few spoonfuls, owing to the
soreness of their throats. In the afternoon
« Peltier was so much exhausted, that he sat
up with difficulty, and looked piteously; at
length he slided from his.stool upon his
OF THE POLAR SEA. 125
bed, as we supposed to sleep, and in this
composed state he remained upwards of
_two hours, without our apprehending any
danger. We were then alarmed by hearing
a rattling in his throat, and on the Doctor’s
examining him, he was found to be speech-
less. He died in the course of the night.
Samandré sat up the greater part of the
day, and even assisted in pounding some
bones; but on witnessing the melancholy
state of Peltier, he became very low, and
began to complain of cold and stiffness of
the jomts. Being unable to keep up a suf-
ficient fire to warm him, we laid him down .
and covered him with several blankets.
He did not, however, appear to get better,
and I deeply lament to add he also died
before day-light. We removed the bodies
of the deceased into the opposite part of
the house, but our united strength was in-
adequate to the task of interring them, or
even carrying them down to the river.
It may be worthy of remark that poor
Peltier, from the time of Benoit’s departure,
had fixed on the first of November as the
126 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
time when he should cease to expect any
relief from the Indians, and had repeatedly
said that if they did not arrive by that day,
he should not survive.
Peltier had endeared himself to each of
us by his cheerfulness, his unceasing activity,
and affectionate care and attentions, ever
since our arrival at this place. He had
nursed Adam with the tenderest solicitude
the whole time. Poor Samandré was will-
ing to have taken his share in the labours —
of the party, had he not been wholly inca-
pacitated by his weakness and low spirits.
The severe shock occasioned by the sudden
dissolution of our two companions rendered
us very melancholy. Adam became low
and despondent, a change which we lamented
the more, as we had perceived he had been
gaining strength and spirits for the two pre-
ceding days. I was particularly distressed
by the thought that the labour of collecting —
wood must now devolve upon Dr. Richard-
son and Hepburn, and that my debility .
would disable me from affording them any
material assistance; indeed both of them
OF THE POLAR SEA. 127
most kindly urged me not to make the at-
tempt. ‘They were occupied the whole of
the next day in tearing down the logs of
which the store-house was built, but the
mud plastered between them was so hard
frozen that the labour of separation ex-
ceeded their strength, and they were com-
pletely exhausted by bringing in wood suf-
ficient for less than twelve hours’ consump-
tion.
I found it necessary in their absence to
remain constantly near Adam, and to con-
verse with him, in order to prevent his
_ reflecting on our condition, and to keep up
his spirits as far as possible. I also lay by
his side at night.
On the 3d the weather was very cold,
though the atmosphere was cloudy. This
morning Hepburn was affected with swell-
ing in his limbs, his strength, as well as that
“of the Doctor, was rapidly declining; they
continued, however, to be full of hope...
Their utmost exertions could only supply
wood, to renew the fire thrice, and on
making it up the last time we went to bed.
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128 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
Adam was in rather better spirits, but he
could not bear to be left alone. Our Pi. :
of bones was exhausted by a small qudntity
of soup we made this evening. The toil
of separating the hair from the,skins, which
in fact were ot chiéf*Support, had now
become so wearisome as to prevent us from
eating as much as we should otherwise have
i ai
‘November 4.—Calm and comparatively
old weather. The Doctor and Hepburn,
exclusive of their usual occupation, gathered
some tripe de roche. I went a few yards
from the house in search of bones, and re- —
turned quite fatigued, having found but
three. The Doctor again made incisions in
Adam’s leg, which discharged a considerable
quantity of water, and gave him great relief.
We read puayers-and a portion of the New
unk mene
Testament in the morning and evening, as
- had been our practice since Dr. Richard-
son’s arrival; and I may remark that the
performance of these duties always afiorded
us the greatest consolation, serving to re-
animate our hope in the mercy of the
OF THE POLAR SEA. 129.
Omnipotent, who alone could save and de-
liver us.
On the 5th the-breezes were light, with
dark cloudy weather and some snow. The
Doctor and Hepburn were getting much
weaker, and the limbs of the latter were
now greatly swelled. They came into the
house frequently in the course of the day
to rest themselves, and, when once seated,
_ were unable to rise without the help ge
anothér, or of a ‘stick. Adam was for the
most part in the same low state as yester-
day, but sometimes he surprised us by get-
ting up and walking with an appearance of
increased strength. His looks were now
wild and d. ghastly, and his conversation was’
oftén incoherent.
The next day was fine, but very cold.
The swellings in Adam’s limbs having sub-
sided, he was free from pain, and arose this
morning in much better spirits, and spoke
of cleaning his gun ready for shooting par-
tridges, or any animals that might appear
near the house, but his tone entirely changed
before the day was half over; he became
VOL. IV. K
W
130 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
again dejected, and could scarcely be pre-
vailed upon to eat. The Doctor and Hep-
burn were almost exhausted. The cutting
of one log of wood occupied the latter half -
an hour; and the other took as much tie
.to drag it into the house, though the dis-
tance did not exceed thirtywyards. I en-
deavoured to help the Doctor, but my as-
sistance was very trifling. Yet it was evi-
dent that, in a day or two, if their strength
should continue to decline at the same rate,
I should be the strongest of the party.
- I may here remark that owing to our loss
of flesh, the hardness of the floor, from
which we were only protected by a blanket,
produced soreness over the body, and espe-
cially those” parts on which the weight
rested in lymg, yet to turn ourselves for
relief was a matter of toil and difficulty.
However, during this period, and indeed
all along, after the a Cussepains of hunger,
which lasted but three or four days, had
subsided, we generally enjoyed the comfort
of afew hours’ sleep. The dreams which
for the most part, but not always, accom-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 13]
panied it, were usually (though not inva-
riably) of a pleasant character, being very
often about thetnjoyments of feasting. In
the daytime we fell into the practice of con-
versing on common and light subjects, al-
though we sometimes discussed with seri-
ousness and earnestness topics connected
with religion. We generally avoided speak-
ing directly of our present sufferings, or
even of the prospect of relief. I observed, *
that in proportion as our strength.deeayed,
our minds exhibited symptoms of weakness,
evinced by a kind of unreasonable” pe pettish- ;
mess path each other. Each of us thought
the ‘other weaker in intelleet= than himself, :
and more fir'need of advice and. assistance.
So trifling a ciréumstaficé as a ‘change Of 4
place, recommended by one as being warmer f
and more comfortable, and refused by the j
other from a dread of motion, frequently 4
called forth fretful expressions which were \
no sooner uttered than atoned for, to be re-_ j
peated perhaps in the course of a few mi-,
nutes. The same thing often occurred *
when we endeavoured to assist each other
K 2 Pi
*
132 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
in carrying wood to the fire; none of us
” were willing to receive assistance, although
the task was disproportioned to our strength.
On one of these occasions, Hepburn was so
convinced of this waywardness, that he ex-
claimed, “ Dear me, if we are spared to
return to England, I wonder if we shall
“recover our understandings.”
November 7.—Adam had passed a rest-
less night, being disquieted by gloomy ap-
~*~. prehensions of approaching death, which
we tried in vain to dispel. He was so low
in the morning as to be scarcely able to
speak. I remained in bed by his side to
cheer him as much as possible. The Doctor
and Hepburn went to cut wood. They had
hardly begun their labour, when they were
amazed at hearing the report.of.a muskete-,
They could scarcely believe that there was
really any one near, until they heard a
shout, and immediately espied three~In-
dians close to the houses. Adam and I
heard the latter noisé, and I was fearful that
a part of the house had fallen upon one of -
my companions, a disaster which had in fact.
\ if
OF THE POLAR SEA. 133
been thought not unlikely. My alarm was
only momentary; Dr. Richardson came in
to communicate the joyful intelligence that
relief had arrived. He and myself imme-
diately addressed thanksgivings to the
throne of mercy for this deliverance, but
poor Adam was in so low a state that he
could scarcely comprehend the information.
When the Indians entered, he attempted to
rise, but sank down again. But for this
-seasonable interposition of Providence, his
existence must have terminated in a few
hours, and that of the rest probably in not
many days.
The Indians had left Akaitcho’s encamp-
ment on the 5th November, having been
sent by Mr. Back with all possible expedi-
tion, after he had arrived at their tents.
They brought but a small supply of pro-
vision that they might travel quickly. It
consisted of dried deer’s meat, some fat,
and a few tongues. Dr. Richardson, Hep-
burn, and I, eagerly devoured the. food,.
‘which they imprudently presented to us in
too great abundance, and in consequence
Wore Or
f y.
cs x
Zz bE exh gk win ee ae Foo” ae Ti etelaee C
134 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
we suffered dreadfully from indigestion
and had no rest the whole night?” Adam
being unable to feed himself, was more
judiciously treated by them, and suffered
less; his spirits revived hourly. The cir-
cumstance of our eating more food than
was proper in our present condition, was
another striking proof of the debility of our
minds. We were perfectly awaf@ of the —
“danger, and Dr. Richardson repeatedly caus
tioned us to be moderate ; but he was
self unable to practise the caution he so
judiciously recommended. oa
Boudel-kell, the youngest of the Indians, ~
after resting about an hour, returned to
Akaitcho with the intelligence of our situa-
tion, and he conveyed a note from me to
Mr. Back, requesting another supply of
meat as soon as possible. The two others,
‘¢ Crooked-Foot and the Rat,’ remained to
take care of us, until we should be able to
move forward.
The note received by the Indians from
Mr. Back, communicated a tale of distress,
with regard to himself and his party, as
OF THE POLAR SEA. es
painful as that which we had suffered; as
will be seen hereafter by his own narrative.
November 8.—The Indians this morning
requested us to remove to an encampment
on the banks of the river, as they were un-
willing to remain in the house where the
bodies of our deceased companions “were
lying éxposed | to view. We agreed, but
the day proved too stormy, and Dr. Ri-
chardson and Hepburn, having dragged the
bodies to a short distance, and covered them
with snow, the objections of the Indians to
remain in the house were dissipated, and
they began to clear our room of the accu-
mulation of dirt*and"fragments of pounded
bones. The improved state of our apart-—
“ment, and the large and cheerful fires they
kept up, ie sauced i in us asensation of comfort
to which we had long been strangers. In
the evening they brought in a pile of dried
wood, which was lying on the river-side,
and towards which we had often cast a
wishful eye, being unable to drag it up the
bank. The bien set about every thing
with an activity that amazed us. Indeed,
136 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
contrasted with our emaciated figures and
extreme debility, their frames appeared to
us gigantic, and their strength supernatural.
These kind creatures next turned their at-
tention to our personal appearance, and
prevailed upon us to shave and wash our-
selves. The beards of the Doctor and
Hepburn had been untouched since they
left the sea-coast, and were become of a
hideous length, and peculiarly offensive to
the Indians. The Doctor and I suffered
extremély from distention, and therefore
ate sparingly.* Hepburn was getting better,
and Adam recovered his strength with
amazing rapidity. |
November 9.— This morning was _ plea-
* The first alvine discharges after we received food,
were, as Hearne remarks on a similar occasion, at-
tended with excessive pain. Previous to the arrival
of the Indians, the urinary secretion was extremely
abundant, and we were obliged to rise from bed in
consequence upwards of ten times in a night. t. ““Ehis
was an extreme annoyance in our reduced state. It
may, perhaps, be attributed to the quantity of the
country tea that we drank.
OF THE POLAR SEA. 137
-santly fine. Crooked-foot caught four
large trout in. Winter Lake, which were
very much prized, especially by the Doctor
and myself, who had taken a dislike to
meat, in consequence of our sufferings from
repletion, which rendered us almost inca-
pable of moving. Adam and Hepburn in
a good measure escaped this pain. Though
the night was stormy, and our apartment
freely admitted the wind, we felt no incon-
venience, the Indians were so very careful
in covering us up, and in keeping a good
fire; and our plentiful _ cheer gave such
power of resisting the é“cold, , that we could
scarcely believe otherwise than that the
season had become milder.
On the 13th the weather was stormy,
with constant snow. The Indians became
desponding at the non-arrival of the supply,
and would neither go to hunt nor fish.
They frequently expressed their fears of
‘some misfortune having befallen Boudel-
_ kell; and in the evening went off suddenly,
without apprizing us of their intention, hav-
ing first given to each of us a handful of
138 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
pounded meat, which they had reserved.
Their departure at first gave rise to a sus-_
picion of their having deserted us, not
meaning to return, especially as the expla-
nations of Adam, who appeared to be in
their secret, were very unsatisfactory. At
length, by interrogations, we got from him
the information, that they designed to march
night and day until they should reach
Akaitcho’s encampment, whence. they would
send us aid. As we had combated their
fears about Boudel-kell, they perhaps ap-
prehended that we should oppose their de-
termination, and therefore concealed it.
We were now left a second time without
food, and with appetites recovered, and
strongly excited by recent indulgence.
On the following day the Doctor and
Hepburn resumed their former occupation
of collecting wood, and I was able to assist
a littl in bringing it into the house.
Adam, whose expectation of the arrival of
the Indians had been raised by the fineness
of the weather, became towards night very
desponding, and refused to eat the singed
apa
Pe ae
OF THE POLAR SEA. 139
skin. The night was stormy, and. there
e-was a heavy fall of snow. The next day
he became still more dejected. - About
eleven Hepburn, who had gone out for the
wood, came in with the intelligence that a
party appeared upon the river. The room
was instantly swept, and, in compliance with
the prejudices of the Indians, every scrap
of skin was_ carefully removed out of sight:
for these ‘simple people imagine that burn-
ing deer-skin renders them unsuccessful mn
hunting. The party proved to be Crooked-
‘Foot, Thooee-yorre, and the Fop, with the
wives of the two latter dragging provisions.
They were accompanied by Benoit, one of
our own men.
~ We were rejoiced to learn by a note from
Mr. Back, dated November 11, that he and
his companions ‘had so recruited their
strength that they were preparing to pro-
ceed to Fort Providence. Adam recovered
his spirits.on..the-arrival of the Indians, and
even walked about the room with an appear-
ance of strength and activity that surprised
us all. As it was of consequence to get
140 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
amongst the rein-deer before our present —
supply should fail, we made preparations
for quitting Fort Enterprise the next day ;
and accordingly at an early hour on the
16th, having united in thanksgiving and
prayer, the whole party left the house after
breakfast. Our feelings on quitting the
fort where we had formerly enjoyed much
comfort, if not happiness, and latterly ex-
perienced a degree of misery scarcely to be —
paralleled, may be more easily conceived
than described. The Indians treated us
with the utmost tenderness, gave us their...
snow-shoes, and walked without thémselves,
_keepingby our sides, that they might lift us
when we fell. We descended Winter
River, and about noon crossed the head of
Round-Rock Lake, distant about three
miles from the house, where we were obliged
to halt, as Dr. Richardson was unable to
proceed. ‘The swellings in his limbs ren-
dered him by much the weakest of the
party. The Indians prepared our encamp-
ment, cooked for us, and fed us at we
ae
e J
OF THE POLAR SEA. 141
would have done honour to the most civi-'
lized people. The night was mild, and
fatigue made us sleep soundly.
From this period to the 26th of Novem-
ber we gradually improved, through their
kindness and attention; and on that day
arrived in safety at the abode of our chief
and companion Akaitcho. We were re-
ceived by the party assembled in the
leader’s tent with looks of compassion and
profound silence, which lasted about a
__quarter..of an hour, and by which they
_meant to express their condolence for our
sufferings. The conversation did not begin
until we had tasted food: The chief,
Akaitcho, showed us the most friendly hos-
pitality, and all sorts of personal attention,
even to cooking for us with his own hands, °
an office which he never performs for him-
self. Anncethai-yazzeh and Humpy, the
chief’s two brothers, and several of our
hunters, with their families, were encamped
here, together with a number of old men
and women. In the course of the day we
were visited by every person of the band,
%
142 - JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
not merely from curiosity, but a desire to
evince their tender sympathy in our late
distress. We learned that Mr. Back, with
St. Germain and Belanger, had gone to Fort
Providence ; and that previous to his de-
parture he had left a letter m a cache of
pounded meat, which we had missed two
days ago. As we suppossed that this letter
might acquaint us with his mtentions more
fully than we could gather from the Indians,
through our imperfect knowledge of their
language, Augustus the Esquimaux, whom
we found here in perfect health, and an
Indian lad, were despatched to bring it.
We found several of the Indian families
in great affliction for the loss of three of
their relatives, who had been drowned mm
the August preceding by the upsetting of a
canoe near Fort Enterprise. They bewailed..
the melancholy accident.every morffing: and
evening by. repeating” the names of ‘the per-
sons in a loud singing tone, which was fre-
quently interrupted by bursts of tears. One
woman was so affected by the loss of her
only son, that she seemed depen
OF THE POLAR SEA, 143
reason, and wandered about the tents the
“whole day, crying and singing out his name.
On the Ist of December we removed
with the Indians to the southward.
On the 4th we again set off after the In-
dians about noon, and soon overtook them,
as they had halted, to drag from the water,
and cut up and share a moose-deer, that
had been drowned in a rapid part of the
river, partially covered with ice. These
operations detained us a long time, which
was the more disagreeable, as the weather
was extremely unpleasant from cold low
fogs. We were all much fatigued at the
hour of encampment, which was after dark,
though the day’s journey did not exceed
four miles. At every halt the elderly men
of the tribe made holes in_ the ice and put
in their lines. Onéof them shared the
produce of his fishery with us this evening.
- In the afternoon of the 6th, Belanger and
another Canadian arrived from Fort Provi-
dence, sent by Mr. Weeks with two trains
of dogs, some spirits and tobacco for the
Indians, a change of dress for ourselves,
144 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES |
and a little tea and sugar. They also
brought letters for us from England, and from
Mr. Back and Mr. Wentzel. By the former
we received the gratifying intelligence of
the successful termination of Captain Parry’s
voyage; and were informed of the promo-
tion of myself and Mr. Back, and of poor
Hood, our grief for whose loss was renewed
by this intelligence.
The letter from Mr. Back stated that the —
rival Companies in the fur trade had
united; but that owing to some cause which
had not been explained to him, the goods
mtended as rewards to Akaitcho and his
band, which we had demanded in the spring
from the North-West Company, were not
sent. There were, however, some stores
lying for us at Moose-Deer Island, which
had been ordered for the equipment of our
voyagers; and Mr. Back had gone across
to that establishment, to make a selection
of the articles we could spare for a tempo-
rary present to the Indians. The disap-
pointment at the non-arrival of the goods
was seriously felt by us, as we had looked
OF THE POLAR SEA. 145
forward with pleasure to the time when we
should be enabled to recompense our kind
Indian friends, for their tender sympathy in
- our distresses, and the assistance they had
so cheerfully and promptly rendered. I
now regretted to find that Mr. Wentzel and
his party, in their return from the sea, had
_ suffered severely on their march along the
Copper-Mine River, having on one occa-
sion, as he mentioned, had no food but tripe
de roche for eleven days.
All the Indians flocked to our encamp-
‘ment to learn the news, and to receive the
articles brought for them. Having got
some spirits and tobacco, they withdrew to
the tent of the Chief, and Le eee the greater
part of the night in singimg-~ We had now
the indescribable ratification ‘of changing
our linen, which fad been worn ever since
our departure from the sea-coast.
December 8.— After a long conference
with Akaitcho, we took leave of him and
his kind companions, and set out with two
‘sledges heavily laden with provision and
bedding, drawn by the dogs, and conducted
VOL. IV. L
146 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
by Belanger and the Canadian sent by Mr.
Weeks. Hepburn and Augustus jointly
dragged a smaller sledge, laden principally
with their own bedding. Adam and Benoit
were left to follow with the Indians. We
encamped on the Grassy-Lake Portage,
having walked about nine miles, principally
on the Yellow-Knife River. It was open
at the rapids, and in these places we had to
ascend its banks, and walk through the
woods for some distance, which was very
fatiguing, especially to Dr. Richardson,
whose feet were severely galled in con-—
sequence of some defect in his snow-
shoes.
On the 11th, however, we arrived at the
Fort, which was still under the charge of
Mr. Weeks. He welcomed us in the most
kind manner, immediately gave us changes
ef dress, and did every thing in his power
to make us comfortable.
Our sensations on being once more in a
comfortable dwelling, after the series of
hardships and miseries we had experienced,
may be imagined, Our first act was again
OF THE POLAR SEA. 147
to return our grateful praises to the Al-
mighty for the manifold instances of his
mercy towards us. Having found here
some articles which Mr. Back had sent
across from Moose-Deer Island, I deter-
mined on awaiting the arrival of Akaitcho
and his party, in order to present these to
them, and to assure them of the promised
reward, as soon as it could possibly ee ‘pro-
cured.
In the afternoon of the 14th, “ARaieen6y
with his whole band, came to the Fort. He
smoked his customary pipe, and made an
address to Mr. Weeks in the hall previous
to his coming imto the room in which Dr.
Richardson and I were. We discovered
at the commencement of his speech to us,
that he had been informed that our ex-
pected supplies had not come. He spoke
of this circumstance as a disappointment,
indeed, sufficiently severe to himself, to
whom his band looked up for the protection
of their interests, but without attaching any
blame tous. “ The world goes badly,” he
said, “ all are poor; you are poor, the
L2
148 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
traders appear to be poor, I and my party
are poor likewise; and since the goods have
not come in, we cannot have them. Ido
not regret having supplied you with pro-
visions, for a Copper Indian can never per- —
mit white men to suffer froiii*want of food
on his lands, without flying te: their aid. I
trust, however, that -~we“shall;“as you say,
recelve what is due next autumn; and at
all events,” he added, in a tone of good
humour, “ it is the first time that the white
people have been indebted to the Copper
Indians.” We assured him the supplies ~
should certainly be sent to him by the autumn,
if not before. He then cheerfully received
the small present we made to himself; and,
although we could give a few things only
to those who had been most active in our
service, the others, who, perhaps, thought
themselves equally deserving, did not mur-
mur at being left out in the distribution.
Akaitcho afterwards expressed a strong
desire, that we should represent the cha-
racter of his nation im a favourable light to
our countrymen. “I know,” he said, “ you
OF THE POLAR SEA. 149
write down every occurrence in your books;
but probably you have only noticed the bad
things we have said and done, and have
omitted the good.’”’ In the course of the
~tesultory conversation which ensued, he
said, that he had been always told by us, to
consider the traders in the same light as
ourselves ; and that, for his part, he looked
upon both as equally respectable. This
assurance, made in the presence of Mr.
‘Weeks, was particularly gratifying to us,
as it completely disproved the defence that
had been set up, respecting the injurious
- reports circulated against us amongst the
Indians in the spring; namely, that they
were in retaliation for our endeavours to
lower the traders in the eyes of the Indians.
I take this opportunity of stating my opi-
nion, that Mr. Weeks, in spreading these
reports, was actuated by a mistaken idea
that he was serving the interests of his em-
ployers. On the present occasion, we felt
indebted to him for the sympathy he dis-
played for our distresses, and the kindness
150 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
with which he administered to our personal
wants. After this conference, such Indians
as were indebted to the Company were paid
for the provision they had given us, by de-
ducting a corresponding sum from their
debts; in the same way we gave a reward
of sixteen skins of beaver to each of the
‘persons who had come to our relief at Fort
Enterprise. As the debts of Akaitcho
and his hunters had been effaced at the
time of his engagement with us, we placed
a sum equal to the amount of provision they
had recently supplied, to their credit on the
Company’s Books. ‘These things being,
through the moderation of the Indians, ad-
justed with an unexpected facility, we gave
them a keg of mixed liquors (five parts
water,) and distributed among them several
fathoms of tobacco, and they retired to their
tents to spend the night in merriment.
_ Adam, our interpreter, being desirous of
uniting himself with the Copper Indians,
applied to me for his discharge, which I
granted, and gave him a bill on the Hud-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 151
son’s Bay Company for the amount of his
wages. These arrangements being com-
pleted, we prepared to cross the lake.
Mr. Weeks provided Dr. Richardson and
I with a cariole each, and we set out at
eleven A.M., on the 15th, for Moose-Deer
Island. Our party consisted of Belanger,
who had charge of a sledge laden with the
bedding, and drawn by two dogs, our two
eariole men, Benoit and Augustus. Pre-
vious to our departure, we had another con-
ference with Akaitcho, who, as well as the
rest of his party, bade us farewell, with a
warmth of manner rare among the Indians.
The batness-of Belanger’s dogs, and the
roughness of the ice, impeded our progress
very much, and obliged us to encamp early.
We had a good fire made of the drift wood,
which lines the shores of this lake im great
quantities. ‘The next day was very cold.
We began the journey at nine A.M., and
encamped at the Big Cape, having made
another short march, in consequence of the
roughness of the ice. |
On the 17th, we encamped on the most
152 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
southerly of the Rein-Deer Islands. This
night was very stormy, but the wind abating ~_
in the morning, we proceeded, and by sun-
set reached the fishing-huts of the Company
at Stony Point. Here we found Mr. An-
drews, a clerk of the Hudson’s Bay Com-
pany, who regaled us with a supper of ex-
cellent white fish, for which this part of
Slave Lake is particularly celebrated. Two
men with sledges arrived soon afterwards,
sent by Mr. M‘Vicar, who expected us —
about this time. We set off in the morning
before day-break, with several companions,
and arrived at Moose-Deer Island about one
P.M. Here we were received with the ut-_
most hospitality by Mr. M‘Vicar;-the chief
trader of the Hudson’s Bay Company in
this district, as well as by his assistant Mr.
M‘Auley. We had also the happiness of
joining our friend, Mr. Back; our feelings
on this occasion can be well imagined, and
we were deeply impressed with gratitude to
him for his exertions in sending the supply
of food to Fort Enterprise, to which, under
Divine Providence, we felt the preservation
OF THE POLAR SEA. 153
of our lives to be owing. He gave us an
ecting detail of the proceedings of his
party since our separation; the substance
of which I shall convey to the reader by
the following extracts from his Journal.
i
154 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
Mr. BACK’s NARRATIVE.
October 4, 1821.—Caprain Frawnxuin hav-
ing directed me to proceed with St. Ger-
main, Belanger, and Beauparlant, to Fort
Enterprise, in the hope of obtaining relief
for the party, I took leave of my com-
panions, and set out on my journey, through
a very swampy country, which, with the
cloudy state of the weather and a keen
north-east wind, accompanied by frequent
snow showers, retarded us so much, that
we scarcely got more than four miles before
we halted for the night, and made a meal
of tripe de roche and some old leather.
On the 5th we set out early amidst ex-
tremely deep snow, sinking frequently im it
up to the thighs, a labour in our enfeebled
and almost worn-out state, that nothing but
the cheering hopes of reaching the house
OF THE POLAR SEA. 155
and affording relief to our friends could |
have enabled us to support. As we ad-
vanced, we found to our mortification, that
the tripe de roche, hitherto our sole depend-
ence, began to be scarce, so that we could
only collect sufficient to make half a kettle-
ful, which, with the addition of a partridge
each, that St. Germain had killed, yielded a
tolerable meal; during this day I felt very
weak and sore in the joints, particularly
between the shoulders. At eight we en-
camped among a small clump of willows.
On the 6th we set out at an early hour,
pursuing our route over a range of hills, at
the foot of one of which we saw several
large pines, and a great quantity of willows ;
a sight that encouraged us to quicken our
pace, as we were now certain we could not
be far from the woods. Indeed we were
making considerable progress, when Be-
_langer unfortunately broke through the ice,
and sank up to the hips. The weather
being cold, he was in danger of freezing,
but some brushwood on the borders of the
lake enabled us to make a fire to dry him.
156 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
At the same time we took the opportunity
of refreshing ourselves with a kettle of
Swamp tea.
My increasing debility had for some time
obliged me to use a stick for the purpose
of extending my arms; the pain in my
shoulders being so acute, that I could not.
bear them to remain in the usual position
for two minutes together. We halted at
five among some small brushwocd, and
made a sorry meal of an old pair of leather
trowsers, and some swamp tea.
The night was cold, with a hard frost,
and though two persons slept together, yet
we could not by any means keep ourselves
warm, but remained trembling the whole
time. The following morning we crossed
several lakes, occasionally seeing the recent
tracks of deer, and. at noon we fell upon
Marten Lake; it happened to be at the
exact spot where we had been the last year
with the canoes, yet, though I immediately
recognised the place, the men would not
believe it to be the same; at length, by
pointing out several marks, and relating
OF THE POLAR SEA. 157
circumstances connected with them, they
recovered their memory, and a simulta-
neous expression of ‘“* Mon Dieu, nous
sommes sauvés,’ broke from the whole.
Contrary to our expectations, the lake was
frozen sufficiently to bear us, so that we
were excused from making the tours of the
different bays. This circumstance seemed
to impart fresh vigour to us, and we walked
as fast as the extreme smoothness of the
ice would permit, intending to reach the
Slave Rock that night; but an unforeseen
and almost fatal accident prevented the pro-
secution of our plan: Belanger (who. seemed
the victim of misfortune) again broke
through the ice, in a deep part near the
head of the rapid, but was timely saved by
our fastening our worsted belts together
and pulling him out. By urging him for-
wards as quick as his icy garments would
admit, to prevent his freezing, we reached
a few pines, and kindled a fire; but it was
late before he even felt warm, though he
was so near the flame as to burn his hair
twice; and to add to our distress, (since
158 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
we could not pursue them,) three wolves —
crossed the lake close to us.
The night of the 7th was cxticmdlel
stormy, and about ten the following morn-
ing, on attempting to go on, we found it
totally impossible, being too feeble to op-
pose the wind and drift, which frequently
blew us over, and on attempting to cross
a small lake that lay in our way, drove us
faster backwards, than with every effort we
could get forwards; we therefore encamped ~
under the shelter of a small clump of pines,
secure from the south-west storm that was.
raging around us. In the evening, there
being no tripe de roche, we were compelled
to satisfy, or rather allay, the cravings of
hunger, by eating a gun cover and a pair
of old shoes; at this time I had scarcely
strength to get on my legs.
The wind did not in the least abate
during the night, but in the morning of the
9th it changed to north-east and became.
moderate. We took advantage of this cir-
cumstance, and rising with great difficulty,
set out; though had it not been for the
OF THE POLAR SEA. 159
hope of reaching the house, I am certain,
from the excessive faintness which almost
overpowered me, that I must have remained
where I was. We passed the Slave Rock,
and making frequent halts arrived within a
short distance of Fort Enterprise; but as
we perceived neither any marks of Indians,
nor even of animals, the men began abso-
lutely to despair: on a nearer approach,
however, the tracks of large herds of deer,
which had only passed a few hours, tended
a little to revive their spirits, and shortly
after we crossed the rumous threshold of
the long-sought spot; but what was our
surprise, what our sensations, at beholding
every thing in the most desolate and neg-
lected state; the doors and windows of that
room in which we expected to find provi-
sion, had been thrown down and the wild
animals of the woods had resorted there as
to a place of shelter and retreat. Mr.
Wentzel had taken away the trunks and
papers, but had left no note to guide us to
the Indians. This was to us the most
grievous disappointment; without the as-
160 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
sistance of the Indians, bereft of every re-
source, we felt ourselves reduced to the
most miserable state, which was rendered
still worse, from the recollection that our
friends in the rear were as miserable as
ourselves. For the moment, however,
hunger prevailed, and each began to gnaw
the scraps of putrid and frozen meat that
were lying about without waiting to prepare
them.. A fire, however, was made, and the
neck and bones of a deer, found in the
house, were boiled and devoured.
I determined to remain a day here to re-
pose; then to go in search of the Indians,
and in the event of missing them, to pro-
ceed to the first trading establishment,
which was distant about one hundred and
thirty miles, and from thence to send suc-
cour to my companions. This indeed I
should have done immediately, as the most
certain manner of executing my purpose,
had there been any probability of the river
and lakes being frozen to the southward, or
had we possessed sufficient strength to
have clambered over the rocks and moun-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 161
tains which impeded the direct way; but as
we were aware of our inability to do so, I
listened to St. Germain’s proposal, which
was, to follow the deer into the woods, (so
long as they did not lead us out of our
route to the Indians,) and if possible to
collect sufficient food to carry us to Fort
Providence. We now set about making
mittens and snow-shoes, whilst Belanger
searched under the snow, and collected a
mass of old bones, which when burned and
used with a little salt we found palatable
enough, and made a tolerable meal. At
night St. Germain returned, having seen
plenty of tracks but no animals; the day
was cloudy, with fresh breezes, and the
river was frozen at the borders.
On the 11th we prepared for our journey,
having first collected a few old skins of
deer, to serve us as food; and written a
note to be left for our commander, to ap-
prise him of our intentions. We pursued
the course of the river to the lower lake,
when St. Germain fell in, which obliged us
to encamp directly to prevent his being
VOL. IV. M
162 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
frozen; indeed we were all glad to rest, for
in our meagre and reduced state it was im-
possible to resist the weather, which at any
other time would have been thought fine;
my toes were frozen, and although wrapped
up in a blanket I could not _ my hands
warm.
The 12th was seca cold with fresh
breezes. Our meal at night consisted of
scraps of old deer skins and swamp tea,
and the men complained greatly of their
increasing debility. The following morning
I sent St. Germain to hunt, intending to go
some distance down the lake, but the wea-
_ ther becoming exceedingly thick with snow
storms, we were prevented from moving.
He returned without success, not having
seen any animals. We had nothing to eat.
In the morning of the 14th the part of
the lake before us was quite frozen. There
was so much uncertainty in St. Germain’s
answers as to the chance of any Indians
being in the direction we were then going,
(although he had previously said that the
leader had told him he should be there,)
pet
OF THE POLAR SEA, 162
and he gave me so much dissatisfaction in
his hunting excursions, that I was induced
to send a note to the Commander, whom I[
supposed to be by this time at Fort Enter-
prise, to inform him of our situation; not that
I imagined for a moment he could amend
it, but that by all returning to the Fort we
might, perhaps, have better success in hunt-
ing; with this view I despatched Belanger,
much against his inclination, and told him
to return as quickly as possible to a place
about four miles further on, where we in-
tended to fish, and to await his arrival.
-The men were so weak this day, that I
could get neither of them to move from the
encampment; and it was only necessity
that compelled them to cut wood for fuel,
in performing which operation Beaupar-
lant’s face became so dreadfully swelled
that he could scarcely see; I myself lost
my temper on the most trivial circumstan-
ces, and was become very peevish; the day
was fine but cold, with a freezing north-east
wind. We had nothing to eat.
_ October 15.—The- night was calm and
M 2 ;
164 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
clear, but it was not before two in the
afternoon that we set out; and the one was
so weak, and the other so full of complaints,
that we did not get more than three-quar-
ters of a mile from our last encampment,
before we were obliged to put up; but in
this distance we were fortunate enough to
kill a partridge, the bones of which were
eaten, and the remainder reserved for baits
to fish with. We, however, collected sufii-
cient tripe de roche to make a meal; and I
anxiously awaited Belanger’s return, to
know what course to take. I was now so
much reduced, that my shoulders were as
if they would fall from my body, my legs
seemed unable to support me, and in the
disposition in which I then found myself,
had it not been for the remembrance of my
friends behind, who relied on me for relief,
as well as the persons of whom I had
charge, I certainly should have preferred
remaining where I was, to the miserable
pain of attempting to move.
October 16.—We waited until two in the
afternoon for Belanger ; but not seeing any
OF THE POLAR SEA. 165
thing of him on the lake, we set out, pur-
posing to encamp at the Narrows, the place
which was said to be so good for fishing,
and where, according to St. Germain’s ac-
count, the Indians never failed to catch
plenty; its distance at most could not be
more than two miles. We had not pro-
ceeded far before Beauparlant began to
complain of increasing weakness; but this
was so usual with us that no particular
notice was taken of it, for in fact there was
little difference, all being alike feeble:
among other things, he said whilst we were
resting, that he should never get beyond
the next encampment, for his strength had
quite failed him. I endeavoured to encou-
rage him by explaming the mercy of the
Supreme Being, who ever beholds with an
eye of pity those that seek his aid. This
passed as common discourse, when he in-
quired where we were to put up; St. Ger-
main pointed to a clump of pines near us,
the only place indeed that offered for fuel.
** Well,” replied the poor man, “ take your
axe Mr. Back, and I will follow at my lei-
166 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
sure, I shall join you by the time the en-
eampment is made.” This is a usual prac-
tice of the country, and St. Germain and
myself went on towards the spot; it was
five o’clock and not very cold, but rather
milder than we had experienced it for some
time, when on leaving the ice, we saw a
number of crows perched on the top of
some high pines near us. St. Germain im-
mediately said there must be some dead
animal thereabouts, and proceeded to search,
when we saw several heads of deer half
buried in the snow and ice, without eyes or
tongues; the previous severity of the wea-
ther having obliged the wolves and other
animals to abandon them. An expression
of “ Oh merciful God! we are saved,”
broke from us both; and with feelings
more easily imagined than described, we
shook hands, not knowing what to say for
joy. It was twilight, and a fog was rapidly
darkening the surface of the lake, when St.
Germain conimenced making the encamp-
ment; the task was too laborious for me
to render him any assistance, and had we
OF THE POLAR SEA. 167
not thus providentially found provision, I
feel convinced that the next twenty-four
hours would have terminated my existence.
But this good fortune in some measure re-
novated me for the moment, and putting
out my whole strength I contrived to collect
a few heads, and with incredible difficulty
carried them singly about thirty paces to
the fire. } |
Darkness stole on us apace, and I be-
came extremely anxious about Beauparlant ;
several guns were fired, to each of which
he answered. We then called out, and-
again heard his responses though faintly,
when I told St. Germain to go and look for
him, as I had not strength myself, being
quite exhausted. He said that he had al-
ready placed a pine branch on the ice, and
he could then scarcely find his way back
but if he went now he should certainly be
lost. In this situation I could only hope
that as Beauparlant had my blanket, and
every thing requisite to light a fire, he
might have encamped at a little distance
from us.
2
168 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
October 17.—The night was cold and
clear, but we could not sleep at all, from
the pains of having eaten. We suffered
the most excruciating torments, though I in
‘particular did not eat a quarter of what
would have satisfied me; it might have
been from using a quantity of raw or frozen
sinews of the legs of deer, which neither of
us could avoid doing, so great was our
hunger. In the morning being much agi- —
tated for the safety of Beauparlant, I desired
St. Germain to go in search of him and to
return with him as quick as possible, when
I would have something prepared for them
to eat.
It was, however, late when he arrived,
with a small bundle which Beauparlant was
accustomed to carry, and with tears in his
eyes, told me that he had found our poor
companion dead. “Dead!” I could not be-
lieve him. “It is so, Sir,” said St. Ger-
main; “after halloomg and calling his
name to no purpose, I went towards our
last encampment, about three-quarters of a
mile, and found him stretched upon his
OF THE POLAR SEA. 169
back on a sand bank frozen to death, his
limbs all extended and swelled enormously,
and as hard as the ice that was near him;
his bundle was behind him, as if it had
rolled away when he fell, and the blanket
which he wore around his neck and shoulders
thrown on one side. Seeing that there was
no longer life in him, I threw your covering
_ over. him, and placed his snow-shoes on the
top of it.”
I had not even thought of so serious an
occurrence in our little party, and for a short
time was obliged to give vent to my grief.
Left with one person and both of us weak,
no appearance of Belanger, a likelihood that
great calamity had taken place amongst our
other companions, still upwards of seven-
teen days’ march from the nearest Esta-
blishment, and myself unable to carry a
burden; all these things pressed heavy on
me; and how to get to the Indians or to
the Fort I did not know; but that I might
not depress St. Germain’s spirits, I sup-
pressed the feelings to which these thoughts
170 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ~
gave rise, and made some arrangements for
the journey to Fort Providence.
October 18.—While we were this day
occupied in scraping together the remains
of some deer’s meat, we observed Belanger
coming round a point, apparently scarcely
moving. I went to meet him, and made
immediate inquiries about my friends. Five,
with the Captain, he said, were at the
house, the rest were left near the river un-
able to proceed; but he was too weak to
relate the whole. He was conducted to the
encampment, and paid every attention to,
and by degrees we heard the remainder of
his tragic tale, at which the interpreter
could not avoid crying. He then gave me
a letter from my friend the Commander,
which indeed was truly afflicting. The
simple story of Belanger I could hear, but
when I read it in another language, mingled
with the pious resignation of a good man,
I could not sustain it any longer. The
poor man was much affected at the death
of our lamented companion, but his appetite
OF THE POLAR SEA. 171
prevailed over every other feeling; and,
had I permitted it, he would have done
himself an injury; for after two hours’ eat-
ing, principally skin and sinews, he com-
plained of hunger. The day was cloudy,
with snow and fresh breezes from the
north-east by east. |
The last evening, as well as this morning,
the 19th, I mentioned my wishes to the men,
that we should proceed towards Rein-Deer
Lake, but this proposal met with a direct
refusal. Belanger stated his inability to
move, and St. Germain used similar lan-
guage: adding, for, the first time, that he
did not know the route, and that it was of
no use to go in the direction | mentioned,
which was the one agreed upon between the
Commander and. myself. I then insisted
that we should go by the known route, and
join the Commander, but they would not
hear of it; they would remain where they
were until they had regained their strength ;
they said, I wanted to expose them again to
death (faire perir ). In vain did I use every
argument to the contrary, for they were
172 | JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
equally heedless to all. ‘Thus situated, I
was compelled to remain; and from this
time to the 25th we employed ourselves in
lookmg about for the remnants of the deer
and pieces of skin, which even the wolves
had left; and by pounding the bones, we
were enabled to make a sort of soup, which
strengthened us greatly, though each still
complained of weakness. It was not with-
out the greatest difficulty that I could re«
strain the men from eating every scrap they
found, though they were well aware of the
necessity there was of being economical in
our present situation, and to save whatever
they could for our journey; yet they could
not resist the temptation, and whenever my
back was turned, they seldom failed to
snatch at the nearest piece to them, whether
cooked or raw.
We had set fishing lines, but without any
success; and we often saw large herds of
deer crossing the lake at full — and
wolves pursuing them.
The night of the 25th was cold, with
hard frost. Early the next morning I sent
~
OF THE POLAR SEA. 173
the men to cover the body of our departed
companion Beauparlant with the trunks and
branches of trees, which they did; and
shortly after their return I opened his
bundle, and found it contained two papers
of vermilion, several strings of beads, some
fire-steels, flints, awls, fish-hooks, rings,
linen, and the. glass of an artificial horizon.
My two men began to recover a little as
well as myself, though I was by far the
weakest of the three; the soles of my feet
were cracked all over, and the other parts
were as hard as horn, from constant walk-
ing. I again urged the necessity of ad-
vancing to join the Commander’s party, but
they said, they were not sufficiently strong.
On the 27th we discovered the remains
of a deer, on which we feasted. The night
was unusually cold, and ice formed in a
pint-pot within two feet of the fire. The
coruscations of the Aurora were beautifully
brilliant; they served to show us eight
wolves, which we had some trouble to
frighten away from our collection of deer’s
bones; and, between their howling and the
174 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
constant cracking of the ice, we did not get
much rest.
Having collected with great care, and by
self-denial, two small packets of dried meat
or sinews, sufficient (for men who knew
what it was to fast) to last for eight days,
at the rate of one indifferent meal per day,
we prepared to set out on the 30th. I cal-
culated that we should be about fourteen
days in reaching Fort Providence; and
allowing that we neither killed deer nor
found Indians, we could but be unprovided
with food six days, and this we heeded not
whilst the prospect of obtaining full relief
was before us. Accordingly we set out
against a keen north-east wind, in order to
gain the known route to Fort Providence.
We saw a number of wolves and some
crows on the middle of the lake, and sup-
posing such an assembly was not met idly,
we made for them and came in for a share
of a deer which they had killed a short time
before, and thus added a couple of meals to
our stock. By four P.M. we gained the
head of the lake, or the direct road to Fort
OF THE POLAR SEA. ee
Providence, and some dry wood being at
hand, we encamped; by accident it was the
same place where the Commander’s party
had slept on the 19th, the day on which I
supposed they had left Fort Enterprise ;
but the encampment was so small, that we
feared great mortality had taken place
amongst them; and I am sorry to say the
stubborn resolution of my men, not to go
to the house, prevented me from deter-
mining this most anxious point, so that I
now almost dreaded passing their encamp-
ments, lest I should see some of our unfor-
tunate friends dead at each spot. Our fire
was hardly kindled when a fine herd of deer
passed close to us. St. Germain pursued
them a short distance, but with his usual
want of success, so that we made ameal off
the muscles and sinews we had dried,
though they were so tough that we could
scarcely cut them. My hands were be-
numbed throughout the march, and we
were all stiff and fatigued. ‘The marching
of two days weakened all very much, and
the more so on account of our exertion to
176 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
follow the tracks of our Commander’s party ;
but we lost them, and concluded that they
were not before us. Though the weather
was not cold, I was frozen in the face, and
was so reduced and affected by these con-
stant calamities, as well in mind as in body,
that I found much difficulty in proceeding
even with the advantages I had enjoyed.
November 3.—We set out before day,
though, in fact, we were all much fitter to
remain, from the excessive pain which we
suffered in our jomts, and proceeded till
one P.M., without halting, when Belanger,
who was before, stopped, and cried out,
‘“‘ Footsteps of Indians.” It is needless to
mention the joy that brightened the counte-
nances of each at this unlooked-for sight ;
we knew relief must be at hand, and consi-
dered our sufferings at an end. St. Ger-
main inspected the tracks, and said that
three persons had passed the day before ;
and that he knew the remamder must be
advancing to the southward, as was cus-
tomary with these Indians, when they sent
to the trading establishment on the first ice.
OF THE POLAR SEA. ba |
On this information we encamped, and being
too weak to walk myself, I sent St. Ger-
main to follow the tracks, with instructions
to the chief of the Indians to provide im-
mediate assistance for such of our friends
as might be at Fort Enterprise, as well as
for ourselves, and to lose no time in re-
turning to me. I was now so exhausted,
that had we not seen the tracks this day, I
must have remained at the next encamp-
ment, until the men could have sent aid
from Fort Providence. We had finished
our small portion of sinews, and were pre-
paring for rest, when an Indian boy made
his appearance with meat. St. Germain
had arrived before sunset at the tents of
Akaitcho, whom he found at the spot where
he had wintered last year; but imagine my
surprise, when he gave me a note from the
Commander, and said that Benoit and Au-
gustus, two of the men, had just joined
them. The note was so confused, by the
pencil marks being partly rubbed out, that
I could not decipher it clearly ; but it in-
formed me, that he had attempted to come
VOL. Iv, al
178 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
with the two men, but finding his strength
inadequate to the task, he relinquished his
design, and returned to Fort Enterprise, to
await relief with the others. There was
another note for the gentleman in charge of
Fort Providence, desiring him to send meat,
blankets, shoes, and tobacco. Akaitcho
wished me to join him on the ensuing day,
at a place which the boy knew, where they
were going to fish; and I was the more
anxious to do so, on account of my compa-_
nions: but particularly that I might hear a
full relation of what had happened, and of
the Commander’s true situation, which I
suspected to be much worse than he had
described. |
In the afternoon I jomed the Indians, and
repeated to Akaitcho what St. Germain had
told him; he seemed much affected, and
said, he would -have sent relief directly,
though I had not been there; indeed, his
conduct was generous and humane. ‘The
next morning, at an early hour, three In-
dians, with loaded sledges of meat, skins,
shoes, and a blanket, set out for Fort En-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 179
terprise ; one of them was to return directly
with an answer from Captain Franklin, to
whom I wrote; but in the event of his
death, he was to bring away all the papers
he could find; and he promised to travel
with such haste, as to be able to return to
us on the fourth day. Iwas now somewhat
more at ease, having done all in my power
to succour my unfortunate companions ; but
was very anxious for the return of the mes-
senger. ‘The Indians brought me meat in
small quantities, though sufficient for our
daily consumption; and, as we had a little
ammunition, many were paid on the spot
for what they gave.
On the 9th I had the satisfaction of seeing
the Indian arrive from Fort Enterprise.
At first he said they were all dead, but
shortly after he gave me a note, which was
from the Commander, and then I learned
all the fatal particulars which had befallen
them. Inow proposed that the chief should
immediately send three sledges, loaded with
meat, to Fort Enterprise, should make a
cache of provision at our present ee
N2
180 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
ment, and also, that he should here await
the arrival of the Commander. By noon
two large trains, laden with meat, were sent
off for Fort Enterprise. ‘The next day we
proceeded on our journey, and arrived at
Fort Providence on the 21st of November.
Conclusion of Mr. Back’s Narrative.
OF THE POLAR SEA. 181
_ I wave little now to add to the melan-
choly detail into which I felt it proper to
enter; but I cannot omit to state that the
unremitting care and attentions of our kind
friends, Mr. M‘Vicar and Mr. M‘Auley,
united with our improved diet, to promote
to the restoration of our health; so that,
by the end of February, the swellings of
~ our limbs, which had returned upon us, en-
tirely subsided, and we were able to walk
to any part of the island. Our appetites
gradually moderated, and we nearly re-
gained our ordinary state of body before
the spring. Hepburn alone suffered from
a severe attack of rheumatism, which con-
fined him to his bed for some weeks. The
usual symptoms of spring having appeared,
on the 25th of May we prepared to embark
for Fort Chipewyan. Fortunately, on the
following morning, a canoe arrived from
that place with the whole of the stores
which we required for the payment of
Akaitcho and the hunters. It was ex-
tremely gratifving to us to be thus enabled,
182 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
previous to our departure, to make arrange-
ments respecting the requital of our late
Indian companions; and the more so, as
we had recently discovered that Akaitcho,
and the whole of his tribe, in consequence
of the death of the leader’s mother, and the
wife of our old guide Keskarrah, had broken
and destroyed every useful article belonging
to them, and were in the greatest distress.
It was an additional pleasure to find our
stock of ammunition more than sufficient to —
pay them what was due, and that we could
make a considerable present of this most
essential article to every individual that had
been attached to the Expedition.
We quitted Moose-Deer Island at five
P.M.,-on the 26th, accompanied by Mr.
M‘Vicar and Mr. M‘Auley, and nearly all
the voyagers at the establishment, having
resided there about five months, not a day
of which had passed without our having —
cause of gratitude for the kind and unvaried
attentions of Mr. M‘Vicar and Mr. M‘Auley.
‘These gentlemen accompanied us as far as
Fort Chipewyan, where we arrived on the
OF THE POLAR SEA. 183
2d of June. Here we met Mr. Wentzel
and the four men who had been sent with
him from the mouth of the Copper-Mine
River; and I think it due to that gentleman
to give his own explanation of the unfortu-
nate circumstances which prevented him
from fulfillmg my instructions, respecting
the provisions to have been left for us at
Fort Enterprise.*
* « After you sent me back from the mouth
of the Copper-Mine River, and I had overtaken
the Leader, Guides, and Hunters, on the fifth
day, leaving the sea-coast, as well as our journey
up the River, they always expressed the same
desire of fulfilling their promises, although some-
what dissatisfied at being exposed to privation
while on our return, from a scarcity of animals;
for, as I have already stated in my first commu-
nication from Moose-Deer Island, we had been
eleven days with no other food but tripe de roche.
In the course of this time an Indian, with his
wife and child, who were travelling in company
with us, were left in the rear, and are since
supposed to have perished through want, as no
intelligence had been received of them at Fort
Providence in December last. On the seventh
184 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
In a subsequent conversation he stated to
me that the two Indians, who were actually
day after I had joined the Leader, &c. &c., and
journeying on together, all the Indians, excepting
Petit Pied and Bald-Head, left me to seek their
families, and crossed Point Lake at the Crow’s
Nest, where Humpy had promised to meet his
brother Ekehcho* with the families, but did not
fulfil, nor did any of my party of Indians know
where to find them; for we had frequently made
fires to apprize them of our approach, yet none —
appeared in return as answers. This disap-
pointment, as might be expected, served to in-
crease the ill-humour of the Leader and party,
the brooding of which (agreeably to Indian cus-
tom) was liberally discharged on me, in bitter
reproach for having led them from their families,
and exposed them to dangers and hardships,
which but for my influence, they said, they might
have spared themselves. Nevertheless, they still
continued to profess the sincerest desire of meet-
ing your wishes in making caches of provisions,
and remaining until a late season on the road
that leads from Fort Enterprise to Fort Provi-
dence, through which the Expedition-men had
* Akaitcho the Leader.
OF THE POLAR SEA, 185
with him at Fort Enterprise, whilst he re-
mained there altering his canoe, were pre-
travelled so often the year before—remarking,
however, at the same time, that they had not
the least hopes of ever seeing one person return
from the Expedition. These alarming fears I
never could persuade them to dismiss from their
minds; they always sneered at what they called
‘my credulity.‘ If,’ said the Gros Pied,* ‘ the
Great Chief (meaning Captain Franklin), or any
_ of his party, should pass at my tents, he or they
shall be welcome to all my provisions, or any
thing else that I may have.’ And I am sincerely
happy to understand, by your communication,
that in this he had kept his word —in sending
you with such promptitude and liberality the
assistance your truly dreadful situation required.
But the party of Indians, on whom I had placed
the utmost confidence and dependance, was
Humpy and the White Capot Guide, with their
sons, and several of the discharged hunters from
the Expedition. This party was well-disposed,
and readily promised to collect provisions for
the possible return of the Expedition, provided
they could get a supply of ammunition from
Fort Providence; for when I came up with
* Also Akaitcho.
186 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
vented from hunting; one by an accidental
lameness, the other by the fear of meeting
alone some of the Dog-Rib Indians.
them they were actually starving, and converting
old axes into ball, having no other substitute ;—
this was unlucky. Yet they were well inclined,
and I expected to find means at Fort Providence
to send them a supply, in which I was, however,
disappointed, for 1 found that establishment.
quite destitute of necessaries; and then, shortly
after I had left them, they had the misfortune of.
losing three of their hunters, who were drowned
in Marten Lake® This accident was, of all
others, the most fatal that could have happened
—a truth which no one, who has the least know-
ledge of the Indian character, will deny; and as
they were nearly connected by relationship to
the Leader, Humpy, and White Capot Guide,
the three leading men of this part of the Copper
Indian Tribe, it had the effect of unhinging (if I
may use the expression) the minds of all. these
families, and finally destroying all the fond hopes
I had so sanguinely conceived of their assisting
the Expedition, should it come back by the An-
nadessé River, of which they were not certain.
‘* As to my not leaving a letter at Fort Enter-
OF THE POLAR SEA. 187
We were here furnished with a canoe by
- Mr. Smith, and a bowman, to act as our
guide; and having left Fort Chipewyan on
the 5th, we arrived, on the 4th of July, at
Norway House. Finding at this place that
canoes were about to go down to Montreal,
I gave all our Canadian voyagers their dis-
charges, and sent them by those vessels,
furnishing them with orders on the Agent
of the Hudson’s Bay Company, for the
amount of their wages. We carried Au-
gustus down to York Factory, where we
prise, it was because, by some mischance, you
had forgot to give me paper when we parted.*
“‘T, however, wrote this news on a plank, in
_ pencil, and placed it in the top of your former
bedstead, where I left it. Since it has not been
found there, some Indians must have gone to
the house after my departure, and destroyed it.
These details, Sir, I have been induced to enter
into (rather unexpectedly) in justification of my-
self, and hope it will be satisfactory.”
* I certainly offered Mr. Wentzel some paper when
he quitted us, but he declined it, having then a note-
book ; and Mr. Back gave him a pencil.
188 JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA.
arrived on the 14th of July, and were re-
ceived with every mark of attention and
kindness by Mr. Simpson, the Governor, —
Mr. M‘Tavish, and, indeed, by all the of-
ficers of the United Companies. And thus
terminated our long, fatiguing, and. disas-
trous travels in North America, having
journeyed by water and by land (including
our navigation of the Polar Sea,) five
thousand five hundred and fifty miles.
END OF THE FIRST JOURNEY.
SECOND JOURNEY
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA,
In 1825-26-27.
INTRODUCTION.
FROM THE QUARTERLY REVIEW.
Ir Pope had lived in our days, we cannot
help thinking that his Muse might not have
been indisposed to appropriate one little
niche in her :
_ ** Stupendous pile, not rear’d by human hands,”
for the reception of a class of candidates for
fame, whom he has only condescended to
notice, by huddling them together among the
millions who are described as rushing for-
ward, with clamorous din, to pay their
‘devotions at the shrine of the goddess.—
We allude to those high-spirited, disin-
192 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
terested, and undaunted TRAVELLERS and
VoyacErs engaged in the discovery of
unknown regions, who, at the risk of health -
and life itself, and the sacrifice of every
personal comfort and convenience, volun-
tarily and knowingly subject themselves to
the baleful effects of tropical heat and arctic
cold,-of pestilence and famine—in a word,
to the certain endurance of every species of
misery that can possibly be inflicted on, or
borne by, the human frame. Why men like
these should be denied their proper station
in the records of that “stupendous pile,”
in which the poet, the philosopher, the
historian, and the warrior, have been en-
rolled, it would be difficult to assign any
cause but that of inadvertence. If, as the
same poet tells us,
** The proper study of mankind is man,”
those who subject themselves to the perils
and hardships which attend the collecting
of materials for the pursuit of the “study,”
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 193
not of man only, but of all the works of
creation, are most unquestionably entitled
to have their names handed down to the
admiration and gratitude of succeeding ages.
Let it be recollected, that from those who
sustain the dangers and the sufferings
‘‘ Of storms at sea, and travels on the shore,”’
we derive all our knowledge of the most in-
teresting portions of the little ball of earth
we inhabit. We are well assured that no
poet, nor historian, nor biographer of the
present day, would think of excluding from
their due share of fame such names as those
of Cook, and Parry, and Franklin, or of
Park, Denham, Clapperton, and Laing, and
many others not necessary for us here to
enumerate, whose labours have contributed
‘so much to the knowledge, the benefit, and
the rational amusement of their kind.
Captain Franklin must be considered,
beyond all dispute, as one whose name has
VOL. LY. )
194 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
aright to be enrolled, eminently conspicu-
ous, and in durable characters, in that sacred
temple to which we have alluded. When
we consider what the intensity of his suffer-
ings were on his first expedition along the
shores of the Polar sea, how very narrowly
he escaped from perishing, by that most
lingering and painful process of gradually
wasting away—by famine,—almost without
the faintest ray of hope that he would be re- —
heved; and that the spark of life had, for
some time, been only prolonged, by pieces _
of bones and scraps of skin, picked out of
the ash-heap, and boiled down into a wretch-
ed mess of acrid soup; that his lodging was
in a ruined hovel pervious to wind and snow,
with a temperature of 20° below zero of
Fahrenheit’s scale; and that the delay of
another day, without the arrival of assist-
ance, would, in all human probability, have
put an end to his existence and sufferings
together—when we contemplate this excel-
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 195
lent officer, in this most distressing of all
conceivable situations, we cannot sufficiently
admire the fortitude and resolution that
prompted him to embark a second time on
the very same kind of service, liable to the
same accidents, and necessarily to the dan-
ger of the same kind of hardships. Hap-
pily he has succeeded, and brought home
himself, and all his people, in as good, and
perhaps better, health than when they
started. The following testimony, given
by Dr. Richardson, is so honourable to his
character, that it cannot be made too public.
“It would not be proper, nor is it my
intention, to descant on the proféssional
merits of my superior officer; but, after
having served under Captain Franklin for
nearly seven years, in two successive voy-
ages of discovery, I trust I may be allowed
to say, that however high his brother offi-
cers may rate his courage and talents, either
in the ordinary line of his professional duty,
0 2
196 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
or in the field of discovery, the hold he ac-
quires upon the affections of those under
his command, by a continued series of the
most conciliating attentions to their feelings,
and an uniform and unremitting regard to
their best interests, is not less conspicuous.
I feel that the sentiments of my friends and
companions, Captain Back and Lieutenant
Kendall, are in unison with my own, when
I affirm, that gratitude and attachment to —
our late commanding officer will animate
our breasts to the latest period of our
lives.”
Nor can we overlook the able and dis-
tinguished services of his coadjutor, Dr.
Richardson, to whose energy of character,
and promptitude of action, may, in fact, be
ascribed the safety of Franklin, and those
of the party who survived on the first ex-
pedition. He, too, on the late occasion,
voluntarily came forward to solicit permis-
sion to accompany his friend, though at the —
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 197
temporary sacrifice of abandoning a com-
fortable situation on shore, which his former
services had earned for him, and the still
greater sacrifice of leaving behind him a
wife and family; so anxious was he to com-
plete the geography, and the natural history
of that particular portion of the North
American continent lying between the rivers
of Hearne and Mackenzie, which he had
but partially accomplished on the first jour-
ney, but which he has successfully done on
the second, as the volume now on our table
bears ample testimony.
SECOND JOURNEY,
&c. &c. &e.
FROM THE QUARTERLY REVIEW.
It is unnecessary to follow Captain Franklin
and his party through the numerous ob-
structions and difficulties they encountered
im this second journey, sometimes hurried
away with, and sometimes struggling against,
the streams of rivers, and dragging their
boats and baggage across the portages which
separate the waters, or which were crossed
to avoid dangerous or impracticable rapids;
still less necessary is it to enter into any
details of the journey over a large portion
of North America, which has already been
described in the narrative of the former
Expedition. No portion of this country is
200 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
by any means inviting; and the wandering
groups of native Indians are better calcu-
lated to excite compassion than any plea-
surable feeling. The present journal will -
therefore commence at that part of the
journey where the Great Bear Lake River,
flowing out of the lake of the same name,
joms the Mackenzie River. It was on the
banks of the former that the party resolved
to take up their winter-quarters, and to
build a habitation and store, to which, when |
completed, they gave the name (in honour
of their revered commander) of Fort Frank-
lin. This was done in imitation of the North —
West Fur Company, who give to all their
stations the name of forts, they being toa
certain degree places of defence against, as
well as depots for trade with, the native
Indians.* |
Having reached this spot so early as the
7th August, Captain Franklin calculated
* The position of Fort Franklin was determined to
be in lat. 65° 11’ 56” N., long. 123° 1244” W. The
variation of the compass 39° 9’ E., dip of the needle
82° 58’ 15”.
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 901
that, by setting off immediately, sufficient
time would be allowed him to reach the sea
at the mouth of the Mackenzie, and return
to winter-quarters before the severity of the
cold should have set in. He conceived that,
by taking a view of the state of the Polar
Sea, at that season, with regard to ice, and
of the trending of the coast to the westward,
he would be enabled to form a ’tolerably
correct notion as to the probability of next
year’s success. Accordingly, while those
best fitted for the purpose were left to
complete the construction of the houses, he,
with another party, set out on an expedition
down the Bear Lake River and the Macken-
zie, to the junction of the latter with the
sea. ‘There is little in his progress that
deserves particular notice, except the fol-
lowing passage :—
‘¢ A few miles above the Bear Lake River,
and near its mouth, the banks of the Mac-
kenzie contain much wood-coal, which was
on fire at the time we passed, as it had been
observed to be by Mackenzie in his voyage
to the sea. Its smell was very disagreea-
202 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE .
ble. On a subsequent trial of this coal at
our winter-quarters, we found that it emit-
ted little heat, and was unfit for the black-
smith’s use. The banks likewise contain
layers of a kind of unctuous mud, similar,
perhaps, to that found on the borders of
the Orinoco, which the Indians, in this
neighbourhood, use occasionally as food
during seasons of famine, and even, at
other times, chew as an amusement. It
has a milky taste, and the flavour is not —
disagreeable. We used it for whitening
the walls of our dwellings; for which pur-
pose it is well adapted.” 7
The Mackenzie falls into the sea in
numerous large branches, intersecting an
extensive delta of alluvial soil. Captain
Franklin was satisfied, on reaching the
Whale Island of Mackenzie, the extreme of
that enterprizing traveller’s progress, that —
he too had reached the sea, but, on tasting
the water, found it to be perfectly fresh ;
which circumstance may have influenced
Mackenzie in not making any mention of
what might have raised a doubt whether he
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 203
had. really succeeded in reaching the sea.
Franklin, however, did taste the water;
and, though perfectly fresh, was not the
less certain, from the great expansion of
water to the northward, and the sudden
diverging of the shore, that, at this point,
he had in fact entered into the Polar Sea;
and he states that he was the more con-
firmed in this opinion by the appearance of
a seal* sporting about the boat.
Franklin, however, with a determination
to leave no doubt remaining as to the fact,
pushed on towards an island much farther
out, which looked blue from its distance;
and, “‘ under its shelter, the boat passed a
line of strong ripples, which marked the
termination of the fresh water, that on the
* The presence of these animals, however, is by no
means a test of the presence of the ocean: they have
no objection to fresh water; as is proved by the
abundance that are found in the lake Baikal, which
is more than a thousand miles from the sea. That they
sometimes visit fresh-water rivers was not unknown to
~ Virgil : |
. . . * insolite fugiunt in flumina phoce.”
204 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
seaward side being brackish; and in the
further pregress of three miles to the island,
we had the indescribable pleasure of finding
the water decidedly salt.”
To this island Captain Franklin gave the
name of Garry. Its latitude 69° 29° N.,
longitude 135° 41’ W., variation of the needle
51° 42° E.: temperature of the air 52°—of
the sea water 51°—of the fresh water 55°.
It abounded with layers of wood-coal, similar
to that found in the Mackenzie, besides a
bituminous liquid trickling down the sides
of the cliff. The discovery of this bitu-
minous shale might have been attended with
dangerous, perhaps fatal, . consequences.
‘‘ In the course of the evening,” says Cap-
tain Franklin, “I found that a piece of the
wood-coal from Garry’s Island, which I
had placed in my pocket, had ignited spon-
taneously, and scorched the metal powder-
horn by its side.” » Small as this island is,
numbers of moose and rein-deer, and foxes,
were seen upon it; and several kinds of
gulls, dotterels, geese, cranes, and ‘swans
were flocking around its shores. |The ve-
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 205
getation consisted of various shrubby plants
in flower, grasses, and mosses; the beach
covered with pebbles of granite, greenstone,
quartz, and lydian-stone.
When Captain Franklin left England to
proceed on this expedition, he had to un-
dergo a severe struggle between the feel-
ings of affection and a sense of duty; his
wife then lying at the point of death, and,
with heroic fortitude, urging his departure
at the very day appointed—entreating him,
as he valued her peace and _ his own glory,
not to delay a moment on her account: she
died, we believe, the day after he left her.
This will explain the allusion to personal
sorrows in the following passage—a passage
which will speak to the heart of every one
who is capable of understanding the grace
that domestic tenderness lends to the gal-
lant fortitude of public enterprize :—
* During our absence, the men had
pitched the tent on the beach, and I caused
the silk union-flag to be hoisted, which my
deeply-lamented wife had made and pre-
sented to me, as a parting gift, under the
206 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
express injunction that it was not to be un-
furled before the expedition reached the
sea. I will not attempt to describe my
emotions as it expanded to the breeze;
however natural, and, for the moment, irre-
sistible, I felt that 1t was my duty to sup-
press them, and that I had no right, by an
indulgence of my own sorrows, to cloud the
animated countenances of my companions.
Joining, therefore, with the best grace that
I could command, in the general excite-—
ment, I endeavoured to return, with cor-
responding cheerfulness, their warm con-
gratulations on having thus planted the
British flag on this remote island of the
Polar Sea.” | | E
Being fully satisfied and highly delighted
with the favourable prospect of the land
and sea to the westward, from this advanced
position, the party made the best of their
way back, and joined their companions at
winter-quarters on the 5th September.
About the same time Dr. Richardson re-
turned from the north-eastern shores of
Great Bear Lake, where it approached
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 204
nearest to Coppermine River, whither he.
_had proceeded, for the purpose of fixing
upon a spot to which he might bring his
party, the following year, from the mouth
of that river, in the event of his reaching
this ultimate object of his research.
The several northern expeditions have
rendered the passing of a long dreary winter
so familiar, that little now is thought of it.
Employment, however, to shorten the time
is quite necessary; and the party under
Franklin appear to have had a sufficient
share of it. The Canadians and the In-
dians were engaged in fishing and hunting
for the support of the whole party: during
the autumn the fishmg was so successful,
that the nets yielded daily from three to
eight hundred fish of the kind called “ her-
ring salmon,” and occasionally trout, titta-
meg, and carp. ‘The rein-deer furnished
them but scantily with flesh-meat, and in
the winter the supply of this article ceased
altogether. ‘The officers had ample em-
ployment in making and registering the
_ thermometrical, magnetical, and atmospheri-
208 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
cal observations, in writing up their jour-’
nals, finishing the charts, drawings, and
sketches, examining and arranging the ob-
jects of natural history which had been col-
lected, and in various other matters. Per-
sons of education and intelligence seldom
find any difficulty about selectmg such
means to occupy the mind and pass away
the time; but this is not the case with the
uneducated. Aware of the necessity of
providing occupation for these, Captain.
Franklin adopted the plan he thus de- |
scribes :— |
‘“‘ As the days shortened, it was necessary
to find employment during the long even-
ings, for those resident at the house, and a
school was, therefore, established, on three
nights of the week, from seven o'clock to
nine, for their instruction in reading, writing,
and arithmetic; and it was attended by
most of the British party. They were
divided in equal portions amongst the offi-
cers, whose labour was amply repaid by the
advancement their pupils made: some of
those who began with the alphabet learned
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 209
to read and write with tolerable correctness.
Sunday was a day of rest; and, with the
exception of two or three of the Canadians,
the whole party uniformly attended Divine
service, morning and evening. If, on the
other evenings for which no particular oc-
cupation was appointed, the men felt the
time tedious, or if they expressed a wish to
vary their employments, the hall was at
their service, to play any game they might
choose; and on these occasions they were
invariably jomed by the officers. By thus
participating in their amusements, the men
became more attached to us, at the same
time that we contributed to their health and
cheerfulness. The hearts and feelings of
the whole party were united in one common
desire to make the time pass as agreeably
as possible to each other, until the return
of spring should enable them to resume the
great object of the expedition.”
» Every thing seems to have gone on pretty
_ well till the end of the year, but, owing to
the extreme severity of the weather in the
months of January and February, the sources
VOL. IV. P
210 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
from whence they had derived their food
failed them. All the animals but the wolf
and the fox had migrated to the southward ;
the stock of dried meat was expended; the
fish caught did not allow more than three
or four small herrmgs to each man, and
being out of season, not only afforded very
little nourishment, but caused frequent and
general indisposition. Under such circum-
stances they were obliged to have recourse
to their provision of pemmican and portable
soup, which had been. set apart for the
voyage along the sea-coast. Towards
March, however, their situation began to
improve.
‘‘ From this period we had a sufficient
supply of provision, because the fisheries
improved, and we received deer from time
to time. ‘The men who had been indis-
posed gained strength, from the increased
quantity, and amended quality, of the food ;
and we had also the gratification of seeing
the dogs daily fatten, amidst the general
plenty. The conduct of the men during the
season of scarcity was beyond all praise;
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 914
and, the following anecdote is worthy of re-
cord, as displaying the excellent feeling of
a British seaman, and as speaking the senti-
ments of the whole party. Talking with
Robert Spinks as to the difference of his
~present food from that to which he had
een accustomed on board ship, I said I
was glad the necessity was over of keeping
them on short allowance. ‘ Why, Sir,’
«said he, ‘ we never minded about the short —
allowance, but were fearful of having to use
the pemmican intended for next summer;
we only care about the next voyage, and
shall all be glad when the spring comes, that
we may set off; besides, at the worst time,
we could always spare a fish for each of our
dogs.’ ” |
In the winter season of this severe cli-
mate, the poor Indians suffer greatly, and
numbers of them perish for want of food ;
and this difficulty of procuring sustenance
frequently induces them to destroy their
female children at their birth. Captain
Franklin mentions two women who, just
after leaving the fort,-were delivered, one
P2
919 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
of a male the other of a female child, the
latter of which was immediately put to_
death. This custom, however, is by no
means common, as would appear from the
following incident :—
“The wife of one of our Dog-rib hunters
brought her only child, a female, for medi-
cal advice. As she entered the room it was
evident that the hand of death was upon it.
In the absence of Dr. Richardson, who
happened to be out, all the remedies were —
applied that were judged. likely to be of —
service; and as soon as he returned, there
being yet a faint pulsation, other means
were tried, but in vain. So gentle was its
last sigh, that the mother was not at first
aware of its death, and continued to press
the child against her bosom. As soon,
however, as she perceived that life had fled, —
she cast herself on the floor in agony,
heightened by the consciousness of having
delayed to seek relief till too late, and by
the apprehension of the anger of her hus-
band, who was doatingly attached to the
child. The Indians evinced their participa-
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. ING
tion in her affliction by silence, and a strong
expression of pity in their countenances.
At dawn of day the poor creature, though
almost exhausted by her ceaseless lamenta-
tion, carried the body across the lake for
interment.”
It has often been remarked with what
exactness the migratory animals observe the
periods of their arrival and departure. In
the northern regions of America, they serve
as infallible guides to point out the change
_ of season to the untutored Indians. Thus
_ the appearance of swans, and the departure
of geese, are the certain signs, the one of
the approach of spring, the other of winter.
Dr. Richardson has kept a curious “ re-.
gister of phenomena connected with the
progress of the seasons at Fort Franklin.”
From this it appears, that on the 11th of
September the muskitoes cease to be trou-
blesome ; on the 2d of October the first ice
was observed, and on the 5th, the last swan
passed to the southward; on the 7th, the
last rain fell—on the 11th the last brown
duck was noticed. On the 6th of May,
eS
Q14. SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
the first swans were seen; on the 7th, the
geese appeared; on the 8th, the ducks;
and on the 9th the gulls arrived;—on the
11th, the first shower fell; on the 16th, the
-~mosses: began to sprout; on the 17th, va-
rious singing birds and orioles made their
appearance, and some swifts and white
geese arrived; on the 27th, the laughing-
geese. were first seen; and on the 31st, the
‘ goat-suckers brought up the rear ;—on the:
3d of June, the dwarf-birch, willows, and —
_ -shrubby-potentilla were in leaf—-and the _
™ anemonies, tussilagos, and the Lapland rose,
(rhododendron lapponicum,) and several
’ other plants, were in full flower; and on
| the 26th: July, ripe vrinat cerns were
\.. brought to the Fort.’ The lowest tempera=
‘ture occurred on the Ist of January, when
Fahrenheit’s thermometer descended to
—49°; the highest, between the Ist: and
10th, was'—8° 8’; -and the mean, —29° 7.
Shey _. By the 15th of June the equipments of
the boats were completed: Fourteen men,
including Augustus, (the Esquimaux inter-
preter,) were appointed to accompany Cap-=~
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 915
tain Franklin and Lieutenant Back, in the
Lion and Reliance, the two larger boats;
and. ten, including Ooligbuck, (another Es-
quimaux,) to go with Dr. Richardson and
Mr. Kendall, in the Dolphin and Unicorn,
—the former party to proceed to the west-
ward, the latter to the eastward, of the
mouth of the Mackenzie river. On the
28th of June they all quitted the fort, de-
scended the Mackenzie, and on the 4th of
July reached that part of the river where it
divides into various _ channels, and where
the two parties were to pursue different
directions. ‘We felt,” says Capt. Frank-
lin, ‘that we were only separating to be
employed on services of equal interest ; and ~
we looked forward with delight to our next
meeting, when, after a successful termina-
tion, we might record the incidents of our
respective voyages.” Augustus, he says,
was rather melancholy, as might be ex-
pected, on his parting from Ooligbuck, to
proceed he knew not whither; but he reco-
vered his wonted flow of aplelts by the
evening. FOE
216 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
The western party had scarcely cleared
the branch of the river down which they
descended, when they discovered a crowd
of tents on an island, with a number of
Esquimaux strolling amongthem. Captain
Franklin wished to open a communication
with these people, but gave orders that the
boats should be kept afloat, and that on no
account should any one fire upon them,
even if they showed any marks of hostility,
until himself or Lieut. Back should set
them the example.
“Qn quitting the channel of the river we
entered into the bay, which was about six
miles wide, with an unbounded prospect
to seaward, and steered towards the tents
under easy sail, with the ensigns flying.
The water became shallow as we drew
towards the island, and the boats touched
the ground when about a mile from the
beach; we shouted, and made signs to the
Esquimaux to come off, and then pulled a
short way back to await their arrival in
deeper water. Three canoes instantly put
off from the. shore, and before they could
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. a
reach us others were launched in such quick
succession, that the whole space between
the island and the boats was covered by
them. The Esquimaux canoes contain
only one person, and are named kaiyacks ;
_ but they have a kind of open boat capable
of holding six or eight people, which is
named oomiak. The men alone use the
_ katyacks, and the oomiaks are allotted to
the women and children. We endeavoured
_ to count their numbers as they approached,
and had proceeded as far as seventy-three
canoes, and five oomiaks, when the sea
became so crowded by fresh arrivals, that
we could advance no farther in our reckon-
ing. The three headmost canoes were
paddled by elderly men, who, most proba-
bly, had been selected to open the commu-
nication. ‘They advanced towards us with
much caution, halting when just within
speaking distance, until they had been
assured of our friendship, and repeatedly
invited by Augustus to approach and re-
ceive the present which I offered to them.
Augustus next explained to them in detail
918 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
the purport of our visit, and told them that
if we succeeded in finding a navigable chan-
nel for large ships, a trade highly beneficial
to them would be opened. ‘They were de-
lighted with this intelligence, and repeated
it to their countrymen, who testified their
joy by tossing their hands aloft, and raising
the most deafening shout of applause I ever
heard.
“After the first present, I resolved to
bestow no more gratuitously, but always to
exact something, however small, in return ;
the three elderly men readily offered the —
ornaments they wore in their cheeks, their
arms, and knives, in exchange for the arti-
cles I gave them. Up to this time, the first
three were the only kaiyacks that had ven-
tured near the boats, but the natives around
us had now increased to two hundred and
fifty or three hundred persons, and. they all
became anxious to share in the lucrative
trade which they saw established, and
pressed eagerly upon us, offering for sale
their bows, arrows, and spears, which they
had. hitherto kept concealed within their
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 219
canoes. I endeavoured in vain, amidst the
clamour and bustle of trade, to obtain some
information respecting the coast, but finding
the natives becoming more and more im-
portunate and troublesome, I determined
to leave them, and, therefore, directed the
boats’. heads to be put to seaward. Not-
withstanding the forwardness of the Esqui-
maux, which we attributed solely to the
desire of a rude people to obtain the novel
articles they saw in our possession, they
had hitherto shown no unfriendly disposi-
tion; and when we told them of our inten-
tion of going to sea, they expressed no
desire to detain us, but, on the contrary,
when the Lion grounded in the act of turn-
ing, they assisted us in the kindest. manner
by dragging her round. This manceuvre
was not of much advantage to us, for, from
the rapid ebbing of the tide, both boats
lay aground; and the Esquimaux told us,
through the medium of Augustus, that the
whole bay was alike flat, which we after-
wards found to be correct.
. An accident happened at this time which
220 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
was productive of unforeseen and very an-
hoying consequences. A kaiyack being
overset by one of the Lion’s oars, its owner
was plunged into the water with his head in
the mud, and apparently in danger of being
drowned. We instantly extricated him from
_his unpleasant situation, and took him into
the boat until the water could be thrown
out of his kaiyack, and Augustus, seeing
him shivering with cold, wrapped him up in
his own great coat. At first he was exceed-
ingly angry, out soon became reconciled to
his situation, and looking about, discovered
that we had many bales, and other articles,
-in the boat, which had been concealed from
the people in the kaiyacks, by the coverings
being carefully spread over all. He soon
began to ask for every thing he saw, and
expressed much displeasure on our refusing
to comply with his demands: he also, as
we afterwards learned, excited the cupidity
of others by his account of the mexhausti-
ble riches in the Lion; and several of the
younger men endeavoured to get into both
our boats, but we resisted all their attempts.
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 221
Though we had not hitherto observed any
of them stealing, yet they showed so much
desire to obtain my flag, that I had it furled
and put out of sight, as well as every thing
else that I thought could prove a tempta-
tion to them. ‘They continued, however, to
press upon us so closely, and made so many
efforts to get into the boats, that I accepted
the offer of two chiefs, who said that if they
were allowed to come in, they would keep
_the others out. Fora time they kept their
word, and the crews took advantage of the
respite thus afforded, to endeavour to force
the boats towards the river into deeper
water. The Reliance floated, but the Lion
was immovable, and Lieutenant Back, drop-
ping astern, again made his boat fast to the
Lion by arope. At this time one of the
Lion’s crew perceived that the man whose
katyack had been upset had a pistol under
“his shirt, and was about to take it from
him, but I ordered him to desist, as I
thought it might have been purchased from
the Loucheux. It had been, in fact, stolen
from Lieutenant Back, and the thief, per-
299 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE ~
ceiving our attention directed to it, leaped
out of the boat, and joined. his countrymen, |
carrying with him the great coat which
Augustus had lent him.
The water had now ebbed so far that it
was not knee deep at the boats, and the
younger men, wading in crowds around us,
tried to steal every thing within their reach;
slyly, however, and with so much dexterity
as almost to escape detection. —The moment
this disposition was manifested, I directed
the crews not to suffer any one to come
alongside, and desired Augustus to tell the
two chiefs, who still remained seated in the
Lion, that the noise and confusion occa-
sioned by the crowd around the boats
greatly impeded our exertions; and. that if
they would go on shore and leave us for
the present, we would hereafter return
from the ship, which we expected to meet
near this part of the coast, with a more
abundant supply of goods. They received
this communication with much apparent
satisfaction, and jumping out of the boats
repeated the speech aloud to their compa-
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 223
nions. From the general exclamation of
‘“‘teyma,’ which followed, and from per-
ceiving many of the elderly men retire to a
distance, I conceived that they acquiesced
in the propriety of the suggestion, and that
they were going away; but I was much
deceived. They only retired to concert a
plan of attack, and returned in a short time
shouting some words which Augustus could
not make out. We soon, however, disco-
vered their purport, by two of the three
chiefs who were on board the Reliance
jumping out, and, with the others who hur-
ried to their assistance, dragging her towards
the south shore of the river. Lieutenant
Back desired the chief who remained witb
him to tell them to desist, but he replied
by pointing to the beach, and repeating the
word teyma, teyma, with a good-natured
smile. He said, however, something to
those who were seated in the canoes that
were alongside, on which they threw their
long knives and arrows into the boat, taking
care, in so doing, that the handles and fea-
294 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
thered ends were turned towards the crew,
as an indication of pacific intentions. |
‘‘ As soon as I perceived the Reliance
moving under the efforts of the natives, I
directed the Lion’s crew to endeavour to
follow her, but our boat remained fast until
the Esquimaux lent their aid and dragged
her after the Reliance. Two of the most
powerful men, jumping on board at the same
time, seized me by the wrists, and forced
me to sit between them; and as I shook.
them loose two or three times, a third Es-
quimaux took his station in front to catch
my arm whenever I attempted to lift my
gun, or the broad dagger which hung by
my side. The whole way to the shore they
kept repeating the word “ teyma,” beating
gently on my left breast with their hands,
and pressing mine against their breasts.
As we neared the beach, two oomiaks, full
of women, arrived, and the “ teymas” and
vociferation were redoubled. The Reliance
was first brought to the shore, and the Lion
close to her a few seconds afterwards. The
=
Engraved by EdvtFin des
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 225
three men who held me now leaped ashore,
and: those who had remained in their canoes
aking them out of the water, carried them
eifcarditthe distance. A numerous party then
drawing their knives, and stripping them-
selves to the waist, ran to the Reliance, and
having first hauled her as far up as they
could, began a regular pillage, handing the
§ articles to the women, who, ranged 1 in a row
behind, quickly conveyed them out of sight.
Lieutenant Back and his crew strenuously,
but good-humouredly, resisted the attack,
and rescued’ many things from their grasp;
but they were overpowered by numbers,
and had even some difficulty in preserving
their arms. One fellow had the daslactly
to snatch Vivier’s knife from his breast,
and to cut the buttons from his coat, whilst
three stout Esquimaux surrounded Lieu-
tenant Back with uplifted daggers, and
were incessant in their demands for what-
ever attracted their attention, especially for
the anchor buttons which he wore on his
waistcoat. In this juncture a young chief
- coming to his aid, drove the assailants away.
VOL. IV. Q
226 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
In their retreat they carried off a writing
desk and cloak, which the chief rescued;
and then, seating himself on Lieutenant
Back’s knee, he endeavoured to persuade
his countrymen to desist by vociferating
‘teyma, teyma,’ and. was, indeed, very active
in saving whatever he could from their de-
predations. The Lion had hitherto been
beset by smaller numbers, and her crew, by
firmly keeping their seats on the cover
spread over the cargo, and by beating the
natives off with the butt-ends of their mus-
kets, had been able to prevent any article
of importance from being carried away.
But as soon ,as I perceived that the work
of plunder was going on so actively in the
Reliance, I went with Augustus to assist in
repressing the tumult; and our bold and
active little imterpreter rushed among the
crowd on shore, and harangued them on
their treacherous conduct, until he was ac-
tually hoarse. In a short time, however, I
was summoned back by Duncan, who called
out to me that the Esquimaux had now
commenced in earnest to plunder the Lion;
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. apes
and, on my return, I found the sides of the
boat lined with men as thick as they could
stand, brandishing their knives in the most
furious manner, and attempting to seize
every thing that was movable; whilst ano-
ther party was ranged on the outside ready
to bear away the stolen goods. ‘The Lion’s
crew still kept their seats, but as it was
impossible for so small a number to keep
off such a formidable and determined body,
several articles were carried off. Our prin-
cipal object was to prevent the loss of the
arms, oars, or masts, or any thing on which
the continuance of the voyage or our per-
sonal safety depended. Many attempts
were made to purloin the box containing
the astronomical instruments, and Duncan,
after thrice rescuing it from their hands,
made it fast to his leg with a cord, deter-
mined that they should drag him away also
if they took it.
‘© In the whole of this unequal contest,
the self-possession of our men was not more
conspicuous than the coolness with which
the Esquimaux received the heavy blows
Q 2
228 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
dealt to them with the butts of the muskets.
But at length, irritated at beig so often —
foiled in their attempts, several of them
jumped on board, and forcibly endeavoured
to take the daggers and shot-belts that were
about the men’s persons; and I myself was
engaged with three of them who were try-
ing to disarm me. Lieutenant Back, per-
ceiving our situation, and fully appreciating
my motives in not coming to extremities,
had the kindness to send to my assistance
the young chief who had protected him,
and who, on his arrival, drove my antago-
nists out of the boat. I then saw that my
crew were nearly overpowered in the fore
part of the boat, and, hastening to their aid,
I fortunately arrived in time to prevent
George Wilson from discharging the con-
tents of his musket into the body of an
Esquimaux. He had received a provoca-
tion of which I was ignorant until the next
day, for the fellow had struck at him witha
knife, and cut through his coat and waist-
coat; and it was only after the affray was
over that I learned that Gustavus Aird, the
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 229
bowman of the Lion, and three of the Reli-
ance’s crew, had also narrowly escaped from
being wounded, their clothes being cut by
the blows made at them with knives. No
sooner was the bow cleared of one set of
marauders than another party commenced
their operations at the stern. My gun was
now the object of the struggle, which was
beginning to assume a more serious com-
plexion, when the whole of the Esquimaux
suddenly fled, and hid themselves behind
the drift timber and canoes on the beach.
It appears that by the exertions of the crew
the Reliance was again afloat, and Lieutenant
Back, wisely judging that this was the pro-.
per moment for more active interference,
directed his men to level their muskets,
which had produced that sudden panic.
The Lion happily floated soon after, and
both were retiring from the beach, when the
Esquimaux, having recovered from their
consternation, put their kaiyacks in the wa-
ter, and were preparing to follow us; but I
desired Augustus to say that I would shoot
230 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
the first man who came within range of our
muskets, which prevented them.
‘It was now about eight o'clock in the
evening, and we had been engaged in this
harassing contest for several hours, yet the
only things of importance which they had
carried off were the mess canteen and ket-
tles, a tent, a bale containing blankets and
shoes, one of the men’s bags, and the jib-
sails. The other articles they took could
well be spared, and they would, in fact,
have been distributed amongst them had
they remained quiet. The place to which
the boats were dragged is designated by
the name of Pillage Point. I cannot suf-
ficiently praise the fortitude and obedience
of both the boats’ crews in abstaining from
the use of their arms. In the first mstance
I had been influenced by the desire of pre-
venting unnecessary bloodshed, and after-
wards, when the critical situation of my
party might have well warranted me in em-
ploying more decided means for their de-
fence, I still endeavoured to temporize,
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 254
=
being convinced that as long as the boats
lay aground, and we were beset by such
numbers, armed with long knives, bows,
arrows, and spears, we could not use fire-
arms to advantage. The howling of the
women, and the clamour of the men, proved
the high excitement to which they had
wrought themselves; and I am still of
opinion that, mingled as we were with them,
the first blood we had shed would have
been instantly revenged by the sacrifice of
all our lives.
“The preceding narrative shows that,
bad as the general conduct of the Esqui-
maux was, we had some active friends
amongst them; and I was particularly de-
sirous of cultivating a good understanding
with them, for we were as yet ignorant of
the state of the ice at sea, and did not know
how long we should have to remain in their
neighbourhood. I was determined, how-
ever, now to keep them at bay, and to con-
vince them, if they made any further at-
tempts to annoy us, that our forbearance
had proceeded from good-will, and not
G32 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE -
from the want of the power to punish them.
We had not gone above a quarter of a mile.
from Pillage Point before the boats again
took the ground at the distance of one hun-
dred and fifty yards from the shore; and
having ascertained, by the men wading in
every direction, that there was no deeper
water, we made the boats fast side by side,
and remained in that situation five hours.
Shortly after the boats had been secured,
seven or eight of the natives walked along
the beach, and carrying on a conversation
with Augustus, invited him to a conference
on shore. I was at first very unwilling to
permit him to go; but the brave little fellow
entreated so earnestly that I would suffer
him to land and reprove the Esquimaux for.
their conduct, that I at length consented,
and the more readily, on seeing that the
young chief who had acted im so friendly a
manner was amongst the number on the
beach. By the time that Augustus reached
the shore, the number of Esquimaux
amounted to forty, and we watched with
great anxiety the animated conversation he.
SHORES OF. THE POLAR SEA. 288
carried on with them. On his return he
told us that its purport was as follows :—
‘ Your conduct,’ said he, ‘has been very
bad, and unlike that of all other Esquimaux.
Some of you even stole from me, your coun-
tryman, but that I do not mind; I only
regret that you should have treated. in this
violent manner the white people, who came
solely to do you kindness. My tribe were
in the same unhappy state in which you
now are, before the white people came to
Churchill, but at present they are supplied
with every thing they need, and you see
that I am well clothed; I get all that I
want, and am very comfortable. You can-
not expect, after the transactions of this
day, that these people will ever bring goods
to your country again, unless you show
your contrition by returning the stolen
goods. ‘The white people love the Esqui-
maux, and wish to show them the same
kindness that they bestow upon the Indians:
do not deceive yourselves, and suppose that
they are afraid of you; I tell you they are.
not, and that it is entirely owing to their
234 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
humanity that many of you were not killed
to-day; for they have all guns, with which
they can destroy you either when near or
ata distance. I also have a gun, and can
assure you that if a white man had fallen, I
would have been the first to have revenged
his death.’ |
“The veracity of Augustus was beyond
all question with us: such a speech, deli-
vered in a circle of forty armed men, was a
remarkable instance of personal courage.
We could perceive, by the shouts of ap-
plause with which they filled the pauses in
his harangue, that they assented to his argu->
ments, and he told us that they had ex-
pressed great sorrow for having given us so
much cause of offence, and pleaded, in miti-
gation of their conduct, that they had never
seen white people before, that every thing
in our possession was so new to them, and
so desirable, that they could not resist the
temptation of stealing, and begged him to
assure us that they never would do the like
again, for they were anxious to be on terms
of friendship with us, that they might par-
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 235
take of the benefits which his tribe derived
from their intercourse with the white peo-
ple. I told Augustus to put their sincerity
to the test by desiring them to bring back
a large kettle and the tent, which they did,
together with some shoes, having sent for
them to the island whither they had been
conveyed. After this act of restitution,
Augustus requested to be permitted to join
a dance to which they had invited him, and
he was, for upwards of an hour, engaged-in
’ dancing and singing with all his might in
the midst of a company who were all armed
with knives, or bows and arrows. He after-
wards told us that he was much delighted
on finding that the words of the song, and
the different attitudes of the dances, were
precisely similar to those used in his own
country when a friendly meeting took place
with strangers. Augustus now learned from
them that there was a regular ebb and flow
of the tide in this bay, and that when the
sun came round to a particular point there
would be water enough to float the boats,
if we kept along the western shore. This
236 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
communication relieved me from much
anxiety, for the water was perfectly fresh, —
and from the flood-tide having passed un-
perceived whilst we were engaged with the
Esquimaux, it appeared to us to have been
subsiding for the preceding twelve hours,
which naturally excited doubts of our being
able to effect a passage to the sea in this
direction.
“The Esquimaux gradually retired as
the night advanced; and when there were —
only a few remaining, two of our men were
sent to a fire which they had made, to pre-
pare chocolate for the refreshment of the
party. Up to this period we remained
seated in the boats, with our muskets in
our hands, and keeping a vigilant look out
on Augustus and the natives around him.
As they had foretold, the water began to
flow about midnight, and by half past one
in the morning of the 8th it was sufficiently
deep to allow of our dragging the boats
forward to a part where they floated. We
pulled along the western shore about six
miles, till the appearance of the sky bespoke
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 237
the immediate approach ofa gale; and we
had scarcely landed before it came on with
violence, and attended with so much swell
as to compel us to unload the boats and
drag them upon the beach.
‘‘ The whole party having been exhausted
by the labour and anxiety of the preceding
twenty-four hours, two men were appointed
to keep watch, and the rest slept until eleven
o'clock in the morning, when we began to
repair the damage which the sails and rig-
ging had sustained from the attempts made
by the Esquimaux to cut away the copper
thimbles. We were thus employed when
Lieutenant Back espied, through the haze,
the whole body of the Esquimaux paddling
towards us. Uncertain of the purport of
their visit, and not choosing to open a con-
ference with so large a body in a situation
so disadvantageous as our present one, we
hastened to launch the boats through the
surf, and load them with our utmost speed ;
conceiving that when once fairly afloat, we
could keep any number at bay. We had
scarcely pulled into deep water before some
238 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
of the kaiyacks had arrived within speaking
distance, and the man in the headmost one, —
holding out a kettle, called aloud that he
wished to return it, and that the oomiak,
which was some distance behind, contained
the things that had been stolen from us,
which they were desirous of restoring, and
recelving in return any present that we
might be disposed to give. I did not deem
it prudent, however, for the sake of the few
things in their possession which we re-
quired, to hazard their whole party collect-
ing around us, and, therefore, desired Au-
gustus to tell them to go back: but they
continued to advance until I fired a ball
ahead of the leading canoe, which had the
desired effect—the whole party veering
round, except four, who followed us for a
little way, and then went back to join their
companions.
‘“‘T have been minute in my details of our
proceedings with these Esquimaux, for the
purpose of elucidating the character of the ©
people we had to deal with; and I feel that
the account would be incomplete without
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 239
the mention, in this place, of some commu-
nications made to us in the month of August
following, which fully explained the motives
of their conduct. We learned that, up to
the time that the kaiyack was upset, the
Esquimaux were actuated by the most
friendly feelings towards us, but that the
fellow whom we had treated so kindly after
the accident, discovering what the boats
contained, proposed to the younger men to
pillage them. This suggestion was buzzed
about, and led to the conference which the
old men held together when I desired them
to go away, in which the robbery was de-
cided upon, and a pretty general wish was
expressed that it should be attended with
the total massacre of our party. Providen-
tially a few suggested the impropriety of
including Augustus; and for a reason which
could scarcely have been imagined. ‘ If
we kill him,’ said they, ‘no more white
_ people will visit our lands, and we shall
lose the opportunity of getting another
supply of their valuable goods; but if we
spare him, he can be sent back with a story
240 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
which we shall invent to mduce another
party of white people to come among us.’
This argument prevailed at the time; but.
after the interviews with Augustus at the
dance, they retired to their island, where
they were so much inflamed by the sight
of the valuable articles which they had
obtained, that they all, without exception,
regretted that they had allowed us to
escape. While in this frame of mind the
smoke of our fire being discovered, a con- —
-sultation was immediately held, and a very
artful plan laid for the destruction of the
party, including Augustus, whom they con-
ceived to be so firmly attached to us that it
was in vain to attempt to win him to their
cause. ‘They expected to find us on shore ;
but to provide against the boats getting
away if we should have embarked, they
caused some kettles to be fastened conspi-
cuously to the leading kaiyack, mm order to
induce us to stop. The kaiyacks were then
to be placed in such a position as to hamper
the boats, and their owners were to keep us
in play until the whole party had come up,
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 94.)
when the attack was to commence. Through
the blessing of Providence, their scheme was
frustrated.”
After this, the exploring party met with
no interruption from the natives, with whom
they had frequent intercourse as they pro-
ceeded along the coast, sometimes meeting
with very numerous parties, taking the
precaution, however, of keeping the boats
afloat, as far as it was possible, whenever
they approached their stations.
it was observed that the farther they ad-
vanced to the westward the native Esqui-
maux bore a nearer resemblance to those
well-known Tartar features, of high cheek
bones and small elongated eyes :—
‘“‘ivery man had pieces of bone or shells
thrust through the septum of his nose; and
holes were pierced on each side of the under
lip, in which were placed circular pieces of |
ivory, with a large blue bead in the centre,
similar to those represented in the drawings
of the natives on the N.W. coast of America,
in Kotzebue’s Voyage. ‘These ornaments
were so much valued, that they declined
VOL, IV. R
242 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
sellmg them; and when not rich enough to
procure beads or ivory, stones and pieces
of bone were substituted. These perfora-
tions are made at the age of puberty; and
one of the party, who appeared to be about
fourteen years old, was pointed out, with
delight, by his parents, as having to undergo —
the operation in the following year. He
was a good-looking boy, and we could not
fancy his countenance would be much im-
proved by the insertion of the bones or
stones, which have the effect of depressing
the under lip, and keeping the mouth open.”
With regard to the women, Captain
Franklin observes. | |
“Their own black hair is very tastefully
turned up from behind to the top of the
head, and tied by strings of white and blue
beads, or cords of white déer-skin. It is
divided in front, so as to form on each side
a thick tail, to which are appended strings
of beads that reach to the waist. The
women were from four feet and a half to
four and three-quarters high, and generally
fat. Some of the younger females, and the
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 943
children, were pretty. The lady whose por-
trait adorns this work, was mightily pleased
at being selected by Lieutenant Back for
_his sketch, and testified her joy by smiles
and many jumps. .The men, when sitting
for their portraits, were more sedate, though
not less pleased, than the females; some of
them remarked that they were not hand-
some enough to be taken to our country.”
Having passed the first range of the
Rocky Mountains, and between it and the
second, a large river, at least two miles
broad, was observed to empty itself into
the Polar Sea, after coming, as the Esqui-
maux informed them, from a distant part of
the interior. Near to Herschel’s Island, in
latitude 69° 33° N. longitude 139° 3° W.,
was another river, which they call the
Mountain Indian River. Here they fell in
with a party of Esquimaux, who traded up
that river and to the westward with their
countrymen, who obtain their goods from
white people, and which Capt. Franklin had
no doubt, from the appearance of the articles,
were of Russian manufacture. There is
R2
244 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
another large river, to which they gave the
name of Clarence: they found among the
drift timber on the beach a pine-tree, seven
feet and a quarter in girth and thirty-six
feet long, and many others were seen of not
much inferior size, which must have grown
considerably to the southward.
From the moment the expedition left the ~
mouth of the Mackenzie River scarcely a
day passed that the atmosphere was not, at
some portion of it, so loaded with fog as to
hide every object that was distant only a
few miles, and sometimes so dense as to
prevent them from seeing one end of the
boat from the other. This state of the air
is undoubtedly, of all others, the most
hazardous for boat navigation in an icy sea.
On the former expedition to the eastward of
the Coppermine River they had generally
clear weather; here a clear blue sky was a
rare phenomenon. Captain Franklin asks,
‘‘whence arises this difference?” and an-
swers it, as we think, satisfactorily enough.
By reason of the low and swampy land that
lies between the Rocky Mountains and the
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 945
sea coast—the very shallow sea washing
that coast, which at the distance of three or
four miles, in some places, was found to be
scarcely deep enough to float their boats—
and the numerous masses of ice brought
down by the northerly winds, and grounded
everywhere along this low coast—there is a
constant exhalation of moisture during the
summer months, which the vicinity of the
Rocky Mountains prevents being carried
away, and which is therefore condensed into
a thick fog.
It was the 16th of August before the
boats had reached the half-way point be-
tween the Mackenzie River and Icy Cape.
At this early period the young ice began to
form at night on the pools of fresh water ;
the summer, if a constant succession of north-
erly gales and fogs could be so called, was
nearly at an end, as experience on a former
voyage had taught Franklin to conclude.
He had then witnessed at a day later, and
at two degrees more southerly, the com-
mencement of severe storms of wind and
snow, and found that, in the course ef ano-
946 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
ther fortnight, winter had fairly set in with all
its severity. The sun had now begun to sink
below the horizon; the temperature rarely
exceeded 37° of Fahrenheit; the autumnal
flicht of geese and other birds had com-
menced; the deer were hastening from the
coast; no Esquimaux had recently made
their appearance, and no longer any indica-
tion of winter-houses, to denote this part of
the coast to be frequented by these people
—in whom, as recent experience had taught,
little reliance can be placed with safety.
Under all these circumstances, one course
only was left for Franklin to pursue.
“ Till our tedious detention at Foggy
Island, we had no doubt of ultimate suc-
cess; and it was with no ordinary pain that
I could now bring myself even to think of
relinquishing the great object of my ambi-
tion, and of disappointing the flattering con-
fidence that had been reposed in my exer-.
tions. But I had higher duties to perform
than the gratification of my own feelings ;.
and a mature consideration of all the above ~
matters forced me to the conclusion, that
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 247
we had reached the point, beyond which
perseverance would be rashness, and our
best efforts would be fruitless. In order
to put the reader completely in possession
of the motives which would have influenced
me, had I been entirely a free agent, I have
mentioned them without allusion to the
clause in my Instructions which directed me
to commence my return on the 15th or
20th of August, ‘ if, m consequence of
slow progress, or other unforeseen accident,
it should remain doubtful whether we should
be able to reach Kotzebue’s Inlet the same
season.’
“‘ In the evening I communicated my de-
termination to the whole party; they re-
ceived it with the good feeling that had
marked their conduct throughout the voy-
age, and they assured me of their cheerful
acquiescence in any order I should give.
The readiness with which they would have
prosecuted the voyage, had it been ad-
visable to do so, was the more creditable,
because many of them had their legs swelled
and inflamed from continually wading in
248 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
ice-cold water while launching the boats,
not only when we accidentally run on shore,
but every time that it was requisite to em-
bark or to land upon this shallow coast.
Nor were these symptoms to be overlooked
in coming to a determination; for though
no one who knows the resolute disposition
of British sailors can be surprised at their
more than readiness to proceed, I felt that
it was my business to judge of their capa-
bility of so doing, and not to allow myself
to be seduced by their ardour, however
honourable to them and cheering to me.”
It was fortunate he came to this resolu-
tion. Captain Beechey, who proceeded
one hundred and twenty miles beyond Icy
Cape, arrived on the 24th of August at a
low sandy spot, extending so far to the
northward, as to make it impossible to pro-
ceed round it; and the weather was so
tempestuous, that it was with the utmost
difficulty that officer’s barge got back to
Kotzebue Sound, to rejom the Blossom.
“ Could I have known, (says Franklin,)
or by possibility imagined, that a party from
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 249
the Blossom had been at the distance of
only one hundred and sixty miles from me,
no difficulties, dangers, or discouraging cir-
cumstances should have prevailed on me to
return: but taking into account the uncer-
tainty of all voyages in a sea obstructed by
ice, I had no right to expect that the Blos-
som had advanced beyond Kotzebue Inlet,
or that any party from her had doubled Icy
Cape. It is useless now to speculate on the
probable result of a proceeding which did
not take place; but I may observe, that,
had we gone forward as soon as the weather
permitted, namely, on the 18th, it is scarcely
possible that any change of circumstances
could have enabled us to overtake the Blos-
som’s barge.”*
* Captain Franklin adds, in a note, ‘‘ I have re-
cently learned, by letter from Captain Beechey, that
the barge turned back on the 25th of August, having
been several days beset by the ice. He likewise in-
forms me, that the summer of 1827 was so unfavour-
able for the navigation of the northern coast of Ame-
- rica, that the Blossom did not reach so high a latitude
as in the preceding year; nor could his boat get so
far to the east of Icy Cape, by one hundred miles.
250 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE |
The distance of the coast, traced west-
ward from the mouth of the Mackenzie,
was three hundred and seventy-four miles,
without discovering in all that space one
harbour in which a ship could find shelter.
It is, in fact, one of the most dreary, miser-
able, and uninteresting portions of sea-
coast to be found in any part of the world.
On their return the party had to en-
counter a more severe gale than any which
occurred in their advance.
“As the afternoon wore away, gloomy
clouds gathered in the northwest; and at
six a violent squall came on from that quar-
ter, attended with snow and sleet. ‘The
gale increased with rapidity: in less than
ten minutes the sea was white with foam,
and such waves were raised as I had never
before been exposed to in a boat. The
spray and sea broke over us incessantly,
and it was with difficulty that we could keen
free by baling. Our little vessels went
through the water with great velocity under
The natives, he says, were numerous, and, in some
instances, ill-disposed.”’
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 251
a close-reefed sail, hoisted about three feet
up the main-mast, and proved themselves
to be very buoyant. Their small size,
however, and the nature of their construc-
tion, necessarily adapted for the navigation
of shallow rivers, unfitting them for with-
standing the sea then running, we were in
imminent danger of foundering. I therefore
resolved on making for the shore, as the
only means of saving the party, although I
was aware, that, in so doing, I incurred the
hazard of staving the boats, there being
few places on this part of the coast where
there was sufficient beach under the broken
cliffs. The wind blowing along the land,
we could not venture on exposing the boat’s
side to the sea by hauling directly in, but,
edging away with the wind in that quarter,
we most providentially took the ground in
a favourable spot. The boats were in-
stantly filled with the surf, but they were
unloaded and dragged up without having
sustained any material damage. Impressed
.with a sense of gratitude for the signal de-
liverance we had experienced on this and
252 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
other occasions, we assembled in the even-
ing to offer up praise and thanksgiving to
the Almighty.” |
On the 21st of September this western
expedition reached Fort Franklin, where
they had the happmess of meeting all their -
friends, the eastern detachment under Dr.
Richardson having arrived on the Ist, after
a most successful voyage, at which we must
now take a passing glance.
Dr. Richardson was much more fortunate
than the western party in the nature of the
navigation he had to perform, and of the
coast between the mouths of the two rivers.
It is a voyage of about five hundred. miles,
which he accomplished between the 4th of
July and the 8th of August. The Esqui-
maux they met with on various parts of the
coast, as well as on the islands formed by the
reaches of the Mackenzie River, were more
numerous, more peaceable, and, apparently,
more wealthy, than those to the westward ;
but, like all savage nations, they missed no
opportunity of stealing, while carrying on
barter, whatever they could lay hands on.
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 258
However, with the exception of one party,
who had about fifty kaiyacks, no violence
was attempted. ‘This exception was occa-
sioned by the boats grounding, when an
attack, similar to that on Franklin, was
made, but immediately repelled by the show
of fire-arms, the use of which the aggressors
appeared perfectly to understand, the result,
no doubt, of experience acquired im contests
with the neighbouring Indians.
Their winter-huts are of a superior kind ;
they are met with in whole villages, con-
structed of driftwood trees, planted gene-
rally in the sand with the roots uppermost.
‘« These villages,’ says Dr. Richardson,
‘‘ when seen through a hazy atmosphere,
frequently resembled a crowd of people,
and sometimes we fancied they were not
unlike the spires of a town appearing above
the horizon.”” The size and quantity of this
timber is quite surprising. One straight
log of spruce fir is mentioned, thirty feet
long, seven feet in circumference at the
small end, and twelve a short distance above
the root. ‘ There is such an abundance of
254 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
drift-timber,” says Dr. Richardson, “ on al-
most every part of the coast, that a sufh-
cient supply of fuel for a ship might easily
be collected; and,’ he adds, “ should the
course of events ever introduce a steam-
vessel into those seas, it may be important
to know that, in coasting the shores between
Cape Bathurst and the Mackenzie, fire-
wood sufficient for her daily consumption
may be gathered.” . The following is the
description of an Esquimaux village, in
which was one very curious building :—
‘‘ The large building for an assembly-
room was, in the interior, a square of twenty-
seven feet, having the log-roof supported on
two strong ridge poles, two feet apart, and
resting on four upright posts. The floor in
the centre, formed of split logs, dressed and
laid with great care, was surrounded by a
raised border about three feet wide, which
was, no doubt, meant for seats. The walls,
three feet high, were inclined outwards, for
the convenience of leaning the back against
them, and the ascent to the door, which was
on the south side, was formed of logs. The
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 955
outside, covered with earth, had nearly a
hemispherical form, and round. its base there
were ranged the skulls of twenty-one whales.
There was a square hole in the roof, and the
central log of the floor had a basin-shaped
cavity, one foot in diameter, which was,
perhaps, intended for a lamp. The general
attention to comfort in the construction of
the village, and the erection of a building
of such magnitude, requiring an union of
purpose in a considerable number of people,
are evidences of no small progress towards
civilization. Whale skulls were confined to
the large building, and to one of the dwell- -
ing-houses, which had three or four placed
round it. Many wooden trays, and hand-
barrows for carrymg whale-blubber were
lying on the ground, most of them ina state
of decay.” |
One more extract respecting this people,
and we have done with them.
‘* The females, unlike those of the ideas
tribes, had much handsomer features than
the men; and one young woman of the
party would have been deemed pretty even
256 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
in Europe. Our presents seemed to render
them perfectly happy, and they danced with
such ecstasy in their slender boats, as to
mcur, more than once, great hazard of
being overset. A bundle of strings of
beads being thrown into an oomiak, it was_
eaught by an old woman, who hugged the
treasure to her breast with the strongest
expression of rapture, while another elderly
dame, who had stretched out her arms in
vain, became the very picture of despair:
On my expiaining, however, that the pre-
sent was for the whole, an amicable division
instantly took place; and to show their
gratitude, they sang a song to a pleasing
air, keeping time with their oars. ‘They
gave us many pressing Invitations to pass
the night at their tents, in which they were
joined by the men; and to excite our libe-
rality the mothers drew the children out of
their wide boots, where they are accustomed
to carry them naked, and holding them up,
begged beads for them. ‘Their entreaties
were, for a time, successful; but being de-
sirous of getting clear of our visitors before
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 257
breakfast-time, we at length told them that
our stock was exhausted, and they took
Jeave:|.)
On the 8th of August, the party reached
the mouth of the Coppermine River, after
a prosperous, and, as it appears, a pleasant
excursion, the weather being generally fine,
and the atmosphere clear, differing altoge-
ther from that which the western expedition
had to encounter. The following para-
graph, from Dr. Richardson’s Journal, states
what is so highly creditable to Lieut. Ken-
dall, that it would be unjust to withhold it.
“The completion of our sea voyage so
early in the season was a subject of mutual
congratulation to us all; and to Mr. Ken-
dall and myself it was particularly gratifying
to behold our men still fresh and vigorous,
and ready to commence the laborious march
across the barren grounds, with the same
spirit that they had shown in overcoming
the obstacles which presented themselves
to their progress by sea. We all felt that
the comfort and ease with which the voy-
age had been performed were greatly owing
VOL. IV. S |
258 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
to the judicious and plentiful provision of
stores and food which Captain Franklin had -
made for us; and gratitude for his care
mingling with the pleasure excited by our
success, and directmg our thoughts more
strongly to his party, the most ardent wishes
were expressed that they might prove
equally fortunate. The correctness of Mr.
Kendall’s reckoning was another source of
pleasure. Having been deprived of the aid
of chronometers, by the breaking of the two |
intended for the eastern detachment of the
Expedition, during the intense winter cold,
our only resource for correcting the dead
reckoning was lunar observations, made as
frequently as opportunities offered; yet
when we approached the Coppermme River,
Mr. Kendall’s reckoning differed from the
position of that place, as ascertained on
Captain Franklin’s former Expedition, only
twenty seconds of time, or about two miles
and a half of distance, which is'a very triflmg
difference when the length of the voyage
and the other circumstances are taken
into consideration. The distance between
Sr
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 259
Point Separation and the mouth of the
Coppermine River, by the route we pursued,
is nine hundred and two statute miles.”
Though geographical discovery was the
first object of Franklin’s expedition, the
officers engaged in it were eminently quali-
fied to collect materials and make. obser-
vations on all subjects connected with
science. In the winter evenings, at Fort
Franklin, Dr. Richardson delivered a course
of lectures to the party on practical geology,
from which most of them gathered a gene-
ral knowledge of what specimens of earths
and rock it was desirable to collect. Cap-
tain Franklin is an admirable navigator, and
fully acquainted with every kind of instru-
ment for astronomical, meteorological and
magnetical purposes. Commander Back is
no mean draughtsman, as the numerous and
well-executed prints in the volume, all taken
from his drawings, sufficiently testify ; and
Lieut. Kendall draws charts in a very supe-
yior manner. ‘The result of their scientific
labours are chiefly thrown into an Appen-
dix, but incidental notices are interspersed
$2
260 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
throughout the narrative. Of these a few
instances are selected.
In various parts of the coast bituminous
shale was noticed, which in two or three
places was on fire, giving out much smoke.
Dr. Richardson informs the general reader,
that the shale takes fire im consequence of
its containing a considerable quantity of
sulphur, in a state of such minute division,
that it very readily attracts oxygen from
the atmosphere; and the combustion is
rendered more lively by the presence of
bitumen. A coast situated so high within
the Arctic circle cannot be expected to —
furnish either an ample or luxuriant Flora.
The followmg is a summary of the vege-
table products of that part of the coast
visited by Dr. Richardson.
‘We noticed on the coast about one
hundred and seventy phaenogamous, or
flowering plants, bemg one-fifth of the num-
ber of species which exist fifteen degrees of
latitude farther to the southward. The
grasses, bents, and rushes, constitute only
one-fifth of the number of species on the
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 261
coast, but the two former tribes actually
cover more ground than all the rest of the
vegetation. The cruciferous, or cross-like
tribe, afford one-seventh of the species, and
the compound flowers are nearly as nume-
rous. ‘The shrubby plants that reach the
sea-coast are the common juniper, two
species of willow, the dwarf birch (betula
glandulosa), the common alder, the hippo-
phae, a gooseberry, the red _ bearberry
(arbutus uva ursi), the Labrador tea plant
(ledum palustre), the Lapland rose (rhodo-
dendron lapponicum), the bog whortleberry
(vacinum uliginosum), and the crawberry
(empetrum nigrum). The kidney-leaved
- oxyria grows in great luxurience there, and
occasionally furnished us with an agreeable
addition to our meals, as it resembles the
garden sorrel in flavour, but is more juicy
and tender. It is eaten by the natives, and
must, as well as many of the cress-like
plants, prove an excellent corrective of the
gross, olly, rancid, and frequently putrid
meat, on which they subsist. The small
bulbs of the Alpine bistort (polygonum vivi-
262 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
parum), and the long succulent, and sweet
roots of many of the astragalee, which
grow on the sandy shores, are eatable; but
we did not learn that the Esquimaux were
acquainted with their use. A few clumps
of white spruce-fir, with some straggling
black spruces and canoe birches, grow at
the distance of twenty or thirty miles from
the sea, in sheltered situations, on the banks
of rivers.”
Captain Franklin has inserted a brief
account of a journey made into the Rocky
Mountains by Mr. Drummond, the assistant
botanist, which is extremely interesting, as
showing the hardships to which these “ cul-
lers of simples” voluntarily expose them-
selves for the sake of adding one or. two
new specimens of plants to the thirty or
forty thousand species already known.
Thus, in the midst of snow, and without a
tent, sheltered only from the inclemency of
the weather by a hut built of the branches
of trees, and depending for subsistence from
day to day on a solitary Indian hunter, “I _
obtained,” says the amiable and enthusiastic
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 963
Mr. Drummond, “a few mosses; and, on
Christmas day, I had the pleasure of find-
ing a very minute gymnostomum, hitherto
undescribed.”” We shall not, we hope, be
classed with those who see nothing but food
for merriment in such devotion—in the true
’ heroism of science. The following passage
may afford some idea of a winter thus passed
at the feet of the Rocky Mountains.
“Soon after reaching our wintering-
ground, provisions became very scarce,
and the hunter and his family went off in
quest of animals, taking with them the man
who had charge of my horses to bring me a
supply as soon as they could procure it.
I remained alone for the rest of the winter,
except when my man occasionally visited me
mith meat; and I found the time hang very
heavy, as I had no books, and nothing could
be done in the way of collecting specimens of
natural history.. I took, however, a walk
every day in the woods, to give me some
practice in the use of snow shoes. ‘The winter
was very severe, and much snow fell until the
end of March, when it averaged six feet in
264 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
depth; i consequence of this, I lost one of
my horses, and the two remaining ones be-
came exceedingly poor. The hunter was
still more unfortunate, ten of his young colts
having died.”
This modest man of science says *‘ nothing
could be done;” we are informed, how-
ever, that his collections in these mountains
amounted to about fifteen hundred species.
of plants, one hundred and fifty birds, fifty
quadrupeds, and a considerable number of
insects. : |
Dr. Richardson and his party were not
less industrious; the number of specimens
collected is immense, and the drawings of
them by Lieutenant Kendall so faithful, that
we understand the Treasury have consented
to afford pecuniary assistance in bringing
them before the public. In the meantime,
we have in the Appendix several valuable
scientific documents. The “ topographical
and geological notices’ employ fifty-eight
pages, and specimens of rock and organic
remains are referred to as high as to num-
ber 1032. Many tables are given of the
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 265
temperature of the air; the duration and
direction of the winds; of the velocity of
sound, &c. We have “a register of pheno-:
mena connected with the progress of the
seasons, kept at Fort Franklin;” and a me-
teorological journal for that and other places
_in the course of the route.
The lowest temperature witnessed in
North America was on the 7th of February,
of the second winter passed on the shores
of Bear Lake. At eight in the morning,
the mercury in the thermometer descended
to 58° below zero; it had stood at —57.5°,
and —57.3° in the course of that and the
preceding day; between the 5th and the 8th,
its general state was from —48° to —52°,
though it occasionally rose to—43°. At
the temperature of —52.2°, Mr. Kendall
froze some mercury, in the mould of a pistol-
bullet, and fired it against a door at the dis-
tance of six paces. A small portion of the
mercury penetrated to the depth of one-
eighth of an inch, but the remainder only
just lodged in the wood. The extreme
height of the mercury in the tube was from
71° at noon to 73° at three o’clock.
266 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
In the course of experiments made with
the magnetic needle, Captain Franklin comes
to the conclusion, that the deviation of the
needle is affected by changes in the weather ;
in a gale of wind or a snow storm, always
considerably so; but remains: stationary
during their continuance. He observes,
‘¢ Durmg this month I noticed that on_
several occasions the magnetic needle oscil-
lated when I approached it in a dress of
water-proof cloth, although it remained sta-
tionary when others of the party examined
it in their ordinary garments. The water-
proof dress probably acted by exciting elec-
tricity in the body, although this opinion is
rather contradicted by the fact of a fur cap,
which had been rubbed by the hand until it
affected the gold-leaf electrometer, pro-
ducing no change in the needle, and my
appr oaths to the electrometer not causing
the gold-leaf to expand.”
The numerous observations made by Cap-
tain Franklin and his party, during two long
winters, as to the influence which the aurora
borealis exerts on the direction of the mag-
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 267
netic needle, have put this disputed point
beyond all question. ‘The conclusion is at
variance with that which Captains Parry and
Foster arrived at, from their observation at
Port Bowen,—those officers being of opi-
nion that the aurora does not influence the
motion of the needle; but Captain Franklin,
we think, has satisfactorily explained this
discrepancy. He states that it. required
brilliant and active coruscations almost in-
variably before a deflection of the needle
was observable ;—that to render it so they
should appear through a hazy atmosphere,
and that the prismatic colours should be
exhibited in the beams of arches. When,
on the contrary, the atmosphere remained
clear, and the aurora presented a steady,
dense light, and without motion, the needle
remained unaffected. Now, it appears, that
at Port Bowen the aurora was without much
motion in its parts, and never exhibited the
vivid prismatic colours, or the rapid streams
of light, which are constantly recorded in
the registers kept at Fort Franklin. Hence
Captain Franklin infers, what we always
268 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE
supposed to be the case, from the feebleness
of the electric fluid in very high latitudes,
that the parallel of 65° N. is more favour-
able for the frequency, the brilliancy, and
the activity of this phenomenon, than those
higher latitudes of 70° or 80°.
It may be recollected, that Captain fies
in his second voyage crossed the line from —
east to west, or, in other words, passed
from one side to the other of the magnetic
pole, whose position he was thus enabled to
compute pretty nearly. Captain Franklin,
for eight successive months, appears to have
paid a constant and minute attention to the
variation of the needle, having noted down
not only the daily but almost hourly varia-
tions; the result of which, as compared with
that of Captain Parry, is not only interest-
ing but highly important, as fixing almost
to a point the present position of the ees:
netical pole.
“The position of the magnetic pole, as
computed from our observations by Pro-
fessor Barlow, is in 69° 16’ north latitude,
and 98° 8’ west longitude, and by the obser-
SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 269
vations of Captain Parry in lat. 70° 43’
north long. 98° 54’ west, its mean place
being in lat. 70° 0° north, long. 98° 31’
west, which is between Port Bowen and
Fort Franklin; the former being situated
in lat. 73° 14’ north, long. 88° 54° west, and
the latter in 65° 12’ north, long. 123° 12’
west. It appears, therefore, that for the
same months, at the interval of only one
year, Captain Parry and myself were making
hourly observations on two needles, the
north ends of which pointed almost directly
towards each other, though our actual dis-
tance did not exceed eight hundred and
fifty-five geographical miles; and while the
needle of Port Bowen was increasing its
westerly direction, ours was increasing its
easterly, and the contrary,—the variation
being west at Port Bowen and east at Fort
Franklin; a beautiful and satisfactory proof
of the solar influence on the daily varia-
tion.”
THE END.
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