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Jt ® S l^j* .loi '2 >j A ji -X / D a u -.*-X; :ii.">r, •jjxitui:^ ^yi> i'UjiLfAorj, "J f; 8 >{)„ THE FROZEN ZONE ITS EXPLORERS: A COMPRERRNBIVK nilTOBT OV VOYAGES, TRAVELS, ADVENTURES, DISASTERS, AND DISCOVERIES ARCTIC REGIONS, iNOLUsma EKCENT OBRMAN AND SWEDISH EXPEDITIONS; CAPTAIN NARE'S ENGLISH EXPEDITION: PROK NORDENSKIOI.D'S DISCOVERY OP A NORTHEAST PASSXQE: THE SAJUNO OF THE JEANNETTE, ETC.. WITH OBAPUIO DBI.IHBATIONt OW LIFE AND NATURE IN THE REALMS OF FROST. Illnitnttb takl|| •nt ^nnbtcb anb 9cb(RiB-fibi fingtabingi nnb j^ipf. Writtin, AMD Compiled mov Avtbintic Sohbom, BT ALEXANDER HYD-E, A.M., Rkv. A. C. BALDWIN, AND Rkv. W. L. GAGE. PUBLISUED BY f JbSCIilPTION ONLY. HARTFORD, CONN.: R. W. BLISS & COMPANY. A. L. BANCROFT * CO., SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 1880. |. 9 %0 c\q2 1 Hf^3 COPTHIOIIT BT rOt,nilBlAl. BoOK COMPAKT 18T4. COFYBIOIIT BY COI.UMBUJI BoOK COMPANY. 1H80. rNTRODUCTION. The Arctic Regions, cold, dreary and desolate, liave been the theatre of the most heroic exploits and dar- ing adventures the world has ever seen. Here the tjenius of such men as Parry, Ross, Franklin, Kane, Hayes, Hall, Payer, Markham, Nares, Nordenskiold, and DeLong has found ample scope for development ; and a taste of the j)erils and hardships of the Frozen Zone only served to incite them to new encounters. No vision of " sunny fountains rolling down their golden snnds," or ambition for conquest and usurped power filled their minds; but the love of adventure, the advancement of science, and the holier impulses of humanity, were the lodestones which drew them toward the Pole. *To chronicle faithfully and in an attractive manner the brilliant achievements of these adventurous spirits, and to present, incidentally, graphic pictures of Life and Nature in the Realms of Frost, is the object of this book. In it, culled from scores of volumes of Arctic literature,*are condensed the fascinating records of a thousand years. While no important expedition, nor even the experience of whalers, has been over- looked, prominence has been given to the most in- teresting ones, and when practicable the story is told in the explorers' own words. 32522 J i ** At herfeet the Froien Ocmd, round her head the Auroral Lights* In her bride-veil, fringed with iciules and of the inuw-drift spun, SiU the White Lad/e of tlie Pole, itill waiting to be won. What tultori for her palace gatei hare hoUted daring tail, Though eye of man has never seen the face behind the veil I So long sighed for, so hard served for, as this Queen, was never nontf Since the days of brave adventure and true service first begun. But still the white Witch-Maiden that sits above the Pole, In the snow-bound silence whose cold quells aught but soul, Draws manly hearts with strange desire to lift her icy veil ; Tba bravtit itill have sought her, and will seek, whoever falL** i CONTENTS. SKETCH or TBI UFK OF DR. KANB. PAOa CHAPTER I. TUB ABCTIC HBGIONB. The Arctic Circle— The Arctic Ocean— The Arctic Nlffht— The Mid- night Hun — Summer and Winter— Beautiful Prov^lRlon u( Nature — Characteristic Features — Arctic Explorers 17 CHAPTER n. BARI.t DIBCOVEKIBS AND BISTORT. The Scandinavian Mariners and their Voyages — Diseovorj of Iceland- Eric the Red — Discovery of Qreenland — The Northmen in Amer- ica — Northern Voyasreof Columbus — Story of the early Greenland Settlers — Wat and Pestilence — Search for the lost Colonists — Hans Egede— The Moravian Missions— A Visit to Lichtenfels— The native Oreenlanders — The CalMts and their Voyages — The Labrador Col- ony—French and Portuguese Explorers 23 CHAPTER in. KNOLISH BXFEDITIONS TO THB NORTH-EAST. Expedition under Sir Hugh Willoughby— A Storm off the North Cape — Nova Zembla Scenery — A Winter on the Lapland Coast — Fate of the Explorers — Chancelo: !. Visit to Moscow — The Searchthrift and her Cruise— English Adventurers In Asia — Lake Baikal — Pet and Jackson — Mistakes of a Geographer , M CHAPTER rV. DUTCH EXPEDITIONS TO THE NORTH-EAST. Wm. Barentz— The Orange Islands— Noosing a Bear— The Cape of Idols — Second Expedition — A Russian Craft — Among the Samoiedes — Comeliz Ryp— Discovery of Bear Islands and Spitsbergen — Impris- oned—Building a House— Life at Icy Port— A Winter of Hardsiiips —Feast of the Kings— The Ship Deserted— Icy Ramparts— Death of Barents 47 ,f VI C0NTKNT8. CHAPTER V. ARCTIC VOYAGES OF FROIII8IIER AND DAVId. Early English Adventurers — Martin Frobishcr— " Meta Incognita" — Fight witii Esquininux— Uelics of lost Sailors— Female rrisoncrs — Treachery of the Natives — Frobisher's third Expedition — A Storm — The Expedition Astray — "All is not Gold that Glitters "—Sir Hum- phrey Gilbert— Loss of the " Squirrel "—John Davis— The " Land of Desolation" — A Greenland Dance — Voyage witli the Mermaid — Exquimaux Incantations — Excursion to the Interior — The Sailors* Warning — Desertion of Ships 59 CIIAPTEU VI. ARCTIC T0TAOE8 OF HENRY IIUDSON AND OTHERS. Weymouth's Expedition — A cowardly Crew — Fate of Ciipt. Knight — An Esquimaux AUack — Hudson's I'olar Voyage — A Mermaid— Voy- age in the Half-moon — Hudson's last Voyage — Trouble with the Sail- ors — Discovery — In Winter-quarters — Mutiny — The Tragedy in Hud- son's Bay — Adventures of the Mutineers 86 CHAPTER VII. ARCTIC V0TA0E8 OF BAFFIN AND OTHERS. Button and Bylot — Capt. Gibbons' Adventure — Baffin's early Voyages — Memorable Discoveries — Fotherby's Voyage — Danish Expedition — Munk's disastrous Voyage — The Fox and James Expedition — A Winter of Suffering— Final Escape — A lost Expedition — Heme — Mackenzie — Pliipps — Cook 106 CHAPTER VIII. THE ARCTIC WIIAI.F.-FISIIERY. Earlj' Fishing Expedition — Tlip .Siiit7.1iiT;;en Seas — Adventures of Cap- tiiin Edge— Dutch Enterprise — A Winter in SpifzluTgen— An Arctic Tragedy — Vears of Peril— The Whales' Paradise — Shipwrecks — Memorials of tiic Hollanders 122 CHAPTER IX. THE ARCTIC WIIAI.E-FlSIIF.nV. (CONI fltED.) Whale Catching in Baffin's Bay— Disasters in Melville Bay— "Baffin's Fair" — Yankee Whalemen- The Dundee Whaling Steamers-Rescue of tho Polaris Crew 136 CHAITER X, CRITISE OF THE ISABKI.LA AND ALEXANDER. Ross and Parry's Expedition— On the Greenland Coast— A Secluded Race — Esquimaux Ideas of a Ship — The Arctic Iligldanders — Signal of Return 14l' CONTENTS. VU 59 CHAPTER XI. CRCfBE OF THE HECLA AND ORIPER. Farry and Liddon Expedition — Entering Lancaster Bound — Hopes and Disappointments — Dreary Sliores — Tlie Reward E^urncd — Winter- quarters and Amusements — Tlie Nortli Georgian Theatre — Fire ! Fire ! — A Break-up — A successful Expedition 151 CHAITER XII. CHUISB OF THE FUHY AND HECLA. Parry and Lyon's Expedition — The Savage-Islanders — Repulse Boy — Frozen in — Thieving Natives — " Tlie Rivals" — "The Merry Dancers" — Esquimaux Neighbors Discovered — Astonishing the Natives — An Excursion — A Fight with Walrus — Stopped by Ice — Again Frozen in — A cheering Spectacle — The fair Esquimaux — An Esquimaux Magi- cian — Parry's tlurd Expedition ... 163 85 105 122 13ff Secluded 9— Signal J 141 CHAPTER XIIL YOV\0E OF THE OOKOTIIEA AND TRENT. Buchan and Franklin's Expedition — The Rendezvous at Magdalena Bay — An Avalanche — On the Edge of the Ice — A Dangerous Position — Escape to Fair Hav«n 181 CHAPTER XIV. franklin's FinsT land expedition. Arrival at York Factory — Perils of River Navigation — A Winter's Jour- ney — Testing a Conjurer's Skill— Indian Customs— Interview with Akaitcho— The Winter at Fort Enterprise — Reception of a Chief- Down the Coppermine River — Bloody Falls — Encounter with Esqui- maux — Voyage on the Polar Sea — The Return Journey commenced — Crossing a River — Exciting Adventures — Huilding a Cnnoe — Separa- tion of tlio Men — Junius missing — A Deserted Fort — Starvation — Life at Fort Enterprise 184 CHAPTER XV. franklin's first land expedition (continhed.) Dr. Richardson's Narrative — Suspicious Conduct of Michel — The Mur- der of Hood— Richardson Shoots Michel— The Retreat to the Fort — Arrival of Indians— Relief at Hand— The Journey to Fort York 218 CHAITER XVL franklin's second land expedition. Tl" Rendezvous at Great Bear Lake— The Winter at Fort Franklin— At the Mouth of the Mackenzie— Tlie Expedition in Trouble — Contest with the Esquimaux — A Brave Interpreter — Voyage along the Coast —Second Winter at Fort Franklin 231 ^riii OONTKNTS. CHAPTER XVn. XRCTIO TOTAOEH OF LYONS, BEECHT, AXD OTHEKS. Sccresbjr'i DitcoTeries — Excursion on Jan Maycn— Among the Moon* taint— APeriloui Descent— Deserted Habitations — Cruiseof theGriper — Sabine's Researches in High Latitudes — On the East Greenland Coast— Scientific Problems Solved— Lyon's Second Voyage— The Snow-bunting— Bay of God's Mercy — Beechcy's Expedition — Ap- proach to Kamchatka — The Lawrence I'lauders — Customs of the Alaskans — Wreck of the Barge— Skirmishes with the Natives 288 CHAPTER XVIIL parry's polar voyage. The Hecla and Her Outfit— In Treurenberg Bay— The Start for the Pole — A Journey on Ice — Drifting South— A Hopeless Undertaking — Hecla Cove 255 CHAPTER XIX. EXFEDITION OF JOIIK AND JAMES C. ROSS. Expedition of John and James C. Ross — The Victory — Life at Holstein- berg — Arrival at Fury Beach — Frozen In — Winter at Felix Harbor — King William's Land — Discovery of tlie Magnetic Pole — The Victory Deserted — Voyage in Open Boats — Rescued by the Isabella — Return of the Lost Explorers 261 CHjLPTER XX. OEOROE back's expeditions. Overland through Canada— Woman's Rights at Norway House — The Batteaux and Canoes — Indian Summer Encampments — "Raising the Devil" — Sad Fate of Augustus — Running the Rapids — A Desolate Region— Voyage in the Terror— Fearful Ice-drift 278 CHAPTER XXI. LAND EXPEDITIONS OF DBASE, SIMPSON, AND RAK. A Winter's Journey— On the Coasts of Alaska — Down Escape Rapids — Winter-Quarters on Great Boar Lake— Return to Red River Settle- ment — Simpson Murdered — Dr. Rae's Explorations 288 CHAPTER XXII. franklin's last voyage, with a sketch of nl8 LIFE. Birth and Education — Early Passion for the Sea— A Midshipman at Trafalgar — At Battle of New Orleans— Arctic Voyages— Governor of Van Dieman's Land— The Erebus and Terror— A Lost Expedition. . . 206 CHAPTER XXIIL SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. Expeditions of 1848 — Voyage of Ross to Lancaster Sound — Overland Seurch by Richardson and Rae — The Herald and Plover 804 CONTENTS. ix. CHAPTER XXrV. ■EABCHES FOR FRANKLIN. (CONTIinTED.) Auatin's Squadron— Discoveries at Beechey Island— Sledge Expedition —Carrier Pigeons — Cruise of tlie Prince Albert — The Lad^ Franklia. . 310 CHAPTER XXV. SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. (CONTINUED.) Oollinson and McCIure's Expedition — Cruise of the Investig^ator — On the Coast of the Continent- Up Prince of Wales Strait— Frozen in— Dii-- covery of a North-west Passage — A Night Adventure — Life at Mercy Bay— McClintock's Cairn— Third Winter in the Ice— Relief at Hand —Visit of Lieut. Pim— The Ship Deserted— Retrtat to the Resolute- Cruise of the Enterprise — Recent Death of McClure 817 CHAPTER XXVI. SEASCHXS FOR FRANKLIN. (CONTINUED.) Second Cruise of the Prince Albert— Party Separated from the Ship^ A Night at Cape Seppings— Bollot's Rescue Party — Winter at Batty Bay— A Visit to Fury Beach— Somerset House 883 CHAPTER XXVII. SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. (CONTINUED.) Expeditions of 1862— Belcher's Squadron— News of McClui 1— Pirn's Journey to Mercy Bay— Kellctt's Adrcntures- Abandonment of the Ships— Return to England 839 CHAPTER XXVIII. SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. (CONTINUED.) Inglcflcld's Voyages— Cruise of the Phoenix and Lady Franklin— Death of Bellot— Lieut. Cresswell- Dr. ?«e at Repulse Bay 345 CHAPTER XXIX. THE FntST AMERICAN EXPEDITION. The Advance and Rescue- Off Newfoundland— The Arctic Day— Crown Prince Islands— Kayaks 349 CHAPTER XXX. THE FIRST AMERICAN EXPEDITION. (cONTINirBD.) Iceberg Scenery— Wonders of Refraction— Arctic Navigatiou— Bergs— A Race- A Pinch — Animal Life — Frozen Families 872 CHAPTER XXXI. . THE FIRST AMERICAN EXPEDITION. (cONTIinTBD.) The Crimson Cliffs— An Arctic Gardon- -Trapping the Auks— Good-bye to BafSn- Franklin's Encampment Discovorecl— The Oraves 899 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXII. TRB FIB8T AMERICAN UXPEDITION. (CONTINUED.) Visit to the Resolute — The Rendezvous — A. Gale — Order for Return — Frozen in — Drifting — Figliting the Enemy—The Aurora — Crisis — A Race of Polo Faces — Midnight of the Year — Returning Liglit 428 CHAPTER XXXIII. THE FIRST AMERICAN EXPEDITION. (CONTINUED.) A Gale — An Escape — Floating Bears— Esquimaux Guests — A Night Scene— In an Ice Trap — The Escape — The Governor's Mansion — The Feast — Fcits of the Kayaker — Conclusion 478 CHAPTER XXXIV. DR. KANE's 8ECOMD EXPEDITION. Rensselaer Harbor— Camp on the Floes— Sudden Alarm — The Rescue Party— The Wanderers Found — A Bivouac — Esquimaux Visitors — Death of Baker— Adventures of Morton and Hans— Signal Cairn— The Record— The Arrest— The Punishment- Our Wild Allies — Hunting Excursion — Esquimaux Homestead— A Bear Fight 619 CHAPTER XXXV. DR. Kane's second expedition, (coi'tinued.) The Cabin by Night— The Hut in a Storm — Hans Discouraged— Day Dreams— Joyful News — A Sun AVorshiper — Famine at Etah— A Walrus Hunt — Tlie ])elcctal)le Mountains — A Deserter— A Jlorning in the Cabin — Shunghu's Daughter — A Noble Savage — Enterprising Hunters 672 CHAPTER XXXVI. DR. Kane's second expedition, (contikited.) Farewell to the Brig — Approach to Etah— A Midnight Festival — A Crystal Palace — At the Open Water— Good-bye to Esquimaux — Embarkation — Weary Man's Rest — The Esquimaux Eden — Lost Among Bergs—*' The Seal 1 "-Terra Firma !— The Welcome 604 CHAPTER XXXVII. THE HARTSTENB RELIEF EXPEDITION. Narrative of John K. Kane 635 CHAITER XXXVIII. franklin's fate DISCOVERED. Dr. Rae's Discoveries — The Fox Expedition — Franklin's Monument — Winter in Bellot Strait— McClintock's Discoveries— The Cairn at Point Victory — Crozier's Record — A Buriid Hoat— Return of the Fox — Relics of Franklin— The Story of the Lost Expedition 641 CONTENTS. Zl CHAPTER XXXIX. AROTIO BIBBBIA AMD ITS KXPLOBERS. Siberian Exilei — Voyage of Dcshnef— Bering's Discoveries— Chelyns- kin's Explorations — The New Siberia Islands— Ai\jott's Trarels — Wrangell's Explorations — Skill of Siberian Sledge-drivers — The "Great Russian Polynia"— The Lower Yenisei 66S CHAPTER XL. TRAVELS IN ALASKA. The Alentian Islands— Expeditions of Dall and Whymper — Up the Tnkon— A Winter at Nulato— The Alaskans— Sitka 67S CHAPTER XLI. DR. hates' EXPEDmOir. The Voyage to Smith Sound — Winter at Port Foulke— Sledge Journey — Orinnell Land— Cape Lieber— Return 683 CHAPTER XLII. SKETCH OF CHARLES F. HALL, AND HIS EARLIER ARCTIC TRAVELS. Early Life — Proposes to Search for Franklin — Secures Passage in a Whaler— Captain Buddington — The " George Henry "—Frozen in at Field's Bay — Visit from Ebierbing and Tookoolito— Excursions — Fro- bisher Relics — "Fisherman's Luck" — Second Winter in the Ice — Return Home — Second Journey to the North — The Monticello — Resi- dence on the Northern Coasts of Hudson's Bay — A visit to King Wil- liam's Land— Relics of Franklin's Expedition 68S CHAPTER XLIIL THB POLARIS EXPEDITION. Captain Hall's Plans— The Polaris and lier Crew— Sketch of Officers — On the Greenland Coast — Disco — The Expedition at Upernavik — At Tessuisak — Hall's Good-bye to Civilization 698 CHAPTER XLIV. THB POLARIS EXPEDITION. (CONTINUED.) Adrift on the Floes— Off the Labrador Coast— A Fearftil Position— Sig- naling the Tigress- Rescued— Startling News from the Polaris — The Castaways at St. John's— Suspicions— The "Frolic"— At Washington . 706 CHAPTER XLV. THE POLARIS EXPEDITION. (CONTINUED.) The Polaris in I^igh Latitude — Tliank Gw\ Harbor — Hall's Journey to the North— Hall's Last Dispatcli— Death of Hall— Joe's Story— • Funeral of Captain Hall— The Winter at Polaris Bay— Outside of the Ship — Returning Day— Bear Hunting — Excursions to the North- Separation from the Polaris — The Drift Southward — The Rescue^ Joe and Hans 711 xU CONTENVS. 3 CHAPTER XLVI. TUB POLAHIS BXPBUITIOM (CONTINUED). Journal of Herman Sienians, a Sbanian of the Steamer Polarii 761 CHAPTER XLVH. TUB POLARIS EXPEDITION. (CONTINUED.) Diary of John Herron, One of the Polaris Ice-drift Party 760 CHAPTER XLVIII. POLAKia SEARCH AND RELKIF EXPEDITIONS. Cruise o^'the Juniata and Tigress — The Little Juniata — The Tigress on the Trail— Buddington's Camp— Signaling the Juniata at Night 769 CHAPTER XLIX. THE POLAIU8 EXPEDITION (CONCLUDED.) Captain's Buddington's Narrative— The Polaris Wrecked and Deserted — Preparing for Winter — Visit from the Natives — The Winter at Life- Boat Cove— The Start Homeward — Rescued by the Kavenscraig. . , , 776 CHAPTER L. QEHMAN AitCTlf KXPEDITON8. Kiildewey's Expedition— Loss of the " Hnnsa"- Cruise of the "Ger mania "—Payer's Expedition— Cruise of the " Tegethoff" 787 CHAPTER LL SWEDISH AND NORWKGIAN EXPKDITIONS, Captain Carlsen's 'Voyage — Relics of Dutch Explorers— Nordenskiold't Expedition to Spitzbergen — Wintor at Mussel Bay— Startling Nt ws — The Ice-Bound Eishermen and Their Fate — Nordenskiold's Expe- dition to the Yenisei — Life in Sihcria— A Second Voyage 788 CHAPTER LIl. THE BN0I.I8II EXPEDITION OF 1875 —76. The Alert and Discovery — Officers and Crew — In High Latitude — The Arctic Night — Polaris Bay Revisited— Captain Hall's Grave— An Exciting Day — Markham's North Pole Party — On the Palteocrystic Sea— The Turning Point— Death of a Seaman— Tlie Return Jour- ney — The Western Exploring Party— Explorations in Greenland. . , . 801 CHAPTER LIU NORDENSRIOI.D's DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-EAST PA88AOK Sketch of the Explorer — The Vega and Her Crew — Dickson Harbor — R'b-Ete View of Icb-Flob, 484 78 EsqciKAUx Beactiei 480 70 The Oovebhob's Soxi 408 80 8A1.0TIM0 TBB Pbovekebe, 406 81 GoOD-BtB TO TBB I'BISCE Alsebt 499 83 Intebiobop A Native Hct, L'psbbatol, .*. 490 83 Tbb OoTBBMOB'a Mabsiob, 606 84 nABPooHwo Beau 81T 85 Fastemed TO AH IcEBEna 631 86 PASTDia Hawsebs, 631 87 Stltia IIba]}laki>— IXPPEcTtxo A ILabbob, 837 88 Tbb AoyAHCE Fbozeb IS AT BexMELABB Habbob, 637 80 In tbb Tent, 58S to Pinnaclt Bebo, 683 01 The Rescue Pabtt 684 03 Loading the Faith, 548 03 First Heetino wiTB Ea^-iBArx, 648 04 Tent ON the Fu>e«, S40 06 The Beabin Cabp, 049 06 Gathbrino Moss, 549 97 Morton and IIanb Ektebix* Ke!» ] » e pt CHABinn., 663 08 Morton andUahs LEAnxo '^cCBAinnD,, 658 99 Kennedy Cbanhel, B61 100 View PBOM Cape Conn'm-Tum 661 101 An EsquiiiAUZ IIomivteau 667 109 Wild Doo Teah, 667 108 Abctic Uoohlmbt, 6T8 ILLUSTRATIONS. XT M Tm loB-FooT Cakoft, 57S .05 The Bbib im hbb Wmtm Craou, 6T» 06 Appboachiko TBI DmebtcdUut 678 07 Tm Opes Wateb *. 579 08 Abctio Hea-Oulu 685 lOB Eider Iilahd Ducki 685 10 Tbe Walbus IIctnteb 691 U The Atluk. ob Seal-Hole 600 13 Sbootino Seal 690 13 Walrus Spobtino 699 14 EgQUIBAUX PoBTBAIPI— PaDLIK— ANAK— ACCOMObAU, 606 16 Obeenland CillLOBEM Platino Ball 600 16 Catchino Auke 600 IT Boat -Camp in a Stobm 617 18 OOOD-BTE TO TBE ERqUIBADX, 617 19 Birds or Pbovidencb Clipps 627 ao Passino tbe Cbivsom Clipps, 627 21 Cape Welcome 638 33 Our First Katak, 688 38 The Faitb, 684 34 A Small Water Partt, 689 35 Discovert op Franklin's Caihn 648 36 Relics op tbe Lost Ezploreiis 618 87 The Erebus and Terror in tue Ice-Stream, 667 38 Funeral op Sir John Fbanklin, 657 39 A Polar Bear Picnic 603 30 Exiles En route pob Siberia, 663 81 A Siberian Fort, 675 33 Traveling in Kamchatka, 6~S 33 Aleutians Catchino Whales, i 678 84 Fort Nulato, Alaska— Acboral Liout, 679 Vi A Deer Corral, 681 88 View op Sitka, Alaska, 683 87 Portrait op Captain Charles F. Hall 69S 88 Portrait op Captain S. O. Buddinoton, 608 30 Portrait op Captain Oeorob E. Ttson, 698 40 SiQN ALINQ the Tigress 706 41 Funeral op Captain IIali« at Polaris Bat, 718 43 A Bear Hunt 780 43 Meeting op the Floes, 749 l44 Formation op Hummocks, 768 i45 LiPE on the Driptino Ice-Field, 769 46 Portraits op Joe, H annab, and Stlvia, 773 .47 The Hansa Crushed— Escape op the Crew, 787 48 Count Wilczec in Nova Zembla 791 49 Relics op the Dutch Expedition, 798 60 Barentz's House at Ice Haven 798 And Twenty Smaller Kngravlngs. MAPS, Etc. CiRcuMPOLAB Map 1 Map op the American Arctic Sea SB Ancient Map op Spitzbeboen, 188 Chart op the Whale-Fish Islands, 366 Chart Showing the Ducovbbies op Kane, Hates, and Hall, 640 Fao similes, 649-66D /SO / in vV .^ '-^ N foi Tfi U SV io /a '. /* M X ^:iA- * >". '-is M A\ ,KI frr KAj;'. E, n;. K^a;. s. :^. ^^J^. ^ ^-^^1^_^_ «ICKT<. !' •■> r H k: I.! vv. or :: FNT KANK, M.D., IT. S. N., IK ulruattf * BiV'title taic. I'U^ry n^n is '■ .t V'>ung kmghi-erranf of pliiliinlhropy >rf- llio w!v>k' wrfncfc of tlie gloljo, wi*!iiii .r«; wlio j• . vf^cntun*, ttbslrai'tiiig in the spirit .'t- ««**b»:- *.' ' 'f I»ofpy, and loving with the . wh'> fiwvtiHC. '. •«',;c; ^U'h impiiUes. im I'li to the 'H%! pluuct wmJ ri.y»*«i.i>i? >«»«xluJcJ aiuiiist tbo horrors . ; who rctarntid Jik* tw* ji'nu; l»jwk frum another « rv »t>orv of \.'\* :• iji t*><» diBThi* of lltora- ow'' •• .te. • '. ■ ■ '.•*'«) ': l-i iusoaoa wo ..-.>(■ fete ?t4itt«r, tirwii4 be »flt«*fl, r,'oul] ho • . tiii» memoir, aii«l nuthing more, ;: • , «.- -h ft ftkctt'h US may BtTve to '.i t; iiif « .rk» t'; the r(Na<]t>t. As we trace the •uruphi' -H, ihoti^'h in llio briefwsf manner, it will he • HxA oh^- ^«»/i <>' tT>. :. ..r, hi.-* puhli'" w^rvioes, luii' ' is private •-"'•I i.;u whicli is suue *^ A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF ELISHA KENT KANE, M.D., U. S. N., av %(-'■ PROP. CHARLES \ir. SHIELDS, D. D., OI" PRINCETON COLLEGE, N. J. The Life of Dr. Kane is already a fireside tale. Every one is familiar with it as the story of a young knight-errant of philanthropy and science, who traversed nearly the whole surface of the globe, within the shoil period of fourteen years ; who gathered here and there a Ifturei from every walk of physical research in which he strayed ; who piungod into the thick of perilous ndventure, abstracting in the spirit of i>hiiosophy, yet seeing with the eye of poesy, and loving with the heart of humanity ; who penetrated, under such impulses, even to the Northern pole of the planet and remained secluded amidst the horrore of two Arctic winters ; who returned like one come back from another world, to invest the very story of his escape with the charms of litera- ture and art, and transport us, by his graphic pen, into scenes wo scarceh realize as belonging to the earth we inhabit; and who died at length, in the flush of his manhood and the morning of his fame, lamented by his country and the world. To write the story of such a life as it should be written, would bo impossible within the limits assigned to this memoir, and nothing more, therefore, will be here attempted than such a sketch as may serve to introduce this new edition of his works to the reader. As we trace the usual biographical themes, though in the briefest manner, it will be found that liia origin and education, the leading events in his career, the prominent traits of his character, his public services, and his private life and la.st moments, tog<;ther yield an impression which is suited at once to justify his fame bad perpetuate the lessons he has left to the world. 1 LIFE OF DR, KANE. Elisiia Kent Kane, the leader in the American search for Sir John Franklin, wfis born in Phiiadelpliia, Feb. 3, A. D. 1820. lie received the name of his grandfather, wlio had himself been named after his ma- ternal granilfatlier, the Reverend EUsha Kent, of " Kent's Parish," N. Y., and ho was baptized by his uncle, the Reverend Jacob J. J;,neway, D. D.j then pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, which his parents attended. On the father's side he was descended from Colonel John Kane, of the British Army, his great-grandfather, who came from Ireland to the colony of New York about the year 1756, retired to Dutchess County, and there married Miss Sybil Kent, daughter of the clergyman above named, and aunt of Chancellor Kent. His grandfather, ElishaK. Kane, was a successful merchant in Albany and New York, who married Miss Alida Van Rensselaer, daughter of General Robert Van Rensselaer, of Claverack, and subsequently removed to Philadelphia. His father, the late lion. John K. Kane, a graduate of Yale College, and successively a member of the Phihadelphia bar, Attorney-General of the State, and Judge of the United States Court for the Eastern District of Pennsyl- vania, was well known aa an acute and learned jurist within his profes- sion, as an intluential statesman of the old school of politics, an active promoter of the arts, sciences, and charities in Philadelphia, an accom- plished scholar in classical and English literature, and a courtly gentle- man in society. And the culture, etficiency, and tact which distin- guished him in every relation of life were not wanting in his honored son. On the mother's side he was descended from Thomas Leiper, a younger son of a Scotch family of French origin, who came in search of fortune about the year 1764, to the colony of Virginia, and thence to I'cnnsylviinia ; built extensive mills near Pliiladclpliia; aided in forming the First City Troop, and served with distinguished gallantry in the battles of Trenton and Princeton ; united, after the war, with his warm personal friend, I'rosident Jefferson, in organizing the polit- ical party which looked to him for its leader ; and as a zealous advo- cate of public improN "uients, laid down the first experimental railway constructed in tiie United States. He married Miss Elizabeth Coltas Gray, the daughter of the lion. George Gray, of Gray's Ferry, and of Martha Ibbetson Gray, whose generous services in nursing the sick and wounded prisoners during the occupation of Philadelphia by Lord Howe, attracted public testimonials from both parties. Their daughter, Jane Duval Leiper, as Mrs. Kane, illustrated the traits proverbial in the mothers of great men by combining with the virtues of the Spartan ^ Tor Sir John le received fter his ma- •isli," N. Y., J.'.neway, which his 1 Kane, of anil to the ss County, man above a K. Kane, arriei] Miss issolaor, of fatiier, the iiccessively State, and )f Pennsyl- his profes- >, an active an accoin- •tly gentle- lich distin- is honored ' Lciper, a > in search md thence aided in gallantry war, with the polit- loiis advo- ^1 railway ^tli Coltas y, and of sick and by Lord laughter, erbial in 3 Spartan LIFE OF DR. KANE. 3 matron, that energy, nerve, elasticity, and warm-heartedness which became famous in her son. On both sides, liis ancestry in this country, it will be seen, dates before the American Revolution, being derived in the paternal line from Ireland, Holland, and England, and in the maternal line from Scotland, England, and France, while the corresponding religions blended in it were the Episcopalian, Dutch Reformed, and Congregational, with the Presbyterian, Quaker, xMethodist, and Moravian. And the names wl'.lch it embraces are here mentioned, not merely because ho has h'inself written them, with a just pride, upon the map of the Arctic seas, but also as serving to explain that rare combination of varied and even opposite elements of race, of creed, and of culture, which entered into the formation of his character. When Mr. Kane and Miss Leiper first mot, they were in the prime of youthful strength and beauty ; and after a courtship, the romance of which lias become a family tradition, they were married, April 20, 1819. Elisha was the eldest of their children. Three other sons and a marrietl daughter are still living. In Dr. Kane, as in most men wlio acjnevc greatness, the boy fore- shadowed the man. Arctic explorations wore prefigured by juvenile feats of daring and contrivance. His biographer relates that when but a child, he scaled the roof by moonlight with his younger brother, while the family were asleep, feeling repaid for the perilous adventure by the " grand view " from the chimney-top. Traits which afterwards shone o>it before the world, already appeared in the school-room and on the playground, where he became a spirited little champion of the weak and oppressed, repelling imposition from any quarter with nncal- culating courage, and yet as quick to forgive as to resent an injury. His tiistes, too, began to show the bias of coming years. He had his own small cabinet of minerals, birds, and insects, and his chemical lab- oratory, the latter to the frequent alarm of the household — and his favorite books were Robinson Crusoe and Pilgrim's Progress. But if it is easy now to trace the beginnings of his career, it was not 80 easy then to forecast it. Fonder of sports than of books, full of generous but ill-i-egulatod impulses, and impatient of control, his course as yet was like that of a mountain torrent which has not found and made its channel ; and it was only when he began by his own efforts to retrieve his neglected education, that parental anxiety was relieved. His father would have had him follow in his own footsteps at Yale; but his incliuatioa was more towards science than learning, and the LIFE OP DR. KANE. optional course of study which the University of Virginia allowed, was found better adapted to his somewhat exceptional genius. He was in his seventeenth year when he entered the university, and during the year and a half that he studied there, made good progress in the clas- sical and mathematical course prescribed, as well as in his own chosen sciences of chemistry, mineralogy, geology, and civil engineering. It was at this time ho said to his cousin that ho "intended to make his mark in the world." And the resolution seems to have derived im- pulse from an event which abruptly ended his collegiate coui-se a little before the time of graduation. Prostrated by an acute rheumatism of the heart, he was wrapped in a blanket and taken by slow journeys home to Philadelphia, where he endured frightful paroxysms of pain, and for days appeared to be on the brink of death. He recovered, to learn from his physicians that he might fall as suddenly as by a musket shot. Tiie decision with which he went back to the duties of life was only anticipated by his father's counsel : " Elislia, if you must die, die in harness." Turning from the profession of a civil engineer to that of a physician, in his nineteenth year, he was matriculated in the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, and after attending one course of lectures, while yet sn undergraduate, he was elected one of the Resi- dent Physicians in the Hospital at Blockley. His preceptors and asso- ciates have ail publicly spoken of the remarkable zeal and success with which he prosecuted his studies and performed his duties in these posi- tions. Indeed his graduating thesis on the subject of "Kyestcin" was 80 highly esteemed that it was published by a vote of the Faculty, and attracted the general notice of the profession. It is still quoted as an authority both in this country and abroad. It had become plain that Dr. Kane's cardiac disorder combined with his scientific tastes and aspirations to unfit him for the routine life of a practitioner, and that travel, adventure, and incessant activity were with him a physical need as well as a moral impulse. He had no taste for the social blandishments under which young men born to ease and ele- gance too often waste their prime, and the stagnant political condition of the country at that time afforded none of the generous careers which have since been opened to them. Neither could he accept for himself the fate of a mere invalid tourist or reckless adventurer, intent on crowding into a short lifetime the utmost amount of mere aimless diversion. There must, if possible, be a color of scientific enthusiasm to sanction his life of physical hardihood. His father, acting upon this enlightened view of his case, applied for LIFE OF DR. KANE. him to the Secretary of the Navy for the post of surgeon in the ser- vice ; and after passing the required examination so creditably that the disquahfying state of his health was overlooked by the Board of Examiners, he was appointed physician of the Chinese Embassy, which sailed in the frign*' Brandywine, Commodore Parker, in May, 1843. During the two years that he was absent upon this his first extended tour of travel, he made a complete circuit of the globe, sailing around the coast of South America, across the Pacific Oceau to Southern and Eastern Asia, and returning by the overland route through Europe, across the Atlantic to the United States. And that spirit of dauntless research which actuated him through life seems every where to have brought with it its own proper atmosphere of marvelous incident and peril. While the vessel remained at Rio de Janeiro, after participating with the diplomatic corps in the coronation of the Emperor of Brazil, he visited the Eastern Andes for a geological survey of that region. At Bombay, where the legation awaited some months the arrival of its chief, Mr. Cushing, by the overland route, ha seized the opportunity for similar inland journeys, exploring the cavcrned temples of Elephanta, traveling by palanquin to the less known ruins at Karli, passing over to Ceylon, and engaging, with some ofliccrs of the garrison, in the ele- phant hunt, and the other wild sporte of the island. But it was at Luzon or Luconia, a Spanish possession in the China Sea, that this adventurous spirit, though under a scientific impulse, passed tlie limits of prudence in his far-famed exploration of the crater of Tael, a vol- cano on the Pacific coast of the island, in a region inhabited only by savages. Crossing over to the capital city of the island, during one of the long delays of Chinese diplomacy, he procured an escort of natives from the Archbishop of Manilla, (by means of letters from American prelates which he had secured before leaving home,) and in company with his friend Baron Loe, a relative of Metternich, penetrated across the country to the asphaltic lake in which the island volcano is situ- ated. Both gentlemen at first descended together, until they reached a precipice overhanging the cavernous gulf of the crater, when the baron saw further progress to be impossible, but the doctor, in spite of the remonstrances of the whole party, insisted upon being lowered over the ledge by means of a rope made of bamboos, and held in the hands of the natives under the baron's direction, until he reached the bottom, two hundred feet below. Loosing himself from the cord, he forced his way downwards through the sulphurous vapors, over the hot 6 LIFE OF DR. KANE. ashes, to the green, boiling lake, dipped his specimen-bottle into its waters, returned to the rope, several times stumbling, almost stifled, and with his boots charred, one of them to a coal, but succeeded in again fastening himself, and was hauled up by his assistants and re- ceived into their hands exhausted and almost insensible. Remedies brought from the neighboring hermitage were applied, and he was so far restored that they could proceed on their journey, lint rumors spread before tliem among the pigmy savages on the island, of the pro- fane invasion whicli had been 'r of his associates in the diplomatic mission, Fletcher Webster, Esq., has said that " in social intercourse, although agreeable and very bright when called out, he still seemed to be think- ing of .something aoove and beyond what was present. To his great scientiflc taste and knowledge, and his energy and resolution, he added a courage of the most dauntless kind. The idea of personal appre- hension seemed never to cross his mind. He was ambitions, not of mere personal distinction, but of acliievements useful to mankind and promotive of .science." On his return to Pliiladelphia, he successfully devoted liimsclf for a time to his profession, both as a teacher and practitioner of medicine, though being still a titular surgeon of the Navj', he had put his name on the roll its " waiting for orders." Accordingly, three weeks before the declaration of war against Mexico, in May, 1846, he was ordered to the coast of Africa, in the frigate United States, under Commodore Reed. When at Rio .Janeiro in 1843, ho had received, in return for professional .services, from the famous Portuguese merchant, Da Sousa, introductory letters to his commercial representatives on the African coast, by means of which lie now visited and examined the slave-fao- tories; and while the frigate was in liarbor, he also joined a caravan going to the interior, and was presented at the court of his savage majesty the king of Dahomey, where he became convinced that even the horrors of the middle passage were merciful compared with those from which iti^ victims had been rescued. « C-'r 8 LIFE OF DR. KANS. From thiB comparatively ingiorions field of tlic public service, Dr. Kane was transferred hj a virulent attack of tlie coast-fever, which, after bringing him Ut the point of death, required iiis iininediate return home. Ue reached I'hilailclphia utterly broken in health, but eager to mingle in the stirring wrenc* then passing in Mexico, from which he had been withheld during his ten months' absence. When scarcely yet convalescent, he hastened to Wasliington, obtained credentials as bearer of dispatches to General Scott, then in the Mexican capital, and after stopping in Kentucky to procure a horse, said by one of his col- leagues to have been " the finest animal ever seen in Mexico," pursued his journey to New Orleans, and thence across the Gulf to Vera Cruz. It was while on his way to the interior that an attair occurred, the well- attested facts of which bring back the romance of chivalry as a reality. Dr. Kane, having been unable to procure an American escort, had intrusted himself tf> a Mexican spy-company, under Colonel Doniingucs, and was approaching Xopaluca, when they encountered a body of contra-guerrillas, escorting Generals Gaona and Torrojon, with other Mexican officers. A short and severe contest ensued, resulting in the capture of most of the Mexican |>«rty. During the fray, the doctor's charger carried him \Mitween young Colonel (iaona and his orderly, who both fell uj>on him at the same moment. Ueceiving only a slight flesh hurt from the lance of the latter, he parried the sabre-cut of the former and unhorsed him with a wound in the chest. Soon afterwards cncs came from young Gaona to save his father, the aged general, whom, together with the other Mexican prisoners, the renegade Do- mingues and his banditx were about to butcher in cold blood. Dr. Kane instantly charged among them with his six-shooter, and suc- ceeded at length in enforcing humanity to the vani]ui8licd, though only after himself receiving a lancc-ihmst in the abdomen and a blow which cost him the loss of his horse. But still another act of mercy remained to be performed. As the old General sat beside his son, who was bleeding to death from his wound, the doctor, with no better surgical implements than a table-fork and a piece of pack-thread, succeeded in taking up and tying the artery, and thus saving the life which he had endangered. The gratitude of the rescued Mexicans knew no bounds, and when it was found that their deliverer was himself suffering from his wounds, ho was taken by General Gaona to his own residence, and there nursed for weeks by the ladies of the family, with every attention that wealth and refinement could suggest. A ti.ssuc of circumstantial as well as personal evidence has ^»cd the chronicler of this incident the risk of LIFE OF DR. KANE. geeminn; a roinnncer. The published letters which passed between the American mid Mexican governors of I'uebla in n ^',n\i to Dr. Kane, intcrchuni^ed his praises; and on his return to riiihultlphia, more than seventy of tiie most distinguished gentlemen of tlio lity united in pre- senting him with a sword, as a memorial of "an incidental exploit which was crowned with the distinction due to gallantry, skill, and success, and was hallowed in the flush of victory by the noblest hu- manity to the vanquished." After the Mexican war, in January, 1849, Dr. Kiine was attached to the storesliij) Supply, Commander Arthur Sinclair, bound for Lisbon, the Mediterranean, and Rio Janeiro. The diseases which he had suc- cessively contracted in China, Egypt, Africa, and Mexico, had made sad inroads upon his health, and the voyage, thoiigli without much of in- cident, at least served to recruit his strength. He was next assigned to the Coast Survey, and had settled into its round of duty, when he was suddenly called to the great work of his life. "On the liith of May," he writes, " while bathing in the tepid waters of the (iulf of Mexico, I received one of those courteous little epistles from Washington which the electric telegraph has made so familiar to naval officers. It detached rac from the coast-survey, and ordered me to proceed forthwith to New York for duty upon the Arctic expedition." For months before, the civilized world had resouiuied with the cry to the rescue of Sir John Franklin, and the Government, moving in sym- pathy with the whole country, had resolved upon sending in search of the lost navigator the two vessels, the "Advance" and "Rescue," under Commander De Uaven. Dr. Kane, who had repeatedly volunteered his services, was made senior medical officer and naturalist of the ex- pedition, and on his return, published its history in the form of a "Per- sonal Narrative," collected from his private journals. The cruise lasted during sixteen months, but resulted in little more than the discovery of Sir John Franklin's first winter quarters and the graves of three of his men. In proceeding to organize the second United States Grinnell Expe- dition under his own command. Dr. Kane had before him an object worthy of his matured powers and noblest aims, and gave himself to the task with the zeal of a votary. But what discouragements, what disappointments, and what difficulties entered into that great under- taking from its outset to its close, can be but partially seen through the veil of delicate reserve which he has thrown over them. Some- thing, however, may be learned in regard to them from another source, and upon authority as competent as it is disinterested and honorable. 10 LIFE OF DR. KANE. r « Captain Sherard Osborne, of Ilcr Majesty's Navy, in a paper advoca- ting fintlier pt)lar exjiloration, holds the following langiiajrc : — "It is only fair to iJr. Kane to say, that never in our times has a iiaviitator entered tlic ""lo so indifterently prepared for a I'cjlar winter. With only seventeen followers, two of them mutineers, without a steam- power for liis solitary vessel, without proper sledge-equiiJUicnt. witliout any preserved fresh meat, and a great insufficiency of piesorvud vege- tables, and with only coals ouo\igh to servo for twelve months' fuel, the only marvel to mo is, "that he ever returned to relate his siitferings. They are only to ho e(|iialed by those of the navigator ".lames," in Hudson ]>ay, two centuries earlier. God forbid that 1 should bo thought to cast one reflection upon those warm-hearted Americans wlio came nobly forward and said, " We too will aid in Arctic enterprise ;" but the fact is tliat enthusiasm and high courage, witliout proper knowledge and ecjuipmeut, on such service, infallibly lead to the sufi'er- ing which Dr. Kiinc's followers endured; and it is t/mt which best explains how it was, that whilst our sailors, far beyond the l'^st|uiinaHX, waxed fiit and fastidious, Kane's poor followers had to eat the raw flesh of animals to avert the ravages of scurvy, brought on by a poisonous dietary of salt meat. This nmch to meet the objections of tliose who point to Dr. Kane's thrilling narrative with a view to frighten us from Arctic exploration ; and I may add, that I know well tiiat chivalrous man never penned those touching episodes to frighten men from high enterprise, but rather to caution us to .avoid his mistakes. And to show us how nobly the worst evils may bo borne when the cause is a good one."* The narrative of that expedition is before the reader in this volume. Vv'^hen tirst given to the world, it excited an intense interi'st and drew forth universal eulogy. All classes were penetrated anil touched by the story so simply, so modestly, so eloquently told. Autograph let- ters from the most eminent names in every walk of life were written in its praise. Medals and other costly testimonials were sent by the Queen of England, by ditl'creut Legislatures in our own country, and by scien- tific associations throughout tlie world. The mere casual notices of the press, as collected by his friend Mr. Childs, the publisher, fill sev- eral albums of folio size. But the recipient of these uonors was not destined liiMself long to enjoy them. To the seeds of former diseases never fully eradicated, had been added that terrible scourge of Arctic life, tlie scurvy, together • Paper on tlis Exploration of the North Polar Region, roiid bi'roro tiie Royal floographical Society, Jan. 23d, 1865, by Captain Sherard Osborne, R. N., C. B. paper ndvoca- ir times lioa a II I'Dlar winter. itiioiit Hsteain- )iiu'iit. without ivesoi'ved vege- >ntlis' fuel, the D liis siirt'eringB. or "James," in t 1 uliould be AiiuMiciins wlio tie enterprise ;" witlioiit proper 11(1 tij tlie sufter- t/iiit \viiic:h best tiic Estpiimaux, L':)t the raw flesh \>y a poisonous 18 of tiiose who ijfliteii us from 1 tliat eliivalrous I men from high ves, t\inl to show ! cause is a good r ill this volume. iitert':st and drew and touched by Aiitoiiraph let- ) were written in ent by the Queen ry, and by scien- casual notices of jubli-shcr, fill aev- , liiMseif long to fully eradicated, ! scurvy, together id bc-foro the Royal me, B. N., C. B. LIFE OF DR. KANE. it with the pxlmusting literary Iftbom incident to the puMication of this narrative, Kiitircly lindcrestiinatiiig those ial)ors, (of wiiich indeed but few eau form an a(h.4uate conception,) lie had been (juite too tiiought- leas of tiie claiinH of a body ho had so long been acciintonied to subject to his purpose, ami only awoke to a discovery of the error wlieu it was too late. With tliis melancholy conviction, he announced the couipie- tion of t'".; work to a friend in the modest and touching sentence : — " The book, poor as it is, has been my coffin," He left the country for England under a presentiment that he should never return. For the first time in his life, departure was shaded with foreboding. It was indeed an alarming syini)tum to find that iron nerve which hitherto had sustained him uniler shocks ap|)arently not less severe, thus beginning to falter; and yet even tiu'U the great pur- pose of his life he iiad not wholly abandoned, but, in spite of the most serious entreaties, wa.s already projecting another Arctic Expedition of research and rescue* Before, however, he could make known his plans, or even receive the honors awaiting him, successive and more virulent attacks of disease obliged him, under me he seemed wanting in no single qualificarion. To a scientific education and the experience of a cosmopolite, he join.d an assemblage of moral qualities so rich in their separate excel! :i ' , and so rare in their combination, that it is difficult to ofttc tbo;; analysis " Conspicuous among them was an exalted, yet practical beutmintQ. It was the crowning charm of his chanvcter, and a controUinc »roti" ' in his perilous jntcrprise. Other proinptings indeed th^re were, nei- ther suppressed, nor in themselves to be depreciated. But that passion for adventure, that love of science, that generous ambition, which stim- ulated his youthful exploits, appear now under the check and guidance of a still nobler impulse. It is liis sympathy with the lost and suflfei- ing, and the duteous conviction that it may lie in liis power to liberate them from their icy dungeon, which thrill his heart and ncv.^' him to his hardy task. In his avowed aim, the interests of geogri iiy ,rore to be subordinate to the claims of humanity. And neither tiie • f;-. Hiies of affection, nor the imperiling of a fame, which to a less eanu pirit might have seemed too prcciou;j to hazard, could swerve him from the generous purpose. " And yet this was not aher.c iokiice vh "-'^ could exhaust itself in any mere dazzling, visionary proj':at. It '.va; hs |iractical as it was compre- hensive. It could descend to all tlic niinuti.-!; of personal kindness, and gracefully disguise itself even in tlie most menial offices. When de- feated in ita great object, and forced to resign the proud hope of a LIFE OF DR. KANE. 15 philanthropist, it turns to lavish itself on bis suffering comrades, whom he leads almost to forget the commander in the friend. With unselfish assiduity and cheerful patience he d:»otes himself as a nurse and coun- sellor to relieve their wants, and buoy them up under the most appall- ing misfortniies ; and, in those still darker seasons, when the expedition is threatened with disorganization, conquers them, not less by kindness than by address. Does a party withdraw from him under opposite counsels, they arc assured, in the event of their return, of a " brother's welcome." Are tidings brought him that a portion of the little band are forced to halt, he knows not where in the snowy desert, he is off through the midnight cold for their rescue, and finds his reward in the grateful assurance, "They knew that he would conic." In sickness he tends them like a brother, and at death drops a tear of manly sensi- bility on their graves. Even the wretched savages, who might be sup- posed to have forfeited the claim, share in his kindly attentions ; and it is with a touch of true human feeling that he parts from them at last, as ' children of the same Creator.' "Then, as the fitting support of this noble quality, there was also an indomitable oier^y. It was the iron column, around whose capital that delicate lily-work was woven. His was not a benevolence which must waste itself in mere sentiment, for want of a power of endurance ade- quate to support it through hardship and peril. In that slight physical frame, suggestive only of refined culture and intellectual grace, there dwelt a sturdy force of will, which no combinaticn of material terrors seemed to appall, and, by a sort of magnetic impulse, subjected all inferior spirits to its control. It was the calm power of reason and duty asserting theirsuperiority over mere brute courage, and compelling the instinctive homage of Herculean strength and prowess. " With what firm yet conscientious resolve does he quell the rising symptoms of rolK'Hion which threaten to add the terrors of mutiny to those of famine and disease I And all through that stern battle with Nature in her most savage haunts, how he ever seems to turn his mild front toward her frowning face, if in piteous appealing, yet not less in fixed resignation ! " iJut while in that character, benevolence appeared supported by energy and patience, so, too, was it equipped with a most marvelous tact. He broiiirht to his beneficent t.ask not merely the resources of acquired skill, but a native power of adapting himself to emergencies, and a fertility in devising expedients, which no occasion ever seemed to baffle. Immiired in a dreadful seclusion, where the combined terrors of Nature forced him into all the closer contact with the passions of 16 LIFK OF DR. KANE. man, Le not only rose, by his energy, superior to them both, but, by his ready executive talent, converted each to bis ministry. Even the, wild inmates of that icy world, from the mere stupid wonder with which at first they regarded his imported marvels of civilization, were, at length, forced to descend to a genuine respect and love, as they saw him compete with them in the practice of their own rude, stoical virtues. " To such more sterling qualities were joined the graces of an afBucnt cheerfulness, that never deserted him in the darkest hours — a delicate and capricious humor, glancing among the most rugged realities like the sunshine upon the rocks — and, above all, that iuvaiiublo stamp of. true greatness, a beautiful modesty, ever sufficiently content with itself to be above the necessity of prettrsion. These were like the ornaments of a Grecian building, which, though they may not enter into the effect of the outline, are found to ipipart to it, the more nearly it is surveyed, all the grace and finish of the most exquisite sculpture. " And yet strong and fair as were the proportions of that character in its more conspicuous aspects, we should still have been disappointed did we not find albeit hidden deep beneath them, a firm basis of reli- gious sentiment. For all serious and thoughtful minds this is the purert charm of those graphic volumes in which he has recorded the story of his wonderful escapes and deliverances. There is every where shining through its pagt-s a chastened spirit, too familiar with human weakness to overlook a l*rovidcnce in his trials, and too conscious of human in- significance to disdain its recognition. Now, in his lighter, more pen- sive moods, we see '.t rising, on the wing of a devout fancy, into that region where piety becomes also poetry : ' I have trodden the deck and the floes, when the life of earth seemed suspended, its movements, its sounds, its colorings, its companionships; and as I looked on the radiant hemisphere, circling above me, as if rendering worship to the unseen centre of light, I have ejaculated in humility of spirit, ' Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of hiraP And then I have thought of the kindly world we had left, with its revolving sunlight and shadow, and the other stars that gladden it in their changes, and the hearts that warmed to us there, till I lost myself in the memories of those who are not ; and they bore me back to the stars again.' "Then, in graver emergencies, it appears as a habitual resource, to which he has come in conscious dependence : *A trust, based on experience as well as oti promises, buoyed me np I 1 LIFE OF DB. KANE. 11 at the worst of times. Call it fatalism, as you ignorantly may, there is that in the story of every eventful life which teaches the ineiticiency of human means, and the present control of a Supreme Agency. See how often relief has come at the moment of extremity, in forma strangely unsought, almost at the time unwelcome ; see, still more, how t>.e back has been strengthened to its increasing burdens, and the heart cheered by some conscious influence of an unseen Power.' "And, at length, we find it settling into that assurance which belongs to an experienced faith and hope : — ' I never doubted for an instant, that the same Providence which liiid guarded us through the long darkness of winter was still watching over us for good, and that it was yet in reserve for us — for some ; I dared not liopc for all — to bear back the tidings of our rescue to a Christian land.' " We hear no profane oath vaunted from that little ice-bound islet of human life, where man has been thrown so helplessly into the hands of God ; but rather in its stead, murmured amid the wild uproar of the storm, the daily prayer, ' Accept our thanks and restore us lo our homes.' Let us believe that a faith which supported him through trials worse than death, did not fail him when death itself came. "In the near approach of that last moment, he was tranquil and com- posed. With too little strength cither to support or indicate any thing of rapture, he was yet sufficiently conscious of his condition to per- form some final acts befitting the solemn emergency. In reference to those who had deeply injured him, he enjoined cordial forgiveness. To each of the watching group around him, liis hand is given in the fond pressure of a final parting; and then, as if sensible that his ties to earth are loosening, he seeks consolation from the requested reading of such Scripture sentcncca as had been the favorite theme of his thoughtful hours. "Now he hears those soothing beatitudes which fell from the lips of the Man of Sorrows in successive benediction. Then he will havo repeated to him that sweet, sacred pastoral — ' The Lord is my Shepherd ; I shall not want. lie maketh me to lie down in green pastures : he leadeth me beside the still waters. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; for Thou art with me : Thy rod and Thy staff, they com- fort me.' "At length are recited the consolatory words with which the Saviour took leave of his weeping disciples : — 'Let not your heart be troubled : ve believe in God, believe also in 2 18 LIFE OF DB. KANK. me. In my Father's house are many mansions ; if it were not bo, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.' " And at last, in the midst of this comforting recital, he is seen to expire — so gently that the reading still proceeds some moments after other watchers have become aware that ho is already beyond the reach of any mortal voice. Thus, in charity with all mankind, and with words of tlie Redeemer in his ear, conveyed by tones the most familiar and beloved on earth, his spirit passed from the world of men." With these last and sublimest lessons of his life, it is fitting that this sketch should close. Let every American youth, who reads his story, remember that, in an age of materialism when old faiths seem to be decaying, he illustrated, as no man ever did before, the spiritual ele- ments of our nature, and the entire compatibility of deep religious con- viction, not only with humane efforts, but with physical researches and with earthly toils, successes, and honors. He will not indeed have lived in vain should history hereafter rank him among the harbingers of that peaceful era when charity shall become heroic, and science be reconciled to religion. ■-'-7/m ...^^ , were not so, I il, he is seen to moments after yond the reach cind, and with e most familiar Id of men." b is fitting that who reads liis I faitlis seem to lie spiritual ele- p religious con- rescarchos and )t indeed have tlje harbiiigci's and science be ^ 3 I .! I r.m^rr»i\y K Tr^i»rt.rtr«lk :» ■ h;' .nk:.::! att -R ^! CHAPTER I Circle,-H^ hfi'i ■■■■-.\n ,,-■ maps, w ft »und the eaitli, jtHiuilei with the wixjafor, ■^.'■t m m«^ dlm;tkm twenty-three dt^grees V tilji^lit niiottt^ imm the North Pole. It the Kortli !'■■ • ' r n I h«- North Teniperute .iliin thi'^ ■ •- r.ifff Arctic (^:ean; nearly • i'H'nland : • •,•"•>. Jsnvn Zenil>lH tuiJ .i,t.'"}s5 mrrthc: . »,. . n- of Norw-ay, ^jwedeii, i-. iisgia, i>ll>tni!i. r%MFi:Uii.. Mtid Kntish America ; ji tost im kit <>v ' AiA north- wcst«*rly . of '-■.■■ Ki«>k*flM')m ■.■■" • ■■■':^ ■j =::;*» it ... ..i .. ever torn ■ "km PoJi* ^ith an m^' iiiouHund li-agiies. It is a •.i, aue c.on!>igi')us, for the char- t<^iiiperHtiuv.-< and pUciiunu-na of far higher • »^vteiid ^\'itl) H/imo oxctjptious many degrees . 10 ■ fj i y fi j: ifcj:; %,^, ; "i;;: i?«#»w4 Vr X »**»'''f* ;» j.mt f ■r»r:V» -^f"? * "^ / '2^ // cr^.h f^:^^n^''<^^^^ -,,1«"» CHAPTER I. THE ARCTIC REGIONS. The Arctic Circle, as laid down on our maps, is a line drawn around the earth, parallel with the equator, and distant in every direction twenty-three degrees and twenty-eight minutes from the North Pole. It separates the North Frigid from the North Temperate Zone. Within this circle lie the Arctic Ocean ; nearly all of Greenland ; Spitzbergen, Nova Zenibla and other islands ; northerly portions of Norway, Sweden, Lapland, Russia, Siberia, Alaska, and British America ; and the almost unknown regions north-westerly of Greenland. The Arctic Ocean is enclosed betAveen the n' ''li'^rn limits of Eurojio, Asia, and America. Several large rivers from the three continents flow northerly into it or its tributary waters. It has an area of over four million square miles, and girds the Pole with an ice- locked coast of a])out three thousand leagues. It is a mysterious sea, and has for centuries baffled the re- search of navirjators. But the Arctic Circle, lying between latitudes sixty- six and sixty-seven degrees, must not be considered as the boundary of the Arctic Regions, for the char- acteristic temperatiu'es and phenomena of far higher latitudes extend Avith some exceptions many degrees 19 so THE ARCTIC HEOIONS. I -I farther to the s(»uth. Iceland, ^\•llic•h may well he considered an Arctic country, lies outside this circle ; and the researches of the lamented Hall during liis first expedition were made considerably hehnv this line, and it is not known that he reached much higher latitudes during his later residence on the northern shores of Hudson's Bay. Witliin these hyperl »orean regions Natu'H^ is niarhed "by the most stupendous features, and ' forms she assumes diifer from her attitudes in .ilder cli- mates almost as A\idely as if they belonged to another planet. The scenery is aAxd'ul and dreary, yet abound- ing in striking, sublime, and beautiful objects. The Hxm forseveral monthsof the year is totally withdrawn, leaving l>ehin(l him a desert Avaste of relentless frost, and the darkness of a prolonged winter which broods over the frozen realm, save when the magnificent Aurora lights up the gloom, or tlie moon, which for days continually circles aroimd the horizon, reveals the weird beaiity and desolation of the scene. Dr. Kane, in the most fascinating narrative of his second e.\[)edition descril)es an Ar<.'tic moonlight night as folloAvs : — " A grander scene than our bay by moonlight can hardly be conceived. It is more dream-like and super- natural than a coml)ination of earthly features. "The moon is nearly full, and the dawning sun- light, mingling with hers, invests everything with an atmosphere of ash;, gray. It clothes the gnarled hills that make the horizon of our ])ay, shadows out the terraces in dull definition, groAv^s darker and colder as it sinks into the fiords, and broods sad and d)-eary upon the ridges and measureless plains of ice that make up the rest of our field of vicAV. Rising above TIIE AnCTIO KEOIONS. 21 nil tliiH, and sluuliiig down into it in strange comLina- tion, is the iiitiMise. niooiiliglit, glittering on every crag and s])iro, tracing the outline of the background with contrasted l)rightness,and printing its fantastic j)rofile3 on tlie snow-lield. It is a landscape sucli as Milton or Dante might imagine, — inorganic, desolate, mysterious. I have come down from deck with the feelinij^s of n man Avho has looked upon a Avorld unfinished l)y the hand of its Creator." At lengtli the sun reapj)ears aLove the horizon, and as a comi)eiisation for his long absence shines uninter- ruj)tedly for tlie balance of the year, although his rays are fre(piently obscured by mist and fog. This continual sunli^jht strikes the traveler as the stran2;est l)henomenon of the Arctic summer. As the sun acquires elevation, his power increases. Tlie j)rogress of tlie frost is checked, the sno\v grad- ually wastes away, the ice dissobes, and vast frag- ments of it are preci})itated along the shores with the crash of thunder. The ocean is n(nv uid)ound, and its icy dome disrupted with tremendous fracture; enormous fields of ice thus set afloat are broken up Ijy the violence of winds and cnri'ents, or drift away to the south, and the icebergs take u]) tlieii' stately march. The aniuial formation of ice within the Arctic worhl is a l>eautiful i)rovision of Natui'e for mitigating the excessive inequality of temperature. Were only dry land there exposed to the sun, it would be absolutely scorched by his incessant beams in summer, and pinched in the darkness of winter l>y the most intense and penetrating cold. None of the aninnd or vegeta- ble tribes could at all support such extremes. But in the actual arrangement, the surplus heat of summer ■W" KIMHHF ■PHMMBMII 22 IHE ARCTIC REGIONS. I ■<} ii\ I is spent in melting away the ice ; and its deficiency in winter is partly supplied by the influence of the pro- gress of congelation. As long as ice remains to thaw or water to freeze, the temperature of the atmosphere can never vaiy beyond certain limits. For what is known of the Arctic regions the world is indebted, principally, to the ex])editions which, from time to time, have been sent out by different nationn — some to search for new routes to China and the In- dies, some to look for the North Pole, and some, in later times, for the relief of the lost navigator. Sir John Franklin. Tlie thrilling experiences and observation^ jf many of these expeditions have ])een written out by mem- bers thereof, and the penisal of their narratives 'Anil give the reader a more vivid and far more interest- ing conception of life and nature in the fiigid zone than can be obtained from the study of volumes of didactic description. As it is the plan of this book to give the history of these expediticms, and to do it to some extent in the words of the explorers them- selves, full information as to tlie characteristic features, ])lienomena, inhal)itants, and animal and vegetable life of the Arctic regions will be found in succeeding chapters. :' ' ficiency in f the pro- 8 to thaw mosphere the world lich, from nations — d the In- some, in ^ator, Sir jf many by mem- tives '.nil ! interest- igid zone )lumes of ;his book to do it ers them- ! features, vegetable Licceeding k i ^ tA ^ ^i T Ai .^. X. XI • .^7a* "^^'Ir ;:«»» % A -"f~'~T" 23 >; R 11 bar t ^^-^^ •rt L^ \ \ 'f y-jcto-rip ;>. laritonL? a ^ •'<*.<, J^i, '». / >«. (^, -^^Aoi \ rtsbh ItAlb-tEi'' •^ M . |r ! hi I -^^pai CHAPTER II. EARLY DISCOVERIES AND HISTORY. One thousand years ago the mariners of the Scan- dinavian Peninsula were the boldest of navigators, and the most successful ones of their age. They possessed neither the sextant nor the compass ; they had neither charts nor chronometers to guide t})em ; but trusting solely to fortune and their own indomitable courage, they fearlessly launched forth into the vast ocean. Their voyages, distinguished by a strange mixture of commerce, piracy, and discoveiy, added no little to the geographical knowledge of their day. To (piit their bleak regions in search of others still juore bleak would have been wholly foreign to their vicAVs ; yet as the sea wjis covered with their sails, chance and tempest sometimes di'ove them in a direction other than southerly. In the year 801, Naddodr, a Norwegian pirate, was diifted by contrary winds far to the north. For sev- eral days no land Mas visible; then suddenly the snow-dad mountains of Iceland were seen to rise above the mists of the ocean. The viking landed on the island, and gave it the name of Snowland, but dis- covered no ti'aces of man. Three years afterward, Gardar and Flocke, two Swedes, visited it; and hav- ing found a great quantity of drift-ice collected on the 24 ICi:LAND. I 1, ! li' nortli side of it, they gave it the name of IccLiiiJ, "wlii'.'h it still l>ears. In S4'4, Ingolf and Leif, two famous Norwegian adventurers, earrit'd a colony to this inhos])ital)le region — the latter ha\ ing enriched it with the ])ooty which he ravaged from England. Al)out this time Harold, the Fair-haired, had he- come the despotic master of all Norway. ]Muny <>f his former equals submitted to his yoke; hut others, animated by a love of liberty, emigrated to Iceland. Such were the attractions which the island at that time presented, that not half a century elapsed before all its inhabitable ])()i'tions were occupied by settlers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark Scotland, and Ire- land. Icehmd might as well have been called Fireland, for all of its forty thousand S(juare miles have origin- ally been upheaved from the depths of the vvaters •by volcanic action; and its nmnerous volcanoes have many times brought ruin upon Avhole districts. The most frightful visitation occurred in 1 78.'{, and its direful effects were long felt throuL-hout the island, over which, for a whole year, hung a dull cano])y of cinder-laden clouds. Pestilence, famine, and severe winters have also from time to time added many a mournful l)age to Iceland's long annals of sorrow. Once she had over a hundred thousand inhabitants, — now she has scarcely half that nund)er; then she had many rich and j)ower- fid families, — now medioci'ity t)r poverty is the universal lot ; then she was renowned as the seat of learning and the cradle of literature, — now, were it not for her remarkable i)hysical features, no traveler would ever think of landing on her nigged shores. In winter, "when an almost perjwtual night covers Iier ner i GREENLAND. 27 tlie wastes of tliis fire-born land, and the waves of a stormy ocean thunder against its shores, imagination can liardly picture a more desohite scene ; but in sum- mer the rugged nature of Icehind invests itself with many a cliann. Then the eye rej)oses with delight on green valleys and crystal lakes, on the purple hills or snow-capped moiuitains rising in Alpine grandeur above the distant horizon, and the stranger might almost be tempted to exclaim Avith her patriotic chil- dren, " Iceland is the fairest land under the sun," The colonization of Iceland proved the stepping- stone to further discoveries, although over a century elapsed before any progress was made in a westerly direction ; then, 070, an Icelander named Gunnbjorn, first saw the high mountain coast of Greenland. Soon afterAvards, a XorAvegian named TliorAvald, with his son, the famous Ei'ic the Red, living their country on account of homicide, took refuge in Iceland. Here Thorwald died, and Eric, his hands again im1)ued with blood, Avas obliged, in 082, to once more take refuge on the high seas. lie sailed Avestward in (piest of the land discovered by Gunnbjorn, ai"l ere long reached its shores. Having entei-ed a spacious creek, lie spent the winter on a pleasant adjacent island. lu the following season, pursuing his discoveries, he ex- plored the continent, and Avas delighted Avitli tlie freshness and verdure of its coast. Eric afterwards returned to Iceland, and by his in- viling description of the neAV country, Avhich he named Greenland, induced great nund)ers to sail Avitli him and settle there. They started in OSo, Avith twenty- five vessels, but on account of foul Aveather only four- teen of tiu'in reached the destined harbor. Other emigrants soon followed, autl in a feAV years all of i 28 TUE NORTHMEN IN AMERICA. n ! Southern Greenland was occupied by flourishing colonies. An adventurous young Icelander named Biarni, who was in Norway when Eric's colonists sailed for Greenland, on returning home and finding that his father had gone Avith them, vowed that he ^vould spend the winter with his father, as he had always done, and set forth to find the little settlement on the unknoAvn shores of Greenland. A northerly gale sprung up and for many days he was driven to the southward of his course. At last he fell in with a coast in the west, wooded and some- what hilly. No landing was made, and tlie anxious mariners, sailing for t^vo days to the nortliAVurd, found anotlier land, low and level, and ovei'grown with woods. Not recoo-nizinjTc the mountains nor meetins: with icebergs, Biarni sailed northerly, and in three days came upon a great island with high mountains, much ice, and desolate shores. lie was then driven before a violent soutli-Avest wind for four days, wlien by singular good fortune he reached tlie Greenland settlement which he was seeking. From tlie internal evidence aiforded by the dates and the causes, as well as from the corroboration of subsequent expeditions, it "would appear that these mariners brought up on the coast of New England. The first land seen, judging from the descrii)tions, was probably Nantucket or Cajie Cod. Two days' sailing would easily l)ring them to tlie level and forest- covered shores of Nova Scotia, and three more to the bleak and precipitous coast of Newfoundland. From that island to the southern extremity of Greenland, the distance is but six hundred miles, Avhich a vessel, running before a favorable gale, might readily accom- plish Avithin the given time. THE NORTIDIEN IN AMERICA. 29 111 the year 999, Leif, a son of Eric, liuving visited the coast of Norway, was iiuluced, by the zealous and earnest solicitation of King Olaf Trygg\ason, to era- brace the Christian faith ; and, carrying with him some monks, he found, through their ministry, no great difficulty in persuading his father and the rest of the settlers to forsake the rites of Paganism. Having heard Biarni much blamed at Norway for neglecting to prosecute his discoveries, Leif Avas stimulated to undertake a voyage in quest of new lands. He bought the vessel of Biivrni, and with thirty-five men, some of M'liom had been on the fonner voyage, set sail in the year 1000. Probably the first lands sighted by him were the same as those which Biarni had already discovered, but they Avere now taken in an inverse order. Hav- ing steered to the westward of an island (jirobably Nantucket) the voyagers "passed up a river and thence into a lake." Tliis channel, it would seem, was the Seaconnet Biver, the eastern outlet of Nari-agan- sett Bay, which L ads to the beautiful lake-like expanse now known as Mount Hope Bay. From the great number of Avild grapes found here the Avhole country received the name of Vinland. Numerous other voyages, according to Icelandic manuscripts, Avere made from Greenland and Iceland to the shores of Vinland. To-day inscriptions are found Avhich Avere periiajis the handiAVork of these adventurers ; but the discoA^eries they made appear to have been forgotten like the Greenland colonists, and it has not been uncommon for modern students to doubt the Avhole stoiy of the discovery of America by the Northmen. Many hoAvever believe in it, and some propose to celebrate our centennial anniversary 80 TIIK LOST COLONISTS. T)y ereotinj^ in Madison, Wis., a monument to the Viking who first discovered Aniericji. In 1477 Coluni])us visited Iceland, and voyaged a liundred leagues lieyond it, i)r()l»al)ly to the westward, and, it may be, came near reviving the ancient discov- eries of the Noi-thmen, and tracking the steps of BL arni, Leif, and Thorfhm to the long lost Vinland. The original settlement of Greeidand l)eijnn ahout the southern jjromontory, near Cape Farewell, and stretched along the coai;;t in a north-westerly direction. Farther north, and prol)aldy extending as high as the latitude of sixty-six degrees, was a second settlenK^nt. Tlie f(»rmer is said to have included, at its most Hour- ishing ])eri()d, twelve parishes and two convents; the latter contained four parishes. Between the two dis-. ti'icts lay an uninhabitable region of seventy miles The whole population Avas about six thousand. For some centuries a commercial intercourse avjus nijiin- tained Avith Nonvay ; but the trade was subsequently seized as an exclusive privilege of the Danish court. The colonists of Greenland led a life of hardship and severe privations. They dAvelt in hovels sur- rounded by mountains of ])erpetual ice; they neA^er tasted bread, but subsisted on the fish AAdiich they caught, joined to a little milk obtained from their starving coavs; and, Avith seal-skins and the tusks of the Avalrus, they purchased from the traders who occa- sionally A^isited them, the Avood required for fuel and the construction of their huts. Al)out the year l.'»7(), the natiA'cs of the country, or Esquimaux, Avhom the NorAvegian settlers had in con- tempt called Dwarfs, attacked the colonies. The scanty population Avas enfeebled by rej)eated alarms ; and that dreadful pestilence, termed the Black Deathj TIIKIR SUIUHISED PATJ2. 31 / •wliicli raged over Europe from the year 1402 to 1 40 1, at last extended its ravai^^es to Greeidaiul, and ncaily coiii])leted tlie destruetion. Ill 1418 a hostile fleet, suspected to l>e English, laid waste tlie country. Political tr<)u})les and wars in Scandinavia at a later date, caused Greenland to be neglected, and finally forgotten ; and it is l)elieved that its last colonists either retreated to Iceland or were destroyed by the Es(|uiniaux about the com- mencement of the sixteenth century. In loS^ and 1G05, expeditions were sent out from Denmark to see if any inhabitants of Norse origin still dwelt in Greenland; but none could be found, although traces of the ancient settlement were seen on the western coast. An idea formerly pi-evailed that a colony had also been planted (m the east side of Greenland, which had been cut off from the rest of the world l)y vast bari'iers of ice accumulating on the shore. The problem was, wliether the ill-fated people had survived the catastrophe, or been entombed in snow and ice, as the unhappy citizens of Pompeii Avere involved in a shower of volcanic ashes. Ships were sent out at different times by Denmark for their relief, Imt it is now evident that no such settlement ever existed. The coast of Eastern Greenland is everywhere bold and rocky, and the interior of the country consists of clusters of mountains covered with eternal snoAvs. In 1721, Kans Egede, a XorAvegian pastor, Avho had long felt the deepest concern for the descendants of the old Christian commimities of Greenland, in Avhose total desti'uction he could not believe, sailed from Bergen Avith his Avife, four children, and forty colonists, having resolved to ))ecome the apostle of regenera- 32 THE APOSTUa OF GREENLAND. ted Greenland. Tliey landed July 3d, and soon erect- ed a wooden chapel at the location of the present set- tlement of Godthad. Although Egtide met with severe trials, and was deserted by nearly all the settlers, he ])ei-severed in sustaining his foothold in the countiy ; and in 1733 the king of Denmark bestowed on the mission an animal grant of two thousand dollars, and sent three Moravian Lrothers to assist him. Es>:ede returned to Norway in 173."): dm"inf studded Avith dormer Avindows and croA\-ned Avith an antique belfry. " We Avere met, as we landed, T)y a couple of gi-ave ancient men in sable jaickets and close velvet skull- : \t il FiSKKRSAKS — 11 I.MK OF IIAN8 CHRISTIAN. .MoitAviAN ^^;rn.K.M^..^l' at lk.htk.nkkls. I ^ I THE MOEAVIAN MISSIONS. 35 caps, such as Vandyke or Kembrandt himself might have painted, wh(j gave us a quiet but kindly welcome. All inside of the mansion-house — tlie furnituie, the matron even the children — had the same time-sobered look. The sanded floor was dried by one of those huge white-tiled stoves, which have been known for gene- rations in the north of Europe ; and the stift'-l^acked chairs Avere evidently coeval v>ath the first days of the settlement. The heavy-built table in the middle of the room was soon covered with its simple offerings of hos])itality ; and we ""jat around to talk of the lands we had come from and the changing wonders of the times. "We learned chat the liouse dated back as far as the days of Matihew Stach ; built, no doubt, with the beams that floated so providentially to the sliore some twenty-five years after the first landing of Egede ; and that it had been the home of the brethren who now greeted us, one for twenty-nine and the other twenty- seven years. The •' Congregation Hall " was within the building, cheerless now with its empty benches ; a couple of French horns, all that I could a.s^^ciate with the gladsome piety of the Moravians, hung on each side the altar. Two dwelling-roc mis, thi'ee chaml)ers, and a kitchen, all under the same roof, made up the one structure of Lichtenfels. " Its kind-lu-arted inmates were not without intelli- gence and education. In spite of the formal cut of their dress, and something of the stiffness that belongs to a proti'actcd solitary life, it was impossil)le not to recognise, in tlieir demeanor and course of thought, the li})eral spirit thnt has always characterized their cliuivh. Two of their " children," they saie decreeil^tliat the year must Acry soon cease to renew its changes. It pains me when I think of their ap- proaching destiny, — in the region of night and winter, where the earth fields no fruit and the waters are locked, — Avithout the resorts of skill or even the rude materials of art, and ■\valled in from the world by barriers of ice Avithout an outlet. " If you i)oint to the east, inland, Avhere the herds of reindeer run over the l^arren hills unmolested, — for they have no means of ca])turing them, — they will cry " KSermik," " glacier ;" and, question them as you may about tin; range of their nation to the north and south, the answer is still the same, with a shake of the head, "Sermik, scrmik-soak," "the great ice-wall;" there is no more bevond. THE OABO'rs AND THEIll VOYAGES. 37 " They have no " kresuk," no wood. The drift-tim- her whicli blesses their more southern brethren never reaches them. The bow and arrow are therefore un- known ; and the kayak, the national implement of the Greenlander, which, like the palm-tree to the natives of the tropics, ministers to almost every want, exists among them only as a legendary word." Though a long intercourse with Europeans has somewhat modified the character of the Southern Greenlanders, and acquainted them with some of the luxuries of civilization, they still retain to a great de- gi'ee their former customs and modes of life. This is prol)ably owing to the sparse population, and their \agrant life. Depending wholly upon the products of the chase for their food, they are most accom- plished hunters ; and the sea is the principal source of England narrowly missed snanug m m,. ^^^.^.,. awarded to Columbus for his great achievement. After vainly soliciting Spain and Portugal for aid, that navigator sent his brotlier to Ileniy VII., with propositions which were at once accepted ; but 1)ef(>re the return of his messenger, Columbus, under tlie auspices of Isabelhi, had started on his voyage. The news of his success excited much interest in England ; and the king granted to John Cabot and his xliree sons, a patent "to sail to all paiis, countries, and seas," at their own exjiense, as exjdorei's. Cabot was an Italian, once a " Merchant of Venice," :hen living in IJristol, England, where his son Sebasti-ui was 1)orn about 1477. A subsecpient residence in Venice had given the son a taste for maritime enterprises, whicli was increased by his learning the trade of making maps. sa THE LABRADOR COLONY. The explorers, in a ship named the " IMatthew," fitted out probably at the expense of the Cabots, sailed from Bristol in May, 1497. Sebastian, though only nineteen years of age, was entrusted with the com- mand, but was accompanied by his father. On the 24th of June, they beheld portions of the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland stretched out before them. This discovery of a continent (four^^een months before Columbus discovered the main land) caused the explorers little exultation, although the British claim to the tliii-teen colonies was primaiily based thereon. The object of the voyage was to dis- cover a passage to India ; and to be obstructed by land displeased the mariners. Entering one of the chan- nels leading into Hudson's Bay, they continued on for several days, when the crew became despondent and insisted on returning. Cabot yielded to their clamors and sailed for England. In the Spring of 1498, Sebastian, with three hun- dred men, again set sail for the region he had discov- ered. These unfortunate people he landed on the bleak and inhospitable coast of Labrador, that they might form a settlement there, and then with the squadron renewed his search for the North-west pas- sage. On his return to the station, he found that the settlers had suffered intensely from cold and exposure. A number had already perished, and the balance Avere carried back to England. Cabot made a third voyage to the North-west in 1517, and it is believed that lie discovered tlie two Htraits which now bear the names of Davis and Ilud- 8on. In the year 1500, Gasper Cortereal, of Portugal, sailed in search of a North- west passage. He reached POBTUGUESB EXPEDITIONS. 8d Labrador, and sailed a long distance along its coast,' and then Avith a number of natives on board returned home. The next year he guided two ships to the noi'thern point of his fonner voyage, Avhere he entered a strait ; here the vessels were separated by a tem- pest. One of them succeeded in extricating itself, and • searched for some time in vain for its lost consort ; but that which had on board the gallant leader of the expediti(Mi returned no more, and no trace could ever be obtained of its fate. The next year, Miguel Cortereal sailed with three ships in search of his brother. Two of the vessels re- turned in safety, but Miguel and his crew were never heard from. A third brother wished to search for his lost kindred, but the king would not allow him to do so. French expeditions, under Verazzani (1523) and Cartier (If) 2 4) were equally unsuccessful in their search for the north-west passage. m H CHAPTER III. ENGLISH EXPEDITIONS TO THE NORTII- E.VST. (WILLOUGHBY — CHAXCEI/^R BrRROUOIIS ETC.) In 1553, after a long j*luml>er, the spirit of discov- ery in England was again aroused, and a voyage was planned A\'ith a view to reach In' way of the noi-th and north-east, the celebrated regions of India and Cathay, Sebastian Cabot was prominent in forwarding this enterprise, and though too old to lead the expedition he drew up the instructions under which it sailed. In it the mariners were .vamed not to be too much alarmed when they saw the natives dressed in lions' and bears' skins, with long bows and arrows, as this formidable ai>j)earance wa« often assumed merely to inspire teiTor. He told them, that there were persons anned with bows, who swam naked, in various seas, havens, and rivers, "desirous of the bodies of men, which they covet for meat," and against whom diligent watch must be kept night and day. He exhorted them to use the utmc st circumspection in their deal- ings Avith these strangers, and if invited to dine Avith any loitl or ruler, to go well armed, and in a ])osture of defence. The command of the expeditiim was given to Sir 40 XZPSDinON UNDEQ SIB HUOH WILLOUOHBT. 41 Hugh Willoughby, and three vessels having been fitted out with great care, sailed from England in the month of May. The court and a great multitude of people witnessed their departure, and the occasion was one of great interest and excitement. Willoughby was furnished by King Edward, with a letter of intro- duction, addressed to all "kings, piinces, rulei-s, judges, and governors of the earth," in Avhich free passage and other favors were asked for the explorers; and if granted, he concluded, — " We promise, by the God of all things that are contained in heaven, earth, and the sea, and by the life and tranquillity of our kingdoms, that we will with like humanity accept your servants, if at any time they shall come to our kingdoms." On the 14th of July the explores were near the coast of Nonvay, and on approaching the North Caj^e saw before them the Arctic Ocean stretching onward to the Pole. Here Sir Hugh exhoi-ted his commanders, Chancelor and Durfooth to keep close together. Soon after this there arose such " terrible whirlwinds," that they were obliged Ui stand out to the open sea, and allow the vessels to drift at the mercy of the waves. Amid the thick mists of the next stormy night the vessels of Willoughby and Chancelor sepai'ated, and never again met. Willoughby's pinnace was dashed to pieces amid the tem|)est ; and next morning, when light dawned, he could see neither of his companions ; but, discovering at length the smaller vessel called the Confidence, he continued his voyage. He now sailed nearly two hundred miles north-east and by north, but was astonished and bewildered at not discovering any 8ymi)tom of land ; whence it ap- peared that *' the land lay not as the globe made men- tion." Instead of sailing along or towards Norway, he H « Mt-i a It'! 42 TATE OF THE EXPLORERS. II ( <> 1 i! •I: was plunging deeper and deeper into the unknown abyss of the Northern Ocean. At length land appeared, but high, desolate, and covered with snow, while no sound was wafted over the waves, except the crash of its falling ice and ihe hungry roar of its monsters. This coast was evi- dently that of Nova Zembla ; but there was no point at which a landing could be made. After another at- tempt to push to the northward, they turned to the south-west, and in a few days saw the cojist of Rus- sian Lapland. Here they must liave been very near the opening into the White Sea, into whicli, liad for- tune guided their sails, they would liave reached Archangel, have had a joyful meeting with their com- rades, and spent the ■^vinter in comfort and security. An evil destiny led them westward. The coast was naked, uninhabited, and destitute of shelter, except at one point, where they found a shore bold and rocky, but with one or two good har- boi-s. ' Hei'e, though it was only the middle of Sep- tember, they felt already all the premature rigoi-s of a northern season ; intense frost, snow, and ice driving through the air, as though it had been the depth of winter. The officers conceived it therefore most ex- pedient to search no longer along these desolate shores, but to take up their quartei-s in this haven till the ensuing spring. The naiTative here closes, and the darkest gloom involves the fate of this firet English expedition. Neither the commander nor any of his brave compan- ions ever returned to their native shores. After long suspense and anxiety, tidings reached England that some Russian sailors, as they wandered along these di'eary boundaries, hatl been astonished by the view CUANCELOR 8 VISIT TO ErsSIA. 46 of a long that these view of two large ships, which they entered, ainl found the gallant crews all lifeless. There was only the journal of the voyage, with a note written in Juuuaiy, show- ing that at that date the creAVS were still alive. What was the immediate cause of a catastrophe so dismal and so complete, whether the extremity of cold, fam- ine, or disease, or whether all these ills united at once assailed them can now only be matter of sad conjec- ture. Thomson thus patliet ically laments their fate : — " Miserable they, Who, here entangled in the gathering ice, Take their last look of the descending sun, Wliile, full of death, and fierce with tenfold frost, The long, long night, incumbent, o'er their heads. Falls horrible. Such was the Briton's fate. As with ,/?»•«< prow (what have not Britons dared !) lie for the passage sought, attempted since So much in vain. •" After parting A\ath the other two ships Chancelor reached the port of Wardhuys and after waiting seven days for his companions, pushed fearlessly on toward the north-east, and sailed so far that he came at last " to a place where they found no night at all." Then they reached the entrance of an immense bay (the White Sea) and espied a fishing boat, the crew of which, having never seen a vessel of similar magnitude, Were as nuich astonished as the native Americans had been at the Spaniards, and, taking the alarm, fled at full speed. Chancelor, with his party, pureued and overtook them ; whereupon they fell flat on the ground half-dead, crying for mercy. He immediately raised them most courteously, and by looks, gestures, and gifts, expressed the most kind intentions. Being then allowed to de])art, they spread eveiywhere the report of the arrival " of a strange nation, of singular gentle- ness and courtesy." The natives came in crowds, and 44 DEATH OF (!IIANCELOR. fll I'll the sailors were coi)iously supplied with provisions and eveiytliing they wanted. Chaneelor now learned that he was at the extremity of a vast country obscurely known as Russia or Mus- covy, ruled by a sovereign named Ivan Vasilovitih, and obtained permission to visit him at his court at Moscow. The journey was made on sledges, and Chaneelor returned with a letter from the Czar, grant ing privileges to trader, which led to the formation of the Muscovy C-ompany. Chaneelor went to Russia a second time, in tlie employ of this company ; and on the homeward voyage with four ships and an ambassador from the C^zar, two of the vessels were wi-eeked on the coast of Nor- way ; a thu'd reached the Thames ; but the fourtli, in which were the chiefs of the expedition, Avtis driven ashore on the coast of Scotland, Avhere it went entiiely to pieceH. Chaneelor endeavored, in a very dark night, to convey himself and the ambassador asliore in a boat. The skiff waa ovenvhelmed by the tem2)est, and Chaneelor Avas drowned, though .the ambassador succeeded iji reaching the land. He thence proceeded to London, where Philip and Mary gave him a splen- did and pom|x>us reception. In 1556, a vessel called the Searchthrift, was fitted out and placed iindei" the command of Stephen Bur- roughs, Avho had gone with Chaneelor on his first voyage. Enthusiasm and hope seem to have risen as high as at the depai'ture of the first expedition. Se- bastian Cabot came down to Gravesend with a large party of ladies and gentlemen, and, having first gone on board, and partaken of such cheer as the vessel afforded, invited Burroughs and lus company to a splendid bancpiet at the sign of the Christopher. '■8 !i II 1i ; ■;;' i : V 1 I rii 1^ ■0 ENGLISH TRAVELERS IN ASIA. 48 Among the islandn of Waygatz, the voyagers fell in with a Russian craft, and on giving the master there- of a present of pewter sp* ^ns, he stated that the jkI- joining country "vvas that of the wild Samoides, who were said to eat Russians when oppf-rtunity offered. At a deserted encamj)ment of these })eople, Biin-ouglis saw three hundred of their idols — human figures of horrible aspect. After this, Burroughs approached Nova Zembla, but as winter Avas near he concluded that it ^vould be useless to attempt further explorations that season, and so turned homeward. The Musco\^ Company now attempted to op*^n communication with Persia and India across the Cas- pian, and by ascending the Oxus to Bochara. Tliis Bcheme they prosecuted at great cost, and by a .'^ries of bold adventures, in which Jenkinson, Johnson, x^l- cocke, and other of their agents, penetrated deep into the interior regions of Asia. An unusual degree of courage was indeed necessaiy to undei'take tliis expe- dition, A\ hich \vas to be l)egun by passing round tlie North Cape to the White Sea, then by a land Journey and \'o}-age down the Volga, across the whole l»readth of the Russian empire to Astrakhan, before they could evjiii embark on the Casjtian. It was si)on ascertained, that no goods could bear the cost of such an immense and (l;niy Burroughs. These consisted of men, women, and childi'en, some- times having from four to eight heads, all with' their faces turned eastward, and many horns of reindeer ly- ing at their feet ; it was called, therefoi'e, the Cape of Idols. After passing. thi'ough the strait of Waygatz, and sailing for some space along the coast of Nova Zembla, they Avere re[)elled by the icy bariiers ; l)ut having by perseverance rounded these, they arrived at a wide, blue, open sea, with the coast bending rapidly soutk ward ; and though this was only the shore of the (xulf of Obi, they doubted not that it was the eastern boiuidary of Asia, and would afford an easy passage I «■' ti SECOND DUTCH VOYAGE. 49 down upon China. Instead, however, of prosecuting this vo}'age, they determined to hasten back and com- municate to their countrymen this j<->yful intelligence. The t^vo divisions met on the coast of Russian Lapland, and an-ived in the Texel on the 16th of Sep '.ember. Tlie intelligence conveyed in regard to the latter part of til is expedition kindled the most sanguine hopes in the government and people of Holland. Six vessels Avere fitted out, not as for adventure and dis- covery, Ijut as for assured success, and for carrying on an extensive traffic in the golden i-egions of the East. They were laden with merchandise, and well supplied with money ; while a seventh, a light yacht, was instructed to follow them till they had passed Tabis, the supposed bounding promontory of Asia; when, having finally extricated themselves from the Polar ices and directed their course to China, it was to return tt) Holland with the joyful tidings. The squadron sailed from the Texel, the L'd of June 1505. iSothing' great occurred till the 4th of August when they reached the strait between Waygatz and the continent, to which they had given the appellation of the Strait of Nassau. They came to tl:e Cai>e of Idols; but though these were still drawn up in full array, no trace was found of the habitations Avhi<.'h they might have seemed to indicate. A Russian ves- sel, ho^^■ever, constructed of pieces of l)ark sewed to- gether, Avas met on its way from the Pechora to the Obi in search of the teeth of the sea-horse, -whale-oil, and geese. The sailors accosted the Dutch in a \ery fiiendly manner, pi'esonted eight fat birds, ami on going on ])oard one of the vessels, were struck with astonislnnent at its magnitude, itsc([nipment-<, and the high order w ith which ever) thing was arranged. This !',d !i 1'! f .1 50 DUTCH ABCnO EXPEDITIONS. (;: being a fast-day, tliey refused meat, butter, and cheese ; but, on being offere'l a raw herring, eagerly SAvallowed it entire, head and tail inclusive. The navigatns, and saluted him in the Rus- sian style, l)y 1>ending their hea<^l3 to the ground. On hearing a gun fire'p, sailed from Amster- dam on the 10th of 3Iav, 1.506. As homesickness was suspected to have some relation to the failure of former expeditions, none but unmarried persons were admitted as memljers. Avoiding the coast of Kui^ia they pushed north- '.;m DI800VBBT OF SPITZBERGliaT. 61 eriy, and on the 22d saw the Shetland Islands. On the 9th of June they discovered a long island rising abruptly into steep and lofty cliffs, and named it Bear Island. The horror of this isle to their view must have been imspeakable : the prospect dreary ; black where not hid with snow, and broken into a thousand preciiiices. No sounds but of the dashing of the waves, the crashing collision of floating ice, tlie dis- cordant notes of myriads of sea-fowl, the yelping of Arctic foxes, the snorting of the Avalruses, or the roaring of the Polar bears. Proceeding onward, they reached the latitude of 80°, and discovered the coast of the Spitzbergen Archipel- ago, a cluster of islands lying nearer the North l*ole than any other known land, excepting the regions dis- covered by Kane, Hayes, and JIall. Not^vithstand- ing its high latitude, Spitzbergen has been much frecpiented by whaling-ships, walrus hunters and ame- teur sportsmen. Tlie mariners, finding their progress eastward stop- ped by this line of coast, now retraced their route along its deep bays, still steering soutlnvard till they found themselves accain at Bear Island. Here Corneliz and Barentz separated ; the former proposing to push again northward. Barentz proceeded south-easterly intending to round the northern point of Nova Zembla. On the Gtli of August, he fastened his vessel to a large iceberg amid drifting ice, off Cape Nassau. On the 10th, the ice began to separate, and the sea- men I'emarked that the berg to "SNliich they Avere moored Avas fixed to the bottom, and that all the others struck against it. Afraid that these loose pieces would collect and enclose them, they sailed on, ^i: 1 ! IS Uli: tm%iv>. P ': 1' 'il i )!l 52 DUTCH ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. moorinj;^ theniHelves to successive fragments, one of whicli rose like a steeple, Leing twenty futlioms ttl)()ve and twelve beneath the water. They saw around tlieni more than four hundred large ictjhergs, the fear of which made them keep close to the shore, not being aware that in that cpiarter they were fonned. Steering on tliey came to Orange Island, which forms the northern extremity of Kova Zembla, Here ten men swam on shore, and, having mounted several jiiles of ice ■which rose, as it were, into a little mountain, they had the satisfaction of seeing the coast tending soutlnvard, and a wide open sea to the south-east. They hastened back to Barents Avith these joyful tidings, and the success of the voyage was considered almost secure. But these hopes were delusive. After doubling Cape Desire they were drawn into what they called Icy Port, and the vessel was thrown into a i)osition almost perpendicular. From this critical attitude they were relieA'ed next day ; but fresh masses of ice con- tinually increased the teri-ible rampai-ts around them. The explorers now felt that they nuist bid adieu for this year to all hopes of escape f i-om their icy prison. As the vessel was cracking continually, and opening in dilferent quarters, they made no dou})t of its going to jiieces, and could ho2)e to sumdve the Avinter t)nly by constructinfj a hut, which misrht shelter them from the approaching rigor of the season. Pai-ties sent into the country reported having seen footsteps of rein- deei', also a i'i\er of fresh Avatei", and, what A\as more important still, a great quantity of fine trees, Avith the roots still attached to them, strewed upon the shore, all brought down the rivers of Russia and Tartary. IMPniSONKT) FOU THE WIXTKIl. 53 nu'so cireiiinstiincfis clioered the mnriiu'i'.s; tliey tinisted that Providence, wliicli luid in tlii.s surprising luiuiner furnislicd ninteriuls to build a liouse, and futd to wurni it, Avould su]>]»ly also Avhatever was necessary for tlieir ])assing tlirougli (lie a])])r()aching winter, and for returniu'f at ]en'''tli t(* tlieir iiative eountrv. A sledge was instantly constructed ; three men cut the wood, while ten drew it to the spot inai'ked out for the liut. They souglit to raise a rampart of earth for shelter and security, and employed a h)ng line of fu'e in the ho])e of softening the ground, l)ut in vain. The carpenter having died, it Avas found impossilde to dig a grave for him, and they lodged his Lody in a cleft of the rock. The building of the hut was carried on with ardor, yet the cold endured in this operation was intense, and almost insui)poi'table. The snoAV sometimes fell so thick, for days successively, that the seamen could not stir from under cover. They liad at the same time hard and perp(^tual combats Avith the Polar bear. One day three of these furious auimals chased tlie working party into the vessel and advanced furiously to attack them, but linally retreated. Sometime after this a "westerly Avind cleared away the ice and they saw a wide open sea without, while the vessel Avas enclosed A\ithin, as it were, l)y a solid Avail. By October they completed their hut, and pre- pared to convey thither their provisions and stores. Some painful discoAeries Avere noAV made. Several tuns of tine Dantzic beer, of medicinal (juality, from Avhich they had anticipated nuich comfort, had fi'ozen so hard as to burst the casks ; the contents remained in the form of ice, but Avlieu thaAved it tasted like bad Avater. I , >t'i V i'l i! V vQ <^1

^.s <'. .% 54 DUTCH ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. ' :' Tlie sun began now to pay only shoi-t visits, and to give signs of approaching departure. He rose in the south-south-east and set in the south-soutli-west, while the moon was scarcely dimmed by his j>reseiice. On the 4th of November the sky was calm and clear, but no sun rose or set. The dieury winter night of three months, which had now set in, was not, however, without some alle- viations. The moon, now at the full, wheeled her pale but perpetual circle rouny Avliich tliey contrived tolerably to estimate their time. On the 3d of December, as the sailors lay in bed, they heard from without a noise as tremendous as if all the mountaiufi of ice by which they were surround- ed had fallen in pieces over each other, and the first light which they afterward obtained showed a consider- able extent of open sea. As the season advanced, the cold became always more and more intense. Early in D cen^ber a ed. On the 2Sth they approached the southern i)art of Nova Zembla where they found two Russian vessels at anchor, and were received by their crews Avith much courtesy. After mutual presents, the parties set out to sail together to Waygatz, but ^vere separated by a gale. On the 4th of August the Dutch came in view of the coast of Russia, and after a tedious voyage along the shore reached Kola, where they found Corneliz, who conveyeeditions had sailed to Northern America. The first one consisted of two ships, having on board " divers cunning men," one of whom \\"as a canon of St. Paul's, a great mathematician, and wealthy. The ships reached Newfoundland, where one of them was wrecked ; the other vessel sailed soutliward, and then returned to England. Nine years afterwards, another voyag(> ^vas made in the same direction by a company of adventurers of highest respectability. This gay band mustered in military array at Gravesend, anisher then went on shore, and, by the dis- tribution of presents, enticed one of the natives on board. This person, being well treated with food and drink, made on his return so favorable a report, that nineteen followed his example. The natives were next day more shy, and Avitli some difiiculty one of them, by the alliii'ements of a bell, was drawn on Ixvird. Frobisher, having no in- tention to detain him, sent a boat Avitli live men- to put him (.)n shore ; but, urged by curiosity, they went on to join the nuun body of the natives, and were never allowed to return. After spending two days firing guns, and looking for the missing ineii, Fro- bisher sailed for home, where he arri\ed in October. Although Frol)ii-her had made but little progress towards a westerr. passage, his voyage ^vas considered highl}' creditable, and interest in the new country- was greatly excited from the fact that a large sinning stone, Avhich Frobisher had l)rought home and divid- ed among his friends, was pronounced by the gold- smiths to be gold ore. A new expedition of three ships was immedijitely orgunized ; England was thrown into a ferment of joy; and Frobisher being invited 62 FUVUli^UJilW t* SECOND VOVAOE. I l< to visit the quoon, received her hand to kiss, with many gracious expressions. The new exj)eilitiou sailed on the 20tli of May, 1577 ; on tlie 8th of June it touched at tlie Orkneys for fresh water. The poor inhabitants, liaving, it is probable, suffered from the inroads of j)irateH, fled from their housci^ with cries and shritfks, but were soon, by courteous traatment, induced to return. The English now entered on their perilous voyage through the northern ocean, during which tliey were much cheered with the perpetual light. At length they touched at the sound or deep indentation of waters kno>vn as Frobisher Strait — afterwards said to be a sound, and recently })roved such by the researches of the late Captain Hall. The coast, ho\vever, was found guarded by a mighty wall of ice, which the ships could not penetrate ; but the captain, with two of his boats, worked his way into the sound, and began to survey the country. So crude were then the ideas respecting the geography of these regions, that they imagined the coast on their left to be America, and that on their right Asia. Dmding on the Ameiican side they scrambled to the top of a hill, and erected a column, which, after the great patron of the exj)edition, was called Mount Warwick. On their return, cries were heard like the lowing of bulls, and a large body of natives ran up to them in a very gay and cordial manner. Tliey began an eager traffic for the trifling ornaments displayed by their visitors, yet declined every invitation to go on board, while the English on their part did not choose to accede to their overtures of going into the countiy. Frobisher and a compan- ion, meeting two of the natives apart, rashly seized FIOIIT WITII ESQUIMAUX. 68 and bej^nn dragging them to the Loats, lioping to gain their friendship by presentu and ('(HutcMy. On the Mlij)i)ery ground, however, tlieiv feet ga\ e wny, the EwiiuiinaMX broke h)0«e, and found beliind a rook their bows and arrows, which they began to disc imn^e with great fury. Frobisher and his conini .., seized with a ]wu'ie, fled full speed, and the f«)rMier reiiclied the boat with an arrow sticking In his leg. The rrew, i\;!igining that something tnily serious must have driven back their commander in such disconititure, ga\ e the alarm, and ran to the rescue. The two l)ar- bariana instantly fled ; but one of them w as caught and taken to the boat. Meantime the ships outside were involved in a dreadful tempest, being t()s.sed amid those tremendous ice-islands, the least of which would have been sulU- eient to luive crushed them into a tliousand pieces. To avoid dangers wliich so closely beset them, they were obliged to tack fourteen times in four hours; but with the benefit of the perpetiuil light, the .skill of their steersman, and the aid of Providence, they weathered the temi)est, without the necessity of driv- ing out to sea and abandoning the boats. On the 19th, Frobislier came out to the ship Avith a large store of glittering stone ; upon which, says one of the adventurers, "we were all rapt wi<^h joy, forgetting both where we were and what we haa sulTered. Be- hold," he continues, "the glorj' of man, — t, -night looking for death, to-morro\v devising how to satisfy his greedy appetite with gold." A north West gale now sprang up; before which, like magic, the mighty bamei-s of ice by which the ships had been shut out melted away. They had now a broad and open passage by which they entered the u RELICS OF THE LOST SAILOSS. sound, wliich was a strait leading into the Pacific Ocean. In a run of upwards of thirty leagues they landed at different points, and, mounting to the topa of hills, took possession of the country with solemn and sacred ceremonies, in name of her majesty. On questioning their prisoner, he admitted knowl- edge respecting the five men captured in the preceding year, but repelled most strenuously the signs l)y which the English intimated their belief that they had been killed and eaten. However, a dark source of suspicion was soon opened ; for some boats of the natives were found, which, along with bones of dogs, flesh of un- known animnls, and other strange things, contained an English canvas douldet, a shirt, a girdle, three shoes for contrary feet, — apparel which, beyond all doubt, Ijelonged to their countrymen lost in the pre- ceding year. Hoping to recover them, they left a letter in the boat, with pen, ink, and i)aper, and a party of forty, under Charles Jacknian, marched inland to take tho natises in tlie rear, and ilrive them upon the coast^ where Frobisher with his boats waited to intercept them. The wretches had removed their tents into the interior ; but the invaders, after marching over several mountains, descried a cluster of huts, whose inmates hastened to their caiioes, and j)ushed out full speed to sea. They rowed with a rapidity wliich would have baffled all pureuit, had not Frobisher with his boats held the entrance of the sound and there awaited them. As soon as the Esquimaux saw themselves thus beset, tliey laiided among the rocks, abandoning their skifl's. The Englisli rushed on to the assault; but the natives, stationed on the rocks, resisted the land- % FEMALE PRISONEKS. 65 ing, and stood their ground with the most savage and desperate valor. Overwhelmed with clouds of ar- rows, they picked them up, plucking them even out of their bodies, and returned them with fuiy. On feeling themselves mortally wounded, they plunged from the rocks into the sea, lest they should fall into the hands of the conquerors. At length, completely worsted, and having lost five or six of their number, they sprang up among the cliffs and eladed pursuit. There fell into the hands of the assailants only two females, who caused some speculation. One was stiicken in years, and present- ed a visage so singularly hideous, that her moccasins were pulled off to ascertain if she was not the great enemy of mankind in disguise. The other female was young, with a child in her arms ; and being, from her peculiar costume, mistaken for a man, had l)een fired at and the child wounded. It was in vain to apply remedies ; she licked off Avith her tongue the dressings and salves, and cured it in her own way. She and the male captive formerly taken appeared to be straiitroi'H, but on becomini' intimate found much comfort in each other's society, and showed a atrong mutual attachment. >•>*-■' ' ., FrobislKn* still cherished hopes of recovering his men. A large party appearing on the top of a hill, signs were made of a desire for a fiiendly intervie\v. A few of ihem advanced, and were introduced to the captives. The jmrties wei'o deeply affected, and spent some time without uttering a word ; tears then flowed ; and when they at last found speech, it was in tones of tenderness an(^. regret, which prepossessed the English much in their fa\H)r. Frobisher now came forward, and propounded that on condition of restor- 66 TREACHERY OF TirE NATIVES. ing his five men, they should receive back their own captives, with the addition of sundry of those little gifts and presents on which they set the highest value. This they j)roraised, and also to convey a letter to the prisoners, who doubtless at this time were not alive. Afterward three men appeared holding up flags of bladder, inviting the invaders to approach ; buf: the latter, who saw the heads of othei-s peeping from be- hind the ^ocks, resolved to proceed \vith the utmost caution. The natives began by placing in view large pieces of excellent meat ; and when their enemy could not be caught by that bait, a man advanced very close, feigning lameness, and seeming to offer himself an easy prey. Frobisher allowed a shot to be fired, by which the person was cured at once, and took to his heels. Seeing all their artifices fail, the barbaiians determined upon main force, and pouring doAvn to the number of a hundred, discharged their arrows with great rapidity. They even followed a consider- able way along the coast, regardless of the English shot ; but the boats were too distant from tlie shore to suffer the slightest annojance. Several of the sea- men imi)ortuned Frobisher to allow them to land and attack; Init this he refused, as only calculated to divert them from the main object, and to cause useless bloodshed. * The 21st of August had now arrived, the ice was beginning to fonn around the ships, and, though little progretis had been made towards China, the seamen had put on board two hundred tons of the precious ore. Tliey therefore moiuited the highest hill, fired a volley in honor of the Countess of Wanvick, and made their way home. NotAvithstanding the vicissitudes which had marked %. frobisher's third expedition. 6t tliis voyage, its arrival was hailed ^yith the utmost exultation. Enthusiasm and hope, Loth with the queen and the nation, rose higher than ever. The delusion of the golden ore continued in full force, and caused those desolate shores to be regarded as another Peru. Special commissioners, men of judgment, art, and skill, were named by her majesty to ascertain both the quality of the ore and the prospects of the voyage to India. After due inquiry, a most favorable rei)ort ^va^ iiiade on both subjects, and it ^as recom- mended not only that a new expedition on a great scale should be fitted out, but a colony established on that remote coast, who might at once be placed in full possession of its treasures, and be on the watch for every opportunity of farther discovery. To brave the winter of the Polar world was a novel and daring enterjtrise ; yet such was then the national sj)irit, that the appointed number of a hundred was quickly filled up. There were foi-ty marinei's, thirty miners, and thirty soldiei-s, in which last number were oddly included, not only gentlemen, but gold-find's, bakers, and carpentei's. Materials wer»^ sent on board the vessels, which, on being put togeth tr, might be converted into a fort or house. The squadron fitted out was the largest that had yet adventured to plough the northern deep. It ct)nsisted of fifteen vessels, furnished by various ports, especially by those of the west, and the rendezvous took place at Harwich on the 27th May. 1578, whence they sailed on the Blst. The captains waited on the queen at GreenAvich, and were personally addressed by her in the most gracious manner ; Frobisher receiving a chain of gold, and the honor of kissing her majesty's hand. It IS no^ jrious that expeditions got up on the great- 68 THE FLEET IN A STOIiM. est scale, and Avitli tlie most ample means, usually prove tlie most uiifoi-tunate. On reaching the open, ing of Froblsher's Strait, the navigators found it frozen over from side to side, and barred, as it were, with successive walls, mountains, and huhNarks. A strong easterly Avind had driven niunerous icebergs upon the coast, and hence the navigation amid these huge moving bodies soon became most perilous. The Dennis, a large vessel, on board of Avhich "was part of the projected house, received such a tremendous blow from a mountain « 'f ice, that it went down instantly, though the other ships, liastening to its aid, succeeded in saving the men. This s])ectacle struck panic into the other creAvs, -who felt that the same fate might next moment be their own. The danijer was much aujmiented when the eu'ie increased to a tempest, and the icy masses, tossing in every direction, struck the vessels furiously. In- vention was now variously at work to find means of safety. Some moored themselves to these floating islands, and being carried al)out along wiHi tliem, escaped tlie outrageous blows which they must other- wise have enc(mntered. Others lield suspended by the side£! of the ship oars, planks, pikes, poles, eveiy- thing by which the violence of the shocks might be broken ; yet the ice, " aided by the surging of the sea and billow," was seen to break in pieces planks three inches thick. Frobisher considers it as redounding highly to the glory of his poor miners and landsmen, wholly unused to such a scene, that the}- faced with heroism the nssendded dangers that besieged them rouAd. " At length, it pleased God with his eyes of mercy to look down from heaven," — a brisk south- west wind dispersed the ice, and gave them an open sea through which to navigate. :i THE EXPEDITION ASTRAY. 69 After a few days spent in repairing the vessels, and stopping lip the leaks, Frobisher bent afresh all his efforts to penetrate inward to the spot where he was to found his colony. After consideraT>le effort, he made his way into a strait, when he discovered that he was sailing between two coasts; but amid the gloomy mists, and the thick snow which fell in this northern midsummer, nothing could be distinctly seen. As, however, clear inten-^als occasionally oc- curred, affording partial glimpses of the land, the surmise arose that this was not the shore along which they had formerly sailed. Frobisher would not listen to a suggestion which would have convicted him of having thrown a^vay much of his time and labor. He still pressed onward. Once the mariners imagined thej'^ saw Mount Warwick, but were soon undeceived. At length, the chief pilot stood up and declared, in hearing of all the crew, that he never saw this coast before. Frobisher still pei-severed, sailing along a country more populous, more A'erdant, and better stocked Avith ] ' ^s, than the one formerly visited. In fact, this was probably the main entrance into Hudson's Bay, by continuing in which he would have made the most impoiiant discoveries. But all his ideas of mineral Avealtli and successful passage were associated with the old strait ; and, on being obliged to own that this was a different one, he turned back to the open sea. In this retreat the fleet was so involved in fogs and violent currents, and so beset with rocks and islands, that the sailoi-s considered it only by a special inter- position of Providence that they Avere brought out in safet}'. ' When they had reached the open sea, and arrived 5 to THE COLONY PROJECT ABANDONED. at tlie mouth of the desired strait, it was almost as difficult to find an entrance. However, Frohisher was constantly on the watch, and wherever there appeared any opening, it is said " he got in at one gap and out at another," till at length he readied his pur- posed haven. Before, however, the crews were com* pletely landed and established, the 9th of August had come, thick snoAvs were falling, and it behooved them to hold a solemn consultation as to the pros- l?ects of the projected colony. There remained of the house only the materials of the south and east sides, a great part of the bread had been spoiled, and there was no adequate provision for a hundred men during a whole year. Renouncing the idea of settlement, Frobisher still asked his captains whether they might not, during the short remaining inter%'al, attempt some discoveiy to throw a redeeming lustre on this luckless voyage ; but, in reply, they urged the advanced season, the symptoms of Avinter already approaching, and the danger of being enclosed in these nan-ow inlets, where they would be in the most imminent danger of perishing ; — in short, that nothing Mas now to be thought of but a speedy return homeward. This was effected, not ^v-ithout the dispersion of the fleet, and considerable damage to some of the vessels. The failure of successive attempts, and esi)ecially of t)iie got up with so much cost, produced its natu- ral effect in England. Tlie glittering stone, which was to have conveited this northern Meta into anoth- er Peru, was never more heard of ; a few careful assays having established its utter insignificance. Frobisher strongly advocated another voyage to the North-west, but Avithout success, and was obliged to SUBSEQUENT LIFE OF FKOBISKER. 71 seek in other climates employment for his daring and active spirit. He accompanied Sir Francis Drake to the West Indies, and commanded one of the largest ships in the armament which opposed the Spanish armada, fighting with such bravery, that he was decorated with the honors of knis^hthood. Beincr aftenvard sent to assist Henry IV. against the League, and employed in the attack of a small fort on the coast of France, he received a wound which proved fatal in November, 1594. The " Meta Incognita " or " unknown land " discov- ered by Frobisher, lies between Hudson's Strait and Frobisher's Strait. Capt. Hall passed the period of his first visit to the north in this vicinity, and found many relics, as he supposes, of the Frobisher expedi- tion. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a man of high character both as a soldier and civilian, hatl been much inter- ested in the voyages of his countrymen, and in 1578 he obtained from Elizabeth a patent confemng sole jurisdiction over a large territory in America, on con- dition that he should plant a colony there within six years. His half-brother, Sir Walter Raleigh was also engaged in the enterprise. In 1583, Sir Humphrey set out with a fleet of five vessels, but one of them put back on account of sick- ness. On reaching St. John's harbor, New Found- land, Sir Humphrey simamoned some Spanish and Portuguese fishermen there, to witness the ceremony of taking possession in the name of the English sov- ereign, an operation which he performed by digging a turf, and setting up a pillar to which the arms of England were affixed. Silver ore, as they supposed, was discovered and taken on board the vessels, one III 72 LOSS OF TIIB " SQUIBEEL." of which was abandoned, while with the remainder Sir Humphrey pursued his voyage along the coast towards the south. On his way, tlie largest remain- ing ship with its ore was Avrecked, and a hu? -^red souls perished. Retiirn was now considered necessarj', and iU the midst of terrible storms and tempests, the prows were turned homeward. Sir Humphrey had chosen to sail in a little tender, called the Squiirel, and when the stoiTu came on he was urged to shift his flag to a larger vessel. But he refused to do so, saying : " I will not desert my little company, with whom I have passed so many storms and penis." The gale increased; lights were burned at night, and the little Squirrel, for a long time, was seen gal- lantly contending with the waves. Once she came 80 near another ship that its officei's could see Sir Humphrey sitting by the mainmast, with a book in his hand, reading. He looked up, and cried cheerily, "We are as near to Heaven by sea as by land." About midnight, all at once, the lights were extin- guished ; and in the morning nothing was seen of the good Sir Humphrey or his little ship. In 1585 the spiiit of discovery was again i-oiii-fd. Merchants of London fitted out two vessels, the Sun- shine and Moonshine, which were placed under the command of John Davis, a determines seaman, en- dowed with much courtesy and good humoV, by which he was likely to render himself acceptable to the mde natives of those inhospitable shores : to promote which laudable purpose, he was provided not only with a supply of the trifling gifts suited to their taste, but with a band of music to cheer and recreate their spirits. iii-ed. Sun- r the n, en- liicli nide umote only taste, their J /*•, /JT-. ,.!•■ . TUE "LAKD op desolation." Davis sailed on the 7tli of June, 1585. On the 19th of July, as the seamen approached the Arctic boundary, they heard, amid a calm sea beset with thick mist, a mighty roaring, as of the waves dashing on a rocky shore. The captain and master pushed off in the boat to examine this supposed beach, l)ut Avere much Burjjrised to find themselves involved amid numerous icebergs, while all this noise had Ijeen caused by the rolling and beating of these masses against each other. Next day they came in view of Greenland, which appeared the inost dreary and desolate ever seen; " deformed, rocky, and mountainous, like a sugar-loaf, standing to our sight above the clouds. It towered above the fog like a white list in the sky, the tops altogether covered with snow, the shore beset with ice, making such irksome noise that it was called the Land of Desolation.^^ After sailing for several days along this dreary shore, Davis pushed out north-westward into the open sea, hoping in " God's mercy to find our desired pas- sage." On the 29th he came in view of a land in 64** north latitude, which was still only Greenland ; but as the wind wjis unfavorable for proceeding westward, the air temi)erate, and the coast fi'ee from ice, he re- solved to go on shore and take a view of the country and people. In the company of two othera, he landed on an island, leaving directions for the rest to follow as soon as they should hear any loud signal. The party mounted the top of a rock, whence they were espied by the natives, who raised a lamentable noise, witli loud outcries like the howlinij: of wolves. Davis and his comrades hereupon struck up a high note, so modulated, that it might at once be alluring to the natives, and might summon his own crew to deeds t6 A QKEENLAND DANCK. • 1! either of courteay or valor. Bui-ton, the muster, and others, hastened, well armed, yet with the bund of music jilaying, and dancing to it with the most invit- ing signs of friendship. In accordunce with this gay simimons, ten canoes hastened from the other islands, and the i)e()ple crowded round the strangers, utteiing in a hollow voice unintelligible sounds. The English continued their friendly salutations, while the other pai-ty still showed jealousy, till at length one of them began jiointing towards the sun and beating his breast. These signs being returned by John Ellis, master of the Moonshine, the natives were induced to aj^proach ; and being presented with caps, stockings, gloves, etc., and continuing to be hailed with music and dancing, their fears gave place to the most cordial amity. Next day there appeared thii-ty-seven canoes, the people from which kindly invited the English on shore, showing eager impatience at their delay. Da. vis manned his boats and went to them ; one of them shook hands with him, and kissed his hand, and the two pai-ties became extremely familiar. The natives parted with every thing, the clothes from off their backs, their buskins of well-dressed leather, their darts, oars, and five canoes, accepting cheeiiully in return whatever their new visitors chose to present. Davis next steered directly across the strait, or ra+her sea, which still bears his own name. On the 6th of August he discovered high land, which he named Mount Ealeigh, being part of Cumberland Island. Here, anchoring in a fine road, the seamen saw three white animals, which seemed to be goats. Desirous of fresh victuals and sport, they pursued them, but discovered instead three monstrous white bears. : VOYAGE WITU THE MKUMAID. 77 Davis, after coaHting al>out for sonio days, again found hininelf at the cajie Avliicli Ik; liml at liist reach- ed on Ills f.roHsing fioni the opiMwite nhore of (ri'een- land. Tills promontory, whicli lie called (Jod's Mercy, he now turixed, when he found himself in ji sound stretching north-westward, twenty or thirty It^agues broad. After ascending it si.xty leagues, he found an island in the mid-channel. Alxmt the end of August, however, l>eing involved in fogs and contraiy \vind8, he del tinined to su8j)end operations for the season and return to England. On one of tlie islands in this sound tlui seamen heard dogs howling, and saw twenty api)roach, of wolf-like ap])earance, but in most j)eaceful guise. Im- press'nl, however, with the idea that oidy animals of prey could be found on these slun-es, they tiled and killed two, round one of' whose necks they found a collar, and soon after discovered the sledge to which he had been yoked. Davis sailed on a second expedition on the 7tli of May "158(5 with his two fonner vessels, and another one called the M- nnaid. On the 29th of June he I'eached the scene of his former visit in Gi'oenland. The natives came out in their canoes at first with shouts and cries; but, recognizing their companions of the former year, they hastened forwai'd, and hung round the vessel with every expression of joy and welcome. Davis, seeing them in such favorable disposi- tions, went a.shore and distnbuted jviesents. The most intimate acquaintance was now begun ; yet tliey never met the strangers anew without crying, *'Ilis for a fresh truce ; but the master came to Davis, remonstrating that one of them Avas " the chief ringleader, a master of mischief," and was \Aie- ment not to let him go. He was made captive, and, a fair wind suddenly spiinging nj), the English set sail, and carried him away, many doleful signs being then exchanged between him and one of his countiy- men ; hoAvever, on being well treated, and presented with a new suit of frieze, his spirits revived, he be- came a i)lea.sant companion, and used occasionally to assist the sailora. i ( n i 80 DAVIS WARNED BT HIS SAILORS. On the l7th of July the mariners descried a land diversified with hills, bays, and capes, and extending farther than the eye could reach ; but a\ luit was their horror on approaching, to find that it Avas only " a most mighty and strange quantity of ice !" It was, in fact, that great barrier known as the Middle Pack. As they coasted along this mighty field, a fog came on, by which the ropes, shrouds, and sails were all fast frozen, — a phenomenon that, on the 24th of July, appeared more than strange. Dismayed by these ob- servations, the seamen considered the passage hope- less, and, in a respectful yet firm tone, Avarned Davis, that by " his ovei'-boldness he might cause, their ■widoA/s and fatherless children to gi\-e him bitter curses." Davis was willing to consider their case ; yet, anxious not to abandon so great an enterprise, he de- termined to leave behind him the IMermaid, and to push on in the Moonshine with the boldest part of his crew. Having found a favorable breeze, he at last, on the 1 st of August, turned the ice, and in lat. GO" 33' reached land ; along which he now coasted south- ward for about ten desrrees, entancjled amonsr a num- ber of islands, and missing, in his progress, the inlets to Hudson's Bay. On the coast of Labrador, five men who landed were beset by the natives, and two of them killed and two wounded. Davis then re- turned to England. . • Through the influence of his friend IMr. Sanderson, Davis sailed on a third expedition with tlie Sunshine, the Elizabeth, and a pinnace, and on the 1 (Uli of June, 1587, ari'ived among his old friends on the coast of Greenland. The natives received him as before with the cry of iliaout and the exhibition of skins, but lost 3 IB; 1 ' . |i TBI LAKO OS D£S0I.AT10I(. VREIOaTED ICEDERO. DESERTION OP TWO SHIPS. 83 no time in the renewal of tlieir former system of thieving. It was now arranged that the two large vessels should remain to fish, while Davis in the pin- nace should stretch out into a hi Ixdr latitude with a view to discovery. In pursuance of this plan lie took his depai-ture, and, continuing to range the coast to the northward, on the 28th he reached a point which he named Sanderson's Hope, in upwards of 72^, still finding a wide open sea to the west and north. Here, the wind having shifted, Davis resolv- ed to hold on a western tack across this sea, and proceeded for forty leagues without sight of land or any other obstruction, when he was arrested by the usual barrier of an immense bank of ice. Tempted by an apparent opening, Davis involved himself in a bay of ice, and was obliged to wait the moment when the sea beating and the sun shining on this mighty mass should eifect its dissolution. At length, on the lOtli of July, he came in view of Mount Raleigh, and at midnight found himself at the mouth of the inlet discovered in the fii'st voy- age, and Avhich has since been called Cumberland Strait. Next day he sailed across its entrance, and in the two following days ascended its northern shore, till he was again involved among numei'ous islands. lie now concluded this strait to be an enclosed gulf, and retreated along the southern shore. He now crossed the mouth of an extensive gulf,' in one part of which his vessel Avas carried along by a violent cur- rent, while in another the water was whirling and roaring us is usual at the meeting of tides. This Avas evidently the grand entrance to Hudson's Bay. Davis now hastened to the point of rendezvous , I! •I \\\ I:! I «4 suBssQuiurr oaileeb of DAvia fixed with the two other vessels ; but, to his deep dis- appointment and just indignation, he found that they had departed. It was not without hesitation that, with his small stock of provisions he ventured to saU for England ; but he arrived safely. Davis bad succeeded in reaching a much higher lati- tude than any former navigator, and, with the excep tion of the banner of ice on one side, had found the sea open, blue, of vast extent, and unfathomable depth. He considered, therefore, that the success of a spirited attempt was almost infallible. But three failures had exhausted all interest in the subject, and the invasion by the Spanish Armada which soon followed, engaged for a season all the energies of the nation. Davis tried in vain to procure means for another Arctic Expedition. He subsequently made several voyages to the East Indies, in the service of the Dutch, and was killed during a fight with Japanese pirates on the coast of Malacca in 1605. l! m I I i •';r.U CHAPTER VI. t ARCTIC VOYAGES OF WEYMOUTH, KNIGHT, AND HUDSON. In 1602, the Muscovy Company and the Levant Company united in new efforts for a North-west route, and sent out George Weymouth with two vessels, the Discovery and Goodspeed, which sailed on the 2d of May. On the 28tli of June, Weymouth came in view of a snow-clad promontory on the American coast. The vessels were tossed to and fro by violent currents and involved in thick fogs, and they came quite near to an iceberg on which some of the crew landed. Hear- ing a great sound like the dashing of waves on the shore, they approached it, and were dismayed to find it " the noise of a great quantity of ice, Avhich was very loathsome to be heard." The mist became so thick, that they could not see two ships' length, and on attempting to take down the sails, they were aston- ished to find them so fast frozen to the risrijinj; that in "this chiefest time of summer they could not be moved." Next day they renewed the attempt ; but it was only by cutting away the ice from the ropes that they could be made to move through the blocks. The following day the fog lay so thick and froze so 85 '11 1 I r ri !■: 86 A COWAKDLY CREW. , i fast, tliat ropes, saili=<, and rigging remained immovaljle. These phenomena produced a disastrous efreet on the minds of the sailors, who began to hohl secret conferences, ending in a conspiracy " to bear uj) the hehn for England." It was ])roposed to seize Wey- mouth, and confine him in his cabin till he gave his consent ; but the captain, receiving notice of this ne- farious design, called the seamen before him, and in presence of Mr. Cartwright the preacher, and ]\Ir. Cobreth the master, called upon them to answer for thus attempting to overthrow a voyage fitted out at such ample cost by the honorable merchants. The men stood finu, and produced a pai)er signed by themselves, in which they justified the proposed step as founded on solid reason, without any tincture of fear or cowardice. They represented, that if they should suffer themselves to be enclosed in an un- known sea, by this dreadful and premature winter, they would not only be in imminent danger of perish- ing, but could not hope to commence their can.'er of discovery next year sooner than IMay ; while by setting sail in due time from England they might easily reach this coast in that month. Weymouth retired to his cabin to deliberate, when he heard it announced that the helm was actually borne up. Hastening on deck, and asking who had done this, he \vas ans^verell, " One and all ; " and he found the combination such as it was impossible to resist, though he took occasion afterward to chastise the ringleaders. The men, how- ever, declai'ed themselves ready to hazard their lives in any discovery which might be attempted to the southward. Descending the coast, Weymouth found himself at the entrance of an inlet, into which he sailed in a FATE OP CAPTAIN KNIGIIT. 87 soutli-west direction, a hundred leagues ; but encount- ering fogs and heavy gales, and finding the season far spent, he deemed it necessary to regain the open sea. This inlet -was in fact the grand entrance of Hudson's Bay. In 55° "Weymouth found a fair land, consisting of islands and " goodly sounds," apparently tlie place where the Moravian settlement of Nain was afterward formed. Soon after, a dreadful hurricane from the west seemed to take up the sea into the air, and drove the ships before it with the utmost impetuosity. Had it been from any other quarter they must have been dashed to pieces on rocks; however they ranged through the open sea, and in the greatest extremity "the Lord delivered us his unworthy servants." They had now an easy navigation to England. No farther attempts were made till IGOG, when East India merchants fitted out a vessel of forty tons under John Knight, who had been employed in the Danish voyages to Greenland. On the 19th of June he had reached the coast of Labi-ador, but the vessel had been so much damaged by collisions Anth ice that it became necessaiy to repair it thorouglily, and for this purpose it wjis hauled ashore in a little cove. On the 2Gth, Knight, with some of his men well armed, went across to the oi)posite coast in a boat, to take a survey of the country. Here the captain Avdth two of his ofiioers, went over a hill, leaving three men in charge of the boat, who Avaited the whole day in anxious expectation of the retiu-n of the jxarty; they then sounded trumpets, fired muskets, and made other sifjnals but -without effect. After waitins^ till eleven at night, they gave up hopes, and returned to the ship with the doleful tidings. The crew were H W II - Ill \ KlH !» ill fiiili I 88 AK ESQUIMAUX ATTACK. struck wltli the deepest dismay at having thus lost their captain and best oflficers, and being themselves left in such deplorable circumstances. The boat was fitted out next morning for search, but could not cross the channel on account of the ice. On the night of the 28th, as the boatswain was keep ing watch in advance of the tents, he suddenly saw rushing through the darkness a great body of men, who, on desciying him, let fly their arrows. He in- stantly fired, and gave the alarm ; but before the crew could start from bed and be mustered, the shallop was filled with fifty savages, who, with loud cries and men- acing gestures, showed themselves prepared for im- mediate attack. The English mustered only eight men and a large dog, and though the rain fell in tor- rents, they determined rather to perish bravely, assail- ing this savage enemy, than to wait their onset. They advanced, therefore, i)lacing the dog foremost. This bold front appalled the savages, asIio leaped into their boats, and made off with all speed ; but they were entangled in the ice, and detained a considerable time, during which the pursuera continued firing, and the savages were heard " crying to each other, very sore." The mariners, placed in this alarming situation, made all the haste they could to fit their shattered bark for again taking the sea. They had first to cut a way for her through the ice ; but they had nothing which could be called a iiidder, and the leaks were so large, that the sailors coidd scarcely enjoy half an hour's relief from the pump. At length they suc- ceeded in reaching the coast of Newfoundland, and found, among the fishing vessels on that station, friends who supplied all their wants. Aft#r twenty IIUDS0N8 VOYAGE TOWAKD THE POLE. 89 (lays spent in repairing their sLip they sailed for home. Captain Henry Hudson, a Londoner, of whose early life veiy little is known, was employed, as he says, "l»y certaine worshipfull merchants of Ijondon, for to discover a passage ])y the North Pole, to Japan and Cliina." With only ten men and his little son, lie sailed in a small vessel on the first of May, 1G07, with instructions to sail, if possible, directly over the Noi*th Pole. This was the first attempt to make this hazardous ti'ip, and the first recorded voyage of this eminent navigator. On the iJJth of June, the ship was involved in thick fog, the shrouds and sails being frozen; but Avhen it cleared next morning, the sailors descried a high and bold headland, on Greenland coast, mostly covered with snow, behind which rose a castellated mountain, named the Mount of God's Mercy. Rain now fell, and the air felt temperate and agreeable. They steered eastAvard to clear this coast ; l)ut, after being for some time enveloped in fogs, again saw land, very high and bold, and without snow even on the top of the loftiest mountains. To this cape, in 73^*, they gave the name of IIold-with-ITope. Hudson now took a noi-th-eastward direction, and on the 27th, faintly perceived, amid fogs and mist. the coast of Spitzbergen, He still pushed northward, till he passed the 79th degree of latitude, where he found the sun continually ten degi'ees above the hori- zon, yet the weather piercingly cold, and the shrouds and sails often frozen. The ice obliged him to steer in various directions ; but embracing every opportu- nity, he pushed on, as appeared to him, to 81^, and saw land still continuously stretching as far as 6 !; ■ ili ll 4^' 90 A MERMAID DISCO VJ«:RKD. !i i: I! i ■It 82®. He retiimecl, coasting along Spit/hergen, some parts of which appeared very agreeable ; ami ou the 15th of September arrived in the Thames. On Hudson's return from Spitsbergen, tlie London merchants still hoping to find a roiite to the Noi-th- east, sent him out on a voyage in that direction. On the 3d of June, 1G08, he passed the North Cape, and pushed on to the north and east till he reached the latitude of 75", when he found himself entangled among ice. He at first endeavored to push through, but failing in this attempt, turned and extricated himself with only "a few rubs." On the 12th of June he experienced a thick fog, and had his shrouds frozen ; but the sky then cleared, and aifoi'ded bright sunshine for the whole day and night. On the 15th, Thomas Hilles and Robert Rayner solemnly a\ erred, that, standing on deck, they had seen a mermaid. This marine maiden is described as having a female back and breast, a very white skin, and long black hair flowing ])ehind ; but on Lor turning round they descried a tail as of a porj[)oi-,e, and speckled like a mackerel. Hudson continued to push on eastward, between the latitudes of H^ and 75". On the 25th, heavy north and north-easterly gales, accompanied with fog and snoAV, obliged him to steer south-easterly ; and this course brought him to the coast of Nova Zend:»la. Here, he concluded that it was fruitless to attempt to hold a more northerly course and resolved to try the old and so often vainly-attempted route of the Waygatz. From this he was diverted by the view of a large sound, which appeared to afford an equally 2:>romising opening. On its shores also were numerous herds Irge Irds VOYAOK IN TinC IIALF-MOON. of walnis, from wliicli he Loped to defray the expense of tlie voyage. Nova Zembla, on the whole, seen under tliis Arctic niidsnninier, i»resented to him somewliat of a gay aspect. lie says, it is "to man's eye a j^leasant land ; much mayne land, -with no snow on it, looking in some places green, and deer feeding thereon." The sound, however, terminated in a large river, and the boats soon came to anchorage in shallo^v water. The ice now came in gi'eat masses from the Bouth, " veiy fearful to look on ;" and though " by the mercy of God and His mighty lielp," Hudson escaped the danger, yet by the 0th of July he M'as "void of hope of a noiih-east passage," and, determining to put his employers to no farther expense, hastened home to England. The " worshipful! merchants," discour- aged by these failures, refused to fit out any more ex- peditions for him. The bold Englishman now sought employment from the Dutch East India Company, and sailed from the Texel under their auspices in a little vessel called the Half-Moon, with a crew of twenty men, on the 25th of March 1009. On the 5th of May he passed the Noi*th Cape, and on the 19th came in \new of Wardhuys. Here he turned his prow and steered across the Atlantic to America. His reasons for so doing are not known ; but it is conjectured that his seamen accustomed to seek India by the tropical route, were alarmed by the fogs, tempests, and floating ice of the north, and that Hudson prefeiTed to seek for a north-western route. On the 2d of July Hudson reached the coast of Newfoundland, and then proceeding south^vard visit- ing several places along the coast, he arrived in Au- gust off Chesapeake Bay, where John Smith at that i ' 11 1 at 1 1 f ! ' 1 it ' 1 i'l lit DISCOTEEY OP THE HUDSON EIVER. time was engaged in founding the first English settle- ment in America. Hudson then sailed northward, and came to anchor in what is now known as the Lower Bay of New York City. After ascending the Hudson River for about a hun- dred and fifty miles, Hudson began to perceive that the track to India was yet undiscovered ; so he turned his prow southward and beat slowly down the stream, having several fights with the natives on the way. On the 4th of October he left New York Bay, and proceeded to England, where he was detained for a while by an order of the English court, who were jealous of the enterprise of the Dutch. Hudson sailed on his last and lamentable voyage on the I7th of iipril, IGIO. His one sliip was pro- visioned for six months, and had been fitted out by eminent Englishmen. On the 11th of May he de- scried the eastern part of Iceland, and ^vas enveloped in a thick south fog — hearing the sea dashing against the coast without seeing it. He was thus obliged to come to anchor ; but, as soon as the weather cleared, lie proceeded westward along the coast till he reached Sno^v Hill (Snaefell,) which rears its aw^ul head above the sea that leads to the frozen shores of Green- land. On their way the navigators sa^v Hecla, the volcano of which was then in acti-\'ity, vomiting tor- rents of fire down its sncm'}' sides, witli smoke ascend- ing to tlie sky — an object not only fearful in itself, l)ut Avhicli struck theiu with alarm as an indication of unfavorable AA'eather. Leaving the Icelandic cojist tliey now sailed west- ward, and, after being deceived by illusory appear- .ances of land, at length saw the white cliffs of Green- land towering behind a mighty wall of ice. A\''ithout *■■- i HUDSON S LAST VOYAGE. 96 I attompting to approach the coast, Hudson sailed to- wards the south-west, and passed what be imagined to be Fi-obishei's Strait, which in fact k)ng continued to be laid down on the coast of Greenland. Hudson now rounded Cape Farewell, and " raised the Desolations," making careful observations of those coasts, which he found not well laid down on the charts. Tlie marin* ers soon began to desciy, floating along, the niigljty islands of ice, — a sight which appalled all but the stoutest hearts. Onward they sailed, however, some- times enjoying a clear and open sea, but often encom- passed by these mighty masses, or by the small and drifting heaps ; and at length they had to steer as it were between two lands of ice. They sometimes moored themselves, on occasions of j)eril, to these ice- liCf^s ; but seeing one of them fall with a tremendous i^ra.sh into the sea, they no longer ti'usted to such a prot'».ction. ! in the 25th of June land appeared to the north, W/» :igain lost sight of, and afterward discovered to iL. P' :th ; 80 that they found themselves at the broad entrance of the channel which has since obtained the name of Hudson's Strait. They were now still more troubled with ice in various forms, particularly that of large islands standing deep in the water, which •were more difficult to avoid fi-om the violent ripples and currents. Thus they were often obliged, especially amid thick fogs, to fasten tlunnselvcs to the largest j.ix([ li.-mest of these masses, upon which they used to go out fi'om time to time to procure the wat(n- melted in llie hollows, which proved to be sweet and good. Amid these vicissitudes many of the sailors l)ecaine fearful and some of thefii sick, and Hudson to encour- age them called them together and showed tliem his V i In f! 96 TROUBLE "WrTH THE SAILOBS. chart, from which it appeared that they had penetrated farther into the straits by a hundred leagues than any former expedition ; he then put it to vote whether they sL ; ' ^ • roceed on or not. This wu. bold experiment, but did not succeed. Some, it is irue, expressed themselves "honestly respecting the good of the action;" others declared they Avould give nine-tenths of all they were worth, so that they were safe at home; othera said tliey did not care where they went, so they were out of the ice. Hudson, vexed and disappointed, brolce up the conference, and determining to follow his own coui-se iwcAe his way onward, having sometimes a wide and clear sea, and being occasionally involved amid moun- tains of ice. Certain rocky islands, in which he found a tolerable harbor, were called " Isles of God's Tilercy ; " but even this refuge was rendered dangerous by hid- den recti ; and the i;jland adjoining to it contained only " plashes of -water and riven rocks,"' and had the appearance of being subject to earthquake. At length they anived at a broad opening, having on each side capes to which Hudson gave the names of the two chief patrons of the voyage, AVolstenholme and jDigges. Landing at the latter and mounting a hill, the men descried some level spots abounding in sorrel and e.curA-y grass — plants mojt salutary in this climate : wliile herds of deer were feeding, and the rocks were covered with unexampled profusion of fowls. Seeing such ample materials both for sport and food, the crew, who had cA'cr showTi the most anxious concern for their own comfort, earnestly besought Hudson to allow them to remain and enjoy themselves for a few daj'S on this agreeable spot ; but he would not consent as DISCOVERY OF IITTDSOII'b BAY, 97 the season for discovery was rapidly passing away. After proceeding a short distance through tlie open- ing, the coasts on each side w«re seen to separate, and he beheld before him an ocean-expanse, to which the eye could discover no termination. It seemed to him, doubtless, a portion of the mighty Pacific, though really Hudson's Bay. Here, however, Hudson's nar- rative closes, without expressing those feelings of pride and exultation which must have filled his mind at this promised f uMllraent of his highest h()])es. The naiTative v^f Pricket, one of Hudson's men, must be the foundation for the remaining history of tlio voyage. The 3d of August had now arrived, a season at which the boldest of northern navicjators luid been ac- customed to think of returning. Little iuoliued to such a course, Hudson contiimed to sail aloii^ the coast on the left, hoping probably before the close of Autumn to reach some cultivated and temperate shore where he might take up his winter-cpiurters. The shores along this bay, though not in a very high lati- tude, are suT)ject to a climate the most rigorous and inclement. Entangled in the gulfs and capes of an unknown coast, struggling with mist and storm, and ill-seconded by a discontented crew, he spent three months without reaching any comfortable haven. It was now the 1st of November, the ice was clos- ing in on all sides, and nothing remained but to meet the cheerless winter which had actually begun. The Bailors ■\vere too late at attempting to erect a wooden house; yet the cold, though severe, does not seem to have reached any perilous height. Tlieir chief alarm Avas respecting provisions, of which they had now only a small remnant left. Hudson took active measures to relieve this want, and offered a reward l!H M r- ' f 99 IN WmTEE QUARTERS. II I' to whoever should kill beast, fish, or bird; and "Providence dealt mercifully," in sending such a supply of Avliite partridges, that in three months they killed a hundred dozen. In the spring these birds disappeared, but were succeeded by flocks of geese, swans, and ducks, not denizens of the spot, but on their iliijht from south to north. When these were gone the air no longer yielded a sujaply, but the sea began to open, and having on the first day taken five hundred fiahes, they were much encouraged ; but their success at fishing did not continue ; and being reduced to great extremity they searched the woods for moss. Hudson n , .v undertook an excursion with a view to open an intercourse with the natives, but they fled, setting fire to the woods behind them. Parley was obtained \vith one, who was loaded with gifts, yet he never returned. Discontents arose as to the distribu- tion of the small remaining portion of bread and cheese, to allay which the captain made a general and equal partition of the whole. This was a bad meas- ure among such a crew, many of whom knew not how *' to govern their share," but greedily devoured it as lone: as it lasted. Hudson liad from the first to stiniggle "svith an un- principled, ill-tempered crew, void of any concern for the ultimate success of the voyage. He had probably hoped, as the season should advance, to push on south- ward and reach next summer the wealthy regions which he was commissioned to search. The sailors, on the contrary, had fixed their desire on "the c«i>e where fowls do breed," the only place where they ex- pected to obtain both present supply and the means of returning to England. Ringleaders were not want- PROGRESS OF THE MUTENT. 99 ing to head tliis growing party of malcontents. At the entrance of the bay the captain had displaced Ivet, the mate, who had shown strong pi'opensities for re- turning, and appointed in his room Bylot, a man of merit, who had always shown zeal in the general cause. He had also changed the boatswain. Among the crew was a wretch named Gi'een, whom Hudson had taken on board and endeavored to reclaim. He was possessed of talents which had made him useful, and even a favorite Avith his supe- rior ; and among other discontents of the crew, it was reckoned one that a veil was thrown over several fla- grant disorders of which he had been guilty. Yet some hot expressions of Hudson so acted on the fierce spirit of this ruffian, that, renouncing every tie of gratitude and all that is sacred among mankind, he became the chief in a conspiracy to seize the vessel and expose the commander to perish. After some days' consultation, the time was fixed for the perpetration of a horrible atrocity. On the 2l8t of June, 1611, Green and Wilson the boatswain, came into Pricket the narrator's cabin, and announced theii" fatal resolution ; adding, that they bore him so much good-will as to wish that he should remain on board. Pricket avers most solemnly, that he exhaust- ed every argument which might induce tliem to desist from their horrid purpose, beseeching thein not to do so foul a thing in the sight of God and man, which would for ever banish them from their native country, their wives, and children. Green Avildly answered, that they had made up their minds to go through with it or die, and that they would rather be hanged at home than starve here. An attempt was then made to negotiate a delay of three, two, or even one day. \i- 100 THE APPROACHINO TEAOEDT. but all without effect. Ivet declarins: that he would justify in England the deed on which they had re- sol v^ed. Pricket according to his own story, then per- suaded them to delay till daylight the accomplishment of their crime. Daybreak approaching, Hudson came out of his cahin, when he was instantly set uj^on by Thomas, Bennet, and Wilson, who seized him and bound his hands behind his back ; and on his eagerly asking what they meant, told hini he should know when he was in the shallop. Ivet then attacked King, the car- penter, known as the commander's most devoted ad- herent. That ])rave feUow, having a sv*'ord, made a formidable resistance, and would have killed his as- BJiilant had not the latter been speedily reinforced. The mutineers then offered to him the choice of con- tinuing in the ship ; but he absolutely refused to be detained other\vise than by force, and immediately followed his mastei* whom the conspirators were al- ready letting down the sides of the vessel. Hudson's son, a boy, was also sent into the boat. The mutineei's then called from their l)eds and drove into the boat, six sick and infirm sailors whose support would have been burdensome. They threw after them the eai-penter's box, with some powder and shot, and cutting loose from the boat sailed away. Hudson and his companions thus abandoned, were never heard of more ; and undoubtedly i:)erished on those remote and desolate shores. As soon as the mutineers had time to reflect, rueful misgivings began to arise. Even Green, who now as- sumed command, admitted that England at this time was no place for them, nor could he contrive any better scheme than to keep the high sea till, by some ADVENTURES OF THE MUTINEEBS. 101 jneans or other, they might procure a pardon. The vessel was now embayed and detained for a fortnight amid fields of ice which extended for miles around it ; and, but for some cockle-grass found on an island the crew must have perished by famine. Disputes ^\ ith respect to the steerage arose between Ivet and Bylot, who alone had any pretensions to skill ; but the latter at length guided them to Cape Digges, the longed-for spot, the breeding place for fowls, clouds of which still continued to darken the air. The i)arty imme- diately landed, si)i'ead themselves among the rocks, and began to shoot. While the boat was on shore they saw seven canoes rowing towards them. The savages came forward beating their breasts, dancing and leaping, with eveiy friendly sign. The utmost intimacy commenced, the parties went backward and forward, shoAved each other their mode of catching fowls, and made mutual presents and exchanges. In short, these appeared the most kind and simple people in the world, and " God so blinded Henry Green," that he vie^ved them with implicit confidence. One day, amid the height of this intimacy. Pricket, sitting in the boat, suddenly saw a native close to him with a knife uplifted and ready to strike. In attempting to arrest the blow his hand Avas cut, and he could not escape three wounds ; after which 'he got hold of the handle of the knife and wrenched it from the assassin, whom he then pierced with his dagger. At the same time a general attack -was made on the English crew dispersed in different quarters. Green and Perse came tumbling down wounded into the boat, which pushed off, while Moter, " seeing this medley," leaped into the sea, 4 -i .'I I ife*! 102 THE EINGLEADER8 KILLED BY NATIVES. il ; I swam out, and, getting hold of the stern was pulled in by Pei-se. The savages then fired arrows at the boat, one of whicli struck Green with such force that lie died on the spot, and his body was thrown into tlie sea At length the party reached the vessel; but IV'ioter and Wilson died that day, and Perse two days after. Thus perished the chief perpetrators of the late dreadful tragedy, visited by Providence with a fate not less terrible than that which they had inflicted on their victims. The crew thus deprived of their best hands were in extreme peiplexity, obliged to ply the ship to and fro across the straits, and unable without the utmost fear and peril to venture on shore ; although it was absolutely necessary for obtaining provisions to cany them to England. They contrived during some anxious and unhappy excursions to collect three hundred birds, which they salted and preserved as the only stock whereupon to attempt the voyage. They suffered during the passage the most dreadful extremities of famine, having only half a fowl a day to each man,- and considering it a luxury to have them fried with candles. ' . * ' ;f Ivet, now the sole survivor of the ringleaders in the late dreadful transaction, sunk under these priva- tions. The last fowl was in the steep-tub and the men were become careless or desperate, when cuddenly it pleased God to give them sight of land, Avhich proved to be the north of Ireland. On going ashore at Berehaven they did not meet with much sympathy or kindness; but by mortgaging their vessel they obtained the means of proceeding to PlymoutL CHAPTER VII. ARCTIC VOYAGES OF BUTTON, BYLOT, BAFFIN, MUNK, JAMES, AND OTHERS. NoTWiTiiSTANDiNO the deplorable issue of Hudson's last voyage, tlie discovery thereby made of a great open sea in the west seemed to justify the most flat- tering hopes of accomplishing a passage, and the next year, 1612, Captain Button was sent out, with By lot and Pricket as guides. He soon made his Avay thi'ough Hudson's Straits, and pushing directly across the great sea which opened to the westward, came in view of an insular ca])e, which afterward proved to be the most southern point of Southampton Island. Nothing else broke the apparent continuity of the ocean, and he cherished sanguine hopes that the first coast he should see would be that of Japan. Sudden- ly the alarm of land was given, Avhen there appeared before him an immense range of Arctic coast, stretch- ing noi-th and south, and barring all farther progress. Button, deejdy disappointed, gave it the name of Hope Checked. Before he had time to look for an opening, the gloom of the northern winter began to gather, and he had to seek quarters for the season, and found them in the same creek and river which afterward became '« I I I ) t ■i I I ! 1 I 104 CAPTAIN GIBBON S ADVENTURE. the principtil settlement of the Hudson's Bay Corn- pan)-. In spite of his best precautions he lost several men through the severity of the cold, and was unable to extricate himself from the ice till the middle of June. He then steered northward, and sought. an opening through the broad bay between the continent and Soutliampton Island, since called Roe's Welcome. Seeing this channel, however, become nanower and narrower till it apparently closed, he gave up the at- tem])t, and after touching at several points of the island just named returned to England. Although Button had been thus baffled by the un- welcome encounter of the western shore of Hudson's Bay, the merchants still considered it by no means ascertained that this coast was so extensive and con- tinuous an to preclude all passage into the ocean be- yond Amei-ica; accordiiTgly they fitted out (in 1(514) two vessels under Captain Gibbons, an officer of repu- tation, pronounced by Button " not short of any man that ever yet he carried to sea." But either his repu. tation went beyond his raej'its or fortune was singu- larly adverse, for never was there a more abortive voyage. He was early entangled in a ba}- on the coast of Labrador, in which he was detained the whole summed, and which was afterward dignified with the appellation of ''Gibbons his Hole." Hav- ing here sustained some damage from the ice, he had no sooner extricated himself than he returned home. The merchant adventurers, «till undismayed, sent out next summer (1615) the Discovery, under By- lot, who was accompanied by William Baffin, a skill- ful i)ilot and the most learned navigator of the age. Baffin had already made two voyages to the Green- land seas, the first in 1613, with six well-armed ships, BAFFIN 8 EARLY V0YAOE3. 105 whose object seems to Lave been to chase away the whaling vessels of other nations. The next year, 1614, he accompanied, as pilot, Kobeit Fotherby, who was sent out with the ship Tlionuisine, to accom- pany the great Greenland fleet of ten ships and two pinnaces. While they were fishing, Fotherby and Baffin were to devote themselves mainly to dis- covery ; bnt their cruise resulted in n(»tliing of int rest. ]3yl«>t and Baffin entered Hudson's Straits, mid havinjj on the 2d of June heard from the noi-th- ern shore a great barking of dogs, landed and found five tents covered with seal-skin, among which were running al)out thirty-five or forty of these ani- mals, of a brinded black color, reseml)ling wolves. They had collars and harness suitable for sledges lined with fish-bone which were standing by. In one of the houses was a bag with little images of men. The navigators soon descried a canoe with twenty individuals, whom they hailed with Greenland words of courteous import, holding up knives and other toys. Friendly salutations were given in return ; but neither party chose to trust themselves within reach of the other. At a little distance, the conflict of opposite currents amid large icebergs caused so fear- ful a grinding that they gave to the adjoining land the name of Mill Island. There they Avonld have been in extreme danger " had not God, ^vllo is strong- er than ice or stream," delivered them. The policy of bylot in this voyage seems to have been to keep close to the noi-thern shore of the sti-ait ; and thus, entering Hudson's Bay at a higher latitude, he hoped to keep clear of those lands which had barred the westerly career of his predecessors. On it Pi im #S I (^ 106 VOYAGE OF BYLOT AND BAFFIN. reacliing, therefore, Hudson's Isles of God's Mercy instead of steering southward to Cape Dudley Digges, lie proceeded directly west, and arrived in the broad exj)anse afterward called the Fox Channel. At length he saw laud, but it was bounded by a cape "ivhich had every appearance of being the most northerly point of America. He called it Cape Com- fort ; though this name it soon appeared was prema- ture, for a single day had not elapsed when "his sudden comfort Avas as soon quailed." Tliey were now on the eastern coast of Southamp- ton Island, whicli spread on eveiy side its almost measureless extent, seeming to preclude every prospect of an opening on either hand. Disappointment, the lateness of the season, and the pressure of the ice, concurred in persuading Bylot that there was nothing to be hoped for here, and determined him to set sail immediately for England ; whither he carried a most unfavura])]e report as to any prospect of penetrating westward in that direction. But the adventurers were not discouraged by this adverse residt. Turning their hopes to a different quarter, next year (1G16) they again fitted out Bylot and Bailin with instructions no longer to attempt the passage by Hudson's Bay, but to enter Davis's Straits, and push due north till they reached lat. SC, if an open sea shoidd allow them to proceed so far ; then, turning to the -westward, to round, if practicable, the extreme point of America, and to bear down upon Japan. FolloAxing the course pointed out, Baffin reached, on the 30th of May, Hope Sanderson, the farthest point of Davis's progress, and soon afterward came to a number of small islands on which they found only JfEMORABLE DISCOVEEIES. 107 'I females, some of very great age. These at fii'st ran and liiecaimed and frozen in amid a beautiful and picturesque scene; but as tiie crew were starting over the ice to attempt to reach the Dutch whaling ships, the ice opened and t\w ships escaped to the south and reacht-d England in September. In 177(), Cajitain Cook sailed from England on his last voyage, anil in 1778 passed u]) Bering's Strait, expecting to ])ioceed along the coeist of America to Baffin's Bay, ^\here a vessel was sent to meet him. CAPTAIN COOK S VOYAGE. 121 But lie was unaMe to j>f netrate further than Icy Cape on account of the ice, and after examining the coasts on both sides of the strait, he went to the Sand\\ ich Islands, where he was killed in an affray with the natives. In 1 789, Alexander Mackenzie reached the mouth of the great river ■which bears his name, and looked out on the Arctic Sea. In a second journey he crossed the Rocky Mountains, and followed Frazer River to its mouth at the Georgian Gulf, opposite Vancouver's Island, where he arrived in July, 1792. V' li Ml iiiii 1 I: I' CHAPTER VIII. THE ARCTIC A\ HALE-FISHERY. il; I! i 'i ! I >l Wl II' I f ^i The Arctic seas are tlie native regions of the true whale, and he never leaves them. Man, ever search- ing for ol)jects of use and profit, early discovered in these huge creatures a variety of substances fitted for the supply of important wants. No sooner, therefore, had the course of discovery opened a way into the seas of the north, than daring fishermen ventured thither and commenced a branch of com- merce which has proved of great importance to the wo)-l(l, but which is more full of adventure and peril, than any other occupation in which man engages for a livelihood. As early as the ninth century, whales were cap- tured on the Norway coast; but they were then valued chiefly for their flesh, which satisfied the hunger and even gratified the tastes of primitive man — wliale's tongues being counted among the luxuries of tlie middle ages. In later years, when civilization rejected the flesh of the whale as an article of food, the oil was needed to supply the winter lamp, and for other ])urposes; while the firm, flexible, elastic bone was found to be peculiarly adapted for various articles of dress, ornament, and common use. The EnLflish were tlie first who pushed whaling 122 EARLY FISHING EXPEDITIONS. 123 operations into the high latitudes of the Arctic seas. The discovery of Spitzbergen, by Barentz, Avas followed by the voyage of Stephen Bennet, who re-discovered Bear Island and named it Cherie Island. A series of voyages for tlie capture of Avalrus ensued, in which Bennet, Jonas Poole, and others took a ]>art ; but the attention of these hardy walrus-hunters was soon attracted to a game more worthy of their steel. The voyages of Hudson led the way to a great and flourishing whaling trade, in which many nations competed for pre-eminence, and v, hich opened one of the most interestiiij^ chapters in the history of En- glish and Dutch commercial enterprise. Henceforth, for more than two centuries, Ihat part of the frontier of the unex})lored region which extends from Spitz- bergen to Greenland, was annually frequented by fleets of whalers. Hudson, on returning from his Polar voj^age, re- ported having seen large numbers of whales along the coast of Spitzbergen; and in 1611, tlie Muscovy Company sent out the " Mary Margaret " with CA-ery- thing then considered requisite for catching whales. Captain Edge, her commander, succeeded in taking one small whale, which yielded twehe tons of oil — the first, he believed, that was ever extracted in the Greenland seas. Soon afterward the Maiy Margaret was wrecked, and her crew in three boats were found at Spitzbergen by Captain Poole, of the Elizabeth, a craft of fifty tons. Poole caught so many walrus on this trip, that their hides caused the destruction of Jiis vessel, for they shifted in the hold and capsized her. Poole and his crew escaj)ed, and were taken home by Captain Marniaduke. ^ Notwithstanding the unfortunate termination of lit 124 THE SPrrZBERGEN WHALING-GROUNDS. L 111: m. I 111 their first whaling venture, the Muscovy Company- sent out two ships under Poole the next season to folloAV up the undertaking. Meantime the Dutch, intent on every form of commercial adventure, had sent vessels to the Greenland seas for the same pur- pose. These the Englishmen considered as inter- lopers; and being the strongest party they com- pelled their rivals to leave. Next year the same company obtained a royal charter, prohibiting all besides themselves to intermeddle in any shape with this valuable branch of industry. To make good this pri\'ilege, the company fitted out an expedition of seven -well-armed ships, under command of William Baffin, who, on reaching the seas round Spitzl)orgen, found tliem filled with shij^s of different nations, Dutch, Fre ich, and Spanish, All were compelled to depait, or ;o fish under the condition of delivering half of the proceeds to the English as the lords of the northern seas. This interference with the whaling vessels of other nations, was denounced as a flagrant example of the tyranny of the new mistress of the ocean ; and the Dutch determined not to submit, but to repel force by force. For this purpose, they sent out fleets so numerous and so well-armed, that for some years thei'e was but sliu'lit interference Avith their rii^-hts. At length, in 1G18, a general encounter took place, which resulted disastrously to the English, for one of their sliips was taken and carried to Amsterdam, The Dutch government, anxious for peace, rewarded the captors but restored the vessel. This led to a com- piomise, and at last to a division of the Spitzl)ei'gen whaling-gronnds among the nations whose sliips had been accustomed to resort there. There was plenty ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN EDGE. 125 of room for all ; but business did not prove profitaT)le to the English owners; the gains of their fishery- were absorbed by losses ; and, eventually, for many years, scarcely an English ship sailed northward. But durino; the time that English mariners were in the ascendant in the Spitzbergen waters, fi-om the voyage of stout Henry Hudson in 1607 to about 1022, they did excellent geographical work, Greenland was the name applied in those days to the Spitzber- gen Archipelago. In 1613 and 1014 they dis- cov^ered Hope Island, and other islands to the south- eastward of Spitzbergen. In 1610 Captain Edge, one of the leading spii'its in the early whaling enterprises, sent a pinnace to the eastward, to exjdore E * \\ :>' f' i; 1 . ' » ■''■ '' ■ 1 ; 3 1 ' 1 - ■ ' ■( ■■■■ '■^.:' 1 'i 1 3. Ui 188 YANKEE WHALEMEN. •« ' v^ from any other country, and from an early period. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the business was a very lucrative one; and several flourishing towns were built up thereby. At the commencement of the Revolutionary War, Massachusetts alone had nearly two hundred vessels engaged in the northern seas, l)e8ides many in the southern. The great Eng- lish Statesman, Burke, in 1774 paid the following tribute to Yankee enterprise : — " Look at the manner in which the New England people carry on the whale-fishery. While we follow them among the tumbling mountains of ice and behold them penetrating into the deepest frozen recesses of Hudson's Bay and Davis Strait ; Avhile we are looking for them beneath the Arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced into the opposite region of polar cold ; that they are at the antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpent of the South. Falk- land Island, which seenu i too remote and too roman- tic an object for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage and resting-place for their victorious industry. Nor is the equinoctial heat more discc.ur- aging to them than the accumulated winter of bof,h the Poles. We learn that while some of them draw the line or strike the harpoon on the coast of Africa, others run the longitude and pursue their gigantic game along the coast of Brazil," The war put a temporary stop to the whaling bus- iness of the United States, but it was renewed with energy as soon as peace was declared, and again broken up by the war of 1812. Its recovery was, however, rapid. In 1844, the American ^hnling fleet comprised six hundred and fifty vessels, manned by over seventeen thousand men. while the English THE DUNDEE WHALING STEAMEKS. 139 fleet at the same date numbered only eighty-five ves- sels. In 1849, the American whaling fleet was nearly as large as in 1844. The Northern Pacific, extend- ing from the coast of America to Kamchatka, was at that time the great harvest field of American whalers, and Bering Strait, and the Arctic Ocean to which it leads have since been visited by intrepid Americaa whalemen. Owing to the scarcity of whales, the use of gas, and the discovery of petroleum, the whaling business of the United States has dwindled down to very small proportions compared with what it once was. Dangers, disasters, and sufferings are, however, still incident to the profession. In 1871, the North-^vest whaling fleet was shut in by the ice, and many of the ships had to be abandoned. Quite recently three New Bedford whalers have been lost in Hudson's Bay, and another which has just returned A\'as impris- oned thirteen months amid the desolations of Repulse Bay. Although never wholly abandoned, the whaling trade of Great Britain fluctuated for many years ; until it was found that an Indian fibre, when manip- ulated with whale oil, could be manufactured into a great variety of useful fabrics.. The extension t»f the manufacture of jute in Dundee, Scotland, CiUised the revival of the whale-fishery in Bafiin's Bay. A mil- lion bales of jute are now annually imported into Dundee, ecjual to one hundred and forty-three thou- sano tons ; and the bulk of the whale oil is required by the jute manufacturers of Dundee and the neigh- l)orhood. Tims the port of Dundee has now become the centre of the English whale-fishing trade ; and car- goes of oil fi om the Arctic regions may bo seen dis- I k mU i\ M 140 RESCUE Oil" THE POLARIS CREW. charging alongside of cargoes of jute from Calcutta, both being essential to the prosperity of the port. Of late years steam has made a great change in naviga- tion, and the steam whalers are not exposed to the same risks and detentions as fall to the lot of sailing shij^s. The first steam whaler sailed from Dundee in 1858, and now a whaling fleet of ten steamers leaves every spring for Baffin's Bay and returns in the fall. Each carries eight whale boats, manned by nearly the whole crew of sixty men ; for few remain on the ship Avhen the cry of " There she spouts ! " is heard. It was a steamer of this line, the Ravenscraig, which rescued the crew of the wrecked Polaris, and the party were carried to Dundee in two others, the Intrepid and the Arctic. The latter steamer had, dur- ing her trip, penetrated into the Gulf of Boothia. a t ( V'l CHAPTER X. CRUISE OF THE ISABELLA AND ALEX- ANDER. (jOim BOSS — PARRY.) The Northern seas, as a theatre of adventure,. had been unoccupied for haK a century, and the grand question in which England had taken so deep an in- terest was still open. For several years preceding 1818, vast masses of ice had floated down from the regions of Baffin's Bay, and an unusual opportunity of discovering a North-west passage to the Pacific Ocean, seemed to present itself. In that year the English government fitted out two expeditions ; oue to search for the North-west passage, the other to attempt a voyage across tlie Pole. The first consisted of the Isabella of 385 tons, commanded by Captain John Ross, an officer of reputation and experience, who had twice wintei'ed in the Baltic, had been em[)loyed in surveying tlie AVhite Sea, and been as far north as Bear Island ; and the Alexander of 252 tons, oommanded by Lieutenant AVm. E. Parry, afterwards famous as an Arctic explorer. On the 18th of April the vessels left tlu^ Thames, and on the 27th of May came in view of Cape Fare- well, round which as usual were floating numerous and lofty icebergs of the most varied fonns and tints. 141 ('A ■ ! 142 A DANISU BEAUTY. ■u i; > ( i i On tlie 14tli of June tliey readied tlie Whale Islands, where they were informed by the governor of the Danish settlement, that the past winter had been un- commonly severe — the neighboring bays and straits having been all frozen two months earlier than usual — and that some of the channels northward of his station were still bound in with ice. On the 17th of June, an impenetrable barrier of ice stopping their course, they fastened to an iceberg hav- ing foity-five whale-ships in comj)any. At length the ice attached to the eastern shore broke up, though still forming a continuous rampart at some distance to the westward, but in the intermediate space they were enabled to move forward slowly along the coast, laboring through narrow and intricate channels amid mountains and loose fragments of ice near the Danish settlement. Their detention had not lacked amuse- ment ; the half-caste sons and daughters of Danes and Esquimaux danced Scotch reels with the sailors on the deck of the Isabella ; Jack Saccheous, a native of Greenland, Avho accompanied the expedition as inter- preter, was master of ceremonies. A daughter of the Danish resident, about eighteen years of age, and by far the best looking of the grouji, was the object of Jack's particular attentions ; which being observed by one of the officers, he gave him a lady's sha\vl, ornamented vnth spangles, as an offering for her acceptance. He presented it to the damsel, who bashfully took a pewter ring from her finger and presented it to him in return. Proceeding along a high mountainous coast, the expedition came to a tribe of Esquimaux who seem- ed to exist in a state of the deepest seclusion. They had never before seen men belonging to the civilized 1 •- hM I i world, ( first sni; sliowed as was a tlie mere cies. Yt tcnwards long kni^ caiitly at IIavan< from the the inter] should CO his hand. at length and l)loo(j joined. *; number o masters in Ross aji Avard. TI to retreat ; to pull the accepted. seeing thei ishment ; moments ii ceeded by The shi] They begai hy interroo l^ii'd, sprea reason. O most solem . ' 1 A SECLUDED RACE. 145 world, or of a race different from tlu'lr own. Tlie first small ])arty whom the nuvigatorn a2)pi'()aelied showed every sign of the deepest ahu-m ; dieading, as was afterward understood, a fatal inihience from the mere touch of these beings of an unknown spe- cies. Yet they seem to have felt a secret attraction towards the strangers, and advanced, holding fast the long knives lodged in theii* boots, and looking signifi' cantly at each other. Having come to a chasm which separated them from the English, they made earnest signs that only the interpreter, who bore a resemblance to themselves, should come across. He went forward and offered his hand. They shrunk back for some time in alarm ; at length the boldest touched it, and finding it flesh and blood set up a loud shout, which tlu'ee others joined. The rest of the party then came up, to the nund)er of eight, with fifty dogs which helped their masters in raising a tremendous clamor. Ross a)id Parry now thought it tim6 to come for- Avard. This movement excited alarm and a tendency to retreat ; but Saccheous having taught these officers to pull their noses, this sign of amity was gi'aciously accepted. A mirror was now held up to them, and on seeing their faces in it they showed the greatest aston- ishment ; they looked around on each other a few moments in sileix^'e, thon set up a general shout, suc- ceeded by a loud laugh of delight and surprise. The ship was the next object of their si)eculation. They began by endeavoring to ascertain its nature l)y interrogating it, for they conceived it to be a huge bird, spreading its vast wings and endowed with reason. One of them, pulling his nose with the ut- most solemnity, bejjan an address : f IMAGE EVALUATION I EST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I hi. |28 1 2.5 22 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1'-* ^ 6" — ^ Pnotographic Sciences Corpordtion 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 .<'"^-'* «o 146 ESQUIMAUX IDEAS OF A SHIP. '. " Who are you ? Whence come you ? Is it fi-om the sun or the moon ?" The ship remaining silent, they at length applied to Saccheous, who assured them that it wjis a frame of timber, the work of liuman art. To them, however, who had never seen any wood but slight twigs and stunted heath, its immense planks and masts Avere ob- jects of amazement. What animal, they also asked, could furnish those enormous skiiis which wei*e 8i)read for the sails. Their admiration was soon followed by a desire to possess some of the objects which met their eyes, but with little discrimination as to the means of effecting their end. They attempted firet a spai-e topmast, then an anchor; and these ju-oving too ponderous, one of them ti-ied the smith's anvil ; but finding it fixed, made off with the large hammer. Another wonder for them was to see the sailors mounting to the toj)ma8t • nor was it without much hesitation tliat th\ y ventured their own feet in the shrouds. A little teirier dog appeared to them a contemptible object, wholly unfit for drawing bunlens or being yoked in a sledge, while the gi'unt of a hog filled them with alarm. These Esquimaux had a king who ruled neemiu'fly with gentle sway ; for they described him as strong, very goml and very much beloved. The discovered did not visit the court of this Arctic potentate ; but they understood that he drew a tribute, consisting of train- oil, sealskins, and the bone of the unicorn. Like other Greenlanders, they had sledges drawn by large and powerful teams of dogs. They rejec^ted with hor- ror biscuit, sweetmeats and spirits; train-oil, as it streamed from the seal and the unicorn, alone grati- fied their palate. Captain Ross, swayed by national pplied OAPK I8AUF.LLA •■AI'K ALKXAMlIK TH£ ARCTIC HIOHLAin>SBS. 149 impressions, gave to this tribe the name of Arctic Highlanders. In the northern part of this coast the navigators observed a remarkable phenomenon, — a range of cliffs, the snowy covering of which had ex- changed its native white for a tint of dark crimson. The latest ob? jrvations have established its vegetable oriorm. Having now passed Cape Dudley Digges, Captain Ross found himself among those spacious sounds which Baffin had named but so imperfectly described. He seems, however, to have followed the same hasty method. He sailed past Wolstenholme and Whale Sounds without even approaching their entrance, concluding them to be blocked up with ice, and to af- ford no hope of a passage. Eoss next came to Smith's Sound, which Baffin had described as the most spa- cious and pi-oraising of the whole circuit of these coasts. It was viewed with greater attention ; but believed to be completely enclosed by land. The two capes at its entrance were named after the ships Isabella and Alexander. He then came to a spacious bay, which had hitherto been unknown and unobserved, and afterward to that which Baffin had called Jones's S(mnd ; but in respect to both was led to a prompt and unfavorable conclusion. On the 30th of August, the expedition came to a most magnificent inlet, bordered by lofty mountains of peculiar grandeur, while the water being clear and free from ice, presented so tempting an appearance that it was impossible to refrain from entering. This channel, which soon proved to be the Lancaster Sound of Baffin, was ascended for thirty miles ; during which run, officers and men crowded the topmast filled with enthusiastic hope, and judging that it af- n :f ■ i 4\ 160 SIGNAL OF EETUBN. I forded mucli fairer hopes of success than any of those so hastily passed. Captain Ross however, and those whom he consulted, never showed any sanguine ex- pectations. He soon thought that he discovered a high ridge stretching directly across the inlet ; and though a gi'eat part of it was deeply involved in mist, yet a passage in this direction was jiidged to be hoj)e- less. The sea being open, the ship proceeded ; but an officer came down from the crow's nest, stating that he had seen the land stretching veiy nearly across the entire bay. Hereupon it is said, all hopes were re- nounced even by the most sanguine, and Captain Ross sailed onward merely for the purj)ose of making some magnetical observations. At three o'clock, the sky having cleared, the com mander himself went on deck, when he states that h". distinctly saw across the bottom of the bay a chain of mountains continuous and connected with those which foi-med its opposite shores. The weather then becom- ing unsettled, he made the signal to steer the vessels out of Lancaster Sound. Lieutenant Parry, however, declares that to him, in the Isabella, this signal a\> peared altogether mysterious, beincr himself full of the most sanguine expectations, and seeing no ground for this abrupt retreat ; but his duty t)bliged him to follow. • '}|k On regaining the entrance of this great channel. Captain Ross continued to steer south\vard along the western shore of Baffin's Bay and Davis's Strait, with- out seeing any entrance which afforded equal promise, and returned home early in October. >*- Ross arrived in England imder decided conviction that Baffin's observations had been perfectly correct, and that Lancaster Sound was a bay. „j tint inw. ij.«Tjut' ■i'X •ijn; CHAPTER XI. CRUISE OF THE IIECLA AND GRIPER. (parry and liddon.) It being detemiined that a new expedition should he fitted out and intnisted to Lieutenant Parry, that lie might fulfill, if possible, his own sanguine hopes and those of his employers, he Avas furnished Avith the IIe(!la of 'i75 tons, and a crew of fifty-eight men; and Avith the Griper gun-brig of 180 tons and thirty- six men, conunanded by Lieutenant Liddon. These ships Avere made as strong and lus Avell-fitted as possi- ble for the navigation of the Arctic seas ; and Avere storeil Avith ample pro\isions for two yeai-s, a copious supply of antiscoibutics, and eA'ery thing Avhich could enable the creAvs to endure the extreme rigoi-s of a I\)lar Avinter. Lieutenant Parry, destined to outstrip all his prede- cessora in the career of Arctic discoAery, left the Nore on the nth of May, 1S19, and on the ISth of June came in vieAV of the lofty cliffs of Cai)e FareAvell. On the 1 Sth tlie ships fii"st fell in with icebergs, and made an effort to j)us]i through the icy masses in the direc- tion of Lancaster Sound ; but these suddenly closed upon him, and on the 25th the two ships Avere imnioAe- ably beset ; Ijut on the second day the ice was loosened and driven against them Avith much A'iolence. 151 I i; •I ■ I I 152 ENTERING LANCASTER SOUND. Resigning the idea of reaching Lancaster Sound by the most direct route, the explorere coasted northward along the border of this great icy field in search of open water, and proceeded, till they reached lati- tude 75''. As ever}' step was now likely to cany them farther from their destination, Pany determined upon a desperate push to the westwaid ; and ])y sawing and warping, finally penetrated the icy barrier and saw the western shore clear of ice extending be- fore them. The navigators now bore directly down upon Lan- caster Sound, and on the 80th of July ft)und them- selves at its entrance. Tliey felt an extraordinary emotion as they recognized this magnificent channel, with the lofty cliffs by whicii it was guarded, aware that a very short time would decide the fate of their grand undertaking. They were tantalized, however, by a iiesh breeze coming directly down the sound, which suffered them to make only veiy slow progress. There was no appenrance, of any obstructions either from ice or land, and even the heavy swell which came down the inlet, driving the water repeatedly in at the stem-windows, was hailed as an indication of open sea to the westwai-d. On the i3d of August an easterly breeze sprung up, carrying both vessels rapidly forward. A croA\d of sail was set, and they pushed triumphantly to the westward. Their minds were filled with anxious hope and suspense. The mast-heads were crowded w ith officers and men, and the successive reports brought down from the topmast pinnacle were eagerly listened to. They passed various headlands with several wide openings towards the north and south, but tliese it was not their present object to explore. The wind, HOPES AND DISAPPOIKTMENTg. 163 freshening more and more canied tliem liappily for- ward, till at niidniglit tliey found tliemselvi's a liun* dred and fifty miles from the mouth of th« grand in- let, Avhieh still retained a breadth of fifty miles. The success of the expedition they hoi)ed yvaa now to a great extent decided. The ships pnweeded on and found two other inlets, then a bold cai)e named Fellfoot, forming ai)parently the termination of this long line of coast. The length- ened swell which still rolled in from the north and west, with the oceiinic color of the AvatiTs, ins])ired .^'e lioj)e that they had already passed the region of straits and inlets, and were now Avafted along the wide ex2)anse of the Polar basin. Nothing, it waa supposed, would now obstruct their progress to Icy Cape, the western boundary of America. An alarm of land was given, but it proved to be only from an island of no great extent ; more land waa soon discovere i:aunkd. 155 Wellington. The sea up tliis inlet being jKu-fectly open he would have aseendetl it, luul there not been before hiiii an (»])en channel leading due west. A favorable breeze now Hpnnig up, and tlie adven- turers passed gayly and triumphantly along the shores of Cornwallis Island and twyed the most odd expedients for ascertaining the ])recise point. Pushing westward thn)ugh many obstacles they at length reached the coast of an island larger than any before discovered, to which they gave the name of Melville. Tlic wind now failed, and they slowly moved forward by towing and warping, till, on the 4th of September, Parry announced to his joyful crew, that, having reached the longitude of 110'' W., they had become entitled to the reward of iJnOOO prom- ised by Parliament to the first crew who should attain that meri 150 Tin: NORTH oEonaiAX tiikatue. filled. Oa the 2()th, tlie ships were anchored at about u luhle's length from the l)each, and soon frozen in. The commander, finding liimnelf and Inn sliipH .shut in forah>ng an' Tilt: IIKCXA AMI UUIl-UU U'- I k5 1 y '! tl m^ rXURY S dill's IN WIXTKK (JfAKTKRS. •\V1XTEK AMUSEMENTS. 159 vented tliem from bidding a formal farewell Amid vai'ious occupations and amuaements the shortest day came on almost unexjiected, and the seamen then watched with pleasure the midday twilight gradually strengthening. On the 3d of February the siui was again seen from the maintop of the Ilecla. Tlirough the greatest depth of the Polar niglit, the officei's, dur- ing the brief twilight, had taken a regular walk of t^^■o or three houi*s, although never longer than a mile lest they should be overtaken by snow-drift. There Avas a want of objects to divei-sify this walk. A dreary monotonous surface of dazzling white cover- ed land and sea: the view oi the ships, the smoke as- cending from them, and the sound of human voices, which through the calm and cold air was carried to an extraordinary distance, alone gave any animation to this wintry scene. The officers, however, pei"severed in their daily walk, and exercise was also enforced upon the men, who, even when prevented by the weather from leav- ing the vessel, were made to run round the deck, keeping time to the tune of an organ. This move- ment they did not at first entirely relish ; but no ])iea against it being admitted, they converted it at last into matter of frolic. By these means health was maintained on board the ships to a hurprising degree, although several of the crew had symptoms of scurvy as early as January. Further on in the season other cases of scurvy oc- curred, Avhich were aggravated by an accident. As the men were taking their musical peraml)ulation round the deck, a house erected on shore and contain- ing a number of the most valuable instruments was seen to be on fire. The crew instantly ran, pulled off 1 160 FIRE! FIRE! tlie roof with ropes, knocked down a part of the sides, and being thus enabled to throw in large quantities of snow succeeded in subduing the flames. But their faces now presented a curious spectacle ; every nose and cheek was white with frost-bites, and had to be rubbed with snow to restore circulation. No less than sixteen were added to the sick-list in conse- quence of this fire. The animal tribes disappeared early in the winter from this frozen region, and there remained only a pack of wolves, which serenaded the ship nightly, not venturing to attack, but contriving to avoid being captured. A beautiful white fox was caught and made a pet of. On the 16th of March the North Georgian theatre was closed with an appropriate address, and the gene- ral attention was now turned to the means of extrica- tion from the ice. By the 17th of May the seamen had so far cut the ice from around the ships as to allow them to float ; but in the sea it was still immova- ble. This interval of inaction was employed by Cap- tain Parry in an excursion across Melville Island. The ground was still mostly covered with softened snow, and even the cleared tracts were extremely desolate, though checkered by intervals of fine verdure. Deer were seen traversing the plains in considerable num- bers. To the north appeared another island to which was given the name of Sabine. ' By the middle of June pools were every where formed ; the dissolved water flowed in streams and even in torrents, which rendered hunting and travel- ing unsafe. There were also channels of water in which boats could pass ; yet throughout June and July the great covering of ice in the surrounding sea A BREAK-UP. 161 remaitiecl entire, and kept the ships in harbor. On the 2d of August, however, the whole mass broke up and floated out; and the explorers had now open water in which to prosecute their discovery. On the 4th of August they reached the same spot where their progress had been fonnerly arrested. On the loth they were enabled to make a certtiin pro- gress; after which the frozen surface of the ocean assumed a more compact and impenetrable aspect than had ever before been witnessed The officers ascended some of the lofty heights w^ich bordered the coast; but in a long reach of sea to the Avestward no boundary was seen to these icy barriers. There appeared only the western extremity of IMelville Island, named Cape Dnndas ; and in the distance a bold high coast, which they named Banks Land. As even a brisk easterly gale did not produce the slightest movement in this frozen surface, they were led to believe that on the other side there must be a large barrier of land, by which it was held in a fixed state. On considering all circumstances, there ap- peared no alternative but to make their Avay home- ward while yet the seas >n permitted. Lancaster Sound was left behind on the 1st of September. Passing down the west shore of Raftin's Bay, they stopped at Clyde's River, where they re- cei\eelonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, and one hi'inging out settlei-s f(U' Lord Selkirk's colony. These last, who were chiefly Dutch find Geiiuans, were seen waltzing on deck often for hours together and were oidy driven in by a severe fall of snow. Although almost in despaii-, they recre- ated themselves from time to time by matrimonial arrangements, in which they were so diligent, that it is said there was scarcely a ball which did not end in a marriage. • 163 ^ i: f, ; !^ U: f i i. 1 : T i if l-'i: 164 THE SAVAGE-ISLANDERS. One tlay, when near the Savage Islanils a loud shouting was heard, and soon after a number of natives were seen paddling their canoes through tlie lanes of open water, or drawing them over the pieces of ice. Among a great number of kayaks were five ooniiaks, or women's boats. Presently a wild and noisy scene of frolic and traffic began. The natives traded ^vith eagerness, even stripping themselves of the furs which formed their clothing, and raised shouts of triumph when they obtained in exchange for them a nail, a saw, or a razor. Their aspect was wild and their character seemed fierce and savage. Some of the ancient dames were pronounced to be most hideous objects. The children Avere rather pretty; though, from being thrown carelessly into the bottom of the boats, they had nnich the appearance of young wild animals. Besides traflic. the natives indulired in a great deal of rude frolic; one of them got behind a sailor, shouted loudly in one ear and gave him a hearty box on the other, which was hailed Avith a general laugh. They also carried on a dance, consist- ing chief.}' of violent leaping and stamping, though in tolerable time. After reaching Southampton Island, Parry sailed Tip Fox's Channel and passing ai'ound the north of the island came to Repulse Bay, where he ascertained that it was as Middleton had described it, without a western outlet. Its shores were far from uninviting: the surrounding land arose a thousand feet, and veg- etation was very luxuriant. The remains of sixty Esquimaiix habitations were found, consisting of stones laid one over the other, in circles, tight or nine feet in diameter; besides about a hundred artificial struct- ures, fire-places, store-houses, and other walled tuilos- TIlLEVmO NATIVES. 1G5 ures four or five feefc high, used for keeping their skin canoes from being gnawed by the dogs. Leaving Repulse Bay and sailing eastward, the explorers soon found themselves among numerous islands which formed a complete labyrinth of various shapes and sizes, while strong currents setting between them in various directions, amid fogs and drifting ice, rendered the navigation truly perilous. The Furj- was assailed by successive masses rushing out from an inlet ; her anchor was dragged along the rocks with a grinding noise, and on being drawn uj), the two flukes were found to be broken oif. A channel was at last found, by which the mariners made tlieir way through this perilous maze, and found themselves in Fox's Channel, which they liad left a montli before. Starting northward again they discovered several inlets, one of which they named after Captain Lyon. A j>arty of Esquimaux were encountered, \\hoso timid- ity was overcome by the hope of obtaining some iron tools. In the course of this transaction, the cuiiosity of the crew was roused by tlie conduct of .a Avoman, who had sold one boot, but obstinately retained the other in disregard of the strongest remonsti-anoes as to the ridiculous figure she made. At length suspi- cion rose to such a pitch, that, setting aside all court- esy, they seized hei" and pulled off the boot, in which was fo.:nd two spoons and a pewter plate ^vhich she had stolen. Tlie end of September now approached, and Parry found himself suddenly in the depth of winter; soft or pancake ice began to form and ra})i move from place to place, were found to have an extensive knowl- edge of the seas and coasts. One woman, named Iligliuk, called by her people " the wise woman," was, after a little instruction, enabled to convey to the strangers the outlines of her geographical knowledge in the form of a rude map. Captain Lyon, in the middle of March, undertook a journey across a piece of land lying south of the ships, which had been named Winter Island. The party were scarcely gone when they encountered a heavy AN EXCURSION. gale, bringing with it clouds of drifted snow and in- tense cold. They dug a cave in the snow, and by hudrs, the smallest of which, called the Hanging Iceberg, was two hundred 181 ^i \ ii.( 'I I 182 AN AVALANCHE. feet above the water on the slope of a mountain. So easily were large fragments of ice detached from these glaciers that silence became necessary. The firing of a gun rarely failed to be followed l)y an avalanche, and t\vo of tlei e witnessed by Beechy were on the most magnificent scale. An immense piece slid from a mountain into the bay, where it disappeared, and nothing was seen but a violent commotion of the wa- ter and clouds of spray. On re-appearing it raised its head a hundred feet above the surface with water pouring down from all parts of it. When it became stationary it was measured and estimated to weigh 421,660 tons. The avalanche in falling into the water, made such a commotion that the Dorothea, which was anchored four miles distant, was careened over and had to be set right by releasing the tackles. '■ • . ^ ' The ex])lorers left this locality on the 7th of June, and sailing northward passed tlie north-western bound- ary of Spitzbergen. Beyond Red Bay they were stop- ped by the ice and remained imbedded in a floe for thirteen days, and afterward took shelter in Fair Haven. On the 6th of July the explorers again sailed north, but soon after encountered ice through which were channels of water. As the wind Avas favorable one of them was entered, but at evening it closed up and all attempts to get f artlier were in vain, as they Avere con- tinually drifted south with the ice. The highest lati- tude reached Avas 80^ 34 '. Having given this route a fair trial Buchan started toward the Greenland coast. While sailing along the edge of the ice a sudden gale arose, and to escape wreck the ships steered straight toward the pack, sur- So A DANGKnorS POSITION". 183 rounded by immense pieces of ice. It was doubtful what the result would be wlieii the ships reached the solid ice, but the crew preserved the greatest calmness and resolution. Beechy says: — "I will not conceal the pride I felt in witnessing the bold and decisive tone in which the orders were issued by tlie comnuinder of our little vessel (Franklin), and the promj)titude and steadiness with which they were executed by the crew. Each person instinctively secured his own hold and, with his eyes fixed upon the masts, awaitetl in breathless anxiety the moment of concussion. It soon arrived ; the brig, cutting her way through the light ice, came in violent contact with the main body. In an instant we all lost our footing, the masts bent with the impetus, and the cracking timbers from below be- spoke a pressure which was calculated to awaken our serious apprehensions. The ship's motion was so great that the bell, which in the heaviest gale of wind had never struck of itself, now tolled so continually that it was ordered to be muffled for the purpose of escaping the unpleasant associations it was calculated to produce." For a few hours the explorers remained fast in this trying position ; then the gale ceased, and the pack broke up sufficiently to release the ships Avliich were greatly damaged — the Dorothea being in a foundenng condition. Tliey made their way to Fair Haven, and after partially repairing the ships sailed for home where they arrived in October. This -svas Franklin's first Arctic voyage. Mr CHAPTER XIV. FRANKLIXVS LAND EXPEDITIONS TO THE SIIOllES OF THE POLAR SEA. lo The English Government having detenu! net! upon sending an Ex]>('dition from the shores of Hudson's Bay by hind, to exjdore tlie nortliem coast of Aniericu from the mouth of the Coppermine lliver to tlie east- Avard, Lieut. John Fr.inklin was apj)oiuted its com- mander, and, with Surgeon Jolin Kichaidscm and Midshii)men George Back and Rol)ert Hood, all of tlie Royal Navy, emhai'ked on Sunday the 'J.'Ul of May ISll), at (Jravsend, England, on board the ship Prince oi ^'jS" vies, l)elonging to the Hudson's Bay Coni])any. T!ie ship arrived at its destination, Yoik Fjictory, on ^ho western shores of Hudson's Bay, Aug. ;5()th, hav- ing narrowly escaped total wreck — being carried on to the rocky coast of Labrador in a dense fog, from which position she was extricated in a leaky cctndition. At this time a violent competition for the fur trade existed between the North-west and the Hudson's Bay Companies, Avhich finally led to the extinction of the first named. The officers and emjdoyes of both companies were directed by the Government to ren- der the exT)lorers every aid needed. Governor Wil- liams of the II. B. Co. received them at ^'ork Factory, and they were soon fitted out with a 8uital)le l)oat, and a crew nuide up mostly from the shi])'8 company. On 184 I>C mANKLIN'S FIRST LAND EXTEriTIOlT. 185 tlie 9th of September, they hegan tlieir journey >>y way of the rivers and hikes, to the moutli of tlie Copper- mine River, distant over fifteen Inindred miles, on the shores of tlie Polar ^^ea. They were soon afterwards overtaken Ity hoats of the Company. A portion of the following history of their travels is given in the %,'ords of Franklin and his companions. " We embarked at noon, and were honored with a salute of eight guns and three cheei-s from the Gov- ernor and all the inmates of the fort, assembled to A\itness our departure. We gratefully returned their cheers, and then made sail, much delighted at having now commenced our voyage into the interior of America. The wind and tide failing us at the dis- tance of six miles aljove the Factory, and the current l)eing too rajiid for using oars to advantage, the crew had to commence tracking, or dragging the boat by a line, to which they were harnessed. This operation is extremely laborious in these rivers. At sunset we landed, and ])itche(l the tent for the night, having made a jn'ogress of twelve miles. A hu'ge fire was quickly kindled, supper speedily i)repared, and as readily des])atched, Avhen we retired Avith our biiffalo robes on, and enjoyed a night of souTid rejiose. " On the morning of the isth, the country wasclothed in the livery of Avinter, a heavy fall of snow having taken jdace during the night. It is not easy for any hut an eye-witness tx) form an adeipiate idea of the ex- ertions of the Oi'kney boatmen in the navigation of this river. The necessity they were under of fre- (piently jumping into the water, to lift the boats over the rocks, compels them to remain tlie whole day in wet clothes, at a season when the temjierature is far below the freezing point. The immense loads too, 188 PERILS OF RIVER NAVIGATION. which they cany over the portages, is not more a mat- ter of surprise than the alacrity with which they per- foifm these laborious duties. " On the 22(1, our route led us amongst many wooded islands, which lying in long vistas, produced scenes of much beauty. In the course of the day we crossed the Upper Portage, surmounted the Devil's Landing Place, and urged the boats with poles through Groundwater Creek. At the upper end of this creek, our bowman having given the boat too broad a sheer, to avoid the rock, it was caught on the broadside by the cur- rent, and, in defiance of our utmost exertions, hurried down the rapid. Fortunately, however, it grounded against a rock high enough ' > prevent the current from oversetting it, and the crews of the other boats having come to our assistance, we succeeded, after several trials, in thro^dng a rope to tbem, with which they dragged our almost sinking vessel stern foremost up the stream, and rescued us from our perilous situ- ation. " The Painted Stone is a low rock, ten or twelve yards across, remarka})le for the marshy streams which arise on each side of it, taking different courses. On the one side, the water-course Avhich we have nav- igated from York Factory commences. On the other side of the stone the Eeliemamls arises. Having launched the boats over the rock, we commenced the descent of that river, and reached the mouth of the Saskatchawan at midnight, October 9th. "On the morning of tlie 20th we came to a party of Indians, encamped behind the bank of the river, on the borders of a small marshy lake. Here we were gratified with the view of a ^'eiy large tent ; itj cover- ing was moose deer leather, with apertu:"es for the ea- FRANKLm's FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 187 cape of the smoke from the fires which were placed at each end ; a ledge of wood was placed on the ground on both sides of the whole length of the tent, within which were the sleeping places, an-anged probably ac- cording to families ; and the drums and other instru- ments of enchantment were piled up in the centre. Governor Williams gave a dram and a piece of tobacco to each of the males of the party." The travelers reached Cumberland House, a trading post (originally built by Hearne) October 2 2d, and as winter was setting in, making travel by water imprac- ticable, made a long halt there. " After the 20th December the weather became cold, the thermometer constantly below zero. Christmas- day was particularly stormy ; but the gale did not prevent the full enjoyment of the festivities which are annually given at the Cumberland House on this day. All the men who had been despatched to different parts in search of provision or furs returned to the fort on ihe occasion, and "were regaled with a substantial dinner and a dance in the evening. "Tlie new year 1820 was ushered in by repeated dis' charges of musketry ; a ceremony vhich has been ob- served by the men of both the trading Companies for many years. Our i)arty dined Avith Mr. Connolly, and were regaled witli a beaver, which we found extreme- ly delicate. In the evening his men were entertained with a dance, in which the Canadians exhil)ited some grace and much agility ; and tliey contrived to infuse some portion of their activity and spirits into the steps of tlieir female companions. The half-breed women are passionately fond of this amusement." On the 18th of January, Franklin, Back, and John Hepburn, a seaman, set out on snow shoes for a journey 188 A winter's journey. to Fort Chipewyan, eight hundred and fifty-seven miles to the north. They were provided with two carioles and two sledcreb, with th^ir drivers and dogs. Being accompanied by Mr. Mackeni:ie, of tlie Hud- son's Bay Company, who Avaa g'>ii)j.' +<> hh aha Crosse, witli four sledges under his chaif,<\ n ;. formed quite a procession, Id^eping in an Indi u filc^ in the track of the man who preceded the foremost dogs. The travelers rested occasionally at th(i trading posts which lay on their route. At Carlton House they were visited by the Stone Indians, who lived in that section and were famous for stealing eveiy tiling they could find, particularly horses, -which they maintained Avere common proj)erty sent by the Al- mighty for the general use of man. They ke])t in amity Avith their neighT)ors the Crees, from iiioti>'es oi interest ; and the two tribes united in determirr*! hos- tility against the nations dwelling to the " , t>.s( »■ 'xrd. wliioli were generally calh^d Slave Indian; — . v,?,."<.iof reproach aj)plicd by the Crees to those trioe,- -vMHi.st whom they liave waged successful wars. While at Carlton House, Franklin went six miles to visit a Cree encani})iiient. The chief's tent had been arranged for the occasion, fresh grass was sjiread on the ground, and buffalo robes were placed oi)j)osite the door to sH on ; and a kettle was on the fire to cook meat. The chief, an old man, welcome<; 'lim with a hearty shake of the hand and the custon i aUitatlon of "Wliat cheer?" " After a few luinutes' conversation, an invitation "was given tc the cliict ;v>.d his hunters to smoke tlie calumet with u>, iis a tolo.; of our friendship; this was loudly anno>nic*;d tlirougli the camp, and ten men from tlie other tents immediately joined our party. r^ 'Hi m m 1! i I U ?< i FRA>'KLI2i's FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 189 On their entrance the women and children, whose pres- ence on such occasions is contrary to etiquette, withdrew. The calumet having been prepared and lighted by Mr. Pruden's clerk, was presented to the chief, who, on receiving it, peiformed the following ceremony before he commenced smoking : — He first pointed the stem to the south, then to the west, north, and east, and af- terwards to the heavens, the earth, and the fire, as an oifering to the presiding spirits; — he took three whiffs only, and then passed the pipe to his next companion, who took the same number of whiffs, and so did each person as it Avent round." The Crees catch buffalo by dri\dng them into a large enclosure or pound ; they also hunt them on horseback ; and when the creatures are very shy they craA\'l towards them disguised in the skins of the wolf — an animal with which the buffalo are familiar, and, when in herds, not afraid of. At their departure from one trading post the trav- elers were much amused by a salute of musketiy fired by half-breed women — the men being all absent. At another place a dance was given in their honor. On the 2Gth of March they reached Fort Chipewyan, and there halted for their companions who were to come on with the boats after navigation opened. Dr. llicliurdson, who with Mr. Hood passed the winter at Cumberland House, gives an interesting account of his residence there, and of the Ci-ee Indians, who M'ere frequent visitors at the fort : — "Tlie winter proved extremely seve'-s to the Indians. Those Avho Avere able came to the fort and received relief ; })nt many who had retired with their families to distant corners, to pursue tlxeir winter hunts, expe- rienced all the horrora of famine. One evening a poor 1,^ >li jP m- 1 ^ m f ; v ■ i ^; !■ 1 i'. ^' :■ H i: In ^ m '' ^ ; ,- 1 D 1 ^ 190 TESTING A conjurer's SKILL, Indian entered the North-west Company's House, car- rying his only child in his amis, and followed by his starving wife. They had been hunting apai-t from the other bands, had been unsuccessful, and whilst in want were seized with the epidemical disease. They had walked several days without eating, yet exerting themselves far beyond their strength that they might save the life of the infant. It died almost within sight of the house. Mr. Connolly, who Avas then in charge of the post, received them with the utmost humanity, and instantly placed food before them ; but no lano-uacje can describe the manner in Avhich the miserable father dashed the morsel from his lips and deplored the loss of his child. IMisery may harden a disposition naturally bad, but it never fails to soften the heart of a good man. " Every Cree fears the medical or conjuring powers of his neighl)or ; but at the same time exalts his own attainments to the skies. *I am God-like' is a com- mon expression amongst them, and tliey prove tlieir divinitysLip by eating live coals, and by various tricks of a similar nature. A medicine bag is an indispensa- ble part of a hunter's equipment, and is, when in the hands of a noted conjurer, such an object of terror to the rest of the tribe, that its possessor is enabled to fatten at his ease upon the lal)ors of his deluded countrymen. "A fellow of this description came to Cuml»erland House in the winter of 181i>. Tlie mighty conjuror, immediately on his arrival at tlie liouse, ])egan to trumpet off hi.s powers, boasting, among other things, that although his hands and feet were tied as securely as possible, yet, when placed in a conjuring-house, he would speedily disengage himself by the aid of two HtTNTINO ON SNOW SHOES. "'Vgr'vssr IllSOriSKI) IILNTKHS. ! ,■ )', IS' I. 'I rfllrt '"""^r or tin call, his ej gi'eat "A usual grour of si: and p then our V liymr respei tition rount remai contii taker and a had 1: of th rount unde] "Goc tared eter s contii half J hadf when prese Hams fkaitklin's first laot) expedition. 191 or three familiar spirits, who were attendant on his call. He was instantly taken at his word, and that his exertions might not he without an aim, a ca2)ot or gi'eat coat was promised as the reward of his success. "A conjuring-house having been erected in the usual form, that is, by sticking four willows in the ground, and tying their tops to a hoop at the height of six or eight feet, he was fettered completely, and placed in its narrow compartment. A moose skin then being thrown over the frame, secluded him from our view. He forthwith began to chant a kind of hymn in a verj' monotonous tone. " The rest of the Indians, who seemed in some doubt respecting the powers of a devil when put in compe- tition with those of a white man, ranged themselves round, and watched the result with anxiety. Nothing remarkable occurred for a long time. The conjurer continued his song at intervals, and it was occasionally taken up by those without. In this manner an hour and a half elapsed ; but at length our attention, which had begun to flag, was roused by the violent shaking of the conjuring-house. It was instantly whispered round the circle, that at least one devil had crept under the moose-skin. But it proved to be only the " God-like man " trembling with cold. He had en- tered the lists, stripped to the skin, and the thermom- eter stood very low that evening. His attempts were continued, however, with considerable resolution for half an hour longer, when he reluctantly gave in. He had found no difficulty in slipping through the noose when it was formed by his countr^mien ; but, in the present instance the knot was tied by Governor Wil- liams, who is an expert sailor. " These Indians, however capable they are of behav- 192 INDIAN CUSTOMS. ing kindly, affect in their discourse to despise the softer sex, and on solemn occasions will not suffer them to eat before them, or even come into their presence. In this they are countenanced by the white residents, most of whom have Indian or half-l)reed wives, but seem afraid of treating them with the ten- derness or attention due to eveiy fenialr, lest they should themselves be despised by the Indians. " Both sexes are fond or, and very indulgent to their children. The father never punishes them, and if the mother, more hasty in her temper, sometimes bestows a blow or two on a troublesome child, her heart is instantly softened by the roar which follows, and she mingles her tears with those that streak the snioky face of her darling. Tattooing is almost universal. " A Cree places great reliance on his drum, and I cannot adduce a stronger instance than that of the poor man who is mentioned in a preceding page, as having lost his only child by famine, almost within sight of the fort. Notwithstanding his exhausted state, he had an enormous drum tied to his back. " It was not very uncommon amongst the Canadian voyagers for one woman to be common to, and main- tained at the joint expense of two men; nor for a voyager to sell his wife, either for a season or alto- gether, for a sum of money, proportioned to her beauty and good qualities, but always inferior to the price of a team of dogs. " The chiefs among the Chipewyans are now totally without power. The traders, however, endeavor to support their authority by continuing towards them the accustomed marks of respect, hoisting the flag, and firing a salute of musketry on their entering the ^rt. . i ! / rnANKLIN S FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 193 n 1 " The Northern Indians evince no little vanity, by assuming to 'themselves the comprehensive title of "The Peo])le," while they designate all other nations hy the njime of their particular country. They sup- pose that they originally sprang from a dog ; and, ahoutfive years ago, a superstitious fanatic so strongly pressed ii])on their minds the impropriety of emj)loy- ing these animals, to which they were related, for purposes of labor, that they universally resolved against using them any more, and, strange as it may seem, de- stroyed them. • They now have to drag everything themselves on sledges. "This tri])e, since its present intimate connection with the traders, has discontinued its war excur.-ions against the Esquimaux, but they still speak of that nation in terms of the most inveterate hatred." On the 13tli of July, Richardson and Hood ari'ived at Fort Chipewyan with two canoes, and were warmly greeted by Franklin and Back, who Avere waiting for them. Final arrangements were now made for the voyage northward ; on the 18th of July the pai'ty set out, and arrived at Fort T>rovidence, north of the Great Slave Lake, on the ^"'lu if July. Here the travelers were visited by an Indian chief named Akaitcho, who, Avith some of his men as hunt- ers and guides, was to accompany the expedition. " As Ave Avere informed that external a])pearances made lasting impressions upon the Indians, Ave ])re- pared f(jr the intervieAV by decorating ourselves in uni- form, and suspending a medal round each of our necks. Our tents had been previously pitched, and over one of them a silken union flag Avas hoisted. Soon after noon, on July 30th, several Indian canoes Avere seen advancing in a regular line, and on their a})proach. 194 INTERVIEW M'lTn AKAITCIIO. the chief was discovered in the headnioat, which was paddled by two men. On landing at* the fort, the chief assumed a veiy grave aspect, and walked up to Mr. Wentzel with a measured and dignified step, looking neither to the light nor to the left, at the persons wlio had as.seml)led on the beach to witness his debarkation, but preserving the same immovability of countenance until he reached the hall, and was in- troduced to the officers. When h had smoked his pipe, drank a small portion of spi md water him- self, and issued a glass to each of L. .uipanions, who had seated themselves on the floor, he commenced his harangue, l)y mentiouing the circumstances that led to his agreeing to accompany the expedition, an en- gagement which he was quite prepared to fulfill. " Akaitcho and the guides having cominunicated all the information they possessed on the different points to which our questions had been directed, I placed my medal round the neck of the chief, and the officers presented theirs to an elder brother of his and the two guides. Being confeiTed in the presence of all the huntei-s, their acquisition was highly gi-atifyiug to them, but they studiously avoided any great ex]>res- sion of joy, because such an exposure would have been unbecoming the dignity which the senior Indians assume during a conference. ' ■ ' " We presented to the chief, the two guides, and the seven hunters, who had engaged to accompany us, some cloth, blankets, tobacco, knives, daggei-s, besides other useful iron materials, and a gun to each ; also a keg of veiy Aveak spirits and water, which they kept until the evening, as they had to try their guns before dark, and make the necessary preparations for com- mencing the journey on the following day. The In- FRANKLINS FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 195 (lians, however, did not leave us on the next day, as the chief was desirous of ])eing present, witli his paiiy, at the dance, which was given in tlie evening to our Canadian voyagers. They Avere highly entertained hy the vivacity and agility displayed by our companions in their singing and dancing : and especially by their imitating the gestures of a Canadian, wlio placed him- self in the most ludicrous postures ; and, whenever this was done, the gravity of the chief gave Avay to violent bursts of laughter. In return for the gratifi- cation Akaitcho had enjoyed, he desired his }oung men to exhibit the Dog-llib Indian dance." Franklin and his three companions, with Frederic Wentzel of the North-west Co., John Hepburn, sev- enteen Canadian voyagers, and three Indian interpre- ters, left Fort Providence on the 2d of August, in three canoes. Tliere was also a smaller canoe to con- vey the wives of three of the voyagers, and their three children, in company with a fleet of Indian canoes they paddled up the Yellow Knife Kiver, toward a country which had never been visited by Europeans. " Akaitcho caused himself to be paddled by his slave, a young man, of the Dog-llib nation, whom he had taken by force from his friends ; when he thought himself, however, out of reach of our observation, he laid aside a good deal of his state, and assisted in the labor ; and after a few day's further acquaintance with us, he did not hesitate to j)addle in oiu' presence, or even carry his canoe on the portages." The party met with some hardships, were at times short of proAnsions, and some of the voyagers showed a spirit of insubordination which Franklin promptly quelled by threats of severest punishment. On the 20th of August they halted on the bank of 196 TTTR "WINTER AT FORT ENTERPRISE. Winter Lake, and built Fort Enterprise, where they passed the winter; its distance from Fort Chipe^vyau was 533 miles. Franklin was anxious to push on to the sea that fall, but Avas forced to relinquish the idea from the refusal of Akaitcho to go with him owing to scarcity of game on the route. On the ISth of October, Mr. Back and Mr. Went- zel, set out for Fort Providence, accompanied by two voyagers, Beaubarlant and Belanger, and two Indians, with their wives. " On the 23d of November, Belanger returned alone; he had walked constantly for the last six-and-thirty hours, leaving his Indian companions encamped at the last woods, they being imwilling to accompany him across the barren grounds during the storm that had prevailed for several days, and blew with unusual vio- lence on the morning of his arrival. His locks were matted with snow, and he was incrusted with ice from head to foot, so that we scarcely recognized him when he burst in upon us. We Avelcomed him Avith the usual shake of the hand, but were imable to give him the glass of rum which every voyager receives on his arrival at a trading post." Ou the 20th of October, Akaitcho, with his party came into camp, owing to the deer having gone south; and on the 5th of Nov"ml)er, fishing liad to be relin- quished. As so large a number of peoj)le could not be provided for at the place, the Indians left again on the 10 th of December. • ; '• Kcskarrali the guide, with his wife and daughter remained behind. The daughter whom we designa- ted Green-Stockings from her dn!ss, is considered by her tribe to be a great beauty. Mr. Hood drew an ac- FRANICLIN 8 FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 197 curate portrait of her, although her mother "vras averse to her sitting for it. She Avas afraid, she said, that her daiigliter's likeness would induce the great eliief who resided in England to send for the original. The youTig lady, hoAvever, was undeterred hy any such fear. She has already been an object of contest be- tween her countrymen, and although under sixteen years of age, has belonged successively to two hus- l)ands, and woidd probably have been the 'wife of many more, if her mother had not required hei- ser- vices as a nurse." Of their winter residence at this place i'ranklin says:— " The Sabbath was always a day of rest with us ; the woodmen were required to provide for the exigen- cies of that day on Saturday, and the party "svere dressed in their best attire. Divine service • was reg- uliuly performed, and the Canadians attended, and l)ehaved with great decorum, although they were all llonuin Catholics, and l)ut little acquainted ^with the language in ^vhich the prayers Avere read. " Our diet consisted almost entirely of the reindce:- meat, varied twice a week by fish, and occasionally 1 y a little flour, but we ha Es(piimaux intcqireters Avho had l)een en- gaged. Their >]nglish names Avere Augustus and ii^ m 198 KECEPTION OF A CHIEF. Junius. The former spoke English. Parties also ar- rived from time to time bringing on the stores which had heen left at Fort Providence. " On the 17th of March, Mr. Back returned from Foil; Chipewyan, having traveled since he started out more tli?m one thousand miles on foot, with no shel- ter at night excepting a blanket and deer skin, and often without food. The Indians had sometimes given him a fish or bird which they caught, with the remark, " we are accustomed to starvation, and you are not." " On the 21st of April, all our men returned from the Indians, and Akaitcho was on his way to the fort. In the afternoon two of his young men arrived to an- nounce his visit, and to request that he might be re- ceived with a salute and other marks of respect that he had been accustomed to on visiting Fort Providence in the Spring. I complied with his desire although I regretted the expenditure of ammunition, and sent the young men away with the customary present of powder to enable him to return the salute, some to- bacco, vermilion to paint their faces, a . comb, and a lookinfj-cclass. " At eleven Akaitcho arrived ; upon the first notice of his appearance the flag Avas hoisted at the fort, and upon his nearer approach, a number of muskets were fired by a party of our j)eople, and returned by his young men. Akaitcho prece'led by his standard- bearer, led the party, and advanced with a slow and solemn step to the door wliere Mr. Wentzel and I re- ceived him. The faces of tlie party were daubed with vermilion, the old men having a spot on the riglit cheek, the young ones on the left. Akaitcho himself was not painted. On entering he sat down on a chest, the rest placing themselves in a circle on the floor. FRANKLIN 8 FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 199 Tlie pipe was passed once or twice round, and in the meantime a bowl of spirits and water, and a present considerable for our circumstances, of cloth, blankets, capots, shirts, ifec, was placed on the floor for the chiefs acceptance, and distribution amongst his peo- ple. Akaitcho then commenced his speech, but I re- gret to say, that it was very discouraging, and indi- cated that he had parted with his good humor, at least since his March visit." On the 4th of June, a part of the company under Richardson, started northward; some dragged stores on sledgBs, and others earned them on their backs. Another j)arty started June 14th, with canoes dragged hy men and dogs. On th*' 21 st, the whole expedition, with Akaitcho and som« '' his hunters, was encamp- ed at Point Lake. The lii^iian familif's and the rest of the tribe had gone off to a largf^ ..ike to si)enne with the Indian families; Franklin was greatly distressed at this occurrence. Five hunters were now sent ahead to hunt; and on the 2oth of June the journey was resumed, Aknit \o and five other Indians accompanying the tia viers. On the 29th " our attention was directed to some pine l)ranches scattered on the ice, which jn-oved to be marks placed by our hunters, to guide us to the spot wlie v3 they had deposited the carcasses of two snudl (leer. Tliis sui>ply was very seasonable, and the men cheei-fuUy dragged the additional weight." On the 1st of July they embarked on the Copj>er- mine River, which was there two hundred yards wide and ten feet deep, and run very rapidly over a rocky 12 '-I j if<{ I'l; 800 ENCOITNTER WITH ESQUIMAUX. bottom, Tliey now descended the river to a place named by Hearne, the Bloody Falls, in consequence of a dreadful massacre there of Esquimaux by the Chipewyan Indians. As it was a customary resort of Esquimaux, Junius and Augustus were sent forward, armed with concealed pistols, and with beads, looking glasses, etc., to conciliate their countrymen by pres- ents. They fell in with a small party of them, who appeared to be mild, peaceable creatui-es ; but they disappeared in the night. "On the morning of the 16th, just as the crew were putting the canoe in the water, Adam arrived in the utmost consternation, and infonned us that a party of Esquimaux were pursuing the men whom he had sent to collect floats. The orders for embarking were in- stantly countermanded, and we went with a party of men to their rescue. We soon met our people return- ing at a slow pace, and learned that they had come unawares upon the Esquimaux party, which consisted of six men, with their women and children, who were traveling towards the rapid Anth a considerable num- ber of dogs cariying their l^aggage. The women hid themselves on the first alarm, but the men ad- vanced, and stopping at some distance from our men, began to dance in a circle, tossing up their hands in the air and accompanying their motions with much shouting, to siofnify, I conceive, their desire of peace. Our men saluted them by pulling off their hats, and making bow s but neither party was willing to ap- proach the other ; and, at length, the Esquimaux re- tired to tlie hill, from whence they had descended when first seen. " We proceeded in the hope of gaining an interview with them, but lest our appearance in a body should '>%«: m i i t Ill I- r: 9 * 1 I I Li j.i n -'i 1^.: it , u f im li! franklin's first land expedition. 201 ! 'i alarm them, we advanced in a long line, at the head of which was Augustus. We were led to their bag- gage, which they had deserted, by the howling of the dogs ; and on the summit of the hill we found, lying behind a stone, an old man, who was too infirm to ef- fect his escape with the rest. He was much terrified ■when Augustus advanced, and probably expected im- mediate death ; but that the fatal blow might rot be unrevenged, he seized his spear, and made a thrust with it at his supposed enemy. Augustus, however, easily repressed his feeble effort, and soon calmed his fears by presenting him Avith some pieces of iron, and assuring him of his friendly intentions." On the I7th, nine Esquimaux appeared on the bank of the river opposite the encampment, cairying their canoes on their backs, but they fled on seeing the t^nts. Not only were these people alarmed, but the Indians also were so temfied that they insisted on re- turning the next day ; nor could Franklin induce even one hunter to remain with him. The interpreters too were much frightened and requested their discharge ; but it was refused, and they were closely watched to prevent their desertion. The reduced party proceeded, and on the 18th of July reached the Polar Sea. Tlie Canadians were much interested at the first view, although despondent, and Hepburn, the English sailor, was quite elated at beholding again his favorite element. On the 19th, Mr. Wentzel and four discharged Ca- nadians started on their return southward. The party now numbered about twenty, who, in two canoes with fifteen day's provisions, embarked 2l8t July, to navi- gate the sea to the eastward. They proceeded on, along a dreaiy coast, making new 1 ii i': il I 202 THE EETURN JOURNEY COMMENCED discoveries, but meeting no Esquimaux from wliom they had hoped to get provisions, which were rapidly diminishing. A few deer and a bear were caught, and a veiy few fish. On the 30th of July they passed the mouth of a river which they named Hood. On the 5th of Au- gust they reached the mouth of a river which is no^v known as Back, or Great Fish River. On the 15 th of August the canoes were found to be in an unseaworthy condition, and there was only three day's supply of provisions remaining, Avith poor prospects of obtaining more. " It was evident that the time spent in exploring the Arctic and Melville Sounds and Bathurst's Inlet, had precluded the hope of reach- ing Repulse Bay, which at the outset of the voyage we had fondly cherished ; and it was equally obvious that as our distance from any of the trading establish- ments would increase as we proceeded, the hazardous traverse across the barren grounds, which we should have to make, if compelled to abandon the canoes up- on any part of the coast, would becon^e greater." The most eastern land seen was Point Turn-again, distant f rona Coppermine River by the way they came nearly six hundred miles. The return journey was begun on the 2 2d of August, and on the 25th the party encamped on the banks of Hood's River, at the foot of the firat rapids. " Here terminated our voyage on the Arctic sea, during which we had gone over six hundred and fifty geographical miles. Our Canadian voyagei-s could not restrain their expressions of joy at having turned their backs on the sea, and they passed the evening talking over their past adventures with much humor and no little exaggeration. Tlie consid- eration that the most painful, and certainly the most i^fr. FBANKLmS FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 208 hazardous, part of the journey was yet to come, did not depress their spirits at all." , ' At a few miles up Hood's River, it runs for about a mile through a narrow chasm, the walls of which are upward of two hundred feet in height, and quite perpendicular. Through this chasm the river precip- itates itself in two magnificient falls, close to each other. The large canoes not being suited to this river, two smaller ones were constructed out of their mate- rials, to be used when crossing rivers. The construction of the new canoes detained them till the first of September, when it was decided to make a direct line to the part of Point Lake opposite the Springencampment, distant only 149 miles in a straight line from where they were. Having proceeded twelve miles, a snow-storm obliged them to encamp, and on the 3d, the last piece of pemmican and a little arrow- root were distributed for supper. The violence of the stonn continued till the 7th ; and for several days, ha^^ng nothing to eat, and no means of making a fire, they remained whole days in bed, and, with a temperature of 20^*, without fire, the party weak from fasting, their garments and tents frozen stiff and the ground covered with three feet of snow, their condition was very unfit for traveling in such a country. On tiying to proceed, Franklin was seized with a fainting-fit, in consequence of exhaust- ion and sudden exposure to the wind, but on eating a nioi-sel of portable soup he recovered. One of the canoes was broken to pieces, and a fire was made with it to cook the remnant of portable soup and aiTOW- root ; a scanty meal after three days' fasting. The next two days the surface of the barren grounds was covered Avith large stones, bearing a ' in i" iH -s nffl »■ 204 CROSSING A ErVTER. licLen which the Canadians call tripe de roclie or, rock- tripe, a substance to ^vhich the travelers may be said to owe their safety and existence ; without it they must all have died of starvation. An unknown river was crossed on the 9th. The canoe being put into the water was found very leaky, but it was managed with much dexterity by St. Ger- main, Adam, and Peltier, wlio fenied over one pas- senger at a time, causing him to lie flat in its bottom. The next day a musk-ox was shot. To skin and cut up the animal was the work of a few minutes. The contents of its stomach were devoured upon the spot, and the raw intestines, which were next attacked, were pronounced by the most delicate to be excellent. On the 13th several of the party were sick from eating rock-tripe, and it was then discovered that the fishing nets had been thrown away by some one, and that the flt)ats had been burned, thus depriving the party of their chief resource for foe ^. On the morning of the 14th, while the officer were assembled round a small Are, Perrault, one of the voy- agers, presented each of them with a small piece of meat, which he had saved from his allowance. "It Was received," sa}'s Franklin, " ^vith great thankful- ness, and such an act of self-denial and kindness, be- ing totally unexpected in a Canadian voyager, filled our eyes with tears." On the same day, Franklin, St. Germain, and Be- langer, embarked in the canoe to cross the river, and when in the midst of it, the current and a strong breeze drove the canoe to the veiy brink of a tremen- dous rapid. Belanger, unluckily, applied liis paddle to avert the danger of being forced down the rapid ; he lost his balance, and the canoe overset in the midst of the rapid. FRANKLIN 8 FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 205 "We fortunately kept hold of it, until we touched a rock where the water did not reacli higher than our waists; here we ke})t our footing, notwithstanding the strength of the current, until the water was emptied out of the canoe. Belanger then held the canoe steady whilst St. Germain placed me in it, and afterwards embarked himself in a veiy dexterous manner. It was impossible, however, to embark Belanger, as the canoe would have been hurried down the rapid, the moment he should have raised his foot from the rock on which he stood. We were, therefore, compelled to leave him in his perilous situation. We had not gone twenty yards before the canoe, striking on a sud- den rock, went down. The place being shallow, we were again enabled to empty it, and the third attempt brought us to the nliore. "In the mean time Belanger was suffering extreme- ly, immersed to his middle in the centre of a rapid, the upper pait of his body covered with wet clothes, exposed in a temperature not much above zero, to a strong breeze. He called piteously for relief, and St. Germain on his return endeavored to embark him, but in vain. The canoe was hurried down the rapid, and when he landed he was rendered by the cold incapa- ble of further exertion, and Adam attempted to em- bark Belanger, but found it impossible. An attempt was next made +o carry out to him a line, made of the shngs of the men's loads. This also failed, the cur- rent acting so strongly upon it, as to i)revent the canoe from steering, and it was finally broken and carried down the stream. At length, Avlien Belanger's strength seemed almost exhausted, the canoe reached liim with a small cord belonging to one of the nets, and he was dragged perfectly senseless through the rapid. By 1 1!! !1 h ,1 \ 1 1 1 i ■ \ 1 i 1 ' ' » ■ • i -.1 ■ 1 ' '-\ ■ ! :-\ it • T \: 1 i;- : ' ! 206 XXOITINO ADVKNTUUES. the direction of Dr. Richardsun, lie ^va3 instantly stripped, and being rolled up in blanlvetn, two men undressed themselves and went to bed with h'.^w, but it was some hours beiure he recovered his ANannth and sensations. ' • " It is impossible to describe ray sensations as I wit- nessed the various unsuccessful attempirf to relieve Belanger. The distance prevented my seeing dif tinct- ly what was going on, and I continued pacing up and down upon the rock on which I landed, regan^le.ss of the coldness of my drenched and stiffening ''arnents. The canoe, in every attempt to reach him, was Hurried doAvn the rapid, and was lost to the view amongst the rocky islets, with a rapidity that seemed to threaten certain destruction ; once, indeed, I fancied that I saw it overwhelmed in the waves. Such an event would have been fatal to the whole party. Separated as I was from my companions, without gun, ammunition, hatchet, or the means of making a fire, and in wet clothes, my doom would have been speedily sealed. My companions too, driven to the necessity of coast- ing the lake, must have sunk under the fatigue of rounding its innumerable arms and bays, which, as we have learned from the Indians, are very extensive. By the goodness of Providence, however, we were spared at that time, and some of us have been permit- ted to offer up our thanksgivings, in a civilized land, fur the signal deliverances we then and afterward ex- perienced. " On the 20th we got into a hilly country, and the marching became much more laborious. Mr. Hood was particularly weak, and was obliged to relinquish his station of second in the line, which Dr. Richard- son now took, to direct the leading man in keeping n\ franklin's riRST lAND EXT'EPTTTOI». 2or the Jippointed course. I Avas also un;i])le to keep pace with tlie men, who piit forth their utmost s[)ee(l, en- coiirflgod by tlie hope, whieli our rei'lvoning hud led us to form, of Heeing Point Lake in the evening, but we were obligvMl to oncanip without g;iiMiiig a view of it." On tlie 22(1 they came to a hirL-;*^ lake and foHowed its coast southerly. As the Avind wan ntrong it was difficult to cany the canoe over the hills, and it got several falls, and Peltier and Vailhint. \vho w^ere canT- ing it, fnally left it behind. "The anguish this intelligence occasioned may be conceived, but it is be- yond my ]>ower to descnbe it. Inii)i'e.ssed, however, with the necessity of taking it forward, even in the state these men represented it to be, Ave urgently de- sired them to fetch it ; but they declined going, and the strength of the officers was inadecjuate to the task. To their infatuated obstinacy on this occasion, a great portion of the melancholy cii'cumstances which attended our subsequent progi-ess may, perhaps, be at- tributed. The men now seemed l(»st to all lu^pe of being preserved ; 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 eve- ning reached a contracted part of the lake, Avhich per- ceiving to be shallow, we forded and encamped on the o})posite side. Heavy rain began soon afterAvards, and continued all the night. On the following morn- ing the rain had so Avasted the snow, that the tracks of Mr. Back and his companions, Avho had gone before Avith tlie hunters, were traced Avith difficulty; and the frequent showers during the day almost obliterated them. The men became furious at the apprehension of being deserted by the hunters, and some of the Ir I ill: HI J ' ,' on the beneficence of the Snju-eine Being, tenqjcred with resignation to his will, was indefatiga- ble in his exertions to serve us, and daily collected all the tripe de roche that was used in the oificers' mess. " Oct. 4. — The canoe being finished, it was brought to the encanqimeiit, and the whole party being assem- bled in anxious expectation on the beacli, St. Germain FRANKLIN 8 FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 2U embarked, and amidst our prayers for liis success, suc- ceeded in reaching the opposite slior'e. The canoe was then di'awn back again, and another pei"son trans- ported, and in this manner, by drawing it buckv/ards and forwards, tliey were all conveyed over without any serious accident. " That no time might be lost in procuring I'elief, I immediately despatched IVIr. Back with St. Germain, Solomon Beianger, and Beauparlant, to searcli for the Indians, directing him to go to Fort Enterprise, where we expected they would be, or wdiere, at least, a note °rom Mr. Wentzel would be found to direct us in our search for them. If St. Germain should kill any ani- mals on his way, a portion of the meat was to be put up secure y for us, and conspicuous marks placed over it. "It is impossible to imagine a more gratifying change than was produced in our voyagers after we were all safely landed on the southej'u banks of the river. Their spirits immediately r(5vived, each of them shook the officers cordially by the liand, and declared they now considered the worst of their difficulties over, as they did not doubt of reaching Fort Enter- l)rise in a few days, even in their feebk^ condition. "Our advance from the depth of the snow was slow. Mr. Hood, wlio was now very feeble, and Dr. Richardson, wlio attached himself to him, walked together at a gentle pace in tlie rear of tlie jiarty. I kept with the forenwst men, to cause them to halt occasionally, until the stragglers came up. A\^e had a Miiall (luantity of this irlpe ih roclm in the evening, and the rest of our supper was made up of scraps of roasted leather." About this time two of the men, Credit and Vail- P M II! . M \i ■m i!ll i. I ^W Ij 212 SEPABATION OF THE C05IPANY. m^'-i i I lil^ lant, gave out, and were l-eported to be a mile behind, in the snow. Dr. Richardson went back and found Vaillant much exhausted with cold and hunger, but was obliged to leave him. J. B. Belanger then went to his aid and brought on his burden, but could not arouse him, and neither he nor Vaillant were seen afterwards. Junius, too, had left some days before to hunt, and never returned. The men were unable to carry their loads further, and, to relieve them and be in condition to assist any who might give out, Mr. Hood and Dr. Richardson proposed to remain behind. " The weather was mild next morning. We left the encampment at nine, and a little before noon came to a pretty extensive thicket of small willows, near Avhich there appeared a supply of t?-ipe ds rocJie on the face of the rocks. At this place Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood determined to remain, mth John Hei»burn, who volunteer'ed to stop with them. The tent was securely pitched, a few ^villow8 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 officer's Journals. I had only one blanket, which was carried for me, and two pair of shoes. The oft'er was now made for any of the men, who felt themselves too weak to proceed, to re- main 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." This part- ing took place on the 7th of October, at a distance of about twenty-four miles from Foii Enteqirise. "Descending afterwards into a more level country, we found the snow very deep, and the labor of wad- ing through it so fatigued the whole party, that we ment. own rei son's en be obtu the lr()( er hear( the sui'\ was an had a tc The franklin's first land 33XPEDinON. 213 were compelled to encamp, after a march of four miles and a half. Belanger and Michel were left far behind, and when they aiiived at the encampment appeared rpiite exhausted. The former, bursting into tears, declared his inal)ility to proceed with the jjarty, and begged me to let him go back next morning to the tent, and shortly afterwards Michel made the same reipiest. Not being able to find any ^/y};ck-tripe Avere to 1)6 obtained. Only one of them, however, (Michel, the Iroipiois,) anived; the othev three Aveie ne\'- er heard of ; and fortunate indeed would it have been if tlie survivor had perished Avith tlie rest. Fontano Avas an Italian, a faithful man, for Avhom Franklin had a tender regard. The party, noAV reduced to five, Augustus having w ''■ ■' L '; i lilt'' :.. ( f : i ! ft .i li: I \^\ 214 A DESEBTBD FOTST. ! gone ahead, continued tlie journey with no alleviation of their sufferings, excepting the comfort one day of a large fire — the first deserving the name since leaving the coast. Having no rock-tripe they drank some tea and ate some of their shoes for supper. "At length we leached Fort Enterpiise, and to our in- finite disappointment found it a perfectly desolate hab- itation. There was no deposit of provision, no trace of the Indians, no letter from Mr. Wentzel to point out where the Indians might be found. It would be impossil>le for me to describe our sensations after en- tering this miserable abode, and discovering how we had been neglected ; the whole party shed tears, not so much for our own fate, as for that of our fiiends in the rear, whose lives depended entirely on our send- ing immediate relief from this place. " I found a note, however, from Mr. Back, stating that he had readied the house two days ago, and was going in search of the Indians, at a place where St. Gemiain deemed it probable they might be found. If he was unsuccessful, he purposed walking to Fort Providence, and sending succor from thence. " We now looked round for the means of subsistence, and were gratified to find several deer skins, which had been thrown aAvay during our former i-esideiice. The bones were gathered from the heap of ashes ; these with the skins, and the addition of irijje de roclie, we considered would support us tolerably well for a time. We jn-ocured fuel by pulling up the flooring of the other rooms, and Mater for the purpose of cooking by melting the snow. A\liilst we were seated round the fire singeing the deer skin for supj^r, we were rejoiced by the unexpected entrance of Augustiis. He had followed quite a different coui^se from oura. I ill FEANKLIN 8 FIBST LAND EXPEDITION. 215 "In tlie afternoon of tlie 14tli, Belanger arrived with a note from Mr. Back, stating that he had seen no traces of the Indians, and desiring further instructions as to the course he shouhi pursue. Belanger's situa- tion, however, required our first care, as he came in al- most speechless, and covered with ice, having fallen into a rapid, and for the third time since we left the coast, narrowly escaped drowning." Franklin decided to start for Fort Providence, and sent by Belanger directions to Back to meet him at Rainbow Lake ; but one of the men, Adam, became unable to travel, and leavdng Peltier and Samandre behind with him, the other three started off alone. ' " No language that I can use could adequately de- scribe the parting scene. I shall only say there was far more calmness and resignation to the Divine will evinced by every one than could have been expected. 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." ' Franklin was unable to keep up with his compan- ions, and leaving them to go on alone, returned to the limise, "where he found the men much dispirited and failind full of hope. " Early in the nioniing Ilopburn, Michel, and my. self, carried the anuminition, 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 pei-fectly straight Avas incompatible Avith his story of having gone astray on his way to us. lie 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 him when Avith the rest of Mr. Franklin's party, he took leave of him. It will be seen, on a reference to Mr. Franklin's jour- nal, that Perrault earned his gun and ammunition with him when they parted from l^Iichel and Belan- ger. After Ave had made a fire, and drank a little of the countiy tea, Hepburn and I returned to the tent, Avhere Ave arrived in the evening, much exhausted AAdth our joiu'ney. Michel preferred sleejiing Avhere he Avas, and requested us to leaA^e him the hatchet, Avhich Ave did, after he had promised to come early in the morn- ing to assist us in carrying the tent and bedding, Mr. Hood remained in bed all pointed for his (quitting us ; but he showed great unwilling- ness to go out, and lingered about the ti'e, under the pretense of cleaning his gun. After we had r*^ad the morning service, I went about noon to gather some tri^e de roelie, leaving Mr. Hood sitting before the tent at the fireside, arguing Avith MicheJ ; IIep}>uru wiis emplo}'ed cutting down a tree at a short distance from the tent, being desirous of accumulating a (juan- tity of fire- wood before he left us. A short time after I went out, I heard the report of a gun, and about ten miuutes afterwards Hepburn called to me in a voice of great alami, to come directly. When I arrived, I found ptH)r Hood lying lifeless at the fireside, a ball having a})parently entered his forehead. I was at first horror-struck Avith the idea, that in a fit of despond- ency he had hurried himself into the jiresence of his iiluiighty Judge, by an act of his own hand ; but the conduct of Michel soon gave rise to other tlioughts, and excited suspicions which were confhined when upon examining the body, I discovered that tlie shot lud entered the back part of the head, and i>assed out at the forehead, and that the nuiz/.le of tlie gun lu-ul been applied so close as to set fire to the night- cap beliind. The gun, which was of the longest kind supplied to the Indians, could not ha\e been pliK-eJ ti ;Bi:i 224 DR, RICHARDSON S NARRATIVE. m in a position to inflict such a wound, except by a sec- ond person. " Upon inquiring of Michel how it happened, he replied, that jMr. Hood had sent him into the tent for a short gun, and that during his absence the long gun had gone off, ho did not know Avhether by accident or not. He held the short gun in his hand at the time he was speaking to me. Hepbur-> ; fterwarda informed me, that previous to the report c'^ he gun, Mr Hood and Michel %vere speaking to each other in an ek^vated, angiy tone ; that Mr. Hood being seated at the fireside, was hid from him by intervening wil- lows, but that on hearing the report he looked up, and saw Michel rising up fi-om before the tent door, or Just behind Avhere Mr. Hood was seated, and then go- ing into tlie tent. Thinking that the gun had been discli urged 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 committing such an act, kept constantly on his guard, and carefully avoided leaving Hepbiu'n and me to- gether. He was evidently afraid of permitting us to converse in private, and Avhenever He])burn s])oke, he inquired if he accused him of the murder. " We removed the body into a clump of willows behind the tent, and, retui-ning to the fire, read the funeral service in addition to the evening prayers. The loss of a young oflficer, of such distinguislied and varied talents and application, may be felt and duly appreciated by the eminent cliaracters under ^^■llose command he had served ; but the calmness with which nw FRANKLIN 8 FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 225 lie contemplated the probable tennination of a life of uncommon jiromise ; and the patience and fortitude with -svliich he sustained, I may venture to say, unpar- alleled bodily sufferings, con only be knoAvn to the companions of his distresses. Jjioherstetlt^s ScrijAiire Help was lying open beside the body, as if it had fall- en from liis hand^ and it is probal»le that he Avas read- ing it at the instant of his death. " We passed the night in the tent together without rest, every one being on liis guard. " Next day, having determined on going to the Fort, we began to jiatch and prepare our clothes for the journey. We singed the hair oft' a part of the buffalo robe that belonged to Mr. Hood, and boiled and ate it. ]\Iichel tried to persuade me to go to the woods on th(i Coppermine River, and Inint for deer, instead of going to the Fort. In the afternoon a flock of par- tridges coming near the tent, he killed several, which' he s^liared with us. " Thick snowy weather and a head wind prevented us from starting the following day, but on the morn- ing of the 2.'{d -we set out, carrying with us the re- mainder of the singed robe. Hepburn and Michel had each a gun, and I earned a small pistol, which Hepburn had loaded for me. In the course of the march, IMichel alarmed us nuich by his gestures and conduct, was constantly muttering to himself, express- ed an unwillingness to go to the Fort, and tried to persuade m<' to go to llie south wai'd to the woods, where ln' said he could midntain himself all the winter hy killing deer. In consequence of this behavior, and the expression of his eoiinteiumce, I ''equested him to leave us and to go to the southward by himself. This proposal increased his ill-nature, he threw out some !'■! n% i:l \ 'i I'i im\v 226 DE. EICnARDSON 8 NARRATIVE. obscure hints of freeing himself from all restraint on the morrow ; and I overheard him muttering threats against Hepburn, Avhom 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 completely in his power, and he gave vent to several expressions of liatred to-wards the white people, or as he termed us in the idiom of the voyagers, the French, some of whom, he said, had killed and eaten his uncle and two of his relations. " In short, tahing eveiy circumstance of his conduct into consideration, I came to the conclusion, that lie would attempt to destroy us on the first opportunity that offered, and that he had hitherto abstained from doing so from his ignorance of the way to the Fort, but that he ^vould never suffer us to go thither in 'c mpany with him. Hepburn snd 1 were not in a condition to resist even an open attack, nor could we by any device escajve from him. Our imited strength was far inferior to his, and, beside his gun, he was armed with two pistols, an Indian bayonet, and a knife. In the afternoon, coming to a rock on Avliich there was some tr/pc- de rochc, he halted, and said he would gather it whiliL^t we went on, and that he would sooll overtake us. "Hepburn and I Avere now left together for the first time since j\[r. Hood's death, and he ac(piainted me witli several inatorial circumstan(;es Av]ii<'h 1 e had observed of ^Michers beliavior, and wliioli connrmed me in the o])ini()n that there was no safety for us ex- cept in his death, and lie offereil to be the instrument of it. I determined, however, us I was thoroughly convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to FRANKLIN 8 FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 227 take the whole responsibility upon myself ; and imme- diately iipor Michel's coming uji, I jnit an end to his life by shooting him through the head -with a pistol. Had my own life alone been threatened, I would not have purchased it by such a measure ; but I considered myself as intrusted also with the protection of Hep- burn's, a man, who, by his humane attentions and de- votedness, had so endeared himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for his safety than for my oAvn. Michel had gathered no tripe de rochcj and it was evident to us that he had halted for the purpose of putting his gun in order, with the intention of attacking us, per- haps, whilst we "were in the act of encamping. " I have dwelt in the preceding part of the narrative upon many circumstances of Michel's conduct, not for the purpose of aggravating 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 conduct had been good and respectful to the officers, and in a conversa- tion between Captain Franklin, ^Ir, Hood, and myself, at Obstruction Kapid, it had been proposed to give liim a reAvai'd upon our arrival at a ]>ost. His princi- ples, however, unsupported by a belief in the divine truths of Christianity, were luiable to withstand the pressure of severe distress. His countrymen, the Iro- quois, are generally Christians, but he -was totally un- instnicted and ignorant of the duties inculcated by Christianity ; and from his long residence in the Indian countiy, seems to have imbibed, or retained, the rules of conduct which the southern Indians prescribe to tliemsclvcs " On the t\vo following days we liad mild but thick snowy weather, and as the view Avas too limited ("o N i It •'^ p. 1^^ DR. RICHARDSON B NARRATIVE. enable us to j)i'e3erve a straight coui'se, we remained encamped amongst a few willows and dwai-f pines, about five miles from tlie tent. On tlie 2Gth, the weather being clear and extremely cold, we resumed our march, ^vhich was very painful from the de2)th of the snow, jiarticularly 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. "We came in sii^-ht of the fort at dusk on the 29th, and it is impossible to describe our sensations, when on attaining the eminence that overlooks it, we be. held 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, ^ve had the satisfaction of embracing Captain Fraulclin, but no words can con^•e}' an idea of the filth and Avretched- ness that met our eyes on looking around. Our own misery had stolen iipon us by degrees, and we were accustomed to the contemplation of each othei-'s ema- ciated figures, but the ghastly countenances, dilated eye-balls, and sepulchral voices of Mr. Franklin and those with him, -svere more than we could at firat bear." The morning of October 31st was very cold, and matters did not improve at Foi-t Enterprise. At- tempts to kill deer and partiidges were unsuccessful, and Peltier and Samandre grew weaker ; within two da)s lK)th Avere dead. On the 7th of November, the report of a nuisket was heard, and three Indians were seen close to the til f m^?TTf FKANKUN's FIUST land liXI'EMTION. 229 house. Kelief had arrived at last ; Adams was in so weak a state tliat lie coidd hardly comprehend it, but on taking food he rapidly improved. " The Indians had left Akaitcho's encampment on the 5th of November, having been sent by Mr. Back A\ith all possible expedition, after he had arrived at their tents. They brought but a small supply of piovisions, that they might travel quickly. Boudel-kell, the youngest of the Indians, after resting about an hour, returned to Akaitcho with the intelligence of our situation. The two others, " Crooked Foot and the Eat," remain- ed to take care of us. They set about everything with an activity that amazed us." On the 13th, the Indians became despondent at the non-arrival of supplies, and in the evening went off after giving each of the white men a handful of pound- ed meat. On the 15th, Crooked Foot and two other Indians appeared, with two Indian women dragging provisions. On the IGth of November the travelers started to- wards Fort Providence, es^corted by the Indians, Avho treated their charge with the greatest tenderness, jire- paiing their encampment and cooking for them. On the 2r)th they arrived safely at the abode of Akaitcho, and were received by the Indians in his tent with looks of compassion and profound silence of fifteen inhuites duration, whereby they meant to exjjress their condolence. Nothing was said until after the ^\ hite men had tasted food. On (he 8th of December, Franklin and Ilichardson took leave of Akaitcho and started south, conducted by Belanger and a Canadian who had been sent for tlieni \\ith sledges drawn by dogs. The} arrived at Fort Providence on the 11th, and were there visited ;i:ii il^^^ J il\j% m ARRIVAL AT FORT TORK. by Akaitcho and his band, with Adam, who had united with them. In the course of conversation Akaitcho said to Franklin, " I know you Avrite down eveiy oc- currence in your books ; but probably you have only noticed the bad things we have said and done, and omitted to mention the good." Stai'ting southward again, the pai'ty reached Moose- Deer Island on the 17th, where they found Mr. Back, who gave an affecting detail of the proceedings of his party since the separation. His nan-ative is but a continuation of the same kind of suffering by famine and cold. For days they had nothing to eat, and one of his men, Beauparlant, died on the way. On the 2Gth of May, after a five months' residence at Moose-Deer Island, the party started for Fort Chipew- yan, where they met Mr. Wentzel ; liis excuse for fail- ing to keep a supply of provisions at Fort Enterprise was that he could not control the Indians. Franklin, Richardson, and Augustus arrived at Fort York on the 14th of July 1822. And thus termina- ted their long, fatiguing, and disastrous travels in North America, having Journeyed by water and by land (including their navigation of the Polar Sea,) five thousand five hundred and fifty miles. ■n Tr — ^'f)W^ i- ! li I; if ii I ' ' It K < it I 1 i ! ( I ' ; irj Li :|,i|fe til' |! :'l FRANK! In July included li Back, arri^ dition to time the V Great Bea on the we which the ing summ< On the "Lion"fc Back Avit] place calh of Hare I dresses, hi quills, bot meat. Ai tahlishmei pany, i-ece thein at n: Indiana whom the Contini posed to 1 CHAPTER XVI. FRANKLIN'S SECOND LAND EXPEDITION. In July 1825, Captain Franklin and his party, which included his old companions Messrs. Richardson and Back, arrived at Fort Chipe\\^an on his second expe- dition to the northern shores of America. In due time the whole party assembled on the banks of the Great Bear Lake River, which flows out of that lake on the -western side into the Mackenzie River, down which they were to descend to the sea in the follow- ing summer. On the 8th of A.ugiist, Franklin embarked in the "Lion "for a preliminary trip down the Mackenzie. Back with three canoes accompanied him. Near a place called the " Ramparts " they fell in with a party of Ilare Indians all neatly clothed in new leathern dresses, highly ornamented with beads and porcupine quills, both sexes alike, who brought fish, berries and ineal. At Fort Good Hope, the lowest of the fur es- ta]>lishments, Charles Dease, chief trader of the com- pany, received the travelers and prepai-ed a meal for tliein at midnight. This fort was situated among the Indiana Avhom Mackenzie called Quarrelers, but whom the traders named Loucheux or Squinters. Continuing on, the party came to what they sup- posed to be the Arctic Sea, and on Garry Island a tent 14 231 I ; i.\ rjir^l W S, ' li it M ■■ I- -^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) i.O I.I 1.25 lis 1^ 140 111112.0 25 2.2 1.8 14 III 1.6 V] <^ /2 '^1 ^> '/ <^ .%' Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. MS80 (716) 872-4503 :^ i K^. w. ^ I fs 232 FOUT FKANKLIN. was pitched, and the flag Avhich Franklin's deeply lamented wife had gi\ ;'n him on j)ai-ting, to be iinfniled only in view of this sea, was hoisteil. Dnring Franklin's a1)sence on this trip snitahle buildings were erected and named Fort Fianklin, and here the adventurei-s remained through tlie winter, which though severe was pjissed in comj)arative com- fort. The last swan flew to the south on the Hth of October, and the fii-st one re-a]»i)eared ])ose they are afraid of you; I tell yoti they are not; and that it is entirely owing to their humanity that many of you were not killed today ; fur they have all guns, with which they can I I I V ^ 236 SECOND WINTEB AT FORT FRANKUUf. destroy you either when near or at a distance. I also have a gun, and can assure you tliat if a white man had fallen I would have been the fii-st to have revenged his death." In rejUy, the natives said that having never seen white men before they could not resist the temptation of stealing their pretty things ; they pronised never to do the like again, and gave a proof of their sin- cerity by restoring the articles that had been stolen; and thus, in an amicable manner, Avas the affray con- cluded. On the 13th of July, Franklin started to examine the sea coast westerly of the Mackenzie River, and discovered on the 27th, the mouth of another large river which he named the Clarence. The extreme westerly point reached by the party was called lletura Reef, near longtitutle 149''. Fnmi this place they started to return on the 18th of August. At this same time, as was subsequently ascertained, a boat party from Beechy's Behring's Strait expedition, was only one hundred and sixty miles west of them on the same coast. Franklin and his party reached Fort Franklin in safety on the 21st of September, after traveling in three months two thousand and forty-eight miles. Here they found Dr. Richai-dson and his l)ai'ty, who had sailed eastward from the mouth of the Mackenzie River to the mouth of the Coppermine, and thence overland to the rendezvous, making altogether a journey of one thousand nine hundred and eighty miles. A second winter, and an intensely cold one, was passed pleasantly at Fort Franklin. At this same time Captain Parry was wintering amid the ice at a THE MAGNETIC POLE. 237 point further nortli, as related in former chapters. It chanced that the magnetic pole lay at this time between them. " For the same months," says Frank- lin, "at the interval of only one year. Captain Parry and myself were making hourly obsei-vations on two needles, the north ends of which pointed almost direct- ly towards each other, though our actual distance apart did not exceed eight hundred and fifty-five geo- graphical miles ; and while the needle of Port Bowen was increasing its westerly direction, ours was increas- ing its easterly, and the contrary — the variation being west at Port Bo>\en, and east at Fort Fr/^nklin — a beautiful and satisfactory proof of the solar influence on the daily variation." .. .,^ ' / When spring opened Franklin and his companions started southward, and anived in London in Septem- ber. ,., , . _„. . m' ^ ^ ? I >»Ml». { u ^.i-yi ■;»' ! : 1 . r,)- ■fil ,,^ • CHAPTER XVII. , , ARCTIC VOYAGES OF SCORESBY, CLA\T:R. ING AND SABINE, LYONS, AND BEECIIEY. It must not be forgotten that while we are greatly indebted to scientific and amateur discovered for our lcnowlet., afterwards Dr., Score8l)y. This gentleman, bred and reared, as it were, amid the tempests and snows of the North, and inheriting the love of ads enture from his father who was also a captain in the whale ser- vice and gave his son a marine education, observed the phenomena of the Northern seas, with an encjuir- ing and scientific eye unusual among those who pur- sue the rough life of a whaler. In 1800, Capt. Scoresby, then acting as mate under his father who commanded a Greenland ship, made a nearer approach to the Noilh Pole than liad hitherto been fully authehticated ; for the statements of the Dutch and other navigators who boast of having gone much nearer, are subject to great doubt as to the cor- rectness of their observations. Proceeding by Jan Mayen into the whale-bight, they found the watere encumbered by much broken 238 8COHESBY 6 DISCO VKKIESl. 239 ice, tlirougli whieli they made their Avay into an ojien sea so extensive that its tenninutioii ctmld not be tUs- covered, luit was estimated to extend fonr or five hundred s(|uare leagues. Advancing nortlnvard, they arrived at a very ch)8e continuous fieUl of ])ay-ice, compacted hy drifting fragments. Pushing their way through this by the most hiborious exertions, tliey 8ucceedele, they sailed 'n a north-Avest direction, swiftly crossing the short meridians of this parallel, and soon j)a8sed from the tenth degree of east to the eighth of west longitude. Their latitude was 70*^-35', and the sea was still open on every sjde. As they found no whales, they changed therr tack, and ran eastnorth-east about three hundred miles, till they came to the nineteenth degree of east longitude and to latitude Sl'^-SO' — only about five hundred geo- graphical miles from the Pole. The sea lay open before them, and it was a gi-eat temptation to the young and daring sailor to run up and hang his cap on the N(»rth Pole ; but the father, prudently consid- ering that he had been fitted out by a mercantile con- cern to bring home a cargo of whale oil, decided not to gratify the ambition of his son, and tiu'ned buck- wards to Ilakluyt's Headland, where he was rewarded for his fidelity to his employere by catching tAveiiiy- four whales, from which were extracted two hundred and sixteen tons of oil. Cajtt. Scoresby, the younger, aftenvards had abun- dant oiipoiiunity to gratify his love of adventure. In 1817 he made an excursion on Jau JSIayen's Island. f!| ( J. U iii'i hi 240 EXCUIiSIOK ON JAlf HAYEK. I ■' f i :: i 1 ' i Tlie most striking feature was the mountain Beer- euberg, Avhicli rears its head 6870 feet above the sea; and, being seen to tlie distance of thirty or forty leagues, proves a conspicuous landmark to the mar- iner. Tlie first objects which attracted the eye were three magnificent icebergs, which rose to a veiy great height, stretching from the base of Beerenberg to the water's edge. Their usual greenish-gray color, diver- sified l)y snow-white patches resembling foam, and with bhu'k points of rock jutting out from the surface, gave them exactly the appearance of immense cas- cades, wliich in falling had been fixed by the power of frost. A party ascended a mountain which composed only the ])ase of Beerenberg, yet was itself 1500 feet liigh. They were not long in discovenng that the materials composing this eminence were entirely volcanic. They trod only upon ashes, slag, baked clay, and scoriie; and Avhenever these substances rolled under their feet, the ground beneath made a sound like that of empty metallic vessels or vaulted caverns. On the summit they discovered a spacious cratei-, about GOO feet deep, and 700 yanls in diameter, the lM)ttom of wliich was filled with alluvial matter, and which, ])eing surrounded by rugged walls of red clay half-baked, had the ap]>earance of a spacious castle. A spring of water penetiated its side by a subterranean cavern, and disappeared in the sand. No attempt was made to ascend Beerenberg, which towered in awful gran- deur, white with snow, above the region «)f the clouds; but at Its feet was seen another cratei- surr<)undenrty found a ridge so steep that Scoresl)y couhl wiit himself across it as (Mi the back of a horse. They rcacluMl the sununit, estimated as .SOOO feet high, about midnight when the sun still shone on its snow-capjx'd pinnacle, causing such a rajtid melting that streams of water were flowing around them. The view from this sununit is described by Scoresby as e((ually grand, extensive, and beautiful. On the east side were two finely-sheltered l>ays, while the sea, unruffled by a single breeze, formed an inunense ex- panse to the west. The icebergs reared their fantastic forms almost on a level Avith the summits of the nioimtains, M'hose cavities they filled, while the sun illumined, but could not dissolve them. The valleys were enamelled Avith beds of snow and ice, one of which extended beyond reach of the eyi;. In the interior, mountains rose beyond mountains till they melted into distance. The cloudless canopy above, and the jiosition of the party themselves, on the pin- nacle of ii rock surrounded by tremendous precipices, conspired to render their situation ecpiaily singular and sublime. If a fragment was detached, either spontaneously or by design, it bounded from rock to rock, raisi ng smoke at every blow and setting nmnerous other fragments in motion, till, amid showers of stones, it reached the bottom of the jnoimtain. The descent of the party was more difficult and f I m i I ii 1 t ■» liiu-ii ii 242 A PERILOUS DESCENT. — KEFKACTIOX. i h perilous than tlie ascent. The ntones sunk henenth their steps and rolled down the niountuiii, and they were obliged to walk abreast ; otherwise the foremost might have been overwhelmed under th»' nuisses which those behind him dislodged. Finally, to the astonish- ment and alarm of the sailors beneath, Seoresby and his companions, in a paifc of tlu'ir descent, slid down an almost perpendicular wall of ice, and arrived in safety at the 8hi])3. The beaclj was found nearly covered witli the nests of terns, ducks, and other ten- ants of tlu; Arctic air, in some ol which there were young, over whom the parents kept watch, and, by loutured colossal foi-rns, porticoes of rich and regular architecture, — (;ven with the shapes of lions, bears, horses, and other animals. Ships were seen inverted, and suspended high in the air, and their hulls often so magnified as to resemble huge DESEBTEf> HABITATIONS. 243 edifices. Objects really ])eneath the horizon were raised into view in a nioHt extraordinaiy manner. It fieeniH jKwitively ascertained, that points in the coast of (ireenland not above 4000 feet high, were seen at tlie distance of ir)0 miles. The extensive evaporation of the melting ices, v/ith the unequal condensation produced by streams of cold air, are conHidercd bv Mr. Scoresby as tli.j chief sources of this extraordinary refraction. The coasts of Greenland were found richer in plants and verdure than any others Heen by our navigator within the Arctic circle, and almost deserving the name given to the country by its first discoverers. The grass run in one i>lace to one foot in height, and there wei'e meaoint which thoy called Cape Warren, "than which," Clavenng says, "never was there a more desolate spot seen. S])itzbei'geu was a paradise to this place." it: \\ 246 ON THE EAST GREENLAND COAST. \ 'H in ■ I '1'' n .1 '1^ : ?' >'. I ^ i Proceetling along the coast to the northward, among floes of ice, they discovered two islands which they named Pendulum Islands. Having passed them, Clavering advanced northward till blocked by ice in latitude 75*12'. He had now reached what he con- ceived to be the north-east corner of Greenland, formed by an island which he named " Shannon." ReturninEf to the Pendulum Islands as the best place for Sabine to make his observations, Clavering left the Griper and the jjhilosopher there, and with his yawl, wherry, and a party of twenty, started off southwai'd to see what he could see. At Cape AVar- ren they landed, and found traces of natives and several graves. Proceeding up an ann of the bay, a tent of seal skins was found on the beach, and two natives appeared on the heights, who seemed n I .5 I Jill i ill i 1 i;' m 248 THE SNOW-BUNTING. t,-.-n aboard ; also a cow and some sheep. The cow was so sea-sick that she refused to eat, and was therefore eaten; but the ponies proved good sailors. Early in June, the Griper api)roached Resolution Island at the entrance of Hudson's Strait. Here Esquiniitux were met who brouglit articles for barter. Lyon says, " I blush when I relate it, two of the fair sex actually disposed of their neither garments." On the 2 2d of August Southampton Island was in sight. "When off Cape Pembroke the compasses were found to be nenly useless. As Lyon was taking a walk on shore one day he crossed an Esquimaux burial-place, and found the grave of a child slightly covered with stones, through which a snow-bunting had found its way to the neck of the child and there built its nest. This biid is considered by Arctic navigators as the robin of thtse dreary regions, having all the domestic virtues of the English redbreast ; its lively chirp and fearless con- fidence have rendered it respected by the most hun- gry sportsman. An English lady on reading this incident, was inspired with the following >eautiful verses : — " Sweet bird ! the breast of innocence ^; Hath fadeless charms for tlieo ; "^ AIth<)U(7h tht! spirit lonpr has fled, And lifeless clay it be ; Thou dreadeat not to dwell with death, Secure from harm or ill, For on an infant's heart, thj nest Is wrought with fearless skill And, like our own familiar bird Tliat seeks the human friend, Tlinii clieer'st the wandering seaman's thoughts With home, his aim and end." In Howe's Welcome Bay, the fog, heavy sea, and shallow water combined, made navigation most peril- 11 I- ii BAT OF OOD's MEBCT. 249 ous. Of their situation here Lyon says: "I most reluctantly brought the Griper up with three bow- ers and a stream anchor, but not before we had shoaled to five and a half fathoms, the ship pitching bows under, and a tremendous sea ininning." The peril being imminent, the long l)oat was prepared to })e hoisted out with the four small ones, and the officers and men drew lots with great composure for their respective boats, although two of the boats would have been swamped the instant they were lowered. " Although few or none of us had any idea that we should survive the gale, we did not think that our comforts should be entirely neglected, and an order was therefore given to the men to put on their best and warmest clothing, to enable them to support life as long as possible. Every man, therefore, brought his bag on deck, and dressed himself; and in the fine athletic forms which stood exposed before me, I did not see one muscle quiver, nor the slightest sign of alarm. And now that every thing in our power had been C i, I called all hands aft, and to a merciful God oft'ered prayers for our preservation. I thanked everv one for their excellent conduct, and cautioned them, as we should in all probability soon ai)i)ear before our Maker, to enter his i)resunce as men resigned to their fate. We then all sat down in groups, and, sheltered from the Avash of the sea l)y wliatever we could find, many of us endeavored to obtain a little sleej). Never, perhaps, Avas witness^nl a liner scene than on the deck of my little shi]), when all hope of life had left us. God Avas merciful to lis ; the tide almost miraculously fell no loAver, the wind ceased and we were saved." This locality Avas voiy properly named Bay of God's Mercy. ! i i!| I i-ij 250 APPROACH TO KAMCHATKA. (■■« ii ! A similar storm occurred in September, opposite the mouth of Wager's River, during which one anchor after another parted, and the vessel drifted away in the darkness, but escaped wreck. The sit- uation, however, was still a precarious one, and with- out anchors and in a crippled condition, the ship was headed for England where it arrived in November. The object of Captain Beechey's expedition to Bering's Straits in 1825, was not so much for the purposes of discovery as to render assistance to Parry and Franklin, and especially to the latter — who was then on his second land expedition — should he be successful in working westward from the Mackenzie River to Kotzebue Sound, the place of rendezvous for both explorers. Beechey sailed from England in the sloop Blossom, May 19th, 1825, with instructions to proceed around Cape Horn, visit the English possessions in the Pacific Ocean, and arrive at the rendezvous by July, 1826, there to remain till the approach of winter, in case neither Franklin nor Parry were heard from. Late in June 1826, the Blossom approached Petro- paulski, after having sailed seven hundred miles in a dense fog, which now cleared up and revealed tlie lofty mountains and volcanoes of Kamchatka. " Noth- ing could surpass the serenity of the evening, or tlie magnificence of the mountains capped with perennial snows, rising in majestic array above each other. The volcano emitted smoke occasionally, and from a sprinkling of black dots on the snow to the leeward of the crater, we concluded there had been a recent eruption." At Petropaulski, Beechey found dispatches announ- cing the return of the expedition under Parry. Cor- Hi p. dial was by the ci coiupliauc that he s English m seated Be On the Lawrence out in bo) lady amu upon thei peltry, fro cautiously implying I it, and enc a good l)j would no trade are the great of the wc cles highlj suspicious if they w< of these i those of i hands ove Beech e} the two g still night Ari'tic res wIk'u the below the northern ( continents TIIE LAWRENOE-ISLANDEES. 251 dial was the hospitality extended to the explorers by the citizens of the little town, and the pastor, in compliance with the injunctions of his grandfather, that he should send a calf to the captain of every English man-of-war that might arrive in the poi-t, pre- sented Beechey with one of his own rearing. On the voyage north the Blossom stopped off Lawrence Island, and the natives immediately came out in boats, evidently anxious for a trade. One old lady amused the crew by her attempts to impose upon their credulity. She was seated upon a bag of peltry, from which she now and then drew out a skin, cautiously exhibited the best part of it with a look implying that it was of great value, repeatedly hugged it, and endeavored to coax her new acquaintances into a good bargain ; but it w'as easy to see that her furs would not bear close examination. The tricks of trade are not confined to civilization. Tobacco was the great want of the men, and needles and scissors of the women, and with both blue beads were arti- cles highly esteemed. They, however, seemed a little suspicious of the latter, and bit them, possibly to see if they were made of wax. The mode of salutation of these natives was by rubbing their noses against those of their friends and drawing the palms of their hands over the face. Beechey passed Bering's Strait, which separates the two great continents, on one of those beautiful still nights well known to all who have visited the Arctic regions, Avhen the sky is without a cloud, and when the midnight sun, scarcely his own diameter below the horizon, tinges with a bright hue all the northern circle. The extremities of the two great continents were distinctly seen, and the islands in the i 253 CUSTOMS OF TUE ALASKAXS. I i t . 1 ; J : \ ill strait clearly ascertained to be only three, as Lad been stated by Capt. Cook. A little north of Cape Prince of "Wales, they were again visited by the natives who were eager for trade and willingly sold everything they had, except their bows and arrows. They were noisy and ever ready for a joke. They had a curious appendage to tluir dress, worn as an ornament in the shape of a bird's wing or the tail of a fox, tied to the end of a stiiiig fastened to their girdles, which dangled behind as they walked, giving thera a ridiculous appearance, and probably occasioning the report, recorded by some traveler, that the people of this country have tails like dogs. To this dog-tail slander, they might perhaps retort that civilized women had camel's humps on their backs. At Schismareff Inlet were seen the lip ornaments common to this coast. They consist of pieces of ivory, stone or glass, formed with double heads, like sleeve buttons, which are inserted in holes bored in the under lip about half an inch below the corners of the mouth. The diameter of the orifice in those worn by adults is usually about half an inch, but Beethey saw one lip button made of polished jade stone, that was three inches in length and an inch and a half in width. On the 22d of July, Beechey reached his rendezvous, Chamisso Island in Kotzebue Sound, but could find no traces of Franklin. Leaving the barge to keep in shore on the look-out for Franklin, Beechey sailed northward as far as Icy Cape. Finding indications of the ice closing in, he then returned to the sound and dispatched the bar^e under the command of Messrs. Elsou and Smyth with WRECK OF THE BAKGE. 253 instructions to trace the coast to the North-east as far as they coukl penetrate. They succeeded in survey- ing one hundred and twenty-six miles of new coast, and were stopped by a long, low, projecting tongue of land which they named Point Barrow. Here they were within one hundred and forty-six miles of the extreme point reached by Franklin. By the middle of October the Esquimaux had all departed to their winter-quarters, the birds had migrattd, the sea Avas rapidly being frozen, and Beechey sailed for San Francisco where he wintered. In the following season, Beechey returned to Chamisso Island, where he anchored August 5th. Here the barge was again called into reciuisition, and under command of Lieutenant Belcher, it started tioiih and reached a point some forty miles easterly of Icy Cape, but could go no further in consequence of the ice. On the -way back Belcher stopped at Choris Peninsula to erect an observatory. While all the party but two were on shore, a gale sprung up. The crew Aveie immediately ordered aboard and one trip of the small boat landed three persons on the barge, but an attempt to reach it a second time was unsuccessful. The vessel soon sunk in shallow water, and two of her crew were drowned in attempt- ing to reach shore. The others retreated to the rigging, but one fell and perished; the other two were rescued after the sea subsided. Meantime, Beechey had been on an excursion in the Blossom, and when returning to the rendezvous, dis- covered with telescopes a flag flying on the coast and two men waving white cloths. The possibility of its being Franklin's party was the first wish of his mind ; but this was soon dispelled as a nearer view of the •r i I) i " li f! -l i SKIRMISnEfl WITH THE NATIVKS. flag proved it to be the ensign of his own hoat hoisted with tlie union downward indicative of dis- tress, and Belcher and his surviving in«!n were soon rec- ognized and oared for. They had experienced some trouble with the natives after the loss of their ])arge, and subsequently the crew of the Blossom had skir- mishes mth them in which several of the seamen were wounded by arrows, and one or more of the Esquimaux killed. Beechey tlid not punish them as they deserved, as he was unwilling to awahen senti- ments which might prove injiirious to other Euro- peans. The balance of the season was passed in futile attem])ts to find Franklin, and grieved and disap- pointed, Capt. Beechey left Kotzebue's Sound, Oct. Gth, 1827 ; but did not arrive in England till the autumn of 1828, having been absent three and a half yeai's. e '^ i!:' = I'm ^ ^^' CHAPTER XVIII. PARRY'S POLAR VOYAGE. Tin? sclioi! ' of rcftching the Polo l)y travoliiicj over the frozen surface of the ocean was first su«r,ir('st('(l by Mr. Scores])}'. He believed that the Polar Sea in some meridians presented one continuous sheet of toh erably smooth ice, which could be traversed without {:;reat difficulty. The idea was taken up by Capt. Parry, wliose brilliant voyacjes to tlie North-west had led him to suspect that further prot;ress in that di- rection was hopeless, and an ex]K'dition was fitted out which left England, April 4th, 1827, in the sloop Heel a. The plan was to proceed in this vessel as far north as possible, when a portion of the crew were to leave the ship, with two boats on runners, Avhich were to he dragged or navigated as circumstances might admit, over the unknown and desolate expanse be- tween Spitzbergen and the Pole. These boats were twenty feet long and seven broad, with runnei-s at- tached to each side of the keel so that they could be drawn on the ice like sleds. Wheels were also taken along for use, if practicable. At Hamrnerfest eight noble reindeer were taken on board ship, with which the adventurers hoped to make a stage journey to the Pole. As each boat with 255 256 PARRY AND HIS DEER, Hfl its cargo weiglied nearly two tons, a four-in-hand team would certainly be an aid on the icy road. At all events the deer served to beguile the tediousness of the pas- sage to Spitzbergen, and all hands became much attach- ed to them. The regular allowance of clean moss for each deer v/as four pounds daily, but in case of neces- sity they would go five or six days without prov- ender and not suflfer materially. The adaption of these animals to the Frigid Zone ij wcndeiful. Snow is their favorite drink, — if the bull may be j)ardoued, — and cold, hard ice is as comfortable and ehistic a bed as they desire; at least they never complain when fur- nished with such sleeping accommodations, canopied over by the vaulted arch of heaven. PaiTy was enamoi-ed with his deer — the only draw- back to his happiness being the thought that dire ne- cessity might compel him and his crew to eat them. The Ilecla rounded Ilakluyt's Headland May 14th, and met with a tremendous gale which almost lay the ship on her beam ends, and tossed her like a feather ; and she was soon completely beset by a large floe which carried her eastward. After release from this tedious imprisonment of twenty -four days, came along and anxious search for a secure harbor. At length the Ilecla was anchored in a fine harbor which the Dutch had named Treurenberg Bay, but now rechristened as Hecla Cove. Numerous graves were found on the shore. The bodies had been depos- ited in oblong boxes and covered with stones : a ])oard near the head recording the name of the deceased and the time of his death. One was dated as far back as 1690, and Parry was right in conjecturing that the Dutch name of the bay was derived from treuren^ to lament, on account of the mortality which had oc- THE START FOR THE POLE. 257 curred here. Tills was not encouraging to the party who were to remain with the ship, but there was no time to be lost, and brave sailors must not Vd frightened by graves or ghostly shadows. On the 22d of June the excursion party left the ship amid the cheers of their associates. The boats were severally commanded by Parry and James C. Ross. Lt. Crozier, afterwards second in command of the lost Franklin expedition, was one of the officers who remained with theHecla. Provision for seventy days were taken along, but the " eight tiny reindeer " were left behind, with the Avheels, Parry having seen enough of the rugged surface of the ice to convince him that they would be of more use to Santa Claus than to himself. What became of these animals which had so much interested Parry, he omits to mention. The stern realities of the Northern Sea probably drove all sentimentallsm from his mind. For eighty miles they proceeded due north, sailing 8lo\vly through a calm and smooth open sea. In lati- tude 8 1 * 1 2 ^ LI " they were stopped by slush ice, which could neither be walked nor sailed over, but was to be passed by the two methods alternately. Here com- menced the real labor of their fatiguing and mouot- ouoas journey. The first step was to convert night into day ; to begin their journey in the evening and end it in the nioi-ning. Thus their notions of night and day became inverted. They rose in what they called the morning, hut which was really late in the evening, and having peribrnied their devotions, breakfasted on warm co- coa and biscuit. They then drew on their boots, usually either wet or hard frozen; and v. liich, though perfectly di'ied, would have been equally soaked in Vt\\ « fli 258 A JOUENEY CN ICE. fifteen minutes. The party then traveled five or six hours, and a little after midnight stopped to dine. They now performed an equal journey in what was called the afternoon ; and in the evening, that is, at an advanced morning hour, halted as for the night. They then applied themselves to obtain rest anil comfort, put on dry stockings and fur-boot«, cooked something Avarm for supper, smoked their pipes, told over their exploits, and, forgetting the toils of the day, enjoyed an interval of ea&e and gayety. Then, wrapping themselves in their fur-cloaks, they lay down in the boat, rather too close together perhaps, hut wnth very tolerable comfort. The sound of a bugle roused them at night to their breakfast of cocoa, and to a repetition of the same round. Instead of a smooth, level surface, which they ex- pected to find, over which a coach might be driven, the ice consisted of small, loose and rugged masses, compelling the men to make two or three trips in order to bring up the boats and baggage. One day during heavy rain they advanced but half a mile in four hours. In short, it was found, by an observation taken at midnight on the 30th of June, that since they started on the ice, on the 2.3th, they had progressed northward only about twelve miles. All expectation of reaching the Pole was now relinquished, but hopes of reaching the S.'kl degree were entertained. The party came at length to smoother ice and larger floes, and making better progress, persevered till the 20tli of July, when they werj mortified to find that thi'ir latitude was less than five miles to the north- ward of where it was on the 17th, although they had certainly traveled twelve miles in that direction. Parry began now to suspect that the ice was floating south- "1 DRIFTryO SOUTH. 259 ward, and that they Avere in the condition of the frog jumping out of a well, which jumped three feet and fell back two. Such a suspicion was disheartening to the officers, hut was not communicated to the men who often laughingly remarked, " We are a long time getting to this eighty-third degree." On the 2Gth they were only one mile further north than they were on the 2 1st, though they had in that time traveled northward twenty-three miles ; thus it was ascertained that the southern drift of the ice was at the rate of over four mil&3 per day. Pariy con- cluded it was useless to persevere in the attempt even to reach the 83d parallel, and communicated the facts and his intentions to the men. Great had been their exertions, and great was their disappointment. They consoled themselves however with the l)elief that they had gone further north than any previous explorers. The highest latitude reached was S2°40', which is a trifle farther north than the Polaris penetrated on her late tri]). Their greatest distance from the Ilecla was only one hundred and seventy-two miles, but to ac- complish it they had probably traveled far enough to reach the Pole, as they had so many times trebled their track. Nothing remarkable occurred on the return. It was no small satisfaction to the explorers to know that there would be no backsliding and that every mile of advance southward would count two or three miles. They arrived at Hecla Cove on the 21st of August, where they were received, says Pany, " Avith that warm and cordial welcome which can be felt but nt)t described. Considering our constant exj)os- ure to wet, cold and fatigue, our stockings having been generally drenched in snow water for twelve \wi 260 RETURN TO EffiCLA COVE. hours out of every twenty-four, I had great reason to be thankful for the excellent health in which upon the whole we reached the ship." The Hecla soon afterward sailed for England, and thus ended the first and only attempt that has heen made to penetrate to the Pole over the frozen surface of the deep. All the prowess, energy, and hardihood of British seamen were exerted to the utmost without making even an approach towards the fulfillment of their object. The late Captain Hall hoped to reach the Pole by a sled journey over the ice and land, starting from the highest point that the Polaris could obtain; but thei'e is little doubt that if he had lived to make the attempt, it would have proved an unsuc- cessful if not disastrous one. The Pole is a reality, and some benefit to science would accrue from obser- vations taken thereon ; but we may as well conclude that when God gave man dominion over the wlu)le earth, that locality was not incladed or was considered unwoi-thy of his presence. ARCTIC E] ill ii III.. CHAPTER XIX. ARCTIC EXPEDITION OF JOHN AND JAMES C. ROSS. John Ross, -whose Expedition made under the au- spices of the British Admiralty in 1818 was sorely criticised by the press and pronounced a failure, was not content to remain in inglorious ease, but felt an ambition so common to adventurers, to try his fortune once more. Ross's faith in the North-west passage never was very great ; and the second expedition seems to have been undertaken more from a love of adventure and a desire to retrieve his good name, than from any well-grounded hope of success in its professed object. The perseverance and energy displayed in carrying it out were worthy of better results tlian it actually ac- complished. From his experience in his first Arctic adventure, and from careful studj'-of the voyages of others, Ross became convinced that a small steamship would make better headway among the floes and fields of ice than a sailing vessel ; and accordingly presented his views to the Admiralty as early as 1827, asking government aid for his new project. This proposal was not fiivor- ably received, and he then applied to his friend. Sir Felix Booth, a wealthy gentleman, who listened kindly to his statements, but finally decided not to embark 261 n H i;ii ■I'! I I i I 11 r, it : \l 262 SECOND EXPEDITION OF JOHN ROSS. in the enterprise, lest it might be construed by the public as a mere mercantile speculation, in hopes of securing the reward of £20,000 offered by Parliament for the discovery of the North-west passage. Not baffled by this second rebuff, Eoss again applied to the Admiralty, submitting a modified, and as he thought, an improved plan of navigating the Arctic Seas by means of steam. The decided answer of the Admiralty was : — " Government does not intend to send out any more expeditions on this enquiry." Soon after this Parliament revoked its offer of £20,- 000, which had tempted so many adventurers into the Polar Seas. This removed Booth's objection to aiding Ross, and he advanced the money necessary to buy and fit out the Victory, a steamer of one hundred and fifty tons. The whole cost was £17,000. With his nephew, James Clark Ross, as commander, a purser, surgeon, and a crew of seventeen, Ross steamed down the Thames on the 23d of May, 1829. The steam fixtures did not prove to be as efficient as lie expected, and his main reliance for the trans-atlantic voyage and indeed for the whole expedition, was upon sails. On the 23d of July the Victory came to anchor in the harbor of Holsteinberg, a Danish settlement on the coast of Greenland, and was soon surrounded by ca- noes filled with Esquimaux, among whom were two whites clothed like the natives, who proved to be Mr. Kail, the governor, and Mr. Kijer, a clergyman, both well educated gentlemen Avho had resided in the country for six years. At the house of the latter the onicersof the Victory were treated with great kindness, Mrs. Kijer doing the honors at the table, and Esquimaux girls, neat- ly dressed in native costume, doing the service. The settlement consisted of the governor's and clergyman's boats, and w li LIFK AT HOL8TEINBERG. 263 houses, a church, two store-houses, and about forty Es- quimaux huts. The church was a neat simple struc- ture, surmounted with a small steeple, and having an audience-room furnished with an organ and seats for two hundred persons. Holsteinberg is a roman- tic and interesting place, but the governor and clergyman must have led self-denying lives in this solitude, away from all the social privileges of civili- zation. Peace and happiness are however of no coun- try or situation, and here in this narrow and appa- rently contented circle they seemed to exist in per- fection. No disorderly or immoral conduct was noticed among the natives ; and Mr. Kijer represented the Greenlanders as so pacific in their dispositions that quarrels among them were very rare. As an instance of their honesty, Capt. Ross relates that on the morning of his departure from Holstein- berg, a poor Esquimaux came alongside of the A'ictory, bringing an oar which had been loet from one of the boats, and adds : " I know not how far the exertions of the worthy clergyman deserve to share in tlie merit of this and the other good conduct Avhich we witnessed, but be this as it may, 1 do but justice to the natural character of this race, almost everywhere in our experi- ence, to say that they are among the most wijrthy of all i\\o rude tribes yet known to- our voyagers in any part of the woi'ld." The singing of the Esquimaux girls in church as- tonished and delighted the captain, and he was assured that they learned to sing the most refined sacred mu- m of the German school with great facility, and the Moravian missionaries have made music a powerful auxiliary in religious instruction and civilization. Some of the Esquimaux have not only been taught 16 . '•if i! .! '.i "! f I ■ f I 11 264 SECOND EXProiTION OF JOHN ROSS. ' : m i •}. 1 I; i ii ;,ji 1 A to sing, but to play, and construct their own instru- ments. On the 7th of August the Victory steamed into Lancaster Sound. The sea was covered with minute marine animals and ducks, and gulls were in sight ; no ice of any kind was to be seen. Ross proceeded westerly, till he reached Prince Regent Inlet, into which he turned his ship and sailed southerly in search of the place where the Fury was wrecked, hoping to replenish his stock of provisions from her stores. On the 13th of August the Victory entered a bay, which was christened Adelaide in honor of the Duchess of Clarence, it being her birth-day. On the afternoon of. the next day, Commander Ross, who had been the lieutenant of the Fury, recognized a high-projecting precipice u^ being some three miles from the wreck, for which all eyes were looking ; and, an hour after- ward, the tents were seen on the mound where the shipwrecked stores had been deposited. The same evening the » ictory was safely moored in an ice har- bor, within a quarter of a mile of the coveted goods. The coast was found almost lined with coal; and one tent — the mess-tent of the Fury's officers — remained whole, though it was evident the bears had paid it frequent visits. A pocket near the door of this tent, in which Commander Ross had left his memorandum- book, was missing. The preserved meats and vegeta- bles were found in good condition. The canisters had been piled up in two heaps, and though exposed to all the vicissitudes of the climate for four years, they had not suffered in the slightest degree. There had been no water to rust them, and the security of the joinings had prevented the bears from smelling the contents. Had they known the feast of fiit things contained within those shining tins, not much would THE WRECK OF THE FURY. 205 have remained for the crew of the Victorj^ The wine, sugar, bread, flour, and cocoa, were found in equally good condition. The lime-juice and the pickles had not suffered much, and even the .salis were not only dry, but looked ns if they had never been wet. Not a trace of the hull of the Fury was to be found. ' '■'■ The stores, not the wreck, were what Capt. Ross wanted. With great delight the crew set about em- barking a sufficiency of stores to complete the equip- ment of the Victory for over two years. This fitting out a vessel in an abandoned region of ice and rocks, was a novel scene. Without money and without price the crow carried on board the Victory canister after canister of provisions, and yet all they could store away on board seemed scarcely to diminish the pile. Ten tc-s of coal, some anchors, and some carpenter's stores were also appropriated. The powder magazine had become unroofed, but the patent cases had kept the powder perfectly dry, and with a portion of this the new outfit was ended. Captain Ross' plan was to make a thorough survey of Prince Regent's Inlet, and ascertain whether there was any outlet from it to the Polar Sea ; ho therefore proceeded from Fury Beach southward. The vo}-auo now began to acquire its peculiar interest as the Victory was traversing a comparatively unknown region. The land seemed to extend in a south-west direction con- tinuously, and the captain gave it the name of Boothia, in honor of his patron. Many whales came close to the ship, thus proving that they had never had a taste cf the harpoon. The geological structure was limestone, containing shells. Some sandstone and gneiss were also observed, and in many of the small bays, there were accumula- II 'll iflS i H 266 SECOND EXPEDITION OF JOHN ROSS. ^i;fi' u tions of sand. The soundings were in clay, so touj^h as to require great force to extract the lead from it. There was no wood ; a heath with stems about an inch thick, being the largest plant growing. A harbor was found sufficiently deep and large (o accommodate the whole British navy, and to this was given the name of Elizabeth, in compliment to a sis- ter of Mr. Booth. In many parts of it there were five fathoms of water close to rocks or shore, where vessels might lie as at a pier ; and from marks on tiie rocks it was judged that the spring-tide rose eight feet. Near the sea the land was generally bare, but inland there were plains and valleys of considerable extent covered with vegetation. In the valleys were numerous lakes, some of them two miles long, and all well stocked with fish. As the season advanced navigation became more and more difficult and liaz- ardous. The Victory drawing but a few feet of water, had great advantage in navigating the Arctic Seas, but still her perils were many. Captain Ross thus graph' ically describes the appearance of those seas. " To those who have not seen a northern ocean in winter, the term ice, exciting but the recollection of what they know of it at rest in an inland lake, con- veys no idea of what it is the fate of the Arc tic navigator to witness. But let them remember that ice is stone, a floating rock in a stream, a promontory or an island when aground, not less solid than if it were granite. Then let them imagine, if they can, these mountains of crystal, hurled through a narrow strait by a rapid tide ; meeting as mountains would meet, with the noise of thunder, breaking from each other precipices, huge fragments, or rending each other asunder, till, losing their former equilibrium, FROZEN IN. 267 they fall over headlong, lifting the sea around in break- ers, and whirling it in eddies, while the flatter fields of ice, forced against these masses, ur against the rocks by tlie wind and stream, rise out of the sea till they fall back on themselves, adding to the indescrib- able CMnmotion and noise which attend these occur- rences. " On the last day of September Captain Ross deter- mined that further progress was impossible for the season, and that his next duty was to look out for winter quarters. An inevitable detention among im- movable ico made his men feel like captives upon whom the prison doors were being closed for long and weary months. Making an inland excursion, he as- cended a high hill to take a general survey of the sit- uation. At the south-west appeared a succession of uniform low hill, beyond which no water was to be seen. In the interior he could see even through the snow, that the plains were covered with vegetation. Many tracks of hares were seen, and some of these an- imals were shot, which were at this early date quite white, showing that their change in color is not the efll'ct of temperature, but a prospective arrangement for meeting the cold of winter. There were also many Esquimaux traps wath a great number of cairns or stones, wliich at a distance resemble men, and are erected by the Esquimaux for tiie purpose of fright- enini; the deer and turning them within reach. In the meantime the crew were set to work unlad- ing the ship of the steam engine and fixtures which had proved an incumbrance. Thenceforth the Victory was simply a sailing vessel. By October 8th there was not an atom of water to be seen anywhere, and excepting the protrud- 1 1 I i '""";i 1 1 ti I ,-ii ' ■( .! !■ n 208 SECOND EXPEDITION OF JOHN ROSS. ing point of some dark rock, nothing but one du/./.ling and monotonous, dull find wearisoino extent of .snow was visible. Captain l^oss describes the eflect of this uniformity, silence and death as paralyzing to both body and mind. Nothing moves, nothing changes; all is forever the same — cheerless, cold, and silent. The Victory had not made the progress expected of her, but she went into winter quarters one hundred and sixty-six miles beyond the wrecking-ground of the Fury. An examination of the provisions and fuel gave the comforting assurance that there was enough of both to suppy all wants for more than two years ; and oflicers and crew settled down for a long winter's repose. The record of the winter is monotonous. Captain Eoss studied carefully the effects of the cold upon him- self and men, and came to the conclusion that there is great difference in individuals as to their power of generating heat. A ruddy, elastic, florid, or clear comi)lexioned man, is seonred by nature against cold; while the pale, sallow, ami melancholy-looking, are not the men for an Arcik: voyage. The deck of the Victory being covered with snow to the depth of two-and-a-half feet, it was trod down till it became a solid mass, and was then cov- ered with sand, .so as to have the appearance of a solid gravel walk. Above this a roof was built, and the sides of the vessel were banked with snow up to the roof so as to form a perfect shelter from the wind and ward off much of the extreme cold. On this deck the men walked for exercise when the cold was too exces- sive for them to venture abroad. From six o'clock in the evening till nine, the men were required to attend school, and on Sunday prayers were oflfered LIKE AT TELIX IIAllUOIl. 269 and a sermon read ; the good efiects of their educa- tional '•ml religious duties were manifost in the conduct of the men, who seemed to feel that they belonged to one family, and evinced much mutual kindness and a remarkable propritity of deportment. The use of spirituous liquors was abandoned, and even the habit of swearing was broken lip. Christmas was celebrated with a liberal dinner, of which roast beef formed the essential and orthodox portion. The stores from the Fury came into play on this day, as they included mince ple-i and iced cherry brandy. Flags were displayed from the ship and shore, the church service allotted for the day read, and one and all enjoyed the festival more probably than those whose lives of luiiforni ease, peace, and luxury, render tliem insensible to hard-won enjoyment. The thermometer ranged from 18 to 22 below zero. January t)th, some Esquimaux api)earing on the shore, the officers went out to meet them and found them armed with spears and knives. Captain ]\oss hailed them with the Esquhnaux salutation, iima, tima, and was answered by a general shout of the same kind, the natives throwing their weapons into the air, and extending their arms. An embrace on the part of Captain Kosr;, and a stroking of the dress of the Esquimaux, the sign of friendship, established unhesitating confidence, which they manifested in the great delight apparent on their countenances, and in laughing, clamor, and strange gestures. They were all well dnissed in excellent deer-skins, the \q)per gar- ments double and encircling the body, and extending from the chin to the middle of the thigh. Of the two skins which formed this double dress, the inner one had the hair next to the body, and the outer one in I 270 SECOND EXPEDITION OP JOHN ROSS. 1 a reverse direction. The trousers were also of deer skin, reaching low on the leg, and each had on two pairs of boots, with the hairy side of both turned in- ward. With this immense superstructure of clothing, they looked much larger than they really were, and more like Avoodchucks walking on their hind legs than men. Their cheeks were plump, and of as rosy a color as possible under so dark a skin. Their faces were good-natured, their eyes dark, nose small, and the hair black and cut short, and carefully arranged. Three of these Esquimaux being introduced into the cabin, were greatly delighted with some engrav- ings of their countrymen, which they instantlv re- cognized as portraits of their race. The sight of tiiem- selves in a looking-glass excited their greatest aston- ishment. They did not relish the preserved meat, but being offered some oil, drank it with great gusto. Thus admirably are the tastes of all men adapted to the food within their reach, and their views of happi- ness to the means provided for their enjoyment. A Hand thus spreads for HLs creatures a table in the wil- derness. The next day Captain Ross visited the village of these Esquimaux, about two-and-a-half miles distant, which he found to consist of twelve snow-huts, having the appearouce of inverted basins. Ejich had a long crooked appendage, which formed the entrance, and at its mouth sat the women and children. This pas- sage, always long and generally crookcil, led to the principal apartment. Opposite the doorway there was a bank of snow about two-and-a-half feet high, level at tlie top, and covered with skins, forming the gen- eral bed, or sleeping-place for the whole. At the end of this snow-couch sat the mistress of the home, op- KING WILLIAMS LAND. 271 posite to (he lamp, which being of moss and oil, as is the universal custom, gave enough light and heat to render the apartment comfortable. Over the lamp was the cooking-dish of stone, containing the flesh of deer and seals, cooking in oil. Dresses, implements, and provisions lay about in unspeakable confusion, as order is not one of the Esquimaux virtues. A largo oval piece of clear ice, fixed about half way up on the eastern side of the roof, served to admit e.^:- ternal light to their snow-houses. In the entrance passage, there was a little ante-chamber, arranged lor the comfort of the dogs, and the mouth of the entrance was changed with each change of wind, so as always to open to the leeward. The females were certainly not beautiful, but, what is better, were well behaved. All above thirteen years of age seemed to be married, and there were three or i'oiir such in every liouse — apparently three young wives in a house where there was one old one, a modification of Mormouism, which Bri,i>ham Young will do well to consider. All were tattooed to a greater or less extent, «: biefly on the brow and on each side of the mouth and chin. In the following spring, Rnss, " the nephew of his uncle," and really the enterprising genius of the ex- pedition, started off on a sledge journey of nearly a month, during which he penetrated westward two hundred miles, and discovered King William's Sound and King William's Land. The Victory was held fast in the ice for eleven months, and t)nly released on the iTtli of September, 1830. This long iniprisonmcnt through the sununer months was enough to (U.scourage any but Arctic adven- turers. Their sledge journeys hud satisfied them that II < i: - 272 SECOND EXPEDITION OF JOHN ROSS. there was no western passage from Regent's Inlet, to the south of their position, and it was with dehght that they once more found themselves free to retrace their course northward. After advancing about three miles they encountered a field of ice, through which thov vainly endeavored to saw their way. On the 30th magnitude, and placing under it a canis- ter containing a record of the event, and over it the British flag, he formally took possession of the North Magnetic Pole and its adjoining territory of Boothia, in the name of Great Britain and King William IV. This was doubtless an approximation to the [position of the Pole, as it then was, as solentKic nieu liw] pre- viously fixed it in this neighborhood, from olys i xtions of their compasses in various circumjacent latitudes; but the trouble with this pole is that it does not stay .# COii;-..- '''it x. h '- 1. '^^^ DISCOVERY OP THE MAGNETIC POLE. 273 fixed, but moves 11' 4" each year, and revolves around the North Pole of the earth once in 1890 years. Accord- mg to this calculation it will come around to Ross's cairn in Boothia again in A. D. 3721. I After a second imprisonment of eleven months, the Victory was warped into open sea, August 27th, 1831, but after advancing four miles in one month, she was again ice-bound, September 27th, and another deso- late winter was spent in Regent's Inlet — how desolate none can tell who has not suffered similar solitude and monotony. ,.^ As the experience of two summers left them little hope of saving the ship, Captain Ross and his ofhcers resolved to abandon the Victory, and travel over the ice to Fury Beach, and thus avail themselves of the bo;its, which might enable them to reach Davis's Sti-i;.7i. Accordingly, on the 29th of May, 1832, the CO: if the Victory were hoisted and nailed to the ,v .1 the capUiin and crew took a sad leave of her. < the first vessel," says Ross, "that I bad ever bt^''«i bli^^od to abandon, after having served in thirty- six, dun; .g a period of forty-two years. It was like the last p.u'ting with an old friend, and I did not pass the point where she ceased to be visible without stop- ping to take a sketch of this melancholy desert, ren- dered more melancholy by the solitary, abandoned bel[> less home of our past years, fixed in immova])le ice till ..'!ne should perform on her his usual work." V'tef incredible fatigue and hardship, the oi-ew reached Fury Beach in the latter part of Jidy, wiiere, thanks to Parry and Providence, they foiuid boats and provisions in good condition. August 1st, they em- barked in their boats on an open sea, and after much bufleting, many perils, and a month of toil, they ii^Ti ^ 1 1 If n ii I i i 274 SECOND EXPEDITION OF JOHN ROSS. reached the mouth of the inlet. Here they were doomed again to a sad disappointment, for after several fru Vss attempts to run along Barrow's Straits, the ice oblij^c -m to haul their boats on shore and pitch their tei Day after day they lingered till the third week in September; but the strait continuing one im- penetrable mass of ice, it was unanimously agreed that their only resource was to fall back on the stores at Fury Beach, and there spend a fourth long winter in the Arctic Circle. TLey were only able to proceed half the distance in boats, and on the 24th of 'Sep- tember left them behind on the shores of Batty Bay. The rest of the journey was performed on foot, the provisions beinof drawn in sledges. On the 7th of October they reached the canvas hut, dignified with the n;une of Somerset House, which they had erected in July, on the scene of the Fury's wreck, to which they thought they had bid a last farewell. Building a snow wall four feet thick around their canvas house, strengthening the roof with spars so that it might be covered with snow, and putting up another stove, they continued to make themselves comfortable, until the scurvy broke out among them and several of the men fell victims thereto. It was indeed an anx- ious and doleful winter, for, should they be disap- pointed in their hopes of escaping the next summer, their fiiiling strength and diminishing stores loft them little hope of surviving another year. As tiie sum- mer opened, they moved forward stores to Batty Bay, a distance of thirty-two miles ; but as their numbers were now reduced, this land carriage taxed their stren'^th sorely, and it occupied a month. Another month was passed at Batty Bay, in constant expecta- tion of the moving of the ice. iW BESCUED BY THE ISABELLA. 275 At length on the evening of August 14th, the sight of moving ice gladdened their hearts ; on the morning of the 15th, they slowly made their way through the masses of ice with which the bay was encumbered, and to their gre'at joy they found, on the 17th, the wide expanse of Barrow's Strait, open to navigation. Pushing on with renewed hope, Cape York soon lay behind them, and by alternately rowing and sailing, they rested on the night of the 25th in a good harbor on the eastern shore of Navy Board Inlet. ' . At four o'clock the following morning, they were roused from their slumber by the joyful announcement of a ship in sight, and never did men more hurriedly and energetically start in pursuit ; but the elements were against them, and the ship disappeared in the distant haze. Another vessel, however, was seen a few hours afterward, lying in a calm, and by hard row- ing they soon came up with her ; strange to say, she proved to be the Isabella, the same vessel in which Captain Ross had made his first trip to the Arctic seas, now employed as a whaler. The officers of the Isabella could scarcel3'^ credit the story of Captain Ross, as he had long been supposed to be dead ; when all doubts were removed, the rig- ging was instantly manned to do the adventurers honor, and thimdering cheers welcomed Ross and his gallant band on board. The scene that followed can not better be described than in Captain Ross's own words : — " Though we had not been supported by our names and characters, we should not the less have claimed from charity the attentions that we received, for never was seen a more miserable set of wretches. Unshaven since I know not when, dirty, dressed in rags ef wild III.!: 276 SECOND EXPEDITION OP JOHN ROSS. m beasts, and starved to the very bones, our gaunt and grim looks, when contrasted with those of the well- dressed and well-fed men around us, made us all feel (I believe for the first time) what we really were, as well as what we seemed to others. But the ludicrous soon took the place of all other feelings ; in such a crowd and such confusion, all serious thought was im- possible, while the new buoyancy of our spirits made us abundantly wilHng to be amused by the scene which now opened. "Every man was hungry, and was to be fed; all were ragged, and were to be clothed ; there was not one to whom washing was not indispensable, nor one whom his beard did not deprive of all human semblance. In the midst of all, there were interminable questions to be asked and answered on both sides ; the adven- tures of the Victory, our own escapes, the politics of England, and the news which was four years old. But all subsided into peace at last. The sick were accom- modated, the seamen disposed of, and all was done for us which care and kindness could perform. " Night at length brought quiet and serious thoughts, and 1 trjList there was not a man among us who did not then express, where it was due, his gratitude for that interposition Avhich had raised us all I'rom des- pair which none could now forget, and had brought us from the borders of a most distant grave, to life, and friends, and civilization. Ijong accustomed, how- ever, to a cold bed on the hard snow or the bare rocks, few could sleep amidst the comforts of our new ac- commodations. I was myself compelled to leave the bed which had been kindly assigned me, and take my abode in a chair for the night ; nor did it fare much better with the rest It was for time to reconc le us }-M RETURN OF THE LOST EXPLORERS. 277 to the sudden and violent change, to break through what had become habit, and to inure us once more to the usages of former days." The party reached England, October 15th, 1833, after an absence of four-and-a-half years. Having long been considered as lost, they were looked upon as men risen from the dead, and met and escorted by a crowd of sympathizers. Orders, medals, and hon- ors were showered upon John Ross by his own country- men and continental sovereigns, and Parliament granted him ^5,000 as some remuneration for his out- lays and hardships. A baronetcy was conferred on Felix Booth, the patron of the expedition. John Ross and James C. Ross subsequently ap- peared again in the Arctic Seas as searchers for Frank- lin. t u i I it fil i; :.5 ■■is it I t I ! CHAPTER XX. GEORGE BACK'S EXPEDITIONS. CAPTAiif George Back will be remembered as a companion of Franklin on his first land expedition. He was in Italy at the time when the prolonged absence of the Rosses began to awaken fears for their safety. Hastening home, he voiun leered to lead a land expedition in search of the lost explorers, and, accompanied by Dr. King, left England for New York in February 1833, for that purpose. Back and King left Montreal April 25th, in two canoes amid enthusiastic cheering, and as the boats turned their bows up the noble St. Lawrence, one loud huzza bade the travelers farewell. The route lay up the Ottawa. Paul, an old Iroquois guide who knew every rock in the whole line of rajnds between Montreal and Hudson's Bay, Avas the pilot. On the 17th of June, the travelers arrived at Nor- way House, where they halted to enlist volunteers to guide and accompany them. The experts in wilderness life were reluctant at first to engage in the enterprise, but James McKay, a powerful High- lander and one of the best steersmen in the country, having consented to enlist, there was no further trouble in securing men. Among other applicants two Canadians, old acquaintances of Back's, came nearly breathless with haste, and were enlisted. 278 V ,i ! ,* i WOMAN 8 BIGHTS AT NORWAY HOUSE. 279 But, " there is many a slip between the cup and the lip." These Canadians had wives, and these wives thought they had rights, as surely they had. The different conduct of these women illustrates the two great methods by which the gentle sex enforce their rights. One, a good strapping dame, cuffed her husband's ears with such dexterity and good will, that he was fain to cvy peccavi and seek shelter in a friendly tent ; the other, an interesting girl of seven- teen, burst into tears, and with piteous sobs clung to the husband of her love, as if she would hold him prisoner in her arms. The result proved that each method was equally effectual, for Back lost the ser- vices of the men. Leaving Norway House on the 28th of June, and proceeding by the usual route. Back approached Cumberland House on the 5 th of July. The crew dressed themselves out in all their finery — silver bands tassels, plumes and feathers, intending to approach the station with some military effect ; but unfortunately for the poor fellows, the rain fell in torrents, their feathers drooped, and to complete their discomfitui'e they were obliged to walk in their crestfallen condi- tion for a mile in the mud before reaching the station. Tlie boats, stores, etc., were all in readiness for a start, and Capt. Back had the satisfaction of getting his two batteaux under way on the 0th of July. Each was laden with a cargo weighing over two tons, exclusive of men, bedding, and clothes. Yet with such steersmen as McKay and Sinclair, no apprehension was felt for their safety. Back lingered behind a day or two, and then advanced in his canoe with eight attendants under the pilotage of his skillful guide, De Charloit, a half- 17 280 THE BA'ITEAUX AND CANOES. breed, and soon overtook Dr. King with the large boats. The contrast between the rapidity of motion of the two parties was striking. The water M-as veiy low, and the cumbrous batteaux Avere dragged in some places laboriously a few paces at a time by the united exertions of those on board and those on shore. Sometimes unable to resist the force of the inpetuoua current they weie swept back; at others, suspended on the arched back of a wave, they stiuggled and labored until they were again in the shelter of some friendly eddy. But the canoe, frail as she Avas, was threaded through the boiling rapids and sunken rocks with fearful elegance. On the 21st of July, the party reached Portage la Loche, the high ridge of land which divides the waters running into Hudson's Bay from those Avliich direct their course to the Arctic Sea. Here a beauti- ful and picturesque view opened to their sight. A thousand feet below, the sylvan landscape lay spread out in all the wild luxuriance of its summer clothing. Even the most jaded of the party seemed to forget his weariness, and halted involuntarily to gaze with admiration on a spectacle so magnificent. On the 8th of August they reached Great Slave Lake and were welcomed at Fort Resolution. The remainder of the month was spent by Back in explor- ing this lake and searching for Great Fish River, called by the Indians Thlew-ee-choh, and now named in honor of our explorer, who was the first to descend it, Back's River. Many encampments of Indians were passed, whose occupants were employed in drying the flesh of moose recently killed. The hunters were lying at full length on the grass, whiffing the cherished pipe, India:! bUUMJOt ENCAMrMKNT. MlKJSK UlNTiyu — VI KdN lllVKH. P 1 I I w i ^1 '. ' y I' ' \ 11 A' \m or lounging a lich marr labors. Wo wliich were screaming i louder sere of their clii were half f plete the s ing themse canoes like was at the care, enjoy i and capacit than this ? On the 2 tributaries ( that pleasir bound of th ging, he thr( bearty drai returned to Lake where As winte; the vicinity "with herg turn, and st the snow, children, wl peculiarly di may or may in steel whi food." Back's j)i INDIAN SUMMER ENCAMPMENTS. 281 or lounging on their elbows i " watch the frizzling of a rich marrow bone, the customary perquisite of their labors. Women were lighting or tending the fires, over which were suspended rows of thinly sliced meat, some screaming to thievish dogs, and others with still louder screams, endeavoring to drown the shrill cries of their children, who, swaddled and unable to stir, were half suffocated with the smoke ; while to com- plete the scene, eight or ten boys at play, were aim- ing themselves over and under some white bark canoes like so many land dolphins. Their hapi)iness was at the full ; at that moment they were without care, enjoying themselves according to their nature and capacity. Is human happiness ever much more than this ? On the 29th of August, Back reached one of the tributaries of the Great Fish River, and yielding to that pleasing emotion which discoverers, in the first bound of their transport, may be pardoned for indul- ging, he threw himself down on the bank and drank a hearty draught of the limpid water. He then returned to winter-quarters at Fort Reliauce on Slave Lake where a house was erected. As winter came on the sufferings of the Indians in the vicinity were extreme. " Famine," says Back, "with her gaunt and bony arm pursued them at every turn, and strewed them lifeless on the cold bosom of the snow. Often did I share my own plate with the children, whose helpless state and piteous cries were peculiarly distressing. Compassion for the full-grown may or may not be felt, but that heart must be cased in steel which is insensible to the cry of a child for food." Back's party shared in the general distress and . y 'W if 'n r , 1 1, ^! 1 i'. 282 "llAISING THE DEVIL." could bestow but little on the wretched sufferers, who began to imagine that the instruments in the observatory kept the deer at- a distance and caused their sufferings. Even the voyageurs were superstitous- ly impressed, and on one occasion two of them listened by the fence built around the observatory, and hear- ing at intervals the words " now " and " stop/' always succeeded by silence, they turned hastily away and reported to their companions that they verily believed the captain was '' raising the devil." In November, the chief Akaitcho, the old acquaint- ance of Franklin, arrived very opportunely with some meat which was of great benefit to all. When he went away he took some of the starving Indians with him, and promised Back that he should not want as long as he had anything to send to the fort. And he kept his word, and during a most apalling period of suffering and calamity proved himself the firm friend of the expedition ; the dawn of each morning saw liim prepared for the hunt, and he boldly encountered every difficulty and made others act by the force of his example. In describing the scenes of this winter Back says :— — "No sooner had one party closed the door than another feeldy opened it, and confirmed by their half- famished looks and sunken eyes their heart-rending tale of sufferings. They spoke little, but crowded in silence around the fire, as if eager to enjoy the only comfort remaining to them, A handful of mouldy pounded meat which had been intended for the dogs was all we could give them ; and this, with the cus- tomary presentation of the friendly pipe, was suffi- cient to efface for a moment the recollection of tlieir sorrows, and even light up their faces with a smile of hope." i GAD FATE OF AUGUSTUS. 283 In March information came that Augustus, the Esquimaux interpi-eter and Back's old friend, hear- ing that he was in the country had set out to join him, and walked from Hudson's Bay to Fort Resolu- tion for that purpose. From this place he started with a Canadian and Iroquois, who were taking dispatches to Back ; but they all lost their way, and the couriers returned to the fort without Augustus, who had persisted in going on alone. In June the remains of the brave Esquimaux were found near the Riviere a Jean. " Such," says Back, " was the misera- ble end of poor Augustus ! — a faithful, disinterested, kind-hearted creature, who had won the regard not of myself only, but I may add of Sir John Frank- lin and Dr. Richardson also, by qualities, which, wherever found, in the lowest as in the highest forms of social life, are the ornament and charm of human- ity." On the 25th of April 1834, a messenger arrived with the glad tidings of the safe return of Ross and his party to England. Back, however, thought it his duty to explore Fish River, and on the 7th of June left Fort Reliance for this purpose, Thoucl; no longer stimulated with the desire to render iid and comfort to Ross, he was heartily glad to get away from scenes of suffering and death, and launch out again into stirring adventure. In descending the Fish River, eighty or ninety miles of the distance Avas a succession of fulls and rapids, keeping the men in a constant state of exertion and anxiety. Cataracts, too, obstructed their passage. In passing down one of these, where the river was full of rocks and boulders, the boat was obliged to be lightened. ■¥: Hi V 284 RUNNING THE RAPIDS. ill ?■ '\ "I stood," says Back, "on a higli rock, with an anxious heart, to see her run it. Away they went with the speed of an arrow, and in a moment the foam and rocks hid them from my view. I heard what sounded in my ear like a wild shriek ; I followed with an agitation which may be conceived, and, to my inexpressible joy, found that the shriek was the triumphant whoop of the crew, who had landed safely in a small bay below." Near the close of July, Back approached the mouth of the Fish Riv^er and discovered a majestic headland which he named Victoria. He thus sums up a gen- eral view of the tempestuous stream which he had successfully descended : — " This, then, may be considered as the mouth of the Thlew-ee-choh, which, after a violent and tortuous course of five hundred and thirty geographical miles, running through an iron-ri))T)ed countr}-, without a sin- gle tree on the whole line of its banks, expanding into fine large lakes with clear horizons, most embarrass- ing to the navigator, and broken into falls, cascades, and rapids to the number of no less than eighty- three in the whole, pours its waters into the Polar Sea in latitude 07^11' N., and longitude 'W 30^ W." Drift-ice was here encountered, and further prog- ress was slow, but on the 7th of Aiigust the party reached Point Ogle, the northern extremity of the land on the western side at the mouth of the estuary. From this }K)int portions of the coast of Boothia were seen to the northward. Further explorations by water were imj)ossible, but a party ])roeeeded westerly along the coast of the Arctic Ocean for about fifteen miles, in the direction of Cape Turn-again. The country was low, level and desolate and pro- A DESOLATE EEGION. 285 duced nothing but moss and fern, which was so wet that it would not burn. The weather was chilly, damp and foggy, and the situation of the explorery grew cheerless and miserable. Surrounded on every side by complete desolation, without fire or any kind of warm food, wnth heavy rains followed by thick snows, " it cunnot " says Back, " be a matter of aston- ishment, and much less of blame, that even the best men, benumbed in their limbs, and dispirited by the dreary and unpromising prospect before them, broke out for a moment into low murmuriugs that theirs' was a hard and painful duty." .■ . , . Back had now no choice but to start on the return journey, which was commenced the middle of August. Before setting out, the British flag was un l^^d, and saluted with three cheei-s " in honor of his iii >^f u^ra- cious majesty," and the name of William the Fourth's Land was given to this part of America. The many difficulties which had been experienced in going down the river were at least doubled in returning, but the explorers reached Fort Reliance in safety on the 27th of September. Preparations were inmiediately made for spending another winter in this dreary place. Hunting and fishing were the order of the day, and wood was collected to keep off the cold, which proved to be less severe than usual. About the last of May they gladly bade adieu to the inliospitable region, and reached Norway House on the 24th of June. Back returned home by way of Montreal and New York, and received many kind attentions during his journey through the United States. lie reached England in September, after an absence of over two and a half years, and was there honored by an audience with the king. (1 T' Mi \l w ' 1 I i! I" 1 ' I' I W: *i .-5 \:^m 286 VOYAGE IN THE " TERROR." Soon afterwards, the English admiralty decided to send out an expedition to complete the survey of the coast between Regent's Inlet and Point Turn- again, and for this purpose Captain Back sailed from England in the "Terror," with a crew of seventy- three men. Near the Savage Islands they encountered a fleet of kayaks and oomiaks, and were hailed by their occupants with vociferous cries of teyma. Back says that the conduct of the women was particularly outrageous ; besides disposing of their garments they offered to barter their children, and one of them noticing that an officer had but little hair on his head, offered to supply him with her own. Early in September, when near the entrance of Frozen Strait, the Terror was seized by the ice as with the grasp of a giant, and during the whole of that month was whirled backward and forward just as the wind or tide directed. " It was," says Back, " a month of vexation, disappointment, and anxiety, to me more distressing and intolerable than the worst pressure of the worst evils which had befallen me in any other expedition." It was soon evident that there could T)e no escape for several months, and that nothing could be done but to make the situation as comfortable as possible. Snow walls and galleries were built on the floes; and towards spi'ing, for amusement, some of the men cut figures of houses, forts, vessels, and men and women, from blocks of snow. Most of the crew could read, some could recite long passages of prose and poetry, others could sing ; and by bringing out the talents of each for the common benefit, the whole "were made at times comparatively happy. Thus di'ifting about and at times undergoing terrif II VOYAGE IN THE "TERROR." 287 ic nips, the Terror remained fast in the ice till the 11th of Jcly, when, after several clays spent by the crew in attempting to cut her free, a loud rum- bling noise was heard, and the ship broke her ice- bonds and slid gently into her own element ; but so much of the base of her ice cradle still clung to her, that she remained on her beam ends for three days after. Nothing now remained but to get home as soon as possible with the crazy, broken and leaky Terror, and the voyage thither was as perilous as her encoun- ters with the ice had been. On reaching the coast of Ireland, the ship was run ashore in a sinking con- dition, and could hardly have floated a day longer. She was afterwards refitted, and with her and the Erebus, James C. Ross made his explorations in the Southern Seas. Subsequently, Franklin and his lost expedition sailed in the same famous ships. The ice-drift experiences of the Terror much resem- ble those of the Advance and Rescue while searching for Franklin — a full history whereof is given in Dr. Kane's narrative of the First American Expedition. ' fil! I I ,'iii ! !i V I. CHAPTER XXI. LAND EXPEDITIONS OF DBASE AND SIMP- SON, AND RAE. As a considerable extent of the northern coast of America still remained imexplored, the Hudson's Bay Company determined, in 1836, to equip an expedi- tion of tAvelve men under the lead of two of its own officers— i*eter W. Dease and Thomas Simpson. The latter was a young and well-educated Scotchman who had resided in the territory since 1829 ; he Avas full of zeal for scientific discovery, and the astronomer and historian of the expedition. Before setting out, Mr. Simpson spent several months at the Red River Settlement, situated near the 50th parallel at an elevation of eight or nine hun- dred feet above the sea, w'hich then stretched for upwards of fifty miles along the Avooded borders of the Red and Assinoboine Rivers which flow through a level country of vast extent. There was no specu- lative motive to induce him to color his picture of this region, and he may the more readily be relied on when he states, that the climate is salubrious, the soil good, horses, cattle, hogs and poultry numerous ; and that wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes thrive well in the vast Red River Valley. This testimony shouM 288 i,,ri *M| 'I t remove tlie recent trav give glovvi consideratic Mr. Simj ber for his dred and s( starting poi three sledg< as drivers, lay over tli quently th< moose-deer 80 deep t] travelers, his compan The trav on the 1st Slave Lak( at finding till the 21s with hnnt mirasje of t Indians, j which the sport, and being the without th midnight, i to exertion Fort Nc on the 1st at the moil joyous ch( 11 A WINTER S JOURNEY. 289 remove the suspicions which some have, that more recent travelers in this section have been induced to give glowing descriptions thereof from mercenary- considerations. • . ' • • ' Mr. Simpson left this colony on the 1st of Decem- ber for his winter journey of one thousand two hun- dred and seventy-seven miles to Fort Chipewyan, the starting point of the expedition. A gay cariole and three sledges drawn by dogs, with three picked men as drivers, made up the retinue. Much of the route lay over the frozen channels of the streams, and fre- quently the tinklings of the dog-bells roused the moose-deer from their lairs. At times the snow was so deep that snow-shoes had to be worn by the travelers. Fort Chipewyan, where Mr. Dease awaited his companion, was reached on the fii'st of February. The travelei's took their departure from this place on the 1st of June 1837, and on reaching Great Slave Lake, ten days afterwards, were disappointed at finding it covered with ice which detained them till the 21st of June — ^a delay which they beguiled with hunting, and with observing the wonderful mirage of tliis region and the games and sports of the Indians. A dance was also given to the men in which the Indian women joined. It furnished much sport, and was concluded with a genei'ous supper, tea being the only beverage. The games of the people without the fort were generally at their height at midnight, when the coolness of the atmosphere incited to exertion. Fort Norman on the Mackenzie River was reached on the 1st of July, and on the 9th, the Arctic Ocean at the mouth of the river was seen, and saluted with joyous cheers. As the season was favorable, the in li if iil 290 ON THE COASTS OF ALASKA. r' m \l''4 explorers proceeded westerly along the coast, and on the 23d of July arrived at Return Reef, where Frank- lin had been stopped. Beyond this was unexplored territory. Pushing on, they discovered the mouth of a river and named it the Colville. They supposed it to be a large one, for it freshened tlie waters of the ocean to a distance of three leagues. Their conclusions were right, for the Colville Rivei*, now in the United States territory of Alaska, has since been ascertained to be a thousand miles long. They also discovered another noble river, the Garry, whose mouth was a mile in width. Though the ground was frozen four inches deep, a few flowers cheered the eye of the travelers. On the Ist of August the party had arrived within two degrees of Point Barrow, the most eastern point reached by the barge of the Blossom. As further progress was here prevented by the ice, Simpson with five com- panions pushed on afoot, and on the 4th had the great satisfaction of seeing the long, low spit of land called Point Barrow stretching to the northward. On reaching it, they unfurled the British flag with three cheei-s and took possession of this gravelly cape in the name of their king. The last portion of the journey to Point Barrow had been made in an oomiak which was borrowed of a party of Esquimaux met on the way. The landing at Point Barrow was made at a place half way between a winter village and summer camp of the natives, and in the vicinity was an immense cemetery, where the remnants of humanity lay on the ground in the usual seal-skin clothing. The natives were generally friendly, but thievish. Having reached the limit of their explorations in DOWN ESCAPE nAPID. 291 this direction, the whole party returned to winter- quarters at Great Bear Lake. In the summer of 1838 they again commenced their travels, and on the 25th of June were nearing the mouth of the Cop]ieiTnine. Franklin had descended the lower part of this river when it had fallen to its summer level, hut Dease and Simpson were swept down it by the spring flood, in which floated cakes of ice, while the banks were piled up with pondrous fragments. Mr. Simpson thus descnbes some of the perils of the passage : — " The day was bright and lovely as we shot down rapid after rapid, in many of which we had to pull for our lives, to keep out of the suction of the preci- pices, along whose base the breakers raged and foamed with overwhelming fury. Shortly before noon we came in sight of Escape Rapid of Franklin, and a glance at the overhanging cliffs told us that there was no alternative but to run down with a full cargo. In an instant we were in the vortex, and, before we were aware, my boat was borne towards an isolated rock, which the boiling su i-ge almost concealed. To clear it on the outside was no longer possible. Our only chance of safety was to nin between it and the lofty eastern cliflf. The word was passed, and every breath was hushed. A stream, which dashed down upon us over the brow of the precipice, more than a hundred feet in height, mingled with the spray that whirled upward from the rapid, fonning a terrific shower-bath. The pass was about eight feet wide, and the error of a single foot on either side would liave been instant destruction. As, guided by Sin- clair's consummate skill, the boat shot safely through those jaws of death, an involuntary cheer arose." On the Ist of July the party reached the sea, and li i: ! W. ' m\i 292 WINTER-QUABTEBS ON GREAT BEAR LAKE. m >'i^ on tlie 17tli they started to coast along Its slioros to the eastward. On arriving, about the 10th of August, in the vicinity of Point Turn-again the Ijoats were arrested by ice. On the 2()th, Simpson a\ ith seven men started on a walk along the coast. On the 23d they came to an elevated rocky ridge which was named Cape Alexander. On ascending it, a vast and splendid pr(>spect burst suddenly upon the travelers. The sea, as if transformed by enchantment, rolled its free waves at their feet, and extended to the eastward as far as could be seen. Islands of various sha])es and sizes overspread its surface ; and the northern land terminated to the eye in a bold and lofty cape thirty or forty miles distant. On the extensive land to the northward, Simpson bestowed the name of Victoria, and he called its eastern extremity Cape Pelly. After surveying nearly one hundred and fc^rty miles of new coast easterly of Point Turn-again, the foot party returned to the boats. Early in September tlie return journey up the Coppermine was commenced, and on the 14th of that month Fort Confidence, the old winter-quarters on Great Bear Lake, was safely reached. Here the winter of 1838-0 was passed by the explorers, and in June 1839, undaunted by the dan- gers and privations of the previous season, they again started on their third successive visit to the Arctic Sea. i . On the 3d of July their boats emernred from the Coppcnnine, and sailing eastward the party encamped on the 26th at Cape Alexandei-. Continuing their voyage, they discovered, on the 10th of August, a strait three miles wide through which they passed. Three days afterward, they were delighted at reaching Cape Ogle at the mouth of the Great Fish River. Ti^n KETURN TO RED RIVER SETTLEMENT. 293 All the olg'ects for which the expedition was fitted out had now been accomjuished. The noithei ii limits of America to the westward of the Great Fish or Back's lli\ er had been surveyed, but it still remained a questiou whether Boothia might not he tinited to the continent on the other side of the estuary. So the jmrty pushed on to a point distant about two degrees from Point Ogle, where they came to the mouth of a river, which they named the Castor and Pollux after their two boats. This river was the limit of their eastern explorations. In returning to the Coppermine River they crossed over to the northern side of the strait, and traced the southern coast of King William's Island for about sixty miles till it turned to the north at Cape Ilerschel, distant ninety miles from the magnetic pole. Along these same dreary coasts the party of Sir John Frank- lin attempted to make good their retreat a])out ten years later ; and one of his boats, with skeletons, guns, etc., was subsequently found some distance above Cape Herschel. The explorei's also surveyed the coasts of Victoria Land for a long distance, and reached the Copj)ermine on the 16th of September, having made a voyage of over sixteen hundred miles on the Polar Sea — the longest one ever made thereon in ojien boats. Mr. Simpson left Fort Confidence on the 26tli of September, 1839, and after a journey of 1910 miles made on foot within sixty-one days, he arrived at Red River Settlement early in February, 184(». Here he remained waiting for authority from England to pro- ceed on a new expedition which he had proposed to lead. Deeply mortified at not receiving answers to his dispatches as soon as he expected them, he left 294 MR. SIMPSON MURDERED. Vil the settlement on the 6tli of June with a party of half-breeds and settlers, intending to cross the pvaines to St. Peter's on the Mississippi lliver, and thenc* proceed to England. Mr. Simpson subsequently went on ahead with four men, and beyond this all that is known with certainty is, that on the 13th of June Simpson shot two of his companions; that the other two rejoined the larger party, and that a portion thereof went to his encampment on the next morning and killed him. Whether he shot the two men in self-defence oi- when suffering under a temporary hallucination of mind was never known by his friends. Messrs. Dease and Simpson supposed that they had sailed to the eastward of Boothia, and that the isth- mus which Koss said connected Boothia with the continent, did not exist. To explore the coast line which was, in consequence of their discoveries, believ- ed to extend from the Castor and Pollux easterly to the Fury and liecla Strait — whose waters connect with Hudson's Bay — the Hudson's Bay Company sent out an expedition in 1846 under Dr. John Rae. Dr. llae, with twelve men and two boats, left Port York on the 12th of June, and coasted northerly along the westerly shores of Hudson's Bay. On the 24th of July they anchored at the head of Repulse Bay. They then proceeded northerly, taking one boat with them, over an isthmus interspersed with lakes, forty- ihree miles to Committee Bay, the southerly extrem- ity of Pi-ince Regent's Inlet. Finding that the rea- son was too far advanced to complete tlie survey that year, Rae determined, vnth a bolduess and con- fidence ill his own resources that has never been sur- passed, to winter in Repul se Bay, and to finish his DR. Rave's explorations. 295 explorations on tlie Ice the next spring. lie therefore recrossed the isthmus with his boat, and set about collecting pi-ovisions and fuel for a ten months' winter. To one less exj^erienced and hardy, the desolate shores of. Repulse Bay would havj forbidden such an attempt. They yielded neither drift-wood nor slirub- by plants of any kind ; but Dr. Rae employed part of his men to gather the "withered stems of a small herbaceous plant which grew in abundance on the rocks, and to pile it in cocks like hay: otliers lie set to build a house of stone and earth called Fort Hope ; while lie and his Es({uimaux interpreter were occu- pied ill killing deer for winter food. Early in April, 1847, llae and part of his men started with sledges draAvn by dogs, and after again reaching Committee Bay, traveled northerly' along its western shore, and on the 18th reached the Lord Mayor's Bay of Sir John Ross, on whose shores the crew of the lost Victory so long resided. This jour- ney ju'oved that Ross Avas right in supposing that Boi^tlna Avas connected with the continent. No attempt was made to pnK^eed westerly to the Castor and Pollux, and the i)arty immediately set out on their return to Fort Hope. On the 12th of May Rae started to examine the eastern coast of Committee Bay, and on tlie 27tli had reached his farthest point at a headland, which he called Capo Crozier, situated about twenty miles south of the Avest end of the Fury and Ilecla Strait. He then returned to Repulse Bay, and the whole party arrived safely at Foi't Churchill on the last day of August. The entire expedition had been an emi- nently successful one, and proved that Dr. Rae was well calculated for an Arctic exidorer. 18 ii f' .!! f t I ; :: ■> 'A-' ./;;i; 'la J, ivii ii i.f- ■ ■ • 1 . /. (1 ( :j ! I^i CHAPTER XXn. SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S LAST VOYAGE, WITH A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. One of the most enthusiastic and indefatigable ex- plorers of the Arctic regions of this, or any other age, was Sir John Franklin. His history as an eminent navigator, — his persistent, cheerful zeal for the accom- plishment of a favorite object through obstacles, dan- gers, and oftentimes intense suflering,won for him the admiration and respect of the civilized world ; and especially has the uncertainty of his fate excited an almost universal interest. John Franklin was born at Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England, April 16th, 1786. He was the youngest son of a respectable farmer in moderaio circumstances, with a family of twelve children to provide for and educate. John was intended by his parents for the Church, and at an early age was placed in a grammar school to prepare ultimately for the ministry. But his tastes led him in a different direction. He had a passion for the sea. While a school-boy at Louth, he took advantage of a holiday to walk twelve miles, with a companion, to look at the ocean, which he then beheld for the first time. The effect upon his mind was wonderful. He gazed upon it for hours with emotions of intensci deUght, and from that day his 206 w. KTr LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. 297 heart bunied us it never did before, to trace its bound- aries and explore its mysteries. His father, thinking liis son carried away by a boy- ish romance, and tliat he had no idea of the unpoet- ical shade of a sailor's life, hoped that a little expe- rience of its hardships and discomforts would break the charm, and cure him of his folly. Accoidingly he gave John permission to make a voyage in a merchant vessel to Lisbon. But the e:cperiment proved an un- fortunate one, so far as the fathf;r's wishes were con- cerned, for it only served to intensify the boy's passion for a sea-faring liff" Mr. Franklin, becoming convinced that it was useless to attempt any longer to change the propensity of his son, yielded to his wishes, and procured for him a position in the navy aa a midship- man, at the age of fourteen, He was placed on board the Polyphemus, a ship of the line, and sen'ed in her at the battle of Copenhagen, Apiil 2d, 1801. During the engagement, a young midshipman and comrade was shot dead standing by his side. In the ensuing summer he was more pleasantly em- ployed on board the Investigator, a government ship commanded by his cousin, Captain Flinders, who was commissioned to explore the coasts of Australia. After nearly two years spent in this service, which was an excellent preparatory school to qualify him for future pursuits, he with the officers and crew sailed for home in the Porpoise, a store-ship — the Investi- gator having been condemned as unseaworthy. But the Porpoise, shortly after leaviug port, was wrecked upon a reef about two hundred miles from Australia. Here he and his companions renuiined fifty days, upon a small sand-bank, until relief came to them from Port Jackson. The crew was now dis- : 1 1 ;! I; I .u ■I 'V ! i 298 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. p -i llvil liiii persed, and Franklin was taken to Canton, where he obtained a passage to England on board an armed lu- diaman. On their way home they were attacked by a French man-of-war, which, after a severe conflict, was compelled to retire in a crippled condition. Dur- ing the battle, young Franklin distinguished himself for bravery and efficiency. On reaching England he was ordered to join the ship- of the-line, Bellerophon, and in 1805 took part in the memorable battle of Trafalgar, in which he discharged •^.lie responsible duties of signal midshipman, with re- markable coolness and courage, in the midst of a hot ai\d most destructive fire from the enemy's sharp-shoot- ern. Of forty persons who stood around him on the potip of the ship, many fell, and only seven escaped uni urt. Subsequent to this, he served six years on board the Bedford, on various stations, the last of which was on the coast of the United States, during the war of 1812 -15. He commanded the boats of the Bedford in a battle with the American gun-boats at New Orleans, one of which he boarded and captured, though at the expense of a severe wound. For his gallantry in tliis action, he was promoted to a lieutenancy. In 1818 Franklin made his first Arctic voyage as commander of the Trent, and with Captain Buchim attempted to sail over the North Pole. In 181!) he started on his first great overland journey to the shores of the Arctic Ocean, which occupied about throe years. In 1823 he was married to Eleanor Porden, daugli- ter of an eminent architect, a lady of superior abil- ities, who distinguished herself at a very early age by her remarkable attainments in Greek and Latin, LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. 299 and also in several modern lann;uages. She was also a proficient in botany, chemistry, and geology. She ■was, in addition, a poetess of no ordinary promise. In 1818. she published the "Arctic Expedition" — a poem. This led to her acquaintance Avith Franklin, to whom she was united in marriage in 1823. About a year and a half after his marriage, Frank- lin Ava.s appointed to the command of another over- land expedition to the Arctic Ocean. The appoint- ment, though in accordance with his chivalric enthusi- astic nature, was, in one respect, very inopportune. His devoted wife was in a rapid decline, and evidently drawing near her end. When the day assigned for his departure arrived, she was lying at the point of death. To leave her, in such circumstances, was like tearing out his heart-strings ; but she insisted that he should not delay his departure an hour on her account, and as he took his leave of her, she, Avith a kiss, gave him as a parting gift, a silk flag, with a request that he would hoist it on reaching the Polar Sci, which he did. She died, much lamented, the day after her husl)and left England. On his return from his two overland journeys, Franklin published narratives thereof; no one can read them without deep respect and admiration for the l)rave Christian spirit which sustained him and his cornp.Miions during the most appalling hardships. The most interesting portions of these narratives have been given in preceding chapters. in 1828, Franklin was married to Miss Jane Gi'iffin, (laughter of John Grillin Esq., and born about 1800. ^^he still survives, and has distinguished herself the world over, by her public spirit, and her indomitable perseverance in search of her lost husband. In the i! ?WT )| i, ir riij mm r1 X ! ■»i; ; f . ; r< Hi if 1)1 Ii ii 300 LIFE OF SIR JOUN FRANKLIN. ! * ^5 same year he published a narrative of his second ex- pedition, which did him much credit. In the follow- ing year he was knighted, and received an honorary degree from the University of Oxford, and a gold medal from a learned society in Paris. In 1830, Sir John, as he was from that time called, was put in eomniand of the Rainbow, and ordered to cruise in the Mediterranean. While absent, he had opportunity of rendering important service to the Greek?, who were then struggling to throw off the Turkish yoke, under which they had long been sorel}' oppressed. In recognition of his kindness. King Otho decorated him with the cross of the "Kedoemcr of Greece." Probably no commander of a ship ever paid more attention to the comfort of those ])laced mider him than Franklin, and the sailors expressed their sense of his kindness by calling his vessel the " Celes- tial II{iinl)OW," and "Franklin's Paradise." In 183o, he was appointed governor of Van Die- men's Land, which position he held till 1843. His ad- ministration in this colony was remarkablj'' popular and useful. He originated, and executed many impor- tant measures for the benefit ot the eolonlsts, for which they made both public and private demonstra- tions of their gratitude. He founded a college and endowed it largely from his own funds, to be < on- ducted on the most liberal principles, without distinc- tion of sect. When he resigned his office and returned to England, universal regret was expressed by the people of the co'ony. On the day of his departure, a more numcr- O is gathering than had ever been seen on ihe island, attended him to the ship, and lie was much gratified by receiving complimenLary and affectionate addresses a passage ^\ franklin's last voyage. 301 from every district in the colony. As evidence of the affection these remote colonists cherished for him, they, years afterward, spontaneously raised nearly $10,000, and forwarded it to Lady Franklin to aid her in fitting out an expedition to search for her missing husband. Notwithstanding the numerous unsuccessful at- tempts to discover a North-west passage to the Pacific Ocean, it was still the firm belief of scientific men that such a passage did exist, and the desire to solve the problem of centuries was undiminished ; ultliough reasonable men hud long been convinced that if such a passage was found, the dangers and difficulties of navigating the Northern seas were so great as to pre- clude the use of it for purposes of commerce. Engliuul especially was ambitious of the honor of proclaiming to the world that the great question was settled, and was also actuated by a more laudable desu'e to promote the interests (>f science. Although she had already expended much treasure, and sacrificed many valuable lives in the imdertaking which hud long been the dream of her philosophers, she determined to make another attempt to accomplish it. Accordingly, in 1845, the two ships, the "Erebus" and " Terror," in which Sir Joiin Clarke Ro.ss had just returned (rom his career of discovery in the Southern seas, were fitted out. Both were of moderate size, and renowned for their fitness to encounter ice. They were now provided witli suudl steam engines and screw propellers, and a three years' supply of every thing that could contribute lo the healtii and comfort of voyagers in the Arctic regions. The vessels were also furnished with ship-stox'es, tools, nautical instruments^ fire-arms, and a large supply ot amunitiou ; in shorf^ I.-. ! ■' s M: ■ ,f- t:n 302 FRANKLIN S LAST VOYAGE. .l',f U i with every thing imagination and experience could suggest, that would be neediiil for ofhcer.s and crew. It was hardly a question with the Admiralty, who should be a{)i)ointed to the command of this enter- prise, — it was Sir John Franklin, of course. No other man in England was better qualified for this impor- tant and perilous undertaking. lie had talent, sound judgment, kindness of heart, large experience, and had lost none of his youthful enthusiasm for adventure, although nearly sixty years of age. The achievement of a " North-west passage " had been the day-dream of his life, and he was glad of an opportunity to make another attempt for the realization of his long-cher- ished hopes. He unhesitatingly accepted the ap- pointment. The second in command was Captain Francis R. M. Crozier, a bold and experienced navigator, who had been with Parry in all his northern voyages, and was second officer in command of the Antarctic expedition under Ross. Crozier was appointed captain of the Terror, and Franklin sailed in the Erebus. The crews of these two vessels, amounting in all, including offi- cers, to one hundred and thirty-eight souls, were picked men, hardy, experienced, bold, reliable, and enthusiastic. Franklin was instructed to proceed through Lancas- ter Sound, and westward in the latitude of 74 i" until he reached the longitude of 98° west. From that point he was to penetrate to the southwest towards Behring's Straits. The ships sailed on the 19th of May, 1845, accom- panied by a tender with additional supplies. This tender was dismis.sed in Davis's Strait, and letters from the officers and crew carried back — the last ever re- franklin's last voyage. 303 ceived from them. One of the men wrote as follows : — "I need hardly tell you how much wo arc all delighted with our captain. He lia.s, I am sure, won not only the respect but the love of every per.son on board, by his amiable manner and kindness to all ; and his influence is always employed for some good purpose, both among the oHicers and men. lie takes an active part in everything that goes on." A letter which Sir John wrote to his friend Colonel Sabine, contained the following : — "I hope my dear wife and daughter will not be over- anxious if we should not return l^y the time they have fixed upon ; and I must beg of you to give them the benefit of your advice and experience when that time arrives, for you know well that without success in our object, even after the second winter, we should wish to try some other channel if the state of our provis- ions and tlie health of the crews justify it" The ships started northward iigain on the 13th of July ; on the 2&th of July they wore spoken near lat- itude 75° by the whaler Prince of Wales, which was boarded by seven officers of the expedition, who in- vited the captain to dine with Sir John on the follow- ing day. But as a breeze favorable for the wualer sprang up in the night, its captain set sail without receiving on board any of the letters which the ex- plorers doubtless intended to give him before he left them. When the Prince of Wales left the two ships, they were moored to an ice-berg. This was the last ever seen of the " Erebus " and " Terror," and the last direct intelligence that has been received from Sir John Franklin and his men to this day. Years elapsed before any indication of their fate or the faintest trace of the lost explorers were discovered. .1! I ii H I lit 'I A.' u ■' 'if ; CHAPTER XXIII. SEARCHES FOR SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (expeditions of 1848.) As the year 1847 drew to a close wltlioiit Lriiiging any intelligence from Franklin, great solicitude fur his safety was felt in England, and the government resolved to send out three distinct expeditions to search for him. Each of these was to have its own independent route, but all were to converge toward the Arctic Archipelago, through whose intricate and unex}dored channels and sounds Franlclin was supposed to be striving to force his way. One of these expe- ditions was to sail direct to Lancaster Sound, and follow in the track of the missing shii)s; another was to ])roceed overland down the ^Mackenzie River, and examine the coasts of the continent ; and the third was to go by ^vixy of Bering's Straits. The command of the first named expedition was given to Ca])tain James C. Ross, who sailed from Englanil, June 12th, 1848, with two ships, the Enter- prise ixui\ Investigator — the latter })elng commanded by Captain E. J. Bird. Each ship was provided with a steam launch. The passage through Balllu's Bay was difficult and tedious, and Lancaster Sound was not reached till nearly the last of August, At its 304 JAMES C. R088 8 EXPEDITION, 305 entrance and wliile Hailing along its coasts, the shores M'ere carefully scrutinized for traces of Franklin. Guns were fired when foggy ; rockets and lights were fre(iuently burned ; and casks containing information for the benefit of the missing men Avere daily thrown overl )oard. On the Ist of September, Ross re.-i' lied Cape York at the east side of the entrance to Prim-e llegent's Inlet. He then ci'ossetl the inlet, and coasted the northern shores of Barrow's Strait, far enough to see that Wellington Channel was firmly frozen. On the 11th of Se])tember he with great dllliculty reached Port Leo})old, ^vhich is situated at the junction of the four great channels, Lancaster Sound, Bariow's Strait, Wellington Channel, and Pi-ince Pegent's In- let. The next day the ice-pack closed the mouth of the harbor and the exj)edition was fast for the winter, Avhii'h the crews })assed in a comfortable manner. Over fifty white foxes were taken alive dui'ing the season in traps constructed of casks, and after being fitted to copper collars ni)on which were engi-avedthe position of the shijis and provision depots, they were set at libeity, in the hope that some of them might be caught by Frardclin's men. On the 15th of May, lloss and Lieut. McClintock with twelve men, made a journey to the south, and examined the northern and western shores of North Somerset, but found no ti-aces of Franklin, and the party returned to the ships, June 2.')d, in an ex- hausted condition. In their absence other unsnccess- ful searches had been made, and one party visited the house on Fury Point in which Sir John lloss passed the winters of 1832-3. It was now midsummer, but the Enterprise and i.'-i hi 30G 8p:arciies for franklin. ml i it :IW Investigator were still Woclvaded hy the ice, Piepn- rations for leaving Avere however made, and, as a refuge for lost exjdorers, a house covered with can- vas was erected on the shore of spars and oilier nia- tei'ial. A large 8n]iply of provisions \vas ntored therein ; and one of the launches was put in good order, to be left behind. After an inijirisonnient in the ice of one year less fourteen days, the ships were lilierated on the 28t}i of August, and steered toward the northern sliore of Barrow's Strait ; but they were soon surrounded hy ice, and it seemed i)rolni])le that they would remain therein for another winter. Soon afterward, however, the whole body of ice began to drive to the eastward, and the ships were carried with it through Lancaster Sound and down the westerly shores of BafHn's B i)'. Here a great number of icebergs stretched across the path, and ])resented the crews a fearful prospect of the destruction of their vessels. But when least ex- pected by them, the great ice-floe was rent into innu- merable fragments, as if by some imseen jxnver, and the vessels Mere released from its gi'asp. But it was evident that the hunt of the Enteiprise and Investigator was over for that season ; so they v.'ere turned homeward, and reached Enj^land in Noveml)er IS-tO. The searchers had found no clue as to -where the lost explorers were, but had learned of some places where they were not. The overland search for Franklin was entrusted to Sir John Kichardson assisted by Dr. John Rae. These gentlemen left Liverpool ]\[arch 25th, 184S, and reached the Hudson's Bay Com])any tei'T'itory, via New York and Mcmtreal. Proceeding thence to Great Slave Lake by the usual rout*^, they crossed it, llICHAnDSON AND KAK*8 EXrKDITION. 307 and entered the Mackenzie River, July 21st. The sea waa readied early in August, and here Escjuimanx were met in great numbers — all anxious to trade, or steal, as ()])iH)rtunity offered ; but of Franklin or his shijjs they knew nothing. After <'ntering the Arc-tie Ocean, Tllchard son coasted eastward for some eight hundred miles, lioping to reach and ascend the Coppermine llivtu'; bat when near its mouth, ice prevented further ju-ogi-css of the boats, and tlu'y were hauled into a safe jMwition, as far as the elements Avere C(mcerned, and abandoned Avith nearly all their contents. It was sul)se(|uently ascertained that the goods were ai)i»ropi-iated ])y the Esquimaux, who also destroyed the boats to secure the iron and copper used in their construction. The party now proceeded on foot to the Copper- mine lliver and up its valley, and reached Fort Con- fidence on Great Bear Lake, Sept. lath. Here they passed the winter. The next summer. Dr. Kae with six men descended the Coj)permine for the ]nir{)ose of searching the coasts of Wollaston and Victoria Land; but the strait was so full of ice that he could not cross it, and the party returned to Fort Confidence at the close of August. Dr. Richardsou left the fort on the 7th of May, and reached Liverpool in Novem- ber after an absence of nineteen months. Not the slightest information of Franklin had been obtained; but provisions and letters Avere buried in several places, and signal posts indicating thi' i>reciNe s])ots set up to attract the attention of the castaways if they chanced to come that Avay. The expedition ])y Avay of Bering's Strait Avas put under command of Captain Henry Kellett, of the ship Herald, which was then in the Pacific. On i I • ■WSWWPl^B"" 308 SEAKCIIES FOR FRANKL». ISi 'j \i Hi receiving instructions from home to that effect, Kel- lett proceeded to Kotzebiie Sound, but returned to winter at the Sandwich Islands. Another vessel, the Phjver, commanded by Thomaa E. L. Moore, started from England January 1st, 1848, to join tlie Herald, and passed the winter of 1848-9 at Noovel, Kam- chatka. On the 14th of July, 1849, the Plover anchored off Chamisso Island, Kotzebue Sound, the appointed rendezvous, where she was joined the next day by the Herald, and by the yacht Nancy Dawson, in wdiich its owner, Robert Shedden, had started on a pleasure trip around the world. While in Cliina, Mr. Shedden heard of the intended expedition, and resolved to Join it in the search for Franklin. On the 18th, the three vessels sailed north and on the 25th had reached Icy Cape. At this ])oint an expedition of four boats under Lieut. Pullei.i, accom- panied by the yacht, proceeded up the coast ns far as Dease's Inlet. The yacht and two of the boats then returned to the ships, Avhich meantime liad r*i\iised to the north until ice was encountt-rt-d. Lie it. Pullen, with the other two boats, continued the search easterly to the mouth of the Mackenzie, whic-h he ji^c<'nded, reaching Fort Simpson on the l-'Uh of October. Here he wintered ; and in the following season lie descend- ed the river, and remained on the sea coast till the first of Sej)tember. Returning to Fort Simpson he proceeded to England, .'ind again joined in the search as commander of the North Star. In S<'})tember, the three \essels rendezvoused in Kotzebue Sound, and on the 29th of^that month, leaving the Plover to winter there, the Herald and the Nancy Dawson started soxith. The gallant Shed- THE HERALD AND PLOVER. 309 den, who had token an active and daring part in the sinnnier's search, died at Mazatlan fs )on afterwiird. In July, 1850, the Herahl again j /ined the Plover at the rendezvous, and the two vessels started north together, Lut on encountering ice separated. The coast between Icy Cape and Point Barrow Avas care- fully examined hj the Plover. The two vessels met again in August, and fell in with the Enterprise — Captain Collinson — wl ich had just arrived to join in the search. When winter came on the Herald sailed for England, and the Plover anchored in Grantley llarLor, At a subsequent date the Plover also re- turned home. i i >i mim ill*, "I n >i I 'J ||ll J - *i ■( li I i ''A- Plii 11! J W .1 i i 1 1 ; 1 ■ ' ' 1 ! »7W|PW^WI^W" CHAPTER XXIV. SEARCHES FOR SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (expeditions of 1850.) Frv'E years had now elapsed since Franklin left England, and not a -word had been heard from liim since the Prince of Wales parted from the Erebus and Terror in Baffin's Bay. Hopes were howev^er enter- tained that the missing explorers were still alive, and the desire to rescue them became intense. The search, in which the United States now joined, was accord- ingly renewed with increased vigor. Several fresh expeditions were dispatched from England to the scene of action. One of them consisting of two ships, tlie Enterprise and Investigator, under Collinson and McClure, sailed for Bering's Strait, via Cape Horn ; and t)thers, whose history is given in this chapter, took tlie old route up Baffin's Bay. The most important of these expeditions via Baffin's Bay, was entrusted to the command of Captain II. T. Austin, and comprised two ships — the Resolute and Assistance — and two screw steamers — the Pioneer and Intre|)id. These vessels were commanded respect- ively by Captain Austin, Ca^jtain E Onminney, Lieut. S. Oslx.rne, and Lieut. B. Cator. Caj)(ain Austin's squadron sailed from England in May, 18D0, its par- iilO •J' ticular miss ton Chann€ The seas navigation, ville Bay, d The Assist? tion of the i reached Ca Channel, w lost expedit ing vessels, shared in tli Soon afte were in th( Beechey Isl were found and the gra\ tliat the ere' made their Advance, ca lin, and las subse(|uent Leaving tin's squadiN Island and frozen in tin excui'siuns \ Onnnaney ^\ teen sledges — two hun< t'.xplored. sails were large kites \ liigh, these AUSTIN S SQUADRON. 311 ticular mission being to search the shores of Welling- ton Channel, and Melville Island. The season proved an unfavorable one for Arctic navigation, and the ships, being beset l)y ice in Alel- ville Bay, did not reach Lancaster Sound till August. The Assistance and Intrepid undertook the examina- tion of the north shores of this sound, and on the 23d reached Cape Riley, at the entrance to AVellington Channel, where were found the first traces of the lost expedition. The Rescue, one of the U. S, ex])lor- ing vessels, Avas also at Cape Riley at the time and shared in this discovery. Soon afterward several ships of other expeditions Avere in the neighborhood of Cape Riley ; and on Beecliey Island, three miles distant from the cape, were found very interesting relics of Franklin's party, and the graves of three of liis men. All went to slunv that the crcAvs of the Erebus and TeiTor had here made their first winter-quarters. Dr. Kane, of the Advance, carefully examined all these traces of Frank- lin, and his descriptions thereof will be found in a siibseipient chajiter of this book. Leaving Beechey Island and sailing westerly, Aus- tin's squadron reached a position bet\veen CoruAvallis Island and (Iriffitb's Island where the vessels were frozen in the ice fur the wintei'. In the spring, sledge oxcui'.sions were made along Parry's Strait, (-aj)tain Oinmaney m ith one hundred and fou'' men and four- teen sledges, traveled four hundred and eighty miles — two hundred and five of which hii 1 never been explored. In this Journey, occupying sixty days, sails were occasionally hoisted on the sledgt's, and large kites were also attached. When the wind w;is high, these aids propelled the sledgi; very rapidly, w i.-lu^- M2 SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN-, ii l|i| and the wliole of the party then rode ; but when the wind fell, tlie sledges, with their provisions and stores, had to be dragged l)y main force over the ice Ijy the men harnessed to them. A second sledge excursion, under Lieut. McClin- tock, traveled seven hundred and sixty miles, discov- ered forty miles of coast, and achieved the fui'thest westing that had ever been attained in this part of the Polar Sea — a point in latitude 74'' 38^ and longi- tude ll^'' 20 ^ To the north of Bank's Land and at a distance of about seventy miles, he discovered a range of land apparently running nearly due Avest. Following the coast of Melville Island to the north- east, he entered Liddon Gulf, and here saw fragnients of coal of good quality. In June he found Parry's encampment of 1820, and the " strong but light cart" in which Parry carried his tent and stores, and the kettle containing the cylinder in which was enclosed Pai'iy's record. Placing the kettle over the fire, the cylinder was thawed out and the record cai'efuUy unfolded ; but nothing but the date could be distin- guished. McClintock then struck across the land to Winter Harbor, another of Parry's encampments, which evidently had not been visited since 1820. The inscription there cut on a large sandstone boul- der was still legible. On the Gth of June he started to return to the ship, and reached it July 4th. These searches having resulted in firulinfj; no traces of the p]rel)us and Terror west and north of the mouth of "Wellington Channel, Austin concluded that they had probably steered for the Polar Sea through .lones" Sound, and he therefore visited that locality with his two steamers. After going up the sound some forty- five miles he was arrested by a fixed banier of ict . Mhen Vance, Ross years made winter( Wh( rier pi; stilted hu. in a West gf would sift JOHN ROSS S EXPEDITION. 313 He found no traces of Franklin's party, and, conclud- ing that any fui'tlier effcrt would be useless, he set sail for England where he arrived in the autumn of 1851. Among the searchers for Franldin was the veteran Sir John Ross, who sailed from England, April, 1850, in a small vessel called the Felix, accompanied Ity his own yacht, the Mary, as a tender. Sir John overtook Austin's squadron off the coast of Greenland on the 11th of August, and on the l.'3th fell in with some Esquimaux near Cape Yoi-k, who told him, that in the winter of 1846 two ships were crushed in the ice a little further up the coast, and their crews, some of whom wore epaulets, killed liy the natives. A subsequent investigation led Austin to believe that the whole story was untrue ; but Ross, long after his return to England, adhered to his theory that the lost explorers perished in Bathn's Bay in the manner indicated by the Esquimaux. Ross, however, continued the sean^h as previously arranged with Austin, and on the 19th of August when off Admirality Inlet, was overtaken by the Ad- vance, Lieut. De Haven, at just about the spot where Ross had been picked up by the Isabella seventeen years before. Ross bore a part in the discoveries made at Cape Riley and vicinity, and subsequently wintered in the ice near Austin's ships. When Ross left England a lady gave him four car- rier pigeons, two of which he was to libei'ate at a stated time, and the other two when he found Frank- liu, Ross sent off the first pair on the 6th of October in a basket suspended to a balloon, during a north- west gale. By a slow-match arrangement the birds would be liberated at the end of twenty-four houre. 'I 1 H^'ir i ■:■' i 11 ''''^1 1 ■ '■■{'' '■ \ I l ' H ■' 1 ^ ' : [y 1 '\'i. ] i| h :';i \ \'' \ |> j i [; : 1 1^ ! i^ : . 1 1 i I 1 )• ( t t f. i r i i ' ■ ■ \ 1 ' '. 1 \ * ■ ■ ■ 1 i ■ 1 1 ' 1 ;■ j 1 ' "j: ^ ^ t| i: !i!l" iii ifii !' I ,, , ! ^H ■I. •:> I i i1 314 SEARCHES FOE FKA^KLIN. On the 13tli of October a pigeon arrived at the dove- cot of the lady, which she believed to be one of those given to Ross. It brought no message, but that was believed to have been lost during the long transit. Another of the expeditions of 1850 was fitted out wholly through the efforts of I^ady Franklin, and mostly at her expense. It consisted of a ship and a brig, the Lady Franklin and the Sophia, and wa3 placed in charge of Captain Penny, who had had much Arctic experience as master of a whaling ship. Although the expedition was an independent one, Penny co-operated with the others, and after partici- pating in the search at Cape Riley his vessels were frozen up for the winter a few miles easterly of Aus- tin's squadron. In the spring, Captain Penny undertook the search of Wellington Channel, and on the 17th of April six sledge parties started under his general superintend- ence. The principal discovery was a wide strait to the noith of Cornwallis Island, which was named Victoria Channel. Full of faith that Franklin had gone up this chan- nel Penny hastened back to the ships for a boat, wliii'h he mounted on sledges, and after incredible fatigues and tantalizing delays, he launched on the channel and examined three hundred and ten miles of the coast, when, his provisions failing, he was compelled reluctantly to retrace his course. His perseverance on this expedition entitles him to an honorable name among Arctic explorers. On the 12th of August, 1851, the Lady Franklin and Sophia, again free from the ice-grip, wv.m started homeward, and arrived safely in England about the middle of September. •ahe prince albert. 315 . Supplementary to Captain Penny's expedition was that of the schooner Prince Albert under Captain Forsyth. Lady Franklin had still some funds left, and thought they could not be better invested than in equipping another vessel to go in search of her lost husband. Making use of all her available means she defrayed about two-thirds of the cost of this expedition, and her friends paid the balance. Captain Forsyth was ably assisted by Commander W. P. Snow, and both were volunteers, Avho desired no fur- ther compensation than the satisfaction of rendering aid to a noble man and an equally noble lady. They were instructed to examine the shores of Prince Re- gent's Inlet, which at the time Franklin sailed was supposed to communicate with the Polar Sea through Dease's Strait. Captain Forsyth sailed from Aberdeen on the 5th of June, and on the 21st of August arrived off i*ort Leopold. Here he landed, and found that the house constructed by Sir John Ross was in good condition to furnish a retreat for Arctic adventures, and the stores were abundant and in good order. Losing no time here, the Prince Alljert boldly en- tered Prince Regent's Inlet. When they were sailing past Batty Bay the crew were greatly excited by hear- ing what they supposed was the firing of a gun on shore. The officers directed their ghisses to the land, but nothing human was to be seen. The howitzer was fired, but there was no response, and relucttintly tliey coneluded that the noise they had heard Avas occasioned by the falling of a rock or masses of ice. When cff Fury Beach, the schooner's pi"ogress was stopped by a dense fog, and when this cleared the vessel was found in a bight of ice within a few yards mmm 11 i: 111 mi J'ii ,1 *!: % ^'Vm 't 316 SJ:aRCIIES fob FnANKLIN. of a hummooky field, in which not one crack of open water could be seen from the crow's-nest. Forsyth and Snow concluded that their mission to Boothia was effectually thwarted for that season, and turning the bow of the Prince Albeii; northward, proceeded to the vicinity of Cape Riley, Avhere they fell in with several vessels of the English and Ameiican expe- ditions. Learning of the discoveries which had been made there but a day or two previously, they Joined in the search, and then, with some of the relics of Franklin's party, started homeward where they arrived on the 1st of October. One other vessel which was in Barrow's Straits in 1850 should here be mentioned. The North Star left England in 1849, with stores for the expedition of James C. Ross, but she was beset by ice in Jilel- ville Bay and drifted up the coast of Greenland, wliere she wintered in lat. TB'* 33'. Four of her crew tiied before she escaped from the ice. She arrived at lort Leopold, Aug. 13th, but finding the harbor full of ice, proceeded to Navy Board Inlet near Wollaston Land, where she put on the mainland her surplus stores and fuel. Then scudding before a gale, she sailed through Lancaster Sound, and arrived in Scot- land on the 28th of September, 1850. I! ■' ? r CHAPTER XXV. SEARCHES FOR SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (discovery of a north-west passage.) The Bering's Strait Expedition referred to in the last chapter, consisted of two ships, the Enterprise, Cap- tain Richard Collinson, and the Investigator, Command- er Robert McClure. These brave men sailed on their benevolent and hazardous mission, J inuary 20th, 1850, and made a safe and s])eedy passage to Bering's Strait. On the 28th of August Collinson had reached a posi- tion north of Point Barrow, but being unable to pene- trate further on account of the ice, he sailed for Gran tley Harbor, where the Plover was preparing her winter- quarters. Here an unsuccessful attempt was made to get the Enterprise over the bar at the mouth of the harbor; and after consulting Avlth Captains Kellett and Moore, of the Herald and Plover, Captain Collin' son sailed for Hong Kong, proposing to renew the attem])t to get north in the spring. Meantime the Investigator, having outsailed the Enterprise, fell in with the Herald, July 31st, off Point Hope, niul was seen by the Plover, August 5th, 1850. in Lit. 70° 44', bearing gallantly to the north under a press of sail. Nothing further was heard of MoClure in England until the Autumn of 1858, 317 ■').! ' i1 i I ; 4 m\i I ' ! m '•!' 318 SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. when Lieut. Cresswell, of the Investigator, arrived there with information that McCiui'e and his crew had reached Beechey Island, having discovered the long sought for North-west passage. After passing Point Barrow, some men were sent ashore to erect a cairn and bury a notice that the Investigator had passed. They were met by three natives who gave the usual distant sign of friendship by raising their arms three times over their heads, and when in close proximity the less agreeable one of rubbing noses. They had seen the masts of the Investigator the previous evening and wondered at the sight, thinking them to be trees in motion. They were very friendly but could give no information of Franklin, and McClure concluded that none of his crew had ever been in that vicinity. " The natives," says McClure, "are a kind and merry race, and when we gave them presents, we told them that we were looking for our lost brothers, and if they saw any white men in distress, the^ were to be veiy kind; to which they assented by saying that they would, and would give them plenty of deer's flesh." On the 10th of August, Colville River Was passed, and the color of its waters was discernible at a dis- tance of ten miles from the shore. The Es(|uimanx were numerous about the mouth of this river and apparently had never seen white men before, as they manifested great curiosity and had no articles of European manufacture. They were eager for traffic, sharp at a bargain, and not slow in thieving. Seeing some of the sailors cutting tobacco in pieces to give in exchange for salmon trout, they began to cut the fish also into pieces, and while McClure ^vas placing a present in the right hand of the chief, he felt the CRUISE OF THE INVESTIGATOR. 319 fellow's left hand picl !'!■ \ J '\i lA I ' J i!. n IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) % 1.0 :f« M 112.5 B32 12.2 I.I 12.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" _ ► Hiotogi'aphic Sdences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y MS80 (716) 872-4S03 .vJ- ^< ^ ^1 920 8EARCUBS FOB FRANKLIN. venison and blubber, were liberally bestowed upon the officers and crew. The interpreter so won over one old chief, that he was invited to remain with tlie tribe forever ; as an inducement for him to do so, the chief's daughter, a pretty damsel of fifteen years, was propounded as a wife, with a dowry of a tent and a complete fitting out in the highest Esf^uimaux style. On the 0th of Sejitember, high land was discovered to the northeast. Hitherto the Investigator had been sailing along a shore which had been ti-aver.sed by Franklin, Back, Simpson, and others, on foot and in boats ; but the land which now appeared on tlie left was terra incinjuita. McClure therefore hove anchor, and on landing took formal possession in the name of Queen Victoria, calling it "Baring's Island." It was afterwards discovered that they did not land on an island, but on the southern shore )f Bank's Land. The name of the coast was accordingly changed to Baring's Land. ' , ' • i McChire now sailed along the easterly coast of Bank's Land, up Prince of Wales Strait, and on the 17th of September was within thirty miles of Melville Sound, whose waters connect with Barrow's Strait and Lancaster Sound. Here in latitude 7.'{*^ 10' and longitude 117'' 10' the ice in which the ship wjia be- set ceased to drift to the nortli, new ice began to form, and everything indicated that the Investigator was fixed for the winter. Soon afterward, however, the ship was carried by a tumultuous drift of the ice thirty miles to the south, and on the L'Hth, was again swept northward in close proximity to tlie cliffs of Princess Royal Island. These cliifs rise ])ei'jH'ndicu- |arly fi'om the sea to a height of foui* hundred feet, I DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 321 and as the ship drifted towards them one old sailor remarked to a comrade : — " The old craft will double up like an old basket when she gets alongside of them rocks." But a kind Providence saved the vessel, and she was swe])t past the island without striking the cliffs, and on the 3()th of September brought up near the advanced position which she had reached on the 17th ; and hei-e the crew of the Investigator passed the winter of 1850-51. On the 21st of October, 1850, McClure with six men and a sledge started in the direction of Melville Sound. On the 24th a cape wjvs seen in the distance towards which their course was directed, an > ;-. . , i ' McClure now decided to retrace his steps if possible to the southerly point of Banks' Land and to sail up its western coast. In this attempt he was so success- ful, that on the 19th of August he had i)assed Point Kellett, and was raj)idly i)r(>gressing northward through a lane of open water nearly five miles wide. Soon after this the lead became veiy narrow and much obstructed by floating ice, while the j>ack, be- tween which and a precij)itous coast they were sail- ing, was of fearful thickness — extending fifty feet below the water, which was very deep, and rising in places into hills a hundred feet high. The situation was full of peril, for had the ice set towards tlie abrupt cliffs along which they were sailing, nothing could have saved the ship. LIFE AT MBROT BAY. 326 On the 20th of August, the Investigator was fast l)etween the ice and the beach at the north-west cor- ner of Banks' Land, and remained so till the 29th, when the immense floe to which she had been fastened was raised edgeways out of the water by the crowding of the suiTounding ice, and lifted perpendicularly some thirty feet close to the ship's bows. It seemed as if the ship must capsize, and had the ice toppled over, as appeared likely, it would have sunk her. But the floe, after frightful oscillations, righted itself and drifted onward. At another time the wreck of the Investigator seemed certain, and all that MeClure could hope for was " that the ship might be thrown uj) sufticiently to serve as an asylum for the winter." At length on the 24th of SeptemT)er, the ex^jlorei-s drifted into a large bay on the northern shores of Banks' Land, where they found a secure harbor, and here they passed the winter. In gratitude for past deliverances ]\IcClure called the place Mercy Bay. Game was abundant, and hunting jiarties rambled over the hills almost daily throughout the winter, excepting when prevented by occasional snow-storms, or when it was too dark for shootini'. Some of the hills were three hinidred feet high with wild and picturesque g ;,v!' s iS' ■,l = I 330 8EAUCIIHS von KKANKLIX, by their nliip. After landing Itonts and stores for f!io use of Colliiison, Franklin, or any other explon'r, the colors were hoisted to the main-nuist on the 3(1 of June, 18r)3, and the oftieers and crew, in all sixty rr.en, bade farewell to the gallant Investigator and started for Dealy Island. Aft-r sharing the foHunes of Captain Kcllett's slii[)s, the IJcsolnte an\v, and n thii-d winter was ])assi'd on tlu? noith.i-u coast of Anieriea. The exi)l(tits of IVtrUlure were duly appreeiatcil l»y his eouiitrynien. lie re<'eived the hon*^: •■ of kniglit- hood, and his comniission as Cajtt.'i'ii was ation. The recent death of Sir Robert IMcClure, which occurred October 17th, 1873, has occasioned an ill- timed controversy as to who is entitled to the honor of Jirst discovering a North-west ])assage. Lady Frauklii), mi a letter to the Times jjublished "before McCluiv's old comrades had had time to turn from the grave of the gicat explorer," claims the honor for the last survivors of her husband's expedition. The question is not a new one, but its discussion has been generally avoided by most of the Arctic writers, as they have felt that Franklin and McClure, if living, would have no dis])ute about so small a matter. m If i m ,1 u iff w lis CHAPTER XXVI. SEARCHES FOR Sm JOHN FRANKLIN. (second CRmSE OF TIIE PRDTCE ALBERT.) The return of the Prince Albert in the fall of 1850 with relies of Franklin's party gave encouragement for a continuation of the search ; and on the .'Ul of June, 1851, the same vessel again sailed for Prince Regent's Inlet. Captain Wm. Kennedy, formerly of the Hudson's Ray Company, commanded the schooner, and was assisted by Lieut. J. Bellot, an energetic and lively young officer of the French navy, whose love of adventure led him to offer his services to Lady Franklin. The crew were all picked men, and incbuhjd John Hepburn, Franklin's faithful attendant on his first overland journey, and other Arctic travelers. Never was a vessel manned with a more gallant or niorj resolute comj'any. Lady Franklin herself was ju-esent to cheer and encourage the adventurers, as with the English flag at the peak, and the French flag, as n compliment to Bellot, at the fore, tlie Prince Albert went forth amid the prayers and best wishes of all England. On arriving at the entrance !o Prince Regent's Inlet that channel was found to be much obstructed 332 A NIGHT AT CAPE 8EPPINQ8. 333 by ice; but Kennedy pushed boldly in, and pene- trated southerly along the western coast as far aa Fury Point. lie was obliged, however, to beat a hasty retreat, to escape being crushed by the ice which began to drift toward the shore, and took refuge at Poi't Bowen on the eastern coast. To winter at this place while all their searches were to be made on the western shore, was an idea not to be considered ]>y Kennedy and Bellot. Accord- ingly on the 0th of September the attempt to find a harbor on the west side was renewed ; and when near Port Leopold, Kennedy with four men succeeded in reaching the shore, and on ascending the cliffs of Cape Sej)pings, discovered that Port Leopold was free from ice and Avould afford a good winter harbor for the Prince Albert if it could be reached. Descending to the shore, what was their consterna- tion on finding that the narrow lane through which they had rowed their gutta-percha boat was com- pletely closed, and that the whole pack was drifting down the inlet, carrying the ship with it. Little could be seen or heard but the tossing, roaring and grliuling of huge masses of ice. Night was coming on, and to reach the ship was impossible. Nothing could be done but to make themselves as comfortable for the night as frozen clothts and cold winds would allow. The boat was hauled up on shore, and under its shelter, but wltliout Idankets or coverings of any kind, Kennedy and liis men made the best of their situation. No one was permitted to sleep but an hour at a time for fear of being frozen. With the dawn of day the shivering party ascended the highest cliff of Caj»e Seppings and strained their eyes in search of the Prince Albert. Not a sign of ,i 1 I . ;t ■it:' 'I' (I i'i' I )' \k SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. the vessel was to be seen ; aiul here they were, alone on a Lleak coast at the coniinencenient of an An-tic winter, without shelter, provisions or fuel, and man- tily clad. Fortunately, Kennedy Avas aware that two years before Sir James Ross had made a depot of pro- visions at Whaler Point on the other side of tlie liar- bor. To this depot the little company directed their way, and Avei'e o\-erjoyed to find plenty of provi.sions and the canvas hut which Koss had ei'ccted. "■It was now," says Kennedy, "the Kith t)f Scptcin. ber. AVinter was evidently fast setting in, and, fi(»iii the distance the ship had been carried durinj^tliat dis- astrous night (whether out to sea or down the inlet we could not conjecture) there was no Intpe of our being able to rejoin her, at least during the present season. Tliere remained, therefore, no altei'uative but to make up our minds to pass the winter, if necessaiy, where we were. The first object to be attended to was the erecting of some sort of shelter against the daily in- creasing inclemency of the weather; and for this pur- ])ose the launcli, left by Sir James Iloss, Avas selected. Iler mainnuist was laid on supports at tin' bow and stern, about nine feet in height, and by s])reading two of her sails over this a very tolerable roof was oh- tained. A stove was .set up in the body of the boat, with the pipes running through the roof; and we were soon sitting by a comfortable fire, which, after our long exj)osui'e to the wet and cold, we stood \ eiy nuieh in need of." ('ai>tain Kennedy was not the man to sit down idle and wait for something to turn uj). lb* immediately began devising plans for futui'(^ operations. The first thing was to search for the Prince Albert, and the second was to hunt for Franklin. Before either .o- bellot's rescue party. 335 ject could he earned out it was necessary to jM-ovide some additional clothing and especially shoes. Ma- terial for hoth was at hand in the shai)e of canvas, and the party passed their days — Sundays excepted — in making it up. To their credit, be it said, that their Sabhaths were observed strictly as holy time, and lie who had so wondtn-fully preserved them in their extremity was duly honored. A\'hil«! thus busily employed in preparations for their ex[)loring expeditions tlu were suddenly star- tled, on the 17th of October, by the firing -^f a ';v.n in the direction of Cape Sep])ings. Rushing eagei-ly from their house they discovered seven of the Prince Albert's men, headed by Lieut. Bellot, who had come in search of their lost ccMurades. The mutual congrat- ulations and thanksi'ivinfjs can be better imagined than described. Bellot reported that the Prince Al- bert was securely moored in Batty Bay, and that he and his meu had come up on the ice, di'agging a l)oat with them for use if needed. Bellot had made two previous attempts to reach Port Leopold, but had bs-en baftlcfl once })■, deep snows, and airain l>v weakness of the ice, thi-oui^h which the sledi^e bioke and was lost. Five weeks had elapsed since Bellot had taken Freiudi leave of his Ca})tain, and innvilliiigly dril'ted off in the Prince Albert. They were weeks of anx- iety, and the reaction of exuberant feeling was great. The night was spent under the covering of the old launch and her boards reverberated with sea songs and hearty laughs, while the lost and found drank hot chocolate and feasted on Arctic dainties. On the 2 2d of October the whole party set out for Batty Bay, drawing provisions and Bellot's boat on a sh'dgi' made for the occasion. A mast Avas erected I f i ■ ■ '■ ' \ ^ 1 • I i ; ^ ,1 ': ■ ■ I "i ■<• i \ i J- • - \ \ I . ' I '. 1 f : i\ J ' '-^^ '5 !■ ■ 'M ■ \ ■ [ ..Mj . 1 336 SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN". !s; and sails set, and at times, when the ice was smooth and the wind strong, the sledge, bearing all the trav- elers, sailed off with great rapidity. Unfortunately, however, it broke down when near the middle of the bay, and it was not safe to spend the night on the treacherous ice. Darkness overtook them before they reached land, and driving snow made progress both difficMilt and dangerous. Cold and tired they at length reached a flat lime-rock, where the}' Kj)read a tent, kindled a fire, boiled some tea and made merry. The tent proved too small to lodge thirteen men with any comfort to themselves, and Bellot, Avliose tact and good humor were unbounded, resolved "to make a nifjht of it." Six men were arran()r. The candle at length giving oui, tlio men tried to get a little rest, but Bellot's jokes were too good to allow it. lie afterward referred to tlie iiitrht on the lime-stone rock, as one of enjoyment on a solid foundati' n. Sleeping in a tent Mas not repeated, but they passed several comfortable nights in snow houses, and on arriving at the ship were heartily welcomed by their comrades. The ensuing winter was passed in the ice at Batty Bay; and though the night was long and dark, the cold winds howled around, and the drifting snow at times obstructed all outdoor exercise, light, warmth and cheerfulness prevailed in the cabin of the Priuce A VISIT TO rUHY UEACII. J^37 Albert, and occasionally a mock-sun, or "suu-dog," dis- pelled the gloom. On the oth of Januaiy 1852, Kennedy, Bellot, and three of the crew, with a sledge drawn by dogM, stai-t- ed on an (sxcui-sion to the south. An they ap[)roac]ied Fury Beach the leaders impatiently i)ushed on ahead of the sledge, and on the evening of the 8th, stood upon the spot where they had hoped to fiiul some of Franklin's party. "Every object distinguished by the moonlight in the distance," says Kennedy, "be- came animated, to our imaginations, into the forms of our long-absent countrymen ; for, had they been im- prisoned anywhere in the x\ictie seas, within a rea- sonable distance of Fury Beach, here, we felt assured, some of them, at least, would have been now. But, alas for these fond hopes ! All was solitary and des- olate." " Somerset House " was still in existence ; with sad- dened feelings Kennedy and Bellot entered its cheer- less apartments, and kindled a fire in the same stove which warmed the crew of Sir John Ross in the dreary winter of 1832-3. After eating their suj)per, they took a few hours repose ; then stai'ted back towards the sledge party, and all returned to Batty Bay. On the Soth of February, Kennedy again started south, with live men e(iuipped with snow-shoes, sledges and (logs, and ^vas ovei'taken a few days afterward at Fury Beach, l)y Bellot witli seven men. After drawing largely on the old stores of the ^^lry, which were al»undant and j^ood, althouLch thirty years had elapsed since they were left thei'e, the whole party started southerly, on tlie "grand joui'ney," as Bellot called it. On arriving at Brentford Bay, eight of the ^11 ii '!! !■: ii i' 1.1 \u ^i i. : ^•1 1 i ; j; ' i i 1' i ■ ■ U\ .i j I * Ii III:] it it -tin i 338 SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. men were sent bad:, and six men, with sledges drawn by ilogs, continued the exploi'ations. Near this bay a strait running westward was found, whioli was named Bellot Strait. It separated North Somerset from Bootliia Felix, and communicated with Victoria Strait. Kennedy passed through it, and then crossed Victoria Strait to Prince of Wales Land. Af- ter continuing westAvaixt for thirteen days and reach- ing longitude lOO*^ west without coming to any sea, the party turned their course northward, and at last, on tlie 4th of May, arrived at Cape A\ alker at tlie northern extremity of Prince of AV'ales Land. But here, as at Fury lieacl), they were much disappointed at finding no traces of Franklin's Expedition. From Ca])(' Walker the party started eastward, the stock of pi'ovisioiis running very low and some of the men being sick with the scurvy. On ari'iviiig at Cape McClintock, they were rejoiced to find a depot of ])ro- visions left there by Captain Ross in 1849. Contin- uing on, they arrived at Whaler Point on the 12th and remained there till the 27th, recruiting upon the stores and anti-scorbutics Avhich Avere there found. On the 30th of ]\ray they reached their shij), after an absence of nimtyseven days, during which time they had trav- eled about eleven hundred miles. The Prince Albert remained imprisoned in the ioe until the Gth of August, and on being liberated sailed for home, arriving in England on the 7th of October, 1852. CHAPTER XXVII. SEARCHES FOR SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (expeditions of 1852.) Notwithstanding the ill-success and disappointinents wliicli had thus far attended the searohcs for Frank- lin, tlie whole English nation was stimulated to make one more great effort for his rescue ; and the sj)ring of 18i32 witnessed the departure from England of the largest expedition which had ever sailcil for the Po- lar seas. It was commanded by Sir Edward Belcher, and comprised a squadron of three sliij)s — the Assist- ance — the Resolute, Captain Kellett — the North Star, Captain Pullen ; and two steamers — the Pioneer, Lieutenant Oshorne — and the Intre]»id, Captain Mc- Clintock. These five vessels left England on the 2Sth of April, and airived at Beechey Island on the 10th of August. At Beechey Island the ships separated. Belcher and Osborne, with the Assistance and Pioneer, pro- ceeded up Wellington Channel; Kellett and McClin- tock, with the Resolute and Intre})id, sailed westerly toward Melville Island; and the North Star remained at Beechey Island as a depot-ship and retreat for any of the exjdorers who might need assistance. Belcher's two ships came to anchor in Northum- 339 J If !i it y i r s4' I- . f- !'^ nBf^^^m^m 340 SEAKCIIES FOR FRANKLIN. m II' berland Sound on the western shores of Grinnell Laud, in hititude 76^ 52', and here they remained through the wiute ■ Exploring pai-ties were sent out in every directior uring the autumn and ensuing summer, who discovered and surveyed much new territory. Hopes of being on Franklin's track were occasionally raised from finding structures evidently erected by human hands but differing from any- thing whicli the Esquimaux Avere supposed to he familiar with. Belcher in describing one of his jonr^ neys says: — "Our progress was tantalizing, and attended with deep interest and excitement. In the first place, I discovered, on the brow of a mountain about eight hundi'ed feet above the sea, what appeared to be a recent and very workmanlike structure. This Avas a dome, — or rather a double cone, or ice-house, — bnilt of very heavy and tabular slabs, which no single per- son could carry. It consisted of about forty courses, eight feet in diameter, and eight feet in de])th, Avhen cleared, but only five in height from the base of the upper cone as we opened it. "Most carefully was eveiy stone removed, everj'' atom of moss or earth scrutinized ; the stones at the bottom also taken up ; but without finding a trace of any record, or of the stmcture having been used hy any human being. It was filled by di'ift snoAV, but did not in any respect bear the ap})ea)'ance of having been built more than a season. Tliis was named ' Mount Discoveiy.' " Soon afterward two stnictures were found which appeared to be graves. " Each," says Belcher, " was . like tlie dome, of large selected slabs, having at each end three separate stones, laid as we should place I UKLCIIY ISLANU. m m I M: ■.[\ S \\ ,i lil ' m Mi head aiu that thei a stone i assemble "The oppressi we ascei trace oi Wher the ice, Beecliey sti'iicted the win Whei his wh and wh on the Island. a distan water o believin Assistai liis crev and nia Whe Beech e; and Pio off the ately se coast f sprinj^. Griper Liddon "Parry CAITAIN KELLKTl'S ADVENTUUKH. 341 head aiul foot stones. So thoroughly satisfied was I that there was no delusion, I desisted from disturbing a stone until it should be formally done by the i)arty assembled. " The evening following — for where the sun is so oppressive to the eyes by day we tra\el by niglit — we ascended the hill, and removed the stones. Not a trace of human beinijs!" When the Assistance and Pioneer were freed from the ice, about the middle of July, Belcher started for Beechey Island ; but before he could get there ice ob- structed his passage, and his ships were frozen in for the winter of 1853--4 at Baring's Bay. When spring came on. Belcher determined to get his whole command back to England that season ; and when his two vessels were liberated from tlie ice on the 6th of August, he ag.w.i started for Beechey Island. But when nearly there an icefloe, extending a distance of twenty miles between him and the open water of Barrow's Strait, arrested his progress ; and believing that it would be impossible to get the Assistance and Pioneer through this ice;, Belcher and his crews deserted them on the 26th of August 1854, and made their way to Beechey Island. When Captain Kellet jiarted from Belcher at Beechey Island, in August 1852, he tool: the Resolute and Pioneer to their winter (quarters at Dealy Island, off the south coast of Melville Island, and immedi- ately sent out parties to deposit provisions along the coast for the searching expeditions of the ensuing spring. McClintock went northerly to Ilecla and Griper Gulf, and Lieut. Meacham went westerly to Liddon Gulf. At Winter Harbor, ]\Ieacham visited " Parry's Sandstone," and found on it a small cairn i Ill 'l:\\ '■• U i f? )i i 842 SEARCHES FOU FUANKLIN. which McClintock Imd orooted th(! year T)eforo. On cxaiuiiiiiig this cairn ho found a fo|>jK'r cvlliKh'r, in which was a roll folded in a hladdcr. On opciiiiii,' this roll, Mcachani, to his groat astonishment, found that it had been left there April 28th, 1S52, hy McClure of the Investigator, and that it contaiiicd an account of the cruise of that ship since she left Ber- ing's Strait in 1850. This was a discoveiy indeed. The Investigator had notheen heard from for two years, and In ■ was information, in the hand-writing of lier commander, that she was safely moored in Mercy Ba}', on the opposite side of Banks' Strait, oidy six months pre- viously. More than this — a North- west passage had been discovered. Meacham hastened back to his ship with the joyful news. It Avas then too late in the season to undertake a journey to INIercy Bay, distant one hundred ami sev- enty miles ; but early the next spring, ]\[arch lOtli, 1853, a " forlorn hope " party of ten rnen, led by Lieut. Pirn of the Resolute, started off across the strait to search for the Investigator. Little hope of finding McClure Avas entertained, as it was presumed he was no longei" at Mercy Bay. The lal^or of dragging their large sledge over the broken ice and hunnnocks Avas most tedious and fatiguing; and Avhenit finally broke doAvn, Pirn turned it back, and Avith two men and the the little Fit/james ])ushed briskly on. Banks' Land Avas reached at hist, and then, after many more days of Aveary travel, the Bay of Mercy came in vieAv. No ship Avas seen ; l)ut as the party proceeded across the bay in search of records, something Idack Avas noticed in the distance. On look- ing at it through his glass, Pirn decided that it Avas On busy pi to that thing and tlu and his where OnBl and mei home o: two ves patches Thereu ABANDONMENT OF TITE SHIPS. 343 a whip, and liiinying on aliwul of his companions, met liis old friend McCluro as already related. In April, three other Hledg(! ex})editi()nH yvero. sent out by Kellett, -whieli thoroiigldy Kearehed Mtdvillo Island and all the land to die north and '.vest thereof. McClintoekwaB absent one hundred and six days, and explored twelve hundred mikis of coast; ]\Ieachaiu traveled over a thousand miles in ninety-three day*«; Lieut. Hamilton made a sliorter journey to the north- east; hut none of them found any traces of Fraidvlin. The ice around the ships did not break up till the 18th of August, and an attemj)t was tlien made to get them to Beecliey Island ; but it ])roved unsuccessful, and early in September they were again fast in the new ice. For two months the ships drifted back and forth with the floe, and then cam(^ to a stand-still in longitude 101", at a place due east of "Winter Harbor. Here they passed the winter of 1853-4. In the spring, searches for Franklin were renewed, and in April, Lieut, Mea- cham found at Princess Royal Island, documents left by Collinson in August, 1852. On returning to the ships, Mer.cham found all hands busy preparing to abandon tlh^m, as j)eremj)tory orders to that eifect had been received from Belcher. Eveiy- thing about the vessels was put in perfect order; and then the hatclies were calked down, and Kellett and his men started with sledges for Beechey Island where McClure and his crew had already gone. On Belclier's arrival at Beechev Island, the officers and men of the five deserted sliips took passage for home on the North Star. Just as they were starting, two vessels — the Phoenix and Talbot, bringing dis- patches and supplies for Belcher — hove in sight. Thereupon, a portion of the men went aboard Captain 21 i ? ■ il' ■ 344 EETUEN TO ENGLAND. Inglefield's ships, and the three sailed for England, where they arrived September 28th, 1854. Of the five vessels thus abandoned in 1853-4, only one has since been heard from. In September, 1855, as Captain James Buddington, commander of a New London whaler, was drifting in the ice of Baffin's Bay, he espied through his glass a ship some twenty miles off. For seven days the two ships gradually approach- ed each other ; then Buddington sent four of his men over the ice to find out what the craft was. As the party neared the stranger, after a day's journey, they found that she was fast in the ice, and apparently deserted, as they saw no one and received no answer to their shouts. A dread came over the men as they climbed upon her decks. Everything was in order; and over the helm wan the motto, in letters of brass, " England expects every man to do his duty." On descending to the cabin and striking a light, the mystery was solved, for there they found the log- book of the Resolute, which had broken from her icy fetters a?:'d drifted eastward into Baffin's Bay. The interior of the Resolute was in a bad condition, but Buddimjton with ten of his crew carried her safely to New London after a most un comfort al^le voyage. The sequel is an honor to both England and the United States. The fonner having released all hei* claims in favor of the salvors, Congress bought and refitted the Resolute, and sent her in charge of officers and sailors of the U. S, Navy, to England, where she was formally presented to Queen Victoria in December, 185G. The whole affair was well cal- culated to hasten an " era of good feeling " between these two nations. CHAPTER XXVIII. SEARCHES FOR SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (expeditions of captain inglefield and dr. rae.) Captain Inglefield sailed from England July 6th, 1852, in the steamer Isabel, to ascertain if the belief of Sir John Ross that Franklin had lost his life on the western shores of Greenland was well founded. On reaching Baffin's Bay, Inglefield pushed boldly north to Smith's Sound and examined that noble chan- nel — which had hitherto baffled explorers — as far north as 78" 80'. He was at first, deluded with the idea that he had found a climate milder than that of Baffin's Bay, Imt this delusion a violent storm soon dispelled. Very likely the storm proved his salvation, for other- wise he might have pushed on and been ice-anchored where escape would have been impossible, and the Isabel did not go prepared to pass an Arctic night. The gale drove him l)ack none too soon, for the cold soon became intense, and the spray froze as it broke on the land. Icebergs and loose cakes of ice were all around the Isabel and it was only by getting up steam by the aid of blubber that she forced a way out of her difficulties. Inglefield arrived in England Nov. 4th, 1852. Ilia 345 1.: i !: til i ' 846 SEARCHES FOR FRANKLIN. [■ill 1: trip was a sliort one, but it Avas remarkably success- ful, so far as its immediate ohject was concerned. Early in lS5o, Captain Inglefield was .iL'-ain sent out in command of the Phwnix and L:idy Fi-ankliii, to reinforce ]?elclier's scpiadron, Lieut, Bellot, the gallant young Frenclnuan Avho had figured so con- sjjicuously in the voyage of the Prince All)ert, ac- companied Capt. Inglefield, and tlie saddest incident connected with the expedition was the deatli of tliis hero. In August, 1853, Bellot volunteered to carry dispatches from Captain Pullen of the Nortli Star, over the ice to Sir Edward Belcher, who Avas at that time near Cape Beecher in Wellington Channel, and started from Beechcy Island August 12tli, Avith four men named Harvey, Johnson, Madden, and Hook, The ice at this season of the year is always treacher- ous, and Bellot Avas cautioned to keep as close as possible to the eastern shore of Wellington Cliannol. He encouraged his men Avith his usual hilarity, and put his oAvn shoulder to the trucking lines as they plodded along on the ice. Approaching Cape Grinnell, Bellot found that there Avas a broad belt of Avater betAveen the ice and the shore. Nothing daunted he pushed, out Avitli his In- dia-rubber boat, to couA'ey a line to the ca])o by Avhich the remainder of the party and the ])rovision9 could be dragged over; but the Avind blew furiously find he could not, alone, make headway. According- ly he remained on the ice, and ordered Ilai'vey and ]\Iadden to cross over Avith ^he line, Avhich they suc- cessfully accomplished. Madden remained on the shore to hold the line, and three boat loads of pm- Aasions had been conveyed acrc^ss the Avatei' when the ice was discovered to be on the moA;e. Harvey and Madden course c did not his wah slide. I to sea c them fij Madden com])anio any assist to the shi] they Avalk Cape BoAv lost com] countenaui the liraA^e i Tlie ace briefly this they uiade from the aJ the Lord j^ touched," ation calnj would go a few minil J"g of thef ice near )>^ posite sid( Was blow-ill piol)ably ice. His there Avasj Hogarth, y\ to terra firj DEATH OF BELLOT. 347 Madden were both at this time on the land, but of course could not hold on to the line, though Madden did not Itt go till hauled into the water up to his waist, when Bellot called to him to let her slide. Bellot, Johnson and Hook were now drifting to sea on a floe of ice, with a bitter wind driving them further and further from hope of escape. Madden and Harvey for two hours watched theii* companions drifting away, powerless to render them any assistance, and then began to retrace their steps to the ship. Taking what provisions they could carry, they walked around Griffin Bay and were rounding Cape Bowden, Avhen to their surprise they met their lost companions Johnson and Hook, whose sad countenances too plainly told the story of the third, the brave and gleeful Lieutenant. The account they gave of Bellot's sad fate was briefly this. After finding themselv'es fairly afloat, they made an ice house which might protect them from the wind, Bellot cheerfully remarking, " When the Lord protects us not a hair of our heads shall be touclied." They talked over the danger of their situ- ation calmly for half an hour, when Bellot said he would go out and see how the ice was drifting. Li a few minutes Johnson followed but could see noth- ing of the Lieutenant, but there was a crack in the ice near ])y, some five fathoms wide, arid on the op- posite side the crack lay Bellot's stick. The wind was blowing a gale, and the gallant Frenchman was prol)ably blown into the water, and drifted under the ice. His companions sliouted " Bellot ! Bellot !" but there was no response. The floe drifted to Point Hogarth, when Johnson and Hook made their escape to terra firma. H Mil 848 SEARCHES FOE FRANKLIN. " Poor Bellot !" « Poor Bellot !" was the exclamation of all, Esquimaux included, as they learned hia un- timely end. His was a generous, noLle nature. With sincere sympathy for Lady Franklin, he entered the English service for the sole purpose of aiding in the discovery of her noble husband ; and of the many who are buried in the waters and frost-bound lands of the Arctic regions, the memory of none is cherished more ardently by his companions than Lieutenant Bellot. England showed her appreciation of his services by a liberal subscription to his family and by a monu- ment to his memory in Greenwich Hospital. Inglefield returned to England in the autumn of 1853. He was accompanied by Lieut. Creswell of the Investigator, who earned home dispatches announ- cing the discovery of a North-west Passage. In 1853, Dr. Rae, who had made a land expedition in 1851 in which he had thoroughly explored the coast of North America as for east as longitude 110", was induced to undertake a similar expedition un- der the auspices of the Hudson's Bay Company. His former survey had made him thoroughly ac(piainted with the coast, and had proved that he was the right man to head another expedition. In this year he however advanced only as far as Repulse Bay, which he reached on the 15th of August, and then went into winter-quarters. Ilis researches the succeeding sum- mer, and his important discoveries, which proved to be the key that unlocked the mysterious fate of Sir John Franklin, are related in a succeeding chapter. i ' CHAPTER XXIX. THE FIRST A^IERICAN EXPEDITION. WiiEX the year 1848 liad arrived without any tidings of Sir Jolui Franklin or his party, Great Britain, as heretofore stated, dispatclied three expeditions to look for them. But peculiar drawbacks seemed to attend their efforts, and before the beginning of 1850 they had all abandoned the search, almost with- out attaining the first threshold of inquiry. Their failure aroused every where the generous sympathies of men. Science felt for its votaries, hu- manity mourned its fellows, and an impulse, holier and more energetic than either, invoked a crusade of rescue. That admirable woman, the wife of Sir John Franklin, not content with stimulating the re- newed edorts of her own countrymen, claimed the co-operation of the world. In letters to the President of the United States, full of the eloquence of feeling, she called on us, as a " kindred people, to join heart and hand in the enterprise of snatching the lost navi- gators from a dreary grave." The delays incident to much of our national legis- lation menaced the defeat of her appeal. The bill making appropriations for the outfit of an expedition lingered on its passage, and the season for commenc- ing operations had nearly gone by. i; I ! '! 350 ORIGIN OF EXPEDITION. At tliis juncture, a nol )le-spirited niercliunt of New York fitted out two of liis oAvn vessels and proft'ered tliem gratuitously to the government. Tlius pronijited by the munificent liberality of Mr. Grinnell, Congress hastened to take the exi)e(liti()n under its charge, and authorized the president to detail from the navy such necessary oflicers and seamen as might he willing to enjjajxe in it. Tlie command was ijiven to Lieutenant Edwin De Haven, and the two vessels, named " Ad- vance " and " Rescue," sailed from New York on the 22d day of May, 1850. Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, a native of Philadelphia, already distinguished for his world-wide travels, scien- tific enthusiasm and gallant bearing, having repeatedly ■« olunteered for the service, accomj)anied the exjtedi- tion as its senior medical officer and naturalist, and on his return puTdished its history in the form of a " Personal Narrative." From this work we give, by permission, in Dr. Kane's own words, a condensed account of the UNITED STATES GEINNELL EXPEDITION. On the 12th of May, while bathing in the tepid waters of the Gulf of Mexico, I received one of those courteous little epistles from Washington which the electric telegraph has made so familiar to naval offi- cers. It detached me from the coast survey, and or- dered ine to " proceed forthwith to New York, for duty upon the Arctic Expedition." kSeven and a half days later, I had accomplished my overland journey of thirteen hundred miles, and in forty hours more our squadron was beyond the limits of tlie United States : the Department had calculated my traveling time to a nicety. m THE ADVANCE AND BESCUi:. 351 A very few books and a stock of coarse woolen clothing, re-enforced by a magnificent robe of wolf, skins, tliat had wandered down to me from the snow- drifts of Utah, constituted my entire outfit ; and with these I made my report to Commodore Salter at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Aluiost within the shadow of the line-of-battle ship North Carolina, their hulls completely hidden beneath a projecting wharf, were two little hermit phrodite l)rigs. Their spars had no man-of-war trigness ; their decks were choked with half-stowed cargo ; and for size, I felt as if I could straddle from the main hatch to the bulwarks. At this first sight of the Grinnell Expedition, I con- fess that the fastidious experience of naval life on board frigates and corvettes made me look down on these humble vessels. They seemed to me more like a couple of coasting schooners than a national squad- ron bound for a perilous and distant sea. Many a time afterward I recalled the short-sighted ignorance of these first impressions, when some rude encounter with the ice made comfort and dignity very secondary thoughts. The "Advance," my immediate home, had been orig- inally intended for the transport of machinery. Her timbers were heavily moulded, and her fastenings of the most careful sort. She was fifty-three tons larger than her consort, the " Rescue ;" yet both together barely equaled two hundred and thirty-five tons. Of my brother officers I can not say a word. I am so intimately bound to them by the kindly and un- broken associations of friend and mess-mate, that I shrink from any other mention of them than such as my narrative requires. All told, our little corps of t '.! f 352 LEAVE NEW YORK HARBOR. officers numbered four for each ship, including that non-effective limb, the doctor. Our two crews, with the aid of a cook and steward, counted twelve and thirteen ; giving a total of but thirty-three. ADVANCE. "♦ Officerg. lAeuUnant Commanding — Edwin J. De Haven, commanding the expedition. Passed Midshipman — William H. Murdaugh, acting master and first officer. Midshipman — William I. Lovell, second officer. £. K. Kane, M.D., passed assistant surgeon. RESCUE. Officers. Aeltng Master — .Samuel P. Griffin, commanding the Rescue. Passed Midshipman — Robert R. Carter, acting master and first officer. Boalswain — Henry Urooks. second officer. lieiijamin Vreeland, M.D., assistant surgeon. About one o'clock on the 22d of May, the asthmatic oV^ steam-tug that was to be our escort to the sea moved slowly off. Our adieux from the Navy Yard were silent enough. We cost our country no compli- mentary gunpowder; and it was not until we got abreast of the city that the crowded wharves and shipping showed how much that bigger community sympathized with our undertaking. Cheers and hur- ras followed us till we had passed the Biittery, and the f(ury-boats and steamers came out of their track to salute us in the bay. The sky was overcast before we lost sight of the spire of old Trinity ; and by evening it had clouded over so rapidly, that it was evident we had to look for a dirty night outside. Off Sandy Hook the Wind fresh- ened, and the sea grew so rough, that we were forced to part abruptly from the friends who had kept us ADVANCE a:(d kescl'e at kavy.vabd. ' i ! ili >1 t OCR FIRST ICEBKRO. H company. cabin, wli instantly squall wli of the st( storm tojr was conip to the di.s( The dii as I clinil culium wl a time. 1 human be a penitent two berths between, \ try," seem ble, the foi lamp, that trated thrc shelves an from the w less discoir By the i out of sigh last of our Washingto continued saw the wl We closed healths, sin out of sigh! I now be to fortify m il n ' THE GOOD-BY. 355 company. We were eating and drinking in our little cabin, when the summons came for them to hurry up instantly and leap aboard the boat. The same heavy squall which made us cast loose so suddenly the cable of the steamer gathered upon us tlie night and the storm together ; and in a few minutes our transition was complete, from harbor life and home associations to the discomforts and hardships of our career. The dill'erence struck me, and not quite pleasantly, as I climbed over straw and rubbish into the little pe- culium which was to be my resting-place for so long a time. The cabin, which made the homestead of four human beings, was somewhat less in dimensions than a penitentiary cell. There was just room enough for two berths of six feet each on a side ; and the area between, which is known to naval men as " the coun- try," seemed completely filled up with the hinged ta- ble, the four camp-stools, and the lockers. A hanging lamp, that creaked uneasily on its " gimbals," illus- trated through the mist some long rows of crockery shelves and the dripping step-ladder that led directly from the wet deck above. Every thing spoke of cheer- less discomfort and narrow restraint. By the next day the storm had abated. We were out of sight of land, but had not yet parted with the last of our well-wishers. A beautiful pilot-boat, the Washington, with Mr. Grinnell and his sons on board continued to bear us company. But on the 25th we saw the white flag hoisted as the signal of farewell. We closed up our letters and took them aboard, drank healths, shook hands — and the wind being fair, were out of sight of the schooner before evening. I now began, with an instinct of future exigencies, to fortify my retreat. The only spot I could call my 85G CllEATURE COMFORTS. own was tlie bertli I have spoken of before. It was a sort ol' hunk — a rijjht-angled excavation, of six feet by two feet eii^Mit in horizontal dimensions, K;t into the side of the vessel, with a height of somotliing less than a yard. My iirst care was to keep water out, my second to make it warm. A bundle of tacks, and a few yards of India-rubber cloth, soon made me an im- penetrable casing over the entire wood-work. Upon this were laid my Mormon wolf-.skin and a somewhat ostentatious Astracan fur cloak, n relic of former travel. Two little wooden shelves held my scanty library; u third supported a reading lamp, or, upon occasion, a Berzelius' argaiul, to be lighted when the dampness made an increiix' of heat necessary. My watch ticked from its particular nail, and a more noiseless monitor, my thermometer, occupied another. My ink-bottle was sus})onded, pendulum fashion, from a hook, and to one long string was fastened, like the ladle of a street- pump, my entire toilet, a tooth-brush, a comb, and a hair-brush. Now, when all these distributions had been happily accomplished, and 1 crawled in from the wet, and cold, and disorder of without, through a slit in the India- rubber cloth, to the very centre of my complicated re- sources, it would be hard for any one lo realize the quantity of coml'ort which 1 felt I had manui'actured, My lamp burned brightly; little or no water distilled from the roof; my furs warmed me into satisfaction; and I realized that I was sweating myself out of my preliminary cold, and could temper down at pleasure the abruptness of my acclimation. From this time I began my journal. At first its entries were little else than a selfish record of personal discomforts. It was less than a fortnight since J was OFF NEWFOUNDLAND. 857 umlor tlio sky of Florida, looking out on the live oak with its boarded moss, and breathing the magnolia. Coinlortahlo as my bunk was, companid with the deck, 1 was conseious that, on the whole, 1 had not bettered my quarters. But with the 7th of June came fine, bright, bracung weather. We were ofTNewfoundliind, getting along well over a smooth sea. We had been looking at the low hills near Cape Race, when, about noon, a great mass of whiteness was seen floating in tlie sunshine. It wjis our hrst iceberg. It was in shape an oblong cube, and iiboiit twice as large as Girard College. Its color was an unmixed, but not daz/ling white : indeed, it seemed entirely coated with snow of such unsullied, unreflecting purity, that, as we passed within a hund- red yards of it, not a glitter reached us. It reminded me of a great nuirble monolith, only awaiting the chisel to stand out in peristyle and pediment a floating Par- thenon. There was something very imposing in the impassive tranquillity with which it received the lash- ings of the sea. The next day we were off St. John's, surrounded by bergs, which nearly blockaded the harbor. A boat's crew of six brawiiy Saxon inen rowed out nine miles to meet us, and oiler their services as pilots. They were disappointed when we told them we were " bound for Greenland ;" but their hearty countenances bright- ened into a glow when we added, " in search of Sir John Franklin." We ran into an iceberg the night after, and carried away our jib-boom and martingale: it was our first adventure with these mountains of the sea. AVe thumped against it for a few seconds, but slid ofi' smoothly enough into open w'ater afterward. ■ ' } 1 '■'*f^ [ t 1 '• . - ^i ;,'. i ,i ; ■i .*' i 1 ?: ■ i '1 ■I 1 ; i 1:! i |: >l J i 358 THE ABOTIO DAT. ill I'M I \ m We were now drawing near to Davis's Straits, and the names which recorded our progress upon the charts were full of Arctic associations. The Meta Incognita of Frobisher and the Cape of God's Mercy greeted us from the American coast : Cape Farewell was on our starboard quarter, and the '* Land of Desolation" nearly abeam. Our enemies, the icebersrs — for we had not yet learned to regirrd them &? friends — made their appear- ance again on the 1 6th. One of them was an irreg- ular quadrangle, at least a quarter of a mile long in its presenting face. The night had now left us : we were in the contin- uous sunlight of the Arctic summer. I copy the en- tries from my journal of the 17th. "We are just ' turning in,' that is, seeking our den for sleep. It has been a long day, but to me a God- send, so clear and fogless. My time-piece points to half past nine, and yet the sunshine is streaming down the little hatchway. "Our Arctic day has commenced. Last night we read the thermometer without a lantern, and the binnacle was not lighted up. To-day the sun sets after ten, to rise again before two ; and during the bright twilight interval he will dip but a few degrees below the horizon. We have followed him for some time past in one scarcely varying track of brightness. The words night and day begin to puzzle me, as I rec- ognize the arbitrary character of the hour cycles that have borne these names. Indeed, 1 miss that sootliing tranquillizer, the dear old darkness, and can hardly, as I give way to sleep, bid the mental good-night which travelers like to send from their darkened pillows to friends at home. r 1; THE SLKKKRTOPPES. I i ENTERINO DISCO. UlSCd HITS, ''I On the i same doiiK a sail sin pleased us, declined a On the i j5on, we sij It was a he to this hirt] est, and, ii sionary au Norsemen, complimei] We first inarkable ] not unlike top is whit their unbn to suggest tor ; and i1 so frequeni This pes to the enti tions confi ill latitude may he see out to sea. We wer We had aj and when we found c we could s streaks. I met my ey THE SUKKERTOPPEN. 361 On the 20th an unknown schooner caine within the same dome of mist with ourselves. We had not seen a sail since leaving Newfoundland, and the sight pleased us. We showed our colors, but the little craft declined a reciprocation. On the same day, j utting up above the misty hori- ion, we sighted the mountainous coast of Greenland. It was a bold antiphrasis that gave such a vernal title to this birth-place of icebergs. Old Crantz, the quaint- est, and, in many things, the most exact of the mis- sionary authorities, says that it got the name from the Norsemen, because it was greener than Iceland — a poor compliment, certainly, to the land of the Geysers I We first made the coast near Sukkertoppen, a re- markable peak, called so, perhaps, because its form is not unlike that of a sugar-loaf, perhaps because its top is whitened with the snow. Mountains that mark their unbroken profile on the distant sky are very apt to suggest these fanciful remembrances to the naviga- tor ; and it is probably this which makes their names so frequently characteristic. This peak is a noted landmark, and gives its name to tlie entire district it overlooks. Our own observa- tions confirm those of Graah and Ross, which place it in latitude 65° 22' north, longitude 53° 05' west. It may be seen under ordinary circumstances many miles out to sea. We were favored in our view of the Sukkertoppen. We had approached it through an atmosphere of fog ; and when the morning of the 23d gave us a clear sky, we found ourselves close upon the beach, so jlose that we could see the white surf mingling with the snow streaks. A more rugged and inhospitable region never met my eye. Its unyielding expression differed from I ! iU\ '■ 1 1 i , iMlMi ^ J 1 i : 362 THE SUKKERTOPPEN. any that belongs to the recognized desert, the Sahara, or the South American Arridas ; for in these tropical wastes there is rarely wanting some group of Euphor- bia or stunted Gum Arabic trees, to qualify by their contrast the general barrenness. It was startling to see, beneath a smiling sun and upon the level of the all-fertilizing sea, an entire country without an ap- parent trace of vegetable life. On the 24th, the snn did not pass below the horizon. We had already beguv to realize that power of adap- tation to a new siate of things, which seems to be a distinguishing characteristic of man. We marked our day by its routine. Though the temptation to avoid a regular bed-hour was sometimes irresistible, yet sev- en bells always found us washing by turns at our one tin wash-basin : at eight bells we breakfasted ; at eight again we called to grog; two hours afterward we met at dinner ; and at six o'clock in the afternoon we came with laudable regularity to our salt junk and coffee. Our daily reckoning kept us advised of the recur- ring noonday, the meridian starting-point of sea-life; and our indefatigable master had his unvarying hour for winding up and comparing the chronometers. It is hard not to nuirk the regulated steps of time, where such a man-of-war rontine prevails ; and I can scarce- ly understand the necessity for the twenty-four hours' registering dial-plate, which Parry and others carried T^ith them, to avert the disastrous consequences of a twelve hours' skip in their polar reckonings. We had now been a month and a day out from New York. Our iinmediate destination was the Crown Prince Islands, more generally known by the misno- mer of the Whale Fish. This little group .'s situated CROTTN PRINCE ISLANDS. 363 in the Bay of Disco, thirty miles south of the island of that name. The entrance to the anchorage from the southwest is between two islands, and the harbor, which is com- pletely sheltered from ice, is formed, as will be seen from the sketch, by the conjunction of a third. On turning the corner, we suddenly came upon a wood- en store-house for oil and skins ; and opposite to it, a clumsy-looking collier, moored stem and stern by hawsers leading to rocks on either side of the channel. Soon after, we were boarded by Lieutenant Power, of the British navy, and from him we learned that the clumsy craft was the Emma Eugenia, a provision transport chartered by the Admiralty, and that in less than a week she would take our letters tp England. We learned, too, that the British relief squadron under Commodore Austin had sailed the day before for the regions of search. They had left England on the Gth of May, or seventeen days before our own de- parture from New York. While we were standing upon deck, waiting for the boat to be manned which was to take us to the shore, something like a large Newfoundland dog was seen moving rapidly through the water. As it ap- proached, we could see a horn-like prolongation bulg- ing from its chest, and every now and then a queer movenient, as of two flapping wings, which, acting alternately on either side, seemed to urge it through the water. Almost immediately it was alongside of us, and then we realized what was the much talked- of kayack of the G reenlanders. It was a canoe-shaped frame- work, carefully and f». tirely covered with tensely-stretched seal-skins, beau- tiful in model, and graceful as the nautilus, to which 22 ;ii !• \ i j * 1 '■'i' . i' f ^Vi ^ * ; 1 ft i ! !1 ! KAYACKS. Y. 7. it has been compared. AVith the exception of an ellip. tical hole, nearly in its centre, to receive its occupant, it was both air and water tight. Into this hole was wedged its human freight, a black-locked Esquimaux, enveloped in an undressed seal-skin, drawn tightly around the head and wrists, and fastened, where it met the kayack, about an elevated rim made for the purpose, over which it slipped like a bladder over the lip of a jar. • " ' The length of the kayack was about eighteen feet, tapering fore and aft to an absolute point. The beam was but twenty-one inches. When laden, as we saw it, the top or deck was at its centre but two inches by measurement above the water-line. The waves often broke completely over it. A double-bladed oar, grasped in the middle, was the sole propeller. It -wifis wonderful to see how rapidly the will of the kayacker communicated itself to his little bark. One impulse seemed to control both. Indeed, even for a careful observer, it was hard to say where the boat ended or the man commenced ; the rider seemed one with his frail craft, an amphibious realization of the centaur, or a practical improvement upon the merman. These boats, not only as specimens of beautiful na- val architecture, but from their controlling influence upon the fortunes of their owners, became to me sub- jects of careful study. I will revert to them at an- other time. As we rowed to the shore, crowds of them followed us, hanging like Mother Carey's chickens in our wake, and just outside the sweep of our oars. We landed at a small cove formed by two protrud- ing masses of coarsely granular feldspar. Some forty odd souls, the men, women, and children of the entire settlement, received us. The men were in the front THE LANDING. 365 rank ; the women, Avith their infants on their backs, came next : and behind them, in yelling phalanx, the children. Still further back were crowds of dogs, seated on their haunches, and howling in unison with their masters. The one feeling which, I venture to say, pervaded us all, to the momentary exclusion of every thing else, was disgust. Offal was strewn around Avithout regard to position ; scabs of drying seal-meat were spread over the rocks ; oil and blubber smeared every thing, from the dogs' coats to their masters' ; animal retuse tainted all we saAv ; and Ave afterwai'd found, Avhile botaniz- ing among the snow valleys, bones of the seal, walrus, and whale, buried in the mosses. But if filth characterized the ojien air, Avhat was it in the habitations ! One poor family had escaped to their summer tent, pitched upon an adjacent rock that overlooked the sea. Within a little area of six feet by eight, I counted a father, mother, grandfather, and four children, a tea-kettle, a rude box, two rifles, and a litter of puppies. This island is used by the Danes as a soi-t of fishing station, where one European, generally a carpenter or cooper, presides over a few families of Esquimaux, who live by the chase of the seal. This functionary had a hut built of timber, which we visited. Except the oil-house, Avhich we had observed before, it Avas the only Avooden edifice. The natives, if the amalgamation of Dane and Es- quimaux can be called such, spend their summer in the reindeer tent, their winters in the semi-subterra- nean hut. These last have not been materially im- proved since the days of Egede and Faln'icius. A square inclosure of stone or turf is raftered over Avith ^\ } ^W '" i ^^. 366 THE DWELLNGS. drift-wood or whalebones, and then roofed in with earth, skins, mosses, and hroken-up kayack frames. One small aperture of eighteen inches square, cover- ed with the scraped intestines of the seal, forms the window ; and a long, tunnel-like entry, opening to the south, and not exceeding three feet in height, leads to a skin-covered door. Inside, perched upon an ele- vated dais or stall, with an earthen lamp to establish the "focus," several families reside together. CHART or THE WHALE-FiaU ISLANDS. LIEVELY. 367 Our commander intended to remain at the Crown Prince Islands no longer than was absolutely neces- sary for our consort, the Rescue, to rejoin us; but, upon reviewing our hurried preparation for the hard- ships of the winter, he determined, Avith characteristic forethought, to send a boat party to the settlement of Lievely, or Godhavn, on the neighboring island of Disco, for the double purpose of collecting information and purchasing a stock of flu's. The execution of this duty he devolved upon me. We started on the 27th, Mr. Lovell, myself, an Es- quimaux pilot, and a crew of five men. As we rowed along the narrow channels before we emerged from this rocky group, I observed for the first time that extreme transparency of the water which has so often been alluded to by autliors as characteristic of the Po- lar Seas. At the depth of ten fathoms every feature of the bottom was distinctly visible. Even for one who has seen the crimson dulses and coral groves of the equatorial zones, this arctic growth had its rival beauties. Enormous bottle-green fronds were waving their ungainly lengths above a labyrinth- ine jungle of snake-like stems; and far down, where the claws of the fucus had grappled the round gneis- ses, gieat glaring lime patches shone like upset white- wash upon a home grassplot. It was a rough sail outside. The bergs were nu- merous ; and the heavy sea way and eddying current, sweeping like a mill-race along the southern face of the island, made us barely able to double the entrance to tlie little harbor. We did double it, howevei', and by a sudden transition found ourselves in a quiet land- locked basin, shadowed by wall-like hills. Snow, as usual, covered the lower slopes j but, cheer- ! jl i i.' '• ) I 1 ', f 1 'l 1 i' ' \ ■I] I f '. 1 f v^ , 1 l' :. ..j ) 'i i; 1 - , -- ■:l 1 i ! i; ,!f !! I ,^ ■ i t 1: * ! k'.- '■ it ; ii 3(38 DISCO. ful in spite of its cold envelope, rose a group. of rude houses, mottling the sky Avith the comfortable smoke of their huge chiumeys. Among the most conspicu- ous of these was one antique and gable fronted, with timbers so heavy and besmeared with tar, that it seemed as if built from the stranded wreck of a vessel. Little man-of-wa». port-holes, recessed into its wooden sides, and a flag-staff, as tall as the mast of a jolly- boat, gave it dignity. This was the house of the " Royal Inspector of the Northern portions of Davis's Straits;" whose occupant — well and kindly remem- bered by all of us — no less than the royal inspector himself, stood awaiting our landing. The incumbent, Mr. Olrik, was an accomplished and hospitable gentleman, well read in the natural sci- ences, and an acute observer. In a few minutes we were seated by a ponderous stove, and in a few more discussing a hot Eider duck and a bottle of Latour. Upon commencing my negotiations as to furs, the object of my journey, 1 learned that the reindeer do not abound on the island of Disco as in the days of Crantz and Egede ; though to the south, about Bunke Land, and the fiords around Ilolsteinberg, and to the north of the Waigat, they are still very numerous. Nevertheless, by drunmiing up the resources of the settlement, we obtained a supply of second-hand late summer skins ; and with these, aided by the seal, soon fitted out a wardrobe. Of Disco, save its Esquimaux huts, its oil-house, its smith-shop, its little school, and its gubernatorial man- sion, I can say but little. It is the largest circum- navigable island on the coast of Greenland. Its long diameter is from the northwest to southeast, and its eastern edge is in a continuous line with the coast to INSI'KCTOKS' IIOL'SK, LIKVELY. AMONO THE nERoa I III ij the north and strait, called bay. So much swarthy, Clir Lovell, like a the doctor: wet hortiis si again for our We loft tl] pany with tli southwest en through a ci July, early ii field-ice. Fr acteristic vo: DISCO. 871 the north and south. It is rendered insular by a large strait, called the Waigat, which inosculates with the bay. So much for Disco. Paul Zacharcus, long-haired, swarthy, Chiistian Paul, said that the wind was fair: Lovcll, like a good .«ailor, exercised his authority over the doctor: the furs were packed, my sketches and wet hortus siccus properly combined, and we started again for our little brig. We left the Whale-fieh Islands on the 29th, in com- pany with the Rescue. On the 30th we doubled the southwest cape of Disco, and stood to the northward, through n crowd of noble icebergs. On the first of July, early in the ruorning, we encountered our first field-ice. From this date really commenced the char- acteristic voyaging of a Polar cruise. ^- : ( R! [if CHAPTER XXX. THE FIRST AMERICAN EXPEDITION. (continued.) "July 1. This morning was called on deck at 4 A.M. by our commander. "About two hundred yarr" to the windward, form- ing a loo-shore, was a vast plane of undulating ico, in nowise differing from that which we see in the Dela- ware when mid-winter is contending with the ice- boats. There was the same crackling, and grinding, and splashing, but the indehnite extent — an ocean in- stead of a river— multiplied it to a din unspoakal^le ; and Avith it came a strange undertone accompaniment, a not discordant drone. This was the floe ice ; per- haps a tongue from the ' Great Pack,' through which we are now every day expecting to force our Avay. A great number of bergs, of shapes the most sirnplo and most com])licated, of colors blue, white, and earth- stained, wore tangled in this floating field. Siu'ii. however, was the inertia of the huge masses, that the sheet ice piled itself up about them as on fixed rocks. "The sea immediately around, saving the ground- swell, was smooth as a mill-pond ; but it -was studded over with dark, protruding little globules, about the size of hens' eggs, producing an effect like the dimples of so many overgrown rain-drops fallen on the water. These, as I afterward found, were rounded fVaginents of transparent and fresh-water ice, the debris and de- (372) tritus of tl ten miles "At 9 F tered agaii berg. As us some he "At 11 V wind, found a noted sea How far we saw dh the deep r Hearing mi( and threw large bergs those in th distance ob; Omenak'i the largest the mountf form so ma inland term supposed bj sounds, whi enter fioui It is up trap, that tl have nuule . bio locality the glo))e. comj)letely myself coun than two h from the dei OMENAK S FIORD. 375 tritus of the bergs. "We sailed along this field about ten miles " At 9 P. M. the fogs settled around us, and we en- tered again upon an area full of floating masses of berg. As it was impossible to avoid them, tlicy gave us some heavy thumps. "At 11 we cleared the floes, and, favored with a free wind, found ourselves nearly opposite Omenak's Fiord, a noted seat of iceberg gi'owtli and distriljution." How far we were from land I could not tell ; but we saw distinctly tho configuration of the hills and the deep recesses of the fiord The sun, although nearing midni ' t, was five degrees above the horizon, and threw its rich coloring over the snow. Many large bergs were moving ni procession from the fiord, those in the foreground lu full sunshino, those in the distance oljscured by the shadow of tluir parent hills. Omenak's Fiord, known as Jaco1)'s Bigh' is one of the largest of those strange clefts, w hich. penetrating the mountain range at right angii s to its long axis, form so majestic a feature of Greenland scenery. Its inland termination has never been reach- I ; and it is supposed by Scoresby to be continuoi' with the large sounds, which on a corresponding parallel (70'' 40') enter from the eastern coast. It is up this fiord, probably in the chasms of the trap, that those enormous glaciers accumulate which have made Jacob's Bight, perliai)s, the most remarka- ble locality in the genesis of icel)ergs on the face of the glo))e. It is not uncommon to have the shore here com})letely lilocked in by these gigantic monsters: I myself counted in one evening, the od of July, no less than two hundred and forty of priuuiry magnitude, from the decks of our vessel. ! J !' 1' If. ' il 376 FORMATION OF ICEBERGS. The glaciers -wliicli abut upon this sound are prob- ably ofl'sets from an interior mer de glace. The val- leys or canals which conduct these offsets were de- scribed to me as singularly rectilinear and uniform in diameter, a fact which derives ready confirmation from the known confiij;uration of a dioritic country. Now the protrusi(ra of these abutting faces into the Avaters of the 80und has been a subject of observation among both Danes and Esquimaux. Places about Jacob's Harbor, remembered as the former seats of habitation, are now overrun by glaciers ; and Mr. Olrik told me of a naked escarpment of ice, twelve hundred feet high, which he had seen protruding nearly half a mile into the sea. ■ The materials thus afforded in redundant profusion are rapidly converted into icebergs. The water at the bases of these dill's is very deep — I have in my note- book well-established instances of three hundred fath- oms ; and the pyramidal structure of the trap is such as to favor a precipitous coast line. The glacier, thus exposed to a saline water base of a temperature above the freezing point, and to an undermiuiug wave ac- tion, aided by tides and winds, is of course speedily detached by its own gravitation. Jul}/ 2. The next day we passed this fiord and stood on oui course beyond an hnposing headland, known on tln' charts as Ca[)e Cranstowu, through a sea un- obstrinted by iloe ice, but abounding in bergs. In the afternoon the wind subsided iuto a mere cats-paw, and we were enabled to visit several of the icebergs. Certain it is that no objects ever impressed me more. There was something about them so slum- berous and so pure, so massive yet so evanescent, so majestic in their cheerless beauty, without, after all, ICEBERG SCENERY. 377 any of the salient points which give character to de- scription, that they ahnost seemed to me the mate- rial for a dream, rather than things to be definitely painted in words. The first that we approached was entirely inaccess- ible. Our commander, in whose estimates of distance and magnitude I have great confidence, made it nearly a mile in circumference. The next was a monster ice mountain, at least two hundred feet high, irregularly polyhedral in shape, and its surface diversified with hill and dale. Upon this one we landed. I had never appreciated before the glorious variety of iceberg scenery. The sea at the base of this berg was dashing into hollow caves of pure and intense ultramarine ; and to leeward the quiet water lit the eye down to a long, spindle-shaped root of milky whiteness, which seemed to dye the sea as it descended, until the blue and white were mixed in a pale turkois. Above, and high enough to give an expression akin to sublimity, were bristling crags. The general color of a berg I have before compared to frosted silver. But when its fractures are very ex- tensive, tiie exposed faces have a very brilliant lustre. Nothing can be more exquisite than a fresh, cleanly- fractured berg surface. A'oyagers speak of the effects of A rctic refraction in language as exact and mathematical as their own cor- rection tables. It ahrost seems as if their minute ob- servations of dip-sectors and repeating-circles had left them no scope for picturesque sublimity. This may excuse a. literal transcript from my diary, which runs perhaps into the other extreme. "Friday, 11 P.M. A strip of horizon, commencing about 8° to the east of the sun, and between it and k , ' f f ; r: s mi SI' ' % Ms it III IjU' 378 W0NDEE8 OF REFRACTION. the land, resembled an extended plain, covered with the debris of ruined cities. No effort of imagination was necessary for me to travel from the true watery horizon to the liilse one of refraction above it, and there to see huge structures lining an aerial ocean- margin. Some of rusty, Egyptian, rubbish-clogged propyla, and hypoethral courts — some tapering and columnar, like Palmyra and Baalbec — some with architrave and portico, like Telmessus or Athens, or else vague and grotto-like, such as dreamy memories recalled of Ellora and Carli. " I can hardly realize it as I write ; but it was no trick of fancy. The things were there half an hour ago. I saw them, cjipricious, versatile, full of fonns, but bright and definite as the phases of sober life. And as my eyes ran round upon the marvelous and varying scene, every one of these well-rcmcnibcred cities rose before me, built up by some suggestive feat- ure of the ice. " An iceberg is one of God's own buildings, preach- ing its lessons of humility to the miniature structures of man. Its material, one colossal Pentelicus; its mass, the representative of power in repose ; its distribution, simulating every architectural type. It makes one smile at those classical remnants which our own pe- riod reproduces in its Madeleines, Walhallas, and Gi- rard colleges, like university poems in the dead lan- guages. Still, we can compare them with the iceberg; for the ssime standard measures both, as it does Cliim- bora/.o and the Hill of Ilowth. But this thing of re- fraction is supernatural througliout. The wildest frolic of an opium-eater s revery is nothing to the phantas- magoria of the sky to-night. Karnaks of ice, turned upside down, were resting upon rainbow-colored ped- ■ml OFF UPERNAVIK. 379 estals : great needles, obelisks of pure whiteness, shot up above their false horizons, and, after an hour-glass- like contraction at their point of union with their du- plicated images, lost themselves in the blue of the upper sky. "While I was looking — the sextant useless in my hand, for I could not think of angles — a blurred and wavy change came over the fantastic picture. Pris- matic tintings, too vague to admit of dioptric analysis, began to margin my architectural marbles, and the scene faded like one of Fresnel's dissolving vicAvs. Suddenl}', by a flash, they reappeared in full beauty ; and, just as I was beginning to note in my memo- randum-book the changes which this brief interval had produced, they went out entirely, and left a nearly clear horizon." The 6th of July found us in latitude 72° 54', beat- ing to windward, as usual, between " the pack " and the land. This land was of some interest to us, for we were now in the neighborhood of the Danish set- tlement of Upernavik. With the exception of one subordinate station, eight- een miles further to the north, this is the last of the Danish settlements. It is the jumping-ofl' place of Arc- tic navigators — our last point of communication with the outside world. Here the British explorers put the date to their oflicial reports, and send home their last letters of good-by. We sent ours without the delay of seeking the little port ; for a couple of kayacks boarded us twenty miles out to sea, and for a few bis- cuits gladly took charge of our dispatches. The hon- esty of these poor Esquimaux is provci'bial. Letters committed to their care are delivered with unerring safety to the superintendent of the port or station. ... .^ T1 n ^ ' I : :-iM ! ■ 1 i: i I I ' I '^It j -.*•■■ 380 FAST IN THE ICE. We were boarded, too, by an oomiak, or woman's boat, returning from a successful seal hunt. From the crew, consisting of three women and four men, we purchased a goodly stock of eider eggs and three young seals. July 7. We had now passed the seventy-third de- gree of latitude without being materially retarded by ice. The weather was one unbroken sunshine, and worthier of the Bay of Naples than Baffin's. The coast on our right hand consisted of low islands, so grouped as to resemble continuous land. To our left was a coast of a different character — the ice. On the morning of the 7th, a large vacant sheet of water showed itself to the westward, penetrating the ice as far as the eye could reach ; and from the top- mast-head we could see the southern margin of this ice losing itself in a clear, watery horizon. It Avas a strong temptation. Our commander deterniincd to try for a passage through. " We now entered fairly the so-thought open water, keeping the shore on our starboard beam, and steering for the northeast and north, at a rate of six knots, through an apparently unobstructed sea. But the sanguine anticipations of our commander Avere soon to be moderated. By four in the afternoon, after plac- ing at least fifty miles between us' and the coast, the leads began to close around us. Fearing a sepanition from the Rescue, we took her in tow and continued our efforts ; but from 5 P. M. imtil the termination of the day, our progress was absolutely nothing. The morning of the 8th opened upon us fast in summer ice. ^^ July 9. Although we commenced bright and early to warp our way through the impacted ice, we found, " 1'llALK.lNU. KAYACKS. OOMIAK, OR WOMAN S DOAT. I I i-i! I i Lsi t!* *M 5> i after mucl about thre 'beset/ an rencAv our What tl plain, for tl some otliei know that sea on a f'r a quiet ri^ swing at ai in these A: Let us 1 two of the aiul head! I about two the eaptaii " Somethin iceberg on the ice ; o taking the station on Before }' and near i cent fragni Nov; coi work with The brig's are statiom Presently c mander, " ] the yards ; brig turns bangs her ( ARCTIC NAVIGATION. 383 after much labor, that r parting ii ton-inch hawser, go to bed wet, and ti vd, iind dis- contented, with nothing but experience to pay for our toil. This is " warping.'' But let us suppose that, after many hours of this sort of unprofitable labor, the floes release tlieir press- ure, or t.ie ice becomes frail and light. '• Get ready the lines! " Out jumps an imfortunate with a forty- pound " hook " ui)on his shoulder, and, after one or two (luckings, tumbles over the ice and plants his anchor on a distant cape, in line with our wished-for direction. The poor fellow has done more than carry his anchor; for a long white cord has been securely fastened to it, which they "pay out" from aboard ship as occasion requires. It passes inboard through a block, and then, with a iew artistic turns, around the capstan. Its "slack" or loose end is carried to a little windlass at our main-mast. Now comes the Avarping again. The lirst or heavy warping we called " heaving : " this last 2w 1 i \ il 386 PROSPECT OF ESCAPE. is a civilized performance; "all hands" walking round with the capstan-bars to the click of its iron pauls, or else, if the watch he fresh, to a jolly chorus of sailors' songs. I-. We have made a few hundred yards of this light warping, when the floes, never at rest, open into a tort- uous canal again. We can dispense with the slow traction of the capstan. The same whalc-liiie is passed out ahead, and a party of hmnan horses take us in tow. Each man — or horse, if you })lease — has a canvas strap passing over his shoulder and fastened to the tow-line; or. nautically, as this is a cliapter ex- planatory of terms, " toggled to the warp." This har- nessing is no slight comfort to hands Avet Avith water at the Ireezing point ; and with its aid they tug along, sometimes at a Aveary walk, and sometimes at a dog- trot. This is '• tracking." When we coidd neither "heave," nor "warp," nor " track," nor sail, we resorted to all sorts of useless ex- pedients, such as sawing, cutting, and vainly striving to force our way into a more hopeful neighl)orhood. It Avas long before experience taught us to sjiare our- selves this useless labor. We had been three weeks comjdetely imprisoned, and the season for useful search was rapidly Hitting by, when, on the 27th of July, came the dawning promise of escape. A steady breeze had been bloAving for several days from the ncjrtliAvard and westAvard, and under its in- fluence the ice had so relaxed, that, had not tiie wind Infcn dead ahead, Ave should liave attemped snil". (hu- tk)e surface, disturbed by these ncAV inllucnoos gave us a constantly-shifting topography. It Avas cu- rious to sec the rapidity of the transformations. At one mome with a wo our bows I post clogg-e lanes were hecoming j for five inir But chan lowering, th fallen eiglit Late on t\ day of unpr< eastward. like Avater w 30m. P.M. w leeiiiigs of jo wind soon i'n along to the i Broken floes sides of us; h l^ored tJifoug! Bay. ^fter a littl though our wi liardly be calj set in, makini ows indeed hyl T'le ice, toe rotten, haJf-thl heavy floes ei/ '^'Pf-med to staj I^rcsentiy A\f '■6«, on a jpe ^vas JIG Jieip fJ BORING. 387 one moment we were closed in by ice three feet thick, with a worn-down berg fifty feet deep on our beam ; our bows buried in hummocky masses, and our stern- post clogged with frozen sludge : in ten minutes open lanes were radiating from us in every direction, cracks becoming rivers, and puddles lakes : warping ahead for five minutes, every thing around us was ice again. But changes were going on. The sky had become lowering, the gulls had left us, and the barometer had fallen eight tenths since the day before. Late on the afternoon of the 28th, after another long day of unprofitable warping, the wind shifted to the eas>tward. The floes opened still wider, something like water was visible to the north and east, and at 9h. 80m. P.M. we " cast off," set our main-sail, and, with feelings of joyous relief, began to bore the ice. This wind soon freshened to a southeaster, and we dashed along to the northeast in a sea studded with icebergs. Broken floes running out into " streams" were on all sides of us ; but, only too glad to be once more free, we bored through them for the inshore circuit of Melville Bay. After a little while tlie horizon thickened ; and al- though our wind, surrounded as we were b\ ice, could hardly be called a gale, heavy undulations began to set in, making an uncomfortable sea, rendered danger- ous indeed by the v'lwashing ice and a growiiig fog. The ice, too, after a little while, was no longer the rotten, half-thawed material of the middle pack, but heavy floes eight or ten feet of solid thickness, which seemed to stand out from the shore. Presently we found ourselves, urged by wind iind sea, on a lee ridge of undulating fragments. There was no help for it : with grinding crash we entered its ; ;* ^ i mi ■ 'i m 1 i % r, I: 388 MELVILLE BAIT. ^ tumultuous margin. Before we had bored into it more than ten yards, we were on the edge of a nearly sub- merged iceberg, which, not being large enough to re- sist the swell, rolled fearfully. The sea dashed in an angry surf over its inclined sides, rattling the icy frag- ments or " brash" against its irregular surface. Our position reminded me of the scenes so well described by Beechy in the voyage of the Dorothea and Trent. For a time we were awkwardly placed, but Wvi bored through ; and the Rescue, after skirting the same ob- struction, managed also to get through without damage. We continued to run along with our top-saii yard on the cap, but the growing fog made it impossible to keep on our course very long. After several encoun- ters with the floating hummocks, we succeeded in ty- ing fast to a heavy floe, which seemed to be connected with the land, and were thus moored within that mys- terious circuit known as Melville Bay. It is during the transit of this bay that most of the catastrophes occur which have made the statistics of tlie whalers so fearful. It was here, about twenty miles to the south of us, that in one year more than one thousand human beings were cast shelterless upon the ice, their ships ground up before their eyes. It is rarely that a season goes by in which the passage is attempted without disaster. The inshore side of the indentation is lined by ti sv/eep of glacier, through which here and there tlio dark headlands of the coast force themselves with se- vere contrast. Outside of this, the shore, if we can call it such, is again lined witii a heavy ledge ot ground ice, thicker and more permanent tlian that iu motion. This extends out for miles, forming an icy margin or beach, known technically as the " land ice," or " the ftif through w action, rcce and curren canal alon^ barrier of c Our initi on^nous en scene o{ n( throiigh wh drifted by u tj escape tl Iniagine a down upon The imm eighteen mil the glacier. tioes. and hu tery conflict, and hushed b had vvitnosse wont out w more clo.seh'l at the ed times twi b^ teuti gos -mt}J rgs firmly Oil was ^vhicli wern d wt' couKl noM oft »i Mie.so st iHMM, nie and I'orty fee it M-as th< founded u s a liilf! ' BERGS. 889 or " the fast." Against this margin, the great " drift" through which we had been passing exerts a remitting action, receding sometimes under the influence of wind and currents so as to open a tortuous and uncertain canal along its edge-, at others closing against it in a barrier of contending floes and bergs. Our initiation into the mysteries of this region was onnnous enough. It blew a gale. The offing was a scene of noisy contention, obscured by a dense fog, throiigh which rose the tops of the icebergs as they drifted by us. Twice in the night we were called up ij escape these bergs by warping out of their path. Imagine a mass as large as the Parthenon bearing down upon you before a storm-wind ! The immediate site of our anchorage was about eighteen miles from the Black Hills, which rose above the ghicier. It was truly an iron-bound coast, bergs, Hoes, and hummock ridges, in all the disarray of win- tery conflict, cemented in a basis of ice ten feet thick, and lashed by an angry sea. It was the first time I had witnessed the stupendous results of ice action. I went out with Captain De Haven to observe them more closely. The hummocks had piled themselves at the edges of the floes in a set of rugged walls, some- times twenty feet high ; and here and there were ice- bergs firmly incorporated in the vast plain. Our at- tention was of course directed more anxiously to those which were drii'ting at large upon the open water; but we could not help being impressed by the solid majes- ty of these stationary mountains. The height of one of tiHMii, measured by the sextant, was two hundred and I'orty feet. It was the motion of the floating bergs that sur- rounded us at this time, which first gave me the idea 1 1 r ■■ < iX '\M \nu M: fi\- ■ it- \i\k 390 A RACE. of a great under-current to the northward. Their drift followed some system of advance entirely independent of the wind, and not apparently at variance with the received views of a great southern current. On the night of the 30th, while the surface ice or floe was drifting to the southward with the wind, the hergs were making a northern progress, crushing through the floes in the very eye of the hreeze at a measured rate of a mile and a half an hour. The disproportion that uniformly suhsists hetween the submerged and upper masses of a floating berg makes it a good index of the deep sea current, especially when its movement is against the wind. 1 noticed very many ice-mount- ains traveling to the north in opposition to both wind and surface ice. One of them we recognized five days afterward, nearly a hundred mixes on its northern journey. In the so-called night, "all hands" were turned to, and the old system of warping was renewed. The unyielding ice made it a slow process, but enough was gained to give us an entrance to some clear wa- ter about a mile in apparent length. While we were warping, one of these current-driven bergs kept us constant company, and at one time it was a regular race between us, for the narrow passage we were striving to reach would have been completely barri- caded if our icy opponent had got ahead. This exciting race, against wind and drift, and with the Rescue in tow, was at its height when we reached a point where, by warping around our opponent, we might be able to nuike sail. Three active men were instantly dispatched to prepare the warps. One took charge of the hawser, and another of the iron crow or chisel which is used to cut the hole; the third, a brawny se ing the an solid ice, w ran across about twic rest. One mass, a sec and chain anchor and ciful Godse so cleanly fractured si along with ^y the capts safe on boai our cruise, v "August 2 About 2 P.j\J enabled us tc tie airs for a losing what our i'ri(!2id th ft^v viirds as "iVe have have lo.st the conios back circuit oi' Mp; spangled jH'K % on his til parison j'Voiu ^hi,s aljout s tive at tho b floors,' as the/ but ^ir," OUR PROSTECTS. 391 brawny seaman, named Costa, was in the act of lift- ing the anchor and driving it by main force into the soKd ice, when, with a roar like near thunder, a crack ran across the berg, and almost instantly a segment about twice the size of our ship was severed from the rest. One man remained oscillating on the principal mass, a second escaped by jumping to the back ropes and chain shrouds of the bowsprit ; but poor Costa ! anchor and all, disappeared in the chasm ! By a mer- ciful Godsend, the sunken fragment had broken off so cleanly that, when it rose, it scraped against the fractured surface, and brought up its living freight along with it. Scared half to death, he was caught by the captain as he passed the jib-boom, and brought safe on board. This incident, coming thus early in our cruise, was a useful warning. ^^ August 2. 'Warping!' Tired of the very word? About 2 P.M. a lead, less obstructed than its fellows, enabled us to crowd on the canvas, and sail with gen- tle airs lor about two miles to the eastward, and then, losing what little wind we had, we tied up again to our friend the land ice ; the little Rescue, as usual, a few yards astern. "We have learned to love tlie sunshine, though we have lost the night that gives it value to others. It comes back to us this ev(Miing, after the gale, with a circuit of sparkling and imaginative beauty, like the spangled petticoat of a. ballet-dancer in full twirl to a boy on his first visit to thj opera. 1 borrow the com- parison from one of my mess-mates; but, in truth, all this about sunsliine and warmth is only compara- tive at the best, for, though writing on deck> 'out of doors,' as they say at home, the thermometers give us but 43'\" U. P ij J -t :i: -I ! \ '\ I 1 ii ; 't n M m ii ; i ^ ; 1 1 '1 m I m H 1 I! IJ mi ■ ^ 392 Melville's monument. 11 The bergs were an interesting subject of sudy. I counted one morning no less than two hundred and ten of them from our decks, forming a beaded line from theN.N.W.totheS.S.E. ^'August 10. Another day of sunshine. Were we in the Mediterranean, there could not be a warmer sky. It ends with the sky though ; for our thermom- eters fell at four A.M. to 24°. A careful set of observa- tions with Green's standard thermometers gave 18° as the difference between the sunshine and shade at noonday. The young ice was nearly an inch thick. Myriads of Auks were seen, and the usual supply duly slaughtered. "Melville's Mcnument appeared to-day under a new phase, rising out from the surrounding floe ice, either a salient peninsula or an isolated rock. "The land ice measured but five feet seven inches, the reduced growth, probably, of a single season. The open leads multiply, for we made under sail about fifteen miles N.N.W." As the next day glided in, the skies became over- cast, and the wind rose. Mist gathered about the horizon, shutting out the icebergs. The floes, which had opened before with a slender wind from the north- ward, now shed off" dusty wreaths of snow, and began to close rapidly. Moving along in our little river passage, we ob- served it growing almost too narrow for navigation, and every now and then, where a projecting cape stretched out toward this advancing ice, we had to run the gauntlet between tlie opposing margins. It is under these circumstances, with a gale prob- ably outside, and a fog gathering around, that the whalers, less strengthened than ourselves, and taught HUMMOCKING. 393 by a fearful experience, seek protecting bights among the floes or cut harbors in the ice. For us, the word dehiv did not enter into our commander's tlioughts. We liad not purchased caution by disaster ; and it was essential to success that we should niake the most of this Godsend, a "slant" from the southeast. We pushed on ; but the Rescue, less fortunate than ourselves, could not follow. She was jammed in be- tween two closing surfaces. We 'were looking out for a temporary niche in which to secure ourselves, when we were challenged to the bear hunt 1 have spoken of a few pages back. Upon regaining the deck with Mr. Lovell's prize, we were struck with the indications of a brooding wind outside. The ice was closing in every direction ; and our nuister, Mr. Murdaugh, had no alternative but to tie up and await events. The Rescue did the same, some three hundred yards to the southward. By five A.M., a projecting edge of tlie outside floe came into contact with our own, at a point midway between the two vessels. This assailing floe was three feet eight inches thick, perhaps a mile in diameter, and moving at a rate of a knot an hour. Its weight was some two or three millions of tons. So irresistible was its momentum, that, as it impinged against the solid margin of the land ice, there was no recoil, no in- terruption to its progress. The elastic material cor- rugated before the enormous pressure ; then craclced, then crumbled, and at last rose, the lesser over the greater, sliding up in great inclined planes: and these, again, breaking by their weigit and their continued impulse, toppled over in long lines of fragmentary ice. Thi* imposing process of dynanucs is called "Hummocking." Its most striking feature was it:f m ■tm ,1 HI 894 A PINCH. H'W unswerving, unchecked continuousness. The mere commotion was hardly proportioned either to the in- tensity of the force or the tremendous effects which it produced. Tables of white marble were thrust into the air, as if by invisible machinery. First, an inclined face would rise, say ten feet ; then you would hear a grinding, tooth-pulling crunch : it has cracked at its base, and a second is sliding up upon it. Over this, again, comes a third ; and here- upon the first breaks down, carrying with it the sec- ond ; and just as you are expecting to see the whole pile disappear, up comes a fourth, larger than any of the rest, and converts all its predecessors into a cha- otic mass of crushed nuirble. Now the fragments thus comminuted are about the size of an old-l'ashioned Concstoga wagon, and the line thus eating its way is several hundred yards long. The action soon began to near our brig, which now, fast by a heavy cable, stood bows on awaiting the onset. It was an uncomfortable time for us, as we momentarily expected it to " nip" her sides, or bear her down with the pressure. But, thanks to the in- verted wedge action of her bows, she shot out like a squeezed water-melon seed, snapping her hawser like pack-thread, and backing into wider quarters. The Rescue was borne almost to her beam ends, but event- ually rose upon the ice. We cast off again about 7 A.M. ; and after a weari- some day of warping, tracking, towing, ajid sailing, advanced some six or eight miles, along a coast-line of hills to the northeast, edged with glaciers. The currents were such as to entirely destroy our steerage way. Our rudder was for a time •iseless; and the surface water was covered by ripple marks THE DEVILS T11IMH. !1''' m w'hicli flov 13th tho s( as other en lore, lined, ice ; and fr ol' those lii heretofore hnes. Am jerking lit and liniaeii too, were b the Burgoi The sho again rose : as tiiey re( We had tri in a nearly to lose it. ready. "GP.M floating in it is you ('ill ently conies enoo, and c you 800 phi notliiugelsf naiHoil it, be for Mulcihei of the poles your satisfa- it contracts ^vise, and, p of colossal black globe ' ANurvL lift:. nns vvliicli flowed in strangely looping curves. On the I3th the sea uhoundt'd with lil'e. Ccloehili, as well as other entomostracan forms which 1 had not seen be- fore, lined, and, in I'act, tinted the margins of the floe ice : and (or tlie first time I noticed among them some of those liigher orders of crustacean life, which had heretofore been only found adhering to our warping lines. Among these were asellus and idotea, and that jerking little amphipod, the gammarus. AcalophsB and limaeina; abounded in the quiet leads. The birds, too, were back with us, tlu- moUemoke, the Ivory gull, the Burgomaster, and the torn . The shore, which wo had been s( long skirting, again rose into mountains ; on whose southern flanks, as they receded, w^e could still see the great glacier. We had traced it all the way from the Devil's Thumb in a nearly continuous circuit; now we were about to lose it The icebergs had sensibly diminishoil al- ready. "6 P.INI Refraction again! There is a black globe floating in the air, about :r north of the sun. What it is you can not tell. Is it a bird or a balloon ? Pres- ently comes a sort of shimmering about its circismfer- enee, and on a sudden it changes its shape. Noav you see plainly w^hat it is. It is a grand piano, and nothing else. Too quick this time ! You had hardly na)iied it, before it was an anvil — an anvil large enough for Mulcil;er and his Cyclops to beat out the loadstone of the poles. You have not got it quite adjusted to your satisfaction, before your anvil itself is changing; it contracts itself centrewise, and rounds itself end- wise, and, presto, it has made itself duplicate — a })air of coloss-il dumb-bells. A moment! and it is the black globe again." 3" I ■> , i li ijijt 306 REFRACTION. About an hour after this necromantic juggle, the whole liorizon became distorted: great bergs lifted themselves above it, and a pearly sky and penrly water blended with each other in such a way, that you could not determine where the one began or the otlier ended. Your ship was in the concave of a vast sphere ; ice shapes of indescribable variety around you, floating, like yourself, on nothingness; tlie flight of a bird as apparent in the deeps of the sea as in the continuous element above. Nothing could be more curiously beautiful than our consort the Kescue, as she lay in mid -space, duplicated by her secondary im- age. This unequally refractive condition continued on into the next day ; diminishing as the sun approached his merulian altitude, but again coming back in the afternoon with augmented intensity. The appearance at night was more wonderful than it had been on the 12th. I am desirous to give the impressions it nuvde on me at the moment, and I therefore copy again from my journal, without erasing or modifying a sin- gle line. ^^ August 13. To-night, at ten o'clock, we were op- posite a striking cliff, supposed to be Cape Melville, when, attracted by the irregular radiation from the sun, then about two hours from the lowest point of his curve, I saw suddenly flaring up all around him the siirns of active combustion. Great volumes of black smoke rose above the horizon, narrowing and expanding as it rolled away. Black specks, to which the eye, by its compensation for distance, gave the size of nuisses, mingled with it, rising and falling, appear- ing and disappearing; and above all this was the pe- culiar w^avin y movement of air, rarefied by an adjacent REFRACTION. nor heat. The wliole intervening atmosphere was dis- tiirhed and flickering. *' August 15. The Rescue, which has proved herself a dull .sailer, had lagged astern of us, when our master, Mr. INIurdaugh, ohserved the signal of 'men asjiore' flying Iroin her peak. We were now as far north as latitude 75° 58', and the idea of human life someiiow or other involuntarily connected itself with disaster. A boat was hastily stocked with provisions and dis- patched for the shore. Two men were thore upon the land ice, gesticulating in grotesque and not very decent pantomime — genuino, unmitigated I'^squiniaux. Verging on 7G° is a far northern limit for human life; yet these poor animals were as fat as the bears which we killed a few days ago. Their hair, inane-like, flowed over their oily cheeks, and their countenances had the true prognathous character seen so rarely among the adulterated breeds of the Danish settle- ments. They were jolly, laughing fellows, full of so- cial feeling. Their dress consisted of a bear-skin pair of breeches, considerably the worse for wear; a seal- skin jacket, hooded, but not pointed at its skirt ; and a pair of coarsely-stitched seal-hide boots. They were armed with a lance, harpoon, and air-bladder, for spear- ing seals upon the land floe. The kaiack, with its host of resources, they seemed unacquainted with. "When questioned by Mr. Murdaugh, to whom I owe these details, they indicated five huts, or 1am- ilies, or individuals, toward a sort of valley between two hills. They were ignorant of the use of bread, and rejected salt beef; but they appeared familiar with ships, and would have gladly invited themselves to visit us, if the oflicer had not inhospitably declined the honor." \'\ I i I i; fW9>> I > •iipavmmi^ifpa 398 FROZEN FAMILIES. It was not very far from Cape York that we met thtse men. They belonged, probably, to the same de- tached parties of seal and fish catching coast nomads, that were met by Sir John Ross in his voyage of 1819, and wliom he designated, fancifully enough, as the "Arctic IlighUmders." Eleven years after his visit, some boat-crews, from a whaler which had escaped the ice disasters of 1830, landed at nearly the same spot, and made for a group of huts. They w^ere struck as they approached them to find no beaten snow-tracks about the entrance, nor any of the more unsavory indications of an Esquimaux homestead. The riddle was read when they lii'ttnl up the skill curtain, that served to cover at once doorway and window. Grouped around an oil less laui}). in the attitudes of life, were four or five human corpses, with darkened lip and sunken eyeball ; but all else preserved in perf^iiuial ice. The frozen dog lay beside his frozen iruister, and the child, stark and stiff, in the reindeer hood which enveloped the frozen mother. The cause was a mystery, f wiild distil rock, whi! of defridi w'ith a bnl could iio( gave to til ilieJocalitf excuse thil ^lis vera(!itj But it i'lg the CHAPTER XXXI. THE FHIST AMEKICAN EXPEDITION. (cOKTimJED.) AVe sailed along the coast quiet!)', but with the com- fortable exciteinent of expee+ation. We tuid not yet seen such open water, and v/ere jiionientaniy expect- ing the change, of course, which wa.s to lead us through the North Water to Lancaster Sound. The glaciers were no longer near the water-line ; but an escnrped shore, of the usual primary structure, gave us a pleas- ing substitute. In a short time we reached the " Crimson Cliffs of Beverley," the seat of the often-described "red snow." The coast was high and rugged, the sea-line broken by precipitous sections and choked by detritus. Sail- insr slowly along, at a distance of about ten miles, we could distinctly see outcropping fa ce> of red fcldspathit; rock, whikt in depending positions, between the cones of detritus, the scanty patches of snow were tinwd with a brick-dust or brown stain. As j^et indc d we could not see the "Crimson" of Sir John Koss. wiio gave to this spot its somewhat euphonious title ; but the locality was not without indications which should exvus(! t!u> gallant navigator from imputation*; againit ins veracity of narrative. But it fell calm, and I had an op^K^rtuuity of visit- ing the shore. The place where we landed was in 400 THE CRIMSON CLIFFS. i' latitude 76° 04' N., nearly. It was a little cove, bor- dered on one side by a glacier ; on the other, watered by distillations from it, and. green with kixuriant mosses. It was, indeetl, a f^iiry little spot, brightened, perhaps, by its contrast with the icy element, on which I had been floating lor a month and a half belbre ; yet even now, as it comes back to me in beautiful com- panionship with many sweet pla^'^'s of the earth, lam sure that its charms were real. The glacier Cciine dovvn by a twisted circuit from a deep valley, which it nearly filled. As it approached the sea, it seemed unable to spread itself over the horse- shoe-like expansion in which we stod ; but, retaining still the impress marks of its own little valley birth- place, it rose up in a huge dome-like escarpment, one side frozen to the I'lifFs, the other a wall beside us, and the end a rounded mass protruding into the sea. Close by the foot of its precipitous face, in a fur- rowed water-course, was a mountain torrent, which, emerging from the point at which the glacier met the hill, came dashing wildly over the rocks, green with the mosses and carices of Arctic vegetation ; while from the dome-like summit a stream, that had tun- neled its way through the ice from the valley still higher above, burst out like a fountain, and fell in a cascade of foam- whitened water into the sea. To return to the " Crimson Cliffs.^' We found tho red snow in greatest abundance upon a talus fronting to the southwest, Avhu'h stretched ol)li([uely across the glacier at the seat of its emergence from the valley. It was hei'e in great abundance, staining the sui'face in patches six or eight yards in diameter. Similar patches were to be seen at short inters als extending up the valley. Its co]( bled, M'itl served cr; over tlie s nearly cIk came bro^ in a glass Its colo scraping a the snow I which per some eight At 4 P.J some pleas. name of " | the north vvj traca and c. i'lg. Tiie p One mile fr bottom, at t\ "fiIIuj,"M- tiie west, ^Yi Al)oufc e niidwa)' ))et f<»regi'ou2id we could foamiii