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 " ' ' ' .. » ■ ■ I - ' ' - ^^^^^^ 
 
 ■ ■• . '*■ , ■ -.-.•-■ 
 
t 
 
 VOYAGE 
 
 TO 
 
 HUDSON'S BAY, 
 
 DURING THE SUMMER OF 
 
 1812. 1 
 
 CONTAIMIMO 
 
 A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE ICEBERGs' 
 
 AMD OT«« PHENOMENA WHICH PBB8KNT THEM8SLVE8 
 IV THOSE HECIONA. 
 
 A DEgftRIPTIOfH Of 
 THE E8QUIMEAUX ANBT NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, 
 
 '? Their Manners, Customs, Dress, Language, S^c. 8^c, Ike. 
 
 By 
 THOMAS M'KBEVOR, M.D. 
 
 OF THB DUBI,IN I.YING-IN HOSPITAL. 
 
 .^11 
 
 ■0 
 
 »M«wU m uovi wiaxnig in lb* iky, 
 A^lcr iy«,t.lM,hlrt onnKKMUlM pU'd, 
 
 **J«^ -d white. MMBOiH*. of cl^, 
 
 "•Jcctlai, taie, ud korrid, o'er Um mii». 
 
 PRINTED FOR SIR RICHARD PHILLIPS Km, Co. 
 
 BRIDB-COTOT, BRIDOS-STRJI^. ^ 
 
 I8iy. 
 
 / 
 
 ♦T* 
 
 ?0^098 
 
I.*' 
 
 
 \ 
 
 \ % 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 A FEW months retaxalwn from professional studies during the summer 
 ^ M. y.ar 1812, and a very liberal oj^er of the Earl L Sklk|k^ 
 ■induced me to become the medical attendant on his Lordship's cotonv 
 then about to departforUvDson'8 Bay. "rasmp s colony. 
 
 The notes which I took during that very interesting voyage, have lain 
 by me ever since; nor is it probable they would Lr \!ve ZerTd 
 from obscurity, but for the unprecedented interest which the affairs of 
 that part of the northern world have of late excited, and for the present 
 convenient i^nd popular form of publication. 
 
 The literary defects which pervade this Narrative require. lam aware 
 some apology; but this, I sJiould hope, will be afforded by the nnremit- 
 tmg anxieties to which I am exposed, inmy present situation of Assistant 
 to the extensive Lying-in Hospital of this city. . 
 
 Dublin Lying-in HonpHal, 
 Aug. 36, 1819. 
 
 -I 
 
 X, " '. 
 
 890409 
 
 V 
 
VOYAGE 
 
 it* • 
 •A. 
 
 TO 
 
 HUDSOISrs BAY. 
 
 he summer 
 
 f)'s colony, 
 
 , have lain 
 ? emerged 
 affairs of 
 'he present 
 
 am aware, 
 e tinremit' 
 fJissislant 
 
 QN Wednesday, June the'J>4tli, about four o'clock in tiie 
 afternoon, we got under weigh, having on board the Earl of 
 bBLKiOK, Mr. EvisuARD of Sligo, and a f^w other gentlemen 
 who iuid dined with us. At first it was our intehtion not to pro- 
 ceed to sea that night, ^butiherely to get clear of Sllgo Bay, which 
 cannot at all times be easily accortipHslied. About six o'clock, 
 however, the captain came down to inform Lord Selkirk, that it 
 was his wish to proceed to sea immediately; and Lord Selkirk 
 and company took their leave. 
 -Their "lessening boat" had scar<*ely disappeared, when, lean- 
 ing over the quarter-deck, I was insensibly led to the con- 
 templation of the grand and sublime scenery with which I was, 
 for the first time in my life, surrounded. On one side I beheld 
 the vast and widely-extended body of waters, over which the moon 
 was just beginning to thirow a diflFused and silvery light ; on the 
 other appeared my native land, like a dusky streak stretched along 
 the^erge of the horizon. Its thin and misty form had soiriewhat 
 
 hv*h''''?-n"".°^'"'/"'*V''P°"''' ^yhich had been precipitated 
 by the chill cool air of evening. ' », 
 
 The solemnity and stillness of this calm re<^se of nature was 
 
 the head and sides of the vessel, and occasionallv by the%low 
 helmsraJII" """'^^ *»>« /captain giving his commands to the 
 
 From this train of reflections I was, however, soon disturbed 
 by he voice of the steward, who came upon dik to announce 
 Vhat supper was on the table. I immediately went down to the 
 
 Mun'tirKl^"'*M'"'r? ^''- ^'^'*'"' f'--'" the Is7e of 
 Mull; Mr. Keveny, Mr. Johnson, and the rest of the cabin- 
 
 CnTw^co^'n?' rr''^^ of «\ery elegant and wdUdresed 
 o'EVsIT-T^k'''';"'"^ until twejve o'clock: "that hour 
 o nights black arch the key-stonc,' when we all agreed to re- 
 
 wuC much"J,-,T"^ *"'"^'' '' ""•" '■"• '" ^ «hort dme, 
 without much splicitation, we were visiied by that sweet re 
 
 During the first week, the occurrences of our voyage were 
 
 

 4 . / y APKeevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 
 
 Thursday July »he 2d. Early in the mornine, we observed 
 
 ad ene^y j but, on nearer approach, he disiivered her to be the 
 KingGeorge one* of the Hudson's Bay company's shipi com! 
 manded by Captain Turner: a short ^Ime K, we Sserv^d 
 
 ZwThr'"'"'"'^ '*•""'' ^° ^^ the Edd/st'one tteT-' 
 5^ n^n/ -1 Tl n'i"'^'"^' commanded by Captain Ramsay. 
 
 full sail. About ten we spoke the King Geor« ; and shortiv 
 after, the Eddystone, lat. as observed, ^7° «' Nf^ we cont3 
 in company for a couple of hours. *Oar vLel however"S 
 
 lle^Vr'wW.^"!;*^^'*^'^^^''''*^' ^^^' •" » »hort timer c"? 
 them completely behind. 
 
 .n2n"*^^'i •'"•^ '''^ '^'''- ,^^"^''" ^^'y *'"'^'* «nd hazy, ac 
 companied w.th constant drizzling rain. Wind continues fiiii*. 
 The air feels very wld, owing, as the captain suspect,, to our 
 being near ice. About half past one, the man at the helm 
 laid he saw land. Owing to the very unfavourable state of the 
 feather, »^<rfefnained for a considerable time in suspense 
 The captain ddte*, not think that this can possibly be the case' 
 
 ;n!l„l"H ' '!i'*r' 1"'"°'" '!' '"''^' "'■^'•''"S «PP«ai:ance, he was 
 induced to send for his telescope ; is still rather doubtful : if 
 
 It^lim^^M u'.'- T"'.* be Cape Farewell,* in which case wc 
 are 200 miles behind where we supposed ourselves to be. In the 
 end, u appeared to be merely what the seamen call a CflikF/u. 
 away. ^ * 
 
 About two o'clock the captain, having got an interval of fine 
 vyeather, set about making an observation, which satisfied him 
 that we were then past the ejitr^nce to Davis's Straits. About 
 four o clock we saw n young whale. 
 
 Monday, July the 13th. The weather continues thick and 
 hazy; with much rain, but little wind ; helm lashed. Air still 
 feels very cold, especially on going aloft. 
 
 About nine o'clock, P. M., two men were stationed at the 
 l)ow of the vessel, that njimediate notice might be given.of the 
 appearance of ice. Jhe captain, before going to bed, gave 
 orders that ice-anchor$, boat-hooks, &c. should be got in rta- 
 diness. Twelve o'clock, P. M ., wind increased, going about • 
 
 Sa*^^TId?o^'l^'iv *""""'■" ""'■""•>■ o»" (i'Tcnland, is situatfil in Int. 59« 
 
 :>^ 
 
-'» 
 
 f intefesf- 
 ind conti- 
 in average 
 
 e, observed 
 
 might be 
 
 to be the 
 
 lips, com- 
 
 ohserved 
 
 tlie pro- 
 
 Hamsay. 
 
 pon us in 
 
 d, shortly 
 
 continued 
 
 ^er, being 
 
 time, left 
 
 hazy, ac- 
 nues fail'. 
 ?, to our 
 he helm 
 te of the 
 luspense. 
 the. case. 
 f he was 
 btful; if 
 case we 
 In the 
 mFly 
 
 of fine 
 
 lied him 
 
 About 
 
 lick and 
 Air still 
 
 jat the 
 n.of the 
 J, gave 
 : in rta- 
 l about • 
 
 in Int. 59* 
 
 / 
 
 M^Keevor't Voyage to Hudson'^ Bay 
 
 T 
 
 three knots ; took id sail. About one we l4y to. About half- 
 past one, P. M., we saw ic6 for the first tifee; k appeared* in 
 the form of large detachc;d masses. Several pieces struck the 
 vessel, and with so much violence *fas to awaken almost every 
 person on board. Four o'clock: the ice csbntinues to come tn 
 immense large flakes; the pieces are larger, but not quite so 
 numerous. Owmg to the very unfavourabte state of the weather 
 we could get no opportunity for making an observation; the 
 captain, however, suspects that we are about tfie ^entrance to 
 Hudson's Straits. / ,^> 
 
 . Tuesday, July the 14th. Weather still c<intihue8 thick and 
 hazy; almost a complete calm ; helm lashedl The horizon is 
 covered with numerous flakes of ioe ; on some of them we ob- 
 served a great quantity of sand and gravel. Some of these 
 masses had a greenish, while others had an azure tint; thev 
 appeared to be moving with considerable velocity. 
 
 About five o'clock in the afternoon we saw the first island 
 of ice; the haze of the atmosphere, along with a light drizzling 
 rain, prevented us, however, from seeing either its summit or 
 circumference distinctly. Plate II. will afford a tolerable correct 
 Idea of Its appearance ; it was taken by Mr. Holmes, an ingenious 
 young gentleman, who was on his way out to join I^rd Selkirk's 
 party on Red River. This enormous mass appeared quite sta- 
 tionary; at least, I could not observe that it had the sliehtest 
 motion. -^ * 
 
 Friday, Julythe 17th. About six o'clock in ti.e morning the 
 captain came down' to inform us that he had seen land : is uncer* 
 tain, however, where we are, not having had any opportunitvjfe 
 making an observation for some days. Is inclined to think, hcSm 
 ever, that it is Rcsolutipn-Islaod.f *' 
 
 About nine o'clock we got within a short distance of it ; it 
 had a most cheerless, dreary appearance, being for the most^ 
 
 «,m„ J t, T Vv*" ? "^""","" ■'PP^rancc, to which seamen have given tlic 
 name of the Ioe bl.nk. is obsor.ed on approaching the ices. It consists of 
 a Incid streak spreaJ along that part^f the atmosphere Avhicli is nex7"ue ho.i- 
 «on II ..evidently occasioned by the reflection of tfie rays of Hrtt which f^I 
 "S."!f "1^''"?'^^^'"^'" '"'« the snperincumbcnt air. l4ot nnfilq .3 thev 
 afford a beautiful „,ap or pictnre ol^the ice ^r a considerabTrS re^ 
 .embhng. m this way, the curious atmospherical pWnomenon to whirl natural- 
 
 «ff!l Yll """!! ^^^flT,"^ *'"' "'"F'- ^'^'•l-*^e' vMr. ScoresbV Sforms n. 
 afford, the most luc.d blink, accompanreH with a ting^'of yellow : Uiat pick's 
 IS more pecni.arly white, and of hayice greyish. %e land, from t. sSwi 
 
 S ify iheTc^fSf" "^ """'' "'"'='' " y^"-»''.-<« -t unhkrihal pS 
 t ReMlntion Island is situated on the N, side of the entrance into rrnW<«»-. 
 
 '^ 
 
6 
 
 M'Kmor't Voyage to Hudmm't hay. 
 
 part covered witn irost and snow wiih hi>i>« .n^ ♦!.— . i 
 of dark black iviit M«» '"":~ , ^''"» ne'e V^a there, patches 
 dMokti, Ir^r^Ii ■ wngle shrub enlivened this barren 
 
 qwmal aspect. The hoarse murmur ng of the waves which evpr 
 and anon renewed their assaults on tl.e\ug« maTse, Vdark^^^^^^^ 
 rock that opposed them, gave it, I though^ a .till more des^ondS 
 
 in rhn^lS^^gU^^^^^^^^^ """'^ ''^ "^^ '•"'^' - •^••^ «ot 
 ^ After dinner, this 'day, Mr. Johnson came down to the 
 
 ensue7on hLrinrth-"' "'°""!'"'° .*^^ '*^*-* ^ soleihn pausf 
 In a short tim. *h " """^ "'"""•"« P**"^ °^ intelligence. 
 
 the shSrnf?! ""^^"•J'^fi ^a" awAl in the extreme^ 
 the shouting of the mefl.^the rumbling of the cordaire the 
 tremendous mountain of ice, on which we eve y .foment' ex 
 ^^r'tremosff"-/°.P'^"-'» ^'*"*"'^»»«'» 'o'reLe tM 
 captain did all he could to get the ship about, but without 
 effect, owing to her having missed stays. We were normoJe 
 than ten yards from it, when fortunately a light breeze sprTnc! 
 
 clear of this frightful mass PlatA III «tFr„A, ^-»«n|'iciciy 
 
 presentation of it. ' "^°'''' ' ^^'^ *=°''""* ^*=- 
 
 The whole of this day was truly unpleasant ; the weather 
 
 rneThat^w?/"?.*!"^^.? indeed^ ,he%og wis at'tirs so 
 dense that we could hardly see ten yards from the shin in 
 
 ST?" wi.'"/' r "^^' ^rq-4 J-t in cpLt'iit 
 lields of ice without being at all aware of it. Friday night . 
 
 -#<- 
 
 
 1 
 
 \ 
 
 a 
 a 
 t 
 « 
 a 
 
 d 
 
 tl 
 
 c 
 «i 
 
 «l 
 
rCf patches 
 tiiis barren 
 I sad, and 
 which ever 
 ■ dark -grey 
 despondent 
 
 e again got 
 
 m to the 
 re, bearing 
 inn pause 
 telligence. 
 ; and here 
 extrenne^ 
 rdage, the 
 ment ex- 
 !nder this 
 ed.. The 
 t without 
 not more 
 Re spring- 
 oaipletely 
 orrect re- 
 
 : weather 
 times so 
 ship, in 
 tact with 
 «y night ( 
 
 M floating 
 1803, and 
 iflScully in 
 the rame 
 (•», of the 
 r; one of 
 aiewell, in 
 ti'8 Straits, 
 ' ; lliv ship 
 AS tbe ice 
 Company's 
 ■k Fori to 
 at of the 
 e by th«t 
 proceeded 
 
 J 
 
 ^ 
 
 M'Ktevor't Foynghk) Hudson't Bay. 7 
 
 jl continued to blow ver^ fresh j constantly tacking betw^ett 
 land and ice. Ship pt streral very severe knocks ; so severe, 
 indeed, that a considerable quantity of copper has been torn 
 from her bottom. 
 
 Saturday, July the 18tb. Weather continues squally, with 
 deose fog. Still tacking about between land and ice. Un- 
 certain of our situation, the captain not being able to make 
 •ny tJBservation. Also uncertain of. our course, in coitse. 
 quince of the extraordinary variation of the compass.* Tlie 
 ship became so Jeaky this day, iu consequence of the injuries re- 
 ceived from the ice, that we were obliged to keep the pumps 
 constantly at work. r r f 
 
 Sunday,,^uly the 1 9th. Weather much improved ; occasional 
 sun-shine, ^bout twelve, the captain was , enabled to make 
 an observation ; found that we were in latitude 61° W We 
 w?re now quite satisBed that the fiind in view was Resolution 
 Island. - 
 
 Pour o'clock. Haze and mist completely dispersed : steady 
 sun-shine. Wind much more moderate ; patches of fine blue 
 sky here and there present then^elves. It is inconceivable 
 with what joy we beheld the first gleam of sun-shine : its cheer- 
 ing beams appeared to diffuse cheerfulness and gpod-humour 
 amongst us all. About six, we were completely surrounded 
 with ice; the wmd, however, became so moderate, that we 
 ran no risk by venturing in amongst it. Several icebergs in 
 view. Just as we had done dinner this day, the steward 
 came into the cabin with word that' the King George and Ed- 
 dystone, the two vessels already mentioned, were in sight. 
 Nothing could powiibly have afibrded us greater gratification 
 than this intelligence. We ||tei&mediately weiit upon deck 
 when, to our very great suf ffse, we saw the George about 
 thirty yards from us. The Eddystone, owing to the ice, could 
 not get quite so near. In a short time tbe Geoige tot so 
 close that we were able to get on board by merely croming a 
 
 * The exact caaie of this exlraordiurv Tarialian 1/ I hoii... ..» ..it 
 
 r»^VKr„ J^ij * ''**''' wr aitaat^ between Uie needle and the point of it» 
 attoaction. Ellis assertSjUhat ^Sei the i:oiiipi..e. were broBghtimoa wJm 
 5^\^!{ "Jcorerwl tftir proper action «id direction; iTwhen brSS 
 th.Tl^r*^ ?!!'""•* PPj"«f with much ^ater aceoracy. I w wSSk 
 that we found tbe same effect produced by bringiiic thTSxe. doWn^th- 
 
 ittBcd n the aw wfaieb snmrandad Oe aaedle. and in thk »« nn»Mi*Ii .^^ 
 «b.nic.l obstruction to its iitotion.-Tbe "SJ^t Ku J,«. ^^ ^'^^ * "- 
 
 i. 
 
 / 
 
 J- 
 
 \ 
 
.I. 
 
 : '-y 
 
 M'ICeevor's Voyage to fiudioi^'t Bay. 
 
 I 
 
 atSi 
 
 «iogle ^e of icd. Here..,we spent « verv Di^asint >.-«:„ 
 thrSctSf ^''*'"' other refreshLots' TdYce w*a;^^:;:^;5^ 
 I J- «!^^t P!B"" r* •'^*'"°»'y summoned upon^deck wd 
 LLh ^M^"u"l'.'* *.* »he haughty mir with ^ichth'/rtw 
 boned athleUc highlander .trMted up and down his dI-Wp^' 
 pndant streaming ii. the .fr, whi£ the pZSh ent f«t£ 
 
 leys.^ After some pieparatory arraogetaents, the whole oirtv 
 
 When the daoce was ended, our musician - after some •„*,« 
 ductorysereama and flburishe/, commeaced%K fo^^^S ZZ 
 «ODg. For my part, I could discover nothW in this fa 
 Jmlo^ rwr ;f/*d^'^«»i-"Mse, but a^nSsJS cS: 
 Son! /• *l, ""? d^wppant sounds. On the faci, ofxwr 
 Sir ri ^"f^^'A^^*^^""' •* "PP^^red to operate JiJce magi^' 
 
 sSSklM3°1h"«'^ ^***'*^'' '^'^^ torelaz/theeye begaS to 
 sparkle, *nd the yvhole visagii to assume a garand animated 
 apnearanee, mixid, I thought, with some littlf Vortion ofTofty 
 o^ndmg pr.de, which ahewed itself particularirby T^m^hi 
 twdVe'^VI^i' played about the angli; of the Uth. Zu 
 twejre o dock we sat down to k reiy elegant supper, and soon 
 
 wToter'^'S^ ' "'^^ r' the7wf.?situatioTli ^th7c 
 were placed. We resolved on strewipg with flowers « the 
 
 ' ^••^•"PW'^oMBMght rain and rnrtle, ' 
 
 *«™<"«na»MBd the stoma whistle: 
 
 ^bout two o'i^ockWe parted:. the moda had just emenrcd 
 
 i^ t!^!!^*^ ♦^J«"?«nd'"g wenery, giving it an appear- , 
 ^w», to.bor«i?r tlu! words of a fatourite though unknown author. 
 
 ^,frV^'^ ^^ ^l"."*"* "Iver gauze had l^een thrown 
 otet It. TV caaopy of V«wb had a clear anh sparklinir 
 amMMDoe, while the horizon was on aU sides thickly Vtudded 
 tU •"''dbIS cl«»*eriBg peaks appeared to jienetrate 
 
 «J^ aecampauiwl : for hwi and bW, 
 
 ^^lo tinir icy coocb, thcii« to thfiir netts 
 • u Weietlmik. '^~'" 
 
 But to attempt deacribkig the grandeur of a moonlight-scen* 
 oo the toe would be vain indeed. No language (at least that ^ 
 fcouW select) would aflM adequate means of description, 
 ihe whatprov<5* bqtpooi^iu the attempt; and all the pos- 
 
 :ii: 
 
 ■■■/ 
 
<^ 
 
 M'Keevot*s Voyage ta HUdson't Bay. 9 
 
 ■ibk; combination of words are few indeed to (hose of -nature 
 undersll her variety of forms and colours. In a short time »ve 
 regaifit<Uour yeasel, when we retired much graiJGed witH our 
 evening s amusement. . 
 
 Monday, July the 20th. Weather continWa very fine, sky 
 serene and calm ; 4he horizon is covefed on all sides with ice 
 consisting for the most part of broken- up fields. About^twdve 
 o clock a light fair breeze sprung up, when the captain eave 
 ordeH" to li^ve.^ore sail set. A tterson unaccustomed to the 
 navigation of these.seas, wouWconsidecit as altogether impossible 
 that a ship trould make any way when ctfmpletely beset with ice • 
 still, however, 4when tlie breeze is fair, and the flakes of ice 
 not very large, it is astonishing what progress she will make 
 m the course of twenty-four hours. During this operation of 
 forcing through the ice, every man on board has his place 
 assigned him, whde the captain takes his rh the most convenient 
 one for observing when the ship- approaches very near the piece 
 ot ice directly ahead; Immediately on the word bein? given 
 the ship IS put about, and ip less than a minute, is movinir in 
 a quite contrary direction. WheH u « vein of water,"# Hs they 
 term if, presents itself; they always endeaVtour to avail themselves 
 
 Tuesday, July the 20th. We«her cootinufs very fine, 
 wind fair j forcing our Way through huge massed of ice : 
 about twaro clock, the breeze dying away, we got fastened to 
 one of the principal icebergs. This island, I am certain, 
 could not be less /than 300 feet high, and about a quarter of il 
 mile in -circumference. The anchors which they use on these 
 occasions resemble very much an italic Sj to one extremity a 
 cable is attached, while a hole is made in the ictf for the purpose 
 of receiving the other. Being now completely at rest, we had 
 more leisure and more .inclination to contemplate the very grand 
 and novel scene with which we were surrounded. The first 
 thing that engages the attention 'of the. passing mariner, is the 
 majestic, as. well as singular forms which the ice assumes in these 
 chilling regions. I have seen ifiany of these immense masses 
 bear a very close resemblance to an ancient abbey with arched 
 doors and windows, and all the rich embroidery of the Gothic 
 style of architecture ; while ^tithers assume the appearance. 0/ 
 
 ' *; 
 
 * 
 
 •>.'] 
 
 /«iti.St!i?fwy?. T*°*"'*^''"8' "Iv'''* Slooni of nirflit, has sometimes been 
 
 ' StifS ♦! 5*"' c<"»eM"'""ces. Occurring far froifiJand, and !» unexpected 
 
 ^}^f}l^^'\^^^^S^\'«'»i\A be extreme, wltc they not providcntiaMy rendered 
 
 vmble by their uatnral effulgence, which enables tlie n.arinerto di^tiiiuUh them 
 
 \SnZtfoJ v«'«^'"'"a'"*''o1"V''* "'«•'••' "' *''"'"« the JrevalTuce^f Ui« 
 \^»emQSttog.— See Sco^y^tu Polar Ice. 
 
 VOYAGES and ThA^RLS, No. 2, Vol If. B . 
 
 ■*> 
 
 /i. 
 
 ,.>J^ 
 
m 
 
 1 /* 
 
 10 
 
 M'Keewr's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 
 
 a Grecian temp e, supported by rpund massive columns of an 
 azwre hue. which at a distance looked like the purest moun- 
 tarn granite. These stupendous masses, or icebergs, as thev 
 
 nnV" 1?" '^!''*^ '°'."1 °/ .^'''"' '•'" *^"=«''"» °^ «ge«» ^nd receive 
 , annually additional height by the falling of snows and rain, 
 which instantly congeal, and in this way more than repair the 
 loss occasioned by the inflyence of the melting S!un. The spray 
 of the ocean, which dashes against these mountains, freezes 
 into an infinite variety of forms, and gives to the spectator 
 Ideal towers, streets, churches, steeples, and, in fact, every shape 
 winch the most romantic imagination could picture to itself. 
 When, at the close of evening, the almost level beams of the 
 descending sun are directed on the numerous apertures, or cham- 
 bers, as we mi^ht suppose them, of these imaginary palaces, 
 abbeys, &c. the effect is inconceivably grand : in one place you 
 see them touched with d rich golden' colour j in another, with 
 alight purple tintj and in others, again with a rich crimson 
 suffusion. 
 
 Soipe of these islands, as I have already mentioned, remain 
 stationary for ages in this frozen climate; while the smaller 
 masses, or /loattng numntains, as they are called, move slowly 
 and majestically along, chilling the ambient atmftsphere for 
 miles around, until, being drifted into southern latitudes, they 
 are gradually dissolved in the boundless element. It sometimes 
 Ijappens, that two of these masses, though distinct* above water 
 are intimately united beneath its surface. I recollect the captain 
 mentioning to me, that owing to this circumstance, the Hudson's 
 Bay Company, a few years ago, lost one of their finest vessels. , 
 Ihe inaster not supposing but that they were quite distinct 
 beneath, ran the vessel in between them ; the ship immediately 
 foundered, and every person on board would have perished, but 
 that fortunately another of the company's ships was at hand to 
 take them up. 
 
 By a field qf ice is to be understood one uninterrupted sheet 
 of considerable extent. They vary from one to many leagues 
 in length. Mr. Scoresby states, that upon one which he saw 
 he conceived a coach might be driven a hundred miles without 
 meeting with any obstruction.. This I have not the smallest 
 
 I 
 
 .1.- f^ ' 1- '*" *^?'"*"" ^"**^'' """'gator Heemskerk, in their voyage for 
 ILf« i .?^*''^ " " "»"•'•"** pawage, after wintering at Nova Zembia, lo»t their 
 >bi|^ n. th„ way. and then >.ailed many Inindred ieagnes in an open boat, throSi 
 iM-"!,' ''"^'"^ *'.'"*=.''' •''*y *^^* •»"«" "«n't«d by the white bears, and .oraetZI" 
 at Ko"ffi^ i„^'' 7' f '\? ''•''7 " ^''^ ^-y °'""'« *'-• The" cale 
 
umDs of an 
 rest moun- 
 gS; as they 
 and receive 
 i and rain, 
 repair the 
 The spray 
 ns^ . freezes 
 e spectator 
 every shape 
 e tu itself, 
 ims of the 
 ^ or ch4m< 
 ry palaces, 
 place you 
 ither, with 
 :h crimson 
 
 :d, remain 
 he smaller 
 ove slowly 
 sphere for 
 tudes, they 
 sometimes 
 love water, 
 he captain 
 Hudson's 
 ;st vessels. » 
 e distinct 
 iraediately 
 ished. but 
 at hand to 
 
 ited sliee^ 
 ly leagues 
 h he saw 
 ;s without 
 ! smallest 
 
 voyage for 
 la, lott their 
 at, througli 
 i sometimes 
 They came 
 ch vessel, — 
 
 M'Kcevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. H 
 
 ^°if''i *°L^ ^'*^ ^^^^' ^"'^eed, I have frequently gone aloft ray- 
 self for the purpose of ascertaining their extent, but have often 
 been unable as far as the eye could reach, to observe even a sin- 
 gle hssure in them. On their surface, which is generally raised 
 three or four feet above the level of the water, I have seen the 
 seals bask and frolic in hundreds. The coalition of two of these 
 great fields produce a most singular phenomenon^ the larger 
 forces the lesser out of the water, and adds it to its surface : and 
 in this way a second and a third are often superadded, until the 
 Whole forms an aggregate of a tremendous height. The collision 
 Orthe greater fields is often attended wkh a noise, that for a time 
 d/jlrives you of the power of hearing fiithing else, resembling 
 -^v^Jiy much the sound of distant thunder j the meeting of the 
 smaller pieces produces a harsh grinding kind of noise, not unlike, 
 as Mr. Scorcsby accurately remarks, that of complicated machi- 
 nery. *^ 
 
 During the summer months these masses become very brit- 
 tle, and frequently give way with a tremendous report, in this 
 way laying the foundation for other islands similar to them- 
 selves. At this time considerable risk is incurred, either by going 
 ashore on them, as we may term it, or by allowing the vessel to 
 approach too near their perpendicular front. It has not unfre- 
 quently happened that ships have been sunk by their detached 
 portions falling in on the deck. That these apprehensions are 
 not imaginary, the following circumstance will, I think, afford a 
 satisfactory proof. 
 
 One morning I went out with a party l)f the men in the 
 jolly-boat, for the purpose of towing away the vessel from one 
 of these ice-bergs, in order to guard against the accident to 
 which I have just alluded. In this insttince the island was so 
 high, that Its summit stretched in an arched form for a consider- 
 able distance over the top-mast of the vessel. Before getting 
 to that part of the island to which the ice-anchor was attached. 
 It was necessary to pass a projecting point, where the island, 
 asit w^re,^«*fo«J out to a* considerable distance. The man, 
 who had the command of the boat, unwilling to lose time, in- 
 stead of sailing round this projecting portion, ordered the boat 
 to be rowed directly under it. We had scarcely got half-way, 
 when a violent report,* like that of a piece of artillery, an- 
 
 Icc-bergs, on being struck with an Rxe for the pnrpose of placing a moorine 
 
 anchor, have been known to rend asunder, and precipitate thecal eless searaeS 
 
 into the watery chasm i whilst occasionally, the masses areliorled ipart and falL 
 
 -»ii contrary dirmiohs, with a prodigious ci ash, burying boats auTmen in one 
 
12 
 
 M*Keevbr'if Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 
 
 \ 
 
 nounced to us that a part of the island was about to give wa«. 
 Every one appeared in the greatest alarm. The boIts3 
 ordered the boat to be pushed off instantly. Before, holeTe? 
 we could get completely free of the ice, the whole side of the 
 mountam was detaehed wUh a noise like \hunde and insltly 
 
 expected to rise again ; in a few seconds, however, our Uttle ial- 
 ly-boat rose triumphant on the ridge of the foaming wave Uv- 
 ing clearedout the fragments of ice which had gof inJothe bZ 
 we made towards the ship, where we were welcomed as if T^ 
 
 ol? f" ^T ' '' ^''^- ^i''' *-'»^«"g'"e our clothTs and taking 
 some refreshment, we soon forgot this nearly fatal occurrei^be 
 
 The violent noise which those dinuptions, ol icequaklsZtC 
 are very appropriately termed, product, is not, as Tr. li'sslie^ei^ 
 marks, to be altogether attributed to the crash of the falling frag- 
 EL ^" ;^'' •"^'''^"' climates," observes this ingenious p^- 
 
 S ' M "*'"'"/ *x °r*^ "'" '" ^"»^ "^°«t '"tense frost, 
 which probably enveloped the globules of air. separated from 
 he water .n the act of congelation, and, invadingShem on aU 
 sides, reduces them to a state of high condensation. When 
 the mild weather begins, therefore, to prevail, the body of ce 
 penetrated by the ivarmth, becomes soft and friable ;' and the 
 minute, but numerously interpersed globules of imprisoned air 
 exerting together their concentrated elasticity, produce the mos[ 
 J^lent explosive dinuptions."~S.e Lr^suu S, Heat J Mot 
 
 With regard to the manner in which those mountains and 
 
 l.n^ h.^n A A' "' •°''"'*^*'' } ^"^ "°^ P'°P°^<= '^'"'^^ into aSy 
 lengthened discussion J and this I conceive the moFc unneces- 
 sary, as Mr. Scoresby's late ingenious and very abr pabradon 
 contains almost every thing that can be said"^ on this obscure! 
 iZL'lT '"f"^'"g!Mbject. I propose condensing the few 
 
 The greater part of the difficnlties and principal source of 
 obscuririr ,n the numerous discussions which have taken place on 
 this subject, appear to me to turn on this single point; Can ice 
 
 be formed on the surface of sea-water ?-For my part I can coS- . 
 ccive no reason whatever why it should not ^ ^ ' 
 
 
 t 
 
 -f 
 
give wajj, 
 boatswain 
 
 ?, however,, 
 side of the 
 id instant^ 
 ^h we nev^r 
 r Uttle jal- 
 »ve. liav- 
 to the boat, 
 d as if we 
 and taking 
 occurrence. 
 ces, as tbey 
 Lesslie Jre- 
 iniqg frag- 
 ^niotis phi- 
 ense frost, 
 rated from 
 tem on all 
 n. When 
 iy of ice, 
 _;'and the 
 isoned air, 
 e the most 
 Hid Moi3^ 
 
 tains and 
 
 into any 
 
 : unneces- 
 
 abh'catiun 
 
 1 obscure, 
 g the few 
 a form as 
 
 source of 
 I place on 
 ; Can ice 
 can con- « 
 
 liousanck of 
 Iy, whereby 
 easily ima- 
 
 M^Keevor[$ Voyage to HucUon'aBay. ^ 13 
 
 , The circumstances which appear to me to fai^Qur its produc- 
 J tion, I shall arrange under the following heads : \ 
 First, Intense cold. \ 
 
 Second, A state of rest. \ \ 
 
 Third, The falling of crystallized snow and hai I -stones. \ 
 Fourth,/ The separation of ice from the bottom ot the 
 ocean. ■ \ 
 
 An^ first, with regard to intense cold. Any one at all ac- 
 quainted with these rigorous climes must allow, that there is here 
 an abundance of this the most essential of all requisites. Du- 
 ring the winter season, which usually continues for nine months, 
 the spirit thermometer is commonly found to stand at 50. Quickv 
 silver freezes into a solid mass; consequently, the cold wliich 
 th0 prevails must exceed 71 degreei, or 89 below the com- 
 mencement of Fahrenheit's scale; a degree of natural cold 
 whi«h, I believe, is rarely exceeded. Wine, and even ardent 
 spir«s,* become converted into a spongy mass of ice; even the 
 " living forests" do not escape, the very sap of the trees being 
 frozen ; and which, owing to the internal expansion which takes 
 place m consequence, occasionally burst with tremendous noise. 
 
 Now It is proved by experiments, that when the thermometer 
 falls to 27°, other circumstances being favourable, that a pellicle 
 of ice will l)e formed on the surface of sea-water. How then, 1 
 would ask, is the excess of cold between 27 and 50 exerting 
 Itself ? Are we to suppose that it floats passively along the chilled 
 surface of the ocean without exerting any frigorific influence? 
 1 his would be in direct opposition to one of the most generally 
 established laws of caloric, that of diffusing itself among bodies 
 until an equilibrium of temperature is established. But it may 
 be said, that no ice can be formed until the whole mass of fluid 
 IS reduced to the temperature of .S5",t or that point at which sea- 
 \yater begins to expand. If, however, this intense cold con- 
 tinues a sufficient length of time to affect the entire body of fluid, 
 this objection must, 1 conceive, fall to the ground. Now, any 
 one who considers for a moment the duration of the tedious and 
 dreary Arctic winter, must, 1 should think, allow that there is 
 more than sufficient time for the whole mass to become cooled 
 down considerably below this temperature. This effect will bf 
 course be much more readily produced in those seas that have 
 
 J,,, .. * By thiilmfan, of coarMjConiinongpirili. 
 
 n..mhHr ^^JJ" SAM.re.iiminK tliatya-water %»ill begin to expand tbe sane 
 
;^..^-4 
 
 •I 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 14 /M,'Ki^evor*s^oyageU>Ihdim'sBay. 
 
 not free acccS? to the main body of the ocean, as also where the 
 depth IS not very great. Jt may also be said, that owinTto £ cur- 
 rents and heaving ^ides by which they are agitated fhe d ffereTt 
 port.onJ_of water ate so effectually intermixed as, in .LeA.^e^ 
 o equalize the tenWrature. It must be observed Jiow"ver that 
 h^ equilibrium of temperattire by no means takes^Vcewh such 
 
 "&IL"'^^T^^'''^* t''^^''''' Inproo?ofthis maj 
 allv, /,^f T*=''-J'°^n f«"» that the temperature of the sea 
 
 ?Sa;ei^uUu'"-"r"' ^'^^^^ '^' thermometer has been 
 substit^flSlr^ f instrument m navigation, being frequently 
 substituted for the more tedious process of sounding. It may 
 and r«.°^'T^' ***** ^"•''' "= y'^y ^^^ conductor of clloTc^ 
 
 cur?entfm?JK.'« I '-^^^'^ counteract the inrfuence which the 
 currents might otherwise produce. ^ 
 
 h Jfj /"°°\,''''r"'"*.*''°'=^ whichlbafe to notice, as being 
 
 rto»1Z/ * ^° i"" "'^'^^^ ^'^"^ '•«"°te regions must have 
 yo cedatonce the remarkable stillness of thf Northern seas! 
 hJw,,r •' ^S'^poth and as unruffled as the most retired 
 
 S :., J"^' f ''!.°"'? '"PP°'^' *<» *•>« enormous pressure 
 
 which the ice already formed exerts on its surface.* Mr. 
 
 Scoresby tells us, that the ice, by it? weight, can keep down 
 
 he most violent surges, and that its resistance is so effectual, 
 
 that ships 8heltere<l by it rarely find the sea disturbed by 
 
 swells. This state of rest will, I conceive, favour the pro! 
 
 duction of ice mthe same way as it does other kinds ofcrys- 
 
 talhzation j namem by allowing the particles held in solution 
 
 to arrange thems§«res at determinate angles. Lest, however. 
 
 It should be looked on as a kind of petitio principU, to argue 
 
 in favour of the production of ice from an eflfect produced by 
 
 ice already formed, I proceed" to state the third source to 
 
 which I have alluded; namely, the falling of crystallized 
 
 snow and hail-stones. These, 1 conceive, may operate in two 
 
 ways. First, by the mechanical agitation which they give to 
 
 the surface of the ocean, thus acting in the same way as in the 
 
 corapion experiment of immersing a portion of water, contained 
 
 • All llksc pkciiomena exactly accord with the system of philosophy lately 
 proninlgaied by Sir Richaru Phillips, who ascribes all phenomenX aS 
 gate and atonuc mot on ; and the froien state of the Pohir seas to the diminished 
 rotatory luotion ot the agjiregate, as well as to the difliisiou of the solar liirht, or 
 atomic iliotiou ot light, over the oblique surface. *" ' 
 
 '. ' • . : EUITOK. 
 
 ; 
 
15 
 
 that 
 
 
 M*Keemr'a Voya^^eto Hudson's Bay. 
 
 in a glass tube, into a freezing moisture j if kept at perfect 
 r^^t, no crystalHzntion will take place, at least wot until th6 
 entire mass is reduced to a very low degree of temperature ; 
 but If slightly agitated, as by striking the side of the tube with 
 a piece of money, the whole instantly starts, into a solid mass, 
 secondly by serving as so many nuclei, from which crystalli- 
 zation will spread on all sides ; thus operating, I conceive, on 
 the same principle as the crystal of salt does when dropped 
 into a saline solution. Mr. Kerwan was the first, I believe, 
 who remarked, that when a crystal of the same kind of salt 
 with that held in solution was dropped in, the process of 
 crystallization went on still more rapidly. Now, crystallized 
 snow and hail-stones, being merely small portions of congealed 
 water, may, perhaps, operate in a similar way.* 
 ♦u * i^.u sources already enumerated, I have lastly to add, 
 that of the formation of ice at the bottom of the ocean, and 
 which becopfiing detached by the force of the currents, will, 
 by Its diminished and specific gravity, rise to the surface and 
 become, as it were, a centre. for further accumulation. From 
 the difficulties attendant on an explanation of this curious 
 phenomenon, some have considered it as altogether improba- 
 ble, while others have gone the length of denying it altoee- 
 ther. I he circumstance, however, at least with regard to fresh 
 water, is now put beyond the possibility of all doubt, and we 
 can very readily conceive, that what a lesser degree of cold will 
 effect in the beds of lakes and rivers, a still greater will be able 
 to accoinplish at^the bottom of the ocean. Mr. Lesslfe. in a 
 note prAfixed to his very interesting work on the subject of heat 
 tells usj that many of the rivers in Siberia and Switzerland are 
 found td have their beds lined, during the greater part of the 
 year, with a thick crust of ice. Saussure describes a similar 
 appearance m the lakes of Geneva. Mr. Garnet, in a very 
 interesting paper contained in the last number of the Journal 
 of Science and of Arts, gives a very minute account of this 
 singular appearance. He mentions one place in particular where 
 this phenomenon ,s to be observed in a veiy striking manner. 
 As the very valuable publication, in which thi/ interesfinr pa^r 
 IS contained, is in the hands of few, except scientific readerari 
 trust an account of it will not be deemed superfluous. 
 
 ft? 
 
 .i.«ii^*"' "''""" ^.'- ^'.*."^' "* examine tbeitructare of i bail-stone. v,t 
 aUDMrancTnA H "''^ f "?' '"T.*** }'V ''"'^" ""»• " "a. very wari; the 
 frZTe»»?LL\^''^rl''''^'^^'*^y^''''''''' »he particlci, of airbeinjf driven 
 
 
 J 
 
1 1: 
 
 ! 
 
 16 M*Ke€vor*s yiryagetoffwUon's Buy. 
 
 On the river Wharfe, near Otley, in Ithe West Riding of 
 Yorkshire, is a weir, or mill-dam, the structure of which is of 
 ^,.J»*mi stone, forming a plane, inclined to an angle of from 85<» 
 to 50° fronting the north, and extending from W. to E. to 
 the length of 260 or 300 yards. When the wind suddenly 
 shifts from S. W. to N. W., and blows with great impetuosity, 
 acc^panied with severe fi-ost and heavy falls of snow, the 
 stone which composes the weir soon becomes encrusted with 
 ice, which increases so rapidly in thickness, as in a.short time 
 to impede the course of the stream that falls over it In a toler- 
 able uniform sheet, and with considerable velocity: at the 
 same time the wind, blowing strongly from the N. W. contri- 
 butes to repel the wat€r, and freeze such as adheres to the 
 crust of ice when its surface comes nearly in contact with the 
 air.^ The conseq^uence is, that in a short time the current is 
 entirely obstructed, and the superincumbent water forced to 
 a higher level. But, as the above-mentioned causes continue 
 to act, the ice is also elevated by a perpetual aggregation of 
 particles ; till, by a series of similar operations, an icy-mound, 
 or barrier, is formed so high as to force the water over the op- 
 posite shore, and thus produce an apparent inundation. But 
 m a short time the accumulated weight of a great many tliou- 
 sand cubic feet of water presses so strongly against the bar- 
 rier, as to burst a passage through some weak part through 
 which the water escapes, and subsides to^its former level, 
 leaving the singular a|>pearance of a wall or rampart of ice, 
 three or four feet in thickness, along fhe greatest part of the 
 upper edge of the weir. The ice composing this barrier, 
 wh^re it adheres to the stone, is of a solid consistency, but the 
 upptr part consists of a multitude of thin laminee, or layers, 
 festiw ujjon each other in a confused manner, and at different 
 angle^of inclination, their interstices being ocpiipied by innu- 
 merabli^ spicule diverging and crossing each other in all direc- 
 tJous, The whole mass resembles in its texture the white and 
 porous ie«, which may be seen at the edge of a pond, or small 
 rill, where the water has subsided during a frost." — See Journal 
 df Sdenee and jirts, 2Vi>. X. 
 
 The explanation of this curious phenomena is certainly very 
 difficult, and would appear to argue somewhat against the 
 long-received opinion of the diminished specific gravity of 
 water, after being cooled down beyond the temperature of 39. 
 As there has been as yet no satisfactory theory offered on 
 the subject, I shall beg leave to state, in very few words, in 
 what manner I conceive this deposition to take place. While 
 reading Dr. Garnet's paper, I was very forcibly struck with 
 the peculiar circumstances in which lie stales this icy incrusta- 
 
 V 
 
 , 
 
 
 I 
 
 ',v v- 
 
Riding of 
 iich is of 
 from 85<» 
 to £. to 
 suddenly 
 petuosity, 
 snow, the 
 isted with 
 lort time 
 n a toler- 
 : at the 
 V, contri- 
 es to the 
 with the 
 urrent is 
 forced to 
 continue 
 Ration of 
 i^-moundj 
 the op- 
 on. But 
 my tliou- 
 the bar- 
 through 
 er level, 
 t of ice, 
 t of the 
 barrier, 
 but the 
 r layers, 
 different 
 by in nu- 
 ll direc- 
 hite and 
 ar small 
 Journal 
 
 inly very 
 inst the 
 avity of 
 5 of 39. 
 ered on 
 ords, in 
 Wliile 
 
 ck with 
 
 nerusta- ~ 
 
 M'Keevor's Voyage toHudson's Bay. . 17 
 
 An to take place ; thus he tells us. tiiat it is always formed 
 /in greatest abundance in proportion to the magnitude and 
 number of the stones composing the bed of the river, com- 
 bined with the velocity of the current ; as also that it abounds 
 most in rough and rapid places, and not at air where mud or 
 day IS deposited Now It has occurred to me that, perhaps, 
 the formation of ice in these situations may be owing to the 
 same causes that gave rise to the d«|»osition of dew and hoar- 
 trost on grass, twigs, and other Obrous substances ; namely, by 
 their possessing a greater radiating power. The rouffh"^end 
 surfaces of the stones I conceive to opera^ in the same way as 
 the vegetable fibres do in a clear, unclotfded atmosphere, by 
 allowing the « affluent" wave to come in closer proximity with 
 he surface, and thus fecilitate the discharge of caloric from 
 the bed of the river. That none appears where mud and e&h 
 are deposited, 1 should suppose to be owing to their present- 
 ing a. smooth surface, in consequence of the water consta"htly 
 npplingover itj thus the stratum of incumbent fluid is pre- 
 vented coming into as close contact fts if it presented a rugged 
 surface. Just in the same way as if we were to take a highly- 
 polished vessel of silver and fill It with hot water j it will take, 
 suppose twenty minutes, to cool a certain number of degrees [ 
 but if its sui-fece be scratched with sand-paper, it will cool the 
 same number of degrees, in nearly half the time. That a great 
 part of the eflfect is owing, in this case, to the number of pro- 
 jecting points. IS proved by the circumstance of %impiy scratch- 
 ing It in auHopposite direction, when the effect is considerably 
 
 ilSi/iSf """.^'f'* °^ P'-rcUng points being thus dimi- 
 nished. It will now take a much longer time to cool down the 
 same number of degi-ees. It is on the same principle that a 
 thin covenng of muslin, instead of preventing the escape of 
 dfscw'^. V J^°»^? Wo«e, does actually favouV ita 
 t^lT^A' ^**^^• ,T- '^'^^ '"*y *c' »° t^'o ways : first, by its 
 greater d^ee of Co d ; secondly, perhaps, being less iipkg- 
 nated with the particles of foreigj, bod?S, in consequencWBf 
 
 FrfoTf/^"'' M ^ ^ro^^'* ^^°"« «f »»»« °«r'h, it ma? he thus 
 more favourably circumstanced for the escape and transmis- 
 sion of those calorific radiations. """uniis 
 The raj,* act on the same principle as a clear unclouded 
 sky does in producing the deposition of the aqueous meteors 
 SLflH^h.? '?• .The only way. however, of ascertainTng 
 »^^,M ^1^^ ^^ '^'"St what eflFect screens of different kind! 
 would protjuce, when interposed between the surface of the 
 water and the strong current of the N.W. wind. ThUexolA- 
 
 ^ 
 
 5*1 
 
 m 
 
 f 
 
 ' >'.i 
 
 _ .. "o "-»•*•"* wi MIC ii. w. wina. inis exoia- 
 
 Ration iipjwars to me^^e supiferbf a ft^^^ 
 served, that water will congeal, though tie ambient^air shoaU 
 VoYAGBS and Travjbls, No. 2, VoLJl, c 
 
]S 
 
 M'Keevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 
 
 be several degrees above the freezing point. The effect is hr> 
 
 doubt, considerably hastened bv thef Jid produced by ev.pJraT 
 
 .on from the surface. This, Lwever. exerts a vJrySed 
 
 the"«"«hin nf*."""' l'- ^' '"'^"^ «' * ^«^t^"' tem^peraZre; 
 the" shell of 6ir' which comes in contact with it. before 
 making any ascensional effort, will discharge a quaptity of its 
 surplus heat, and thus preserve the tempefature of the fluid 
 withm certain limits. Something similar to this may be observed 
 while passing through the JTelds of a cool evening. We often 
 ^^hTnnof''l^' boar-frost, deposited on twigs, gr^s, and other 
 sdbstances, though the air, even a few inches above their sur- 
 face, is several degrees above temperature. With regard to 
 the dses which this singul r phenomenon may serve :--5erhap8, 
 , in consequence of the fieat extricated during the proceslof con- 
 gelation. It n;a^hus prevent the temperature of the numerous 
 organized bodies, contained in those situations, from beine 
 reduced to a degree which would be incompatible with their 
 healthy functions. It wiU ^hus render those substances the same 
 services as the deposition of dew and hoar-frost does to the 
 tender plants, the daloric, given out during these processes, 
 preserving them from the eool airjtvhich is so prevalent durine 
 our£,n.mer evenings. - «» & 
 
 It will in all probability be objected to the suggestions I 
 have here thrown out, that they are in direct opposUion to the 
 observauon of Mr. Lesslie, who asserts, that when thfe Can- 
 nister Reflector and Differential Thermometer were plunged 
 into water, that no radiation can be observed ; and hence this 
 ingenious philosopher concludes, that no radiation will take 
 place, except when the radiating body is surrounded with an 
 elastic 'n«Uum. I may remark, however, that the experiments 
 which he adduces in support of this opinion, are by m means 
 decisive of the pomt. Substances cool so rapidly, when 
 ^Jlunged into water, that there is scarcely time for the differen- 
 tial thermometer to be affected j and, besides, the heat could 
 scarcely accumulate in the foral-ball, in such quantity as to 
 occasioj a sensible rise. Morever, I can see no reason what- 
 ever whyradi.aht caloric should not pass through water as well 
 as air. They are both fluids; they receive and transmit slow 
 communicating caloric in a precisely similar way, namely, by 
 a constant recession or migration of heated particles : thev 
 agree, in many of their chemical relations, such as exterior 
 solvent power, &c. ; they also agree in possessing elasticity ; 
 though water is by no means susceptible of the same degree 
 of condensation as aii^ still, however, that it possesses this 
 property, iri a slight dqgree, is obvious, from the common 
 *museineirt m which bqys indulge, of projecting alitdffe forci- 
 
 .^^ 
 
jffect is, tier 
 >y ev^pora- 
 sry limited 
 mperature, 
 
 it, before 
 itity of its 
 
 the fluid 
 •e observed 
 
 We often 
 , and other 
 ! their sur- 
 
 re^ard to 
 —perhaps^ 
 :ess of con- 
 numerous 
 rom being 
 with their 
 s the same 
 es to the 
 processes, 
 ent during 
 
 i;estions I 
 tion to the 
 thfe Can- 
 ; plunged 
 lence this 
 will take 
 
 with an 
 periments 
 DQ means 
 lly, when 
 i differen- 
 eat could 
 tity as to 
 ou what- 
 er as well 
 }mit slow 
 smely, by 
 las: they 
 
 exterior 
 ilasticity ; 
 ie degree 
 :sses this 
 common 
 me 
 
 i 
 
 M*Keevor's Foyagt to Hudson'^ Bay. 19 
 
 ) My on the surface of a pond,, thus making what they call a duck 
 and drake. Agreeing, thenj as these two fluids do in so many 
 particulars, what is there, I woulda^dn the constitution of wa- 
 ter that should prevent the transmission of radiant caloric ?— 
 ^;?/f ?»'/"»' transmitted through this fluid, what then becomes 
 1 J I* *' converted into s|,ow communicating caloric ^ '^"- 
 would be to assert their id^tity, which, I befieve, aIl/1 
 phers deny Finally, I may remark, that the entire irf this sub- 
 ject, notwithstanding the ingenius and laborious ex^feriments of 
 Mr. Lesshe, appears to me involved in a good deaTof obscurity. 
 1 he nature of radiant heat ; whether identical wi^ light or not ;-- 
 as also the causes, why one portion of caloric shbuld escape by 
 radiation, and another by slow communication j Aiese are*bints 
 on which, I think, we still stand much in need of further infor- 
 mation Until, therefore, these matters are more fully investi- 
 gated, I conceive we have just grodnds to conclude, that water 
 and^air bear the same relations to radiant caloric. 
 
 Having now enumerated the various causes which I conceive 
 -J.tT'^u f ^^.'^"«'3°n of »ce on sea-water, I have further to 
 remarlf, that this opinion is supported by the actual observa- 
 V<?-!S u^®?^^'^'^ ?'«"*e"' navigators. Mr.:M«Nairne, in 
 17/6, shewed that, when Fahrenheit's thermometer is at 27* 
 
 degrees, the fresh particles of sea- water will freeze, and leave 
 nothing but strong brine behind. * . «" teave 
 
 tn^hl^A^^S^V^^ ^^'1'.*' ?°'^'' 2^'""*' suddenly frozen over 
 to the depth of several inches. 
 
 teUs'm'ZThl*^^^ intelligent navigator already mentioned. ^ 
 n^l-J* ^ l^' *^/" *^® S^^^ °n "»e surface of the s^a to a 
 StlnS^ capable of stopping the progress of a ship with a 
 brisk wind, even when exposed to the waves of the North sea 
 and Western ocean. The first layer, or slush ice, as it is termed 
 
 coZZ'f *^Jk'^^' 'I"" "' ' *'°°*'"^«' *>"' «"le difficulty "ac: 
 counting for tbeirsubsequent enlargement. When the winter -. 
 season sets m, and that crystallized* snow begins to fall, it bl. ^^ 
 comes consolidated by the excessive cold of the climate, aid wilt\ 
 ,of course^ prest down the primary strata, to use a geoloSX 
 ghr^e.O'he other aqueous meteors of hail, rain, &c!suSe a 
 
 «.Tim'[,?T ^"""i!?"' "^^ *'*" '^^"y *«n<^e»ve that, by a gradual 
 accumulation in this way, masses of any size n?a> be formed^ 
 
 "f- 
 
 N' 
 
 
 \ * 
 
 \ 
 
20 
 
 M'Keevor's Voyage to Iftfdson's Bay. 
 
 \ 
 
 The disruptions so common during the summer months, as also 
 the overlapping of the fields, will likewise lay the foundiflon for 
 further accumulations. The cause assigned by Mr. Lesslie will 
 alsotssist in accounting for their progressive in«rea«e. "The 
 mostAatisfacrory mode," remarks this able philosopberi " of ex- 
 plaining the phenomenon, is to refer it to the operation of a gene- 
 ral principle, by which the inequalities on the surface of a field of 
 ice must be constanjly increased. The lower parts of the field 
 being nearer the tempered mass of the obean, are not so cold as 
 those which project into the atmosphere, ?»nd, consequently, the 
 air which ascends, becoming chilled in sweeping over the emi- 
 nences, there depdsits some of its moisture, forming an i6y coat. 
 But this coiitinued. incrustation, in the lapse of ages, produces a 
 vast accumulation, till^the shapeless mass is at length precipitated 
 by its own weight." ■ . *^ 
 
 With regard to the kind of solution which the field-ice affords, 
 a variety of opinions have prevailed. Some asserting that the 
 solution had a saline tasie, others, that it was quite free from it. 
 1 his discordancy may, I conceii^e, be explained in this way : when 
 tlhe sahne substances dissolved in sea water lose their medium of 
 solution. It is obvious they must be precipitated j and even though 
 some of the particles should continue interspersed through the 
 frozen mass, it must be merely in a state of mechanical union. 
 Ihesbperincurabent layer of water, however, by slowj* percula- 
 ting tiirough the spongy mass, will gradually wash away those 
 entangled particles. We can thus very yetfdily account for the 
 circumstance of even the portion which is formed from sea-water 
 affording a solution* altdgether destitute of saline taste. When 
 however, this process of filtration is arrested by the deposition of 
 an incumbent layer of Jre»A toatir ice, which is of a very close tex- 
 ture, these masses will then have a saline taste. 
 
 Professor Lesslie, of Edinbaiigh, who has thrown much light 
 on this very interesting department of physical science, has lately 
 dicovered the singular fa'ct, that frigorific impressions are con- 
 stantly showering dowi^uring the day, as well as during the^ 
 night, from the higher regions of the atmosphere. From a^Ariety 
 of experiments pefformed by this philosopher, for the purpose of 
 measoring those pulsations, it appears that the effect varies con- 
 siderably according to the condition of the higher regions j it is 
 greatest while the sky has the pure azure huej it diminishes 
 
 liJnlihJf^h""'^*.''''* frigments on board; iiave melted them, and nniformly 
 found that the lolution wv altogether free from the taste of MiMratet. ' 
 
 il 
 
 \ 
 
 ,1 
 
V 
 
 •nths, as also 
 >undafion for 
 . Lesslie will 
 M«e. « The 
 kCfi " of ex- 
 on of a geae> 
 i of a field of 
 s of the field 
 lot so cold as 
 squently, the 
 rer the eoai- 
 an idy coat. 
 >, produces a 
 i precipitated 
 
 I- ice affords, 
 log, that the 
 Free from it. 
 t way : when 
 r medium of 
 even though 
 through the 
 nioal union, 
 vy percula- 
 away those 
 )unt for the 
 m sea- water 
 te. When, 
 eposition of 
 ry close tex>- 
 
 much light 
 e, has lately 
 ns are con- 
 
 diiring the- 
 )m a^varietj 
 
 purpose of 
 
 varies con- 
 gions ; it is 
 
 diminishes 
 
 lad naifonnly 
 ttec. 
 
 I 
 
 l^Kewor'M Voyage to Hudtm't Bay, 21 
 
 fast, as the atmospiierec^becomes loaded with spreading clouds, 
 and it is almost extinguished when low fogs settle on the sur- 
 face. These effects are, no doubt, niore conspicuous in the 
 finer regions of the globe. Accordingly, they did not escape 
 the observation of the ancients,4>ut gave rise to opinions which 
 were embodied in the language of poetry. The terra Ane, was 
 applied only td the ^rrossest part of the atmpsphere, while the . 
 liighest portion of it, free from clouds and vapour, and bor- 
 dering on the pure fields of ecther, received the kindred ap^ 
 pellation of AtBgit,, In southern climates especially, a trans- 
 piercing cold is felt at night under the clear and sparkling ca- 
 nopy of heaven. The natives carefully avoid exposing them- 
 selves to this supposed celestial influence, yet a tbin shed of 
 palra-leayes may be sufficient at once to shdter them against 
 the chilling impressions rained from the higher atmosphere. 
 The Captains of the French gallics in the Mediterranean used 
 formerly to cool their wines in auinmer by hanging their^flasks 
 all night from the masts. At dayrbreak they we^e takeii. dpwn, 
 and lapped in several folds of flannel, to preserve tbem ia the 
 same «tate. The frigorific impressk^t of aserene and azure 
 sky must undoubtedly have concuned with the power of evapo- 
 I'^tion in augmenting the energyiof the process of nocturnal 
 cooling, practised anciently in E^pt, and now systematically 
 pursued in the higher grounds of India. As the chilliness ac- 
 cumulated on the ground is greatest on clear nights, when the 
 mpon fahines brightest, it seemed very natural to impute this 
 effect partly to some influcdce emanating from that feeble 
 luminary. ^ 
 
 The instrument which Professor Lesslite employed in his 
 experiment on this highly iuterresting subjectrne terms au 
 iEthrioscope (from, the Greek word Atfl^o;, which, in reference 
 to the atmosphere, signifies at once clear, dry^ and cold.) U ia!, in 
 fact, a combination of the ordinary pyroscope, and is formed 
 by adapting that instrument to the cavity of a polished metalic ' 
 cup, of rather an oblong spheroidal shape, the axis being oc- 
 cupied by the sentient ball, while the section of an horizontal 
 plane, passing through the upper, forms the orifice. The cup 
 may be i&ade of thin brass, or silver, eithcir hammered or cast, 
 and then turned and polished on a lathe, the diameter being 
 from two to four inches, and the excentricity of the ellipticfS 
 figure varied within certun limits, according to circumstances ; 
 the most convienient proportion, however^ is to have this ex- 
 centricity' eaual tahalf the transverse axis,.aiid coni^uently 
 Jo place the fodu at the third part of the wheleh eiri it ^ fee 
 
 I. ' 
 
 
 # 
 
 i 
 
3i 
 
 i 
 
 A 
 
 % 
 
 Ai'Ktwor'i Koyag* to Httdsoti's Bay. 
 
 A« , 
 
 t'Svity the (Jiamtiter »f the ^ntipn^hciii k • ii 
 ,. the third part of that of tfe X ^f the"! u^'^T' T'^^ ^ 
 separate more the ball, of the pyr^^cone .L '^i, " '''^''' ^^ 
 cflrried somewhat hUtler than Z Z^ * »he gilt one may b? 
 swell of the cavityX stem bein. h ; ? "?^ 'odged in the 
 neck p„r.h..|y wid'ened ^p e Jt'lh liJ^'TT^^' ^t' 
 coloured liquor in carnW A lid of h- Ii«^. I-"''"? J***' 
 metal as the cup itself if fi.tP? t« >i?I '?"*, ^^"^ unpolished 
 
 well grounded it will orol to k ^ , '"f,'"'*'"'"^"* P'-o*'^ to be 
 • every phyifcal cah ne^ iVe iH^ '''""^'" '*^^"'»^ 
 
 aensaiion through indefinite space, and° evel t'he rnn^-r "r 
 
 impressions of cold which IrrTv*1K.»i, ^''f ''e'»'^«n». The 
 found. strongerTan tiJose Swh f^l"??'* *"" P">'»«'»'y ^e 
 instrument L yj? ^e^ scaVcdl^^^ We ''^'^' ?"*' "^^ 
 compare its indications for the cou«Tof .!^Li ' ""«'T .''* 
 more solicitous to receJv.. ;». ,-!^T * ''"**'® y**""' and st 1 
 bri^hterskie* £/S I P°".' ''■°'" <«''er climates, and 
 
 o/^dm6«rgV vi'^i. pliTil.^'^"^'^ ''•^'^ ItmlSo<ieti 
 I have been induced to dwell thus lonff on the nrnnf. »i • u 
 |conce.ve may be offered in favour of the opLon t^^Tfl, '"''* 
 flee of, the Northern seas is annually sub1ec?i5tntL ^^ "'"': 
 congellation, as on this single circuZtanci fn a J"^^^^^^ °' 
 depends the success of the north««| expeShion • fof 
 are,« 1 have endeavoured to p,ve, anralVv eii 
 eternal fluctuation of havine their surfarTp^JL,^ !*m«-.^ 
 
 forever present to the infrepij navt^to^^^^^^^^^^ 
 i^sprmoaqtable.*. ^ navigator obstUcles altogether 
 
 the ^i^mmf^^SSSBnd r. .T;i^S if* ■ ^'^^ "^ •" •••• ''«n ^et-ched from 
 
 time f^^Pr«SK?S,?' At il^iS: V^' '"" ■?•"'•' » ««K^rf 
 from thigllSFWeight orerSnKe JJw^f? SS '^T t«^'»^"' " 
 the mtn gfrei way ; the icy cbOb wWcThdd ?I^«l.is J*" k«y-«one of 
 .01 ;:d, „ Jthe whole » gim^gtM^^d to^''g;j!g?,/gaS' ""^ "^ *- 
 
 i 
 
 
 lf_„ 
 
witness. They had not got 
 beheld a vitry affecting 
 Bch, and aware of their 
 
 "V 
 
 UPmevor't Voyagt to Hudson't Bay. aa 
 
 Wednesday, Juljk the 2Ut. A party of us went C^ut on the 
 »ce for the purpose <)f amusing ourselves. We had not walked 
 for when we discovered seyeral ponds of very fine fr^ water. 
 S W %"* 'n««"'^ence of this to the captain, he Iftirtie- 
 iffik^& . °"* 'T' °^ ^^' ""'^^ *° ^" *''« water-casks. It 
 II??^!?*^*^*" "^^y ^T* ^"^ answered admirj^|)Iy for every culinary 
 —Hose. 5 In some of these ponds we observed a small fish, to 
 ^" ^^'jyS've the niUe of Miller's Thumbs, 
 juiiida^the 22d. AvaiHiig ourseK^es of a fair wind, which 
 8pt;uogupthis morning, we took in the ice-anchors, and set sail 
 ,}a/:ompany with our consorts. 
 
 Two o'clock, P. M. Forcing our /way- through very heavy ice, 
 got several very severe knocks. Obliged to keep the pumps going 
 
 Friday, July 23d. Stiir forcing our way through the ice: 
 wind fair; weather uncoiQnIonly fine. 
 
 Saturday, July 24th. ThA breeze has nearly died away; wea- 
 ther contmues fine. About tVeJve o'clock we got anchored to an 
 islaryi of ice. Lost sight df the George. Fired a gun, which 
 was answered in a few minute^ The captain suppose9 them tabe 
 about a league ahead. V 
 
 _ Sundav, 25th. The GeorgeVving made a signal for getJ- 
 ting under weigh, we bosed bur anchors, and set sail. In 
 about an hour we got up with hek 
 
 ,."~^'^*»'*,*Jay> while saitffig iirough straggling ice, one of 
 the men on the quarter-deck obseWed, at a few yards distance. 
 5"l?'lT *?** h«,two young!, cubs. The captain imme- 
 diate y Ordered, the jblly-boat tb be lowered, and musketa. 
 pistols, cbtlassesV &c. to be got in Veadines. All things beine 
 prepared. Mr. Fidler, Mr. CockeAl, the first mate, Sith onl 
 or two i^ore, set out in pursuit of thdm. We were all leaninr 
 .fir V** V^*"^ ^»V'"ff with the gr^test anxiety, for the in- 
 teresting scene that we expected to ~ 
 
 many yards from the vessel, when 
 sight: the mother, bbserving their a[ 
 
 intention^ set up a most doleful cr)L and presently clasped 
 her two .young ones within her two fore \paws. First she would 
 ^k atdnie, then at another, and again r^ume her piteous cry. 
 Ferceivihg the men to approach still nearer, she got them on 
 ner bac^i, and di»ed under water to a 'considerable distance i 
 when ekhaosted, she made to the ice for shelter. This she 
 did several successive times. The gentlemen who went out 
 tor the purpose of shooting her, were so justly affected at the 
 sight, that they humanely returned to the ship without dia- 
 charging their muskets. Still, however , the (wo r, bear app te^ 
 
■t<; 
 
 i4 
 
 
 M'k^v&f^s Voyage to Hudton's Bay. 
 
 henifed daowr After getting on a detached piece of ice she 
 agam clasped her young ones with the greatest teSderniss and 
 continued her heart-melting cries ! In about ten minxes ano- 
 ther party,* not subject to the same correct sensStv is ^h^ 
 former, went ,n Pursuit of her. Immediately on obse viL this 
 she again took her young ones on her back; one t mT itS 
 under wai«r at Another, escaping to the ice for refuge. ^heS 
 the party had got within a short distance of her, they a» fired, the 
 
 a'E^^lr:;''"'^'''* b-d/o'^en.d her young cubs so eCualTy%?at 
 she alone was wounded j one of the balls entered her chest. The 
 
 weTad'aSeltrht^^^^^^^^ stil, more affecting than that 
 
 -J!!*'"*'* ™°«a"y wounded, she retained within her fond 
 
 ^^^nT2l**'''*fj;y°"''«- '*'°°'**='* «» ^''""ffh the iron 
 grasp of dtath could not tear asunder those ties of affection 
 which bound herlo them. Still she would fondly gaze a^ 
 ^'\ S°' ""*?'*'''' occasionally renewing her piteoui cries, 
 
 ««^«.^f rS!"' ^''Zu^ T^'' """^^ ^"'^'^- But the purple 
 current of hfe was ebbing fast through the wound: her sides 
 heaved-^her eye became glassy and dim-she looked at her 
 young ones-gave a convulsive sob— laid dowij her head, and ex- 
 pired IT X 
 
 After this, they had no difficulty in taking the young cubs. 
 1 hey in vmn, however, endeavoured to loose them from their 
 parehfs embraces. Even while dragging her up the side of 
 the vessel, they still kept their hold. When the/ had got her 
 on board, she was immediately skinned.J When the skin 
 '"!17T''*1* *''*y P"* ** *°*° ^^^ *="Se ''hich had been pre- 
 
 S^'T^K. ♦• **Z1"°^ *'°*''- .^' *^^y '^^"'^^ mast -Wdfeously 
 from the time^they were torn from the mother, we were in AopeJ 
 ^at rtns might pacify tbelli j and it did so : it was no sooher 
 idtrodaced than they laid their heads down on it, and irrowled 
 HI-fT «*'«"'"« »n»nn«^. When any one attempted to 
 touch It, they, roared very loud and appeared much more irri- 
 
 -eJItoS"'** «"'<»*«', of monsten in the ifaape of men, or hnman savages! 
 
 d.LlLLJUf'^ *■?•*•''' '" *•'" transaction ment the tormeats of the 
 E^^ISSr^ men-and the vengeance of .n insalted Deity.-!' 
 
 2f» ?h!^:.w*"'!f '"'«*^ *°.^r !"*«!«>•« tn-cle" of Uie opposite side. Ic nt 
 or^.f!."J' ^"^ .""I^T*' ♦''*"*° • bottle filled with spirhVVbat one of toe 
 «^'rrf^Lr^*ilill"''!!l!i"' «'»*'"'" "^ St in some way or 'other, and beSj 
 2SS ^^V. th««Mnorbid aaatomy, drank the iaid in which I had ihtiB pr^ 
 
)f ice, she 
 ^rnrss, and 
 lUtes, ano- 
 lity as the 
 rving this, 
 re getting 
 e. When 
 I fired, the 
 ually, tliat 
 lest. The 
 than that 
 
 her fond 
 the iron 
 affection 
 ' gaze at 
 >us cries, 
 le purple 
 her sides 
 d at her 
 I, and ex- 
 
 ing cuhs. 
 rom their 
 i side of 
 
 got her 
 the skin 
 )een pre- 
 Md'eously 
 in -faopes 
 soober 
 
 growled 
 apted to 
 nore irri- 
 
 I savages ! 
 
 Its of the 
 Deity.—' 
 
 the arcb of 
 de. I cot 
 one oftiie 
 and being 
 ibtinpre* 
 
 M^Keevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. JJ5 
 
 able than usual, ^hey were brought home, and sold in Lon- 
 ,don at a very high price,* ' 
 
 When detached from its young, ho^ very different is the 
 character of the pdar bear from that I have just described. 
 It is then » most/ formidable animal, being apparently the 
 natural lord of those fr-ozen region*. Every othfir animal 
 shudders at his ajiproach, considering it as the signal for im- 
 jnediate destruction. The seals either retire to their subma- 
 rine dwellings, or conceal themselves in the crevices of the 
 ice-islands j while tire bear, stalking along with solemn nja- 
 ^esty, « faces the breeze, raises his head, and snuffs the pass- 
 ing scent, whereby he discovers the nearest route to his 
 i odorous banquet." A favourite poet, with great truth and 
 pea^ty, thus describes the rtiajch of this formidable animal ;— 
 
 " Tlicrc, through ll^e piny forest, half absorbed, 
 Roii|{h tenant of thOsc shades, the shapeless bear, ' 
 With dangling ice, all horrid, stalks forlorn ; ' 
 Slow.paced, and sawer as the storms increase. 
 He makes his be4 beneath Uie iQcle^icnt drift, 
 And with stem patience, scorning weak complaiiit, 
 Hat^ens his iK'art against assailing want." 
 
 They are possessed of stich uncdmmon strength, and de- 
 fend themselves, when beset, with such extraordinary ob- 
 stmacy, that even the natives of the country never venture 
 •to attack them but in parties of eight or ten, and even then 
 are often defeated with the loss of one or more of their num- 
 ber. Though to a skilful rifleman the danger b very much 
 diminished, the bear is still an animal of tremendous strength 
 and fierceness, as will appear from the following adventure!— 
 Captain Lewis teHs us, that one evening the men in the hind- 
 most of the canoes discovered a large silver bear lyimr in the 
 open grounds, about 300 paces from the river. Six of them, 
 nil-good hunters, set outjo attack him, and concealing them- 
 sel^s by a small eminence, came unper&eived within forty 
 paces of him. Four of them now fired, and each lodged a 
 ball m his body; two of them directly through the lunM. 
 The justly-enraged animd sprqng up, and rp open-mouthed 
 
 . tuT^ *!?* atladmeat iriddi the she-bear has for her yotaic. k wefl known 
 <o tte Ameriean tester. Me danger can iodiice her tTdSSSSa ^JS 
 "fc!" f^ •ff ^■%**?'!^ VOjm to be able to Glim|> a tree. ^Zx\^'h,«SL 
 !!?*^i!.^W*.?^'*^i Atthattime,ifhniw,XV&?Si«Ltoii2ke 
 ^12*TSi ^^ <*#!»>««« ^ "<fe«y. If they di^w .W iSetoiee. die beate 
 tliem, ana haMng aneceeded, tnnia Wlealy 'oa her p2rwa»; fSiW S^ 
 
 fflSlsSu rti.etiifg.'' '^'^ <*"'' y^t «lwe/°ce«me-n.n»rS\h^^ 
 
 If 
 
 ¥oTA«» <«tT.A™„, vo. 2. nfi.'rr^'^ti'"^ 
 
m 
 
 26 M*Keet;or's Voyage to Hudson'^ Bay. 
 
 at them. As he came near, the tvro hunters who had reserved 
 their fire gave him two wounds, one of which breaking his 
 shoulder, retarded his motion for a moment ; but before they 
 could re-load he was so near that they were obliged to run to 
 the river, tind before they reached it he had almost overtaken 
 them. Two jumped into the canoe, the other four separated, 
 and concealing themselves in the willows, fired as fast as each 
 could load. They struck him several times, but they only 
 exasperated him ; and he at last pursued two of them so 
 closely, that they jumped down a perpendicular bank of 
 twenty feet into the river ; the bear sprang after them, and 
 was within a few feet of the hindmost, when one of the hunters 
 on shore shot him in the head, and killed him. They dragged 
 him to the shore, and found that eight balls had passed througbv 
 his body ih different directions. 
 
 Barentz, in his voyage in search of a tiorth-east passage to 
 China, had melancholy proofs of the ferocity of these animals 
 in the island of Nova Zfembia, where they attacked his men, 
 seizing them in their mouths, carrying them off, and devour- 
 ing them in sight of their comrades. " On the 6th of Sep- 
 teniber," observes this interesting writer, " some sailors ^ain 
 tafided to seek for a certain sort of stone, a species of dia- 
 mond, of which a sufficient quantity is also found in the Isle 
 of Slates. During this search, two of the sailors, sleeping by 
 one another, a white bear, very lean, approached them softly, 
 and seized one by the nape of the neck. The sailor, not 
 knowing what it was, cried out, * Who has seized roe thus 
 behind ?' His companion, having raised liis head, said, * Hol- 
 loa ! my dear friend, it is a bear !' and immediately rising, 
 ran a way. The bear bit the uufortanate man in several parts 
 of the bead, and having quite mangled it, sucked the blood. 
 The rest of the persons who were on shore, to the number of 
 twienty, immediately ran with their firelocks and pikes, and 
 found (he bear devouring the body. Oq seeing the pien, he 
 nn toivards them wuth increctible fury, threw himself upon 
 jDiie ofthem, carried him away,, jamd.ton^ him .topiecep, which 
 ko terrified them that they all fled. Those wht^ remained in 
 ihe Teasel, seeing t)iem thus flee, and ;retQrn towards the ahore, 
 ittmped'into the bmUL and rowed with all tbeir force to re- 
 vive ^pn. MThfen ittey tad lab«I^,MM9 beHMd thip lamtat- 
 »le8pectacWy t^r^cdurl|§tfdf1l^ others tio^ifjetam thetn 
 Vto the 6orobait, tbat'yi together they might attack this fero- 
 cioQs animal. Three of them advanced a little, the bear stiU 
 continn ing to devour his prey, without "b efag at aJl disturbed 
 at the sight of thirty 'Doen so near him. The two pilots having 
 
M^Keevqr's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 
 
 27 
 
 even attempt to board armed 
 
 the shore, and are sometimes 
 
 While on land they prey on 
 
 birds ; they also eat various 
 
 chance to nnd while ranging 
 
 fired three times without hitting the animal, the purser advanced 
 a little further, and shot the bear in the head, close by the eye, 
 which did not cause him to quit his prey ; but holding the body 
 always by the neck, which he was devouring, carried it away as 
 yet almost quite entire. Nevertheless, they then perceived that 
 he began to totter ; and the purser goipg towards him, with a 
 Scotchman, they gave him several sabre wounds, without his 
 abandoning his prey. At length the pilot Geyser, having given 
 him a violent blow with the butt-end of his firelock on the muz- 
 zle, which brought him to the ground, the purser leaped upon 
 him, and cut his throat. Tlic two bodies, half devoured, were 
 interred in the Isle of Slates, and the skin of the bear was 
 carried to Amsterdam." 
 
 Frequently they attack, and 
 vessels, at a great distance from 
 repelled with great difficulty, 
 foxes, hares, martens, and young 
 kinds of berries, which they may 
 
 through the trackless desert. During these excursions they 
 Aot unfrequently enter the habitations of the natives, and 
 carry off* one of the party. Mr. Howes, one of the inland go- 
 vernors, mentioned to me, that one evening he and his compa- 
 nioqs were sitting in their wigwam, enjoying a social hour 
 after a hard day's huntings when, on a sudden, they found one 
 of their party to disappear A white bear had, in fact, carried 
 him off by the skirts of his coat. They all immediately sallied 
 out in pursuit of him, which, when the bear observed, he in- 
 stantly dropped his prey and made off into the woods. It is 
 said that the best mode of repdling them, on these occasions, 
 19 by the smell of burnt feathers. During the summer months, 
 being allured by the scent of the carcases of whales, seals, &c[. 
 they venture out on the ice. They have been seen on some of 
 those islands at the distance of more than eighty) miles from landj 
 preying and feeding as they float along. Durilhg the winter they 
 retire and immerse themselves deep beneath thp snow ; here they 
 pass the long and dreary arctic winter, and do, not again appear 
 until the return of spring. •'^ 
 
 The whole animal is white except the point of the nose, and the 
 claws, which are of a deeo black colour; the ears are rather small 
 and sharp; the eyes small and of a deep jet- black. The following 
 are its generic character?), as given by Professor Jamieson, in his 
 Lectures on Natural History, in the University of £dinbargb. 
 
 Front Teeth. Six both above and below ; the two lateral ones 
 j)f the loyve r-jaw lo nge f than the rest, and lobed» with small or 
 secondary teetB at their internal base. ' T 
 
 I 
 
 ii 
 
 i'' 
 
 } 
 
i' 
 
 V... 
 
 ' ^^ .' ^'^^r's Voyage lo Hudson^g Hay. 
 
 Cahfiie teeth, - . . solitary, 
 to the canKS "' "' '" '""'^ ''^'' ^'" «"^ approximated 
 ^ Tongue .... srtiooth. 
 
 F f -l"* .1 -.. ■ prominent. 
 T^u . . ?^* furnished with a miHtating membrane. 
 The hair is of a gredt length, and the limbs are of an enor- 
 mous size, and of a wery unseemly shape. I have tasted thd 
 
 It had, however, rather a fishy taste, Thcpaw, when driei 
 and smoked, is considered a delicious mofsd. Among the 
 Chinese the flesh is considered as one of the greatest rarities, 
 insomuch that, as Du Halde informs us, the emperor win 
 send fifty or a hundred leagues into tartary to procure them 
 for a great entertainment. At the approach of winter they be- 
 come extremely fat j a hundred pounds have been taken from 
 a single beast at this tim(? of the year. Their skins are used 
 for a variety of purposes^ By the Esquimeaux they are used 
 for the purpose of roakmg boots, shoes, and other articles of 
 dress. In this country they are sold principally for covers of 
 coach-boxes. The length of the one, whose history I have 
 related, measured thirteen feet. The tendons, when split, are 
 used by the Esquimeaux as a substitute fof thread; for which 
 purpose, if we might judge by the neatness of their workmanship- 
 it answers admirably. They appear to be confined to the coldest 
 parts of our globe, being found as far north as any navigators 
 have yet been able to 'penetrate. 
 
 July the 28th, we continued to force our way through the ice • 
 weather uncommonly fine; atmosphere quite clear, and of a pure 
 azure tint. ^ 
 
 July 29th. This day, about two o'clock, P. M., we first got sieht 
 of Ui)per Savage Island, situated in N. lat. 62° 26' W. long, fc 
 
 This Island is about two miles in circumference, and consists 
 merely of a vast lofty perpendicular rock, rising like a cone, in 
 an easy aScent from the sea. Ij had not the least appearance of 
 verdure, or vegetation of any kind. 
 
 On the back part of this island we met with a large commo- 
 dious harbour,^ surrounded in part by vast mountains and nume- 
 rous fields of ice. Wcexpected to get a passage in this direc- 
 tion; but, after tacking about between land and ice the entire 
 night, we were obliged to ^ive up the attempt. 
 
 This is the bay to which Captain Wales, in his Interestintr 
 account of these regions, alludes: " It may,*' he says, " be 
 Worthy of Mmark, that the island. of God's Mercies ; or. as 
 wane call it, Upper Savage Island, lies Jh the moutli of an 
 
M*Ke6vor's Voyage to lttidson*s Hay. ^ 
 
 \n\ei running northward, out of which come the greater paft of 
 those islands of ice which are so nnuch taken notice of in these 
 parts." I have been told by gentlemen in the Hudson's Bay Com- 
 pany's service, that some of theit ships havt formerly been driven 
 by the ice into this inlet, where they fofund a fine open sea, 
 without any bounds, that they could sec, to the northward. 
 This inlet. Captain Wales calls the North Bay. July 31st. 
 The weather continues remarkably fine and clear; thertnometer 
 in the shade 49**. Moored alongside a field of ice. August 1st. 
 This day, about ten o*clock, A. M., wegot sight of the north shore, 
 distant about ten leagues. The whole of this coast exhibited a 
 very barren appearance ; the mountains rising suddenly out of 
 the sea, and being composed of rocks, which are thinly covered 
 with black peat earth. 
 
 Several fires were kindled along the shore, for the purpose, w€ 
 presumed, of giving us notice that the natives intended visit- 
 ing us. Our conjectures we soon found to be true, for, about 
 four o'clock in the afternoon, word was brought down to the 
 cabin that the Esquimeaux Indians were in sight. This be- 
 ing an event long and anxiously wished for, we all hastened 
 on deck immediately. They were not more than thirty yards 
 from the ship. The ice being very thicic, they were obliged 
 to carry their canoes and articles for traffic almost the entire 
 way. when they had got within a short distance of the vessel, 
 they all set up a loud cry, every one repeating the word 
 clum6, chim6,*' which, in their language, signifies ' trade. 
 They had no sooner got alongside than they began to, traffic. 
 The articles which they ofiered for sale were — whalebone> 
 bags of blubber, with half-frozen, half putrid flesh ; skins of 
 different animals, as of the bear, rabbit, hare, seal, and deer j 
 dried salmon, dogs, a few fresh fowls ; toys of various kinds, 
 as models of their canoes, dresses, &c. 
 
 In return they got glass beads, old knives, hatchets, but- 
 tons, pins, and needles j gimblets, scissars, pieces of old iron- 
 hoops, which they prized tery highly j brass rings, tin pots, 
 kettles, saws, files, &c. f 
 
 It would be difficult to give expression to the feelings of 
 gratification, delight, and surprise, which, in hurried succes- 
 sion, passed through my mind on. first getting a view of 
 these untutored savages; their manners, persons, dress, lan- 
 guage, every thing, in short, so completely different from what 
 
 » , 
 
 / 
 
 ^l^iTO* MS JTi iBo mifie UM oT ■» • tCTm 
 
mi 
 
 m 
 
 30 . M*Keevor*tVoyd^e\o Hudson* $ Bay. 
 
 we are accustomed to in civilized life, that one Would almost 
 fancy them the natives of a different planet altogether. 
 
 In stature the Esquimeaux is inferior to the generality of Eu- 
 ropeans. I have never seen any of them* exceed five feet in 
 height, excepting one, who was five feet four inches. Their* faces 
 are broad, and approach more to the rounded form than that^bf 
 the European j thei^; cheek-bones are high ; their cheeks roun^ 
 and plump, mouth large, and lips slightly averted ; the glabella, 
 or interval between the eyes, is flat and very brbad j the- nose \^ 
 small, but not fljtt, as some writers have described ; their eyes, 
 in general, are of a deep bldck ; some, however, are of a dark 
 chesnut.colour } they appear very small, owing to t^e eye-lids 
 being so much encumbered with fat j the head is large j hair 
 uniformly long, lank, and of a black colour ; their eye-lids 
 appeared tender, owing, I suppose, to the piercing winds and 
 strong glare of light reflected from the snow in winter-time j 
 the ears are situated far back on the head, and are roovea^e; 
 their bodies are large, square, and robust, che^t high,, shoul- 
 ders very broad ; their hands and feet remarkably small ;* 
 there is, however, no sudden diminution ; both extremities 
 appear to taper from above downwanl ift a wedge-like shape. 
 Their boots and shoes^ being mad? of undressed leather, being 
 also very clumsy. I did not for some time take particular no- 
 tice of their feet. I happened, however, to observe one of the 
 '^men on the ^uarter-deek endeavouring to draw on a pair of 
 , boots, which he had just purchased from the m^n whose mea- 
 surement I have given; the leg -passed on easy enough until 
 it eame to the lower part, whien it was suddenly arrested, nor 
 couM he force it further, though he tugged land pulled at it 
 for sTconsiderable time. They are of a deep tawney, or rather 
 copper-coloured complexion. The assertion that they have 
 got no beard must be treated as an idle tale; the fact is, it bo 
 sooner appears than, from motives of comfort, and, perhaps, of ^ 
 cleanliness, they pluck it out by the rodf, h|^ving no more 
 convenient way of removing it. I recollect bringing one of 
 the yo^ng men, w^^ose beard was just beginning to make its 
 appeaWnce, down to the cabin, and showing him the mode of 
 using a razor : the poor fellow appeared highly delighted 'y he 
 placed himself before a glass, and. really imitated the process 
 t)f shaving very well; however, he nicked himself in two or 
 three places, at which he laughed very heartily. I did not 
 remark that difference of voice in the young and adult, which 
 
 * Small hands and feet Ihey possess in common uritb the Chinoe, Kanu- 
 1«EatEaDii, New HoUanders, PeruvisuM, and HoCtttatots. " 
 
^^Keevor's Voyage to Hudson** Bay. 
 
 31 
 
 is so very remarkable in these countries ; males and fepmles, 
 young and old, had all the same low, husky, whispering kind of 
 voice.* 
 
 I shall here give a few words of their language, which I occa- / 
 sionally wrote down during their visits to us. 
 
 Whalebone 
 -What's this 
 
 A knife 
 
 Water 
 . Give us 
 
 Women - 
 
 Blubber - 
 
 A paddle - 
 
 Go off 
 
 A saw 
 
 An arrow - 
 
 A bow 
 
 A canoe - 
 
 A boat 
 
 A dog 
 
 Hair 
 
 The foot - 
 \^a egg - 
 
 Sukok. 
 Oomena. 
 Mukmamuk. 
 Emik. 
 Pelite. ■ 
 Challeneer. 
 Tuktoo. 
 Poatik. 
 Twa wi. 
 Kutaswabbo. 
 Katso. 
 
 Petiksik. . 
 Porta viiiigar. 
 Ktljak. 
 Mik6. 
 'Nootshad. 
 Itikak. 
 Miniguk. 
 
 A 
 
 •Tbis hoarse whispering kind of voice was very observable in the voddk 
 Esqiiimeaox who was atEdiabargh last year ;<-tboiig^ he had been, When 1 
 saw him, near eight months in tne country, he still spoke, in ordinary con. 
 ▼ersation, as if he were wfaispoteg. He was a very fine young man, aced 
 abont nineteen, and had been a widower for a considerable time^ It was Mir<. 
 Pfislng to see liow soon he adopted the Eoropean costoms ; when shown into a 
 nm, be bowed V*ry grace<blly, and Was very mild and traetiUe in hk maaoen. 
 Tbi» poor fdlowiiad been driRfSd not to sea la his canoe near a faandred milas 
 when he fortnnatt^inet^with One of the homeward-boond Greenland shio*' 
 which tookJiui np. I saw him exhibit several times whUe he r«mained!^t 
 '^^i."?*-"^? ••» P«rticalar, the whole pottnlitlon of* thefeountry 'appealed 
 assembled for Jhe purpose of wttaMiifc tWa inUrettiag sight; The^hcSi*^ 
 considwabie dutance the shrouds of Ivery vesaeli the tops of all the he ^ 
 wereactnaUy swummg with people, me waa this day to loW in Us o 
 ualnstatwdve^iaredlanev. *At a g^^slgnd they started; iaafewseeei 
 Mwever, thod^the BHiWmy SttMklnen niwcd W aU their miciit. 
 7^°!^1?_.7^J'^^"^;7'^ I'^^'^'l'xn* After vetting ma cooK) 
 ... 1. _ j_ . •• . ■ - he CMi^aed nMiseif in his iauide, Lou 
 
 BO wittsd'iurtit Us Uiif9st eriwiteted 
 ^ ^ - b «6w-'iloniwltli tlie»i»illneawrf„ 
 
 i. r-^— ''*«y'» ^B* on f«f««J^^ two h»un.A;tthetlo»e of the contest 
 a subscription, to a very large amoont, was made fi»r him. With WUch the 
 captain pwchajied swenl artkles ofwoaiteg appafti, aTalM • munber Ntf 
 
 ■f 
 
Killik^ 
 
 Ukak. 
 
 Kombuk. 
 
 Tigal. 
 
 Ke. 
 
 52 M*Keevor'» Voyage to Hudson's Boy, 
 
 The eye - - - . 
 A tooth - - _ _ 
 One - - .* _ 
 
 Two .... 
 
 Three - . 
 Rum (thb word properly signi|ie» mod water) Killaluk. 
 The head - . ' . JJiakok. 
 
 The moon - ^ - Takok. 
 
 Arem-deer . , . Tuktoo. 
 . A Woman's boat - - Ooipiak. 
 
 The dresses of this singular people are very cul^'us : and, con- 
 Bidenng the rude instruments with which they are manu- 
 factured, of uncommon neatness. They are made of the 
 Bkms of the rein-deer, seals, and birds. The outer garment re- 
 sembles somewhat a waggoner's smock-frock ; it is not, how- 
 ever, so lo^g or so loose i it is sewed up in the front as high as 
 the chin. To the top part a cap or liood is fastened, resembling 
 very much the head of the cloaks now so much used in these 
 countries : in «old or wet weather they draw this over their 
 heads, and by means ^f a tunning string, they can make it 
 lie as close to the face as they choose. The women's jackets 
 differ somewhat from tho8« ^f the men j the hood is much 
 larger, and^the bottom, instes^ of being cut even round like 
 the men's, ^lopes off from tli« thigh downwards, forming, 
 both behind and before, a long flap, the pointed extremity Qf 
 which reaches below^the knees. Many of the women had 9 
 train Xo their jackets sufficiently long tp reach to their heels. 
 The women's jackets also differ from those of the men in b^ing 
 more profusely ornamented with stripes of different coloured 
 skins, which pre inserted in a very neat and tasty manner. 
 This outer garment i* most usually made of se^l-skius j some 
 of them, however, are made of deer.8kins j others of bird's- 
 skibs, neatly sewed to^^ther. A few of |hem, I observed^ 
 wore und^r their outer jacket a kjnd of sarment not unlike 
 a shirt, and consisting of a^number of seals" bladderii sewed to- 
 gether. Their breeches are flormed either of seal-skin or of 
 the thin-haired skins of the rein-deer | thi^y are gathered at 
 top like a jmrse, and tied round their waijits. Tlieir boots und 
 shoes 9r« formed of the same . materials, and vh soled with 
 the «kin of jthe sea-hone. The meB> boots we (hawn tight 
 about their knees by means of a rnnoiog-string ; their shoes 
 l^re made to tie Jn close to theahkle t^ the same contrivance^ 
 The women's boots are made tcrcpme up as high a; the hips j 
 they are at this part viery wide, anckmade to stand off by means ^ 
 of a strong bow of whalebone passed round the top. 4n4^ — 
 these they put the children v^jhen tired with carrying them pa 
 
^ M*li^€em*$ Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 33 
 
 iWit ^M. In pliwt) oi thread they nLake ose of the siacfirs of 
 therewHdfflr^ Uie ebres/of which they split very 6oe, and after- 
 waifd^ tv»t <N5t» !B doafcle or triple pil^s, accordiog ai they are 
 Miquired. T&ir needles are made either of ivory, or of the very 
 fipe bones of birds and 6«bej. A /ew o^them, however, have got 
 steel needlesi \ ° 
 
 For tl»e i^rpose of guarding off th4 intense light reflected 
 from the snow, they make use of a v^ry ingenious kind of 
 jpeptaole^, orsnow-eyes, as they call th^ They are formed 
 I?*"li?"*^'** P'/''* of wood, and are exfiavated on the inside 
 fcr theptooseof receiving the bridge of ihe nose and Project- 
 rf„r ^*^* T'^""^^' .Opposite to either eye is a Wrrx^ 
 transverse sht, about an inch and a half Jong. In front they 
 
 ?f ! !mJif i^ • "*"**'/ '^ ***** ^^ r «'^"*1"' ""«'•• At top therJ 
 IS a Wfill horizontal ledg^, which projects out for about a^ inch. 
 
 ^^^i**!?*'*^ .''***"''' bymeanir of a slip of seal-skin, which is 
 attached to either extreimiy of the wood.* The one that I have 
 got in my p<^«es8|on measures about four inches in lengdi and 
 two in breadth. Mr. Ellis «sfierts, that when they would ?Sser"e 
 any object at a great distance, tkey commonly look through them 
 AS we do throng^ a telescope. ** 
 
 fJ^L TV •■/• rT'^'S^ ^^ particular attention, as wdl 
 •frpm the jflcwtiarity of their form as for their neatness, and eran 
 e^fg»nof, wJlh wfcwh they are instructed. They are in gene- 
 rM about twenty I'eat l^ng.two feet broad al the widest part, 
 jndyf pnobking shape. The fmmework is made of piecMof 
 ^pr, whalebone, fastened together by means of the sinews 
 ^mmjP } they we wvered with jeal skin parchment all 
 m^ i With Jhe exception of a central apeitur*, which is left 
 large ej«M,gh:tfl admit the bodjr of a manjioto this the lL«i-- 
 yuwcthr^^ts himelfMptQ hfs waist, hi^ feet being TtSd 
 
 IZll: ^^*»^, r«!f^ opepiog « fit hoop is fiVX 
 Jbpm » opuple of incJies; tq this a skin is attached. whiXI 
 *W4fPs flo tight about him as to exeluife all wet; the rial aL 
 
 4ftjg^ on;Abe,de<*. from getting intdihe canoe. The pi^dfcof 
 
 Slftra* !• "^ **^" ^••' ^^'Hir ; narrow in the^entre : 
 Mi>§^ HJ^PH «t other «»tre»iiy, when seated iir his ^no^ 
 
 MTfir ifune csiMM de AumUw 4i»'iU pwtoBt tort l'«i**Mir !«• inm^^lmt 
 deux planches minces, perches en^en« VTdroitk arec nne aWne^JTe ^ttede 
 
 rc!!!irJrpr;:Mr!i"jri'.* <•-'*«« '-t^t-vec^nn bojrrjhrci^ 
 
 ^VoTACiis and Travels, No. 2, Fo/. //. 
 
 -■ 1 1 
 
 'I I 
 
 
 r 
 
 %v 
 
 1^ 
 
 E 
 
'% 
 
 * 
 
 34 
 
 M*K«fthr]$ Foyagt to Hudson's Bay. 
 
 he takeai- hold of h by the centre, dips either end in the watir 
 alternately, and thus he moves with incredible celerity ; so great, 
 „ indeed, that an English boat, with twelve oars, is not able to keep 
 up with him.* The broad flat part^ is generally inlaid, in a very 
 tasty and fanciful manner, with portions of sea-horse teeth, cat 
 into a variety of forms. 
 
 The dexteri^ with which they manage these canoes is really 
 astopishmg. No ifeather can prevent them from gojng out to 
 4ea ; they venture out in the midst of tempestuous whirlwinds, 
 and drivmg snows, with as much composure as if it werea Otifect 
 calm. Even though the sea should break over them, in an^&atant 
 they are again seen flying along the ridge of the wave. /» ^^ ■ 
 
 But what appears still more extraordinary, is the powe^ they 
 possess of completely upsetting themselves in their canoes, 
 so as to hang perpendicularly under the water. I shall relate 
 an instance of this. Captain Turner was one day standing on 
 the quarter-deck while the Indians were alongside trading; 
 he observed at some diifemce an.Esqoimaux paddling up and 
 down, as if for amusemetit: having madAJt sign to him to 
 come over, he told him he would give hiiMknife and a few 
 needles, incase he would capsize himself Tn hiif canoe. The 
 Indian immediately made tight all his running strings, lapped 
 •ome skins about his bodv, and having thus secured hiipself 
 from the water entering, he looked at CapUin Turner with a 
 vejy significant air j he then inclined his body towards the sur- 
 face of the water, and instantly dipped down ; here he remained 
 suspended for a few seconds, when he appeared at the opposite 
 side in his former upright position. This he did three successive 
 times. When he had done, he shook himself, laughed very hear- 
 tily, and after getting hjs knife and needles, paddled oflF. 
 
 The value which* th'ey set on their canoes is, as we might 
 naturally suppose, very great j indeed, they will very rarely 
 part with them, unless they get in exchange a considerable 
 number of valuable articles, such as a tin-pot, a kettle, a saw, 
 and perhaps a few gimblets. Captain Turner pur6h(ised one of 
 the neatest I think 1 have ever seen : it was quite new, and 
 was very beautifully ornamented. The hoop which surrounds 
 the^ central aperture, instead of wood, «u made of highly- 
 polished ivory. The workmanship on the extremity of the pad- 
 dle was exquisite. Before the owner parted with it he paddled 
 up to an elderly man at some distance, whom, the captain told us. 
 
 \ 
 
 • Sec Page 31. 
 
 I <"i^t»i. 
 
 .'•.A 
 
 j 
 
n 'the waMr 
 ;y;8o great, 
 able to keep 
 d, in a very 
 e teeth, cat 
 
 oes is really 
 ^oing out to 
 whidMnds, 
 erea jMirfect 
 D ao^j^tant 
 . • /»■■ ^- ■ 
 powei' they 
 eir canoes, 
 shall relate 
 itanding on 
 e trading ; 
 ing up and 
 to hiin to 
 and a fewr 
 [inoe. The 
 igs, lapped 
 -ed hiqaseir 
 rner with a 
 is the sur- 
 e remained 
 be opposite 
 ' successire 
 very hear- 
 
 >ff: 
 
 we might 
 i^ery rarely 
 ansiderable 
 tie, a saw, 
 sed one of 
 
 new, atid 
 surrounds 
 if highly- 
 t the pad- 
 he paddled 
 tin told us. 
 
 M*Keewr'i Voyage to Hudion't Bay. \ 35 
 
 was his father ; which, indeed, we had conjectured,, as well from 
 liis aged appearance as from the great respect this young mma 
 appeared to pay to him. After deliberating for some time lie 
 returned attJ^^told Mr. Turner he should have the canoe, and im- 
 mediately Ht about emptying it of its 'contents. The articles 
 which he took out he put into his father's; and having given it 
 up to the «iptaio, he stretched himself quite Hat behind liis pa- 
 rent, covering his face with his hands ; here be lay.,quite oom^ 
 posed, without the smallest motion. Tlje father havmg received 
 Ills tio-pot, kettle, hatclwt, and a couple of files, rowed otT. The 
 daf following we heard that this poor fellow had slipped off from 
 behiud^ fats father while on the way to the shore, and was drw'ned. 
 
 The avidity of these poor people for traflBc, exceeded any 
 thing I could have had an idea of. Many of them, after parting- 
 with all theirgoods, stripped themselves almost naked, and be-* 
 gan to dispose of their clothes for tlie merest triflef. One man 
 gave a very .beautiful seal-skin jacket for an old rusty knife, 
 ^nother parted with his breeches and boots for a file and a 
 few needles. Another with % complete suit of clothes, for a > 
 saw and a few pieces of old iron. At length, thinking they 
 had exhausted our entire stock of hardware, they began to 
 barter with the ship's dr#w for their old clothes. It frequently 
 afforded us a humorous sight too see those poor creatures dis- 
 posing of their whole and comfortable, though rudely-formed 
 j^rments, for a seaqoan's old tVorkj^g-jacket, or perhaps for an old 
 checked shirt, through the numerous rents and apertures of which 
 their copper-coloured skins here and there made its appearance. _ 
 They generally paddled away in a great hurry, after corfipleting 
 the bargain, feanng lest the purchaser might possibly repent ; an 
 apprehension which I could assure them was quite groundless. 
 One of them purchased an old red night-cap from the cook, and 
 having adjusted it, on his head, he looked at himself in a glass, 
 and laughed most immoderately. 
 
 Several of them had hags of blubber, mixed with half- 
 putnd half-frozen Hesh j these they ofiered for sale with great 
 eagerness, and appeared very %iuch surprised that they got no 
 purchasers. Being anxious to examine their contents, I was 
 induced to buy one j on opening it, however, such a shocking 
 stench proceeded from it, that 1 very cheerfully restorect it to 
 the original possessor. 1 had no sooner returned it to him, than 
 applying the open extjremity to his mouth, he took a drink from 
 it, licked his lips, and laid it aside very carefully. Others ha4 
 raw seal's-flesh, which' ih^y also seemed to consider a great 
 luxury. I have frequently seen them take out a piece, eat a 
 portion of it, and, when done, lick thdr fingere and lips, a* if" 
 
 
 
m- 
 
 m 
 
 
 r- 
 
 s^ 
 
 M*K*ewr'i Vdyctge te Hudnn't Bdt/. 
 
 they had bieen feedra^ on th* fnigttcnts of ioibt sumMuous 
 banquet. *^ 
 
 in conseqaence of the great number of can<M that wewal6n#- 
 slde the ifnp (no less than forty,) they frequently titttd i»alnat 
 each other J when this h^pened, they did not appear at all 
 
 'wl?*" * *** "*"**' ■"'*^* "'^^ **"^ greatest good-hiiinour. A few 
 ortiiem made off wuhont giving aliy thing in i-eturn for the articles 
 they had got from us ; the rest did not appear to notice it, nor 
 did they at all interfere .♦ After paddling away a few yards from 
 the ship, thejf generally turijed about and laughed rery heartily 
 at those whom they had thqs tricked. When disappointed in 
 -«J^ article which they expected to get, they appeared very mtich 
 
 I recollect seeing on the canog of one of the men aq appa- 
 rently very nice skin j I immediately held up a file to the Indian, 
 ind then pointed to the skin, thus intimating that 1 wished to 
 exch}W)ge with him. "On close examination, however, I found 
 fhaf It was completely rotten, and all bver in holes, and signified 
 !? "" *'!" * ^^^ "<'* ^^'^'^^ it suflScient value ; for the file. He 
 itemediately took up his paddle, and winding it round his head, 
 JSade k desperate blo_w at me, the full benefit <rf which I sfapald 
 have received, but for the celerity with which I made up the ganjr- 
 Way. TOO 
 
 Several of the men had bows and arrows ; they could not, how- 
 ever, be induced to part with them, owing, as the captain supposed, 
 to their being then at war with some neighbouring tribe of 
 , Indians. _ 
 
 During the first day, w* were not visited by arty of the 
 women) the Collowing mornink,|1iowever, about ten o'docfc, 
 a laiige boatful came alongsid^And in about an hour after- 
 
 wards several others. The wdfen's boat, or uniiak, as they 
 term it, diflers very much in fonb^rom that of the men, being 
 entirely open at top, and so larg*' as to be capable of carryinir 
 thirty or foWy pertons. They an* made of the same matmals 
 « thoie of the mfen. In the first boat that arrived there were 
 iboiit tijrenty women, and the same number of chiMitn. A!t 
 2L2!£*i *^ t^serred an agpd infirm Old Woman, ^lii^ a\ 
 
 ttb^tful inelancholy countenance j thite was abo some- 
 
 SiS? :^ fi-"*"^ "°'"^"^*'* I" **" ^^^^' A highly-polisbed 
 pnitfe pf b!i^ss sQrriJdnded Wsr forehead, somewhat like a coJ 
 gttelt; jier hair Wiw collected into small bobs, by means of 
 the sinews of anidii^, and from each was suspended the tooth 
 
 aJ;S5iffir^*tS: " "" ^ ^'^^ ' C'^.Aam^c ^^U^^ ^ .9 
 
II 
 
 sttfnfituous ' 
 
 
 irere BldHtg- 
 
 
 t»d i]|pBlnst 
 
 
 »e»r at aH 
 
 
 ir. A few 
 
 
 hi articles 
 
 
 tice it, nor 
 
 
 yards Orom ^ 
 
 
 y tiMrtily ] 
 
 
 pointed in 
 
 * 
 
 rery mach 
 
 
 i 
 ) aq appa- 
 
 hie Indian, 
 
 
 «nshed to 
 
 
 •» I found 
 
 
 i signi6ed 
 
 
 file. He 
 
 
 liis head. 
 
 ■ 
 
 h I should I 
 
 tlieg«n|f- 
 
 
 oot, iidtr- i 
 
 supposed, 
 
 tribe of 
 
 y of tlie 
 
 I o'docfc, i 
 
 
 mr after- 
 
 
 , as they 
 
 
 en, being 
 
 
 ' carrying 
 
 
 materials 
 
 
 lere were 
 
 
 Irtrn. m^ 
 
 
 11, if^itij V\ 
 
 
 o some- . 
 
 1;, 
 
 -{M>iiibed % 
 
 
 w a co-^ 
 
 <, 
 
 means of 
 
 
 ttie tootli 
 
 
 iw:bfii|a^ 
 
 
 M*XiBmat*i Foyage to Hudmf* Ma^, , S7 
 
 of sdnie land^aniinal. In otlier respects ber drea* was Kite that 
 of the rest : she appeared to have the command orthe entire, Im 
 nonesf diem bartered, even the most tirTfl)Bg article, without fint 
 asking ber permission. I uniEornaly observed that men arid 
 women, when tbcy had gotten any thing in eichange, immediately 
 commenced licking it| to intimate, as f afterwards learned, that it 
 was then their proper^.. While tcadinr with the women, I, had 
 an opportunity of observing how far th^ were from despising all 
 sort 6f authority; they all appeared attentive .to the voice of wis- 
 dom, which time and experience had conferred on the aged. It 
 is age which teaches experience^ and experience is the only source 
 of knowlc^dge amongst a barbarous people. I remaiied tbit 
 several of the mothers pointed repeatedly to the children's hc«d«« 
 as I sapiMsed for the parpose of selling them $ in this, however, 
 I was^uke mistaken, as they have for their obildreo the great- 
 est aifectioo, and do not part with them for pny consideration. 
 I understood afterwards, that ^t was merely to recommend 
 them to my notice, in order that I might give them semething. 
 The chiildren, most of whom were about nine or ten years old, 
 appeared of very lively dispositions, and mai^ of them were 
 really very well looking. I did not observe that thiey npri<* 
 manded them in any way ; indeed, I am told that thir is never 
 done. Liberty is their darling passion I it is this which makes 
 life supportable, and to it they are ready to Isaorifice every thing | 
 thek education is directed, "therefore, in such a maimer as to 
 cherish this disposition to the utmost. Rcasop, they si^, wiUU 
 guide their children when they come to the udc ef k, and befom" 
 that time thdr foults. cannot be very eoosiderable j faot blows, «by 
 producing a slavish motive to action, might damp their free and 
 martial spirit. ^ 
 
 A few 0( the women had young children at the breast* I 
 recollect one in particular, who, while very busy trading, was 
 math annoyed with the crying of Jlier young squaw, about six - 
 months old, which she had in the hood of her gannent. Unwil- 
 ling to be at the trouble of hoidi^ k to the brea«t,i» she went up 
 to the stern of the boat, where the old woman .was aitting;' and 
 took out a small bag of blubber, applied (he open estremity to the 
 infant a mouth, and pressing it between hd- thumb and fone&ngcr, 
 abe in this way forced a quantity of ibto the young thiog'a motttht 
 the crying immediately ceaaed, and, in a few minuta, the 
 aavage was Cost asleep, 
 
 \. 
 
 •■!»■■ 
 
 f 
 
 • Ijnapr here reaiark, Uiat tbfir bt^n^tf, thauffa »ery luog mkI fl%l;f id, •■« 
 Ly ao means of sufficiettt lesgth to thfoVr over tbeir Shoatdj»?i, a* tOUt taYe 
 
 V'/> 
 
SB 
 
 M*Kteoer*$ Foyage to Hudmn^iBay. 
 
 til, ' 
 
 ^ When the women had disposed of their merchandize, they- 
 
 SinTi? "Vt. " Twa wi, twa wi ;" and then pointed to tS 
 
 ship, thus mtimatmg their wish that we should leave them. ' 
 
 Jn the evenmg aboat sixty of them, men, women, and chil- 
 
 S'f^T °° ^^^'. . '^^^ ^°"^" appeared highly delighted 
 with the dancmg, and imitated it veijr closely. We shIwS 
 ?i ^^l ""'* °^ '*"; "^" **•« ^«^« bears we had taken on the 
 ln!i P«y *«Peared very much terrified at the sight of them, 
 and uttered somethmg which I could not understand. One of 
 them pomted to his side, where I observed a very large scar • 
 he then made a growling kind of noise, and ran aSay with 
 peat speed. I thence concluded that this poor felloi had 
 been bit by a bear some time previous. Tea being announced, 
 we brought several of them down to the cabin, and placed 
 
 nf «Sf ^f^ '^' u^» "^' *"8[^' ^^^'^^ ™"*^» «"«» a variety 
 of other things ; but they rejected them all with the greatest 
 
 disgust; sugar they appeared to dislike particularly. Every 
 
 after it * observed, spit it out, and cleansed their mouths 
 
 We happened to have for dinner that day some very nice 
 roasted pork, and being anxious to see if they would eat 
 . 5 f .P'",*'™ * **'«*' "'»ce on a plate before one of them : I 
 also laid a knife and fork before him. He appeared to like 
 the meat well enough, but his knife and fork he managed very 
 badly J for instead of introducing the piece on theSrk i2to 
 his mouth, the point of it went off to his cheek, while the 
 hand went to his mouth. I was much amused with this S5n- 
 gular instance of the strong force of habit. The children be- 
 haved themselves remarkably well. We could not, however 
 prevail on them to sit more than a few minutes in one position! 
 When placed m a chair, they would look down on either side 
 of It, jump up, and run about the cabin. Being anxious to 
 bear what the mother would say in case 1 attempted chasUsing 
 one of them, I began to pull the ears of a very fine boy, about 
 twelve years old, who was sitting beside «ie. Themother im> 
 mediMely stood up, and gave roe a veiy fierce angry look. 
 Observing that she Was much displeased, I immediately began 
 to pat him on the heH and gave him a few beads. Shein- 
 stahtly^recovered hei^ good humour, and cried out, ♦* Chimo, 
 chimo. There was obly one of them attempted to pilfer. Hap- 
 pening to look round kther suddenly, I observed one of them 
 slipping a silver spoon into bis boot. I immediately arrested 
 hi* hand, took the sptoon, and shewed it to his companions. 
 
 He did notappear at allWshamed of b eing detected, but laughed 
 "«'*»«»^ n^irtily. -;-- ■■— .Uy^-.-.- — . _-!i 1 — __-_-o- -.:t- — 
 
M*Keevor*s Voyage to Hu^on*M Bay, 99 
 
 About ten o'clock they left us; the greater part of them made 
 towards thie shore, to which they were directed by the placid 
 light of a full unclouded moon. We gazed after them for a 
 considerable time, until at length they were lost in the dark 
 and shadowy line of land which lay before us. Those who 
 remained about the ship, slept on the ice the entire nigbt, with 
 merely the interposition of a few seal-skins. Before retiring 
 to rest, I dbserved them take from their canoes some raw 
 seal's-flesh and bags of blubber, on which they appeared to 
 feast very sumptuously. 
 
 I remarked, that one of them kept watch in turn during 
 the entire night; he walked about on the ice with a harpoon 
 in his hand. This I fancy was more from a dread of being 
 attacked by the bears, than from any apprehension they had 
 of bemg attacked by the Europeans. A few of us remained 
 on decjt until a very late hour; at one time watching every 
 motion of our northern friends, at another, gazing with asto- 
 nishment and delight on the brilliant and impressive scenery 
 with which we were surrounded. While thinking on the 
 miserable condition of the squalid inhabitants of this dreary 
 inhospitable climate, I was forcibly reminded of the foUoWinir 
 beautiful lines of Cowper :— 
 
 ' Within the endorare of ^onr rocka 
 
 Nor herds have ye to boastt nor bleating flocks ; 
 No fertilizing streams yonr lietds divide. 
 That show, revers'd, the villas on tbeh- side : 
 No gro'M have ye ; nodieerfalMnindof bird, 
 Or voice of tortle, in yoor land is heard i 
 No grateful eglantine regales the sm«U 
 Of those.that walk at evening, where yon dwell* 
 
 With regard to the diseases t<J which these poor savages are 
 subject, I must be venr brief. From personal observation I 
 learned but httle, and from enquiry still less. I may here re- 
 mark, that I did notobserve-anyappearance whatever of small- 
 pox among them; neither had the children or parents any marks 
 or deformity of any kind. Indeed, it is said that they put to 
 death those children that are bom hunch-backed, blind, or 
 defective «« any limb ; and, in proof of this, it is advanced, 
 that when thqr have been formed inio socfeUes, add that the 
 viplance of their rulers prevents such murdecst the nuttiber 
 or the deformed is greater than in any Country in Europe. 
 I may remark, however, that this account is den'^ed by very 
 respectable authorities. . Tbe only diseases which fell under 
 my observation, if diseases they couW well be called, were the 
 a ne^t^ofl of the eye-li dv of whi e b~I- ha v e aireadr spokeffr 
 epistaxis, or bleeding from the nose, and hypochondriasis ; the 
 
 (I 
 
 if 
 
 HA 
 
 . Ill 
 
.■UC- 
 
 4d 
 
 M*Keevor'* V^yagt to Hudsmi'i Bay. 
 
 fill' 
 
 «6nneroftlie8e^«ririiiff probably from the large qaantity of 
 MnoMil food wfaicfa\tfaey consume, and from th«r beimr so 
 eoiMtaotly in a stodpii^ poseure: it did not appear to Ji«« 
 mem the smallest obeatiness. i have seen the blood trickle 
 down very. copioaslyA without their even appearing to notice 
 It t they allowed it qoikly to trickle into the mowth, and when 
 rttook_anirr«gular«oiirsiedown by the angle of the tponth; 
 tbey wiped *t awtfy witfi tbe cuflf of their jacket. Hypochoni 
 drnUM is a vpry fretpient comptaint among them, inddced, 
 probably, by the physici^ circumstanceg of tbdr situation, and 
 tbe long confinement wh^ch they are compelled to submit to 
 dwing th«r long and di^eary winter j yet their general tem- 
 perament does not appear ^ be a melancholic oiie. I have 
 often been struck mo^t fordibly with the vivacity of their dis- 
 position, when contrasted <Vith the wretchedness which thdir 
 exteimal condition displayed. The women are said to bear 
 but few children. I shall conclude these few renfarks, by 
 otnerving, that springs beSUg ^ery rar^ in their oountir, the 
 wlrtOT^ich they use i^ principally supplied Iwr meU€d snow; 
 oevertbetess, I have not obse^^ any of those glandular 
 ^wdlings which so frequently occur in the Alpine regions of 
 Europe and Asia. \ 
 
 That the Esquimaux Indians Were originally Greenland- 
 ers IS, I believe, bow generally admitted. Indeed, the simi- 
 lanty of their dress, canoes, paddles, language, &c. must, I 
 conceive, remove every shadow of doubt on the subject. 
 Th^ pnncipally inhabit the sea-coast, ba well for the purpose 
 of being convenient to the sea, as that t|iey may avoid the 
 North-American Indians, there having lone subsisted between 
 those pfro tribes a deadly and implacable faktred. Whenever 
 they «onie to an engagement, the North-American Indian, 
 temf hitler avmed, tod of a ttiOK muscaUr frame, is sme to 
 ^ome off victorious. It geneniKy terminates with the ma«- 
 MOPe of the /entive party, men, women, and children. Mt. 
 HMtTifjiil bia interesttin^ voyage to Coppermine Rlv^r, givipg 
 «Dfacootint of^ooe of those aafvage scenes which he had wll- 
 JMMttd. f etat^ 4he following very afibctiDg circumstinee :~ 
 ♦' My Iidtri»,'/»mark8 Mr. He«nie, •• was mndh inereised, «t 
 ewlng a iyoi^ ^fltt, seemingly about eighteen years 6f age, 
 MHed aonec^ die, that n^ien the flnt spear waft stack into her 
 lide, ibe feU dowaat myfeel, andtvriMed round my legs, so 
 ithatitwaywithdiflaoiliyl <$ould disengage myself from her 
 Wing gra^p. As 'two Indtan men purtoed this nnfortunate 
 
 • victim, I/solioited Tffry bai^ for her li fe t hnt thr mnrAmmra. - 
 
 reply till they bad stock both their speara through 
 
 ^ 
 

 M'Ketwr't royage to Hudson'i Bay. 4j 
 
 her body, «nd transfixed her to the ground. They then looked 
 
 me sternly m the face, and began to ridicule me, by asking 
 
 It I wanted an Esquimaux wife? and paid not the smallest ' 
 
 regard to the shrieks and agony of the poor wretch who was 
 
 twining round their spears like an eel I Indeed, after receiving 
 
 much abusive language from them on the occasion, I was at 
 
 -length obliged to desire that they would be more expeditious 
 
 in dispatching their victim out (\f her misery, otherwise I should 
 
 be obliged, out of pity, to assist i« the friendly office of putting 
 
 an end to the existence of a fello^ creature who was so cruelly 
 
 wounded. On this request bein^ made, one of the Indians 
 
 hastily drew his spear from the place where it was first lodged, ^ 
 
 and pierced it through her breast near the heart. The love of 
 
 lite, however, even in this most ra>erable state, was so predo- 
 
 nninant, that though this might justly be called the most mer- 
 
 citul act that could be done for the i>oor creature, it seemed to 
 
 be unwelcome, for, though much exhausted by pain and loss 
 
 of blood, she made several eflForts to ward off the friendly ' 
 
 blow. Mysituation, and the horror of my mind 6t beholding 
 
 4hi8 scene of butchery, cannot easily be conceived, much less 
 
 described : though I summed fifp all the fortitude I was master 
 
 pt on the occasion, it was with difficulty I could refrain from 
 
 tears; and; I am confident that my features must have feelingly 
 
 expressed how sincerely I was a^etedat the barbarous scene 
 
 I then witnessed. Even at this moment 1 cannot reflect on the 
 
 transactions of that horrid day without shedding tears." 
 
 NotwithsUndingAe shocking persecutions to which these 
 poor creatures are exposed, there are no people in all the vast 
 variety of climate, of soil, and of civilization, so attached to 
 the land of their birth j afibrding a striking proof thW this 
 strong passion is by po means commensurate with the phy- 
 sical advantages of the soil. The contrary, indeed, appears 
 to be the fact J the wretchedness of their poodition,*^wid 
 dreadful seventy of their climate, appearing rather to ami- 
 tiply and strengthen those ties of attachment! The fewf who 
 have been brought or rather forced away to this wnniiy, 
 
 provided with every comfort, have still sighed after their 
 
 K^i?*"*"*"*?"*' ^^^'' *^^^^^ ^'^ and fnjoky wigwams. 
 Wo distance, however remote, nor lapse of time, however 
 
 LMpKflrierainAvidneidecettenatioD qn'on ait TOteDEnro 
 M unfile pur l« MTi(ateiir Forbuher, qui pi^ettta, en I57r. tr ' 
 
 !».* !^ g'aabeth; oa let woiaena inr de petiti cheTam de cow*, A il> 
 ^ cle uuemi,.^DePai> mr Us Americmu, toI. C. «58. 
 
 VoTAois and Tbatxls, No, 2, Vol. U, ] 
 
 , J avoient 
 Csqniaauz 
 
 •pects. 
 
 
 
 T 
 
 s 
 
 
 I 
 
 U 
 
 
 i \. 
 
42 
 
 APKeevor't 
 
 Voyage to Hudson s Bay. 
 
 great, appeared capable (jf eradicating this strong passion from 
 their hearts.* ' 
 
 But where to find that happiest spot below, 
 Who can direc))^ when all prptrnd to knuw? 
 The shnddering tenant of the frigid zone 
 Boldly proclaims tliat happy spot his own ; 
 ExtolH the treasures of hi.s stormy seas. 
 And Iiis long nights of revelry and case. 
 
 1 1,^*'*^ regard to their disptisitions, were I to judge frt)ni what 
 I had an opportunity of seeing, i\should suppose them to be 
 a good-humoured, mild, tractable \raee of people. Others 
 however, have represented them ip a very different light' 
 accusiflg them of cruelty, theft, deceit, and, in short, every 
 vice. It IS probable, however, that these accounts have been 
 received from the North-American Indians, who, as I already 
 mentioned, have long been thqir inveterate eneniies. Captain 
 Wales, who resided for many years in Hudson's Bay, speak- 
 ing of them, says, " I have had, whilst \at Churchill, an ex- 
 ceedingly good opportunity of learning the dispositions of 
 these people, as several of them come almost every year bv 
 their own free will to reside at the factory,\ and can with truth 
 aver, that never people less deserved the <?pilhets of * trea- 
 cherous, cruel, fawning, and suspicious ;* the contrarv of 
 which is remarkably true in every particular. They are open 
 generous, and unsuspecting j addicted too much, it must be 
 owned, to passion j and too apt to revenge wba^t they think an 
 injury, if an opportunity offers at'the moment, but are almost 
 instantly cool, without requiring any acknowledgment on 
 vour part (which they account shameful), and, I verily be- 
 lieve, never remember the circumstance afterwards. Mr 
 Ellis observes," continues Captain Wales, « that they are apt 
 to pilfer from strangers, easily encouraged to a degree of 
 boldness, but as easily frightened." Now, -I cannot Jielp 
 thinking, that he would have conveyed a much better idea of 
 them if he had expressed himself thus: They are bold and 
 enterprising, even to enthusiasm, whilst there is a probability 
 of success crowning their endeavours j but wise enough to 
 desist, wheo, inevitable destruction stares them in the face. 
 
 • They are extremely, I might say obatiiiately, attaobed to their own cnsloms 
 andmauMr of hvmg. Some of them, who were taken prisoners by the (outlieni 
 Indians, %hen they were boys, and brought to the ftctorie«; and there keot 
 •everal years, iiave .till regretted their absence from tlieir naHve conntry. One 
 of these, after bavmg been fed on Enghsh diet, being present when one of the 
 Englbbnen was cutting up a seal, from whence the train-oil ran wery plentifully 
 
 / 
 
 '# 
 

 sfon from 
 
 1*0 ni what 
 >em to be 
 
 Others, 
 21) t light, 
 >rt, every 
 ave been 
 I already 
 
 Captain 
 y, speak- 
 I, au ex- 
 utions of 
 y year by 
 vith truth 
 jf * tvea- 
 ntrary of 
 ire open, 
 must be 
 think an 
 re almost 
 ;nient on 
 qrily be- 
 ia, Mr. 
 y are apt 
 degree of 
 uot Jielp 
 2r idea q( 
 bold and 
 robability 
 nough to 
 face. 
 
 wn cnctomi 
 tie u^thtro 
 there kept 
 ntry. One 
 one of the 
 plcntifiilly, 
 leiid me to 
 I'a Vonaftto 
 
 M^Keevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 43 
 
 Of their .religious opinions I have been able to learn but lit- 
 tle. Our imperfect acquaimance with their language j their avi- 
 dity for traffic, which was so great as to prevent their attending to 
 any enquiries on such matters ; these, together with the shortness 
 of our stay among them, rendered it very difficult to ascenain 
 any thing of a satisfactory nature on that subject. Some have 
 very foolishly supposed that they adored a small figure resem- 
 bling a bear, and made from the tooth of the sea-horse : it is, 
 however; merely intended as a kind of amusement during their 
 long and tedious winter evenings. From the body, which is per- 
 forated with a number of small holes, hangs a slender piece of 
 stick, pointed; and, on this, they endeavour to catch the bearjjust 
 in the same way as the cup and ball is used by the boys of this 
 country. 
 
 The following conversation, which is related by the accurate 
 historian Crantz, to have passed between a converted Green- 
 lander and one of Jhe Moravia(i missionaries, will probably afford 
 a better idea of their religious sentiments than any account I 
 could give. The missionary having expressed his wonder how 
 they could formerly lead such a senseless life, void of all reflection, 
 one of them answered as follows : "It is true we were ignorant 
 heathens, and kne^^nothing of a God or a Saviour j and, indeed, 
 who should tell us of him, till you came ? — But thou must not 
 imagine, that no Greenlander thinks about these things. I, 
 myself, have ofteg thought a kajak (boat), with all its tackle and 
 impleinents, does not grow into existence of itself j but must be 
 made by the labour and ingenuity of man, and one that does not 
 understand it would directly spoil it. Now, the meanest bird has far 
 more skill displayed in its structure than the bes^t kajak, and no man 
 can make a bird. But there, is a still far greater art shown ia 
 the formation of a man than of any other creature. Who was 
 it that made him ? I bethought me, he proceeded from his pa- 
 rents, and they from their parents.- But some mast have been 
 the first parents : whence did they come ? Common report in- 
 forms me they grew out of the earth. But if so, why does it not 
 still happen that men grow out of the earth ? And from whence 
 did this same earth itsilf, the sea, the sun, the moon, and stars, 
 rise into existence ? Certainly there must be some Being who 
 made all these things— a Being that always was, and can never 
 cease to. be. He must be inexpressibly more mighty, knowing, and 
 wise, than the wbest man. He must be very good too; because, 
 every thing that be has made is good, useful, mid necessary for us. 
 Ah ! did I but know him, how would I love him and honour him ! 
 But who has seen him ? Who has conversed with him ? — none 
 of lis poor menr^ ¥ef there may be men Too that k&bw fomfllhib^ 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 h 
 
 m 
 
 if 
 1 
 
 m 
 
 
 Si: 
 
 -••( 
 
44 
 
 • M*Ki»vor'* forage to Hudion't Bay, 
 
 of him. Oh I could I but speak with such! Therefore, (s«!d 
 he) as soon as ever I heard you speak of this Great Beinjr, I 
 believed it directly with all my heart, because I bad so long 
 desired it." They all believe in a future state, tut differ very 
 much witji regard to its nature and situation* In general, they 
 wnagine it iaj^ a better state than this temporal life, and that it 
 WillOever end.* A^ they procure the greater part of their food 
 goffl the bosom of the sea, therefore many of them place their 
 Elysium in the abysms of the ocean, or bowels of the earth, and 
 tbink the deep cavities of the rocks are the avenues leading to 
 It. There, they imagine, dwells a Tonjarink and his mother: 
 there amyous summer is perpetual, and a shining sun obscured 
 by no night; -there is the feir limpid stream, and an ezuberanee 
 ol fowls, fishes, and their beloved seals, and these are all to be 
 caught without toil J nay, they are wen found in a great kettle 
 zeadydrest. But to these places none must approach, except 
 those that have been dextrous and diligent at their work j that 
 kave performed great exploits, have mastered many whales and 
 aeals, have undergone great hardships^ iiave beeo drowned in the 
 ^eft> or died in child-bed. . ' 
 
 la reviewing the manners of these untutored Indiana, some 
 few particulars excepted, we are presented with aa intertsting 
 view of primeval happiness, arising chiefly fron the fewnes^ of 
 tfceir wan^, and their universal equality. The hutcr destroys 
 all distUGtiiMi among them, except those pf age and personal 
 Wfrit, and promotes the ease, harmony, and flreedom of their mn- 
 teal COTversation and intercourse. This ^litat)e& the haBDiacsa 
 ^ the Ipdian lover, who finds no obstacles ta th^ fruitioB of hia 
 desires^ from inequality of rank or fortuneAor/|rom the views 
 mifik amhitioa or envy inspire j aad thisi annihilates all eovy and 
 diacontent. B«t the advantages rcsitlt&g ffbihthe pann'ty and 
 simplicity of their, desirea, contribute to their/felioity in a more 
 tmmept degi*ee» Those who havo» been unhalipiLy familiarised 
 to all the: varioua refinements of luxury and effeminacy whidD 
 attend the great, and whose deluded imaginat agg^eem them 
 essential to happiness, will hardly believe, ths ki&^Adiaiv wiith^ 
 outjmy other covering but what albjindressedl scal^skin afibidi, 
 with a shelter which cannot doervi the kiameof a house, and a 
 few culiaary and domestic utensils, ^uld forth any pretensions 
 to ^happiness; and yet, if I may be albwed to judge from exter- 
 nal appearances^ the happiness of these people ^ay justly be 
 envied, even by the wealthy of the most refined countries; as 
 their happy ignorance of those extravagant desires and endless 
 pursuit* which agitftte the great luxurious world, excludes every 
 -""" -oeyonfr tnetr present enjoyments Tnefewuess and iinmli^' — 
 
 i 
 
as 
 
 
 diPKenw'M Foyage to Hudun't Bay, 
 
 'I, 
 .1 
 
 m 
 
 ■Wi 
 
 
 4* 
 
 city of thdir wants, with the abondanoe of mtens for their supply, 
 and the ease with which they are acquired, renders all Wruioa 
 of propeMy useless. EaCfa amicablv participates the ample 
 blessings of. an extensive country, without rivalling his neigh- 
 bour or interrupting his happiness. This renders all govern- 
 ment and all laws unnecesaarj^ as in such a state there can be . 
 no temptations to dishonesty, fraud, injustice, or violence; 
 iior, indeed, any desires whith may not be gratified with inno- 
 cence. 
 
 To acqumithe art of dispensing with all imaginary wants, ' 
 apd contenting, ourselves with the real conveniences of life, is 
 one of the noblest exertions of reason, and a most useful acqui- 
 sition, as it elevates the mind^above the vicissitudes of for- 
 tune. Socrates justly observes, that those who want least, approach 
 nearest to the gods, who want nothing. The simplicity, however, \ 
 which is so apparent in the manners of the IncNans, is not the 
 effect of a,j)biIo9ophical self-denial, but of the ignorance of 
 more refined enjoyments, which, hqwever, produces effects 
 equally happy with those which result from the most austere 
 philosophy ; and their manners present an emblem of the fabled 
 Elysian fields, where mdividuals need not the assistance of each » | 
 
 other, but yet preserve a constant intercowse of love and friend> v ll 
 
 ship. ^{i 
 
 Several modern philosophers, as Rousseau, Lord Monboddo,. 
 and odiers, from observing the innocence and happiness which 
 savage nations enjoy, though ignorant of the liberal arts, have 
 firom thence inferred, that arts and sciences were pr^udicial 
 to civilized society. In this, however, they are egregionsly mis- 
 tafcen. The ills of civilized society have their source in the 
 .unnatural and unequal distribution of property, which is neces- 
 sarily produced by the different degrees of sagacity^ industiy, and 
 frugality in individuals^ transmitted to, and augmented by an ac- 
 cumulating posterity, till the disproportion in the possessions of 
 different individuals becomes enormous, and creates a thousand 
 unnatural distinctaons among mankind, enabling some to squan- 
 der the br^d of thousands in a profusion of satiating' pleasuresj 
 while multKudes are suffering from want, insulted by every spe- 
 cies of subordinate tyranny. Thus the excessive disproportion of 
 wealth renders the poor mi^^erable^ without augmenting the hap- 
 piness of the rich. When this disparity becomes considerable,, 
 then, and not till then, luxury advances with all its attendant 
 pleasures and refipcmentsj which, without communicating an ^ 
 increase of happiness to those who enjoy them, tempt those who 
 have them not to endeavo tir t<L ac gttire them by unjust and vi p> 
 
 . *! 
 
 ' # 
 
 "T 
 
 ^i I 
 
4(J 
 
 M'Keevor's Voyage to Hudsm'tBay. 
 
 i 
 
 lent means. Mankind arc; then taught to connect (he idea of hap- 
 piness with those of dress, equipage, affluence, and all the variou* 
 «m..«.n™««*c ™i.:«k lujjury has invented ; thence they become 
 
 amusements which 
 
 slaves to a thousand, imagioary wants, which become the source of 
 envy, discontent, (rajid, injustice, perjury, and violence. Thus 
 man becomes the author of moral evil. ■■^' 
 
 To conclude, I may remark, tha^ every kind of life has its pecu- 
 liar advantages as well as evils. The vices of civilized countries, 
 though more numerous, are less terrible. Artificial wants extend 
 thecircleof our pleasures; luxury in the rich, promotes industry 
 and the arts, and feeds and clothes the labouring poor, who would 
 otherwise starve ; thus we derive advantage not only from the 
 follies but the vices of each other. Whether, therefore, we pass 
 our life in the rustic simplicity and ignorance of au Esquimaux 
 Indian, or in the endless pleasures of reSnemeqts and luxury, 
 we shall arrive at the same end, and, perhaps, with an equal por- 
 tion of happiness, as far, at least, as it depends on external enjoy- 
 ments, abstracting only the miseries of real want and disease. 
 However various the conditions of mankind may be, the distri- 
 bution ofhappiness and misery in life is far from being so une- 
 qual as is generally believed ; good and evil are indiscriminately 
 mingled in the Cup of Being : the monarch in his purple, and the 
 beggar in his rags, are exposed to their respective cares and afflic- 
 tions ; agreeable objects, by possession and familiarity, lose their 
 aptitude and capacity for pleasing, and, in tvetv state of life, hope 
 ends in disappointment, and enjoyment in satiety. 
 
 August 4th. The ice beginning to loose for a considerable 
 distance arbund the ship, we took in our anchors and made 
 sail J during this day we got several very severe knocks from the 
 ice, in consequence of which we were obliged to keep the pumps 
 going day and night. 
 
 On the 6th we were again visited by the Esquimaux. Many 
 of the women had their faces tattoed in a very curious manner; 
 one of them, whose entire face was almost completely covered 
 with these marks, had her hair collected into large bobs,, from 
 which hung several bears-claws. Their principal articles of 
 traffic consisted of dogs, whalebone, and bones of the sea-horse 
 dried, and of a beautiful white colour ; a few had small bags, 
 containing mosses, lichens, and a few other cryptogamous 
 plants. 
 
 The dogs were for the most part white ; some, however, 
 
 were spotred, and others of a black colour. Their ears are 
 
 short, and erect, and the whole body is covered with long hair ; 
 
 their legs and feet resemble very much those of the bear. 
 
 JOjeyj k Lngt bar k, but mak& ar growlii^ kiad of noise^ Some-^ 
 
 «», . 
 
:V' 
 
 W 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ M*Ke€vor'» Voyage to Hndson'x Bay. 
 
 47 
 
 tin)cs they are eaten by the natives ; when the skins arq used 
 as coi^rleti for clothing, or for bordering and seaming their 
 habits* , They are piincipally used, however, bot|«*in this 
 counti^ and in Kamstschatka, for the purpose of drawing their 
 sledges oi'er the frozen snow during the winter season. Four, 
 five, <>f ^slx, as circumstances may require, are comrponly 
 y<)ked to the same sledge, and will readily carry these persons ' 
 with their baggage a journey of fifty English miles a day. 
 
 On the 8th we got in sight of Cape Diggs, ftit. as observed, 
 63' 4', long. 78^ 50'. And on the dav following Cape Walsing- 
 ham came in view, bearing S. W. and in lat. 02° 39', lonV. 
 77° 48. . * 
 
 August 10th.' Finding it impossible to make further pro- 
 gress through the ice, we made ^ast tb an island of prodigious 
 height and extent, and df a very singular shape. The fore- 
 part, or that to which we anchored, was hollowed out in a 
 semicircular form, And was of sufficient extent to afford shel- 
 ter to the three ships. The back part presented a perpendi- 
 cular cliff; which could not be less than 300 feet high ; the 
 top part presented a surface of about two rniles in circiimfer- 
 ence; in one part raised into rugged fantastic hills, in another 
 depressed into abrupt precipitous valleys. Altogether, this 
 island fornied one of the grandest piles I had-efer witnessed. 
 About six o'clock a party of us agreed to go on shore. We 
 brought with us a very fine lad, a sailor-boy, who played the 
 German-flute inimitably well, and who hAd been on this, as 
 well as many other occasions, a very agreeable source of 
 amusement to us. After labouring very hard forncarly two 
 Jiours, we at length gained the summit of the island, which 
 M^e took possession of in the name of hi* Britannic Majesty. 
 Having laid aside our ice-anchors* axes, staff's, &c. we sat 
 down to a collation of bread and cheese, after which we had 
 some wine. At length the lad began playing his flute, the 
 rich and melodious sounds of which beipg reverberated from 
 the adjacent hills and valleys, gave it an inconceivably grand 
 cnecti 
 
 The sun still lingered on the verge of the western horizon, 
 appearing, as it were, to rest his « huge disk" on one of the 
 frozen fields of ice. At length, however, after spreading a 
 saflron-cploured 8uff"asion along the huge pile of cjouds which 
 now assembled on all sides, like « misfortunes and disasters 
 around a iinking empir©/and falling monarch," he gently 
 closed the parting day. w 
 
 And now they change ; a paler shadow ■! rewa 
 
 "- --W-- — ». .urn ■■■v«a«i»vasao , If"" ^■"8 ««J 
 
 Dies like 4he dolphin, wliom cach>ue embuci 
 
 V 
 
 |i'. 
 
 M 
 4 
 
 
 i % 
 
 *sJ 
 
 )• • 
 
 m 
 
 '^1 
 
48 
 
 M*Kenor*» Vcyage to Hudtm't Bay. 
 
 With a new colour M it gaBpa aivajr. 
 
 The last, still loveliest, till— 'tis gone— and all is grey. 
 
 Last Canto ^ ChiUe Harold, p. 16. 
 
 "A night of uncommpp ^neness succeeded; the moon rose 
 with unclouded splendour^ irradiating with its placid efful- 
 gence the surrounding scenery, and giving it, if possible, 
 a still more interesting ajiipearance. The clearness of the 
 heavens, the serenity of the ^ir, and the soft tranquillity which 
 a))peared to pervade all natuVe, contributed to harmonize the 
 mind, and produce the moi^t calm and pleasing sensations. 
 i On those occasions the soul appears to hare an irresistible ten- 
 dency to rise from the grand and majestic scene to the great 
 Author of all sublimity. 
 
 About eleven o'clock we retained to the vessel, highly gi-a- 
 tified with our evening's amusements. Just as vre were getting 
 on board a very melancholy event had nearly happened. The 
 poor sailor-boy, to whom we were indebted for a great part of 
 the evening's amusement,^ pnfortunately slipped while getting 
 up the quarter-deck, and Was precipitated into the sea. Ropes 
 and boat-hooks were instantly got, and in a few minutes we 
 had the poor fellow safe on board. 
 
 On the 12th we made th& north-end of Mansel's Island, 
 situated in lat. ^ 38^' long. 80° 33'. 
 
 August Idth. Hardly any ice in sight ; going about four 
 knotojo the hour ; the ship continuing very leaky, we were 
 obliged to keep the pumps going day and night. 
 
 August 20th. About half-past one, A. M. the man at the 
 forecastle shouted out ice ahead. The mate immediately 
 went up to the bow of the vessel, and found we were running ; 
 straight on very heavy ice. Being under a heavy press of 
 sail, and going at the rate of 7l knots in the hour, we were 
 of course much aliirmed ; fortunately^ however, the ship was 
 readily got about, so that, in a short time, we were completely 
 clear. After a short tack we again fell in with ice; about 
 five o'clock, however, A. M., we got into a clear sea. At 
 nine, A. M. goin^ about b\ knots iu the hour ; course S. W. 
 by W. J wind fair. 
 
 On^the 21st we got into Hudson's Bay, after which we saw 
 no nibre ice. Instead of feasting our eyes with the grand and 
 impressiye scenery which we had so long enjoyed, wie had to 
 ^encounter three Cdays of almost incessant squiuls, sleet, rain, 
 ud a most boist^oas sea. 
 
 On the 24th it blew a tremendous gale of wind : danger 
 considerably aggravated by. our having made the land too 
 soont In a short time the whole hod zon was co vered with 
 
 
 .lirge foaming billows, which ' 
 
I 
 
 M*K€«vor'» ycyag€fo Hudtrnd Bay. 
 
 49 
 
 
 at the 
 diately 
 
 UDDiog 
 
 •ess of 
 
 
 e were 
 
 . 
 
 ip was 
 pletely 
 about 
 a. At 
 S. W, 
 
 
 re saw 
 ad aod 
 had to 
 
 
 , raw. 
 
 
 langer 
 id too 
 d with 
 
 
 -"■■, 
 
 
 Sw«ird and rag'd and roam'd, 
 
 To b« exalted with the tiireat'ning clpndi. 
 
 In a few miootes all was hurry and confusion ; the captain 
 flew himself from one part of the deck to the other with the 
 greatest alertness, to assist' by his own exertions, when fear, or 
 hurry, prevented the sailors from doing their duty. In the uiid- 
 dleof this awful scene I was oaHed on to render professional 
 assistance to Mrs. M'CIain, who was seized with labour-pains. 
 It would be difficult to conceive a motft unpleasant situation than 
 that in which I was nowj)laced. The dread of being driven on 
 a lee-shore, the howlii^ of the wind among the rigging, the 
 awful sound of the pumps, which we were obliged to keep, con- 
 stantly at work ; the cries o|f oiy poor patient, who was now suf- 
 fering the most intense pain which human nature cao suffer, all 
 combined with the horribly depressing effects of sea-sickness, 
 contributed- to render this the most frightful night I had ever wit- 
 nessed. \ ■'■ 
 
 About twelve o'clock, P. M., in consequence of dreadful 
 shouting, I went npon deck, and found every one in the greatest 
 consternation and terror; it appeared we bad got in among shoals, 
 and that we had now not more than four fathom water ; in a 
 short time, however, we got Into ten fathom, when we cast two 
 anchors. On these depended all our safety j if they gave way 
 nothing would have saved us from being driven on shore, when 
 we must inevitably have perished ; fortunately, however, they 
 held fast. .About ten o'clock, A. M., Mrs. M'Clain was, to the 
 great joy «f all oh board, safely delivered of a daughter^ At 
 twelve o'clpck the weather began to clear up, and, with the excep- 
 tion of a few showers, was fine all day. A brighter atmosphere 
 how permitted us to get sight of the land, from which we weje 
 distant about ten milSs. S<pi^ grass and twigs were observed 
 floating alongside the ship. /^ 
 
 The following morning whili^ying in bed, f heard one of the 
 men upon deck say he saw a scl^^er coming off from the land. 
 We all immediately went tipon deck, and found, to our gr^at joy^ 
 that this piece of intelligcDce was correct. In a short time she 
 was alongside. A large quantity of venison was sCot us by 
 the governor of York Fort, a present . which the reader may rea- 
 dily suppose was most acceptable, as we had hardly tasted any 
 thing for two days. 
 
 Wednesday, August 26th, we cast anchor in view of York 
 Fort, last. 67^ 2'N* long. 92° 46'. The day following I went 
 on shore, in company with the rest of the (iabin passengers. 
 The coast, as ^e approached it, presented a very Jnleresting^ 
 a|)pearane^^^>eii^ thlckly^^tud^edhwitfa pine, pcylai^ m^ Vk-- 
 VoTAGBS and Travbls, iVb. 2. r«ii //. # G 
 
 f 
 
 ■ii 
 
 
 n 
 
 n\ 
 
 V 
 
i y^M told, of 
 
 d, as they are 
 
 uilt entirely of 
 
 he other. After 
 
 sed. As I was 
 
 made towards 
 
 |y op, obsetved 
 
 give some ac- 
 
 50 \ M*Ke€wf$ Vayagt to ffudtan*$ Bay, 
 
 iiiper,N|rhile the tide ripplec) on in tiny waves towards the white 
 itnd pebbled beach; After ascending a platfurni, wliich projected 
 oftt fpr a considerable distance, we were welcomed in a most 
 polite manner, by Mr. Aid, the governor. Until you come to the 
 governor's hoiise, nothing is to he seen but a few out-houses, 
 some for storin)|^rs, others for boat- builders. The governor's 
 house is about ICfO yards in breadth, and thirty feet high, consist- 
 ing of two stories, not unlike an extensive farm-h ms.\ Before 
 it, there is a high cidse raiHug, for the purpose, 
 keepkig off" the Indians when they get intoxfcat 
 then not only troublesome but dangerous. It is 
 wood cut into square logs, a|i4 hid one on trip of 
 paifttaking of some refreshmeius, a walk waik pr 
 mojBt anxious to get a glimpte' of the natives, 
 that iNirt of the shore where I had, on^ourwi 
 some Of their wigwams. Qf theW I shall i>ow 
 count. 
 
 The North-American Indians af-e, W the mos^ part, tall, large 
 boned, and long visaged, With very oi^mincnt features. The- 
 «ye is penetrating, and of a deep black "6dlpiir. The nose promi- 
 ilent, of an aquiline shape, not at yil flattened. The forehead 
 is short and straight. Chin rounaed, and'^jarojecting slightly, 
 JMouth lar^e, but lips not at all inverted. Haip^bnifbrmly of ar 
 shining bladt, straight and coarse, having no disposition what- 
 ever to curl.\ On the entire when view^ in prd01e, tlie parts 
 appear more ideeply and distinctly marfied out than in the Esqoi- 
 ihaux. TiWlciar is not placed so far back on the bead, nor 
 is the glabella, or space ^betwe^n the eyes, ^t all so great as in 
 the last-mentioned tribe. The general expression of counte- 
 nance is glooniy and severe. Some, however, especialfy the 
 young men, have a very cheerful animated look. Though the 
 countenance is, generally /S|)eaking, such as 1 have here repre- 
 sented, there is, bowevt^r, the same variety as we meet with 
 amoijigst Europeans, contrary to the assertion of some who have 
 maintained that all the inhabitants of the new world have pre- 
 ciseljr the saine countenance ; so that having seen one, you might 
 be said tp^bave seen all. They have but little hair on their chin, 
 or upper lip, owing, as in the case of' the Esquimaux, to its being 
 eradicated immediately on its first appearance. The most 
 unfounded reports have been circulated on this subject, by igno- 
 rant, superficial, or prejudiced observers. Some, mdeed, have 
 gone so fkir as to assert that the Americans are destitute of beard 
 altogether, and have represented this as a characteristic peculi- 
 arity of this portion of the human race. The concurring tes- 
 tfaKWy. hpyever, of oil modem accu rate travell ersj provea 
 
 M. 
 
M*Keevor's Voyage to Hudton*i Bay. 51 
 
 ckarly that the Americans have naturally beardi, and just as 
 abundant as we find it amongst Europeans ; that it is a very 
 general custom with them, as it has been with several Morgolian 
 and Malay tribes, carefully to eradicate this excrescence ; but 
 that various tribes, in difi^rent parts of the continent, preserve it 
 as other men do. ''..■■- 
 
 Gmelin found this practice to exist in Africa; " It is not 
 easy," he says, " to find a Zungoone, nor any man of the neigh- 
 bouring tribes, with a beard ; for they extract the hairs as soon 
 they appear, and repeat the process until at last no more are 
 formed." 
 
 The same circumstance is .reported of the Sumatrans, by 
 Marsden ; of the Miodanao islanders by Jl^orrest ; of the Pellew 
 islanders, by Vvilson; of the inhabitants of New Guinea, by 
 Cartaret ; and of those of Navigators' Isles, l)y Bougainville. 
 I may add tp this evidence, the testimonies of the celebrated 
 navigator Captain Cook ; ar also that of the most scientific 
 traveller of abcient and modern times, the celebrated Hum- 
 boldt. Captain \Cook, speaking of the inhabitants of Nootka 
 Sound, says, "iSome have no beards at all, and others only a 
 thin one on the point of the chin. vThis does not arise from a 
 deficiency of hair\in these parts, but from their plucking it oujt 
 by the roots ; for those wiMi do n^ destroy it, have not only con- 
 siderable beards on\evM^ part of the chin, but also whiskers, or 
 mustaofaios, running from the upper lip to the lower jaw, obliquely 
 downwards." \ 
 
 Humboldt, ^peiJtlbg of the South Americans, remarks, " The 
 Mexicans, I have observed, particularly those of the Aztee and 
 Otomite races, have \more beard than ever I saw in any other 
 Indiana of South Aiiierica. In the neighbourhood of the 
 capital, almost all th^lndians wear mustaeliios." And again, 
 " I can affirm, that the^^ndians who inhabit the Torrid Zone of 
 South America have generally some beard ; and that the beard 
 increases when they shav^ themselves." 
 
 The females, or squaws, as they are generally called, differ 
 considerably both in persoii and features from the men. Instead 
 of being tall, robust, and \long-visaged, they are, on the 
 trary, short, small-boned, t^ith the face approachli^ l^ofe to 
 the roundjed form. The colbur of the hair^Jf^thfsame in both i 
 the women, however, pay rnoHr^ att^^iMiftfito its being combed 
 smooth behind, so as toftairfdbse about thei 
 ifrpnt, it is very neatljM^f^d,^ so as to give a 
 forehead. Tl^nyflor the most part, have an 
 inild|iM§,;aii€^weetness in their looks. The common 
 
 
 about their shoulders ; in 
 
 full view of the 
 
 expression of 
 
 dress of 
 

'52 
 
 iL 
 
 AtKmai*B Voyagt to Hudtm^g Bay. 
 
 loosely rooDd theif shoolders ; under this a deer-skia jacket, the 
 sleeves of which are distinct from the body, so that the? cari 
 be removed at pleasure. Their small-clothes and shoes are madi 
 of the same materials as the jacket; the lattei-, or moccasicas, 
 as they are termed, are general^ embroidered with dyed por- 
 cupine's quills, in a very neat and elegant manner. Some of 
 them wore a coa« of scarlet, dr green cloth, made after the mili- 
 tary fashion, ^nd ornamented with a profusion of tin, or silver 
 trinkets, giving them a very noble and majestic appearance. 
 
 The dress of the women difiFers somewhat from that of the 
 mea j the blanker, instead of being thrown loose about the 
 shoulders, is brought close round the forehead, somewhat in 
 form of a hood, and is generally bound round with scarlet, or 
 green tape; they also wear a long loose petticoat, made of aoine 
 wodllen stuff. Ou Sunday, in place of the blanket, they wear 
 a piece of green or scarlet cloth, made into the form of a mantle, 
 and thrown carelessly over the shoulders ;. it is in general very 
 handsomely embroidered with various ribbons, particularly green 
 or yellow; under this they wear a cloth drtss, not unlike a Euro- 
 pean nding-habit. When going abrodd, they wear a black 
 beaver-hat, ornamented with feathers and bands of various- 
 colodred ribbons. On the entire, an Indian woman, in her Sunday- 
 dress, has a very pretty and interesting appearance. 
 
 Their canoes differ considerably from those of the Esqui- 
 maux, as well in the shape as in the materials of which they 
 are formed. The American canoe is completely open at top 
 and IS made of sections of bark, taken from the birch-tree • 
 tjjese are sewed together with filaments from the roots of the 
 spruce fir-tree, called watupe. They are about thirty feet in 
 length, and about six in breadth at the widest part. The bottom 
 IS rounded, and they have no keel. The frame is formed of 
 slight pieces of light wood, over which is fastened a sheafWnir 
 composed of the light materials already menti«wied. Instead of 
 the double paddle, used by the Esquimaux, they make use of a 
 short piece of wood, about three feet long, m/rrow at the top. and 
 gradually becoming broad towards the extremity; on the whole 
 not unlike the extremity of an English oar cut off. ' 
 
 The manner in which they construct their tents, or wigwams, 
 is as follows: Being provided with poles of a proper length 
 they fasten two of them across, near the ends, with bands made 
 of ttrch rind ; having done this, they raisfe^ them up. and 
 extend the lower *^— ' ~* — »- — •• i» "« 
 
 part of each as wide as they propose to 
 make the area of the tent; other poles, of an equal heijrht 
 «re then set round at equal dis tances f rom each o?her, i^^ 
 
 : ■ 
 
M*K^ewr''» Vo^«ig4 to littdim'* B^y, 53 
 
 their lower ends form a complete circle ; over tfaeentlve U spread 
 the tent-cloth, which is generally made of deer-skins* «lreMed 
 by the natives. A slit is made ia the bottom part, wbi«b serves 
 the purpose of a door; it is alvray« pieced opposite to that point 
 from which the wind blows. These tents have neither window 
 nor chimney; there is merely an aperture left in jhi^middle or 
 the roof, which serves the double purpose of letting out the 
 smoke, and admitting the light. 
 
 This humble wigwam constitutes the entife ^ a North- 
 American Indian's residence, serving him as kitchen, parlour, 
 bed-room, &c. In ooe part, tlieir culinary and domestic uten- 
 sils are arranged; in another^ their beds, which (ire rolled up 
 during the day, and covered with a large bufl^loAshin ; and in 
 another the materials for their work. Among Itheir cuKnary 
 utensils is what they term a skippertogan, or sm^il bag, which 
 contains a flint, steel, and touchwood. Some of these bags 
 are uncommonly handsome, being richly ornamented with 
 beads, porcupine-quills, and ermine. The perogan, or tinder, 
 the Indians make use of, is a kind of fungus that grows «n 
 the outside of the birch-tree. There are two kind^, one hard, 
 and not unKke rhubarb; the other soft and smooth. The 
 latter is prepared for use by laying it on hot ashes, and then 
 . reducing it to a state of fine powder. The hard kind b very 
 easily ignited, catching even the smallest spark that falls from 
 the steel ; once on fire, it is very difficult to extinguish it ; the 
 spark appears to spflad and burrow through the entire mass in all 
 directions, so that, though to all appearance it is quite extin- 
 guished, combustion is all the time going on internally ; hence 
 the use of it is attended with considcftftble risk* I have had 
 pieces of it in my pocket quite free, as I conceived, from com- 
 bustion ; on putting in my hand, however, I have frequently 
 found the entire reduced almost to a cinder. In the interior, 
 where they have no opportunity of getting a flint and steel, they 
 procure fire by rubbing two smooth pieces of wood rapidly against 
 each- other. ' r ^ o 
 
 
 
 
 K«.s A ""r'L.®*^ '•^*!"« leather I. as followi : A lather la made of the 
 brains and soma of th« soft fkt or marrow of the animal commonly called the 
 
 ^ -^k" I '". **"• l*** !"".'• "«" •»■''•*•. *•'«'• «t » »«•««» ont, and not only 
 
 JK / **■* ''•!1*"^ "i?"' t"*.''""f "P '" •••« •»»''• *■»' ■«•'»« ii^y i it " then 
 taken dowq, and is well soaked and washed in warm water till the knim of 1^ 
 
 skinisperfecUyopen, and it has imbibed a snfllcient qnantity of water- afl^r 
 which It istaken oat, and wrunf as drjr as possible, and thm dried by the beat 
 of a slow fire, care being taken to mb and stretch it as loM as any moisture 
 wmdns in the Am , afterwards they are seraped to make the^ quite smooth.- 
 m e HBa o iis Voffo fttif Cop ptrnumf K t¥f T.— iteinf drf satd In iril ^ey^atwam^ 
 grow harder after being wet, unless great care be tiliin to'heep mbbiWthemaM 
 the time they are drymg. i- b •« 
 
 U' 
 
w 
 
 54 
 
 M*K«nor'$ Voyagt to Hudosn** Bay. 
 
 m 
 
 \ 
 
 Those sitaated about the factory boil their victuals in tin or 
 copper vessels, which they procure in exchange for furs. Those 
 at a distance from it are, howfver, obliged to substitute ves- 
 sels made of the bark of the birch-tree, sewed together with 
 some vegetable fibre. As they will not bear exposue to the 
 fire sufficient to bring water to a boiling temperature, they are 
 obliged to have recourse to the following contrivance ; they take 
 some large stones, and place them in the centre of the fire until 
 they are red-hot; they then take them out, and plunge them 
 into the birch-rind vessel. By continuing this process for somd 
 time, the water is soon brought to a state of ebullition. The 
 food, hfpwever, when dressed in this way is generally mixed with 
 sand, or small particles of gravel. 
 
 The care of their tents is consigned entirely to the women ; 
 as IS, mdeed, all the dnidgery of an Indian life. They are 
 obliged, while travelling, to pitch, their tents, dress their vic- 
 tuals, make and repair every article of dress. In short, the 
 moment she becomes a Wife she loses her liberty, and is an 
 obsequious slave to her husband, who takes good care never 
 to lose sight of his prerogative. Wherever he goes she must 
 follow, and durst not venture to incense him by a refusal, 
 knowing that if she neglects him, extreme punishment, if not 
 death, ensues. Notwithstanding all this, they are generally 
 found humble and faithful servants,* tender and affectionate 
 wives, food and indulgent parents. 1 have frequently gone 
 into their tents, and have sat ior hours delighted and amused 
 with their modest unassuming manners, and simple habits of 
 humble industry. On goio^ in, they always offered me some 
 dned buffalo-tongue, or perhaps some pimmicum,t an article 
 
 ii: 
 
 * 
 
 In every part of the world, one of the ino»t general characteristics of^h« 
 ravage is to despise and degrade the female sex. Among most of the tribes iq 
 ^.i?^* i -r***"..^'."*""**" peculiarly grievous, that servitude is a name too 
 rai d to describe Uicir wretched stale ; a wife is no bciicr than a beast of burden. 
 Willie the man passes his days in idleness or amusement, the woman is con- 
 demned to incessint toil. Tasks are imposed upon her without mercy, and 
 services are recced wiUiMt complacence or gratitude. There are somedu. 
 tncu in Aneil^ where this state of degradation has been so severely felt 
 that mothere have deMroved their female infanu to deliver them at one* ^om a 
 ute in which they wen doomed to such a miserable slavery.-&e Maltiius on 
 rOfmlatwHt 
 
 1 T The proviaion called pimmiciim is prepared in the following manner. The 
 l«an parts of the flesh of the larger animals are cut in thin slices, and arc placed 
 Ota a wooden g^te over a slow lire, or exposed to the tun, and sometimes to 
 the froat By these pperations it is dried, and in that state is pounded between 
 twostones soasto redaceitto afine powder ; it is then made Into cakes, whieU 
 - -.. will Mep for almo sta ny length of time. - — -— — ■ —- ^ 
 
•n 
 
 M*Ke«vor's Voyage to Hudton's Bay. 59 
 
 of diet on which they priacipally subsist dariug their journeys 
 into the interior. 
 
 The character I have here given applies principally to the 
 northern Indian women, as the Southern Indian females are, 
 I have been informed,, a most profligate abandoned set. hike 
 eviery other class of people, however, there are exceptions. 
 Amongst them, Mr. Heame, in his interesting work, gives 
 the following very remarkable one : — ^ 
 
 Mary, the daughter of Moses Norton, a. native of the 
 country, andibr many years chief at Prince of Wales's Foft, , 
 in Hudson's Bay, though l)orn and brought up in a country of 
 all others the least favourable to virtue and to virtuous princi- 
 ples, possessed these and every other gdbd and amiable <|ua- 
 lity in themott eminent degree. Without the assistance of 
 religion. Jamlfith no education but what she received among ' 
 the disMUHI^tives of her country, she would have shone 
 with {iirplrror lustre in any comtq^unity ; for if an engaging 
 person, gentle manners, an easy freedom, arising from a con- 
 sciousness of innocence ; an amiable modesty, and an unrivalled 
 delicacy of sentiment, are graces and virtues which render a 
 woman lovely, none ever had greater pretensions to esteem 
 and regard ; while her benevolence, humanity, and icnipu- 
 lous adherence to truth, would have done honour to the most ' 
 enlightened and devout christian. ^Dutiful, obediient, and af- 
 fectionate to her parents, steady and faithful to her friends, 
 grateful and humble to her benefactors ; easily forgiving and 
 forgetting injuries, careful not to offend anyf and courteous 
 and kind to all ; she Was neverthelesif suffered to perish by the 
 rigours of cold and hunger, amidst her own relations, at 
 a time when the griping hand of famine was by no means 
 severely felt by any other member of their company ; and it 
 may truly be said, that she fell a martyr to the principles of 
 virtue. This happened in the winter of the year 1782, after 
 the French had destroyed Prince of Wales's Fort, at which 
 time she was in the22d year of her age. Human nature 
 shudders at the bare recital of such brutality, and reason 
 shrinks from the task of accounting for the decrees of Provi- 
 dence on such occasions as this ; but they are the strongest 
 assurances' of a future state» so infinitely superior to the pre- 
 sent, that the enjoyment of every pleasure in this world, by 
 the most worthless and abandoned wretch, or the m»st inno- 
 cent and virtuous woman, perishing by the most excrnctating 
 of all deaths, are matters equally indifferent ; bat— • 
 
 I '■ 
 
 i'eice to lEv nterand ttm vimoin iBtinr~~ 
 Of ber who liv'd in peace with all mankind ; 
 
•'■'1 
 
 
 ft 
 
 tf6 
 
 ->^ 
 
 iSif-i 
 
 'iJlfa^ 
 
 M*Ketar^9 Vcyage to Hudton'M Buj/. 
 
 >i>^s. ■ ^''*' ^ heart, nokoowiog «f disgiiiM {' 
 ,Tralh in her tfaoaghte, and candour in her eyes ; 
 Stranger alike to enry and to pride, 
 Good Ben«elier lifrht, and natnre ail her nide : 
 But new re|iiov*d frto^an the ills of life« 
 U«re retta the pleaaiog friicud and faithrvi wife ! 
 
 WAtlKH. 
 
 The Bpe^d and facility with which the lodlan women pass 
 through the most intefesting period pf female suffering, has 
 long been a matter of observation and of surprise. A very 
 remarlfable instance of this occurred during my stay at York 
 Fort, which I shall here take the liberty to mention. Mrs. 
 B., an Indian lady, wife of onie of the inland governors, was 
 oowipied the entire day abojat her tent. I entered her tent at 
 thre^ o'clock in the afternoon j she was then preparing dinner, 
 whi^h consisted of boiled venison, venison-soup, and English 
 bwojljit; she was at that time quite cheerful, and in remark- 
 ably good spirits. About six o'clock in the evening she was 
 seized with labour-pains, \yhen she retired to an apartment in 
 the governor's house, in company with an elderly Indian wo- 
 man i about half-fiast six she was delivered of a fine boy j and 
 a little after sev^ of the same evening, I saw her walking 
 about the factory. The yqiing infant immediately born was 
 washed with o^-wttter, and aferwards wrapped up in a 
 young beaver-slHn and placed in its cradle, which is made as 
 follows: they, take a plain piece of board, about three feet 
 u>ag and one and a half in breadth ; to either side of this they 
 make fast a portion of cloth or ticking, whicji they procure 
 from the Europeans; this they adorn with beads ^nd quill- 
 work, in a very tasty and beautiful manner. Under this outer 
 covering, which is mad9 to laceiip to the front, they place a fine 
 English blanket, folded in a circular form, and inside of this 
 th^y place a layer of vety fine mosff, for the purpose of absorb- 
 mg the discharges of the child ; whdn soiled it is immediately ' 
 renewed. To each corner of the flat piece of board a string 
 is attached, which termiiifites in a Ipop j by these they are sus- 
 pended from the side of the tent, so as not to prevent them 
 attending to their work, l^o one end of the board' a broad 
 worsted belt is made fast j when travelling this is passed round 
 the forehead, yhUe the cradle hangs behind. The face of the 
 child is all that is seen, the arms and feet being confined under 
 the cloths and bandages which are wrapped round it. In 
 •umooer a piece of gauze is thrown ewer the young savage, to 
 keep off the musquitos, which are at this season veiy trouble- 
 some. Shortly after the child was born it was given the breast ; 
 J could not ^ jp ad mirin f i p t h e t en der and a fl T f^st iaBate looks^ 
 
. ,~ M*KeiBi}of[s Fi)yag& to Hudson's Buy, • " 57 
 
 Ibis fond mother ^ve her Httle bab6 while she Vrfts giving it 
 this tiOtfnshment, or, as thejr very beftutlfljlly eipfess it 
 tootooshonarto, the sap of the haftm breast. .The day foHow- 
 ing that of which I have becta 8peakii}g, Mrs. B. and her hus- 
 pand s^-t out on a journey of two hundred miles. 
 ■ • iJ"?".?' ^" hisaccdunt of the North Ameriean Indians, relates 
 the following anecdote t « About an hour before aun-set, on the 
 • p"^*",°«7»j^^ stopped at a small creek, which was too deep 
 to be forded, and whilst the Indian wad assisting me In ni«k- 
 ing a raft to cross over, rather than swinil through in such cold' 
 weather against a, strong current, I looked round and misserf 
 nis-wifej I was fathet displeased, as the sun was near setting, 
 and 1 wai anxious to gain the opposite shore to encamp before 
 i : I a^Ked^he Indian where his wife was gone : he smiled, 
 and told me,^ supposed into the woods to set a collar for a 
 partridge. In about an hour she retuvned with a iievv-born ' 
 inftnt m het afms, and coming up to me said, in Chipneway, 
 Oway SagonnasTi Pavshlk Skomagonisb,» or, here Ehglish- 
 man to aysoung warrior.^' Mr. Heartje informs us, that wheii 
 a norlheni Indiaii woman is taken in labour, h small tent is ' 
 erected for her, a^ saoh a distance fi»m the other tents that her 
 cries canndt easily be heard, and th^ other women and yOung 
 giMs are her constant attendants. No male, except ohltdreu in 
 arms, trt ever allowed to approach her! It is a circumstanc^ 
 girbapa, t(J be lamepted, that these ppdple never attempt to as- 
 sist each other on these occasions, even in thfe most critical 
 cases. Thw is in some measure owing to delicacy, but' more 
 probably to ah opinion they entertain, that nature is abundantly 
 sufficient to perform every thing required without any externarv 
 helps Whatever. Mr. Heartie tells us, that when he informed ^ 
 them of the assistance which European -^omen deriffe from the 
 skill and attention of practitioners in midwlfei^; they treated 
 It With the nttdost contempt, ironically Observing, «* that the 
 inaiiy Imm|ii.backs, bandy-legs, and other deforft^fties, so 
 trequeut among the English, \vereutidoubtedly owing (o the 
 great dkill of the persons who assisted In bringing thefli1n<<K 
 tft* Wttrld, and to the extraordidary care of t(^e nurses after- • 
 wards. / . ■ • 
 
 After childbirth an Indian wotanan is reckoned uucl^&h for a 
 month or five weeks, during whicti tlfflfi'she alwius remains 
 10 a small tent placed at a little distance from the others, with 
 otrly a female acquaintance or two ; and during the whole time 
 the Ath«r oever sees the child, the reason which thcv assign 
 for this practice is, that ohiidreU When first born are tfometliMS 
 not^ very 8ightly,-innfhig-fn general large heads and^flTIiftre "^ 
 
 VoYAOBs and Travels, No. 2, rol. if. H 
 
 "\ 
 
 f 
 
 J 
 
 
 « 
 
 I 
 
 r, 
 
 * 
 
58 
 
 M*Kfevor'$ Voyage to Rudton't Bay. 
 
 If 
 
 i 
 
 T • 
 
 hair, and arer^Oreo.ver, often discoloured by the forte of 
 labour ;• so that wese thef^ither to see them to such great dis- 
 advantage, be might, probably, take-a dislike to them, which 
 never afterwards cquI^ be removed. It is said, that when de- 
 livered of twins, they sacififice that which appears to them the 
 weaker o^he two J this monstrous practice exists among many 
 wandering nations, where |the men never take any burdens that 
 might encumber them- in | the chace. Thejf generally suckle 
 their children for i^o y^ars j^ s^me, however, continue it for 
 tbfee, four, and even fivenyearsl \ 
 
 ? The absolute want of a 1 kihd bniomestic cattle, and conse- 
 quently the total want of 41I milk-diet, is the principal reason 
 why the American womeri keep their infants so long a time fit 
 the breust. It is probabl*iowing to this long-continued uurs^ 
 ing that the inammse are 61 them ao relaxed and pendulous.f 
 rhey are, however, by tto nifeans so long as some writers 
 would lead us to ^uppo^ j^indeed, I suspect there is much 
 exaggeration, if not absold|te falsehood, in some of these narra- 
 tions. Thus, in Haklbyt'i Collection, vol. ii, p. 26,' it is 
 asserted, that divers women have such exceeding long breasts 
 that some of them will lay the same upon the ground, and lie 
 down by them." Bruce asserts, that in some of the Sfaangallas 
 they hang down to the knees., Mentzelius tells us, that purses 
 are made in Igreat numbers from the breasts of Hottentot fe- 
 males, and sold at the Cape of Good Hope. But what will 
 appear still more extraordinary is, that the females of this 
 country (Ireiand; have been accused of this extreme tiendu- 
 lous Slate of the maroniffi. i hope my fair countrywomen 
 will excuse me for making the following extract : Lithgow, 
 in his « Raire Adventures and Painefulle Pergrinations," p. 
 433, says, «« J saw, in Ireland's northe parts, wpmen travayj- 
 ing the way, pv toyling at hopae, carry their iuA^ts about their 
 neckes, and laying the dugges over their shoulders, would 
 give sucke to the babes behinde their bac^, without taking 
 them in their armes. Such kind of breasts/ me thiuk^th, were 
 very fit to be made money-bags for East^^r West Indian mer- 
 chants, being more than half a yard long, and as well wroutht 
 as any tanner, in the like charge, could ever m'ollifie such 
 leather. 
 
 I- ul^\ hI' *»«'»«' »«»^»"»e«» "e, tliat tiiey are wmeUmM a day and a aicbt 
 IL^« .1 '»t^ «•«»«»»*> frequently pa*, a itick boriMntally along ttie aX 
 mea. for Ute porpMe of excitinc uterine contraction. If tniTellin/ihev olu* 
 tlM child on ilieir back* and icuibie their Journey. *«▼•»»«>». «hey P»ce 
 
 t Bee'AtUcie Mao, Bee«*a CyclbpcdU. 
 
 '< i 
 
■,..( ' 
 
 }ng many 
 dens tbac 
 ly suckle 
 hue it for 
 
 id conge- 
 al reason 
 i time fit 
 led uursr 
 iduloos.f 
 i writers 
 ! is niach 
 se narra- 
 26/ it is 
 
 f[ breasts 
 , and lie 
 bangallas 
 lat purses 
 en tot fe> 
 ^hat will 
 is of this 
 e t>«ndu- 
 
 e women 
 itbgow, 
 ions," p. 
 I tnivayl- 
 louttbeir 
 8, would 
 lit taking 
 ^th, were 
 an mer- 
 wrooght 
 ifie such 
 
 compHshed 
 ind a aiciit 
 ( tMaMo- 
 , ihieir place 
 
 M*Keevat'» Voyage to Hudson's Bay. to 
 
 ' The Indian WQm6n are remarkably attached to their young 
 charge,* watching over theifi with the greatest affection and 
 tenderness; and, should they die, lamenting their loss in the 
 most affecting manner. Even for several months after their 
 decease they visit their little graves, and shed over them some 
 very bitter tears. From their infant state they endeavour to 
 promote an independent spirit in their offspring: they are 
 never known either to beat or scold them, lest the martial 
 disposition which is t9 adorn their future life and character 
 should be weakened.' On till occasions they avoid every thine 
 compulsive, that the freedom with which they wish them to 
 act may not be ^ntrouled. They instruct them in lessons of 
 patience an^ fortitude, and endeavour to inspire tb^in with 
 courajje in wa^, and acgntemptof danger and deiathj above 
 ^U thines, they endeavour, to instil into their minds an here- 
 *[itary hatred and implacable thirst of revenge towards the 
 
 uimaux. ' 
 
 'he Nor^i American Indians, in general, have five or six 
 
 e«. Indeed, this is frequently the only mark of distinction 
 igst tbem, that man being most respected who .is best able 
 
 ^ PPpr^ the greatest number of women. Thus Matounabee, 
 an InltHan chief, who conducted Mr. Hearne up Coppermine 
 River, ^ eight of them. Their names are generally taken 
 from soMe part or property of a beaver, marten, or other ani- 
 mal. When they wish to take a wife, and that they find one 
 to their mind, the Indian applies to the father of the girl, and 
 asks his consent in the following words : 
 « Noeey, Cunner kee darmissey iee damis^ nee zargay* 
 
 wi 
 ami 
 to sui 
 
 r 
 
 v*i.^t?'!?°^*L'°"'"*«®^ *" «««"«<» <>nrin« Mr. (Elltt's retidence at 
 t„tK.«?l5;u J.7« •"'■l'.J"o«J»«*'>« H«y"'« Riverl when ihey had got 
 to the middle of It, one of them, which wat made of the. bark of a bircb-tree 
 sank, ID wbieh waa an Indian, faU wife, and child. The oUier canoe beins 
 amall, radincapable of receiving more than one of the parent! and tfie child, 
 prodoccd a vcTv eitraonKnary contert between tlie man and his wift. rtot 
 £III.1V.^*?J*^?'*1" T*'? '""'"* *" •••'»** thenuelveB to save the other: 
 uijoS?'' """'"''*'' '"y *" determining which wonid be the greatest tots to the 
 chUd. 1 be man used many argoments to prove it more reaMinable that he should 
 be drowned Uian the woman. Bat she alleged, on thr'contrary. it wat more for 
 the advantage of the cUld that she sbmild perish, becanse he, as a man. wat better 
 able to bnat, and consequently to provide for It. The litUe lime there wat stiU 
 remaining wat spent in mntUal fapnettions of tenderaett, the woman ttroocly 
 recommendiniL at for die last time, to her husband, the care of her child. TTiis 
 being done, they took leave in the water.; the woman quitting the canoe wat 
 drowned, and the man with the child got lafe ashore, and ii now taken much notice 
 of by tl(C people thereabouts. 
 • See BUii't Voyye to Hatfaoa^ Boy, p. 88. 
 
 
 
< 
 
 IV ,„ * . 
 
 eo 
 
 M\Keaior't Voyage to Hvdson'9 Bay. 
 
 gar kakaygo o waterwarwardoossin cawtveen peccan weeley 
 ganunat ottertassey memerjis mee tnpr." 
 
 " Father, I love vour daughter j wJU you give her to me that 
 the smaljjt roots of her heart may entaiigle vvifch mine, «o that 
 the strongest wind that blows shall never separate them." If 
 the father approves, an interview is appoiated, for which the 
 lover prepares by a perspiration j he then comics into her pre- 
 sence, sits down on the ground and smokes his pip6 j dpring 
 the time of smoking he continues%browing small pieces of 
 wood of about an inch in length at her, one by one, to the 
 n\]mber of'a hundred. As many as she can catch in a batk 
 bowl, so many presents her lover must make to her father, 
 which the latter considers aa payment for his daughter. The 
 young warrior then gives a feast, to which he invites all the 
 family. When the fe^st is done, they sing and dance to their 
 war-aong;i. ^ 
 
 The merriment being over, and mutual presents exchanged 
 between the lover and her relations, the father coVers them 
 tvith a beaver robe, and gives them, likewise, a gun and birch 
 '^anoc, with which tb^ ceremony ends, 
 ] Conjuring is a very common practice among them* and is 
 frequently had recourse to for the purpose of procuring re- 
 spect and distinction. As the conjurors are the onJly persons 
 applied to in bodily ailments, their deceptions practices are 
 Mso resorted to for the purpose of spreading their pr«^t^sional 
 fame. Frequently they get themselves bound up in the fol- 
 lowing manner : Being stripped quite nakedy cords are passed 
 round each finger, and then over the entire hand, tfo as to de- 
 prive them altogether of the power of moving these parts ; 
 they are then fastened behind their tracks; a large baffak> 
 skin is now thrown over them, and is tied round with ropes, 
 beginning from above downwards. The l^s are secured in 
 a similar manner, «e that, they are deprived of the least power 
 of motion. Bound op in this manner they are put into a tent 
 alonej after extricating themselves they cOme out, and tell the 
 by-standers ejtuUjngly, that it was the Great Spirit that assisted 
 them in getting IVee. When a relation or friend to whom they 
 are particnhriy attached is, as they suppose, in extreme dan- 
 ger, ibey mak« use of the most absurd supcwtitio^a practices, 
 such as pretending to swallow kniVes, chisels, hatchete, &c. 
 This h done (torn a superstitious notion, that they wiU be able, 
 by thew n»eans, to api^ease the " old scythe-man," and thua 
 juocure a respite for their patient. When these extraordinary 
 practices axe had recourse to, the patient is placed in the mid- 
 jdle of a small square tent, and in a short time is followed by 
 
 -t 
 
 J 
 
WKeevor's Fcyage to Hudson't Bay. 61 
 
 tlie coQJurort who is stripped quite naked. la very hopeless cases 
 they call for consultation ; in this case the assistants. sJso enter 
 quite nalced. Having closed the door of the tent very Accoratel/, 
 they tJiien arrange themselves about the unfortupate pafieitt, and 
 begin to suck and blow at the parts affected,* and in a short 
 tiine to siog and talk, as if conversing with familiar spirits, which 
 they pretend appear to them in the shape of different animals. 
 After a long ccmferemre with those invisible agents, they then 
 call for the iestrumeQt which they are to swallow. They very 
 prudently have a long string attached to tliis knife, bayonet, or 
 whatever else it may be, for the purpose of drawingit up agaiop 
 Aner having practised this deception several tiroes, they again 
 commence aucking the paw affected. After this the suratiug 
 piQcess is Gommeaced ; for this purpose the tent is closed as 
 accurately as possiU»^n all sides. Red-hot stones |gre then 
 throw«i hito a veisetof ^ater, and in a short time the tphole tent 
 IS filled with^^st^m, which acting on thc'surfaocof the skin,^V 
 produceajr^opious sweat. This being continued until a feeli>Ts 
 of weakness is iodiiced, the cUre is then said to be completed ; 
 and certainly it must be allowed, especially where the compUint 
 IS of a rheumatic description, that this is not unfreqliently the 
 case. Mr. Hearne, in the interesting work already so often 
 alluded to, gives the following very curious instances of which he 
 was himself an eye-witness. ** At the lime when the forty and 
 odd tents of i Indians joined us, one man was so dangerouly ill 
 that It was thought necessary the conjurors shduld use some of 
 ^eir wonderful experiments for his recovery ; one of them, 
 therefore, immediately consieDted to swallow a broad bayonet. 
 Accordingly ^ Qonjuring-house waa erectpd, into which the 
 patient was conveyed, and he was soon folloped by the coiyu- 
 ror, who, after a long preparatory discourse/ and the necessary 
 oonfefence with, the familiar spirits, advanced to tjie door and 
 asked for the bai^onet, which was then ready prepared by having 
 a string fastened to it, and a 8lk)rt piece of wood tied to the other 
 end of the string to prevent his swallowing it. Though I am 
 
 « For Bpme inward comi^Dts. imsh m xripW i« tbe i«t«s«n«i, &«„ {t it very 
 comniQii to tw tjww lagri«n Wavrlng inln thelrectam until their eyei are almost 
 ■tartini^ oat of their bead. The acenmniation »f io lai|re a «i«andty t^wiad is, 
 at time«i, apt to oeca*io« tome extraordiBar]* ei MtioM, whiok an aqt easily anp. 
 prMsed hy a sick person ; aad, u, there ia ao t< ptfar it birt tbe ci«aiMel4hroi 
 which It was conveyed thither, it soQetiafief oc easions an odd se«i« behVeeii 
 doctor and hi< patient, which I once wantonly caHed an engaMttieAt ■: hati 
 which I was aa«rwardso«reedingly sorry, as it highly oSkiOeA sewrltl of 
 Indiins, paiiici4MU t^jnggkr «nd swk v^m.^-fHeorwe't Frattcm c«j 
 
 '• Jf 
 
 1^' 
 
 h 
 
 1J! 
 
.1 } 
 
 1 1 1^ 
 
 €2 M'Keevor's Voyage t0^udsm'» Say. 
 
 not so criedalous," continues Mr. Hearne, ** as to U$Iievf, that 
 the conjuror absolutely swallowed the bayonet, yet f must ac- 
 knomrledge that, in the twinkling . of an eye, he conveyed It to 
 ——God knows where; and the small piece of wood, or one 
 exactly like it, was confined close to his teeth. ' He then paraded 
 backward and forward before the conjuridg-house for a short 
 time, whed^ he feigtufd to be greatly disordered in his stomach 
 and bowels ; and, after making many , wry faces and groaning 
 most hideously, he put his body into sevi^ral distort^ attitudes 
 very suitable to the occasion. He then returned to the door of 
 the conjuring- house, and, after, making strong eflbrts to vomit, 
 by the help of the string he, at length, Mnd after tugj^ng at it for 
 some time, produced tne bayonet,. which apparently he hauled 
 out of his mouth, to the no small surprise of all present. He 
 then looked round Mrith :an, air of exultation, and strutted into 
 the conjuring-house, where he renewed his incantations, and con- 
 tinued them without intermission for twenty-four houcs." The 
 other instance which Mr. Hearne mentions, b that of a poor 
 paralytic Indian, who had been in a most deplorable condition 
 for a length of time. « That nothing," remarks Mr. Hearne, 
 " might be wantiog towards his recovery, the same roan who 
 deceived me in swallowing a bayonet in the summer, now offered 
 to swallow a large )>iece of board, about the size of a barrel>stave, 
 in order to effect his recovery. The piece of board was prppsr^d 
 by another man, and |)ainted according to the directiona m the 
 juggler, with a,rude representation of some beast of prey onone 
 side ; and on the reverse was painted, according to their rade me- 
 thod, a resemblance of the sky. After holding the necessary con- 
 ference with the invisible spirits, he asked if I was present, for 
 he had heard of my saying that I did not see him swallow the 
 bayonet fair ; and, on being answered in theaffirm^ve, he de- 
 sired me to Come nearer ; on which the Indians made a lane for 
 me to pass, and I advanced elose to him, and found him standing 
 at the coujuring-house door as naked as when born. AVhen the 
 jneqe of boar^^ was delivered to hint he proposed at first only to 
 shov^ one-third of it down his throat, and then walk round the 
 company; afterwards to shove down another tbtrd,and so proceed 
 till hie had swallowed the whole, except a small piece of the end, 
 which Vas to be left behind ix>r the purpose of hauling it up again; 
 When he put it to his mouth it apparently slipped down his throat 
 like lightning, and only left about three inches sticking without 
 his lips ; after walking backwards and forwards three times, he 
 hauled it up again, and ran into the conjuring-house with 
 great precipitation. This he did, ta all appearance, with great 
 
M'Keevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 6» 
 
 ease and •oraposure, Ind, notwithstanding I wak all attention on 
 the occasion, I couU not detect the deceit : and as to the rea^ 
 lity of Its being a piece of wood that he pretended to swallow, 
 there is not the last ceason to doubt, for I had it in my hand both 
 before and immediate];^ after the ceremony." 
 ^Matonabee, an Indian chief, who was then present, assured 
 Mr. Hearne that he had seen a man, who was then in company, 
 swallow a child's cradle with as much ease as he could fold up a 
 piece of paper, and put it into his mouth ; and that when he haul- 
 ed it up again, not the mark of a tooth, or of any violence, was 
 discovered about it. It if really extremely difficult, and oftentimes 
 altogether impossible /<o give any satisfeetory explanation of the 
 manner in which these feats of legerdemain are accomplished. 
 J may remark, however, and, indeed, Mr. Hearije admits the 
 tact, that in the second Instance there was ^reat room for decep- 
 tion. Though Ihe conjuror was quite naked, he had several of 
 
 -— , t"v.,7,r^' »*"c auspition IS connrmed Dy the cir- 
 cumstance of Mi. Hearne having seen this man on that very day 
 shape apiece of wood 6f precisely the same figure, as that 
 which protruded from the mouih, which was of this ^ shape. 
 '^*'® fi gure of the entiie pie ce was nearly what is hero repre- 
 
 It IS probable, therefore, that the 
 
 »™ted(X3za 
 
 irtled int 
 
 top part was merely insertled into the body of thetitave, so that 
 It could be renaoved at pleasure. 
 
 They rarely have recourse to any medicines either for their in- 
 ternal or external complaints, generally trusting for relief to such 
 nonsensical charms as I have described. Sometimes, however, 
 
 ♦tE" K^ ;'•"■ '^V ^T-'*'^" ^'•*"'^»» '^'^y °"»'^* "»e of blood-let- 
 
 ^^fji'^r '? performed in the following manner : they take a 
 
 small shaiip instrument, not unlike an awl, and drive it into the 
 
 Solr*?! '''" "'? ""-^'^ '' » P'^P^^^** *« 2P" J ^J^'y then cut 
 down on the vessel with a common knife, f hosi who have nei- 
 
 lif' u Vu ''?.'**•]""«««« mentioned, make use of a sharp flint, with 
 which they divide the vein. I'.'*'"'* *»"" 
 
 Lambert in is travels through the United States of North-Ame- 
 nf?A»!""!5i"»' th«J they frequently, especially whin after a fit 
 of intoxication, quaff off, while yet quite warm, the blood which 
 
 JS»i «i,-1"^ ^"ir '^^ "'"».^^ ""*»**'" *"«*'"• »n thenar 
 !«♦ 'm t ♦™re"»Dg across the rocky mountains of the north- 
 
 Tn^li^l' uit'^ ^'^ ■" opportunity of witnessing this disgust- 
 ing sight. " TM morning oAir guide, belonging to the Cree 
 tribe, co mphun^fi that his head and stomach we re out of orHi-r, 
 
 /A 
 
 !• !« 
 
 ft 
 
 4 
 
 
64 
 
 M*Keet&r'i Pojfilge to Hudam't Bay. 
 
 
 ovijiff to the «xo«ts of last night, aod asked for a little medicine, 
 •"'Bh Mras mren to hiia t bot tindinu; it did him neither good nor 
 n, he edled his wife to him, where he was sittipg amongst 
 a large fire we had made to warm ourselves/" She readily 
 he asked her if she had a shftrp ^Int? and upon her reply- 
 2n|,tAAt she had not, he broke one, and made a lancet of It, with 
 w|ieh he opened a rein in his wife's arm, she assisting him with 
 ^jmk^;ood-will. Having drawn tbout a pint of blood from her 
 iii|fl wooden bowl, to our astonishment h^ applied It to his mouth 
 q| ite warmi and dradk It off; he then mixed the blood tliat ad- 
 hifed to the vessel with water by way of cleansing the bowl, and 
 also drank that off. While I was considering the savageness of 
 this action, one of our meo, with indignation, exclaimed to oat 
 gatde, **1 have eaten and smoken withth^e; but hencefomard 
 thon and I shall not smoke and eat together. What! drink, 
 warm from the vein, the blood of thy wife !"— "Oh, my friend," 
 said the Indian, *« have 1 dotfe wrong ? When I find my sto- 
 mach out of order, the warm, ^lood of my wife, in good health, 
 refreshes the whole of my body, and puts me to j-ights } in return, 
 when she is not well, I draw bjood from my arm, she drinks it, 
 and it gives her life. All oQr nation do the same, and they all 
 know it to be a good medicine." 
 
 Mr. £ili8 tells us, that for the purpose of curing choUc, 
 and all bowel complaintSy they swallow a large quantity of 
 tohaccQ-^moke, by which they positively affirm they obtain 
 great and speedy relief. I can hardly think they use pure 
 tobacco on those pccasions ; it iS in all probability mixed witU 
 a plant whic^ tliey are' very fond of smoking, called sackasshia- 
 
 KTo people indulge in sorrow to such an excess as the North- 
 Amerfean Indians. Many of them, when they lose a friend 
 or near relation, think nothing of cutting and mangling them- 
 selves in a most shocking manner. Very frequently some 
 pass a knife through the flesliy part* of the thigh or arm; 
 others cut off a joint of a finger for each relation they have 
 lost; otheiJ«, again pluck the nail out by- the root, and lap 
 
 ITbki thwe practSees wer« osubI amoD^ tfit IiMlhAiu ao ^arly as the da]ni ot 
 t», k etident fW>m tlw ii^ettod «riiidl tt)« tXtd laid oh tiir «ltildr«ii df 
 larjad I*, arail tbma. <* Ym lUH not raaitd tiie OArnen ot fMt hmir n^ittaw 
 ■h^lmm ia^r thecotaers of fl^ beard. Yo« shall uot BMake am eattim ia 
 yonr fleah for Uie dead, nor print any Harks opon you."* And again, " Ye ar^ 
 tfe« eUidrea c»rtlie Lord your Obd ; yod i|Mll ntftcot ymrtA^tt, b^T iaak« tat$ 
 balddess iMtween jrour eyea for lie dead."f /■ ' 
 
 *' Leiritkut.e.zix. t. tt. 
 
 t Deut. e. idv. V. I. 
 

 M^Keecor't. Voyage to tiudm't Bay. §5 
 
 down the top of the finger. I recollect Mr. Swdne, one of 
 the inland governor^, luentloniug to me that a l^ogee womau 
 came to bis house last winter. Observing that she bad several 
 joints of her fingers cut off, he enquired of her the cause j 
 when she immediately bqrst into tears, and told him, that for 
 eacli of those ioiiits she >ad lost a relative, his probable, 
 ijiat these horrible practices are resorted to under the impres* 
 sion that the malignant powers dej^ht in groans and m»ery» 
 and that they are uot to be api '*'^*^ ... . . . ■» 
 
 When about to depart this 
 fate with firmness and resign, 
 especially when advanced Tw. 
 summons. ** It is better," said 
 than standing; to be asleep 
 
 it by human blood. 
 
 leet their approaching 
 
 ' infrequenlly, indeed, 
 
 ^ nipf for the expected 
 
 , . udian, " to be seated 
 
 itwake: to be dead than 
 
 ahve. After putting on their best clothes, the family is called 
 around, and addressed in a firm manly tone, exhorting them to 
 lead |)eaceable industrious lives ; to be obliging and friendly 
 towards the Europeans; and if they bear any revenge to- 
 wards another tribe, they are exhorted to carry it to the last. 
 He endures bis tortures with the greatest composure ; tell* 
 them he' is going to the land of spirits, that blissful abode 
 where he will have jilenty of fowling and fishing ; and desirea 
 them to bury with him his gun, shot-pouch, kettle, as also his 
 skippertoggan, containing his flint, steel, and touchwood. All 
 this IS fauhfully com|>Jied with. If, however, they should at 
 any time stand much ip need of any of these articles, as a 
 gun, for instance, they very often take it from their graves^ 
 and leave in its place a |ong pole. l^e* 
 
 With regard to their religious sentiments, ther^Obelievc 
 but little difference. They all believe in a great ge^ Being, 
 and in a great bad one. / lliey generally pray to the bad one 
 that he may not injui*e them ; to the good one they think it 
 unnecessary to pray, as they are confident he will not injure 
 
 • One cnstom they have, which it very extraonlinary^ When their pa* 
 rents grow lo old as to t»e incapable of aiipporiin^ Uienuelves by tlieir own 
 labour, they require their chUdren to sfrangle them, and Uiis is esteemed an 
 act of obedience in them to peribrm. The manner of discharging this laot 
 dnty is thos^i 4h« graxe of the old penon being dng, he goes into it; and, 
 after havmg conversed, and smoked a pipe, or perhaps drank a diam or two 
 with his childrep, the old pepou signifies that he is ready ; npon which two 
 of the children put a tlioug ftbwrt his neck, one standing on one side, and 
 the other opposite to him, and pall violently till be is strangled, then cover liirti 
 with earth, and over that they; e^ect a kind of rongli inomiment of stones. 
 Such persons as have no children, rcqae^t this office from their friends ; though 
 In Ihis4a8t case it is not always cobiplied wii|i.— $<•« Ellis's Voffoge to Huds<m'f 
 
 «™y» . '' 'u : : ' 
 
 VOYAOBS and TraVHLS, jy^ 2, FoI. JA "~7~~T~ "" 
 
 :% 
 
 #.■ 
 
 ? 
 
 -- :f. 
 
 !i : ; 
 
 ^ 
 
QG 
 
 APKeevor's Voyage to Hud$on*$ Bay. 
 
 them. Their opinion of the origin of mankind is, that the 
 Great Spirit made the first men and women out of the earth, 
 three in, number of each ; that those whom we Europeans 
 sprang from were made from a whiter earth than what their 
 progenitors were ; and that there was one pair of still blacker 
 earth than that from which'they v^ere formed. Almost all of 
 them believe in a future state of rewards and punishments, 
 but unhappiW they have blended with these important truths 
 the most puerile and extravagant fancies, which are neither 
 founded on rational piety, nor nroductive of moral obligation. 
 
 The climate here is almosit aiwayis wintry j the hot weather, 
 though violent, being of very short duration. About October, 
 the snow begins to appear, and continues to fall at intervals 
 the entire winter. Daring this seasons, the thermometer is 
 often known to fall fifty degrees below the freezing point. 
 Wine is said to freeze into a solid mass ; and brandy to as- 
 sume a coagulated form ;* even the breath is said to fall in 
 the form of hoar-frost upon the blankets. Frozen mercury 
 has been reduced to plaii^s as thin as paper, by beating it on 
 an anvil previously reduced to the same temperature. When 
 put into a glass of warm-water, a curious appearance is ob- 
 served : the water instantly becomes solid, while the mercury 
 passes to the fluid state. By the rapidity of the action, the 
 glass ;ii which it was immersed was shivered into a thousand 
 pieces. 
 
 During this season, the inhabitants live principally in tents, 
 constructed after the manner already mentioned, the sides of 
 which are covered with snow for the purpose of increasing 
 their warmth. Frequently, for weeks together, no one dare 
 venture out, without running great risk of their lives.^ 
 
 * " Nonght around 
 Strikes bi8 sad eye, but deserts lo»t in snow. 
 And lieavy loaded groves, and solid floods, 
 Tliat streicb atliwart nie solitary vast ^,, 
 
 Tlicir icy horrors to tlie frozen main."t . , 
 
 • If in drinking a dram of brandy out of a glass, jone's tpagae or dps touch 
 "it, in pulling iheni away the skin is left npon it. An odd instance of this sort 
 happeqed to one of our people who was carrying a bottle of spirits from the 
 house to bis tent; for, not having a cork to stop the bottle, be made uke of bis 
 finger, which wa» soon frozen fast, by which accident he lifst a part of it to make 
 a cnre practicable. \ 
 
 t If a door or window was but opened, the cold air rnsheil io with great fury 
 and turned the uicloscd vapours into small snow. Nor was all thjf heat we conlH 
 raise sufficient to keep onr windows, the ceilinp, or side* of the Inwse, clear from 
 •now or ifljj^ Those whose bed-clothes touched the walls, weie generally froie 
 fkst to them by morning ; and omr breaths settled in a white boar^h>st upowtbe 
 blank e tt i— &< Etu*?* Voyagt t»^Hudson't Baf, p. 81.^— ^— -^ — ^.^r^^ 
 
Jt^Ktevot's Voyage to Hudson'* Bay. ef 
 
 At this time they subsist priu^capally on salted geese, dried 
 tongues, and pimmicum. Whe&i the weather is more mode- 
 rate, however, they hunt the rein-deer, which they often meet 
 m vast herds, seekmg the extreme cold. Frequently, thev 
 merely take out t^e tongues, leaving the rest of the Jidy tJ 
 putnfy,or be devoured by wild beasts. At times, Cwever. 
 such IS the extreme scarcity of food, that they are obliged to 
 have recourse to the most Olthy and disgusting practices for 
 the purpose of sustaininftlife. Many arl obliged to strip the 
 r^L!\TJ^ peltry whi^ they are bringing to the dirferent 
 . factories, an^ subsist on the skins. Others procure a scanty 
 nourishment from the deer-skins, with which their shoes and 
 
 ;S li P^i?,''^^^^""?''^*'*''^ ^^'•'"^^i *"^>^t times, such is 
 the dreadful want of provisions, that they are compelled to 
 resort to the horrid and revoltfhgr prdctice of cannibalism. 
 Mr. Swaine mentioned to mean instance which occurred the 
 preceding winter, of a. southern Indian woman, who was in 
 
 * K u*i''u"'® ''''"'^' '*"'' «^« <*"& "P one of her own relatives, 
 who had been sometime buried, and fed for several days on 
 this shocking repast. ' 
 
 Mr. Ellik tells -us « that an Indian, who with bis family 
 
 was coming down to trade from a place very far distant, had 
 
 he misfortune to meet with but little game by the way j so 
 
 Ia'J'a f^T V"^ Jl'""^'^' ^'^ ^'f^* «"d h» children, were 
 reduced to the last distress. In these circumstances, they 
 plucked the fur from their clothes, and preserved life ai loni 
 as they were able, by feeding on the skins which they worel 
 but even this wretched resource soon failed them: and then, 
 what IS terrible to conceive, aud horrible to rojate, these pooJ 
 creatures sustained themselves by feeding. <^two of their 
 children. 
 
 Mr. Hearne in p. 85 of his interesting work, makes men- 
 V^^r°^ 't^ following instance: "In the spring of the year 
 1775, when I was building Cumberland-house, an Indian 
 Whose name was Wappoos, came to the settlement at a time 
 when fifteen tents of Indians were* on the plantations; they 
 examined him verv minutely, and found he had come a con- 
 siderable way by himself, without a gun or ammunition. This 
 ma.de many of them conjecture he had met with and killed 
 some person by the way ; and this was the more easily cre- 
 dited, trom the care he took to conceal a bag of provisions 
 which he had brought with him, in a lofty pine-tree near the 
 house. Being a stranger,.! invited him in, thoug h 1 — y h^ 
 u "°^^°8: Tor trade ; and, during that Tntm^w^^ 
 the Indian women examined his bag, and gave it as their opi- 
 nion that the meat it contained was human flesh; in conse- 
 
 
 T' 
 
 I* 
 
 It 
 
 ¥ 
 
 m 
 €-, 
 
 
 
 I; 
 ?i 
 
 .)ii 
 
 t=l!\ 
 
1 ' 
 
 I- 
 
 68 M'Keevor'h Voyage ta ffndson's Bay. 
 
 f|ucnce, it was not Avithout the interference of some principal 
 ndians, whose liberality of sentiment was more 'd^tcnsivc 
 than in the others, that the poor creature's life was saved. Many 
 of the men cleaned and loaded their guns, others had their 
 bow« and arrows reiidy; and e\'en the women took possession 
 of the hatchets to kill this poor inoffensive creature, f(u- no 
 crime but that of travelling about 200 miles by himself, un- 
 assisted,|)y fire-arms fdt his support on hid journey." 
 
 It is iisserted that the southern Indians, if once they arc 
 driven to this unnatural practice, become so fond of it that 
 no person is safe in their company. 'I'hey are, however, de- 
 spised and neglected for ever after. 
 
 From the instances which I have here related, particularly 
 that by Mr. Hiarnc,.we may conclude that cannibalism has 
 always originated in extreme want, though it may afterwards 
 be continued from other motives. 
 
 During this frightful season, the whole anii|ial creation in- 
 Btcad of the usual variety which exists during the summer, 
 puts on the *• winter robe of purest white." Even animals 
 which have been brought from this country become, at this 
 period, of » milk-white ciolour. It is ^ difficult matter to say 
 what purposes in the animal ecoilomy this singfu^r change 
 may serve. It once occurred to me, that perhaps a white 
 surface might possess less radiating {wwers, and in this way 
 preserve to the animal body a quantity of caloric, which would 
 otherwise be dissipated by the intense cold of the climate. 
 1 found, however, that on placing a canister, constructed after 
 Mr. Leslie's directions, and on which I had pasted porticftjs 
 of different coloured skins in the focus of a concave mirror, 
 that there was not the slightest dijfferencc in the effects pro- 
 duced on the differential thermometer. There is, in fact, but 
 little known of a wtisfactory nature on this interesting sub- 
 ject; I shall, tbereftn-e, drop it here, lest, by substituting con- 
 jecture iii the place of more solid information, I niight disgust 
 the sensible reader. Another change is observed to take 
 place in the ^ln\ti\ creation at this time, the wise intentions 
 of which are sufficienrly obvious : the skin of every animal is 
 covered with a finer and longer fur» than they po.ssessed du- 
 
 • A corretpoodmf exchangr, we find, takri plarr in warm climntes, Tims 
 the tfieep in Africa liaii a eoane hair giibtlitule^ in place of it* wool ; and Ihe 
 do|lot«a lU coat fntin-ly, and has a smooth and sotl skin, fioats abo nnderco 
 
 'hlu^ffhutihl^^nlHw!^"^ ^ P*"' °^,|\';»« -«l" «'"'_«^«< «'••» ttiis chanK»-. would hardlj 
 r SChcxrMUt-tn« Caahmrre shawk^ whieb ar« s«l«t ]ttaHii<t{ tir«Hnilio&s fiigS privifr 
 could be (be produce of that animal.— Heet't (yc/o^S- 
 
 ^^ 
 
J 
 
 M'Keevor't Voyay^ to Hudson's Bay. .69 
 
 ring Hie summer ; thus the clothing of each is admirably adapted 
 to the rigours of its situation. The fox and the wolf, which id 
 temperate climates h^ve but comparatively short hair, in thpse 
 frozen regions are covered with a fine, long, and thick f|r. The 
 beaver and the ermine, which are found in the greatest abundance 
 ip these high latitudes, are(!«(remarkable for the warmth and de- 
 licacy of their furs. It is owing to these changes that the pel- 
 try of northern climes are sof»much admired, and so highly valut 
 ed. 
 
 About May, nature again resumes her wonted liberty ; the ice 
 begins to drift away, the snows to dissolve, and the animals to 
 resume their usual variety of colour. About June the hot wea- 
 ther commences ; and, in a short time, the heat is so intense as 
 to scorch the face of th^^ives. A rapid and luxurious vege- 
 tation now sets in ; so that, in a short time, instead of the waste 
 and dreary appearance which but a little before presented itself, 
 the eye is refreshed with ^ rich and beautiful vCrdure. This 
 change, indeed, is so rapid, that it is probably going on for a consi- 
 derable time before the snows mllfe away. -Even in this couiitry 
 I have frequently observed, that when heavy snow has fallen at 
 the close of a long and severe winter, it has been pushed off, as it 
 were, by the young shoots projecting themselves through it j and 
 this though the temperature of the air was below 32°. It is very 
 likely, indeed, that but for this coverttig, vegetation would have 
 been considerably retarded. 
 
 The remarkable increase of heat which is observed here, du- 
 ring the summer months, is owing, itfa great measure, to the 
 length of time the sun remains above the hoqzon ; thus compen- 
 sating for the shortness of its stay, as a\sq^ the slowness with 
 which an equilibrium of temperature, by the circulation of the 
 atmosphere, takes place. Its excfss, however, is mod<^ated by 
 the large quantity of caloiic which those immopse masses of ice 
 and snow absorb while passing To tim fluid form. T may also 
 remark, that the rigour of winter must also be considerably miti- 
 gated by the warmth evolved, as congelatioqi^ again begins to 
 spread over those dreary retreats. 
 
 Dr. Darwin tells us, that it was in consequence of the want 
 of this protection that many Lapland and Alpine plants perished 
 in the botanic garden at Upsal, although the cold was not more 
 intense than what prevails for a great part of the year in their 
 native situations ; but in those climates, the fall-of snow commonly 
 commences with the diminislied temperature of the season, and in 
 this manner it affords a protection to the vegetable tribes against 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 ■1, 
 
 11 
 
 • t 
 
 
 i* 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 1 r 
 
 I 
 
^^ _ ^^^^oor'iFoyagetoHuddon'iBay. 
 
 S!n«"?"'^?^ rJ**",^ °^ ^^"^ '^^''^^^'» *^«« "« e^«n many 
 ?!m ; ,P»'"C"Ja'^y I'chens and mosses, which thrive oftly in the 
 coldest chmatps, and continue to live when the thermometer is 
 3. STi'''^'^ ° ofFahrenheit. Besides the protective co- 
 Ltl^S. K^ ^'^ "'°?' •5°''*'' ^^^y '"'^ '^'"^ e°ab!ei to resist this 
 ^n«wi r.i'"^°^''^.l^^ P°*'*''+ wbich they possess, in com- 
 t^iriii/''?'T''**'^'T? "^ preserving a Certain tempera- 
 turt independent of externa] circumstances. 
 
 «k1i!;';1"^/^^ several excursions, whic%I made into the woodtf 
 while on shore, I have gathered a^onsid^rable quantity of iroose- 
 bernes, currants, and strawberries- Cranberries are also to be 
 found ra great •<bun(bnce,, The gooseberries were very large 
 Iw »n! "^""^a^'y |n\fla'^oor J they are all red, at least! never 
 ^TKL^^«5r'j'l*?'^\""*'" «'"y respect similar to those 
 ^I i!If ^& ^i**"" ^'^^y are much lower, seldom exceeding 
 ,nl!!!!i i^ Tap currants were very fine; both red and blaek 
 S^t? 17?''^?''*? * **•= '""^'•' »>°'^«^«'-, arb said to be the ' 
 most p^nfeful. .American strawberries are called by the Indians 
 ooteagU^inik, from their resemblance to a heart t their flSlour 
 
 LS 4""*"^'"?^"°'^* *'^'°'^' »° that produced by cul- 
 tivatton. rhe cranberry found here appears to belong to the spe- 
 c^s «amw«;,rf m«roc«rpon. The following are its character : 
 cordta pinfe deeply fbur-clcft : leaves elliptic, oblong entire, 
 si ghtly revolate, obtuse, smooth : stems ascending: flowers late- 
 
 !«..« T"** P"'P'®.' ^'''"'y '' "°*he" ye"ow, converging, without 
 spurs : the germen is smooth : the berry is pear-shafed, crimson, 
 and of a peculiar favour. We packed a laVge quantity of them 
 
 -iw!!" •/"!''' "c "'^w*^ *''*'" °" *''* P«"«ge J they made remarks 
 aWy nice p.es. Sir Joseph Banks advises us, in order to have 
 th« species of cranberry, to cultivate it in an artificial bog, with 
 plenty of water. He assures us, that a few square yards of ground 
 occupied m this way, will yield as many cranberries as any family 
 
 I shall here give an account of the other plants which I 
 
 U for\nL-!l „I«-tl?^<?? * '"^^** »h«c«i»in«ili«*l of the earth. Tbi* wfetiUe 
 n H.i.^i^l^wi*!!:!?''^ *"•*" *« ••'« *■«<«» »f »»»• rein-deer, who dVTrroiM 
 
 I.J-STfi.SV'J"""'"' •tofcrvilion that unow is for a long time diHoWed on 
 
 ■-^»» 
 
M^Keevor'i Foyage to Hudton'^Bay 
 
 collected during thes^ excurtions. Th^most abundant is the 
 sorrel, bel6D|piDg to the species oxaUs ttricta, or yellow vprigbt 
 wood-sorrel. The root is creeping : stem erect, branchad^ leaflet^ * 
 inve^s^ heart-shaped : umbels stalked : axillary : solitary : many- ^ 
 flowered. The flowers are numerous, small, yellow : gtwuns 
 covered with a downy substance. 
 
 Coltsfoot. is also very common : it appeared to belotog to the 
 ?F«f i?s tupiUtgo tagittata. The flowers were radiated, and of a 
 light flesh-colour, with short obtuse rays : panicle dense : ovate : 
 level tppped : radical leaves, oblong : acute : arrow-shaped : entire,^ 
 with obtuse lobes. Xi 
 
 3curvy-grass, or cocAfcafio Grcwi/andica, is found here, as in 
 all northern^ countries, in great plenty. The root of this herb 
 '"'Rie^ rather thidk, elongated, covered with hairy fibres ; the 
 whole herb is smooth, somewhat fleshy, irery various in size: 
 »tems leafy, angular, branched in a corymbose manner. . Flowers 
 white : calyx obtuse ; spreading : concave : petals inversely egg- 
 shaped : 'entire : siUicles globular : slightly veined: crowned Mth 
 a short style : seeds, five or six in a sheH. It has « w*rm and 
 bitter taste ; a pungent, rather unpleasant smell, when bruised. 
 Its active matter is extracted by maceration in proof spirit, and is 
 said to be of gj-eat use In scurvy ; but of this I have had no expe- 
 rience, "-r 
 
 Chick .weed is very common, and belongs to the species arma^ 
 
 rto luienfloria^ or side-flowing sand-wort. The leaves are ovate: 
 
 obtus^: peduncles lateral} two- flowered. The stem is short;. 
 
 smalj/ simple : leaves smootii, on short foot-stalks | peduncles 
 sinele ; inno • VARA . o«:iu... • ^« ir_ i .1 .i_- _ iA_ 
 
 teroide*. The leaves are <^^fine green 'colour, without^y 
 mealiness ; Variously Idbed and toothed : flowers purple, and yetv 
 handsome. »- *• * * / 
 
 There is also an herb, called Jy ihe. Indiaiu jackasbeypi*. 
 found here, though rather in sparingPintity/ It much rSem- 
 bles creeping-box ; and is only used bjf^he Eng|wb,iiandians, 
 to mix with tobacco, wjiich makes it smoke miliand ^Rsant. 
 
 During these excursions we were a gooif dwi annoyed with 
 the musquitos, having neglectecTto provide ourselves with any 
 means of defence against their troublesome bites. These in- 
 sects are of the gnat tribe, and subsist on the blood and juices 
 -of laiger annuals, which they .suck by means of their probosois. 
 In the larva itate they live in stagnant waters. They liave a small 
 respira to ry tobcnear the tail, and th e head armed with hp^fc*^ by^ 
 
 \' 
 
 k 
 
 :5. 
 
 ^. 
 
 III 
 ll 
 
 u 
 
 ,f: 
 
 I' 
 
 ! Tv 
 
Hv. 
 
 72 " • M*Keevor't 
 
 • means of 'which thej^ieize 
 
 \ge to Hudson's Bay. 
 n and secu|rje th 
 
 pupa is iilcurvated and subov^k w itii r|5))ii^tory 
 
 lead. They>appeitr to belodj^lo the s^cl^kuUx 
 «ipereou9^%ith eight 1)rown /riniHi the ^liltese of 
 
 N^ 
 
 4 Pectinated. Th^y abound/ prJuclklly in?|||>eighb^ioo^ of 
 gMfJhes, Jow grounds, and sttfMkli watel Wherever the/ Ik 
 ^«te»r sting a little tumOu^ Ofi* piistule usuall#ariii. \a^e " 
 
 sffl^tuitf 
 
 sting a little tumOuir 0^ pf|?tule 
 
 |abl6 Hching #^it'LmIs excite* Jl most el 
 
 aif^li 
 
 alkali} the application' 
 
 Sti 
 
 nil' singularly beaul^fi^;i«M . 
 
 Itllers, by their almost constant 
 
 r-m— t during |lie entire nighty some- 
 
 «% variegated splendour, wRifeh is not 
 
 rr - - -7^ "vr . .u|l|'tnoon . They generally stretch from 
 
 , ;!<• iitor%-*^st, arid are much fainter in |||| former 
 
 jfii iU l^peabnce it resembles electrical l^t when 
 
 viiJWed^ « yaottumJ They always comtnence like ajjist, on 
 
 ^^^ "*>li|«Tn pan of t||e horizon, which is then clearer^wards 
 
 the wekt.kThis fhickjhess of the air commonly arranges^ itself 
 
 ii|i, the forii|of the se^jnint of a circle. The point of itl^ cir- 
 
 ti^mfler'ence' that is visible soon acquires a border of a whitish 
 
 Ji^^ which gradually increases, and from whence prdi^eeds 
 
 Hbe '6r several lumiifblus arches. At this period the darting of 
 
 discoloured rays coniiiien(^ds, some fropi thesegm^nt of a circle, -^ 
 
 aria others from the arbh itsejf ;, by their motion, the space which 
 
 th«y bearalwajrs seem^ open, a'hdtheii' appearai^ces Increase in 
 
 ttiotion and. vividness of colour, with a proportionate auginen- 
 
 tktibn of the whole meteor. > The various coruscations cause an 
 
 appearance of great jjonfusion, and it occasionally seems to 
 
 vanish in par^, speedilV re- appearing with increased splendour.* 
 
 Tl^ey are ft-equently afccompatiied with a rustling or whizzing 
 
 kihid of noise. This I jhive never heard, but have been informed 
 
 of the fact by persons vtho have resided many years in tJie country. 
 
 Many attempts hayd been made to assign the immediate cause 
 
 iof this phenomenon. Ever since the identity of lighthry|..and 
 
 of the electric matter, has been ascertained*, philosop^^S&ive 
 
 been naturally led to l6ok for the explication of aerial idlllp in 
 
 the principles of electri||. and there is now, I beljfcve,^BKtle 
 
 doubt that most of tlnl^btit particularly that oiftldl^PTave 
 
 * I have frcqi^ently habra thenno)6eter on d«k whilt ,a 
 interne, bpt coald not obcenre that there wai any rievatio 
 dacni. ■** I 
 
 .^, 
 
 V 
 
 asjnoBt 
 b^pro- 
 
 . 
 
 ■r 
 
 • 
 
 PM 
 Irii 
 
 I- 
 
 
 49.- 
 
 0fl 
 
 1 
 
 ■^ 
 
 
 - 1* 
 
 » 
 
 '< 
 
 • 
 
■^■ 
 
 MfKeevor's Voyage tQ Hudson's Bay. 
 
 .73 
 
 V 
 
 been speaking, depends upon tliese principle^. Dr. Hamilton, 
 of this city was, it seenrjs, the fit^t who attempted to discover any 
 positive evidence of the ele'ctrical nature of the aurora ^orealis. 
 The only proof, hbwever, which he acfvahces, is an experuuent of 
 H&wkesbier, by which t.he electrical fluid is slfiown to assume 
 ^ppiearances resembling the aurora borealis, whin it passes 
 tbrough^^ vacuum. He observed, th^t when the air was most 
 perfectly exhausted, the streams of eleetrjca} matter were then 
 ^uite white ; but when a small quantity of air was let in, the light 
 assumed more of a purple colour. The hashing of the Ught, 
 therefore, ifom the dense region of the atmosphere into such as 
 are more rare, and th^ transitipn through mediums of 4iff<2rQnt 
 '4, densities, he considers as t'le caiise of the aurora, and of the diiHerent 
 
 colours it assumes. Dr. Halley,, and, more lately, Mr. Da)tpn, 
 have advanced many ingenious arguments in favour of the opiqlon 
 that this phenomenon depends on the quantity of magne^i^ 
 fluid existing it^. the atmosphere, the polarity of ipagnets hav- 
 ing been observed to be disturbed during i^s appearance. It 
 has been proved, however, particularly by Perecotte, that this 
 disturbance does not always take place on such, occasions ; and, 
 as the same circumstance H observtj^to happen when the 
 atmosphere is4n a positive state of electricity, the theory itself 
 becbmes highly questionable. Whatever may be the ihime- 
 ,diate cause of this phenomenon, it is evidently connected vtith 
 }iie condensation of vfllpour from the air, as during their appear- 
 ance, there always is observed a copious deposition of dew oj: 
 hoar-frost. Hence, perhaps, this meteor* is so common in 
 those latitudes wl^re lie Vencfilar vapour hangs near to the earth's 
 surface, and when its evaporation and precipitation are slowly 
 taking place. 
 
 Tto nalos which occasionally surroupd the sun and moon de- 
 serve to be next considered. This appearance occurs only when 
 there is a slight fog in the atmosphere. They rarelv accompany 
 the sun, owing to these v^^ being so readily dissipated by 
 the calorific^nmJd^thaj^jjpmlH^rhM phetiomenqa appears to 
 be occasiopw^'bythil' rays W li|^ striking against a cloud, or 
 body ofropoir, which, althid^gh collsiderably unifdNrm and dense, 
 is still M rare at t(%s aUo^ them to be scattered at tlte point of 
 incident, and which ale thus r^flectjpd ||»drefracM> fnwa evdlry 
 
 ■ — ^ ' " ' ■ ' 'K ' , ' V " 
 
 ' Se«t on this labject, Robertaoo^ HittMf of the AtnMipbei««<— Dr. Halley's 
 PMkMophkal TnoMption*, No. S47>. 4062aUrwui'i imnctioiu oi the Royal 
 
 49.— PhlloMphicai 
 0f Electricit;. 
 
 VoVAOil 
 
 .8Q.»»CtaniuiD-a ; 
 •actiou, VolA xlviif. Parti 
 
 vrs»r^ 
 
 ^. S58.-F^Ujr'» Hiitorjr 
 
 i 
 
 VBLS, No. 2, FqI, Ht j 
 
 «.., 
 
 M 
 
 •%fl 
 
 TP©,^ 
 
 "N 
 
 'A] 
 
 -1 
 
 ^i 
 
 1j 
 
 ^1 
 
 iL 
 

 '\ 
 
 A 
 
 74 
 
 M*Keevofs Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 
 
 |wint aroynd giving the appearance of a luminous circle. An 
 appearancje, not unlike this, may sonpetimes be observed round 
 the lightakin the streets during damp weather; or, by rubbing 
 the eyes also, a^milar appearance may be observed, owing to the 
 refraction jjof the ray» of light as they reach the eyes, by the 
 contents^ df the caranculee ItNiIirymales and glands of the eye- 
 lids, whic^ owing to the pressure, are spread over the surface of 
 the cornea. . 
 
 V In these remote latitudes the stars are said to twinkle with a 
 neiy redness ; but this I did not observe. The cone; of red light 
 which is Observed to accompany the rising and setting of^the sun, 
 in this ana other northern countries, is probably owing to the great 
 qoantitv ^f vericular vapour with which the lower parts of the 
 tltmctepheije are always K>aded in these climates. „ y 
 
 VOCABULARY OF THE DIALECTS. 
 
 I shall here give a few words of Northern and Chippeway 
 Indian langiiagei^ which Iiwrote down during my stay at Fort 
 Yprk, begintiliiglwith that of th? ' OcJchepayyans, or i^rtbern 
 Indians. I km pTiBcipally indebted to Mr. Swaine, on(^the 
 inhind govertiors, to whom I take this opportunity of return- 
 ing many thinks for the kind and politic attention which I 
 received froi) him. whilejit York Fort. 
 
 I 
 
 We ■ 
 
 They . 
 
 A knife 
 Afo^k 
 A hog 
 A6#e 
 'A lM>n«e 
 i 'Brtad - 
 A dock 
 
 A^OOK 
 
 A swan 
 Gfye me 
 
 A,^oqat 
 'A shoe 
 -A few 
 
 Nithaj 
 
 Kitha.y 
 
 WilhaviMv. 
 
 NithanM. 
 
 Ye 
 
 He, or she 
 You and I 
 
 
 KUhmvaUf. 
 
 Witha. 
 
 Kithanow. 
 
 Muk a man. 
 Chas chat chip iRuin. 
 Koo koot. \ 
 Ukttstaoo. ij \ 
 Has hat htguin. \ 
 IferakanoU. ~ , 
 SheesUp. ' J 
 Nischow. 
 Ifap a say, 
 Pich astummin. 
 Shutagan. :'j 
 Muikasin. ^Z 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 J 
 
 i 
 
 J 
 1 
 
 j 
 1 
 J 
 i 
 
 J 
 
 I 
 J 
 
 "Siutan. 
 
M'Keevor't Voyage to Hudton't Bay. 
 
 n 
 
 ... i' 
 
 
 Hair 
 
 A kettle 
 
 A pot 
 
 A haod 
 
 A mau 
 
 A woman .. 
 
 A Boiatl canoe 
 
 A ship 
 
 A star , ,' 
 
 Au evil spirit 
 
 A pipe 
 
 A piece of istick 
 
 A ban kerchief 
 
 A pair of stockings 
 
 A watch 
 
 A porcupine 
 
 A beaver 
 
 A bu£falo 
 
 A dog 
 
 A horse 
 
 Paint 
 
 A bow 
 
 An arrow - 
 
 A gun 
 
 A hatchet 
 
 A trout 
 
 A sturgeon 
 
 Feathers 
 
 ^rope 
 
 A paddle 
 
 A deer 
 
 Awolf 
 
 A leg 
 ^<A foot 
 ^ candle 
 ' A box 
 A key 
 
 Flesh 
 
 A snow shoe 
 
 The Supreme Beiu^ 
 
 A uair of snuffers 
 
 Avwiudow 
 
 A tree rrowint 
 
 Thebark 6U 
 
 A uiusquitip 
 ^ A sand-fly 
 A bull-dpg 
 A frog 
 
 
 ^( ..• 
 
 4» 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 •I. 
 
 
 
 • * 
 
 • ft 
 
 t 
 
 Pirn- 
 
 Arktk. 
 
 Minniguaggan. 
 Michkhi. 
 Mapin. 
 Huskow. 
 
 If^ssquichitnan, , 
 Quassatik. 
 Achctk. 
 
 fVillikoo. i> 
 
 OospQBgan. 
 Mistik. 
 Tapaslaggan. 
 Ootassa. 
 Pisumakan. 
 Kaquaw. 
 Amisk. 
 Mistus, " 
 Alim. 
 Mistalam. 
 Oothuman. 
 Achapi. <^"" 
 Akusk. 
 
 Pas^saggau. , 
 
 Chikahaggem. 
 Mamakus. 
 Hanutoo. 
 Oopaawaoo. 
 Pinriniquan. « 
 Upowoi. 
 Atik. 
 Managan. 
 Uskat. 
 Hoossit. -^ 
 
 JVdsasuskalaommaooin . 
 Mislikooit. 
 Apilukahagin. , 
 tViaash. 
 
 Kithanowweasamak. 
 Kisshamanalou. 
 J^kisouhaggan. 
 Wassanamoiiih. 
 Mistikgahchimmuisoot. 
 Welihakeisk. 
 Luggimaoo. 
 Pikoos.' ^ 
 Mississak. 
 
 I' 
 
Vr 
 
 76 
 
 A toad 
 
 A day suir.j'^^i'l. 
 
 A ni^lit Bun 
 
 A fox • 
 
 An ottei" 
 
 A marten 
 
 A t|«Slr 
 
 A white bear^ 
 
 ink 
 
 \gc io»,Hudho*Cs Bay. 
 
 • • ' .. Ptppibsojlalayotii. 
 
 ..'■"' JCtsihkowapissim 
 
 «r 
 
 
 it squirrel • 
 ,^ . squirrel 
 , ''An owl ._ 
 A partridge 
 V A plover i^ 
 
 A mouse 
 / Brandy ;i 
 '. Powder 
 A gun 
 A flint 
 A «tt;el 
 t A ramrod 
 The wind 
 Tobacco 
 The nose 
 The mouth 
 The chin „ 
 A tooth 
 " - The ear 
 The ^ye 
 % The cheeks 
 
 s,:^.Countryman 
 'Northern lights 
 Thundejr 
 Lightning 
 Snow 
 old 
 
 Viny cold day 
 
 ^% 
 
 
 Two 
 
 Three 
 
 Four 
 
 Five 
 
 Six 
 
 
 »« 
 
 Tidliiskowapissim 
 Mdkasfiis. 
 
 Miisquan! 
 
 Mahpusli. 
 
 Shaqvasshoo. 
 
 Sikus. , 
 
 Sikak. 
 
 Mistamusk. 
 
 Anikoochus. 
 
 SassakawappiskooS 
 
 Ohoo. / 
 
 Pethayjoo. / 
 
 Pus'scoocht/ssin . 
 
 Appacoosish. 
 
 Iscoottfuvahpoi. 
 
 Kusktftayoo. 
 
 Pafkissceggan. 
 
 CMakasahuggan. 
 
 ^pelh. 
 
 Cikuchiskkahaganatik . 
 
 Thutin. 
 
 Chistharhon. 
 
 Oocoo. - 
 Oo€on, 
 
 Was^inityoo. n 
 Oowipil, y 
 
 Ootauiaki. ^ 
 
 Ooskishik. « * 
 
 , ^ OowangMi: 
 
 •*. 'V* C^ipaak. ^. '.i 
 
 ^iJhaiho9tick. ■ ^^ 
 
 Kootta. ', 
 
 Kishinou. 
 
 Miskoome.'* 
 
 Naspithkishaaou. 
 
 Pittk. 
 
 Nishoo. \ 
 
 Nistoo. -J 
 
 Naoo. / 
 
 ;Naanin. 
 
 Ootwasifi. 
 
 Nisw assik, 
 
 •*Ja»' :• 
 
 ^ 
 
 X 
 
 ^^ -. 
 
 ii.'sr 
 
 i 
 
 N 
 
i 
 
 ^ M*^£^or'i Voyage io Hudson'^ Bay 
 
 Eight " *. , ... 
 
 Nine 
 
 Ten 
 
 A lark ., 
 
 The ground , . 
 
 11 
 
 A tent 
 A Bhirt . . 
 
 A lock .. - .. 
 
 The ami 
 The thigh 
 Good 
 
 Bad .. 1.. 
 
 A stone 
 
 A book, or ahy thing written 
 \ A spy-glass. . . 
 
 Swasik. 
 
 Sak. 
 
 Alitath. 
 
 Makaifik. 
 
 Uski. 
 \ Miboapeh. 
 . Pttiayanafagas. 
 
 AlhuppUsaik, 
 ■mspittooin. 
 
 Pdtwom- 
 
 Milhawashirf. . 
 
 Mat hat fn. 
 > j4»ini. 
 
 Misanahagan. 
 ' Ootkahpa%chigguh. 
 
 11 
 
 ^ 
 
 M 
 
 AfewfawiUar Phrases in the Ouppeway lAngudge^ 
 
 A may here reiiiark, that this is one of the moJ;her--toagues 
 ^North America, *nd is usually spoken among the chiefe, 
 
 wHj^eside About the great lakes, as far south as the Ohio, and 
 
 'as nniorth as Hudson's Bay. 
 
 Hd*r do yqi^o, frieml ? . . 
 In good hi(M^ I thank you 
 What news W 
 
 » • 
 
 p*' 
 
 tfisj 
 
 1 have node 
 
 Have you had a good huni t 
 
 winter? 
 Yes, a very good hunt 
 What lake did you huiit at Ibstl 
 
 winter? .. .. / 
 
 At the Slfftnk lake^ . . . . 
 
 What is the|« at that lake ? 
 Beaver, but hot much ^| , , ^ . . 
 This is English .. T?.. 
 
 Let us eat. .< „ .. 
 
 Itisvery goo4 ..,,,.. 
 
 Sit down '? .. .. .. 
 
 I want to smoke a pipe . . 
 
 Iwirtgo .. 4. 
 
 That is right .. .. .. 
 
 Notyrt .. 
 
 How many beaver-skins will you "t 
 
 take for this ? . . / 
 
 Twenty 
 
 fVay way neejee ? 
 
 Meegwotch nobum permurlur. 
 
 Tdrnin mergunxmegal ? 
 
 Cai ween arwayyor. 
 
 Nishisghin geosay nogome be- 
 bdne ? 
 
 Angaymer p hisshishin. 
 
 Hatvwanee jawaisakiegai 
 geosay f 
 
 Sheekark saiiegan. 
 * Witygpnin woity ha saicil 
 Atnik cawween gwotch. 
 
 Maunder saggonash. 
 
 Hawwissinnimin. 
 
 Hunjeyta o hishshishin. 
 
 Mtmtetappy. ^ 
 
 Nee wee sugger'soy. 
 
 Nin gamarcna. 
 
 Neegwoyack. 
 
 Kaniarcky. 
 
 Atidersoy appiminiquy keetav 
 
 penan mor ? 
 Neesk tanner. ■: 
 
 
 ,•^1" 
 
 ML 
 
 •HfKTBem; Trr^r 
 
 "7^ 
 
 .•it 
 
 Tarpenan neecarhis. 
 
 'I 
 
78 ^ M^Keewr'r Voyage to Hudion's Bay, 
 
 Your health, friend .. .. Kee taltenemanco. 
 
 I love you ., .. .. Neexargaykeen. 
 
 I ant well Pemartissy nin. 
 
 I am dry ^i^- . . . . Sparchlay nin. 
 
 I am hungry ; Bocketly nin. 
 
 I am cold Geessennarnin. 
 
 I am lazy .. .. .. KUHnnin. 
 
 I will go to bed .. .. Peskemo kin gamar char. 
 
 Get up, friend Gmishear, neegee. 
 
 Take coorage, farewell^ friend flaguarmissey, way waynegee. 
 
 m, 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 /.■■ 
 
 
 ^,. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 \ 
 
 
 • 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 •t'\ 
 
 rf^ 
 
 
 . -■-,■■ 
 
 _ - 
 
 
 
 f- 
 
 ^ 
 
 ' 
 
 
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 X 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
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 \ 
 
 
 
 N M. ... 
 
 ■-'•■- 
 
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 ■■■r..mM 
 
 l;w., ,, / 
 
 
 i^-,-.v..■ .-../■' 
 
 '■<:.'! 
 
 :V „ :,_ 
 
 
qee. 
 
 VOYAGE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 NORTH POL.E, 
 
 IN THE FRIGATE THE SYREN E; 
 
 
 INCLVDINO 
 
 A PHYSICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL NOTICE 
 
 RCLATITE TO 
 
 THE ISLAND OF ICELAND. 
 
 BY THS 
 
 CHEVALIER DE LA POIX DE FREMWyiLLE, 
 tinrriNANT, tmn ov,thr brioadk or tmc mariwb cAom, amd a 
 
 , MEHBIR or SETKRAL LEARRED SOCIETIEt. 
 
 w^ 
 
 lontimt : 
 
 PRINTED FOR SIR RICHARD PHILLIPS and Co. 
 
 BBIDB^COURT, BRIDOB-STR8ST. 
 
 ,^^^^^ „ 
 
 i 
 
 I"' 
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 1 
 
 J 
 
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 4i 
 
 •i 
 
 f' 
 
 A 
 
J: 
 
 THE CHEVALIEH DE FREMINVILLP 
 
 TO THE EDITOR. 
 
 ij*>.- 
 
 jpm/, June 19, 1819. " 
 AT a time when tht Literati of Europe are wailing with anxiety, the 
 result of the new expedition which the Ilnelish government have sent to 
 explore the pa^Mge to the North Pole, and to resolve the problem whe- 
 ther Greenland be an island; it may be presumed that a brief relation of 
 a fypnge to the North Sea, in 18Q6, performed by some officers of the 
 Frinch marine^ of ivhom I was one, will prove acceptable and interest- 
 ing. 
 
 This expedition, after encountering a number of difficulties, penetrated 
 to latitude 60°; and it mil be' observed, tj^t the atfjhnpt made by the 
 English last year, could only penetrate thdse seas t<^he latitude ©/"JSO* 
 32". In tkecourse of our voyage, the various iitifrming incidents that 
 occurred, partigularly at the Island of Iceland, will render thist brief 
 narratiye/mknture t9 affirmt not only worthy of (observation, but highly 
 ifiterestingt " ' ^ 
 
 Si 
 *ha 
 of 
 th 
 th 
 an 
 
 Wf 
 
 ta{ 
 
 * on 
 
 pri 
 
 «^ 'Til 
 
 ^■fi 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 * 
 
 
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 f 
 
 9pe( 
 Pre 
 
 1 . '. -^ 
 
 
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 , 
 
 
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 pro] 
 
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 ->, . 
 
 
 
 
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 \iJi 
 
VOYAGE 
 
 / 
 
 TO THK/ 
 
 NORTII POLE. 
 
 8J\ " 
 '.ty, vhe 
 
 • sent to 
 
 n whe- 
 
 ation of 
 
 of the 
 
 nterest' 
 
 letrated 
 by the 
 of BO" 
 its that 
 iy brief 
 t highlyi 
 
 ^^ 
 
 vj'en 
 
 SmcB the time of Duguay Tro^in, the French government 
 
 had no turned .ts attention to thfe' North Seas. In the ""urse 
 
 of the last war, an expedition to these s^ was projected for 
 
 it P?'P?\e«f «"noyng the whale-fisherrcarrieJon there by 
 
 InnnnS! ' f"^i",*^''\*"^ destroy the vast fleets that are 
 annually employed by them in this trade. Such a scheme 
 
 HtL^W^"' "'^'^? much danger; nevertheless, the advan! 
 tages Jvkely^o result from it were great in more relations than 
 ^IV.-'^*^''"^^"^* therefoi;.e^uow resolved to put. the plan id 
 practice; and, in consequence, three frigates were armed. 
 1 he command of the squadron wa& confided to Captain le 
 gjc, an «xpM|ence4vseaman, who had idready made several 
 Visages m thoAiyperborean Ocean. •'ue several 
 
 JL resolution wa& taken t(iv collect every possible advantage 
 
 mn an expedition that shpuld advance aS nea^ as possible to 
 
 fc»pple, to penetrate into Mas almost hitherto unexplored; 
 
 Ijy operations were n^to be the Jbly object: the scieuceS 
 
 ■i iP Tw •'''°?^ '" ^f"" * ^^^"'^ ""^ ^^^ probaSle benehts. Captain 
 . ^ e Due m his instructions, was directed to let slip no onpor! 
 tunity to avail himself of any astronomical|flnd geoeraEl 
 observations and facts that 'might conduf*to thnZove: 
 sTect^f the^NSS'^' *° '"'^ '''' ver/ imperfect, wUh re- 
 Tlje rainis|er ^of marine determined that nn officer should 
 thf^i^;*^ ^'"'PP^T^"*''^^'' ^" ^^^ ^"&^*e '^e Syrene, whereia 
 ■ hLh^^ i^'u-f^l^^' *^ superintend, in an esiecial manner, 
 he^hydrograph,^ labours, f was selected for this undertiS 
 mg' a better choice might doubtless have *een made: but » 
 well knowing how to value a distinction of^his >,onouraWe 
 kmd, I can ^vith truth affirm, that our sqi^ntific operations 
 during the voyage, are entitled to a measu^. pf Jfc cona- 
 dence. On our return, our papers were submitted to Ihe in- 
 T.nTf'^^. illustrious fioSgaiivUIe; and this prince Sf 
 pS^on. '^ '^™ pleased to aaqction thein wif his V 
 ^oYMGis and TRAVELa, No, 2. r<^ll! ' ju 
 
 ^i-:^ 
 
 '€ 
 
 ''% 
 
 , ■*i' 
 
 ■i 
 
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 -*<■' ,. 
 
 >v 
 
 f , 
 
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82 
 
 Fremmville's V 
 
 offOge to tlie ]Sorth Pole. 
 
 The division, or squad rog, consisting of the frigates tfie 
 Syrene, tlie Guerifere, and this Revanch'e, piit to sea on the 
 28th of March, IBOfJ. After frequent cahns fora number of 
 tiays. together, in the gulf of Gascony, a very violent gale 
 dispersed them, and obliged the Syrene to make for the Azorc 
 Islands, which had been fixecf upon as the first point of ren- 
 dezvous in case of separation. 
 
 After cruising two days within view of the isles of Corvo 
 and Fiores, the squadron again got together, and immediately 
 bore away in a northerly direction. 
 
 We were not long before we felt the effects of a piercing 
 cold, which gave us reason to regret the rtiild temperature of 
 the Azores. Continual foul weather, which did not allow us 
 for fifteen days to sail, except with lowered topsails, led the 
 captain to conceive, that as. the rigorous season was likely to 
 be of longer continuance than usual, it was too soon to. at- 
 tempt a passage into the frigid zone j in consequence of this, 
 he determined to cruii^ie about ten or twelve days rn the lati- 
 tude of Cape Farewell, on the coast of Greenland. 
 
 Our course, in coming from the Azores to these latitudes, 
 had passed over the points wherein a number of doubtful spots 
 are marked on the great chart of the Atlantic Ocean, pub- 
 lished in 1786 J and which, perhaps, have no existence, or only" 
 form the little .island of Jaquet, inaccurately fixed by the 
 voyagers to Newfoundland ; their reports, it is certain, have 
 often obtained more qredit than they were entitled to. 
 
 We steered for ten days on the parallel of .59 deg. 30 min. 
 but having to encounter very rough gales of a northerly wind, 
 all our endeayours to l^cep longer in that bearing were fruit- 
 legs. Being ojjliged to keepi close to the Cape, we were driven 
 back to the south, as far as the 58th parallel. To make some 
 advanti^e of a circumstance so contrary, we beat about for 
 the Isle of Bas, or Wrisland, phced in the chart of M. de 
 VerdiiV) in 58 deg. 11 rain. lat. N.and in 28 dog. 13 min. long. 
 W. '|?|iis islet, which was nothing but an extinguished vol- 
 cano,'' had become a rendezvous for the Greenland fishermen 
 who first discovered it j the Dutch had formed some establish- 
 ments on it, for the -preparation of ivbale-oil, but it disap- 
 peared about sixty years agp, and lias never since/been 
 noticed. It is conceived, that like many other volcanic islets, it 
 has been swallowed up by some submarine cdnvulsion, examples^ 
 of the like having frequently occurred. 
 
 Reaching the point assigned to the Isle of Bas, in the chart 
 above citcdj we could trace no vestige of it ; but as we had a 
 rough sea, with short ^nd rrppling waves, v^e judged we might he 
 over the spot it once occupied. We sounded for better assu- 
 
Fretninville's Voyage to the liJorth Pole. 83 
 
 Tance, biiloine of 200 fathoms could find no bottom. Such 
 submarine phenomena, doubtless the most' extraordinary of any 
 that volcanic eruptions produce, are \frequent in the Northern 
 Ocean, at least in the tracks occupied \by the long volcanic chain 
 that stretches from the 58th to the 72d degree of latitude. This 
 chain commences to the north of Scotland j and the basaltic 
 archipelagos of the Hebtides, of the Orkneys, and Shetland Isles, 
 form the first rings of it. Stretching afterwards to the N. W. 
 across the oceanic whirlpools, it appears again at the Ferro Islands, 
 then at Iceland, the most extensive theatre of ignivomous erup- 
 tions to be found on the surface of our globe. From Iceland, 
 the chain goes on to join the Isle of Jean Mayen, or Trinity, 
 where it appears to end, after traversing under water a space of 
 more than 260 marine leagues. In advancing more to the north, 
 we find nothing in the character of the lands that presents features 
 of a volcanic soil ; Bear's Island, and Spitzberg, are wholly cal- 
 careous; 
 
 • The weather , now becoming milder, we bore away for the 
 north J and in a few days we had sight of the coasts of Ice- 
 land. Their dark profile delineated a rough sketch of its steep, 
 rocky, indented shores, or a misty horizon ; in the N. W. at a 
 very considerable distance, appeared an enormous mountain, 
 which we judged might be mount Hecla^^tthj bad weather, 
 for three day successively, not admitting of any astronomical ob- 
 servations, I will not affirm that it was actually that famous vol- 
 cano, which had now been in a tranquil state the twelve preceding 
 years. 
 
 We made sail for the north-east, coasting land, but at a consi- 
 derably distance j the weather cleared up, during the short nigbt 
 which succeeded to the day of our seeing land, afid a pure serene 
 ^ky on Ihe day ensuing brought to view, on another pBlnt of the 
 coast, ajocul, or mountain, of a pirodigious height, entirely co- 
 vered with snow ; its summit, wbidi reach^ far above the 
 clouds, reflected the rays of the' rising sun, which tinging it 
 with a beautiful rose-colour, blended insensibly with the white- 
 ness of its flanks, and produced an admirable effect. Our obser- 
 vations enabled us to ascertain this mountain for the jocul 
 of, Knapafells, on the point of Wester, to the S. E. of tke is- 
 Ipnd. - 
 
 Being thu* Wsured of our jxisition, we bore away at large,'keep- 
 ing always to the E. N. E. We were in the tra«k wherein the 
 maps gienerally place the Isle i>f Enckuysen, the exisfence of 
 which was, nevertheless, considered! as fery doubtful. In our 
 cqurse we must have passed directly over the point wherein the 
 chart of Bellin places it. As the probletn of its existence was a 
 
 n 
 
 4. 
 
 
 
 SH 
 
 
 ^ 
 
84 
 
 FremmvUle's Voyage to the North Pole. 
 
 matter of sW interest to resolve, and we could eflFect it without 
 foik?out \* '''°"'^^' '"'' stationed some of our company on the 
 
 At night-falVsome of the men gave notice of a shoal, or ridge, 
 ahead ; m foct the sea, at a little distance in front, seemed to us 
 obvered w.th thoiisands of birds, of the kind of petrels and sea- 
 /iulls the vast^nuXiberof which, from their white plumage, re- 
 sembled at a distance the froth^if wav^s rippling over breakers j 
 we went about a m Ife to windward of the prilided shoaL and 
 discovered at to b^the|oating and half putrid carcase of a dead 
 lyhale, thus Servm^ for <^d to an immense multitude of sea.fowl. 
 Next day May | 12, W^ discovered land; it was, in reality 
 the Isle o Enckuysen, to ^e N. N. W. of'us, at the distan/e 
 of about two eagues and aXhalf. We fixed the position of its 
 long W^^^°" at,.64 deg. 5^1 min. l&t. and 12 ideg. 48 min. 
 
 w Jt!irl J"' f °i ^°^^"y^^"? generally placed in the charts much too 
 westerly of its real situation, and; too near the co»st of Iceland, 
 
 of n'n F S S° ^' W "' ^T ^'''^' ^" «^*^°*> i^ the direction 
 dlr'tS^^^^^^ 1- just elevation enough not,tp ren- 
 
 iniS! bn W ''^^ "^^ *''°''*'' *^^ ^''*'*'*' ^^ '"''''^^ ** *^ ^^S' 14 
 
 thi^fi^l'^;^*" • ^'' Iatitud<«tof 72 deg. we Wiced, with surprizef ' 
 the first. floating ice; it was unusual for the se\son to meet with . 
 
 h^. n r- ^* " ".."'""'d^n*^ ^^ ^°"°^ "^^^ th^ middle of May, 
 but only in from 76 to 80 degrees of latitude, fijaptaiiy Phipps 
 sen ,m 1773, from England, to explore the passa^of Uie Pole! 
 sJStiergr '"^ *'^^'^^^^^ reach64 the N. W. part of thecoit pf 
 • ^^^y^^y Y^ came abreast^^W a very large island of floating ' 
 
 kss detachiJii from tlie immensJ banks that surroSnd the 
 6p,tzberg,/rom the diversity of their shapes, and their curious 
 infractions and indeptations, presented J spectacle altogether 
 unique for the most of our company. Their friction prodSed a 
 
 s^fp'sJifsrnririJ^i^'''^^^^ 
 
 to 2? h!?rA*r °'^ "°"°*""' ^^ ice-flakes, many of whicfc rose^ 
 
 Stia^lfSTLrbS^^^^^^^ *^^^^"^ tUparen,and 
 
 Still bearing on to the N. E. #e endfeavoived to neftr Beerihe 
 
 M not above four or five leagues. It i^, reported that the Rulsitns ' 
 havr 4i8cov«i«d ia it « voy rich silvermiiir ' 
 
 f^ 
 
 •.V 
 
 ./.," 
 
..*- 
 
 f: 
 
 Freminmlle'8 Voyage to the North Pole. 
 
 .>'• 
 
 ni 
 
 May IStlfcat midnight (there was no darkness then during the 
 ight) a blffisli lustre, visible in the horizon, warned U5 of the 
 approach of the ice. This phenomenon produced by the rJTrac- 
 tion of the rays of light ^n the water, is a sure sign of the 
 proximity of considerable bergs j in fact, we observed one soon 
 after, but consisting of bloc^ks so large and so close together, 
 that there appeared no interval through which we could pene- 
 Zf!t\^ ^^ coasted along It for several hours; it was coVered 
 Tl' t wf^"^' ""^ pAoc^that is leals, pr sea-calves (phoca mtu- 
 ' 1^.) that were rolling about, and seemed 'to be sporting In the 
 snow. We were so near that we coCld , salute them with dk- 
 charges of our musquetry, but were unaBle to kill any, as Hhe 
 balls merely slid over their hard smooth skin withoutiiiercinif 
 It. Knowing that they were dispatched at once with Wblow on 
 tJ^e nose, we^preWed a,boat and descended, to the number of 
 seven or eight, dmong immense heaps, the smallest of which 
 were five feet m l6p^th. Our presence did not terrify them, 
 .and they viewed u»\with a stupid kind of stare. We knocked 
 some of them (^ the ^ead with pur oars, when they tried to 
 "iun Jo"'^^^*P^' uttering a noise like the shri^ barking 6f a 
 
 It is generally thought that Seals derive th6 faculty which 
 
 Sf T*^' ""^ '^^y'"? ^"."8^ ""^^'' ^^^^^* to the botal aperture, 
 which they preserve during lif^.» I wished to inform myself 
 on tbis injportant point of compariftive anatomy, apd took care 
 to open the heart of one of those we had taken ^ found the 
 notion to be. erroneous, that the botal aperture was ^ entirdy 
 
 W« tl ■ f ^^^""^ ^y*'?" ^^thout previousl/ crossing the 
 iir&n^ !k '"* disengage itself by the contact of the extlriil 
 ZlZtuu^^^u^'^'f^'''^ it^coijtains. It is evident, there" 
 ?p?;hW-^^'*'°"«^^^^*^^J^P'"°^ underwater i^or a consi- 
 
 oehheTol ?hT ^l^d aaitis in other mamiiiifei^us animals j 
 nerther can they dispense with the necessity pf "coming ud to 
 
 ? fn'^T^u^^ '^' '^'^J^^' ^^"^ ^""^to time; td take TLtb^ 
 alivl ^LVi' ''°"r^ ""^ myseahfifled with iflteatinalwo^s 
 akve,that appeared to me to^elongto the genus of «cAi/J. 
 
 In proceeding along the borders *# the ice, we found it 
 stret^hinj^abngtothcetist aftei* having obligS ^to mount 
 uy to/rdeg.SS m^m. and having, jncour^, passed by the 
 
 >uIb^SKp^^ 
 
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 T*" 
 
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 -^4-4 ^ 
 
 
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 ■4 
 
 •f 
 
BS 
 
 Freminvtlle's Voyage to the North Pole. 
 
 i 
 
 latitude of Beering Island, the pursuit of which we now dis- 
 continued. : V 
 
 May 22d, a profound calm surprized usj in sight of an island 
 of ice of considerable length and extent. As long as the calm 
 lasted we were hemmed round with a grobp of cetaceous ani- 
 niak, from twenty-five to thirty feet in length, marked as the 
 jfenus Delphinus, by Linneeus, but whicii, I conceive, ought 
 4o constitute a new species. I have already published a de- 
 scription\of them, with cuts, in the Bulletin of Sciences of 
 *he Philomatlup Society, under the name bf Delphinus Corona- 
 Jbf or the Crowned Doiphfn ; this epitNet comes from two 
 concentric circles, of a yellow colour, thafc these animals l^c 
 on the crown of the' liead. | 
 
 A breeze springinrg^ up in the night, we Were jlrawing nearer 
 to the islet of i6e that stood to the north of us j*^ we tried to 
 find an opening or passage, but none Appeared f and after 
 coasting it a long time, keeping to 't]\p e$st, we perceived it 
 ready to join another considerable massi ind that the interval 
 between them was so narrow and so perplexed with floating 
 flakes and heaps of ice, that a passage wasiimpractic^hle. We 
 tacked aboufc*5vith an intention to double its western extremity, 
 which we conld not accomplish till next day. 
 ^After clearing it we bore to the north-ieast, falling straight 
 m With the south Gape of Spitzberg, which we were in hope* 
 .of soon reaching ; but in. this we were disappointed, as another 
 island of ice came to present new obstacles. On the eastern 
 side of it we cipt^ild perceive an opesiing or avenue : we plunged 
 into it, but scarcely had we entered, when a thick fog came 
 over us and obliged us to exert particular care to avoid strik- 
 ing against some of the large floating fragments of ica that 
 surrounded U9. :; 
 
 The fog lasted two hours ;^When, clearing up, we could see 
 the ice behind us closing up so as to intercept our return. We 
 were now ^gulphed on every side, immured as in a kind 
 of basin tM mighf be about two leagues in extent. This, to 
 us, was a situation truly alarming ; we tacked about in^^eveiy 
 directiotf ih quest of an outlet ; jone only was visible ; btit the 
 floating fragnients that blocked it up made the attempt to be, 
 at first, considered as impracticable. At length our comman- 
 dant, finding the icy-basih that shut us in was condensing and 
 accumulating, decided that we had no time to lose, or hesitate 
 betweeii, the certainty qF being quickly locked in the ice and 
 a solitary ^hance of escape. We made all sail then to get 
 through tHf»«pernous streight j and, after runfting the risk a 
 hundred (itnes of being dashed against the floating shoals that 
 
 
1 " ' ■ 
 
 FreminviUe's^oyage io the NoriU Pole. SJ 
 
 u-ere thickening around us, we were fortunate «nougli to clear 
 the passage with the loss only of some sheets of oup copper, 
 that were carrie4 away by icy morsels we had to bear up 
 ^against. 
 
 May 3 1st, we discovered the land of Spitzberg; at a very 
 great distance we could trace the South Cape, which stood N. 
 N. E. as also Hope Island, which lies a little more to the east, 
 at a short distancfe. A solid plain of impenetrable ice prevent- 
 ed our getting near it, and, being obliged to stretch along 
 it in a rUn to the north-west, .we ioon lost sight of that dreary 
 shore. • ■ . 
 
 Jjune Sd, a deep inlet was visible in the middle of the im- 
 mense islets of ice that v^e were coasting along ; we enterM 
 into it, and had a toilsome passage of about twelve hours ; but 
 it was so blocked up, that we were obliged at. last to return. A* 
 heavy gale from the S. W. bringing ^ast masses of icy frag- 
 ments into contact, threatened to close in upon^.us,> and it waff 
 hot without prodigious exertions that we got at leiigtl\into the 
 open sea. • \, \ 
 
 We now began to lose all hopes of reackug 6pitzberg,\ which 
 was one part of our destination. Some days befoire we had cap'- 
 tured some whale-ships, the captains of which assured us that 
 they had been engaged in the^ame fruitless attempt, and^hat the*j 
 ice had rendered all approaoi) imfracticable. -^ 
 
 Our shlpfi' companies were very much worn down witlf inces- 
 sant fatigue, in _ a painful navigation, that called for constant 
 watching and active' exertion. The scurvy was preying upon us, 
 and some of our best seamen had fallen victims toit ; our watpr 
 and wood grew scanty ; the want of wood prevent^ us from get- 
 ting at water with the melted ice. We tried, but in vain, to 
 procure heat enough for this purpose, by resorting to different 
 methods in all the warmest| parts of the ship. 
 
 The perplexities of sMch a situation called Tor a speedy 
 change of measures ; our chief, however to shelter himself 
 from every imputation of neglect, would make one more ef- 
 fort to find a passage through the sdGd ice, adjjr^ncing as far 
 north as possible ; in thi4 hope we kept contiiiuglly bearing 
 up along the chain of in^moveable ice that stretched to the 
 N. W. j 
 
 In fact,' we reached the ^Oth degree of latitude, without gain- 
 ing any inlet or opening. |T4w whole vast plain, or rather con- 
 tinent of ice, lies in a dirtction to the west. We coasted it 
 tor several days without fihding any break or interruption, and 
 I am convinced that it joibs all along to the ice that borders 
 the coast of Greeriland. 1 
 
 
 ./" 
 
 %• 
 
 i.i%. 
 
 ■ r*' 
 
 -r- 
 
; 
 
 ik» 
 
 
 J ...r 
 
 88 
 
 FreminvilU*8 Voyage totlie Nqrth Fole. 
 
 I shall not attempt to describe the impressions that the soli- 
 tary^an^ dreary aspect of this icy continent mo^uced on our 
 raiDds. It^wtaation on the limitfe of our dglobe,ihe profound 
 .' silencfe pervadmg its vast domain, the total absefe^. of animal 
 lite— every thing seemed to-exhibit an.image of death, and of 
 aU nature in motirning. The gloomy sbectaclelwas not, bow- 
 ever, without ^ sort of peculiar attraction; liias^es of ice. 
 illttmmed in different modes, reflecting jthe lightiri a thousand 
 different ways, from the odd assemblage! of theiruMe points 
 or ends J their fractures, their varied sHape8,'preSented views 
 as uncommon as theyiwere astoriishipg. We used frVently to 
 compare them to the ruins of some most [extensive capital dis- 
 jjcrned at a distance ; the imaginaftion taking wing, would de- 
 pict colonnades, towel's, steeples, castles, foiOjzessesw &c. In' 
 the remote bacR-ground appeared a dhain of l^fty mountajrw 
 of ice that terminated the horizon. ' • i . ' 
 
 There being no prospqjit of perwtrating furtherndrth, anCi 
 It being impossibk to toiidh at Spit%r^, we resolved on steer- 
 
 !.°?. ^^^'J^ard/ having taken and burnt, in the Korth sejis, 
 fifteen whale fishery ships. „ • ^ 
 
 Here we may reniark, that Captain Pfiipps did not ^ncoun- / 
 ter the chain of ice trll he was north o? Spitzbete, whereat it/' 
 bk)*k«d up our passage at the 77th degree. ^, - 
 
 I« the course of oar'«avigation in these parts, w© never had 
 a heavy sea, thpujgh the wind was "fri^uently very high: the " 
 waved were in some raeaspi^e fetferefT under the m& of ice. 
 VVe could obsei-ve, however, ^after Captain Phlpps, oti nearing 
 the great bamks,- ev'en in calm weather,^ big surges cpmiiwr gent^ 
 ly fcom the south, ^ - - 
 
 In those high latitudes the sky is seldom so dear as to be 
 able tb make astronomical observatiohs. We availed' ourselves 
 0i every favourable circumstance that occurred, but it was only 
 three twnes that We could take the meridian altitude of the 
 sun at midnight. / " \ ' 
 
 Scarcity And scorbutic disease* called foy^prompfe relief ; 
 oup commandant at first was making for the B||y^ «f Slruosa, itt 
 Danish Lapland : but'oontrary winds forced v(ito relinquish this 
 ratemion, and to bear away forlceland. 
 
 July 3d, we were OffXangeness, th^ N, E. point of that large " 
 island J asf we meant' to bring up in tte Baf of Pstrix Fiord, at 
 the opposite extremity, our course made us nearly go the dr- 
 quit of it, and we seized' the -opportunity of ad'ding to pur geogra- 
 phical infojrihationj.with respect to lliie coasts of a country so little 
 Jinawfl. y ' - 
 
 ."Langeness, orLoiig Point,' is. easily to be dislinguishgd j iti»" 
 
 \. 
 
 - 
 
\. 
 
 <ft~ 
 
 ^ 
 
 Fren^wille\ 
 
 tf^ 
 
 to the North Pole. 
 
 89 
 
 a k)w land, stretching a great way into the sea. I take it to'bcx 
 the only part of the Island ihat has st) very little of elevation j al^ 
 the coasts are lofty, Abrupt, and perpendicularly steep. Sqarcely 
 had we doubled this pqint, when we found high lafids overhang- 
 ing us likte walls; their rough and craggy indentations, the basal- 
 tic columns of their brown sides, feasted the eye with a spectacle 
 truly picturesque ; but not a glimpse of verdure, no signs of vege- 
 ' tation were discernible on a soil- of which Vulcan alone seems to 
 have possessed the property. At a very great distance we could 
 distmguish the^moking sQmmlt of Mount Krafte, a considerable 
 volcwio, that makes part of the motiritainous chain in the N. E. of 
 ., |I|e island. , "* 
 
 - On tire 5th, we discovered the ^small island of Walsback, dis- . 
 t3flt.aboutiive leagued from the Terra Fjrma ; it stands so low, 
 tlwt it. scarcely appears above the level of the sea. Kerguelen, 
 •who was in these seas in thcyeaP§ J767 and 1768, reports, from 
 , the evidence of "the whale-fishers, that no passage existed between 
 Walsback and Iceian^/rom a chain of breakers Stretching through 
 It. V^e determined to ascertain ihis point, and bore up into the 
 „ passaj^e, finding a-jconsidefable deptlifi of water everywhere, as it 
 . is all alorig«on thjfc' coast# Wp were continually sounding, and the 
 lead always brought up a portion of h«avy Volcanip sand, or a kind - 
 i)f ,, black fcuzzolane. " ... ;,, . 7 . > -* 
 
 "; July 6tlcwereadhed the Isles of Portland, at tie most sbuth- 
 €t^.^Xtreit3iy of the island ; it was at this point^rnvthe Marquis 
 , Verdub de ia Crenne termijiated his voyage M^^^ry, when 
 C be panne toyisit Iceland^ in 1771> in the frigate Cia Flore, having 
 with htm Bbrda and Finer^, for scientific purposes. The labours 
 of those valuable men "Tfell deserve the .praipe of rigid accuracy 
 we have obse#ye3 that the cliart publishc^d by them in 1776, with 
 respect "toall the>.part8 of the.cbast of Icdandt which they visitad, 
 tliat is to say, the part from ihia Isles of* i[*orthnn4 ti> Patrix Fiofd* 
 .fftracedlWiith a precision that leaves >^othic(g to ^ ivisbed for* 
 either in point pfposHibns or of coltrfigttf^tionS. ^ . ... . * 
 We owe alsb.a just tribute ofeiriogiuin to tl\e efrgratrinigs of the 
 views of the cdiasls 'anaiext;d ta the relation ^of thj^ Voyage of J^a 
 Flore, and designed by Ozatifle, iemployed on hcK^ owr frigate • 
 nothi^ can be Inore correct even to the very smallest details! 
 As to the vie\n^ of the same 'portions of coftst, engraved in the re- " 
 J[j(tipnof Kerguelen, they are. rather to be censured thaiT com- . 
 ;■ mehdeJ." ', ■■ „., ',. „■;•'"„ , -„ ' 
 
 After %ploring the whole southern Ctwit of iceknd, we passed , 
 between Cajpe Retkia-ness and, tlie, I^<>c^^9j|||Mf' Birds, in Ice- 
 jiModisli, Hyke-ys'e. It w|s here' that a v^jRular' submarine 
 pheiaomenon occurred, in 1783 |^v the sea a{)|^^cove>ed with a 
 
 .•>;? 
 
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 |f»^ 
 
 WSSS*' 
 
 I*,., 
 
 IV- 
 
 •Sj-' 
 
 ;^0 
 
 m 
 
 90 i , Frmmville's Foyftge to ihe North Pole* 
 
 light-bluish flartie, through nh extent of more than a mile j it 
 lasted sevebl hours,- «nd occasioned a very great cons te mat ion 
 among 4heinl)|^bitants of the nieighbgaring coast. When.^r 
 ilfttite ceased^ a smaTrtstand appeared on the site, the surface of 
 which was covered with punpice -stones and volcanic ashes. This 
 islet hassince disappeared, probably l^y another convulsion of the 
 si^me kW^. \ 
 
 In pr^eeding/iorthwards, we crossed the great golph of Faxa 
 Pordurp havjfig a view of Mount Jengel, or tite Joculofthe 
 Wi!Sf J its top covered withsnowl, though at more than twenty 
 l»i^u«s distance. This is taken! to b^Vthe highest mountain in 
 
 Mlan}lw..^_^_ , :'| \ ^ 
 
 It was nnhe flltjR^f'ef-EaxiJEiordur that we saw the sea covered 
 /with a sort oC^ollMIca, tor ratheToF roaiaire, that seemed to con- 
 stitute a new g«ius affiliated with the medusas and the heroes. I 
 gate it the name^^f idyi ; a description, with a plate of it, was 
 pablished in the BiiUetin of Sciences, vnder the name' of idya 
 Islandica. 
 
 After doubl 
 gulph of Brey 
 the BaycifP^ 
 t^ater, near ^ 
 
 The Bay o ^ 
 and 26 deg. 29 min 
 the island, h is very 
 
 l^ape iand Mount Jengel, we crossed the 
 lurj and, on the 13th of July, we entered 
 fd, where we anchored in eleven fathoms 
 factory. 
 |Fiord lies in 65 deg. 33 min. 45 sec. N. lat. 
 53 sec. W. long. ; like all the other bays of 
 deep, and encompassed with lofty, abrupt 
 mouritains. The entrance to it is very easy, and there is no d 
 ger to be appVehended. "-^ 
 
 The Danisi^ factory stands on a low point, consisting of an- 
 cient lavas } the anchorage is within the point. The Danish 
 establishment is divided into three wooden houses, one of 
 which selves as a dwelling for the director, and the others are 
 warehouses. Round about lie scattered the. wretched huts of 
 the poor Icelanders, half buried in earth ; the roofing only, made 
 of whales ribs, rises above the surface. Behind these is a 
 pool of fresh water, which has given to Patrix Fiord the Ice- 
 landish name of Vatneyre, the Water Town. 
 
 The bay may be about three leagues in length, from W. to 
 E. ; its greatest breadth is abont a league and a half. Very 
 near the middle is a large sand-bank, which gets dry at low- 
 water, and over which laipge vessels cannot pass. Besides the 
 town and village of Vatn^yr^, there are others dispersed about 
 
 . • Ia.lM»"ndi«h, tbe ytord Jim d, or fiordur, iigfiiifie, a g.itpli, or bay ; jocul or . 
 jockel, 15 appropriated to the liigit niountaiiig. b i > "' -J- , J"*^"' »' 
 
FrenmiviUe't Voifage to the North Pok. 91 
 
 thet«yat certain distances; the most con«iderable is that of 
 Sad langsdaler, where there \» a Lutheran church j it lies on— ^ 
 the side opposite to the Danish factory, on the banks of a sheet 
 of water well stocked with salmon. * 
 
 A chart of all the parts of the isJand that we^ visited, with a 
 nuinb«f- of our own new discoveries and original remarks^ wert 
 transmitted, on our return, to the minister of niad||k together 
 with a collection of seventeen designs, representinflHws of difC T 
 ferent coasts, some tract? or situations in Iceland, and variont 
 objects of natural history, either new or but little known. 
 
 The country round the bay presents a gloomy sort of prOspec<, 
 b^ dignified and imposing ; every thing bears the impression of 
 ^'gt'an'c I convufsions and of the ravages of earthquakes. AH 
 thh mountains seem, as it were; calciaated; you cannot walk - 
 except over lava and. basalt, the fragments of which, disjoined, 
 roll under your steps with a rattling and stunning, noise ; Only 
 two colours, red and black, diyersify the lugubrious landscaple 
 withm the cfrcle of your view. A good scene-painter for ia 
 
 ,*ne«V'e. whowcmld mate a drawing of the infernal region^, 
 couldpbpy np better model than one of the situaions of Iceland.! 
 >ne of the oddest spectacles that I ever beheld, was a very 
 extensive platform, serving as a ctntea?, or crown, to the mountaih 
 tWat overlooks the anchorage of Vatneyre. It is composed ^f 
 lafrge tables of basalt, from eight to ten feet of surface, but on a 
 
 ^vel, and arranged regularly, one beside another, like so manly 
 leaves m a bfipk j the edge,- not above four inches in thickness, 
 every where meeting your view. In some parts, these basaltic 
 tables, overset by earthquakes, yield such an image of disorder 
 and confusion, that you would be led to think the spot (wh«»eon 
 no si^n of vegetation or life appears) to be made Up of the ruins 
 of the globe. 
 
 In low places, at the entrance of the valleys, there is some 
 httle appearance of verdure ; a thick turf, with a few flowed 
 scattered on it, may be seen on the banks of the running 
 waters. I collected a number of plants, but Tittle known th ^ 
 
 /Europe, large enough to form nearly the whote of the Islandic 
 Flora. \ ; 
 
 Not a single tree is to be seen in. the whole distffct xif Patrix 
 Fiord ; and even in the other parts of the island it is with" diflS- 
 , culty you can light on a few dwarfish willows, and some stunted 
 birch-trees. Many fruitless attempts have been made to sow ot 
 plant the pine «|nd fir, frOm Europe ; but though they have suc- 
 c^«ded in^ the fine season, the young shoots were jneverable tQ 
 stand the long and rigorous jvinter of a climate so frozen. No 
 credit niust be given to what M. Horrebow reports, in his descrip- 
 
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92 . FrefnimilWs.Voyage to the North Pole. 
 
 tion of Iceland, wherein he makes mention of fruitfbf plalof, 
 and immense pastures: his work, drawn up from the false accounts 
 Of the Dutch fishermen, is replete with the grossest errors. That 
 of Anderson, built on the same authorities, is but little better ; 
 and the fact. is, that we have in Europe but very lame and imper- 
 fect accounts of this country, so very extraordinary and interesting 
 in many respetffs. 
 
 Iceland extends from N. to S. between 66 deg. 44 mfii. and 
 62 deg. 22 min. 30 sec. lat. and from W. to E. between 27 deg, 
 a min. and 18 deg. 26 min. long. W. of the meridian of Paris. 
 Its greatest len/rth may be about 133 leagues, «nd its breadth 
 about fifty-six : the island contains a superficies of about 5500 
 square leagues. 
 
 Exclusive of a number of towns .and hamlets, there are four 
 principal cities j but in Europe, these cities would only pass for 
 villagesj they are built of wood, with planks brought from 
 Denmark. The first is Holum, in the north j the second, named 
 Skalholtjis in the south ; botli are the sees of a bishop. The 
 third lies to the S. W., and i^called Bessested ; this is the resi- 
 dence of the governor, and the only place in the island where 
 there is a small fort armed with six eight-pounders, mounted on 
 carriages that are falling to pieces with age; totheN. £. is the 
 fourth city, called Skrida. 
 
 The interior of Iceland is but little known ; the whole island 
 however, may be pronounced a mass of voleanic rocks, whose 
 sides, black and burnt, whose summits, sharp and craggy, present 
 a prospect of the mostsingular kind. There is not a single point 
 In this sad country which does not seem to have undergone the 
 action of fire ; one consequence is, that there is not a country on 
 the globe more fertile in volcanic phenomena. 
 " The mountains, which are all very lofty, are formed of lava 
 and basalt ; you cannot find there the slightest vestige of vege- 
 table soil. In winter, the extreme cold splits these calcined 
 mountains, and causes enormous fragments of them to fly off, > 
 which, in their' fall, divfde into a number of others, which roH 
 precipitously into the roads and ways, like so many torrents, to 
 overwhelm and obliterate the traces of them. 
 
 I was witness to several of these sorts of avalanches, which 
 soiiietimes also take place in the fine ^^on, but ever with a 
 frightful noise, and a smell resembling that whicbjirises from the 
 calcination of bricks or lime-stone. 
 
 Not only the cold, but frequent earthquakes shake and Over- 
 throw the mountains of Icebad to their foandadons ; cleaving, 
 
 {•/ 
 
 /•■ 
 
 U. 
 
y» 
 
 C/ 
 
 FrtmmoiUe*$ Voyage to th$ Norlh Pole. W 
 
 disarranging, changing the direction of ftieir constituent materials, 
 which lose their consistence. 
 
 A number^f mountains present extinguished craters; others 
 are still ignivomous. In the interior of the island, some terrible 
 eruptions took place in 173^, 1752, and 1755. The principal 
 smoke at present, is the mountain Krafte, which is ever emitting 
 volcano and lava. Hekla, at the time of our stay there, was in k 
 state of repose, but it has had new eruptions since. 
 
 Hot-springs and fountains are very numerous in the island ; 
 they e^rcel all others Icnown, in the abundance and degree of heat 
 of their waters. The' principal are, the springs of Geysen, situated 
 nt about two days' wallHng journey from Hekia, an4 near Skalholt ; 
 they issue alternately from three successive jetteaux of a con- ' 
 siderable height. We saw one between Patrix Fiord and Lusbay, 
 hot enough for the Icelanders to dress their victuals in. 
 
 The exterior geography of Iceland, that is to say, of the 
 coasts, is as y^et a desideratum for nearly the whole; the northern 
 part is the least frequented, and the least known. The charts 
 we had of them before the voyage of La f'lore, had been copied 
 from documents grounded on accounts of the Flemish and Dutch 
 fishermen, and do not merit confidence. The chart published in 
 1767, in the French Neptune, is taken from M. Horrebow's ; 
 though better than the rest, with respect to tlie general configu- 
 ration of the lands, it is full of errors as to the longitudes of 
 places. 
 
 All the ancient Dutch charts^ place in the entrance, and about 
 three leagues from the bay of P&trix Fiord, a group of ten islets, 
 called Gouberman's Islands ; therje, is i^ot, however, the least 
 trace of them. It is certaija^h)|i il|e group;, must have formerly 
 been in the situation, ai thc^e'tramtioti of them is kept up in the 
 country, and they have doubtless been overwhelmed, in conse- 
 quence of some sub-marine coq^yulsion. The same fate has pro- ' ' 
 bably carried away Pepy's Island, which is now no where to be 
 found, but which stands in the ancient charts near the eastern 
 coast of Iceland, in 64 degrees of latitude. ^( . 
 
 These ektraordinary phenomena are of frequent occurrence, 
 and they change, in sbme measure, the face of nature, and the 
 general aspect of the coasts of the country. It does not appear, 
 however, that they impede the progress of navigation ; the shores 
 are every where steep, the anchorage good, and the bottomis gene- 
 rally pf volcanic gravel, or pebbles, and broken shells ; and often 
 the two substances are foapd united. There are on the coasts a 
 number of' deep bays, where ships may ride in perfect secarity, 
 covered by the high lands that encircle them. 
 
 The general population of the island at present is about 40,000 
 
 ;< 1 
 
W FretmnviUit't Voyage to the North Pete. 
 
 apulsrformeriyit aroount?d to €0,000; but the icurvy, and 
 •specially the sn.all.pox which p>;.ed Very fatal in 17& JSd 
 dlst^^! g«Jt«y d'minUhed the poplriatioi. and are Mill very 
 destructive The governor-general, Van Tramp, who came to 
 pay u. a v.sit at Pat.ix Fio^ informed us*that ev*ry yeaTth^ 
 number of death, exceeded that of the births. In time, 'perhapT, 
 the inbabitantsof this country, who, besides, are addieted^o inL/ 
 lubnous modes of lining, will insensibly becime extinct! / 
 
 iceland, subject to the crown of Denmark from the J3th eei/- 
 H^Linl* "|T'"° "Penw'^e cl«rge than a pro6tab)c possessioi^ 
 X,uT.K-^ '^•"'*' ^~'" " ^'^^^^ ^""^^s per annum, and-;5,e 
 whole of this scanty revenue is absorbed in the charges oT/the 
 governor, of the bailiffii, and ecclesiastics, with the provi/ions 
 and other expenses of their household. / 
 
 Notwithstaoding its poverty, tWs country allured the /cupi- 
 dity of some Barbaigr corsairs, who, in 1626, landed here a/d car- 
 ried oflFa number df the wretched inhabitants, whom th^ made 
 slaves of. They were agaijr fisited in 1687, by other pirites, who 
 prac .sed the most horrid crudtte. on thi uifortunaV naUv«it 
 totallybereftof all means of defence. / ' 
 
 ^iZ'^n^^iT^'T^P**^ "* .P° «^«*>y«t thiKing oi Denmark 
 does not keep here any military force, nor have tJ Icelatidefs 
 anns of any description ; a gun, with powder andsh(it,isan object 
 of curiosity, almost as much aajH^tfae inhabitant^ of the South- 
 Sea Islands. We had pr^s.}JK.licitations -t/^indulge such 
 curiosity, but it was only to el^fm in the chace; their peaceiMt 
 cityoT*"' *"*=""« *'^«'»'J« **>''nk of «y ot\ier mode of appli-: 
 
 Of all other people, the acelandert we,/perhaps, those who 
 h^ve retained the pnmitive patriarclMl maaneni in Uie greatest 
 purity; they are jrood, loyal, hospitatie, and unacquainted 
 with any of those violent passions which, in other parts of the 
 world, lead men to act the part of bntchers to each other. 
 1 he icelarulers may, however, be cbaracterised as indolent, 
 and, m sonie respects, of an apathetic turn. An intimate union 
 s«b8i8ts among them ; those of the same family seldom separate, 
 f he tendern«s« of parents for their ofiipring, the piety of 
 these toward* the authors of tbeif being, ate mtoes of Whi^h 
 we Witnessed illustrious and affecting examples. No saspi- 
 ctonor distrust, one of the other, can be found here; thefc 
 
 KiVifNo?w^.^'"'****''***'^'^"*^",'*»""«^'y«^^^ 
 
/ 
 
 ■p 
 
 Frmiimlk't Vijyage to iJui North Pole. 
 
 '05 
 and robbery are absolutely unljnown ; aud, eveu during ab- 
 sence, he doors of their huts or cabins are always left open. 
 
 At thet first glance, one would conceive the Icelanders ot be 
 the roost wretched of men, tlie moat destitute of the conve- 
 luences of life, and their condition to be the most frijrbtful : 
 but. when we reflect on their unagitated character, on tfie few 
 wants they feel, and the facility with which they can provide 
 «n!«n T i V T couBider, likewise, the sweet and intimate 
 union that links them in the bonds of friendship, we must 
 adopt another way of thinking, and even consider them a« 
 Happier than the Europeans, whose enjoyments tire mineled 
 with so many perplexing circumstances, originating in ambi- 
 tion, ,n disappointments, in bodily infirmities, aud the illusions 
 and disquietudes of a thousand diflFerent passions. 
 
 Ihe Icelander, satisfied with his lot, prefers his dreary' 
 country to all the charms of a rfiore polished society in £ 
 rdpe. Such of them as have visited Copenhagen, in lieu of 
 
 i^i^Str'^r^^'? the rural scenepr of Denmirk, were ever 
 
 egretting their burnt mountains^and eternal snows: and 
 
 though nutnbers of them will turn out and volunteer, as sea- 
 
 mep on board Danish, or other vessels, they are sure hi the 
 
 tSnL f ?k"™ "^'^^^ """^^ ''^^' '^ mingle their ashes with 
 those of their anc6s|or8, "^o wuu 
 
 : Although exiled, ds^it tyere, and having little communica- 
 tfon with the rest of the vvbrld, the Icelanders are giftTd v^th 
 a quicknt^s of intellect, ki^d supplied with a measu e of n- 
 s toction which raises the lo^st of them above the class of 
 tho Jiv*^T- ^"g^"*""**' they speak Latin pretty well. In 
 
 cJtivISS borrow ''^'T ""^ ^'"^'''' ^-erelocccssJll 
 cultivated here, while, at tjie same p^iod, Eurooe was im- 
 mersed in the depth of ign6rance. tE3^ MSS composed"^ 
 a period m remote, treat of astronomy, of physicsrof TaturJ 
 history, of morals, and philosophy in general. S?r JoseDh 
 ?a?n ^'ool^"'"^"^"- '1 '^'"T"^^ and Wth^y companiorL of^S- 
 luLbl^ &Ti,- Vf '^"^ '" ^^2; he brought away ^va- 
 luable MSS. which he presented to the British MuseunP^ 
 
 The native language of the Icelanders ia a verv ancient 
 dialect of the Celtic, it is not without it(. i^dcireSns 
 
 most Sh^m"'^''' '^' '"" °" ^^"^ heroi^ition: Ttbe 
 most distant times, and were recited by the bards called 
 
 l^t Their ancient mythology is exacSy that of he 
 Scandinavians, from whom they are descended • thus their 
 rad.tions report the names of Odin and Fr^a Tof Hdla and 
 the Goddesses Valkiriesj the aerial combat of the ShadSf 
 the dehcious residence of Valhalla, or Uie palace of Odki 
 
 s 
 
 f- 
 
96 
 
 Freminoille's Voyage to f /m North Pole. 
 
 wherein the spirits of departed heroes enjoy true felicity aftfer 
 •their decease. 
 
 „. 1 coufti only find in Iceland one single kind of antiqne 
 monuments j these are tumuli, or tombs of pebbles and small 
 stones heaped together j three of this description we rfccog- 
 nis6d on the point of Vatneyre. All the voyagers who have 
 made mention of thep)^ have represented these pyramidal 
 forms as raised expressly to point out theplaces of anchorage, 
 and to serve asvbeaconS to vessels en terii|)g the bay; but the 
 director of the Danish factory assured me that they were an- 
 cient sepulchres, and he earnestly recommended to us to forbid 
 our men from despoiling or degrading them, as it would be a 
 serious affliction to the natives, who could not see us even ap- 
 proach them without symptoms of pain and uneasiness. 
 
 In France we have b great numberof similar monuments, 
 which may be traced to the Celtic times j among others, is 
 one in the Morbihan, near the famous men-hirs of Carnak, 
 that stand in a row, and which rises nearly a hundred feet in 
 height. * ' *. 
 
 The wood necessary for constructing their fishing- vessels , 
 is brought from Denmark, for not a single tree is to^be seen 
 on the island. The only fuel the inhabitants have*^ is fish- 
 bones, with turfs of peat-moss, and a sort ofHgnite, or yi'ood half 
 mineralised, and very bituminous, that is found in the moun- 
 tains. . 
 
 The Icelanders are extremely sober, but their unwhole- 
 some diet is productive of different diseases; it chiefly con- 
 sists of raw fish, dried in the sun, and of sheep's-heads, pre- 
 served in a sort of vinegar, which they mak6 with the juice 
 of sorrel. They eat also a sort of sea-weed (fuats «acc^rtnu«), 
 boiled in milk ; and they make soup of the Uchen Jskmdictu 
 reduced . to powder. They are strangers to our bread, and 
 a fragfnent of worm-eaten biscuit was a treat to them. Water 
 and milk are their only beverage, and they ever testified a great 
 dislike for.0);r wines and strong liquors. 
 
 Iceland maybe considered as a very, singular country, in 
 respect to its natural histoiy, as yet but little known, and still 
 more so iii'^ a geological view, as teeming with observations 
 most curious and important. The mineralogist might here 
 collect a rich treasure of lavas, basalts, and pumices. In the vici- 
 nity of Patrix Fiord, we found Veautifnl crystals of feldspatb, 
 of analcime, of melonite, of amphigene, andzeolitbe: these 
 silbstances are commonly to be found in the cavities of the 
 lavds. 
 { saw also, on the crater of an extinguished volcano, some 
 
 V 
 
FrtmnvUU's Foyage to the North Pote. » "^7 
 
 octaedre cryntalr^f Dative salphur, involved in a v^hitiih clay- 
 ey sabstaoce ; aUo the obtidian stone of the ancient mineral- 
 ogists may frequently be met with. 
 
 There is no abundant variety of botanicaT^fytaQts in a cli- 
 mate 80 Doi^therly, niore particularly in the claaTs of Phanero- 
 games. 
 
 Here follows a listof the vf^rious species that I haye ob- 
 served : — ' 
 
 I Fucua saccharinas. 
 S Pucus nodo8us. 
 ^3 FucuB vesiculosus. 
 
 4 Fucusjoreus. 
 
 5 Fucus carneus. 
 
 6 Fucusplnmosiis, 
 
 7 Ul?a lactaca. 
 
 8 Zostera marina. 
 9^ Hypnuin squarrosuro. 
 
 10 Minumfontaiium. 
 
 1 1 Lichen iHlandicus. 
 
 12 Lichen chaly|>ei'fornii8. 
 
 13 Lichen spinosuii. 
 142Lichen muralis. 
 15 Lichen rangiferus. 
 l6|Lichen paschahs. 
 17( Lichen pixidatus. 
 
 18 Juncu«spicatu8. 
 
 19 Anthericum calycinum. 
 SO Draba inuralia. 
 
 2 1 Draba iucana. 
 
 22 SaxiFraga tridactylites. 
 
 23 Saxifraga oppositifolia. 
 
 24 Erigeron unrfloruai. 
 
 25 Arabis thaliana. 
 
 26 Polygonaiu viiriparain'^ 
 
 There is a greater variety in the productions of Zoology. 
 The mammiferous animals of the island are-~ 
 ^ 1. Hie horse, which is tmall, but very numerous. It is of grtat 
 Die fbr travelling, walking with a sure step on the edge of pttcipi- 
 cea, and over the sharp fragments of basalt that lie in heaps in the 
 paths. 
 
 . 2. The bull or ox, is poor and lean, and the island is bat sototily 
 stocked with them. 
 
 3. The sheep are very numerous, of a good size, and conmonly 
 very fat. Most of the rams have four and even five horos. ... 1 
 
 4. Thedog is about the sixe of our shqiberd's dog* wbiffh ha.tM^t- 
 ty much resembles. . The ears-afe stmij^ht, but gashed or br^lufcr'at 
 their extremities ; this is a character peculiar to the Iceland dogs. 
 
 5. The Isatii, or Camii Lagoput of Linnaeus, is very CMpmoa ia 
 VoTAOEs and Travbls, No. 2, Vol. II. \ N 
 
 . ' 1 
 
 27 Sjsixifraga aspcra. 
 
 28 Saxifragastellaria. ^ 
 
 29 Salix lanata. 
 
 30 Salix capftea. 
 
 31 Carpinus betulos; 
 
 32 D I as octopetalar-" 
 
 33 Pinguicula vulgaris. , 
 
 34 Papaver alpinum. 
 
 35 Eri^phoron vaginatan. 
 
 36 Rhodiola rosea. 
 
 37 Carex . . , . 
 
 38 Barthia alpiua. 
 
 39 Vaccinium vitis Idea. 
 
 40 Silene rupestris. 
 
 41 Silene arenaria. 
 4^ Alaineiuedia. 
 
 43 Rumex scutellatus. / 
 
 44 Allium ..... 
 
 45 Cochlearia Groeolandica. 
 
 46 Sedum villosom. 
 
 47 Thlaspi alliacea. 
 
 48 Cerastium repens. 
 
 49 Geranium fepcos. 
 
 50 Kauunculns sulfurctMv 
 
 51 Viola calcarata. 
 
 m 
 
 ' 5 
 
 '^. 
 
^l°t'F J^l "•»''!••«:*» W"" the blue fo,. from the slutesJoloi,r«I 
 txDge of h.. hair, he w verv dettroctive to the flock.. Thowha 
 
 h«, the fact beeu hitherto noticed b, natuSi»t.. «>n««ve. 
 
 K The white bear i* not a native of Iieli but frequently arrive. 
 
 dettrov them before^hey have time to multiply. A 
 7. The seal w rery cootoioo. We saw more tbi 
 b*y oC I^uc, another tpecte* of »eal of the very 1 
 b«.og eight or ten feet i« leugth. The head, in.teac 
 mapoinied B»uule,as in the preceding tribe, i. 
 
 Sr '.n^ f °^ g^ey w-he. ; unlik, the rest of hi. geoiS. he is very 
 m/e ;? ttem'"""' ""** "'" '«'r"* approach him. 1 could only k7u 
 
 SjThe «h«le designated |iy Linuaus as the 6aUvna)ku,ticetus 
 islesacomaionherethanatSjHtiberg mjftiweius, 
 
 ^ MxHi are in greater uumber and variety than the manimi- 
 ferousaqunala , but the p.arine species ai* the most numeZL 
 
 sisJa Sn°h «» '"^''^'"^ ^^^•'■'^ "Ijk'^^" •^"^^^ ^ owiitholo- 
 
 once, round the 
 ;eatt dimensions, 
 r terminating 
 t wide, and 
 of the ani- 
 
 la\ 
 
 •ge. 
 
 gists. Such as, 
 
 1 Aquila chrysaetos. 
 
 2 Aquila owiifragtt. 
 
 3 Aquila Canaden.is, 
 
 4 Falcb balisBtOs. 
 
 5 Falcocumtuunis. / 
 0f1al6»cMid{«aa». / 
 7 Strix scandiacca./ 
 «&rtaalutt> / 
 9C«rvu»conb.. / 
 
 Id fitufaanaa aivalH. 
 1 1 Friogilla vulgaris. 
 1 ft <G4Hr84rius>ai)<*MMs. 
 
 / 
 
 I 
 
 1 6 A lias auser. 
 
 17 Anas borealis. 
 
 18 AnaSmoIlissima. 
 
 19 Alca arctictt. 
 80 A lea atce. 
 
 21 lN^eltaria)>dagiea. 
 
 22 Plmrellariaglaoialis. 
 13 Cria drylle. 
 
 34 Uria tmilc. 
 
 a& Cdytnbas ioMner. 
 
 26 Colymbus glacialis. 
 
 2!^ Lart^ riasa. 
 
 28 Larus ebunwuc . 
 
 89 Sterna Wando, 
 
 lli Anas fusca. 
 ^?^^° «^«»*UJee, but with fair <vwietict. 
 
 • IT. A-r.-.yi 
 
 -1 
 
 I 
 
FrminmU«'» Voyage to tht North Pole. 
 
 The following are the several kinds :— 
 
 PleuronecrtlB hippogloyuis. 
 Pleoronectus flettus. 
 Salmo galar, „ ' 
 
 Salmo truttu. 
 
 t',. 
 y 
 
 DO 
 
 5 Gadus morhua. / 
 
 6 Cyclo|>terus luihpuf. 
 
 7 AiiHrriiicas lupus.\ 
 
 8 Squalus glaucus. 
 
 './ 
 
 The seas jyhich wash these coasts abound with the Molusca 
 and radwire,b(it the short Wme of our residence in th6< island 
 did not permit us to notice them all. The most comm'o^xape 
 cies are the doris' stellata and pibsa, the ciios borealis and KAaei- 
 " u'-T? ?*'^ g^ciaUs, the medusa capiUati, and the new End 
 which I have described under the name of idya Islandica. 
 
 The shells contain several new species of the tellina, the patella, 
 and the buccinum ; we also met with a very large spe/sies of w^tft' 
 ote, the pecten Jslandins, the buccimm nudatum, and the lapillus • 
 a so some species of t^e f/ocfcw, of the meretiix mercator.a: as 
 also of the common muscle and the sea-urchin, which are very 
 good eating. ' ^ 
 
 Jnsectsare no stracgers to the climate, notwithstanding its 
 
 TJZlrlT:^''' '^7ri ^"'^ •" ""'"'^^••' «°d mostly of 
 il i I • P'""'",' ?** ""i the genera culex tipuh syrpluis; and 
 t^^ of Lmnajus. I a so met with a new species of the ctircnKo, 
 or weasel ; and a very singular kind of night-bird. 
 nr .If "Z '*'''""' °' /•'^ crustaceous kind, such as the cancer, 
 «n/«;, ' !u T^''', *^« ^'•^*^«'. pateman. gammarus, &c. 
 and among the Zoophhes, some vervJj«autiful species of coraN 
 
 Such are part of thJ observations th!^"mide during a stay of 
 eighteen days, as wejl from my own researches as from tl°e 
 conversa ion wtfh the physician to the governor. Van Tramp a 
 very .ntell^ent diartic^r who came at tUs to visit us, wffill 
 his suite, during our residence at Patrix Fiord. This gentleman 
 
 £n«us.'^ '' " *'t ""'""' °' ""'"'' '"' beenTpupTof 
 A traveller that shoiild tnake a longer residence in the island 
 and penetrate furthet.into the interior, would find tiere a mu\t 
 tudt of new facts, the narrative of which would be extremdV n- 
 terestiogj this count.*y, I repeat it, is almost entirely new to us 
 with respect to its scientific reports^nd relations. ^ ° "' 
 
 The Bay of Patrix Fiord is one of the most convenient points 
 /or the navigator; water, fish, and mutton, are iKegreS " 
 
 tel "bulwl,^'"' "^y."' ^'"'^ ^2 '^^'-' dl^rentfJ ts" 
 *ea-fowl J bat wood is not to be procurec^ at any price. 
 
 \ IJuringourstay we setup some ten tk for our sick men who 
 yeor soon recovered, more erpecially f«,m the ml onhe^i.ror" 
 
 '^ 
 
 i 
 
ICio FrtmkviUe'iryi^agttqam North Pol». 
 
 butic v«g)>uibles that grow tpontaneoiuljr in the island, and are 
 frequently to be met with. The sea in this bay does rtot rite above 
 eight feet in jtbe highest tides. The variation of' the needle was 
 33 deg. 45 inin. to the N. W. , 
 
 July 30, we hoisted sail, and leaving the Bay of Patri« Fiord, 
 we bote away for the south, till we began again to distinguish 
 Mount Jeugel ; ^n after, bidding a 6nal adieu to Iceland, ^e 
 thought only of hastening oiir return to France. 
 
 Once more we passed over the npiot wherein the ancient charts 
 placed the Isle uf Bus,' which wie had l^fore explored in vain j we 
 Sverenot more fortunate this tiriaej but, as on the former occa- 
 sion, we had Ito encountet a broken, rippling water, the usual in- 
 dication of shbalb ind shallows. 
 
 On ^ugiisjt the I8lh we were on the coast of Ireland ; we 
 cruised there several days, at the entrance of the Bay of Donnegal ; 
 we then steer^ for Cape Clear, which we doubled, to pruise on 
 ^tSdes; atjiast we entered the Channel ; and, on tbe 27th 
 of September; cast anchcr in the Road of the Isle of Brehut. 
 
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 charts 
 
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 27th 
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