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Tous las autras exemplairas originaux sont filmAs an commandant par la premiere paga qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration at en terminant par la derniAre paga qui comporta una telle empreinte. Un das symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: la symbola — ^> signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbola V signifie "FIN ". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra raproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'imagas nAcessaire. Las diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. i : * : • 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 NORTHERN REGIONS: OH, A RELATION " or UNCLE RICHARD'S VOYAGES FOR THX DISCOVERY or A LONDON: JPHINTBD FORJF. HARRIS, ST. \\KXn^% CHURCH YARD, m ^Fv■ MDCCCXXV. i>*' '\ : 'A •■*•, ^Jf -itt,- . i » \mmi^m '»^j'^-'mfmm>9^ .,ijmm^ Qyfozt/uvest CoUectio/v ■^ \ • J ^: 9 I s o v.. ft^ 4 ti ! ! 1} K im ti II| I 1I H|II* II . I # w / t* ■■*■ J iwH,:' «> \- ''% -^. r ^ t ■ j^ 1 V * 1 ) -ii t I I I r ' I » 1 -f*^ >■■»>> XM#C»pnj?rr jr. NORTHERN REGIONS: OR, A RELATION OP UNCLE RICHARD'S VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY OF A AND AK ACCOUNT OF THE OVERLAND JOU RNIES OF OTHER ENTERPRIZING TRAVELLERS. LONDON J. HARRIS, ST. PAUL S CHURCH YARD. 1825. ^ # J' *''■'»' ^ ■■ ^ ■■■ ■-• I I I I 13= JVS l-l I I I T=m-r-r I ■ ■ I I ) I . . I I . 1 CH.il^T H T MO > '■■■'■'' 'I' -1 Jim*tJi .iV'tMi k.A/Jrri/4*i3^fiy J.ITttrrU. Srjtuli i* ij^j; t^- ./. ILirr:^. STJkuli ,////:»;• f'^ .r. V.ciJii'a,i;"i-v ■■<■ ■ 1- .9 ■ ^;J^ ;l V i> r •< .•' )t tf f:" '■;-v^ a^Y . ' ■•■;:«. '.tti ^IIS LONDON PREFACE. The great interest excited in the present day for die intrepid adventurers to the Northern Hemisphere, has induced me to collect a few inteiosting and entertaining facts from their nar- rations, in order to gratify the spirit of inquiry so desirable in youth. And, while thus informing them of discoveries recently made, and transport- ing them with our brave countrymen to regions before unknown, I trust that my endeavours to combine the useful with the entertaining will not be thrown away, and that n./ young readers will be impressed with tkis conviction, that courage, resolution, and perseverance, will support men through toils and dangers, and enable them to act an honourable and useful part in the service of their country. a2 •( 230564 I have given my narrations in as simple a style as possible, conceiving it better for young people to read the facts and form their own conclusions, than to have an overdrawn picture presented to them, calculated merely for their amusement, and exciting an unhealthy taste for the marvellous and the fictitious. "i \ ■,.- .U*i .. -■J.?' 1^ ^ ■■• -•■ " > ' ■"' i . ,,>.- : ., -_ • ,. - ■ fc # * " ■ < . ... ■J - f ■J I . ^' lu^ . '- '>!: : . . ' ;>;'•' >•.■' ■■» :- „. r... i,,'',,.I^Ui i. ':! --' • - ( ■'?- -, '.,-■- ', , A J . TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I. -CHAP. I. Introductory Conversation. Preceding Voyagers. Two Ships, the Hecla and the Griper, fitted out, in 1819, under the com- mand of Captain Parry. The Ships provisioned and stored. They set out in April. Difficult Navigation of Davis* Streight and Baffin's Bay. A Herd of Walruses. The Ice gra pation of Sailors during the Winter. Christmas Day. P.24— '35. CHAP. IV. Scurvy. Salad-Beds. Biilliant Appearance of Aurora Borealis. Light re-appears the latter end of January, and the Stars are no longer visible at Noon. The Sun seen again on February 3, 20 Minutes before Noon. Work by Day-light the middle of the Month. Stones collected to form Ballast. Frost-Bites. Incon- venience arising from opening the Stern- Windows too soon. Delight of the Men when the Frost gives way. The House on Shore re-built. Frozen Vapour cleared off the Ships. Tlie '* Citizen" and " Mayor of Garratt" performed. Theatre closed. Unhealthy state of the Griper's Crew, and of Lieutenant Liddon. Reduction of the daily Provision, one Year having expired. Returning Summer. The Musk-Ox, Rein-Deer, and Ptarmi- gan re-appear. Shooting Excursions. Snow Blindness. The Ships launched and examined. Rain falls. Ivory Gulls seen. P. 34 — '14. CHAP. V. Ships ordered to be in preparation for Sailing. Land Journey across Melville Isle. View of Blue Hills. Find the Ptarmi- gan, Plovers, and Deer. Tame Reih-Deer. Journey over a Plain of Snow. Encamp on June 4th. Joy at finding a strip of uncovered Land. Pure Water. Grouse cooked for Supper. Come in sight of another Islands which they name Sabine Isle. CONTENTS. Vll Flock of Geese. Build a Wall and encamp. Remove to Point Nias. Erect a Monument upon it Pursue their Journey to the Blue Hills. Obliged to travel by night, on account of Snow- Blindness. Enter the Blue Hills. Find many Birds, and Water in abundance. Luxury of warm Food. Description of Animals. Arrive at Table Hills, and return to Winter Harbour P. 44—52 CHAP. VI. Find all in Melville Isle well. Flowers and Sorrel. Catch Fish and Deer. Lieut. Iloppner brings news of the Ice giving way. Death and Burial of Scott. Spring Tides. Herds of Deer. Rapid Dissolution of Ice and Fall of Rain. Hopes of Sailing soon, but despair of proceeding far westward. Summer in Melville Isle. Recall of hunting-parties, and an attempt to move. Ice gives way on the last day of July. Leave Winter rXarbour, after having been there ten Months. Sail westward. Griper worse than before. Pass the Iceberg to which they had been anchored the year before. Captain Sabine visits a high wall of Rock, the resort of Glaucous Gulls, which are very wild and fierce. Black Whale. Musk-Ox taken. Ice Floe, 42 inches thick. South-west of Melville Isle u. "nvourable to Navigation. Danger of the Griper. Another Attempt to sail westward. Vexatious Delays. Slow Progress, and scarcity of Provisions. A herd of Musk Oxen. Consultation of Officers. Determine to Steer South-east, and then return through Bar- row's Strait. Survey of western coast of Baffin's Bay. Es- quimaux. Visit them on Shore. Sail southward, and get clear of the Ice. Remarks upon the Voyage. Return home, and reach the ITiames the 3d of October, 1820 P. 53—69 PART II.-CHAP. I. Object of Captain Franklin's Expedition to tlie Copper-Mine River. Arrival at Stromness. Detention of Mr. Back, and difficulty of procuring Boatmen. Icebergs. Dangerous situation of the Ships. Reach Saddle-back Island. Loss of Wear. Visit from the Esquimaux. Coast of Labrador. The VUl CONTENTS. 1 1 »v £ddystone leaves them. Cross Hudson's Bay. Find the Wear. York Factory. Preparations for visiting the Interior. Melan- choly Story of an Indian Family. Steel River. Difficulty and Danger in Navigating the Rapids in Hill River. Skill of the Orkney Seamen. Swampy Lake. Pemmican. Woods on Fire. White-fall-Lake. Beavers. Lake Winnipeg. Grand Rapid. The Travellers reach Cumberland- House. Pass the Winter there. Dog Sledges. Christmas and New-years* Days. Cree Indians. Affecting Anecdote. Character of the Crees. Their Conjurors. One visits Cumberland- House. Cree Wo- men. Cree Children. Manners and Customs of the Crees. Games of the Crees. The Game of Mitten. The Game of tlie Platter. Game of the Cross. Tradition of the Crees. Their Religion. Ceremony of Dedication. Their Notions of a Future State. Infanticide. Tattooing. iMusical Instruments. See- seequay P. 69 — 95 CHAP. II. The Travellers prepare to leave Cumberland- House. Their Tra- velling- Dresses and Equipage. Part set out to Carlton-House. Meet Mr. Isbester. Wolves' method of catching the Rein- Deer. Arrival at Carlton-House. Snow-Shoes. Mr. Back visits a Stone- Indian Encampment. Character of these Sava- ges. Their Dress. Cruelty of Stone Indians. Buffalo Pound. Mode of Hunting Buffaloes. Superstitious Practices of Crees. Description of Carlton-House. Method of making Pemmican. Captain Franklin pursues his Journey to Isle a-la-Crosse. Green Lake. Scarcity of Provisions. Voracity of Canadian Voyagers. Clear Lake. Aurora Borealis. Methye Portage. Chipewyan Indians. Thumb, the Chief. Mr. Lack draws a Likeness of the Son. Chipewyan Chief named •* Sun." Pierre au- Calumet. Anecdote of Old Canadian. Tlie end of a Journey of 857 Miles. Pain of walking in Snow-Shoes. Pleasures of the Encampment. Fort Chipewyan. Rabbits' Heads. Tradition concem'.ig the Discovery of the Copper- Mines. Chipewyan 's esteem for their Dogs. Their want of CONTENTS. IX Hospitality. The Party is joined by Mr. Hood and Dr. Ri- ciiardson. Journal of Mr. Hood. The " Warrior." Moose- Deer. The Party leave Cumberland- House with their Cana- dian Boatmen. Adventure at Otter Portage. Reach the Isle a-la-Crosse. Poverty of its few Residents. The whole Party set forward. The Portage of the Drowned. Cross the Great Slave Lake. Mr. Wentzel. Conference with the Indians. Dance. Yellow Knife River, or River of the Toothless Fish. Arrive at their Station after a journey of 553 Miles. Akait- cho's Desertion of the Expedition P. 96—120 CHAP. m. ' ' -'--"'- Winter at Fort Enterprize. Keskarrah, the Indian Guide, and " Green- Stockings/* his Daughter. Augustus and Junius, the Esquimaux Interpreters. Account of the Copper, or Bird- Rind Indians. Tradition of the Squirrel. The Dog-Rib Indians. Their Dance. The << Squint-Eyed Quarrellers," and the Sheep Indians. Gentle Method of reproving Dogs. Scarcity of Food. Leave Fort Enterprize. Reach Point Lake and lose their Way. Terrific Rapid. Report of Esquimaux at hand. Send the Interpreters. The Esquimaux desert (heir Encampment. Dr. Richardson's Adventure with the Wolves. Reach the Shores of the Polar Sea P. 120— 135 CHAP. IV. Embark on the Polar Sea. Land at Detention Harbour. Want of Provisions. Musk- Ox and Bear killed and eaten. En- camp at Melville Sound. Determined to return to the Arctic Sound. Shortness of the Summer. Leave Turn- Again Point. Hunger of the Voyagers. Hood's River. English Flag planted. Misfortunes of the Voyage up the River. Captain Franklin's Illness. Loss of the largest Canoe. Tripe-de- Roche. Dreadful State of Famine. Danger of Dr. Richard- son in attempting to cross the River. Extreme Cold. Kill some Deer. Greediness of the Canadians. Devour a putrid Deer. The Party divide. Mr. Hood's Sufferings. Dr. Ri- chardson stays with him. Captain Franklin reaches Fort Enter- ^r.l I i I ) X CONTENTS. prise, but finds no Provisions. Their Wretchedness. Dr. Richardson and Hepburn join them. Sad Story. Death ot Mr. Hood, of Ferrault, Fontano, and Michael. Arrival of Indians with Food. Leave Fort Enterprize. Letters from En- gland. Conduct of Akaitcho. Join Mr. Back at Moose-Deer Island. Mr. Back's Narrative. Returnto England. P.135->1C4 1 V PART III.— CHAP. L Uncle Richard's Return from Voyage to the North Pole witU Captains Parry and Lyon. Begins his History. Leaves London May 1821. Tedious Voyage. Dutch Crew. Reach Sa\9gc Islands. Visit from the Esquimaux. Oomiaks, or Luggage- Boats. Old Women. Love of Dancing. Es<]uimaux of Not- tingham Islands. Anchor in Frozen Strait. First traces of Esquimaux. Captain Parry explores Inlet. Decide to remain the Winter in " Safety Cove, Winter Isle." Theatricals com- menced. Arctic Fox. Christmas Day. Amusement afforded by SchooL Brilliant display of Aurora Borealis. Bears. P. 165—180 CHAP. n. Arrival of Esquimaux. Visit their Snow-Huts. A Party visit the Ships. Peculiar Manners. Description of Huts. Children well-mannered. Mrs. Kettle. Tattooing. Dogs. Persons and Dress of Esquimaux Men and Women. Description of Children. Occupation of Men and Women P. 180 — 197 #■ CHAP. III. Description of an Esquimaux Repast. Cookery. Anecdote of a poor Idiot Boy. Ayokitt's Visit to the Cabin. Wolves trouble, some. Wolf-trap. Mr. Richards's Battle with the Wolf. Improvidence of Esquimaux. Old Kattle. Greediness of , Children. Visit from two Esquimaux Ladies. Kettle a Thief. Preparations for Sailing. Severe Cold. Departure of Esqui- maux. Parting Presents. First Flower seen. Canal completed. Rural Fete P. 197—216 CONTENTS. XI |>f a >]e. >lf. of if. CHAP. IV. Danger to the Hecla from the Tides. Leave Winter I>le. Sail Northwards. Reach Igloolik. Land and find Esquimaux. Walrus skin Tents. Hospitality. Journey to Esquimaux Vil- lage with Toolemak. Sledge drawn by Dogs. Ooyarra, the Fisherman. New way of making a Fire. Esquimaux Ball. Dance of Noses. Tlie Ships sail farther North. Hopes of en- tering the Polar Sea. Beset with Ice. Return and mchor at Igloolik. Description of Bone Huts. AnnatJcos, or Conju- rors. Winter sets in. Visits from some Winter- Isle Esquimaux. Toolemak 's Dream. Miraculous Cure of Lumbago. Es- quimaux Politeness. Second Christmas Day. Anecdotes of Bears. Death of Takkalikkita's Wife and Child. Esquimaux Funeral. Illness of Widow Kagha. Her Discontent and Ingratitude. Inattention of Esquimaux to their Sick. Esqui- maux Village. Ice-Huts melted away. Esquimaux Coquette. Esquimaux Dandy. Esquimaux Murders. Ships leave Igloo- lik. Reach Winter Isle. Visit the Shore. Return to England. Hospitable Reception at Lerwick P. 217—249 PART IV.— CHAP. I. Motives of Captain Cochrane's Journey to Siberia. Leaves Eng- land. Walks through France and Germany. Visits Paris, Nancy, Metz, Frankfort. Reaches St. Petersburgh. Leaves it. Reflexions. Robbers. Novgorod. Moscow. Peasantry. Gets a Drubbing. Washes his Stockings. Sleeps in a Cask. Stock of Provisions. Enters Tartary. Kazan. St. Peter's and St. Paul's. Inhabitants of Perm. Reflexions on reaching Siberia. Last European Residence. Strawberries. Enter Asia. Cross the Urals. Reach Ekacherinebourg. Hoapi. tality. Gold Mines. Tobolsk. Tartar Women. Dwellings. Loses Passport. Military School at Omsk. Irtish. Kalmucks. Cucumbers and Melons. Crosses the Irtish. Beautiful Scenery. Huarian Boundary. Not allowed to enter China. Silver Mines at Bamaoule. Offer of accompanying Expedition. Tomsk. Cossack Mode of Correction. Airives at Irkutsk. . P.249— 268 xu CONTENTS. CHAP. II. Hospitality. Mr.and Mrs. Gedenstrom. Prison. Mr. and Mrs. Bentbam. Military Men and Merchants. Leaves Irkutsk with Cossack. Cruelty of Cossack. Ice at Vittim. Tongousians. Yakutsk. Preparations for Journey. Mr. Minitsky. Tea Party. Dinner Party. Leaves Yakutsk. Sledge travelling in the Lena. Hospitality of the Yakuti. Mountainous Pass. Charity Yourte. Kill a Deer. Appetite of Yakuti Child. ■ • Siberian Fisherman. Mountain Scenery. Crosses and HorM* . Hair. Half- Way House. Snow Blindness. Arrives North of the Arctic Circle. English Priest. Sredne Kolymsk. Dog Travelling. Shores of Frozen Sea. Baron Wrangel. New- Year's Gifts. Ice- Hill. Aurora B^realis. Nishney Kolymsk. Herrings. Fuxa, Disorders. Banidied People. Baptizing. The Fair. Chess. Traditions. Cookie P.268— 283 "^r ' CHAP. m. Leaves the Kolyma. Returns to Sredne. YcLuti Sorcerer. Sick Cossack. Lose their Road. Yakuti Prince. Set out with Rein -Deer. Leaves Omekon. Okota. Woods on Fire. Reaches Okotsk. Reasons for returning to Eiurope. Proceeds to Kamschatka. Law relating to Snow. Tour through the Peninsula, Purgas. Fine Country. Volcano. Toion. Ge- ' neral Remarks. Marriage P.28S — 294 ' CHAP. IV. I^eaves Kamschatka with his Wife. Reach Okotsk. Wild Berries. Winter in September. Panoramic View. DiflBculty of Tm- • veiling. Accounts of the Yakuti. Yakutsk. Parhelia. Sables > in Vittim. Missionaries. Mines. Hot Baths. Chinese , Town. Manufactories at Irkutsk. Flogging Peasants. Ivory Chessmen. Tobolsk. Ekatherinebourg. Kazan. Enter Russia. Conclusion P. 269-309 i| XrORTBBaN RBaZONS. PART I. CHAP. I. C( Come, Charles, put the Hecla up into her boat-house, and come and see the real sailor, for uncle Richard is returned," said Tom to his bro- ther. *' Uncle Richard! did you say, and where has he left his ship ? Well but wait, Tom, till I have stowed my ship safely, and I will be with you in a minute to hear all about it." Tom and Charles were both destined to be sailors ; Tom had already made one short voyage as midshipman, and Charles would soon be old enough to do the same. How delighted were they, therefore, to see their favourite uncle come home, and how many ques- tions had they to ask about the real Hecla and its adventurous crew, who, as their &ther had told them, had been for many many months sur- rounded by ice and by perpetual winter in the re- s NORTHERN REGIONS. u li H gions of the North Pole. They asked him so many questions, that to satisfy the curiosity of these two boys was exceedingly difficult ; and therefore uncle Richard, who, like most sailors, was very good- natured, offered to enliven the long December evenings by relating to them, in regular order, all the adventures which had occurred during his Noyage. The whole family assembled in the evening to iiear uncle Richard, but none listened with deeper interest than Tom and Charles, who fixed their eyes upon their uacle as he began the fol- lowing narrative : " I need not tell you, my boys, how desirable a thing it has been long considered, to discover a north-west passage to the Pacific Ocean. *' In 1818, Captain Ross had explored Baffin's Bay with a view to this object; but the lateness of the season obliged him to return without effect- nig much. " A fresh expedition was planned for this purpose in the year 1819, and two ships were fitted out. Tlie Hecla, Charles, somewhat larger than yonder ship of your own building, which I saw moored up in the boat-house just now, was commanded by Captain Parry; and the Griper, which was a gun-brig of smaller dimensions, was command- ed by Lieutenant Liddon. Both ships toge>- NORTHERN REGIONS. V ther contained ninety-four men, all of us, you may be sure, proud of serving in an expedition which might be of service to our country. It required a stout heart, Charles, for we had a perilous enterprize in view; the sailors, however, were cheered by the promise of double pay, and ourselves by the thoughts of such happy moments as these, when, our dangers being all over, we should be welcomed home again, and be relating our exploits to our friends. " I must begin by telling you what provision was made for our comforts in the regions of ice and snow to which we were bound, and where we might possibly be shut up for many a winter. Both ships had been taken into dock some time previously to our departure, and made as strong as possible, and completely furnished with provisions for two years ; warm clothing of every kind was supplied, together with a wolf's skin blanket for each man ; and abundance of coals, which were stowed instead of ballast. "We were all ready by April, but the wind being adverse, we were obliged to be taken in tow by a steam-boat to Northfleet, and on the 20 th of May we found ourselves rounding the northern point of the Orkney Islands; from thence you may follow us on the map to Cape Farewell in Greenland, which we spied at 6. great distance on B 2 I i( I i 4 NORTHERN REGIONS. the 15th of June. On the 18th we entered Davis's Strait, and fell in with the first stream of ice, through which we towed till our ships were im- moveably beset." " ^Vhat do you mean by that, uncle ?" asked Charles. • •" " " Why, Charles, they were literally stuck fast by ice ; little did you think, in the middle of the summer before last, while you were lying on the sunny bank near the pool, watching your own ship Hecla with her petty sails, that I was stepping down the side of the r6al one upon a land of ice. In fact, we were now in a truly desolate situation, and were for some days drifted about at the mercy of these shoals of ice. At last we spied land, and aftef eight hours' very hard labour, we' succeeded in getting both ships into clear water. But pic- ture to yourself a huge rock of frozen snow and ice towering above our heads, and threatening our poor ships with instantaneous destruction; and when I tell you that I counted fifty of those ice- bergs, as they are called, in one day, you will have some idea of our sensations. The -swell of the sea dashing the loose ice against these bergs with a tremendous force, sometimes threw up a spray more than a hundred feet above them ; and being accompanied by a noise resembling thunder, pre- sented a scene of terrific grandeur. i {; I'lii'liMti .l/'i-i/ 4 ■'f' J, ■>'„:■'>. l)f JHiH-rut. S'lhuU , h,r,h Y,u\i. '^m } * I • .A HU 5 m NORTHERN REGIONS. ** Our only sport, if sport it could be called, was in chasing a heap of walruses, which lay huddled together on a piece of ice like pigs. These ani- mals are stupidly tame. They allowed our boats to approach quite near to them without attempt- ing to move; but when once disturbed, they dashed into the water with the greatest confu- sion. I remarked that walruses are amazingly difficult to kill: we struck one of them with our harpoons, the iron barb of which, as we after- wards found, had entered the heart, and yet it struggled so violently for ten minutes as to move the boat twenty or thirty yards along with it. " From the fat of this animal we laid in a win- ter's supply of oil for our lamps. ** We were now in Baffin's Bay, and though we got on tolerably well, yet our progress was much impeded by thick fogs, which often, indeed, placed us in considerable danger. One day we perceived that a current was drifting us towards an iceberg one hundred and forty feet high, while a floe or sheet of ice threatened to enclose us on the other side; we worked very hard to clear the berg, which we did just a few minutes before the floe dashed against it, and surrounded it on all sides. " Sometimes we were cheered by the sight of a stream of clear water between the ice, and then we sailed on swiftly ; and sometimes we sawed away B 3 If f 6 NORTHERN BEGiaNS. the ice that stood in our way, and joyous work there was among the sailors when we secured our ships in a * natural dock,' as they called it, which was a' kind of hollow or bay in a field of ice : our Captain, on those occasions, ordered us an extra allowance of m^jat and spirits,, and all hands were allowed to rest. i " You must not suppose these fields of ice to have resembled the ice which covers your pool in win- ter, Charles; I have seen S3me of them three times your height in thickness, and many miles in extent. Indeed it was well we had strong ships, for they had to encounter severe blows in their course through Baffin's Bay. However, we got on pretty well in spite of all difficulties, and steered our course, though somewhat crookedly, north-west towards Sir James Lancaster's Sound." Tom. Now, uncle, please to stop while I look at the map for this sound. " You will soon find it, my boy," said uncle Richard, " for until this voyage of ours there was not much known of the world beyond it. Captain Parry had commanded one of the ships in the last year's expedition, and he felt confident that if he could get through these shoals of ice in the middle of Baffin's Bay, we should get two months of good sailing in a clear open sea. The event proved that he was right, for our well-built sturdy ves- NORTHERN REGIONS. f sels, assisted by our commander's skill and perse- verance (for a sailor can do nothing with- out perseverance, Charles), got us through this barrier of ice, which was eighty miles across, in a season in which no one had ever attempted it be- Ibre. ' ' ,. " Towards the latter end of July the ice gradual- ly disappeared, and we were sailing in an open sea, with nothing to stop our progress but our consort the Griper, who was rather tardy in her motions; but, notwithstanding that, we soon had a sight of the high lands about Possession Bay, with a distant view of the magnificent Byam Martin mountains. Every one was on deck to look at the flag-staff on Possession Mount, which liad been erected in the former expedition, and to hail it as an old acquaintance; a few of us landed and strolled for three or four miles up the country, to pass away the time while the Griper was coming up. We could not, however, find a single tree, or any signs of human beings; and after some few observations we returned to our ships, and set sail for the sound. " As it was the main object of our expedition very carefully to explore this sound, and if no passage could be found this way, to go farther north ; and as the Griper continued to detain us so much, Captain Pariy determined to go pn 8 NORTHERN REGIONS. without her, and accordingly, after leaving instruc- tions with Captain Liddon where to meet again in case of separation, the Hecla added fresh sail and flew along, and soon came in sight of the northern shore of the sound. " Now look at this little drawing I made on the spot ; follow the Hecla, Charles, along this line which marks her course, and if you could have looked on her deck that afternoon, you would have beheld officers and men crowding with breathless anxiety in their looks, and listening with eagerness to die various reports from the crow's nest.'* " The crow's nest, uncle?" cried Charles, with some impatience, for he had begun to be so much interested that he was vexed to be inter- rupted by an expression which he could not under- stand. ^ ^ * ^ . ^ , ; " Indeed, Charles, you^must excuse an old sailor like me for making use of sea-phrases now and then, but I am willing enough to explain them. The crow's nest is a little round-house like a tub, placed at the mast's head, in which a man sits, who is called the look-out man, whose business it is to guide the ship through the ice, or to give notice of whatever objects he may spy. We had a distant glimpse of Cape Castlereagh, which was situated on the south of the sound; and after that we sailed briskly along till midnight, and still found no land ^iw^ NORTHERN REGIONS. 1 to impede our course down this magnificent inlet. Our hopes ran high. We passed a large bay, which we christened Croker's Bay ; and ^indeed we had busy work in providing names for every new cape and island, which we were now hourly discovering. " But when I talk of land, you must not think of green fields, hedges, and trees: you must picture to yourselves abrupt and craggy rocks topped with snow, rising boldly from the sea, in every variety of form and shape. "At last we came to a cape, which we named Cape Fellfoot, and which we thought terminated the coast; and as it was very foggy, and we could not see far, we began to flatter ourselves that we had really entered the Polar Sea. But a report of land again damped our hopes, as it seemed this was only a bay which we had been passing. Captain Parry named this Maxwell Bay. "As the weather was now very calm and thick, we amused ourselves with endeavouring to kill some of the white whales, which were swimming in num- bers about the ships; but they were cunning, and would not permit a boat to come near them without divinge I was near enough, however, to hear one sing. You may laugh, Charles, but I can assure you it made a sound something like the musical glasses, when you clumsily attempt to play them; i: I i* I » I 10 NORTHERN REGIONS. and, strange to say, I heard it most distinctly while it was swimming directly under the boat that I was in. / . „ *^, " We saw here, too, some narwhals, or what the sailors call the sea-unicorn." •*•.>,», " You have not told us," said Tom, " what was become of your consort the Griper, uncle, whom you left behind you, at the entrance of Sir James Lancaster's Sound." " Oh, the Griper had overtaken us ; indeed it had made better speed, and had not been out of sight of its protector, the Hecla, for many days to- gether. " Well now, my boys, you have seen us advance, by the middle of August, as far as Maxwell Bay ; imagine us all full of the hopes of making dis- coveries, which we flattered ourselves would im- mortalize our names, when all at once we found our progress stopped by continued floes o^ ice, which an ice-blink warned us it would be useless to attempt to cut through." " What is that, uncle ?" asked Tom. " An ice-blink is a bright light in the at- mosphere, which shews that you are approaching ice, or land covered with snow. " Well, we steered our course southward, to escape from being ^surrounded by the ice, which a current was driving rapidly towards us, and at- NOIITHERN REGIONS. 11 we soon came in sight of some islands, which we named * Prince Leopold's Isles ;* we then entered a grand inlet to the south of the sound, and sailed a distance of 120 miles down it. The shores appeared to us to be formed by islands on each side of it, and at some future time it might be thought worth while to explore it, with a view to find an opening into Hudson's Bay; but as our present object was to go westward, and as Captain Parry hoped that by this time the ice in the sound would have cleared itself off, we made what expedition we could northward again. As we could not, however, proceed rapidly, we determined to ex- plore the eastern coast of this inlet, which we christened * Prince Regent's Inlet.' Cape Kater, you perceive, is the southern extremity of our visit ; we sheltered along some cliffs in a beautiful litde bay, to which we gave the name of ' Port Bowers. * These cliffs look like ruined towers and battlements, and fragments of the rocks were con- stantly tumbling one upon another. At last we came to the eastern extremity, which we called 'Cape York,' in honour of the Duke of York, and UHiAi our leave of the inlet, after leaving traces of many of our friends, by naming points and bays after them." "Indeed, uncle," exclaimed Charles, "I must go with you on your next voyage, for I think it i .1! I, 1 mmi Ml 12 NORTHEP.N REGIONS. V ' 14 Ml i must be delightful to find out new places and to give them names." • ' • *' Well, wait, my little fellow, till I have finished my history before you decide upon accompany- ing Captain Parry in his next voyage. At the time I am now speaking of, it was certainly very exhilarating, and you will enter into the delight of the crew, on the certainty we all felt that we had at length disentangled ourselves of the land which forms the western side of Baffin's Bay, and that, in fact, we had actually entered the Polar Sea. Impressed with the hope that we had passed from one sea to another, our Captain gave the name of Barrow's Strait to the opening through which we had made a passage from Baffin's Bay to Welling- ton Channel, in honour of Mr. Barrow, Secretary to the Admiralty, who has done so much in pro- moting northern discovery. It was now the middle of August, we had six good navigable weeks be- fore us, our ships had suffered no injury, we had plenty of provisions, a navigable sea, and a crew in high health and spirits, and resolute to do all in their power to accomplish the object of the expedition. Now you, Tom, who are so intently studying the map, place your finger upon Behring's Straits and Fly Cape, and draw it carefully along to the north-west corner of the newly discovered Bar- row's Strait Observe our ships, which are sta- NORTHERN REGIONS. 18 tioned in this corner, now steering their course in the direction of this line. The wind favoured us : it is impossible to conceive any thing more ani- mating than the quick and uninterrupted run which our ships took from iSeechy Island across to Cape Hotham. Rapid motion, you know, always raises the spirits ; for who, Charles, would know it to be the same boy listening so gravely to me now, who, at a game of cricket, is so full of boisterous mirth and glee? This feeUng was much increased in us by the slow and tedious manner in which our navigation had hitherto proceeded in these seas. Imagine our vexation and disappointment, then, when a report was issued from the crow's-nest, that a body of ice lay directly across our passage ! For some time no opening could be seen in it, but in about an hour, Lieutenant 6ee<^ey discovered one narrow neck, which consisted of loose pieces of ice, instead of one solid mass ; beyond which, there was a considerable extent of open water. We immediately pushed the Hecla into this neck, and after a quarter of an hour's boring, we suc- ceeded in getting her through it. The Griper followed in the opening we had made, and now again we were in an open sea, pursuing our course westward. We passed various islands, the first of which we named 'Lowter Isle,' the next ' Young,' and the next * Davy Ishind.' We had ; u NORTHERN REGIONS. not a very distinct view of the shores of these islands, but they were not in general so much covered with snow as we had expected, nor were they very high. -^-^ " Being once more stopped by ice, we landed for a while on a new island to the south-east, to which we gave the name of * Byam Martin Island ;* here our eyes were once more gladdened by the traces of human beings : these consisted of heaps of stones placed in a circular form, which those who had visited those regions before, knew to be the remains of Esquimaux huts. In vain did we look for any living beings, rein-deer's horns and traces of the musk-ox alone met our eyes. " During this time we moored our ships to a floe, which afterwards became a common practice with us ; we pursued our course westward, and soon came to another much larger island, which appeared, however, to resemble Byam Martin Island in its general outline. We continued a westerly course, keeping lar;d in sight, and naming every different point as we v/ent on, till we reached that degree of west longitude, by arriving at which the Hecla and the Griper became entitled to the reward of five thousand pounds, which had been promised by the King, to be distributed among such of his subjects, as should reach the meridian of 110 degrees, in latitude 74. ' NORTHERN REGIONS. 15 ?- " It was on a Sunday that Captain Parry an- nounced to us this joyful fact ; and I shall never forget the smile of honest satisfaction that ap- peared on the faces of my fellow seamen. ♦ " Thus we had completed one stage of our voyage, and, as if to make it the more striking to all of us, we dropped anchor for the first time, since leaving the coast of Norfolk. The pendants and ensigns were hoisted as soon as we had an- chored, and we sailors shouted with joy, at seeing the British flag wave in those regions, which had till tlien been considered beyond the limits of the habitable world. But I must not omit to tell you that tliis was the celebrated Melville Isle, which you have heard me talk of so often, and that the bay in which we anchored, we named in honour of our stout ships the * Bay of the Hecla and the Griper.' " \ CHAP. 11. *' However flattering our success had been, you must remember that we had now to look forward to the speedy arrival of winter, for in those regions there is but little summer you know, and the rest of the year is one perpetual night; consequently we could not hope to do much more this season. c 2 . If '4 /Ii I I li ii i 16 NORTHEIIN REGIONS. The few dark hours we began to experience in the night already gave us much uneasiness, and the circumstance that we found it necessary to have the ships at those hours fastened to a floe. "But, notwithstanding every impediment, Cap- tain Parry determined upon sailing on as long as lie could through September, and therefore gave orders that every thing should be ready when the ice would admit of our sailing again. As we were compelled to be quiet for the present, we amused ourselves as well as we could : a party of us took our guns on shore to beat for game. We met with a white hare, which it was difficult enough to trace, its white skin resembling so much the colour of the snow over which it scampered. A ptarmigan and a few snow-buntings fell to the lot of some of the best of our sportsmen, while I, who am but a dumsy hand at shooting, came home laden with two or three skulls of the musk-ox, and a few rein-deer's horns, the I've animals of that kind being no where to be found. One of our straggling seamen was particularly welcome on his return, for he brought with him a lump of coal which he had picked up, and which proved to be tolerably abundant hereabout, and particularly valuable, from the circumstance of its giving a bright flame when it burns, so as to serve for the double purpose of fire and candlos. Our impa- NORTHERN REGIONS. IT tience to get on was extreme, but it was madness to tliink of moving, and our uneasiness was added to by a very alarming occurrence. Mr. Fife, with a party of six men from the Griper, had been dis- patched the day before in search of rein-deer ami musk-oxen, and had not yet returneil. As they had taken but little food with them, and as there had been a heavy fall of snow during the night, we were afraid they had lost their way. Lieute- nant Liddon dispatched three of his crew in search of them, but the snow made the atmosphere so thick, tliat these also lost their way ; but ihey for- tunately were at last guided by our rockets back to tlie ships, where they arrived at ten at night, exhausted with hunger and fatigue, and unable to give any account of the absentees. Tlie next day, at daylight, I went, by Captain Parry*s wish, and took the Hecla's fore-royal-mast, upon which 1 hoist- ed a large ensign, and planted it upon a hill four or five miles inland. We thought the wanderers could hardly fail to see this, and that it would be a more certain method of guiding them to the ships than sending out parties, which indeed it would have been almost cruel to do ; but the snow fell so thick that this plan failed. " Another night passed, therefore, without any tidings of the stragglers, and we were all anxiety to know their fate. c 3 I wmmmmmmem 18 NORTHERN REGIONS. " Next morning four parties were dispatched in different directions^ all carrying with them pikes on which flags were fastened. These pikes they put into the ground at intervals as they went on, in order both to mark the path by which they might return, and to warn the unhappy wanderers if they came near them, that relief was at hard; and to each pike there was a bottle fixed, in which was a slip of paper, giving notice that provisions would be met with at the large flag-staff on the hill. " The whole of that day there was the most pier- cing cold wind, and a constant drifting snow, and our horror was extreme when we found the sun s flag was one which had been hoisted some time before, and walked another way with two of the men, while these four made for the flag-staff. They halted for the night on their way, and made a sort of hut of stones and turf to shelter them from the weather, and kindled a little fire with moss and gunpowder % '^m a :-¥U<: NORTHERN REGIONS. 19 to warm their feet : and, fortunately, they never wanted food, being able to supply themselves with raw grouse, which they shot and eat. *' We were just going to dispatch some parties in search of Fife, when news was brought that he was seen returning with his two men. They had been three nights exposed to the dreadful cold, and were much exhausted by cold and fatigue ; their toes and fingers were frost-bitten, and re- quired great care from our medical gentleman before they could be cured. " We had great reason to be thankful for their return, for the following night was so severe that it is scarcely possible they could have survived it. In gratitude for this act of mercy, we named the spot ' Cape Providence.* "If this does not present to you some idea of the increasing dangers of our situation, I will endets^ vour to describe to you the situation of our ships, when I drew this little picture. You know the danger to ships of being on shore : well, we were sailing with a fair wind along-side of the main-land, but our progress was delayed by young, or what we call bay ice, which is ice newly frozen, and which requires efforts to cut through, although it is not sufficient entirely to stop us. We were as near shore as we could well be without danger, when we perceived a field of thick ice driven by a I? I i """^"'^mmmmmmm : I! I M% NORTHERN REGIONS. •! Strong current against us, which threatened mo- mentarily to dash us against the land. Nothing could have saved us from immediate destruction had there not been a mass of thick ice, or iceberg, projecting from the main land, on each side of which one of our ships was forced by the drift- ed ice to take shelter. We were within a hun- dred yards of this point, when we saw the floe dash against it with a tremendous crash, piling up enormous fragments of ice in a most terrific man- ner, and thankful indeed were we at having es- caped a situation from which no human skill could have saved us." " Oh ! my dear uncle," cried Charles, who had Ixien almost breathless during this account, " how I rejoice at your escape, and that your poor Hecla was not ruii aground; but do tell me why the good Griper your consort is drawn in that forlorn situa- tion, all on one side, as if she were already light- ened of her crew, and half filled with water." " I will tell you, my boy, for our calamities ap- peared to be hourly multiplying. We passed a fearful night, surrounded by terrors. In the morn- ing we perceived numerous floes which threatened us ; some of them missed the Hecla by a hundred yards ; but at length we perceived one moving up to the Griper, and we saw her turn on her side so much, that we had no doubt she had been forced <«*<*w NORTHERN REGIONS. 21 on shore. Indeed it was too true, and wliat made it more melancholy, was that its commander, Lieutenant Liddon, was suffering from illness, which had been much increased from the last fort- night's disasters, and the severe weather. " We sent some of our men round to assist the Griper in her distress; and Captain Parry was anxious that Lieutenant Liddon should be re- moved to the Hecla : but he refused, saying that he would be the last man instead of the first to quit his vessel; and accordingly he remained seated against the side of the deck, during the greater part of the day, giving the necessary orders." " I like him for it, uncle," cried Charles ; " I hope, mamma, that you will let me call that firm- ness, and not obstinacy." "I will allow you my boy," answered his mamma, " and I agree with you in admiring that firmness of resolution, which made him persevere in per- forming his duty, notwithstanding his bodily suf- ferings." " The Griper, our distressed consort," continued uncle Richard, " was not very long before she was afloat again ; but the unpromising appearance of the ice, the advanced season, and the risks we had undergone for some days past, made our com- mander think that it was time to look out for winter quarters. I '^mmmmm f* 22 NORTHERN REGIONS. " The young ice was forming so rapidly, that we were convinced that it was owing to the strong winds alone that the sea was not entirely frozen over in these parts ; and it seemed not improbable, that if the weather continued calm for four and twenty hours we might be obliged to pass the win- ter in our present exposed situation. It was unanimously agreed, therefore, that it would be the wisest plan to put back into the bay of the Hecla and the Griper, which promised the best shelter. We anchored at the south of this bay, but found that it would be necessary to cut a canal of about two miles in length, through the ice, before we could plant ourselves into the harbour which we had decided upon. The sailors set to work to cut this canal with great spirit, and being fond of doing things in their own way, had several new contrivances to help them on. For instance, look here, Charles, these blocks of ice were to be floated out of the canal, as soon as they had cut them ; and to do this the easier, they fastened these old boat sails to them, by which a northerly breeze soon wafted them into the open part of the sea. "But the cutting of this canal was very tedious work, our first day's task took us till midnight to finish, and on the second we found that it was ne- cessary to sink the blocks of ice under the floe, instead of floating them out, as the entrance of NORTHERN REGIONS. 23 the canal, through which the ships had passed, was now frozen. We accompHshed this difficult job in the following manner ; some of our men stood upon one end of the block of ice which was to be sunk, while others on the floe dragged the opposite end towards them. Officers and all joined in the employ, and many of them frequent- ly stood during the whole day up to their knees in water which was nearly as cold as ice. In the evening we moved the ships ; the Griper, you observe, is fastened to the Hecla, and die two ships' companies in parties on each bank dragged the ships along by ropes fastened to the Hecla. " Our work was not completed by Sunday, which we would gladly have made a day of rest, but we were afraid of being frozen up entirely, as the ice was forming with great rapidity. On Sunday after- noon, however, we finished it. Our ships were safely anchored in a harbour, to which we gave the name of Winter Harbour ; and a group of islands which we had discovered to the north we called the ' North Georgian Islands,' in honour of our King George the Fourth, who had given such great encouragement to the prosecution of useful discoveries. »> V i' mmmmmmm HnHH ■■■■■■V H 24 NORTHERN REGIONS. K i I i CHAP. III. . • , - . « " ELere we are then, my boys, at rest from all our toils; but do you envy us our situation, Charles, shut up in the midst of ice and snow for eight or ten months to come, some of which must be passed in utter darkness? We had many serious evils to face, such as you who stay at home, and have a good fire always to go to, and good food of every kind to sustain you, little dream of. But to face evils steadily is half to conquer them, and therefore we set to work to arrange every thing in the best manner that we could. " The masts of the ships were dismantled, and we formed on the deck of the Hecla a kind of housing, by planks covered with thick cloth, such as wag- gons are covered with, and this sheltered the up- per deck from the wind and snow. The upper deck was cleared, to enable the crew to take exer- cise there when the weather was too severe for them to go on shore. We were • so anxious to preserve our ropes, and a variety of other things, that we took unnecessary trouble ; if we had had more experience we should h|^ve known, that to suffer the fine snow to fall upon them would have protected them better than any plan we could have devised. i viV* Oj^r'^'^/r'y ///^y /'^/^, ^ •^ I Pi hliA-d April .i"< :S7.' the only bear we saw all through the winter, and it was of a very pure white : I was in hopes of bringing you home a beautiful little white fox, but it died in its passage ; he paid our ship a visit one night, and I succeeded in catching him. You cannot imagine, Charles, how the poor little creature shrunk and trembled whenever a wolf was heard to howl near the ships ; I cannot help fancying, from that circumstance, that they are hunted by wolves in their wild state. As for wolves, we used to hear them howl most piteously on the beach for hours together, but we seldom saw many at a time, and they were shy of coming near us, and never attacked any of us, even when evidently suffering from hunger. " And now ibr our other amusements : what think you, Charles, of acting plays ?" " If you had but had a playhouse, uncle ? " ** So we thought, and we set to work to have one prepared, and Lieut. Beechey was appointed stage-master ; and the 6th of November we fixed upon for our first performance, as thrit is a grand holiday, you know. \ f / d NORTHERN REGIONS* ** While our theatre was preparing, we set on foot a weekly newspaper, which we called the North Georgian Gazette and Winter Chronicle ; Capt Sabine was editor, ar 1 it was written by the officers of both ships ; many an hour being thus occupied which otherwise might have been passed in thinking of our gloomy situation. . *' Capt. Sabine, who was astronomer to the ex- pedition, sent a party of the men to build an ob- servatory OP shore, as well as a house to hold the clocks and instruments. This house v. as built of fir planks, which had been brought in the ships for the purpose of building spare boats with, and the walls were made double, the space between being filled up with moss, by which means a single stove could warm it. A house of snow, Charles, might not perhaps have answered the purpose, but it would have been much easier to build than this, for the ground was frozen so hard, that it was with the greatest difficulty we could dig holes for the upright posts to be put in. " WTiile thus employed we had reason to be thankful for the safe situation of our ships in the harbour, for on the very night c>f their arrival, the thermometer fell to one degree, and the sea was observed the next day to be quite frozen over as far as could be seen from the highest hills, nor was any more water visible from this time. D 2 2B NORTHERN REGIONS. "The following incident will give you some idea of the cold which v/e had to suffer even in this early stage of the winter, for it was only on the 10th of October that one of our sailors nearly lost his life from it : this was John Pearson, who went with a party of other sailors to hunt some deer. A stag was wounded, and, in the eagerness of the men to secure him, they forgot the order of the captain that every person should be on board be- fore sunset, and they did not return till late. John Pearson was the last of all the party, and had ini- prudently gone out without his mittens, and with a musket in his hand. A party of our people most providentially found him, although the night was very dark, just as he had fallen down a steep bank of snow, and was beginning to feel very drowsy ; and I dare say you know, that if he had indulged this drowsiness, and gone to sleep, it would have proved fatal to him. " As it was, when he was brought on board his fingers were quite stiff, and bent to the form of that part of the musket which he had been carry- ing ; and his hands were so severely frost-bitten, that a short time afterwards the surgeon was obliged to cut off three of his fingers. " I remarked in this man, and in several others whom I have since seen, who have been exposed to extreme cold, that it affects the mind no less r r 't 4 NORTHERN REGIONS, 29 than the body. He looked very wild, and spoke thick and unintelligibly, exactly like a person who is intoxicated, so that, if I had not been sure that he could not have been drinking on shore, I should have thought that he deserved punishment for getting drunk. *' To prevent the sailors from losing their way again, Captain Parry ordered finger-posts to be set up on all the hills, about two or three miles from Winter Harbour." "Pray, uncle," asked the reflecting Tom, " at 'vhattime did your real t inter begin ; I mean, when did you lose sight of the sun altogether ?" " About the middle of October we took leave of the sun for four months; it continued, indeed, to rise for a few hours every day until the 1th of Novem- ber, but the weather was so thi that it was not vi- sible to us. From half past nine till half past two we could just see in the captain's cabui 'o write and read, the rest of the time we lived by candle- light. The sky was extremely beautiful at tue setting and the rising of the sun at this period, the rich blueish purple round the horizon being crowned with an arch of the most brilliant red. " We were all of us rather dull on the 4th of November, when, as I have told you, the sun had set not to rise on us again for a long time. How could we tell whether our fuel might not be con- D 3 I ..J n northehn regions. sumed before we again could hope to welcome its beams, and what should then prevent our pro- visions from being frozen and spoiled, and our- selves all dying of cold and hunger ? " Our captain knew that, of all the evils we had to encounter, want of employment was the worst, and therefore he proposed to us to act our first play on the following day, and accordingly we performed the farce of ' Miss in her Teens,* much to the amusement of the sailors, whose mirth was very great at seeing some of their officers stoop to perform the character of young ladies." i' " You must have found the hours pass rather tediously most days, I think, uncle," said Charles, " if vou could not go out of the ship ?" - ^ •*«) " I will tell you what our daily occupations were, and you shall j udge if we did not contrive to keep the enemy, idleness, out tolerably well. Our officers and quarter-masters were divided into four watches, which were regularly kept, and the remainder of the ship's crew were allowed to pass the night un- disturbed. At six all the crew got up, and both decks were well rubbed with stones and warm sand. At eight both officers and men sat down to breakfast ; and at a quarter past nine the muster took place on the quarter deck, and a strict exami- nation of the cleanliness of eacu man s person, and whether his clothing was in good condition and sufficiently warm. I " 44 The captain and one or two more officers then generally went down to visit the lower deck, while the men were allowed to walk or run round the upper one. Every little piece of ice which was frozen in the night was cleared away from the births, to prevent the dampness occasioned by the warmth of the breath melting this ice. The bed places were very difficult to be kept dry, as we were afraid of burning a fire constantly on th« lower deck, for fear of consuming too many coals. " Captain Parry took the opportunity of seeing those who were on the sick list, and consulting the surcjeon as to their comforts and recovery. - " The men were then allowed to go on shore till noon, when they returned on board and dined; when the weather would not admit of this, they were ordered to run round and round the deck, keeping step to a tune on the organ, or to a song of tlieir own singing. Some of the men did not like this mode of taking exercise ; but when they found that the captain had fixed upon it for their good, and that no excuse would be taken, they cheerfully complied, and made it an occasion of much mirth and frolic. " " The officers dined at two, and rambled for a feAv hours, even on the daritest days, on shore, except when there was a very heavy snow-drift. There was little to amuse or interest us on shore. r 32 NORTHERN REGIONS. as we seldom extended our walks above one or two miles, for fear of a sudden snow-drift, whicli would have prevented our return to the ships. If we looked towards the sea, one unbroken sheet of ice was before us; if we turned to the land, snow alone presented itself to our view, with here and there a small patch of brown, bare ground. There was something rather melancholy in the scene, when viewed from the summit of the neigh- bouring hills, on a calm quiet day. Not an object on which the eye could rest with pleasure till it reach- ^ ed our own diminutive colony, where the smoke of several little fires showed the presence of man, and the sound of a few voices, which could be heard at a great distance during the cold weather, broke the death-like stillness which reigned around. "In the afternoon, the men were employed on the lower-deck, drawing and knotting yarns for the rigging, and preparing other little requisite conveniences. At six the same muster and exa- mination of the crew took place as in the morning ; the sailors then went to their supper, the officei*s to their tea; after which the men were allowed to amuse themselves as they pleased. Dancing, singing, and games of all kinds (for sailors are jolly men, Charles), went on till nine, when they went to bed, and lights were extinguished. " I suppose I need hardly tell you, that we ^ORTHEliN tlEGlONd. 33 officers spent our evenings somewhat more grave- ly ; reading and writing, a game at chess, or a tune on the flute or violin, being our chief em- ployments. ^ " On Sundays, divine service was performed on board each of the ships, and a sermon read; and it was pleasing to see the attention paid by our sailors to their religious duties. " We acted plays once a fortnight, and they continued a source of great amusement. Unfor- tunately we had but few plays with us, and it was difficult to vary them sufficiently. Some of the officers, therefore, whom we called our authors because they were better skilled in the use of thei^ pen than most of us, set to work, and composed a musical entertainment for a Christmas piece. "They with great ingenuity adapted it to our audience, and to the situation in which we were placed, and alluded to the success we had already met with in so happy a manner, as at once to produce entertainment, and to encourage hopes of the ultimate success of the expedition. " You will perhaps wonder how we could mark each day, v/hen the total absence of the sun had placed us in perpetual night. " The whole face of nature was indeed com- pletely changed to us, but it was far from being so gloomy as you would imagine. A considerable .( NOftTHERN RSGIONS. twilight about noon denoted the return of day» and in clear weather, a beautiful arch of red light overspread the horizon to the south, for an hour or two before and after noon." "That was a very short day, uncle; and had you light enough then to see to read ?" asked Tom. "Yes, Tom," answered his uncle. " Christmas came without bringing with it utter darkness ; indeed the reflection of light from the snow, in addition to the occasional presence of a bright moon, prevented us from experiencing at anytime the gloo- my night which occurs in more temperate climates. "Great care was taken, all the while the sun was under the horizon, to keep regular hours for our meals ; and as the days shortened very gradually, we did not feel the approach of the shortest day, though we were not sorry when it had passed. We spent our Christmas-day as much as possible in the same manner as we should have done at home. After divine service the men had fresh meat at dinner, and rather more grog, to drink the health of their friends in England. The officers had a piece of roast beef, which, strange to say, had been kept without salt in our ship since May. ** A great many frost-bites occurred at this pe- riod, even when the men were walking quickly for exercise, and they were very difficult to heal on s NORTHERN REGIONS. 35 account of the extreme cold; and much injury to the general health of the men was apprehended, from the long confinement necessary for their cure. Mr. Edwards, our medical man, thought the stiff leather of their boots prevented circula- tion; and Captain Parry, in consequence, ordered a pair of canvas boots, lined with woollen stuff, to be made for every man; after which there were few frost-bites in the feet. " The latter 6nd of December the weather chang- ed, and the year closed with milder weather than We had experienced for two months." CHAP. IV. '* I AM very impatient for you to continue your story, uncle," cried Charles, the following evening, when seated as usual at the round table ; " and I can assure you, I have heard nothing yet that should prevent me from still wishing to make a voyage to the Arctic regions." ** And I believe you have heard the worst of it too," continued uncle Richard ; ** though in Ja- nuary the severe weather returned, and the scurvy began to make its appearance among us. As this complaint is supposed to arise from salt dry 36 NORTHERN REGIONS. food, we distributed our vegetable soups, lemon- juice and sugar, pickles, preserves, and spruce beer ; added to which, Captain Parry had a con- stant supply of fresh mustard and cress, which he grew in small boxes in his cabin, placed in a warm situation near the stove-pipe. These are never-failing remedies, and our patients were not long in being cured. " " You may be surprised, perhaps, that you have not heard me mention the Aurora Borealis, which is a phenomenon which displays itself in the northern regions, affording some recompense for the annual loss of the sun's presence for so many weeks. Hitherto we had been disappointed, having seen only a few faint appearances of it ; but about the middle of January we were grati- fied by a very brilliant display of it. I should attempt in vain to convey an idea of the beauty of this magnificent phenomenon : the luminous arch, which before we had seen only of a pale light, was now most brilliant, being broken into .^ thousand irregular masses, streaming rapidly in different directions and varying every moment, sometimes resembling in shape a snake curling j?> itself about, and sometimes a shepherd's crook : it is said that a sound is usually heard from the Aurora Borealis, but we listened and could hear none. NORTHERN REGIONS. 87 " We now began to watch for the first re-ap- pearance of the sun, and for nine days, all on board took it by turns to look out for it from the mast's head, one person not being able to watch long together, for fear of suffering from frost- bites. " At twenty minutes before noon, on the third of February, we saw the sun for the first time for eighty-four days ; we could now see to work on the outside of the ships from eight till four, and delighted enough we were, to employ our- selves about something useful for the equipment of the ships. Our first job was to collect stones for ballast, for it was calculated, that the Hecla ^lone would require, in the spring, nearly seventy tons, to make up for the loss of weight in stores and provisions that had been consumed. We brought the stones down upon sledges about half a mile to the beach, where they were broken to a convenient size, and weighed in scales whicli we erected on the shore for the purpose. " The coldest season was now approaching, but the animating presence of the sun made us rather imprudent; for instance. Captain Parry was so anxious to enjoy daylight, and to save the candles, that he ordered the stern-Mrindows ol his cabin to be uncovered. The cold then became so great, that for several weeks, it was i. NORTHERN REGIONS. ■ I uiipossible to sit in it without being warmly wnip- ped up, so that we used to throw of^' our great coats when we went on deck, and could warm ourselves by exercise, and put them on again, when we went down in the cabin. " One day, when the men were running en deck for exercise, tht house on shore, which you remember we had built to put our clocks, &c. in, was seen to be in a blaze of fire ; officers and men all ran to extinguish it, and by pulling off the roof with ropes, and knocking down a part of the sides, and throwing snow upon the flames, we "rjucceeded in extinguishing them in about three- quarters of an hour, and saved our clocks and other instruments lodged there. After removing these, and covering the ruins with snow, we re- turned on deck till more temperate weather should enable us to dig out the rest of the things : we . then had a general muster of the ships' compa- nies, to see that all had put on dry clothes, after which, they were employed in drying the wet ones till dinner. When assembled at the fire, our faces presented a singular appearance, almost every nose and cheek being white with frosti-bites, while our medical gentlemen, and two or three others fixed upon to assist them, were going from one to the other, rubbing the affected parts with snow, which, strange as it may seem, is the only NORTHERN REGIONS. 39 remedy in these cases. Notwithstanding such ^ood care was taken, we had sixteen men added to the sick Hst, in consequence of this accident, and four or five men were confined for several weeks. Captain Sabine*s servant indeed suffered much more severely; he and Serjeant Martin, were in tlie house at the time the fire broke out, and, anxious to save the dipping needle, of which they knew the value, they immediately ran out with it into the open air; Captain Sabine's ser- vant had not time to put liis gloves on, and in half an hour his hands were so benumbed, that when taken on board by Mr. Edwards, and his hands plunged in cold water, they literally caused the surface of tho water to freeze ; and poor fel- low, though all that was possible wsi done for him, he was forced some time after, to have part of four fingers cut off from one hand, and three from the other. " If this adventure does not satisfy you, my little fellow, that we had something to endure in this pitiless region, what would you have said if you had witnessed the excessive joy that shewed itself on board our ships, on the first appearance of milder weather ? " It was now Marcli, and we daily watched in hopes of perceiving some change in the snow which surrounded us. * E 2 40 I40RTHERN REGIONS. I 1 "At length we found that the snow had melted a little upon the black paint of the Hecla's stern, and this was a pleasing sight. " We took advantage of these few days of milder weather to rebuild the house on shore, which we accomplished in a very short time. Soon after this we performed our last plays, having plenty of work now for the sailors, in preparing the ship for sailing again. 1'he Citizen, and the Mayor of Garratt, were the farces, and our poets composed an address on the closing of the north Georgian Theatre. We were not, however, at present grati- fied with much spring weather ; April passed in the same manner as the former month ; the snow drifted so much, that we were sometimes obliged to dig out the sentries when they were to be relieved. It was not till the second week in May when a ptar- migan was killed, and the first tracks of rein-deer, and musk-oxen traced, which was a proof that they "et irn from their migration during this month. We had now constant daylight, the sun never disappearing beloiv the horizon. When the birds became more plentiful. Captain Parry ordered that they should be given to the invalids, and the " game laws " again issued : by \v iiich ail the game caught became public property, and were served out the sanr.e as other food, without any distinction between the oflBcers and the men. NORTHERN REGIONS. 41 ' " In consequence of going out to shoot so much, a new disorder was introduced among us, which is, in cold countries, called " snow-blindness." It causes a sensation as if dust or sand were thrown into the eyes, and is cured by the Indians by holding the eyes over a steam from warm water. We found a preparation of lead mixed with cold water a certain cure, but, in order to prevent its occurrence, every man was provided with a short black crape veil to wear when he went out." Charles. " You must have looked like a band of ruffians in disguise, uncle." " I suppose some of our officers thought so, for they contrived something instead, and this was a pair of spectacles with black or green crape in the place of the glasses, which were found to heat the eyes. :' " Towards the middle of May we began to cut the ice round the ships. We found it to our joy to be only six feet thick, although in the middle of the harbour it averaged four and twenty feet : this w^iS partly owing to the thick snow which covered it, and partly to our having cut . round the ships daily as long as we could at the begin- ning of the winter. We began our operations by digging a large hole under the stern in order to enter the saw: this alone occupied us two whole days. A few men only could labour at e3 42 NORTHERN REGIONS. this ; while the rest of the crew were employed in clearing away the snow and rubbish from the ship's side, and in cutting a trench with axes two feet wide and four feet ftnd a half in depth, by which means they left only eighteen inches for the saws to work upon. " The saw being entered in the hole, under the stern, was worked in the usual manner, and small pieces of ice were occasionally broken offby hand- spikes and ice-chisels, and hooked out piece by piece. " . ' " This cold and tedious operation lasted nine (lays, and on the tenth the ship suddenly disen- gaged herself from the ice, and was once again " launched," as our sailors were pleased to call it. " An examination now took place of our stores and provisions, and the Griper was supplied with her allowance, which the Hecla had carried for her. Our ships crews were all alive ; some of us were busy breaking stones for ballast, other hands were occupied in getting out the sails and boats ; carpenters, armourers, coopers, and sail-makers, all were at their work, bustling and busy I " As for my employment, or rather amusement, I defy you to guess what it was. I laid out a lit- tle garden, and planted it with radishes, onions, mustard, and cress. But, alas ! notwithstanding all my care and attention, when the end of July , :'r"^NK. v,. »V - " ' i aj NORTHERN REGIONS. 43 came, my radishes were only an inch in length, and my other seeds failed utterly. Not even a single crop of mustard and cress could be raised in the open air, and we were obliged to be con- tent with what could be grown in Captain Parry's cabin, where they could always be raised without difficulty. Some common store peas, however, were found to thrive ; and if we had discovered this sooner, we might at least have cultivated a quantity of the leaves of this plant, which, boiled as greens, would have been a great treat to persons !^ke us, who had been without fresh vegetables for more than ten months." " And all this time, uncle," asked Tom, " were you without the sight of one green field or tree ?" " Indeed, Tom, we were," answered uncle Ri- chard: "but towards the latter end of May the brown soil of the country shewed itself in patches : here and there, too, we discovered roots of the sorrel among tufts of moss, and with joy we hailed the appearance of this plant, which is a valuable preventive and cure for the scurvy, but there were as yet no leaves upon it. " If you remember, Tom, it was September, and the winter was set in, when we sheltered ourselves within this memorable harbour : we had therefore no opportunity of knowing what were the pro- ductions of the country we were near. Hitherto II mil NORTHERN REGIONS. till had been wrapt up in one white mantle of snow : the Table Hill was the most distant object that we had explored, and its surface appeared to be composed of r.and and masses of lime-stone, white and brown, and disagreeable to the smell when broken. The Table Hill itself was alx)ut five miles from the harbour, and formed a con- spicuous object. In our excursion there we found a little pool of fresh water, of melted snow, with which we filled a bottle: it was the first that wc had seen since September, and was a sign to us of an approaching thaw. On the 2ith we felt a few drops of rain, and the same evening were agreeably surprised with a smart shower, which was succeeded by several others. To see water in a fluid state at all, and to see it falling from the heavens, was to us so remarkable, that I Ixi- lieve every soul of us was on deck to witness this phenomenon. This rain made little pools upon the ice, which remained fourteen days v»ithoui biiing frozen. Two ivory gulls were reported to be seen upon the same day." •«', . .1^1 ^f \ \ \ I CHAP. V. " Every thing now being in order within the ships, Captain Parry felt anxious to explore flie country before he left it, and he therefore deter- -■'Sftiate^?"*'*^ <*««?'T>^'^ >«»• NORTHERN REGIONS'. W mined upon making an expedition on land till the ice would set the ships free. You may be assured that I was among the numeron volunteers to accompany him We were twelve of us al- together, and we:'e supplied with provisions for three weeks. Two tents, formed by blankets spread across pikes, with stones laid upon the foot of the blankets, made us a comfortable and portable shelter. These tents, our provisions, and conjuror or cooking apparatus, were carried upon a strong, but light cart, Duiit on purpose. " Each officer and man was furnished with a blanket made into a bag, with a drawing string at the end, a pair of spare shoes and stockings, a flannel shirt, and a cap to sleep in. We carried our clothing and blankets in knapsacks on our backs, and three men attended us on our first day's journey to help us in carrying our luggage. " We determined to travel as much as possible in the night, if any part of the twenty-four hours could be called night, when, as you know, the sun never was below the horizon. This we fixed upon partly in order to avoid the full glare of the sun upon the snow, and partly that we might have the advantage of sleeping during the warm- est part of the twenty-four hours. *' We left the ships amidst the cheers of the men accompanied by a party of officers who ''-Hi t! IP 46 NORTHERN REGIONS. wislied to relieve us of the load of our knapsacks for an hour or two. At eight in the evening our companions left us, and we journeyed on, finding here and there some dwarf willows, sorrel and poppy roots, and moss in great luxuriance. Soon after midnight we came in sight of an extensive plain, with not a spot to break its uniformity, till it terminated in a range of lofty hills, which we had before seen from a distance and had named the Blue Hills, from their colour. At six in the morning we pitched our tents, and, in the course of the day, we killed seven ptarmigans, two plo- vers, and two deer." • - *•' * "^ "Did you find the deer very wild, uncle?" asked Tom. , ; ./> • " In general, very much so ; but in our next night's journey, Captain Sabine and myself hav- ing walked faster than the rest, had seated our- selves to wait for then, when a fine rein-deer came trotting up to us, and played around us for a quarter of an hour." ^ " I hope, uncle," cried Charles, " that you were not savage enough to kill him ?" " Why, Charles, we had no gun, and we knew that the cart was heavy enough already for the men to drag, and, indeed, the poor animal seemed to place so much confidence in us, that we nei- ther of us should have felt disposed to make him so ill a reward. *si^TOSt;"«-' NORTHERN REGIONS. 47 *' When he heard our people talking on the other side of the ravine, he ran up to them with- out caution, and they, less scrupulous than we, fired one or two shots at hin. Happily they were without effect, upon which he returned to us; and when we got up and walked on, he trotted l)y our sides like a dog, sometimes getting before us, and then coming back. When the rest of the party came up to us he trotted off." " The pictures of rein-deer, uncle," said Tom, " made me fancy them to be much more beautiful animals than I found to be the case, when I went last spring to see one exhibited in London." " Its fine branching horns are a great improve- ment to them, Tom, and probpbly the one you saw was without them. But it is by no means a graceful animal ; its high shoulders, and awkward stoop in its head, gives it rather a deformed ap- pearance. Our new acquaintance had no horns, was of a brownish colour, with a black saddle, a ];)road rim of black round his eyes, and very white about the tail. " It is impossible to imagine any thing more dreary than our journey continued, over one level plain, where for an hour together not a spot of uncovered ground could be distinguished. The few patches of this kind that we did meet were most welcome, for they not only relieved us for ■r 48 NORTHERN REGIONS. "Mii a time from the intense glare of the sun upon the snow, which was most oppressive to our eyes, but it was on these alone that we could pitch our tents, or expect to find any water. A brisk wind rising up, bur men, as if determined not to forget that they were sailors, fastened a large blanket upon the cart in the manner of a soil, which helped it on amazingly. " The moment our tents were pitched, every one was ordered to change his shoes and stock- ings, and had his feet examined. We could only dry our articles of dress at noon, and therefore after our midnight halting we were obliged to put wet ones on again, which, as you may imagine, was far from agreeable. . . . " One day as we were travelling on, we came to some large stones sticking upright, and as the men were much fatigued, and Captain Parry was afraid to let them lie upon the ground, he pro- posed that we should pick out these stones one by one, and pave a spot for our tents to be pitched upon. After an hour's work we made a famous floor, dry, though rather hard. This was our dinner time, and it was the fourth of June, there- fore we loyally drank the health of his Majesty in both tents, not knowing at that time that onr venerable King George the Third was dead. " As several of our party were beginning to be NORTHERN REGIONS. 49 be affected with snow-blindness, you may guess what a comfort it was to us to perceive before us a stripe of black or uncovered land, the bank of a ravine. We pitched our tents on the north side of it, and by removing some heaps of sand-stone found abundance of pure water, which tempted us to cook the grouse we had killed, and we made a famous supper before we lay down to rest " After leaving this ravine we came to another plain of snow, beyond which lay some high land, which we discovered to be a separate island, and which we named Sabine Island. " Captain Parry, accompanied by Mr. Nias and Mr. Reid, then left the party, in order to examine the sea to the north, after seeing us all safely encamped behind a wall which we had built to protect us from the weather, many of us Being great sufferers from snow-blindness.' They travelled till they gained the summit of a point eighty feet in elevation, which they named Point Nias, and Captain Parry being anxious to dis- cover whether it was the sea, proposed that we should remove our encampment thither. The party accordingly returned to us, dined, and then we all set out to the Point, which we were some time in reaching, on account of the depth of the snow, which made it almost impossible to take the cart along. It froze all day long, and i¥8 F 50 NORTHERN REGIONS* found it extremely cold. Our people were al- lowed to rest after supper, and then we all set to work to build a monument upon Point Nias. " Here we found nothing living except a flock of ducks none of which we killed ; some stunted moss alone deserved the name of vegetation. " Our monument was completed in about two hours, and I should hope that it would last for many years, as Mr. Fisher took great pains in building it It was twelve feet high, and could be seen at several miles distance, and within it we put a tin box containing an account of our party, and one or two English coins. " As we had reached the eastei n extremity of Melville Island, we now pursued our journey to the blue hills which we soon entered upon, and were glad to be relieved from the sameness of travelling always upon a flat surface of ground. We met with a small running stream, which was the first we had seen this season, passed a few deer's horns, and killed some ptarmigans and ducks. Tlie plumage of the cock grouse still continued white except near the tip of the tail, where the feathers were of a glossy black, but the hen changed from day to day and was becoming speckled : the snow-bunting, too, cheered us by its lively note, and reminded us of a better country. '* We now arranged our baggage so as to carry it NORTHERN REGIONS. 51 on our shoulders for the remainder of the journey, and chopped the wood of our cart for fuel. Some ptarmigan, therefore, were cooked, and we had anotlier sumptuous supper, which you, who have not lived on cold provisions in a rigid climate, can scarcely imagine how much we enjoyed. "After crossing a gulf of the sea, which we named Liddon's Gulf, and travelling in various directions, we returned to tlie point, and deter- mined to stop a whole day there for the purpose of sporting, and examining its natural piouuc- tions. The first animal our sportsmen met with was a musk-ox, who was feeding on a fine pasture ground. They fired at him without wounding him, and he gallopped off to the hills. The musk-ox is an ill proportioned little animal ; his hair is so long '^that he treads it under his feet, which appear too small. When disturbed and hunted, he tears up the ground with his horns, and looks round at his pursuers, though without attempting to attack them. " I had the good luck to fall in with a large herd of deer ; three of them only had horns, and these were larger than the others, and always drove the others on when they attempted to stop. One or two mice were caught, which had been white, but [were beginning to turn brown. We found the holes and tracks of these little creatures F 2 NORTHERN REGIONS. in every part of the island. Serjeant Martin ran after one, which^ finding no hole near, put him- self against a stone as if trying to defend himself, and bit the Serjeant's finger when he took hold of him. " Here, too, we discovered the remains of Esqui- maux huts, and they appeared to be recently de- serted, although it is not likely that the Esquimaux would often take up their abode on the Melville Island, where the summer season is so short that there is scarcely time to lay up a store for winter. •' ' " Finding nothing more of interest to detain us, we determined upon journeying homewards across the table hills. On the top of the highest of these hills we erected another monument, and likewise put into it a box containing an account of our visit. From the summit of this hill we looked anxiously to the sea, hoping to perceive open water, but, alas ! nothing of the kind was to be seen. We then set forward for Winter Har- bour, which we reached, and received a most hearty welcome from our brother sailors, who were all well, and who complimented us upon our robust looks. NORTHERN REGIONS. 53 r it CHAP. VI. The party at the ships had been going on very quietly in our absence : shooting had been their chief sport ; and they had been gratified by the sight of some very beautiful rainbows, a phenomenon exceedingly rare in those cold cli- mates, where the sun has so little power. " You remember that I told you what pleasure the sight of the sorrel roots afforded us : they now began to put out their leaves, and Captain Parry gave directions that two afternoons •should be devoted by the men for gathering them, and that they should be used instead of lemon-juice nnd pickles. When more plentiful, our men went daily to gather them, aiid they were dressed at the messes, and eaten as sallad, or pickle, or boiled as greens, or made into puddings." Tom. Is the sorrel used in England, uncle Richard ? " But little, Tom ; it is, however, occasionally used as a medicine, and in France it is cultivated, in order to put into salads; among the Lap- landers, the free use of the sorrel leaves is con- sidered the only cure for scurvy, and I can safely say, that the crews of the Hecla and Gri- per owe the good health they enjoyed at this period to the unlimited use of this fresh vegeta- P 3 m mil 4 if tl I ii.iy ■i Vt I. t: i : ji !' 54 NORTHERN REGIONS. ble substance, so bountifully supplied by the hand of Nature. ** Lieutenants Beechey and Hoppner were sentf with a small party of men each, up the country to procure game. They took with them provisions, tents, blankets, and fuel, and were charged to bring word when the ice should be seen to move or thaw ; they soon sent us in some deer, and in a few days time, the welcome intelligence that the pools upon the surface of the ice were increasing, though as yet there was no appearance of the ice breaking up. I^ieutenant Beechey returned from his excursion at thv latter end of June, and re- ported, that the ice to the east was more thawed than at Winter Harbour, and that he had observed several cracks in it, large enough for a small l)oat to pass ; he told us, too, that the deer were become very wild, but that he had succeeded in killing one, by lying down and imit£.ting the voice of a fawii, upon which the deer oame within gun-shot of him. Lieutenant Hoppner returned soon after, and. reported that the ice was in motion, which was soon confirmed, by our observing a large field of ice floating to the eastward, at the rate of a mile an hour. " We had now the misfortune to lose one of our seamen, who had been long ill, and whose Cvom- plaint gradually increased, notwithstanding the iikill and care of our medical man. NORTHERN REGIONS. 55 " On the following Sunday, after divine service, poor Scott was buried ; we walked in procession to his grave, which was dug on a level piece of ground, near the beach ; the flags were lowered, and every man and officer attended the remains of our unfortunate shipmate to his grave : the so- lemnity of the burial service, and the peculiarity of our situation, made it a w^ 'l-l Wf ."11 ■ i I 60 NORTHERN REGIONS. and he addressed a letter to all the officers, request- ing their advice upon the subject. " Now, Charles, you look very serious; what do you think of the matter ?" ,, " Why uncle, I am not for returning yet, till you have tried navigating a little to the south ; and anotlier thing I v^ant to know, which is, whether your stock of provisions would hold out, and your coal," answered Charles. " Very true, my boy, every thing should be taken into consideration, for the health and lives of many brave men depend upon the judicious conduct of their commander. An examination was accordingly made of our stores and provisions, and it appeared that t iiey would at the present allowance last till November 1821, and if a greater reduction was made, that they would last till the end of the following ApHl; our fuel could be made to last to the end f November 1821, but only by taking in the Griper's crew to live on board the Hecla for six of the winter months, and that would be a very unhealthy plan. Our ships, to be sure, were nearly as jj^ood as when we left home, and our men were all hi^'allhy. " However, the officers sent in their answers, and they ail were of one opinion, that it was in vain to attempt to penetrate farther west^ but that it would be desirable to look out for an opening NORTHERN REGIONS. 61 rs, in lat ing in the ice southward, and to endeavour to reach the northern shores of America ; and in case that plan should fail or be delayed too long, that it would be best to return home to England at once. " You do not look so much disappointed as I expected, Charles, and therefore I suppose you are fully impressed with the necessity we all felt of acting according to the dictates of sober reason, rather than of following inclination, which might perhaps have induced some of the adventurous spirits among us to endure the rigours of another winter, rather than return baffled of our hopes, and disappointed of our reward. *' But to continue my narrative : we soon dou- bled Point Hearne, and passed Bounty Cape; there we observed that the snow which fell during the day did not thaw, a proof that the glass was below freezing point, and that another long and dreary winter was beginning. " The channel, however, increased in width, and when we had sailed eight miles beyond the eastern point of Melville Isle, we could perceive that it was ten miles in width. We kept close to the edge of the ice, in hopes of finding an opening in it to the southward, but not a single break could be discovered. << It was a singular fact, that we arrived within four or five miles of the same spot where we had m\ m- 62 NORTHERN REGIONS. been on the same day and the same hour the year before, and that the ships were forced, as they had been then, to steer by one another, for want of a better mode of knowing in what direction they were driving. The fog froze hard upon the rig- ging, and made it difficult to handle the ropes. . '* You mnv trace us now, as we pi^rsued our route w;thout many adventures, passing Cape Cockburn in Bathurst Isle. The ice to the south- ward was composed of large floes, often without a crack for many miles together, and their surface as smooth and glassy as a bowling green. We found, however, that the ice was leading us to the north of Garrett Island, instead of the south which we had passed the preceding year, and which was now completely blocked up by ice. ',,i " In passing between Garrett and Bathurst islands, we found a new one, which we named Baker Island, and in the night we pa'^ed two otlier small ones, which Captain Parry named suc- cessively Brown and Somerville Islands. Corn- wallis and Griffith Islands we left to the north, and took a southward direction, hoping to find a passage to the west of Cape Bunny. But our hopes were again disappointed, the ice was as compact here as in every other place, and no resource was left us except to steer on to the east. "We had now an opportunity of exanrioing NORTHERN REGIONS. 6$ the land to the south, of which we had as yet only taken a distant glimpse, and of naming all its most prominent points: Cape Rennell was called after Major Rennell, the ablest geographer of the age. We then crossed Garnier Bay, and 90on came to Cape Clarence, which is its most easterly point. The land along which we had just been sailing Captain Parry named North Somerset, in honour of his native county, while to the northern shore of Barrow's Strait, he gave the name of North Devon in honour of that of his brother commander. Lieutenant Liddon. " Thus we had traced the ice for twenty-^ur degrees, without finding any opening by which we might hope to penetrate it southwards, and there- fore it was thought advisable to return at once to England, to give an account of the discoveries we had made, and, if his Majesty should think fit, to be ready to continue them another season. ** After this determination, we had again our full allowance of provisions, and, what we all thought of more, a sufficient supply of coals, for we had felt the want of these ever since our entrance into Sir James Lancaster's Sound. " We sailed briskly across to Cape York, passed Eardley Bay, Cape Craufurd, Admiralty Inlet, Cape Franklin, and Cape Charles Yorke, all of which spots were new to us, and were named G 2 II ;rii^ M" I Jit 64 NORTHERN REGIONS. as we passed them. Navy Board Inlet, and Cape Castlereagh, we had discerned and named the pre- ceding year ; and we had again a distinct view of the lofty Byam Martin Mountains, whose summits are clothed in perpetual snow. As we approached Possession Bay we encountered several long low icebergs, three quarters of a mile in length, flat and even at the top. These are peculiar to the western coast of Baffin's Bay. We also saw a large bear swimming towards the ships, and dis- patched our boats in pursuit of him, but without success. " Arixious as we now were to get home, we would not even land in Possession Bay, but took our leave of the flag staff on its mount, and pur- sued our course down the western coast of Baffin's Bay. We were anxious to explore this coast, from an idea that it might become a useful whale- ing station f judge then of our astonishment, when we spied at a distance some whalers making towards the land. It now seemed clear that they had been here before us ; and the reason of our meeting so few whales in Sir James Lancaster's Sound was afterwards accounted for, by the cir- cumstance of the fishing ships having previously cleared them. *'Not long after we met another fishing ship from England, and held the fii'st communication r NORTHERN REGIONS. with our countrymen, from whom we heard of the death of King George the Third. ' " The master of the vessel told us that he had met with some Esquimaux in the River Clyde inlet; and, thinking it would be a good thing to communicate with these jx?ople, we made for land. ^ " We proceeded along the sandy beach of this inlet, when we observed four canoes come pad- dling towards us, and hciird the Esquimaux making a great noise. B} their own desire their canOes were taken on board ; and how you would ' have laughed, Charles, if you had heard their increased vociferations, and beheld their surprise and joy. Tliere was one old and three young men, and when they had any present made to them, c saw anything which excited fresh admiration, they set up a fresh noise, until they were quite hoarse and out of breath : and this was accom- panied too by incessant jumping. Lieutenant Beechey wanted to take a likeness of the old gentleman, whom we pesuaded to stand upon a stool, and by putting on a demure look, which the old fellow directly mimicked, we managed to keep him tolerably quiet. We gave each of them some presents, an<^ exchanged things with them, and tliey went h^ >me highly delighted. "As we v/i-jbed ilo see a little more of the habits of these Esquimaux, we went on shore to G 3 mi IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. /^ .^4b. ^K// ' S"^^ ^'^,V^. * V fe . -*.^ i:: v*,^; ^ i 1.0 I.I 1^ ■10 us US 1^ lii^ 2.0 140 1.8 1.25 11.4 J4 < 6" ► /^ ^>^ ^ 7 /^ Hiotogrsphic Sdenrjes Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STREH WEBSTER, N.Y. )4SM (7I6)S72-4S03 ^. gt>^ O^ ,.<^. i 66 NORTHERN REGIONS. them : they met us, and brought with them some pieces of whalebone and seal skin dresses for barter, but were very cautious only to shew one thing at a time, and when they had got something in exchange for it, they returned to the ships and brought one more thing, and so on. They seemed to have great ideas of fair and honest dealings, and in on^er to encourage that feeling, Captain Parry would not aL./W any present to be made to them till all the purchases were concluded. - "The old man was very inquisitive, and par- ticularly about things of the useful kind. The young man was in raptures at the sight of a looking-glass, and jumped about for a quarter of an hour, while the old man, giving one smile at the sight of his queer old phiz, turned his attention to the tin canister of preserved meat, most earnestly watching the manner in which it was opened : this was with a mallet, which he begged very earnestly to have when it was done with, without ever asking for the meat. Their canoes are very difficult to ba- lance, and we were pleased to observe the younger man carefully assist the old one in launching. ^^ « We visited the two Esquimaux tents, and as scon as we came in sight of them, every living animal, men, women, children, and dogs, set up one uproar; the only words we could distinguish being ** pilletay" (give me). Though they were NORTHERN REGIONS. 67 begging all the time we were with them, we did not find them at all inclined to dishonesty, and : we purchased a variety of things from them, and .among others, my fine fellow of a dog there, 1 Charles, whom you have such a fancy to beg from me. I olTered an axe for one of the dogs, and I gave it to a woman who was the owner of several, before I received the dog, to shew her that I trusted to her honesty, and she went and picked out for me the finest among them. " These Esquimaux were all very little, with round plump faces, and not very dark complexions. The dresses of the men and women are much alike, being composed chiefly of seal-skins. Their tents are formed by one long strip of whalebone covered Dkith skins, and fastened to the ground by crooked pieces of bone. Their dogs, I need scarcely tell you, resemble wolves, and are voracious enough. * " We took leave of these people with a favour- able impression of their honesty and cleanliness, when compared with the Esquimaux who had been met with in former voyages. The inlet of the River Clyde is a very magnificent one, and after exploring it with considerable interest, we once again sailed sc.udiwards. The ice and fog were very troublesome in the middle of Baffin's Ba^, and we had a series of adventures similar to those we had experienced in sailing up it, but we «8 KORTHERN REGIONS. were now more experienced, and were steer- ing homewards, which enabled us to bear up bravely in the midst of our trials. ' ^ " September the 24th we crossed the Arctic Circle, having been within it more than fourteen months, and after that, finding the state of the ice would prevent us from continuing to explore the coast, we hoisted in our boats and made the ships snug, in order to shape our course to England." " Pray let me ask you, uncle, before you quite reach home, whether you are really of opinion that a passage will ever be effected from Baffin's Bay to Behring*s Strait ?" asked Tom, who always liked to have every thing clearly arranged in his mind. " I feel no doubt that the re is a continuance of sea between them, and if land could be met with all the way it might be navigated, but not, I fear, otherwise. The obstructions from the ice, increase so much : towards the middle, that if that barrier could be. passed, I should hope the rest might be effected' notwitlistanding the short season for sailing there and the rigours of the climate. At all events the attempts already made have not been utterly useless, since the whale fishery is considerably extended ui consequence of them. " We liad no more adventures, but were &vour- ed with some very fine appeanmces of the Aurorft NORTHERN REGIONS. 69 Borealis. We took leave of the Griper on the 2d of October, reached Scotland on the 29th, and I was here my boys to receive your hearty wel- come, on the 3d of November 1820." -rr i«,^ •> *. j:i;" PART II. TJ} CHAP. I. Uncle Richard had gone his second voyage with Captain Parry, and his return was anxiously awaited by Tom and Charles, both of whom had been left behind, notwithstanding they would willingly have accompanied him ; Charles, indeed was too young, but his active and enterprising mind, made him particularly well suited to the life of a sailor, preparing himself for which occu- pi^ all his thoughts. His little ship Hecla had long since given way to one of larger diinensions, which, made under the auspices of Unck Ri ?hard, was an exact model of the real Hecla ; this he generally kept secured in a dry dock, which he had built in a recess of the large pool near the house, and every now and then the sails were un- furled, and the breeze was allowed to waft it across the water. His constant companion was the Es* ifH'i, iS 'mi to NORTHERN REGIONS. quimaux dog, which his uncle had left as his especial charge, and which was so far tamed as to know how to obey the voice of his young master, although he still was a terror to all strangers. Tom had made another short cruise, and had added to his store of information much valuable knowledge. Nothing escaped his observation, aiidwhen his curiosity was once excited, he had no rest until he had learned all he could upon the sub- ject of it; he had never felt more interested than by his uncle Richard's narrative, and every book in the study had been searched through and through, for accounts of northern adventurers. January 1824 brought no news of uncle Richard, but our youthful sailors were summoned by their father, to hear the adventures of Captain Franklin, who had been sent out to make disco- veries on the northern coast of America. " I must tell you," said their father, who him- self undertook to relate these adventures to his sons, *< that the object of this expedition was to visit the mouth of the Copper-mine River in North America, and from thence to trace out the northern coast in an easterly direction ; to correct the geography of that part of the world, and to gain such information as to the bays, harbours, and rivers of that shore, as might be useful to Captain Parry, or any future voyager. iiiiif NORTHERN REGIONS. 71 'ii'- (C Captain Franklin was accompanied by Dr. Richardson, Mr. Back, Mr. Hood, and Jk nes Hepburn, a faithful English seaman ; the whole party embarked at Gravesend on board the Prince of Wales, on the 23d of May 1819. This ship belonged to the Hudson Bay trading company, and had for its consorts the Eddystone and Wear. The wind was unfavourable, and they were obliged to anchor at Yarmouth, where an unlucky incident happened, which damped the spirits of the party for a time. The officers all went on shore at Yarmouth, when a favourable gale springing uf », the commander of the vessel found it necessary to set sail immediately, in order to get through the intricate passage, called the Cockle-gat before dark ; he fired signal guns, and his passengers hastened to embark, all but Mr. Back, who unfortunately was gone two or three miles distance, on business, along the coast, where he fancied he should be able to watch the first movements of the ships ; by some accident, how- ever, this was not the case, and he was left be- hind. The ships had a fair wind, and after pass- ing the bold projecting rock called John o'Groat's House, anchored at Stromness. '^"u- It was thought advisable here to engage boatmen to accompany he expedition, lest the party should be detained when they arrived in r .'(«■;( HI 72 NORTHERN REGIONS. Hudson's Bay, and therefore a notice for volun- teer boatmen was put up on the church door of ever parish." ; .f-i- Tom. " That seems a singular way of letting people know, papa." -^ " It would by no means be an effectual way in England, Tom ; but in Scotland, the lower classes never fail in attending divine service every Sunday. *' The notice was given, and the day, fixed upon for a meeting, when several men came, but none would promise to attend the service, though some of them said they would consider about it ; and accordingly, the following morning, four men only presented themselves, who, after ^eat hesi- tation, agreed to accompany the party, provided they should be taken no farther than to Fort Chi- pewyanj and sent back to the Orkneys free of expense : this caution is strikingly different from an English sailor, who enters readily into an enterprise, however hazardous, without a thought or inquiry. *' Captain Franklin and his companions, having settled this affair, were about to sail, and were in die midst of the gaieties of a ball, when the door opened and Mr. Back appeared, who had tra- velled by the coach for nine days without stop- ping in order to reach them ; it seemed that he came down to the beach near Yarmouth just as NORTHERN REGIONS. 73 the ships were passing, and applied to a boatman to row him to them, who, taking advantage of his anxiety to join the ships, asked more money tlian Mr. Back had about him, and the man con- sequently refused to assist him. " On the 16th of June the ships weighed an- chor, cleared some dangerous rocks off the Po- mona shore, and entered at once into the Atlan- tic ; their progress was so slow, that it was the lat- ter end of July before they entered Davis's Strait. " The ships were not long before they were entangled in a heavy stream of ice, through the narrow channels of which they steered with diffi- culty, for the weather was very foggy ; one of the icebergs was one hundred and forty-nine feet in height, and too soon were our voyagers visited with all the horrors of the region they had enter- ed. The currents ran in strong eddies between the masses of ice, and the Eddystone was perceived to be driving rapidly towards one of these masses. The boats of the Prince of Wales and the Wear, were despatched to assist in towing the Eddystone clear of the b*»rgs, when the former ship was dis- covered to be quite unmanageable ; the fog pre- vented its crew from seeing which way it wa* driving, till they beheld a barren, ragged shore within a few yards, towering over their mast heads ; the ship almost instantly struck with vio- H 111 74 NORTHERN REGIONS. lence on a point of rocks, and was brought close to the shore ; the blow displaced the rudder, and the current forcing the vessel along, an alarming prospect opened to the crew : on one side was a steep cliff whose summit was hid in fog, and on the other a small bay, into which the ship was at length tossed. Shipwreck was every moment ex- pected, till another blow from the rocks replaced the rudder, which enabled the crew to take advan- tage of a light breeze, and direct the ship's head away from the cliff, but the breeze was only for a moment ; again was the ship driven to shore, and again rescued by a swell, which enabled the sailors to turn her head once more to the sea, and escape from the danger of shipwreck : a few moments only were allowed them to rejoice, for the current forced the ship violently against an iceberg, and her situation was more frightful than ever ; all was confusion, the female passengers and children rushed upon deck with fearful looks, in spite of the endeavours of the officers to keep them below; the ship was driven with amazing rapidity along the steep side of the berg, and every one expected that it would be dashed against the rocks, but it escaped this danger most providentially." ** Thank goodness it was not the Hecla," ex- claimed Charles ; <' and now, papa, pray let us hear how the poor consorts fared." I NORTHERN REGIONS. 76 "Stop, Charles, answered his papa, for the Prince of Wales is not yet safe : a leak was dis- covered, which let in water very fast. All hands were employed in pumping, and signals of distress made to the Eddystone, whose commander came on board, and set his men to assist. The leak, notwithstanding, increased, so that both officers and passengers united to bale out the water in buckets; ihe sails were split, and the ship sur- rounded by ice. The crew were obliged to rest from this severe labour for a short time in the night, but the water next morning was so alarm- ingly increased, that they had to set to work more vigorously than before — ^but with very ill success, and their strength was just failing them when they thought of trying an experiment; this was of thrusting in felt and oakum, over which they nailed a plank, and before night, to their great joy, the leak was stopped up. As they still - thought that they should be forced to leave the ship, they sent their old women and children to the Eddystone; the young women were so ac- tive at the pumps that they were allowed to re- main. " Their own ship was now in safety, but when daylight re-appeared the Wear was no where to be found, and all feared that she had been ship- wrecked on that barren shore." H 2 m 7^ NORTHERN REGIONS. ' Tom. But, papa, you have not told us what shore it was. ' " It was Resolution Island, at the very entrance of Hudson's Strait. " The ships were now abreast of this island, but did not land here, proceeding to Saddleback Island, the next place of rendezvous, where still they found no traces of the Wear. Not thinking it prudent to wait, they continued their voyage, and soon made Upper Savage Island, where they steered close to shore, in order to allo^'^ the Esqui- maux to visit them. A loud shout soon pro- claimed a party of them at hand, even before their canoes could be perceived. " They brought with them oil, - whalebone, sea-horses* teeth, seal-skin dresses, deer skins and horns, and models of their canoes; and they received in exchange small saws, nails, tin kettles, knives, and needles, " Captain Franklin noticed a droll practice among these Esquimaux, which I do not remem- ber uncle Richard to have mentioned, which is, that they always, when they received a thing in ex- change, licked it with their tongues, as a finish to the bargain, and as a sign that it now belonged to themselves. Even so small an article as a needle passed through this ceremony. " Knives and saws were held in the greatest .M^"^- iS NORTHERN REGIONS. 77 estimation ; and the same shout was set up when- ever they received anything that pleased them. " One old man received a rusty sword from the Eddystone, and his exclamations of delight were extravagant. "These people have some ingenuity, consi- dering that they are without iron, and con- sequently without any instruments for working with ; the figures of men, women, animals, and birds, carved out of sea-horses' teeth, which the women brought, were not badly execute. 1, though without eyes, fingers, or ears. They took a de- light in mimicking the sounds and gesviires of the Englishmen, and laughed amazingly when the Englishmen pronounced any of their words. On the whole, these Esquimaux were very si- milar to thos,e whom Captain Parry had seen, and as great beggars. " Captain Franklin took leave of this band of Esquimaux, and a favourable gale soon took our voyagers to the termination of Hudson's Strait. Here they parted with the Eddystone, who was bound to Moose Factory, which you will find mark- ed on the map at the bottom of the bay, and shaped their course across to York Factory, where, to their great delight, they found their long lost consort the Wear. Her adventures were shortly told : a large mass of ice had drifted in between h3 iiiM I'm i?i .MJ^^ h- 78 NORTHERN REGIONS* the ship and the rock, and thus providentially saved her; and a fresh breeze had sprung up and enabled her to pursue her voyage. The com- mander visited the Prince of Wales, and was re- ceived as one saved from the dead. " York Factory, which you will find, Tom, at the mouth of the Hayes River, is a grand d^pot of Hudson's Bay Trading Company. The prin- cipal buildings are in the form of a square, two stories high, and have flat roofs covered with lead; the servants* houses are ranged on the outside, and the whole is fenced by a high mound. It is built on a marshy spot of ground, and the only walk the people have is on a platform, from the buildings down to the pier. '* A race of Indians called the Stvampy Crees^ frequent the neighbourhood, and live encamped on the outside; and listen, Charles, to a new mode, and I think rather an ingenious one, of making tents. These Indians tie a bundle of poles together at the top, spread them out at the base, and cover them with moose skins. The fire is in the middle, and a hole left at top for the smoke to escape throu^ These poor Mrretches were suffering from the evils of measles and hooping-cough, and were too weak to make their usual exertions in the goose-^unt" Charles. The goose-hunt! what can that mean, papa ? ■^'S^iSi^&ii NORTHERN REGIONS. 79 ', s *'The geese which flock in great numbers to the northern regions, migrate in the winter, ^d, in their road to the south, alight on the exten^Slpe flats in the neighbourhood of York Factory, and are hunted by the Indians, who thus supply the traders with their winter store of food. " And now our adventurous little party com- menced their voyage up the river into the interior. With the exception of a steersman, they were obliged to be content with the boatmen they had brought from Stromness. They found it equally difficult to procure an Esquimaux interpreter, but the governor of York Factory promised to send them one the following spring. And, alas, when all their stores were brought down to the beach, it was found the boat would not contain them. The flour, rice, and tobacco, therefore, were left to be forwarded afterwards, as the governor assured Captain Franklin that these, as well as spirits, could be procured in the interior. " With a salute of guns from the fort, and three cheers from its inhabita'^^s, they took their leave, in high spirits at the thoughts of their journey. # " They had not proceeded far, when the crew were obliged to commence tracking, or dragging the boat, by a line which was tied round their IxHlies. This tedioas process was particularly 80 NORTHERN REGIONS. unpleasant, as the men had to walk on a steep bank which the rain had made soft and slippery, and every now and then they met with a tree which had fallen down from the wood above. At sunset they landed, kindled a fire, around which they ate their supper, and then, dressed in buffalo robes, layed down and slept soundly. " In passing down the river next day, they saw the spot where a sad event had happened a few years before. Two Indian families, enticed by the flat beach which lay between the river and a oliff, had chosen it for their encampment. They retired quietly to rest, when the cliff, which was separated from the land, gave way, fell over them, and the whole party was buried in its ruins. " With much fatigue, our party continued their voyage down the river, though their pro^ gress was slow, owing to the heavy lading of their boat, and the rapids. " To navigate these North American rivers is very different from any species of navigation you have a notion of, Charles. In the first place, the rapids, which are strong currents of water over rocky bottoms, are very difficult and dangerous to pass ; besides these, there are every now and then what are call portages, or places through which the boats cannot pass, but must be emptied of '^i ' NORTHERN REGIONS. 81 their cargo, which, as well a-s the boats themselves, have to be carried across and reladen at the end of every portage. The Orkney boatmen w^ere very clever in navigating, and their exertions amazing : they often jumped into the water to lift the boat over the rocks, and remained the whole day in their wet clothes. These men will carry immense loads with the utmost cheerfulness. " Winter set in with a great fall of snow in the middle of September, and found our travellers pursuing their course down Steel and Hill Rivers till they arrived at a depot on Swampy Lake. From the two on\y inhabitants of the place they received a supply of mouldy pemmican, which is buffalo meat dried, pounded, and mixed with melted fat. Leaving them to their delicious fare, Captain Franklin proceeded, when lo I a blazing forest met his eye." Charles. Why this is more wonderful than the walking wood which met William the Con- queror, papa? " Very true, Charles ; the Indians make fires in the woods, and neglect to put them out, and the woods being quite dry, easily catch the flames, which sometimes spread for many miles. .**On the 2d of October the travellers crossed the White-fall Lake, where they had busy work in carrying the cargoes on their shoulders, and 'm l'^ 'Hi 82 NORTHERN REGIONS. launching their empty boat across several ridges of rock which separate the water, and cause various cascades. The rude grandeur of the mountain scenery struck them much ; rocks hung over rocks in huge and shapeless masses, while the torrent raged at their feet, and the bright green of the mosses which covered the face of the cliffs, was finely contrasted with the dark pines on the top. " On this spot, they met with a lop stick, or land-mark, made of a pine tree stripped of all its branches except a tiift at the top. i^- " This top stick is a useful guide to travellers, and is generally made by some ambitious youth, who gets together a parcel of young companions, treats them with rum, and they in return strip the tree of its .branches, and name it with his name. ** Captain Franklin here met with a little acci- dent, wliich will give you some idea, Charles, of the pleasure of walking in that peculiar country. AVhile overlooking the men, a bed of moss gave way under his feet, and he slipt from the summit of the rock into the river between two falls. After being carried some way down the stream, he caught hold of a willow, till two gentlemen came in a boat to his rescue, j ^*Nor was the water travelling much less dan- • ? >• NORTHERN REGIONS. 88 gerous. Sometimes they came to dry channels which contained only a foot or two of thin mud. A dam alone would render these places naviga- ble, and here and there they met with one con- structed by beavers, which, notwithstanding their usefulness, the Indians make a point of destroy- ing whenever they meet them. In a single night would these industrious little animals repair the opening that the passage of a boat had made in their dam. It was early in October that Captain Franklin landed at Norway House, on the shores of Lake Winnip^, or muddy water. The water of this lake is in iacX very muddy, and a droll story is told by the Indians to account for it. One of their deities, according to their account, is a very mischievous little fellow, a kind of Robin Puck ; his name is Weesakootchast, and he has a good deal of power, which he employs in- tormenting. One day, however, an old woman caught him and took him prisoner, and calling in a number of other women to help her, they so covered him with mud, that it took all the waters of the great lake to make him clean again, and the lake has appeared muddy ever since. ** After crossing this * Muddy Lake,* they reached the ' Grand Rapid' of the Saskatchawan riv^. The foam of the water, which dashes ii ill ! i It 84 NORTHERN REGIONS. over the rucks, and forces its way through a nar- row bending channel, is a very grand sight; here a flock of pelicans and some brown eagles were fishing, undisturbed by the roaring of the cataract, while some beautiful golden plovers, cros-beaks, and woodpeckers, were fluttering about. A delicate little marmot was caught who bore in his pouch a store of vetch for winter use. They crossed the woods to the top of the ' Grand Rapid,' where the scenery was very fine, and pitched their tents at Cross Lake, where their night was enlivened with a most brilliant display of Aurora Borealis. After travelling in this laborious manner through scenes of wild and desolate grandeur, they were not sorry to reach the depot of the Hudson Bay's Company at Cumberland House, where Cap- tain Franklin determined to stop till the winter months were over. It was great enjoyment to 'leave their canoes for a time, and travel about in sledges drawn by dogs, who seemed as pleased ^ith the exercise as the men themselves. The Indians in the neighbourhood of this depot were in an equally miserable state as those at York Factory, the hooping-cough, hunger, and the mea^-^es, making sad havock among them. Illness prevented them from hunting, and, shocking to relate, instances were mentioned to Captain Franklin of people NORTHERN REGIONS. 85 who had been reduced to the necessity of devour- ing the bodies of their own family to satisfy their hunger. Another sad thing is, that those who are recovering themselves, give way to such exces- sive grief and despondency at the loss of their wives and children, that they cannot be roused, to exertion." ^ ^ Tom. " I wonder Papa tliat more cannot be done to assist the natives by European traders there." " It is melancholy indeed, for if these poor people could be instructed in Christianity their minds would be supported and consoled in the midst of their hardships. This must however be a work of time, and as Captain Franklin states that the present Governor is endeavouring to es- tablish a school for the younger Indians, I should hope that it would be effected by degrees. " Christmas and New-Year*s days were kept up with jollity by this party of Europeans in the midst of the wilds of America, and a beaver was sacrificed to their enjoyment, the flesh of which they found very delicate. They were joined in their evening dances by the Canadians. " In fixing their arrangements for the future, Captain Franklin determined upon taking Mr. Back and Hepburn with him into the Athabasca departments, from whence guides, hunters, and interpreters could best be procured, whilst Dr» ' 86 NORTHERN REGIONS. Kichardson and Mr. Hood should remain at Cumberland-house till the spring, and then pro- ceed with the stores to Fort Chipewyan. With jregard to the Stromness boatmen, it was settled that they should be dispatched to York factory, to fe^ch up the remaining stores, and then return to the coast, to be ready for the first ship that might sail to the Orkneys. /i; " Having thus arranged their plans for the fu- ture, they had leisure to study the manners and habits of the hordes of Cree Indians, bv which the establishment was surrounded. The misery these Indians endured at this time, from the measles and hooping-cough, united with cold and hunger, was extreme. One night, an Indian man came into one of the houses, carrying in his arms the body of a dead child; he was followed by his wife, and they told a sad tale : they had been out hunting, they said, but had found no food; and, while suffering the pangs of hunger, they had all been taken ill. So accustomed is an Indian to a state of starvation, that they did not dwell much on that part of their sufferings. Their journey to Cumberland-house was a most terrible one; weakened with illness and often with nothing to eat but a bit of skin, or a few berries, whi(3h were, at length, exhausted. For the last four days they had had nothing whatever to eat, and all their anxious NORTHERN REGIONS. 87 endeavours could not save the life of their child ; it c'ied just as they came in sight of Cumberland- house. The poor parents were in;;onsolable, the father in particular, who, when food was offered him, threw it from him, exclaiming * Oh, my poor child !* " It must be allowed that these Cree Indians are improvident and indolent, but they are not with- out some good feelings, as this anecdote proves : they are hospitable and peaceable. Their faults* are easily accounted for; as they are hunters, ac- customed to depend upon chance for their food, they care little for the morrow. They have a habit of boasting, which is, I suppose, to give* their enemies an idea of their strength, and are ridiculously fearful of the conjuring powers of their neighbours. There are noted conjurors, whose saying is * I am God-like ;' and who delude their countrymen in all manner of ways. One of these mighty conjurors visited Cumberland-house, and gave out, that although his hands and feet should be tied quite fast, yet, that if he were placed in a conjuring-house, he would undertake to summon two or three familiar spirits who would unloose him. Accordingly a conjuring- house was made for him, hj fastening four willows in the ground, and enclosing them in a hoop aP the top : a quantity of ropes were fastened round i2 i; "-strntm"^- 88 NORTHERN REGIONS. his body, by which he was hehl fast, and a moose- skin was thrown all over to conceal him. He began a kind of chaunt, but the Indians, who think much more of the powers of a white man than of those of a spirit, began to fear for liim ; at last the conjuring-house shook violently. 'One spirit at least is gone in to him,' said the Indians ; but, alas ! no ; it was only the ' God-like man,* trem- bling with "old, for he had gone in naked. He continued his attempts for a few hours, when, finding no spirits to release him, he reluctantly gave up his attempt. The fact was, that when- ever the Indians had tied the cords, he had fo^und no difficulty in slipping the noose ; but Governor Williams had tied this knot himself, and took care there should be no trick : after this discovery the fellow soon contrived to sneak away from the })lace. " The Cree women are forced to work very hard, they make the huts, dress the skins, cook, and carry all the heavy loads; though, when any- thing disables them, the men are not ashamed to assist them. One poor man's wife had lost her feet by the frost, and he was obliged to hunt and do every thing for himself; and in winter he drag- ged his wife and all his stock of furniture from one encampment to another. *' Both men and women are excessively fond of NORTHERN REGIONS. 89 their children, and rarely punish them. Some- times the woman, whose temper is warm, cannot avoid giving a blow or two to her troublesome child, but her heart is directly softened by the roar which follows, and she mingles her tears with those that streak the smoky face of her little dear. " The manners and customs of the Crees are much changed since tlieir intercourse with Euro- peans, but still they are sufficiently peculiar " They are allowed two or more wives at n . time, and when a young Cree marries his first wife, he takes up his abode in her father's tent, and hunts for the family ; he generally marries for his second wife, the sister of his first, who still re- mains mistress of the tent ; when he has children he may have a separate tent if he pleases ; but iis long as he remains in his father-in-law's tent, he keeps up very little intercourse with his father and mother-in-law. " The Crees have several games; one of which is called mitten, and is played with four balls, threie plain ones and one marked; these four balls are hid under four mittens, and a person is desired to guess which is the marked ball ; if he guesses right, he receives a feather, if wrong he gives one ; they have ten feathers, and when one person has got them all in his hand, they begin over again, and divide the feathers equally be- I 3 * \i mjiiju i iiiiiiui no NORTHERN REGIONS. tween the players; and if the same person gets the feathers three times, he lias won the game^ and receives the stakes. " They have another game called the platter, which is more intricate. They take about eight bears* claws, which are covered with lines ; these they shake in a wooden bowl, toss them up in the air and catch them again; the claws are cut straight at the broad end, and if diey happen to stand upright on this broad end when they come down again, they count the lines on the uppermost part, and receive so many counter's from the person they are playing with. " They likewise play at a game called the cross, in which they have high stakes; these stakes are either tied to a post, in a large meadow chosen for the game, or given into the care of two old men. Two parties prepare for tlie contest, by being ranged on each side the field, stripped, painted, and armed with a kind of battledore in the shape of the letter P ; the handle of this bat- tledore is of some length, and its head is made of loose net-work, which forms a shallow bag ; this is called the cross. A ball is thrown up into the air, which each party try either to knock into their home or goal, or to catch in their net bags ; if they succeed in doing this, they j irk it out for some one else to knock it on to the home, and NORTHERN REGIONS. it tlic otlier party are just as eager to strike it back to their's ; this kind of battle goes on till one or other of the parties gets the ball into their home, whidi decides the game. ' " The ancient traditions of the Crees are so mingled with the stories they have heard, since they have known Europeans, that it is not very eiusy to get a knowledge of their religious princi- ples; they all, however, believe in a general flood, which, according to their tradition, was caused by the fish who attempted to drown one of their demi-gods, with whom they had quarrelled. This demi-god, whose name was Woesack-ootchachto, built a raft, on which he embarked all his family with every kind of beast and bird ; when the flood had covered the earth a long time, he ordered some water-fowl to dive to the bottom they were all drowned, and he then sent a musk rat, wlio returned, bringing with him a mouth-ful of mud, with which the demi-god made a new earth, imi- tating the manner in which rats construct their houses; a little mound of mud first appeared above the water, which continued spreading until it formed an extensive bank, hardened by the sun into a solid mass. This clever little demi-god, however, is not very amiable, and the Indians do not sacrifice to him. They have another deity, named Kepoochi- ii . ; ' -•^-*^*''||i.i li"..mi|ii!tifi|.»g[MW"^-" 92 NORTHERN REGIONS. kawn whom they worsliip, and make offerings to of all their most valuable things; they repre- sent him by a rough kind of human figure, or by tying the tops of willows together, and though they worship him, they treat him with great free- dom, scolding and threatening him if he does not give them all the food they want, for they seldom pray for any thing else. " A Cree hunter resolved to dedicate some offerings to this god, and the following was the ce- remony of the dedication. The two wives of the hunter built a temple, or sweating-house of arched willows, large enough to hold about twelve men ; in shape it was like ari even, and was covered with moose skins, except on the east side, which was left open to serve as a door ; a dozen red hot stones, with a few leaves scattered about them, were put into a hole in the ground in the centre of the tent; all was prepared for the hunter, who came forward : he was naked, and held in his hand an image of the god, rudely carved ; this he placed at die upper part of the sweating-house, and pro- ceeded to fasten his offerings round the neck of the imag J ; a cotton handkerchief, a looking glass, a tin box, a piece of ribbon, and a morsel of tobacco were the costly offerings which he pre- sented to the god, and for which he bad paid as many as twenty skins. While the hunter was so . KORTHERN REGIONS. 93 engaged, many of his brother Indians entered the tent after undressing themselves, and ranged themselves on each side; the hunter squatted down on the floor by the side of his beloved image and made a speech to it, told it what valuable pre- sents he had made it, and desired it not to be un- grateful. He then set up a hymn, the chorus of which was, * I will walk with god, I will go with the animal,* in which chorus all the others joined ; then he took a pipe filled with tobacco and bear- berry leaves and moved it slowly round and round over the red-hot stones ; the mouth of the pipe was then held to that of the image, then towards tlie earth, and then, in an equally solemn manner, to all the four quarters of the sky ; then he drew a few whiffs from the pipe, passed it to his neighbour, and so on round to the whole party ; when the pipe was emptied, the hunter made another prayer to tlie god, a hymn followed, and some more water was sprinkled upon the Iiot stones, and the attendants closed the temple by covering it with moose skins. The heat was intense, not only to the people within, but to the spectators on the out- side who were all perspiring freely ; the worship- pers remained in the s\\ eating-house half an hour, and the covering was then thrown off, and the half stewed beings exposed to the air; after this ceremony wds quite over, the sweaters scampered off to the river and plunged into it. 9^ NORTHERN REGIONS,^ " With regard to a future state, an old Indian,/ named Blackfoot, told Captain Franklin, that it was a tradition among them, that the souls of the dead scramble up the sides of a steep rock on the top of which they find a beautiful plain with all sorts of game in it, and new tents pitched here and there; they then see the inhabitants who come up to them, and in new seals' skin dresses welcome the good to the happy land; while those who have led bad lives, are sent back and thrown down the steep rock which they had been ascending. ....,, " Women who have been guilty of infanticide, or of killing their own children, are never admitted into the happy country, but wander about, with branches of trees tied to their legs. They are supposed to be always moaning, anu in still sum- mer evenings the screams of the goatsucker are mistaken for the groans of these poor women. " The piinful operation of tattooing is here practised: the women, in general, are tattooed only in lines, down from the corners of the mouth to the lower jaw; -but the men's whole bodies are completely covered with lines and figures. It is considered rather as a proof of courage, than of ornament, for the operation is a very painful one, and lasts several days. The lines in the face are made by a kind of awl which pierces the skin, under which is drawn a string . NORTHERN REGIONS. 95 ■II dipped in charcoal water. The lines in the body are done with needles set in a frame. A number of bells are fixed to the frame, which, by their jingling, bide the groans of the person who is being tattooed, singing also goes on at the same time. One of the Indians, who had his arm cut off by Dr. Richardson, declared, that tat- tooing was much the most painful operation of the two. " The seeseequay, a kind of rattle, and the Cree drum are the two musical instruments of the people. In the latter they have great faith ; an instance may be given in the poor man before mentioned, who came to the fort, and had lost his child; exhausted as he was, he would not leave behind an enormous drum, which he car- ried at his back. " I could relate to you, my boys, a number of other characteristics of these wild people, which would surprise you, but I am anxious to accom- pany our voyagers, some of whom now prepared to leave Cumberland-house." " Papa, I expect some extraordinary adven- tures, for I think they have got into a wild kind of place," cried Charles. i fe 1 .' 96 NORTHERN REGIONS. ftmm CHAPTER II. " In beginning the travels of our countrymen, I must describe their equipment, which you will think somewhat extraordinary. Their snow shoes for instance, which you must not imagine to resemble the neat letcther ones which so exactly fit your feet, CharleL\ These are made of two light bars of wood, festened together at each end, the front turning up, and the back ending in a point ; the spaces between the bars are filled up with a fine netting formed of leather strips every where except where the feet go in. They are so contrived, that the heel rises while the back of the shoe goes down, and remains level with the snow ; the length of this elegant little shoe is from four to six feet, and its breadth a foot and a half. " A capot, or fur cap, under which a hood is worn in cold weather, leather trowsers, and Indian stockings, with a blanket over all, secured round the waist by a belt, in which is suspended a fire- bag, knife and hatchet, completed the dress which our travellers put on for their journey. " Their sledges were made of two or three flat boards curved up in front and fastened by cross bars of wood, with carioles, or pieces of NORTHERN REOION8. 97 leather, which are affixed to the sledge, and form a covering for the lower part of the body, and each sledge was drawn by three dogs. ^ The party consisted of Captain Franklin, Mr. Back, and Hepburn, and several sledges full of traders. ' ** When they were on their second dajr's jour- ney, they met Mr. Isbester, whose employment during the winter is, to follow and find the Indians, and get their furs in order to send them to England and elsewhere. And little do we think of the trouble and danger there is in procuring this luxury and ornament; for it can hardly be called a necessary in our mild climate. He was going in search of a band of Indians, of whom nothing had been heard for four months, and his only guide for finding tliem, was, that they had promised to hunt in a particular place at a particular time. This place was about six or seven days* journey from the place in which he then was, and he had pro- vifflons to last him till he could reach it ; but it might happen, as it often had before, that the In- dians had left, and that a fall of snow had hidden their loot marks, and then where was he to look fiM* a supply of food? It was not many weeks be- ^re» that he* and his servant, and dogs, were NORTHERN REGIONS. £our days without food, and were just on tlie pokit of kiJling one of the dogs to satisfy then- hunger, when he happily met with the Indians. ^' Wohres, red«aiiii '•aateMtMiliiiMI •s^-'T«5w**r««8SW*i»»» ,jM^ 'mmm NORTHERN REGIONS. 99 whilst walking they had difficulty in preventing their skin from being frozen. They were delighted therefore to reach the goo<1 quarters of Carlton- house, where they were hospitably regaled with a hot dish of buffalo steaks. " Captain Franklin suffered too much from swelled ankles, owing to walking in the heavy snow shoes, to proceed immediately; Mr. Back and himself, therefore, went to visit some Stone In- dians who lived in the adjoining plains. The cha- racter of these people is not very pleasing, though their looks are prepossessing ; they are very trea- cherous, and dreadful thieves, particularly of horses, which, they say, were sent by the Al- mighty for the general use of man, and therefore, that they have a right to take them wherever they find them. Besides this, they strip defenceless people, when they meet them, of all their clothes, especially those who have buttons about them, and leave them to find theirway homewithoutthem, however cold the weather may be. The traders have such a dread of them, that they keep men on guard while they sleep, for fear of being sur- prised by these people, who do not hesitate to murder if they can. These Stone Indians are of a light copper" colour, with a profusion of black hair, on which they string beads, buttons, and $mall coral bells, the tingling of wliich when they k2 t St .f ■ ritiwUk ' i mion the ground, uttering a prayer each time. He prayed to the Great Spirit, that bufFalos might come in abundance to the pound; then he prayed that other animals, and particularly those whose fur was valuable, might be plentiful; then he prayed that the whole party might escape sickness, and many other prayers. At the end of every prayer the hunters cried out " aha :" the old man then drank a little, and passed the cup round. The whole party then smoked and conversed, and our travellers would have been glad enough, if their interpreters could have related to them all the conversation, for it appeared very humorous, and produced much laughing among themselves. . ^' Some Stone Indians came into the camp, but one only of them entered the tent, as they are not great friends with the Crees, Captain Frank- lin, by means of the interpreter, begged the Crees to continue to behave kindly to the traders, and he promised to mention their good conduct to their "great father" beyond the sea, which is the name the natives give to the king of England, " The buffalo pound was a circular space) fenced in and banked up with snow at the en- trance, to prevent the bufFalos from getting out^ after they had once been in. For about a mile lea^g to the pound ^ number of tall stakes were NORTHERN REGIONS. 103 driven into the ground, which the buffalos mis- take for men, and which prevent them from run- ning out. A number of Indians lie concealed behind branches of trees at some distance from the pounds, while a party of horsemen chase the buffalo into the road leading to it. They shout and drive on the poor animals, and as they get nearer, the concealed Indians rise and set up another shout, which so bewilders the buffaloes, that they hurry into the pound, and an arrow or gun soon despatches them." Tom. " This mode of hunting the buffalo, Papa, is something like that of hunting elephants in the island of Ceylon." Papa. " The Crees, who, as you have learned from what I have related to you, are a very religious people, have always a large tree in the centre of the pound, on which they hang strips of buffalo skin, as grateful offerings to the Great Master of Xife ; and they often place a man in this tree to sing to the presiding spirit until the hunt is over and the buffaloes all killed. " Carlton-house, which is a little provision post for the traders in fur, is pleasantly situated near the river. The land about it is fertile, and pro- duces wheat, barley, and potatoes, and in winter the provisions are furnished by the Indians in thie form of dried meat and fat A steep bank rises ■■■I ■P IP 104 NORTHERN REGIONS. abdve the house, beyound which is an immeastii'- able plain, in travelling across which, the trader finds his horse for ever stumbling in badger holes, and besides suffering from thirst and hunger, meets with no fuel to warm him except the diied dung of buffaloes. " Pemmican is the principal food for voyagers as the least bulky, and is made of buffalo meat, dried by the Indians in the sun, spread on a skin, and pounded with stones. They bring it in this state to the forts, where the hair is sifted from it, and melted fat kneaded into it. It is then squeezed tight into leathern bags, hung out to cool, h fit for use, and if kept dry will be good a year or two. " As soon as Captain Franklin and his party were recovered from their fatigue, they made preparations for continuing their journey to Isle d la Crosse. Captain Franklin and Mr. Back were mounted on horseback, and the carioles and sledges filled with provisions. It was February, the weather was tolerably warm, and as they met with deer, partridges, and rabbits, they had an abundant supply of food which was particularly agreeable to their Canadian voy- agers, who were very ravenous kind of peofde. They stopped for a time at the Company's trad*^ ing posts at the Green Lake, nhere they heard i w NORTHERN REGIONS. 105 I that provisions were likely to be very scarce farther north, and they accordingly wrote to Dr. Richardson, requesting him to bring as much as his canoes would hold. On leaving Green Lake they were favoured with a friendly salute of guns, which were fired by women, the men being absent hunting. They crossed the woods to the Beaver river, the banks of which were adorned with pines, willows, and poplars. Woods destroyed by fire every where met their eyes, and a very desolate appearance it gave to the country. While the party were passing through a deep glen, they came Tip to the remains of an Indian hut. The rapacious Canadians, hoping to find something to eat, pulled off the cover of a pik of wood which was near it, when to their surprise, they found the body of a wo- man in a leather dress, which (evidently had been placed there very recently. The clothes she had formerly worn lay beside her, together with ma^ terials for making a fire, a hatchet, and a bark- dish and a fishing line. An owl was sitting on a tree just by, which the Canadians thought omi- nous, and covering up the pile again, proceeded. They next passed several lakes and swamps till they came to Train Lake, from which traders get their birch to build sledges or tratneaux; there they met some sledges full of fish sent them fron mu 106 NORTHERN REGIONS. Isle a la Crosse. They came the next day to the Company's house at isle a la Crosse lake, and were hospitably received. The Indians assemble to play at the game of the Cross in an island of this lake, which accounts for its name, and it is celebrated also for a fish called the tittameg. '* After a short rest here, our party went travel- ling along by Clear Lake and Buffalo Lake to Bea- ver River, enlivened by the paddling songs of their Canadian voyagers, and illuminated by the Au- rora Borealis, which was particularly fine. At the fort here they had a dance, which the resi- dents always expect to be treated with on the ar- rival of any stranger. > " Pursuing their journey they came to Methye Portage, where the scenery was very grand, even though it was winter. Here they overtook a party of Chipewyan Indians, and smoked a calu- met in the tent of the chief, whose name was Thumb. Mr. Back drew a picture of one of Thumb's sons, with which the father was highly delighted, and he charged the boy to be ve^ y good, since his picture had been drawn by a great chief. " They came to another Chipewyan tent, tha chief of whom was named the Sun, and he had five sons who were hunters. Both of these famip> lies were very disconsolate at the loss of some . I W •NORTHERN REGIONS. 107 relations, nor could the travellers get any infor- mation from them. " They next arrived at a station in the Athabasca department, called Pierre au Calumet, which is so called from being the place where the stone is found of which the Indians and Canadians make their pipes. In proceeding onw^ard to fort Chi- pewyan, they passed an old Canadian who was resting his wearied dogs, during the heat of the day. He was carrying meat from the Indians, and his sledge which was loaded with two hundred and fitty pounds weight, was dragged by two miserable dogs. Captain Franklin was amuse I at the conceit of this fellow, who entered into a quarrel with the other Canadians about their dogs, and offered to lay them a wager that his two dogs, lean and poor as they were, should carry their burden to the Athabasca lake, sooner than any three of theirs. The chief reason he gave for this was his own superior skill m driving. " Thus Captain Franklin and his brave com- fnanions travelled on, and approached towards the end of a journey^ eight hundred and fifty- seven miles in length, many parts of which had been agreeable, and uiany more, most disagreeable. The fatigue and pain of walking in snow shoes, can hardly be imagined by those who have never felt a weight of two or three pounds, fastened to ,Sv ,1 •^"""tmi^^ammmim' MHM 108 NORTHERN REGIONS. V. ■; Nore feet and swelled ankles. Another evil they experienced was in witnessing the cruel manner in which the Canadians use their dogs, who they beat unmercifully. *f " But when stretched out in the encampment before a roasting fire, amid merry companions, all care was for the time forgotten, even the trouble some dogs were forgiven, who prowled about to snatch at evi '^*nd of food they could reach; these animals in;. 3d made up for the trouble they gave by the warmth they imparted at night, when they reposed by the side or by the feet of the tra- vellers. The hospitable reception they met with at trading fort too, was most gratifying to the tra- vellers, and recompensed them for much suffering. *' At fort Chipewyan, the firut object of Captain Frankliii was to gain information as to the mode of reaching the Copper-Mine river. An old Chi- pewyan, named Rabbit's head, gave a curious tra- dition concerning the discovery of the copper mines in the neighbourhood of the river. This is it. * A party of Esquimaux, who were sup- posed to inhabit a land beyond the seas, came over and stole a woman from the Chipewyan Indians, She, poor soul, was very unhappy among them, and after some years' residence ran away and reached the sea side. As skte was sitting there disconsolate, a wolf came and lidced the t NORTHERN REGIONS. 109 e tears from her eyes, and then walked into the sea. With joy, she perceived the water was veiy shal- low, and she determined upon following the wolf. \Vith two sticks she made her way through the waves, and walked on for two days; the third day the water became deeper, but still she persevered, and on the fifth she reached her native shore. A herd of rein-deer passed by, and with some kind of weapon she killed enough for her winter's store, and built a house for herself. Next spring, when she came out of her snow hut, she found the earth all glittering with bits of copper, and she saw at a distance a hill of copper : she col- lected what she could, thinking it might be useful to her friends, stuck her clothes all over with it, and set out again to seek her home. She soon met some of her relations, and telling them what she had dis- covered, took them to the copper hill : but they, treating her ungratefully, she fled to the summit of the hill, which opened suddenly, and swallowed up both herself and the hill. Ever after small pieces of copper only could be found." . ** This is a specimen of Indian tradition, and we must not wonder that they become rather mar- vellous, since the natives have no means of writ- ing down their histories, nor any principle of truth to guide th^n* ^The Chipewyans are as boastful, or indeed L no NORTHERN REGIONS. U * more so, tlian any other tribe Franklin met with. They style themselves the northern Indians, or the "people." They suppose that they originally sprung from a dog, and some years ago the i»ise idea entered their heads that it was wrong to employ animals so nearly related to them, and therefore they determined u^on destroyinff them all. Of course, the task of dragging the sledges, and carrying the tents, now falls to the wo- men's share, since the proud Chipewyan only con- descends to carry his gun and his medicine chest. The character of these people is not much more pleasing than that of the stone Indians ; they are cruel to their wives, they abandon the aged and the sick, and they have not even the virtue of hospitality. If any one enters their tent he is never offered any food, but if the stranger has impudence enough to thrust his stick into the boiling pot and fish up a piece of meat for himself the Chipewyan thinks it beneath his dignity to quarrel with hinf about a bit of meat. " It was the middle of July before Captain Frftnk- lin could coUect sufficient stores and information to enable him to proceed, and in the mean time he had been joined by Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, of whose journey to Chipewyan fort I must give you some account ; but first tell me^ Charles, whether you would be as willing to make diseo- NORTHERN REGIONS. Ill , 1 f s a e n a veries by land, as you professed yourself to wish to do by sea ?" " Indeed, Papa," answered Charles, " I feel ray courage sinking fast. Hunger, cold, fatigue, and the neighbourhood of those Indian savages, appear to me too much for any one to endure." ^' It is indeed, Charles, a terrific prospect; let us wish our travellers courage through their perils, the account of which ought to make us think lightly of our own little daily trials, which are apt to affect our temper and our happiness much more than they oughu *' To return to our travellers. Mr. Hood, whom we left at Cumberland-house, had made an excursion to the Basquian hills to draw a picture of a moose-deer. He visited the tent of an In- dian, named < Warrior,' and amused himself by sketching the inside of the tent and its inhabi- tants. One of the old women left off quarrelling with another, thinking he was employing a charm against her : and a young man, in mimicry of him, drew, with a piece of charcoal^ a picture of a frog on the side of the tent, and by pointing at Mr. Hood, drew forth peals of laughter from the In- (Uans. It was so long before the Indian hunters could succeed in killing a moose-deer, that the ^ages concluded, as they do when they are suf- ^ring any affliction, that the evil spirit was tor- L 2 4 112 NORTHERN REGIONS. \l I I? ! menting them, and they assembled all together, and beat a tambourine and sang a hymn to the manito or deity, and uttered three words over and over again, which were intended for a prayer for 'Success. A moose was at length caught : but be- tween the starving Indians and the rapacious wolves, Mr. Hood had great trouble in keeping it together till he had made a drawing of it, when it was instantly cut up and devoured. ' - • , " The English travellers, acconopanied by eight Canadian boatmen in two canoes, and some small store of provision, at length left Cumberland- house. They crossed several small lakes^ and sailed down Sturgeon river, where they met with numerous and dangerous rapids. " They crossed Beaver, Island, Heron, and Woody Lakes, and embarked on a part of the Mississipi river, leading to Rapid river, till they arrived at the Mountain Portage. This was an ascent over a rocky island, between which and the shore were three large cataracts. The coun- try here became very bold, woody, and moun- tainous. Their first adventure happened at* the Otter Portage. The river ran with rapidity among large stones. They carried the cargoes, ami attempted to get the canoes through by tracking. They succeeded with the first canoe, but the last, with the steersman and foreman \ti NORTHERN REOI0N8. 113 » iti was upset and hurried away by the current. Mr. Hood immediateiy jumped into the other boat) and urging the men to follow him, they launched into the rapid, descended it quickly, and perceived the bottom- of the lost canoe above water in a little bay into which it had been whirled by the eddy. One man had reached the bank, but the foreman was seen no more. The canoe was saved, but the Canadians were deeply affected with the loss of their companion, and, full of me- lancholy forebodings, erected a little cross in the rocks near which he had perished, ** Their road lay through a variety of lakes, rivers, and portages, till they reached the Isle a la Crosse, where in vain they endeavoured to pro- cure a supply of provision to take with them for the expedition. All the residents were ill sup- plied, and poor; ten bags of peramican alone could be furnished. From this post their route was very similar to that Captain Franklin had re- cently taken: the weather being fine, they had few troubles to brave except the musquitos and sand flies, and the disappointment of finding, when they reached Chipewyan, that their ten bags of pemmican were all rotten and good for nothing; *^ With this disaster ended Mr. Hood's n«rra> tive, who, wiili Dr. Richardson, having joined l3 ^!.1 , 114 NORTHERN REGIONS. Captain Franklin at Fort Chipewyan, the whole party prepared to go forward, not witliout some few melancholy forebodings on account of their scanty supply of provisions. The small store, however, they could procure from their trading .friends at Chipewyan, was packed up in three canoes, and as the Canadians were very cheerful, the party set out in great glee. A lively pad- dling song was volunteered by the boatmeny and kept up till they lost sight of the houses. They entered the magnificent river called the Slave river, passed down a part of the Dog river, and reached ' The Portage of the Drowned.* This took its melancholy name from an accident that happened there many years ago. Two canoes arrived at the upper end of the portage. In one of them was a skilful guide, who thought he might venture to shoot the rapid, and he pro- mised to fire a musket as a signal for the other canoe to follow if he came safely to the bottom. It proved a very dangerous rapid, and the boat and the crew were nearly lost in spite of the skill of the guide. They reached the land, however, when an unlucky fellow seized a gun and fired at a bird. The other canoe took this as a signal, followed incautiously down the rapid, got fright* ened in the middle, the canoe upset, and every tnsai was drowned. ^ * J ft "^T i 7 I 'i I 1 nM^.-hi'ii Jf'ru.) -P':fi:J>.b\ .'.Hiinv. S: lliuL- i7ii/j;ii Y,!i\i . .1 ! I i ■»' ■'I' ,-!v:.i. r , ' »> . 1:1 i./.;^,V. NORTHERN REGIONS. 115 " At Salt river the party filled their casks with salt for winter use, and here too they had the good fortune to 'kill a buffalo which was swim- ming in the river. They towed him to land and loaded the canoes with meat, and amid the songs of the boatmen descended the stream merrily. "At the foot of Moose-deer island they engage to the north- east of the lake, but in vain did tliey look for the river. The guide was confused, and went to look out from some high hills near the Rock's nest, while the travellers were entertained by the sight of a wolf chasing two deer on the ice. The wolf, however, got alarmed as he approached the men, and gave up the hunt. *^' " The guide now reported that the river was flowing between the Rock's nest, and the travellers had soon the satisfaction of embarking their canoes in its waters. They were carried along NORTHERN REGIONS. 129 ^ > quickly by strong and repeated rapids, \\))ich continued far up the river, the banks of which are very picturesque. The hills shelve to the brink, and are covered with woods, and richly or- namented with mosses of various kinds. Here and there, they were stopped by drifted ice, over which they were forced to drag their cuuoes. 'ITiey encamped occasionally upon the shores, and found several plants in flower, and the wea- ther very warm, and their hunters took the op- portunity of going out in search of deer, which, with some few fish and birds, formed their food. '* A herd of buffalos, or musk oxen, making its appearance, eight of them were killed by the In- dians on shore, and a party from the boats des- patched to fetch the store. As Captain Franklin was walking by the tents, a young buffalo, enraged by the firing, ran down to the river and passed close to him: he took up his gun, fired, and wounded the animal, who instantly turned and ran at him, and Captain Franklin was obliged to jump upon a piece of rock, when the people came from the tents, and the brfFalo took to flight. The flesh of these oxen taste of musk, particu- larly when lean, which these proved to be. . *' After travelling up the river for some time, they came to a rocky precipice, on which was an encampment of < the Hook,' who was brother to ■ 1 '■ V n W«rV% 130 NORTHERN REGIONS. I I ! Akaitcho, and likewise a Copper Chief. Finding they were in want of provisions, he ordered th« women to collect all the meat they had, saying, that his own people could live upon fish until more could be procured. " Our travellers, in return for the bags of pem- mican thus supplied them, gave the Hook and his followers all the presents they could spare, and as these people seemed extren^ely anxious about the safety of the travellers. Captain Frank- lin urged them to continue in that station, and to deposit provisions in various places during the summer, both on the banks of the Copper-mine river, and on the Copper-n^ine mountains. This the Hook promised, and after consulting Dr. Richardson about his health, and receiving a packet of medicine from him, the travellers took their leave, and once more embarked to pursue their adventures. They passed the rocky Defile Rapid in safety, much to the Indians' joy, who call it the terrific rapid, and with justice. The river k here contracted between two perpendicular diffs, and thui? descends in a deep and crooked channel for three quartern of a mile. The body of the river, pent in this narrow chasm, dashes fu- riously round the rocks, and discharges itself at the bottom in a sheet of foam. The canoes ran through, however, when lightened of their burdens* NORTHERN REGIONS. 181 " After passing this rapid they reached the Copper mountains, and a party was sent in search of copper ore. The Indians were totally ignorant where to look for it, having given up the prac- tice of making their instruments of copper since they have been supplied with iron from the trad- ing companies. " As the Indians knew the river to be only one succession of rapids till it reached the sea, they refused to take their canoes any farther, but Cap- tain Franklin ordered two of his men to carry one along with them, in case it might be wanted. When the party approached the part the Esqui- maux were reported to be met with, it was deter- mined to send Junius and Augustus, the two Es- quimaux interpreters, forward to acquaint their countrymen with the approach of the strangers. The Indians represented the Esquimaux to be very hostile to them, and therefore great fear was entertained for the safety of these two poor fel- lows, who had endeared themselves to all the tra- vellers by their obliging and pleasing conduct. They clothed themselves, however, in Esquimaux dresses, and set out, taking with them some pre- sents for their countr3rmen. The officers crawled up to the top of the mountain to try to see them, but night came without their return. Dr. Ri- chardson was seated on the summit of the hill i M • fu r^f 132 NORTHERN REGIONS. looking at the river that washed the precipice below, and buried in thought, remained there after dusk: all at once, looking around him, he perceived nine white wolves approaching, wlio had ranged themselves in a crescent behind him, apparently intending to drive him into the river. He rose, and they halted, and made way while he passed to the tents. He had his gun, but he for- bore to shoot for fear the enemies, the Esqui- maux, should be lurking in the neighbourhood. Is not this an instance, Charles, that to brave a danger is more than half to conquer it?" • " Indeed, Papa, I fear I should have acted more like the poor deer, and have rushed down the cliff to have escaped from the grinding jaws of those frightfid animals," cried Charles. " As Augustus and Junius did not appear. Captain Franklin and the officers set off in search of them, leaving the Indians with Mr. Wentzel behind. Each person was armed with a gun and a dagger, as if going to encounter a terrible ene- my. In the evening they met Junius, who was coming back to tell them that they had met with four Esquimaux tents, and had held a conference with one of the people, who expressed great alarm when they were told of the approach of the whites and the Indians. " rhey learned, upon their arrival, from Au- NORTHERN REGIONS. 133 gustus that there were only four men and two women, and that they had retreated to an island a little farther oflp, after destroying their lodges as a token to their countrymen, who might chance to come to the spot, that enemies were at hand. Captain Franklin visited the deserted en- campment, where he found dogs, provisions, kettles, and various household things, all of which he ordered to be taken care of, that in case the Esquimaux returned, they might find that they were in the neighbourhood of friends and not of enemies. '^ Captain Franklin then dispatched Adam the interpreter, with a party, to inform the Indians of the flight of the Esquimaux, but Adam soon came running back with the news that some Elsquimaux were pursuing the men who had been sent to collect floats. These men, however, were soon perceived returning slowly, and reported that they had unexpectedly ipet the f^uimaux who were travelling down to the rapid : that the wo- men hid themselves, but that the men began to dance in a circle, tossed up their hands, and made great shouts. One party pulled off theii* hats and made bows, but neither people seeming to wish to approach tlie other, the Esquimaux re- tired. The officers then went to the bill, and N 134 NORTHERN REGIONS. there, lying behind a stone, they found an old man, who had been left with the baggage, unable to proceed. The old fellow was frightened when he saw Augustus approach, and seizing a spear, thrust it at him. He was soon pacified, and after receiving a few presents became composed. He gave them a good deal of information, and after asking the several names of all the party, told them that his own name was Terreganeook, or the white fox, of the tribe of Nagge-ook-tor- moeoot, or deer horn, lliis poor creature was too infirm to walk, and was bent with age ; when • he received a present he first put it on his right shoulder, and then on his left, and when very much pleased he rubbed it over his head. When he looked at his face in a glass which was held to him, he cried out, " I shall never kill deer again," and put the glass down. His wife, who liad concealed herself among the rocks, soon joined him. " The Indians, through fear of the Esquima ux, now determined to leave the travellers to them- selves, and to return, nor could they be per- suaded to leave any hunters. The only two who remained, who had any skill in hunting, were the interpreters, St. Germain and Adam, who likewise would willingly have returned if they NORTHERN REGIONS. 135 had not been strictly watched until their coun- trj'men were departed, when terror of the Esqui- nfiaux kept them safe enough. " The party now resumed their voyage down tb*» river till they came to where it joined the sea. The faithful Hepburn was overjoyed at the sight of the element on which he had passed so much of his life, but the Canadians had far other feel- ings. They were terrified at the thoughts of brav- ing the rough waves of the icy sea in a canoe made of birch-bark, and murmured bitterly at the cold and hunger tliey would have to encounter. ^'Thus was finished, my boys, another part of this vast journey. Our travellers had travelled three hundred and thirty-four miles since they left Fort Enterprize, one hundred and seventeen of which they had been obliged to drag their baggage over snow and ice." CHAP. IV. ** You must expect, my boys, a chapter of horrors, and I own I should be unwilling to give you so p^jnlul a recital, if it were not for the hope* of in- spiring you with admiration at the courage and constancy of our band of travellers, and of shewing v2 136 NORTHERN REGIONS. you the value of that forfcitude which springs from a well regulated and religious mind. " Captain Franklin and his companions now embarked upon the Polar Sea, pleased at die thoughts of taking leave of fresh water naviga- tion, which had been a new and troublesome kiiid of occupation to most of them. They paddled a long way without coming to any ice, and passed several groupes of rocky and barren Lslandsy wliich Capt&in Franklin named ' Berens' and ' Sir Graham Moore's' islands. The coast was well covered with trees and herbs, and a &t deer now and then rewarded the hunter's toil when he landed to hunt. After a passage of about twenty miles they entered the ice, and with difficulty pad- dled their little bark through its masses, till th^ reached Detention Harbour, where they landed. The ice was giving wa;' fast, and they felt sure that it would all of it melt luring the summer, as there were no traces of last year's ice to be met with. This was some consolation for the future, but still the ice, though only an small pieces, was so closely packed, that there was no prospect of being able to push through it at present into the open sea. ^This was unfortunate, because they were so fearful of consuming all their scanty store of provisions. They sent St Crermain on shore, and he shot at several deer but killed none ; and when they ex- / I ■■■■Jvv >« \ ! ■uk'.: turned without having seen any traces of the Es- quimaux. The hunters, however, had been so for- tunate as to kill a bear and several deer." Charles. '* The bear would be of no use to them, papa; surely, its flesh is never eaten." " The flesh was brought, however, to the tent, and the officers made an excellent meal on its boiled paws ; but the Canadians &ncied, firom its lean ap- pearance, that it had been sickly, and therefore declined partaking of it '^ They embarked again, and continued pad- n3 u ■■-■ 1 138 NORTHERN REGIONS. dling for several days, making very good progress and finding plenty of deer. You will find, how* ever, that after our travellers had left Cape Bar- row, which L to the north of Detention Harbour, they had been pursuing a south-east course, which made them fear that they were leaving the main land and entering into a large inlet. Tliis they soon discovered was the case, and this inlet was terminated by a river which they named ^ Back's River.* Their only consolation for this loss of time was, that they killed a musk ox and a fat bear, which the voracious Canadians now no longer re- fused to eat A quantity of dried Hows enabled them to make a good fire and to dress their food, and the bear*s flesh was pronounced excellent Fisli they caught in abundance; and they s^w plenty of seals, but could not shoot them. " After paddling for some time north-north- west, and finding the ice impassable in that direc- tion, they resumed an easterly course, and at last arrived at the eastern entrance of the inlet, which had cost them nine valuable days in exploring, and which they named " Bathurst's Inlet" *' With the prospect of an open sea before them, they resumed tlieir voyage along the coast, and persevered till they were stopped by a strong wind after passing Cape Croker, which raised the waves (" NORTHERN REGIONS. 139 to such a height that the Canadians were quite terrified, being used only to fresh-water naviga- tion. When the wind was somewhat diminished, they hoisted sail, and continued along the coast till they entered a large gulph, the only outlet from which was a winding shallow passage. Tliis gulph Captain Franklin named 'George the Fourth's Co- ronationGulph,' and they afterwards passed Parry's Bay and Melville's Sound. " At Melville Sound they encamped, and Cap- tain Franklin found to his sorrow that the slight canoes had suffered greatly from the rough sea and the drifted ice. But he was most grieved to find that his crew, who had hitherto borne their hardships cheerfully, now felt such fears for their safety that they could not help expressing them even before him. These two circumstances, added to many minor ones, and the impossibility of reaching Repulse Bay that season, made Cap- tain Franklin think seriously of returning; and, after consulting his brother officers, he announced his resolution of returning in four days, provided that during that time he did not meet with the Esquimaux. This news cheered the Canadians, who once more set forward cheerfully ; and, after passing various bays and islands, they had the pleasure of seeing the open sea to the north-east. : 140 NORTHERN REGIONS. Tliey again encamped, and searched in vain for the Esquimaux. A party of officers walked about twelve miles on shore, till they came to a point which they named ' Point Turnagain,' the land still continu- ing its northerly direction. " They had sailed fi\e hundred and fifty miles from the mouth of the Copper Mine River, though the direct course would not have been so much, and Captain Franklin was convinced that there was a continuance of sea as far as Repulse Bay, which future navigators more fortunately situated might perhaps explore. " Having given up all thoughts of proceeding further eastward, their future course was now to be fix'ed upon. Captdin Franklin's original inten- tion had been to return to the Copper-Mine River, and from thence to go by the Great Bear and Mar- ten Lakes to the Great Slave Lake, but it was now necessary, in consequence of the scarcity of their provision, to fix upon a nearer place. He deter- mined, therefore, to go back to the Arctic Sound, where the animals had been more plentiful ; and, after paddling as far up Hood's River as possible, to make smaller canoes out of their large ones, and to carry them over the barren grounds to Fort Enterprize. " The shortness of the summer was enough to NORTHERN REGIONS. 141 J •t chill any one's hopes of doing much ; it had not begun till the middle of June; and now, when the middle of August was come, the geese were seen re- turning southward, the nights were cold and frosty, and every sign of winter again displayed itself. " it is worthy of remark that Captain Franklin left Turnagain Point on the samt day that Cap- tain Parry sailed out of Repulse B^ty, and that at this time they were separated from each other only by a distance of five hundred aiid thirty-nine miles. " The deer on the coast were now scarce, and the Canadian voyagers were so hungry, that they even volunteered to make a stretch of fifteen miles across Melville Sound in a very strong wind and heavy sea. It was indeed a bold attempt, but the little canoes reached the shore in safety, and after an encampment was made, the whole party went to hunt. A few more days sailing enabled them to reach Hood's River, and their voyage in the Arctic sea was completed to the great joy of the Canadians, who spent the evening in talking over their adventures and boasting much of their own exploits. Ah ! poor fellows, no thought of the evils that were to come, damped their enjoy- ment that, (evening. ** The English Union flog was planted on the loftiest hill in the neighbourhood, and an assort- ment of beads and looking glasses left as a pre- 142 NORTHERN REGIONS. sent to the Esquimaux wlieii they should come there. '* Our party now proceeded up the river, which, I am grieved to say, will be ever memorable from their misfortunes. The shoals and rapids again be- came so numerous as to oblige the officers to walk along the banks, while the crew dragged the canoes, thus lightened of their loads. After this laborious day*s work, they encamped at the foot of two mag- nificent cascades, where the water which was con- fined between two huge perpendicular rocks, rushes down a precipice of such depth that they could only just see the top of the spray which itUirowsup. These falls they named the ' Wilberforce Falls;* and now the plan of converting the canoes into smaller ones was put into execution, and completed in a few days. Each man was supplied with leather shoes, worsted stockings, and other warm clothing. The weather was warm, and all wt :e anxious to begin their journey ; the officers carried as much of the bfiggage as they could, and the rest was divided between the men, two of whom carried the two canoes. They proceeded cheerfully, notwithstanding each had so great a weight, and they met with a supply of de. r and oxen. A fall of snow was succeeded by heavy rain, and on the first of September they jlistri- buted their last piece of pemmican. The men NORTHERN REGIONS. 143 were much fatigued with marcliing under such heavy burdens, but did not complain. They en- camped for the night, drenched with rain, and having no fuel to make fires of, continued in bed underneath their blankets the whole of the next day. This was the beginning of their calamities, tlie storm increased, the tents were frozen, but the pangs of hunger soon became greater even than those occasioned by the cold. " Thinking that the winter was set in, and that it would be useless to delay their journey, the order to proceed was given on the seventh, although they were all unfit to travel, being weak from hunger, and their clothes stiffened with frost. Captain Franklin was seized with a fainting fit, and witli diliiculty was persuaded to take a little porta- ble soup, being unwilling to diminish the scanty stor«°. It revived him, however, and they went on, the ground being covered with a deep snow ; a wind was blowing, which often threw down the men who carried the canoes. By this means the largest of the canoes was seriously injured. This was the worst accident that could happen, because the other canoe was too small to carrv the party across the river, and it was susp#>rte(l that Benoit, the Canadian who carried it, had let it fall intentionally, that he might not have the trouble of carrying it, at which he had often murmured. * 144 NORTHKRN REGIONS. i The accident however, could not now be reme- died, and therefore the canoe was chopped up, and a good fire made of it, which served to cook the remainder of the portable soup and arrow-root. Tliis was but a scanty meal after so long a fast, but it gave them some strength to proceed which they did in Indian defile, that is to say, in each other's foot-steps, the Canadians taking it in turns to lead the way, having some distant object point- ed out to direct them by. " In this manner they travelled along for seve- ral days, their only meals consisting of half a partridge cooked with tripe de roche, a kind of glutinous moss which is found sticking to the rocks. This repast, scanty indeed for men who underwent such fatigues, was always received with cheerfulness and thankfulness. St. Germain and Adam went out to hunt, and Junius bringing a report of a herd of musk oxen on the other side of the river, the party crossed it in hopes of being able to kill some of them. The best hunters were sent out but were two hours in getting within gun- shot of them, tho others all watching with eagerness and praying for their success. They fired, one of the largest fell, another too, was shot, but made her escape. The starving party rushed to work. In a few minutes they had skinned and cut up the animal ; tliey devoured the contents of its stomach on the a ind a kle ire in- less Ihe ler ivr he NORTHERN REGIONS. 145 spot, and the raw intestines were pronounced de- licious. The travellers had before been complain- ing of a thick fog ; it was this very fog which had enabled them to approach near enough to shoot these oxen, who would otherwise have fled ! How ignorant are we of what is best for us ! " This supply lasted them for two or three days, but instead of being refreshed, the whole party seemed weakened by this supply of animal food. Now again were they reduced to their tripe de roche diet, which none liked, but which afflict- ed Mr. Hood particularly, always giving him a pain in his inside. The Canadians, ever vora- cious, but ever improvident, had thrown away the fishing nets, and therefore no fish could be procured. *' Tlie travellers were getting weaker and weaker, and to encourage them to hunt, Mr. Hood lent Michael, the Troquois, his gun. Perrault, one of the voyagers, one day came and gave each of the officers a little piece of meat which he had saved from his own allowance, which was a kindness so imexpected in a Canadian, that it filled their eyes with tears. *' In attempting to cross the river, they had to lament the loss of their best canoe. St Ger- main the interpreter, Captain Franklin, and Belanger a voyager, embarked in the little re- *i ¥. 146 NORTHERN REGIONS. maiiiing one, when, the breeze being fresh, it was driven to the brink of the rapid. Belanger a|pplied bis paddle, to prevent the canoe being forced into it, but he lost his balance, and the canoe was upset. They kept hold of it however till they touched a rock, on which they managed to keep their footing till the water was emptied. Belanger then held the canoe steady, while 3t. Germain put Captain Franklin into it, and got into it himself; Belan- ger they were forced to leave upon the rock: the canoe dashed down the rapid, struck, and was again emptied, but at last they got safe to shore. *' Meanwhile, Belanger, standing up to his middle in a freezing rapid, with his body covered with wet clothes, roared out for help. St. Ger- main tried to get him into the canoe, but in vain, it was hurried again down the rapid. Adam next tried, but could not succeed. They then made a line out of slings, but it did not reach him. Belanger was nearly exhausted, when the canoe was luckily got near enough to throw to him a small cord, by which they dragged him, per- fectly senseless, through the rap-ni. He was in- stantly stripped, rolled up in blankets and, by Dr. Richardson's on'ers, two men undressed themselves and lay by him in the bed ; but it was some time before warmth could be restored in NORTHERN REGIONS. UT him. It would be difficult to describe the anxiety that Captain Franklin had experienced during these unsuccessful attempts to relieve Belanger. Every time the canoe was put out, it dashed fu- riously down the rapid, and he lost sight of it among the rocky islets. Once he thought he saw it buried in the waves, and the sad fate of all his brave companions, forced to wander about the coast of the lake, rushed upon his mind. His own fate would have been decided, for he was alone on the opposite side of the river, without gun, hatchet, or ammunition, unable even to light a fire, or relieve himself from his wet clothes. This fate however was spared him, the canoe was saved, and he has been allowed to offer his thanks- givings for his escape, in a civilized country. " Belanger was soon tolerably well again, and the recollection of this accident was lost in new evils ; among these, hunger was the most acute, tripe de roche and pieces of singed hide being con- sidered a capital meal. Snow fell in showers, and their blankets scarcely kept them warm. When they encamped at night, they lighted a fire to thaw their frozen .shoes, and put dry ones oi? : then they wrote their journals, and prepared their supper. They eat it in the dark and then went to bed, and kept up cheerful conversation till the warmth of the blankets had thawed their bodies o 2 148 NORTHERN REOIONSr J and enabled them to fall asleep. Wlien tliey had no iire, they went to bed in their wet clothes, for fear they should freeze so hard as to prevent their being able to carry them next morning. " Peltier, the Canadian, had been carrying the canoe, but he grumbled so much that it was given to Vaillant, who got on pretty well with it. - ■ " Capfuin Franklin, who with Dr. Richard* son had Leen away from the rest of the party for a short time, returned, and found the Cana- dians over a willow fire, seated at a repast of pieces- of skin, bones of deer which had been killed by the wolves the year before, and old shoes. Peltier and Vaillant were with them, who declared that the canoe had had so many falls, that it was good for nothing, and that they had therefore left it behind. " This news was a thunderbolt to Captain Franklin ; he knew the canoe was their only hope, and he entreated the men to fetch it. Tliey re- fused, the officers were not strong enough, and for their thoughtless obstinacy the voyagers had to suffer far more than they could have anticipated even in their desponding state. " They resumed their march, but the snow had hidden the foot-marks of Mr. Back and the hunt- ers who were gone before, and the voyagers be- came furious at the thoughts of being deserted. •iiniii1i # NORTHERN REGIONS. 149 ■ " Next morning they killed five small deer, and thanked a kind Providence for this welcome supply. The greedy Canadians eat so voraciously, that their portions were soon consumed, but with the strength they had gained, they marched on till they came again to a part of the Copper-Mine river. The loss of their canoe was now felt, and the more as neitlier a ford, nor wood for a raft could be found. Mr. Back and the hunters were again sent forward with some hopes of meeting the Indians and getting assistance from them. He was directed to cross the lake as soon as he could meet with wood for a raft, and to send a speedy supply of food to those behind. " The remaining party were with some diffi- culty collected, and clieered by finding a putrid deer, on which they breakfasted. They set to work to make a raft of willows : but the willows were green, and when finished it had so little buoyancy that one man only could be supported upon it. It would suffice to transport the party however, if a line could be conveyed to the other shore, and Belanger and Benoit, the strongest of the men, tried to do this, but they failed for want of oars. Every plan was attempted, and at last Dr. Rich- ardson said he would swim across the stream with the line, and haul the raft over. He plunged in with the line round his waist, but he had not swam o 3 150 NORTHERN REGIONS. i long before his arms were benumbed with cold and he could not move them : he turned upon his back, and had nearly reached the shore, when his legs too got benumbed, and he began to sink. His terri- fied companions pulled the line, and dragged him back again almost lifeless. They rolled him in blankets, placed him before a good fire, and he fortunately was able just to speak and tell them how he ought to be treated. Towards evening he was able to converse a little, and they removed him into the tent. He had lost ihe sense of feel- ing in one side, and when stripped, even the Ca- nadians shuddered at the skeleton form which appeared before them. " It was his bein»g so dreadfully thin and starved that caused the cold water to take so powerful an effect upon him. What increased the pain he suffered was, that when he was getting into the water, he trod upon a dagger and cut his foot to the bone, but this did not stop him in his brave attempt. " The raft plan failing, St. Germain undertook to make a canoe out of the pieces of canvas in which they had wrapped up their clothes. In the mean time Mr. Back returned without any news of the Indians. Officers and voyagers daily grew weaker and weaker, the former not being now strong enough to gather tripe de roche for their • ' NORTHERN llEOiaNS. 151 meals, and Sumandre the cook refusing to exerc himself. Hepburn, the faithful Hepburn alone remained active, and collected the supply for the daily mess of the officers. t " The canoe at last was finished, the whole party transported one by one across the river, and Mr. Back, with Beauparlant, St. Germain and Belanger, again sent in search of the Indians. The remaining party, after eating the remains of their old shoes and scraps of leather, set off over a range of black hills. The tripe de roche disagree- ing with Credit and Vaillant, these men were weaker than the others, and news was brought to the party in advance that they could proceed no farther. - *' Dr. Richardson turned back, and found them lying in different places in a terrible condition ; they fell down whenever they attempted to move, and when some of the strongest men were entreat- ed to go and carry them and bring them to the fire they positively refused, and even threatened to lay down their loads and make the best of their way to Fort Enterprizc. . " After consulting what was to be done, it was agreed that Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood should remain beliimi with Hepburn, in order both to relieve the ^Jtiu r party from the trouble of carry- ing the tent, and to assist Credit and Vaillant if &. ^^.%%^ kNl V^ ¥^ «b%^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 121 12.5 ■so l» ■ 2.2 140 «2.0 ill V 7] Hiotographic Sdences CorpoMoa •sj :\ \ ^v 6^ 23 WIST M/:N ; YfEiT WfBSTER,K<.Y I45M (716)S72-<)503 '^ % L 152 NORTHERN REGIONS. ,■ I ^ W they should survive. Captain Franklin with his party were to go in search of the Indians, or to Fort Enterprize, and to send succour as soon as any could be obtained. With a heavy heart he took leave of his brother officers, whom nothing but the most urgent necessity would have induced him to part from." s ' • . • ^ i ^ Charles. " These brave men wiL ^jerish, papa, in this wretched situation : I cannot bear the thoughts of their remaining here." -• " The result, my dear boy, was, I fear, nearly as melancholy as you imagine; but, at all events, they acted as they felt it their duty to do, and their noble devotion of their own lives ought to be an example to all, though few, I trust, are likely to be exposed to such triiJs. ^ 'i . h, •? •. , " Mr. Hood*s extreme weakness rendered it unfit for him to proceed ; Dr. Richardson stayed be- cause he devoted himself to succour the weak, and Hepburn, from his attachment to his officers. Leaving these three, however, I will begin by tel- ling you how Captain Franklin's travelling party got on. ** The snow v. is very deep, and before they had proceeded many miles they were forced to encamp. Michael and Belanger were quite exhausted. Be- langer bursting into tears entreated Captain Franklin to let him return to his tent, and Michael NORTHERN REGIONS. 153 made the same request. After passing the niglit in a wretched and half perishing condition, Cap- tain Franklin consented to let these two return, sending a note by them to Dr. Richardson to tell him of a group ui pines whi?h would afford good shelter for the tent. Michael took a good deal of ammunition with him, and said he would go in search of Vaillant, asking permission to have his blanket if he found him. " Leaving Michael and Belanger at the en- campment, the rest went on, when Perrault and Fontano was seized with dizziness. " A few morcels of burnt leather enabled them to proceed. Perrault, however, soon became too ill, and therefore he was sent back to the encamp- ment, where the smoke of a good fire was still seen, and they watched him till he had got nearly there* The others then left -the snow, which was deep and troublesome, and tried to cross the lake, but the ice was so slippery that they fell at every step. . " And now they had the grief of parting with another of their companions. Poor Fontano was again seized with dizziness, and as there was no possibihty of carrying him, the t ther men being too weak, and no tripe de roche to nourish him with, there was no alternative but that of sending him back to attempt to join the party at the tent. The spirits of the whole party were extremely dejected. ^. 154 NORTHERN REGIONS. Fontano had that morning been speaking of his father, and begging Captain Franklin if they sur- vived this journey, to take him to England and put him in a way of reaching home, for he was an Italian. '* Captain Franklin had now only four voyagers with him, Adam, Peltier, Benoit, and Samandre. Augustus had gone on, being impatient at the delay caused by so many being sent back. Their journey was just the same as before, and they ar- rived in excessive weariness at Fort Enterprize, where, alas ! no traces of human beings could be found. No Indians, no provisions, no letter fkX)m Mr. Wentzei ; in short, they had been utterly neg- lected, Akaitcho had broken his promise, and on entering this miserable abode, where they hadhoped to find rest and succour, they all burst into tears, the melancholy fate of their poor companions behind rushing into their minds. *' They found indeed a note from Mr. Back, say- ing, that not finding provisions at Fort Enterprize^ he was gone on with his party to Fort Providence, but that the w eak state they were all in, rendered it very probable that none of them might live to reach it. •* Thus abandoned, they set to work to collect skins and tripe de roche for supper, and some wood that they pulled up out of the floor made them an NORTHERN REGIONS. 155 excellent fire. Augustus joined them, and Solo- mon Belanger came in a few days from Mr. Back to say he could not find the Indians, and to receive orders how to go on. This poor fellow had had a fall into a rapid, and was covered with ice and was quite speechless; but affliction had softened the minds of the voyagers, and Captain Iranklin observed with pleasure that they set about cheer- ing and warming Belanger, and forgot their own sufferings in their care for another. " When Belanger was recovered he returned to Mr. Back, and Benoit and Augustus were sent in another direction in search of the Indians, the partj' at the Fort being now reduced to four. Two of these, Adam and Samandre, were unable to stir, so that Peltier and Captain Franklin had to share the fatigue of collecting the wood, pound- ing the bones, and preparing the two meals which Captain Franklin insisted they should eat every day. , " The tripe de rocke now became almost too frozen to be gathered, and the strength of the party declined daily. When they sat down they could scarcely get up again, and had to lift one another from their seats. Their mouths were sore from eating the bone soup, and they left it off and made soup of the skin instead of frying it. Peltier, the strongest among them, was now almost unable 156 NORTU^RX REGIONS. !i to fetch wood. One day they heard the sound of voices: "Ah, the Indians!" they cried with joy; but, alas! no, it was Dr. Richardson and Hepburn, car- rying each of them their bundle. Both parties were shocked at the sight of each other's thin skeleton faces and hollow voices; and Dr. Richardson en- treated the others to look and speak more cheer- fully, little thinking that his own appearance was quite as melancholy. Hepburn had brought a partridge, which they warmed at the fire, tore into six parts and swallowed ravenously. * Hood and Michael are dead,' said Dr. Richardson; * and where are Perrault and Fontano? They have never been heard o£' " Dr. Richardson brought his prayer-book, and read to them some prayers and psalms, and, rather more composed, the whole party went to bed. " The next night, when the voyagers were all reposing. Dr. Richardson gave Captain Franklin an account of what had passed since they had been parted. " ' When you took leave of us. Hood and myself sat over our willow fire, and read in some good books which a lady had provided us with before we left England. We were much comforted, and talked cheerfully; and, if my poor friend were alive, I should look back with delight to this period of my life. A few days after, Michael, the Troquois, came NORTHERN REGIONS. 157 'with your note, begging us to remove to a clump of pines. He said that Solomon Belanger had left the fire before him, and that he supposed he had lost his way. He brought his gun with him, and shot us some hares and partridges, and Hepburn ex- claimed, ' Oh, how I shall love this man if he does not tell lies like the other voyagers.' We got to the pines, and Michael left us for a day or two : his conduct was very extraordinary and very sa- vage, sometimes refusing to hunt or to cut wood, or to do any thing we wished him ; and once he answered Mr. Hood surlily, ' it is no use hunting; you had better kill and eat me.' Poor Mr. Hood was daily getting weaker ; the tripe-de-roche gave him so much pain that he could not eat more than a spoonful at a time. Our minds were weak as well as our bodies ; we felt as if we could not bear our horrible situation any longer — ^we tried not to talk of it — our only study was not to complain. " * One morning we begged Michael to go and hunt, but he lingered about the fire cleaning his gun. I went to gather some tripe-^e-roche, leaving Mr. Hood at the fire arguing with Michael, and Hepburn cutting wood at a little distance from the tent. In a few minutes I heard a gim and Hepburn's mournful cry ; and, getting to the tent as soon as I could, I found that poor Hood was lifeless. A ball had been shot through his head. Michael at- y . t M ! i I h \ 158 NORTHERN REGIONS. tempted to make out a story that he had been shot by accident ; but the ferocious looks of this fellow and his confusion, convinced us both that he was the murJerer. Our horror was beyond every- thing ; but Hepburn and myself carefully avoided letting him know that we suspected him, for we knew that if he had done the wicked deed, he would not hesitate to kill us. . " * We carried the body beneath some willows, and that evening read the funeral service in ad- dition to the evening prayers. *' ' The next day we patched our garments and set out travelling. Michael was very surly, and for ever was saying that we thought ill of him, and that Hepburn told tales of him. In short, we felt sure that he meant to kill us, and we were too weak to hope to make our escape from him. The first occasion on which he left us alone, Hepburn told me many things which made me decide what to do ; and, as soon as he joined us again, J took my pistol and shot him through the head. This was a painful deed to perform, but the danger to the faithful Hepburn made me think it right to do it. Our journey since to this place has been a painful and fatiguing one.* ** Thus ended the Doctor's sad story; and now the two united parties put forth all their strength to provide food, Semandre and Peltier getting •MM NORTHERN REGIONS. 159 daily worse. The poor fellows soon were too ill to eat even what food could be got them, and in the course of a few days they died. Their companions removed the two bodies into a further part of the house, but they were not strong enough to carry them out or to bury them. This loss of their brothers in misfortune was a great shock to all the party, and their spirits were very low. Their stock of bones was finished, and the fatigue of taking the hair off the skin to make it into soup, was now too great for any of them. The hardness of the floor, which was only covered when they slept by a blanket, had caused gre^t soreness to their skeleton bodies, but even in the midst of these hardships, they could enjoy three or four hours sleep at night, and, strange to say, their dreams were always about the pleasure of feast- ing. In proportion as they lost their strength, they lost the power of directing their minds. They were pettish with one another without any reason. If one recommended the other to take a warmer place, the other .*^as angry because he could not bear the idea of moving. " Hepburn at last cried out ; ' if we do ever reach England, I wonder if we shall recover the use of our understandings.' " At last Adam appeared dying. Captain Frank- lin was employed in cheering him, and Dr, Rich- # p8 160 NORTHERN REGIONS. , I 1 ardson and Hepburn cutting wood, when a musket shot was heard, and three Indians came up to the house. The two officers knelt down and returned thanks to heaven for their deliverance, and Adam tried to get up but fell down. The Indians had been sent by Mr. Back, and brought some dried (leers' meat and tongues. Dr. Richardson, Cap- tain Franklin, and Hepburn eat voraciously, and of course suffered dreadfully, and had no rest all night. Adam could not feed himself, and there- fore was better oiF. The Indians gave him small pieces at a time, and would not let him eat too much. One Indian was then dispatched to Mr. Back to request him to send some more food ; and Crooked-foot and the Rat, the two others, re- mained to take care of the party. These kind- creatures never rested till they had made the tra- vellers somewhat comfortable. They buried the dead bodies, cleared the room of the dirt, kept up cheerful fires, and persuaded the traveUers to wash and shave themselves. Their robust forms, which appeared quite gigantic aside of the poor travellers, surprised them as much as the active manner in which they set about every thing. A fresh arrival of food and Indians, completed the happy feelings of our sufferers, and before very long, they had finished their journey to the camp, aided by the tender cares of the Indians, who fed &^: ■ NORTHERN REGIONS. 161 them like children, cooked for them, and pre- pared their encampment. Thus you see, my boys, there are kind hearted savages, as many, many stories will prove. " The reception of this sad party at the Chief's camp was very striking ; they were looked at with compassion, and in solemn silence for a quarter of an hour, as a mark of condolence. Their old friend Akaitcho would not suffer a word to be spoken till they had tasted food. He cooked for them himself, which in general he would have considered as very unbecoming his dignity. The next day every Indian in the tribe came to see them, and to show their pity for what they had suffered. These poor creatures themselves were in great affliction, having lost three of their relations in a rapid. Every morning and evening they sung out the names of their lost relations amid showers of tears. " A very few days brought letters from Mr. Back, as well as from England, by which they had the joy of learning of Captain Parry's safe return, and that they themselves had received pro- motion. Mr. Back, however, had not sent the pre- sents which had been promised to Akaitcho, for his assistance to the expedition, for which Captain Franklin was much vexed. " After taking leave of Akaitcho for a time, p3 i li 162 NORTHERN REGIONS. the party again set forward, and soon reached Fort Providence, where they were once more in a comfortable dwelling. They fell on their knees in gratitude for this blessing. . . ' »: i : " Mr. Back had a sad story to relate, but it shall be a short one, as I see, Charles, your face is quite long with the dismal adventures of the party. r.f' . . . v ,:f * ^>; ■■.^■. " You remember that Mr. Back set off with Solomon Belanger and Beauparlant, to get succour at Fort Enterprize, and send it to the others whom they had left behind. Their journey was of the same melancholy kind as that of the others. In crossing the lake, Belanger fell into the ice two or three times, and was got out by the others fastening their worsted belts together, and drag- ging him up : then, by lighting a fire, they pre- vented his clothes from freezing ; but it was long before he could get warm, though he was so near the flame as to burn his hair : a gun cover and an old pair of shoes provided him with a meal or two. Their arrival at Fort Enterprize, had occa- sioned them the same disappointment as it did the others. Mr. Wentzel had taken away the trunks, and left no guide to direct them where to find the Indians. " According to St. Germain's advice, the party next went into the woods to look for deer. Beau- NORTHERN RroKJ^fiw 163 parlant became very weak, and complained that he could not go on. Mr. Back comforted him, and told him that a few steps further they should find fuel to make a fire. ' Well, take your axe, Mr. Back, and I will follow, I dball be with }*ou when your encampment is made' Tbi* was the answer that the poor fellow made, and the last words he was heard to utter. Mr. Back and St. Germain soon found some deers* beads peeping out of the snow. They had been left there by the wolves, and were without eres or tongn<*«. ' Thank God we are saved,' burst from their lips, and they shock hands for joy. "It got dark, Beauparlant did not come ; they fired guns, and he answerecl the iu^nals. They had not strength to go to him, but Mr. Back hoped that he had lighted himself a Gre, which, with his blanket, would keep him warm through the night. Next morning St. German) went to fetch him, but returned with his bumile only, and his eyes filled with tears. He had Ibmid the poor fellow dead. He was frozen to death. Mr. Back was horror-struck. " Belanger returned from the par^ at the fort, and the melancholy tale of the ifire he had left there, made the interpreter St. Germain shed tears in telling it. " After another interval of long snffenng, the i ! 1 1 i-i i I ii. F i 164 NORTHERN REGIONS. cry of ' footsteps of Indians * was heard from Be- langer, and the sight of an Indian boy with some meat, completed their joy. They joined Akait- cho's camp in the evening, and the good old man was much affected with the story of their sufferings, and instantly dispatched the timely succour to the party at Fort Enterprize, without which they would soon have perished. " As we have seen the two parties safe, little more is to be added. Captain Franklin and Dr. Richardson travelled in carioles to Moose-deer island, where they were joined by Mr. Back, and where, surrounded by kind friends, they regained gradually their health, so that, by the return of spring, they were able to walk. Hepburn, how- ever, was confined to his bed by a rheumatic fever six weeks. In May they embarked for Fort Chi- pey wan, from which place they had the pleasure of sending to Akaitcho and his companions, the stores and presents which had been promised. They were very glad to be able to do this, especi- ally as the leader's mother having died, the tribe had broken every thing in their grief, and were in great distress. At Fort Chipe3rwan Captain Frank- lin sent home the remaining Canadian voyagers ; and« furnished with a canoe and a guide, and ac*- companied by Augustus, arrived at York Factory, after a journey of five thousand five hundred and fifty miles." NORTHERN REGIONS. 165 -i..« PART III. CHAP. I. ' The melancholy sensations caused by the his- tory of Captain Franklin's adventures and suffer- ings were hardly worn off, when Tom and Charles watched a post-chaise drive up the long avenue, and running to the portico, they reached it in time to open the chaise door, for uncle Richard to descend. Charles shook hands with him with un- alloyed delight, while Tom fixed his searching eyes upon him, as much as to say, have you been suffering deprivations and hardships like those we have been hearing of? But imclc Richard looked younger and more cheerful than ever, and soon satisfied even Tom that his adventures had ueen of a very safe and amusing nature. " For, depend upon it, my boys, I have had a merry time of it among those Esquimaux animals, as we call them ; and if I do not make you laugh with my stories of thenif you do not deserve to hear them." The whole family were too well assured of the «*;. « 166 NORTHERN REGIONS.. power uncle Richard possessed to amuse and in- terest them, not to press him to give them the whole narrative of his voyage as he had done be- fore ; and uncle Richard, flattered by their deter- mination to be pleased, was not long in consenting. Tom*s maps had been ready spread upon the study table for several days; and Charles, who had been studying short hand, was provided with a little red book and pencil, to take notes of the most in- teresting parts of his uncle's history. Various sketches which their uncle had made, lay in a port- folio at his elbow, but were not produced before- hand, in order to have their full effect when aided by explanation. "As you took the trouble, my friends, to follow me in my last voyage, I shall skip over the parti- culars of this, which was very similar, merely stating, that we left London in May 1821 ; Cap- tain Parry commanding the Fury, Captain Lyon the Hecla, in which ship I too had the honour to be, and the Nautilus transport accompanying to con- vey our stores. It was more than a month before we saw the first ice-berg, when we old sailors laughed at the young ones, for hastening on deck to look at these huge floating hills of ice. Our scene of action here began. After unloading the Nautilus and taking her goods on board, we de- spatched her back again to old England, with heaps NORTHERN REGIONS. 167 of letters and messages, and saluted her crew with three cheers as they disappi^ared from our view. We had a little diversion on our passage in falling in with a ship carrying some Dutch people who were going to colonize on the Red River. As we got near to them we observed them waltzing on deck, the men in grey jackets, the women in long eared mob caps. With our ships surrounded by ice and the thermometer at freezing point, we could not help laughing at this unseasonable hall; we found on getting up to them they had been a long time upon the voyage, and almost despaired of ever getting to their journey's end. They had done what they could however to make themselves happy; several marriages had taken place, the sur- geon acting as a parson, and the happy couples were always married on fine days, when they could have a dance in the evening. ♦1 " Our voyage was becoming tedious enough, as we had been nineteen days going sixty miles, but as we had no ladies on board, we could not make so merry as our Dutch neighbours ; we had some sport, however, with a huge bear, which we spied lying comfortably on a piece of ice ; he was chased by two boats, and moved quietly to the water : he swam rapidly, but boldly turning his face to his pursuers as long he had any strength, and we had hard work to kill him ; he was a very fat and bulky 168 NORTHERN REGIONS. fellow, of a yellow-white, and very sticky to the tonch ; our seamen partook of the flesh, and liked it pretty well, and a large tub of oil for winter store was procured from it. - . • — — " We were now off Savage Islands, which you may observe are but at the beginning of Hudson's Strait, when we had our first interview for this season with the Esquimaux, which is a general name for all the inhabitants of the most northern parts of North America, and whom you may con- sider as friends, for I shall make vou familiar enough with them, before I have done. A shout, as usual, announced the approach of their canoes, and 'ha,' -ha'a,* resounded loudly through the sliips; five Oomiaks and thirty canoes, were by the side of us in less than an hour, and a merry bar- ter there was betwixt us ; their curiosities being as eagerly demanded by us, and our iron and toys by them. The Oomiaks or luggage boats, which convey the women, were each steered by an okl man with an oar, who seemed to have some kind of authority over the ladies, whom he occasionally kept in order by a box of the ear ; there were some few boys, but the rest weie chiefly women, who at first were shy, but afterwards became noisy enough ; as for the features of the fair sex, I wish I could describe them ; you might indeed see them for ever without discovering the colour of their -l*f> NOKTUERN REGIONS. 169 okl kind mallv were )men, noisv [ wish them their skm, under the coating of bloody grease, and dirt which covers it; their jet black locks, somo* times knotted up, but generally streaming in wild- ness about, added to their frightful and disgusting appearance. * " The old women are so truly hideous with in- flamed eyes, wrinkled skin and black teeth, that I am not at all surprised, that former voyagers reported that they had seen witches on this shore ; I, indeed, would rather compare them to a dressed- up Ourang Outang. I must not forget to tell you^ that after a bargain was concluded, the ce- remony of licking was never omitted, even a razor was drawn over the tongue, as unconcernedly, as if it had been made of ivory ; I cannot describe to you, the confusion and din of this scene of barter ; all so eager to sell, that many went away bereft of almost all their clothes ; in exchange for a nail, L got a spear with an ivory head, and a line and bladder attached to it^ in fact, iron in their eye& is of the same value as gold in ours. - ^ We sQor ^ound that our new friends delighted in dancing, and a fiddler was despatched to the ice to play for them ; jumping and stamping with all their might, was the only figure they attempted, and the fiddler, who was a merry fellow,, soon caught the infeotion, and it, was not long before the whole floe of ice was covered, with officers, St no NORTHERN REGIONS. w ! i H Esquimaux, sailors, and all jumping away. The women savages were amazingly pleased with a rosy young sailor, and patted his face, and danced round him wherever he went. A great joke among these queer people was, to come and give a shout in one of your ears, and at the same moment, a good box on the other, which made the person so assailed, look wondrous silly, to the great amusement of all about. There was no end to the amusement these people afforded us, united with the boisterous mirth of our own crews. ' ''^ ^ " " When all parties were thoroughly tired, and my fellow messmates gone to bed, I took a turn round, to look at the various groupes of our new friends, who were eating their suppers in their boats; lumps of raw flesh of seals, fat, birds, and entrails, formed the delicious meal, and a young girl, whom we had sly led the belle of the party, was biting the inside of a seal into pieces, and distributing it to her neighbours in the boat. ^ '^ Our ships received various other visits from the savages, whilst they remained in the neighbour- hood ; but I do not remember many other striking peculiarities, except, indeed, one which shocked me much. I think I told you, that you might have any thing for a knife ; what do you think of a woman offering me her chUd, a little gtrl of four years of age, in exchange for a knife which I was NORTHERN REGIONS. 171 bartering ? This melancholy fact, shews us how dangerous any uncontrolled passion is, when these untutored beings, at other times so fond of their children, would be ready, for the love of gain, to part with them to strangers. M << In passing Nottingham Islands shortly after we had a stiil more picturesque party to visit us. There was only one boat full, and it was com- manded by a fat old woman, and among her noisy crew lay, at the bottom of her boat, an infant, in sound slumber ; great pains indeed had been taken, to make it comfortable ; its two legs being crammed into a boot, and its mouth was filled with a large lump of whales' blubber, which every now and then, it gave a suck at, in its sleep, whiclr^ was unbroken in spite of many a thump and kick. The young girls in the boat, gave all they received to the old lady coxswain, who deported them in her usual pocket, the mouth; buttons, nails, needles, pins, and beads, all found their way there, and as she never stopped talidng, they soon found their way out, a girl being stationed beside her, to pick up the stray articles. *' Our object now was to leave the usual track of Hudson's Bay, and steering north-west, we soon entered something resembling a deep broad strait, to the north of Southampton Island, and .bounded pn the north by islands, Her^ we ware 82 } 172 NORTHERN REGIONS. again beset and thumped pretty severely by the ice, and again in a few hours an open sea appeared, in the midst of which, unicorns played around us. A shoal of these beautiful fish with their long horns and their glossy backs, spotted like coach dogs, is a striking sight. In vain did I attempt to kill one; but I ascertained its size to be twenty feet long, including its. horn which is five or six. " Was not this a strange world we were living in? human beings dressed in skins, and looking like animals, walking up to our ships across the ice; bears prowling about as if not expecting to meet with disturbance; and hundreds of white -whales close beside us under the rocks ! *'0n the 17th of August we anchored in a large and lovely bay, off a low shingle beach. The country beyond -was rich in arctic vegetation; «uch as mosses, grasses, poppies, and ground wil- low; and our sportsmen shot birds of various and beautiful kinds. " The remains of Esquimaux huts, in the form of lime-kilns, were seen; and a curious building made of the two jaw bones of a whale set upright, and covered with whalebone, to which oiir sailors helped tbemselves plentifully, to maJic brooms for their ships, leaving a boarding-pike in exchai^e, to be 'found by the invisible owners, whenever they should arrive there. -r-'-'. NORTHERN REGIONS. 173 ** We liad now ascertained that we were in the Frozen Strait, discovered by Middleton ; and, after some days sailing, we passed an opening to the south called Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome, and ran into Repulse Bay. Here we went on shore, and found various traces of the Esquimaux ; for these curious people move from place to place just as it suits their convenience for seal hunting; and to raise a town, with them, is hardly the work of more hours than it is of years with us. Circles of stones with which they fasten down their skin tents, broken arrows, knives made of wood, ivory, and slate, models of canoes, and a variety of other articles, shewed that the Esquimaux had not de* serted the establishment very long. " While most oi our people went shooting on the shore, pleased at taking this first walk in North America, I was busied in searching for natural curiosities, and I soon found a complete skeleton of a whale ; it was lying on a little nook in the steep side of a hill, and being much too heavy for the savages to have conveyed, I was puzzled enough to know how it could get there. I found, likewise, two tail-less mice, who w^re such voracious little things, that they rwt only devoured bread, cheese, meat, and grass, but, in a few hours, when I looked into the house into which I bad put them, one of them had half eaten the other up, S3 i I il Ij 1T4 NORTHERN REGIONS. * " We were now satisfied that we were really on tlie coast of America, and therefore we continued coasting Repulse Bay, but were so constantly delayed by the ice, that our progress was little. AVepassed Gore Bay, and came to the entrance ^f a small inlet, which Captain Parry, with ^wo boats provisioned for a week, left us • to explore. He soon met with some natives, three of whom ran by the side of the water till the boats landed. •When Captain Parry went up to them, their salutation was truly ludicrous ; for, with the great- est gravity they stroked their breasts in silence. They led them to tents, which were all unfur- nished, but where they found women and children, and the appearance of all were more prepossessing than any that had been met with ; the absence of the smell of train oil was a great improvement; these pe<^le subsisting chiefly on deer, instead of seals. Some presents of course were made to these people, but nothing charmed them so much as an empty tin canister, which they hugged ' and kissed in rapture. These sober people contrived, however, to steal a pewter jug and two «poons, before the visit was over, but the thief was» soon discovered. I «m sorry to say she wa& a ia;dy, mtd nowise aidiamed at being found «iit,^ for she^lao^hed ^moderately. She l»ad on a pairof imnttense boots, oneof which she pulled off wad ^soM wil- dl- NORTHERN REGIONS. 176 lingly enough, but nothing could induce her to part from the other ; this led to a suspicion, and the things missing were at last discovered, con- cealed in this said boot. " Captain Parry returned to the ships, without finding any outlet, and after nammg this inlet ' Lyon Inlet,* we attempted to move out of it; but the ice still beset us with innumerable floes, and we were forced to anchor in a snug birth, which we named 'Safety Cove.* " We went ashore to walk twice every day, in order to observe the state of the ice, and in one of my walks, I was: much amused with watching an ermine hunt a mouse by its tracts, just as a hound does a fox. In looking for this beautiful little creature among the snow, after he was killed, I 'fxitually trod upon him, so pure a white was his body, and his black tail being hid under the snow. ^^'' After waiting for many a day, it was decided Uiat^as no more summer would appear this year, w« iiiust'pass tlie winter in this spot, and there- fore every preparation was made, similar to what had been done before, both for the safety of the ships, and the comfort of the men. Before we lefl £ngland, xt large subscription had been raised for*pai^chasing theatrical dodiing, .asid pky^l^ls were soon made out, every officer, cheerfully put- 1 176 NORTHERN REGIONS. ting his name down, and those who were fixed upon to perform the parts of ladies, generously cut off the beard and whiskers they had saved to protect them from the cold ; our theatre was large, our dresses were good, and we began with the play of the " Rivals," which was performed with brilliant success, and unbounded applause. " We had little amusement now, but what the few animals we could find afforded us ; of these, foxes were the most numerous ; many had been caught, some killed, and some kept by the ships as pets. The Arctic fox is smaller than those in England, and being covered with white woolly hair, resembles a shock dog ; its eyes are bright, and its look cunning, and it is impossible to ap- proach it unawares, for it wakes in a moment from the soundest sleep. These suspicious little fellows, never enjoy their food, unless they can first hide it, which they generally do by heaping snow over it, pressed down with their nose ; mine, which I kept up, and delighted to watch, I frequently observed to coil his chain round and round the meat, when there was no snow within reach ; and as the chain of course unrolled itself, every time he left the spot, hv'^ would patiently coil it over and over again, till at last was forced to eat his meat, without having been able to hide it first. " Our first Christmas day was a most cheery one; NORTHEftV ftCeiOHS. 177 after divine service on board the Fury, we had good roast beef dinntrs, with cmnberry pies and puddings of every skispe, with a full allowance of spirits, and our crew, not retr sober, forced every officer to go in turn, out upon the lower deck, and have his health drank in three cheers. The next day we had a fiunons bofl, and a merry fel- low personated an old cake woman, with lumps of frozen snow in a bucket, and his cakes were in such request, that be was obl%cd often to supply his bucket ; our mirth however was stopped, by a report of a bear being teen on the ice between the ships, and arms were prepared, bat old bruin appeared not. ^^ The new year, 1822, was now ushered in, and -found us all in good health, and in excellent spi- rits; nothing had eontribiited more to this last circumstance than the «c1im^ in which the men had taught and beentai^f^; there was not a man now on board, who coald not read and write, and, on Christmas day, sixteen eopiea were sent to our Captain, written by men, wlio^ two months be- 'fore, had scarcely known thdr letters. There was something very pleasing, in the interest our honest tars took in learning, and these copies were sent up, with the pride c^f a good little school- boyi rather than that of a stoot and able sailor. ^'Tou will remember, diat I described to you Ml '^ 1?8 NORTHERN REGIONS. in my last history, the effect of the sun's total absence from the earth: that it was far from gloomy. We were in a very different latitude here ; we never entirely lost the sun, although it shone with diminished brightness, which would have been rather painful to the eyes, if it had not been for the bluish colour, which always accompanies the light of the sun in frosty weather. The nights wiire very beautiful, the moon and stars shining most brilliantly in the clear sky; the aurora borealis delighted me more than ever ; its first appearance resembles a shower cf fallen stars, such as a rocket emits, which come trickling down the sky : the sudden light bursting upon one, makes one fancy one hears a noise, but after much observation, I am still inclined to think it merely fancy. One dark and calm night, I stood upon the ice till mid- night, watching this beautiful phenomena; it be- gan in an arch, which spread from east to west : it lasted a quarter of an hour, when a storm arising, the arch became agitated, then shot forth into rays and streamers, and spread over all the heavens, flying with the rapidity of lightning, and giving an ai** of magic to the whole scene* No wonder the poor untutored Indians imagine the spirits of their fathers are riding in the storm. " For two or three days about this time, the tracts of a little animal had been seen about the 5Uii*8 total 5 far from nt latitude although it would have id not been ccompanies Tlie nights tars shining ora borealis appearance 1 as a rocket tie sky: the es one fancy servation, I . One dark ce till mid- nena; it be- jast to west : ,en a storm in shot forth rer all the ;htning, and scene* No imagine the le storm, lis time, the ;n about the MiMJc/ .■lfn/.j'*ifi:Al>y j'l'.inv.S'J'.wLi I'lhirrfi Krr,/ ,-.'l^"','-^_,^&.. wm <•*! ;f ■ • ■ *\ iViK .0^ I can assure you,. Charles, you feel as I did ; I was quite impatient till the next day's visit, for I took it into my head we should discover more ' character and ingenuity among these sama^ - mendngof my arm, was not very trifliiij', and sh on to ib- |ifi« id NORTHERN REGIONS. 189 therefore the Esquimaux ladies may be said to pay dear for their ornaments, which look like Hght bkie lines upon their skin. With this paint\il ornament their whole bodies are covered over. " We found our new acquaintance in every hut good-humourel and merry; and their perfect honesty delighted us ; they would not even call a bead their own till they had asked permission to do so. I was determined, in fact, to put their honesty to the proof, and I left behind me in Kettle's hut all the valuables I had brought with me either for barter or for presents; knives, scis- sars, looking-glasses, and all. I left a number of savages behind me, and yet when I returned, not an article was missing, they had all been care- fully covered up. Most of them, indeed, aftei' the merest trifle had been given them, such as a reedJt: or a button, would return soon after to offer a pair of mittens or a skin, or something which they thought would be valuable in return. " I must not forget th-^ dogs-, which are so im- portant a part of an Esquimaux establishment ; while young they are taken great care of, and we saw, during our visit this day, many litters, with their mothers lying on the beds of their masters ; but the full-grown ones were in a starving state, as, in consequence of the great eating powers of their masters, there is little food left for them. 190 NORTHERN REGIONS'. Fortunately for us, hunger had a contrary effect on them to what it has on dogs in general, and these terrific animals were particularly^ gentle and tame. The Esquimaux prevent them from run« ning any great distance by fastening the fore-leg to the neck, so that if they attempt to run they falL . This is a very necessary precaution^ as their enemies, the wolves, are always at hand to attack them. <^ ** And noW) having introduced you to the ha- bitations of my new friends, 1 shall describe to you their persons^ m which I may be assisted, perhaps, by this little drawing. All notions of admiration will, I am aware, be destroyed in u moment. They are a. little racCf most of them being shorter than tlie smallest man of our ac- quaintance in England : the men look robust^ but their bodies are slender and their necks thin and shrivelled; they are upright, though with their feet turned a little inwards, and legs bowed^ Strange to say^ brought up as the)' are with hardy habits, and with such extraordinary appetites, they were not so strong as our own seamen, whom we often set to carry wei^ts which the Esquimaux could scarcely lift. They can wrestle, but they can neither run nor jump; nor do they bear cold with the indifference I should expect in persons all their lives accustomed to it. The men are NORTHERN REGIONS. 191 seldom fat ; the women, who lead very sedentary lives, are frequently much bloated. The skin of both men and women is very smooth, from being always oily, end, when washed, is not much darker tlian that of a Portuguese. The women and children are often rosy, but the men are very sal- low. Their, faces are very peculiar — the shape varies, being sometimes oval and sometimes round, with very high cheek bones, in which case the nose is buried between them, so that you might put your hand over both cheeks and not touch the nose. Some of them !iad high Roman noses, but the eye was the same in every one — the inner corner turns down, as in the Chinese, and- they are small and black, expressive when animated, and very beautiful in with us denotes old age, is seen even in vjvti b >n, and old people are covered with wrinkles mofyt •'^oundantly, from their forehead all down their faces. The mouth is kept open with a kind of Mcotic oiare, and are large, but not ugly; their teeth ar^ like round ivory pegs^ very flat at the end; and^ their chins small and piotnted, never '^^oming:wkat we call a* double chin. Their hair ill 192 NORTHERN REGIONS. b coal-black, coarse, and straight, and the men have very little beard. *^ Thus much for the general appearance of this people. This was the winter dress of my old friend Kettle — a deer-skin outer coat, with a large hood. This hood was ornamented with white fur from the thighs of the deer. The front of this coat was cut off at the bottom of the waist, and formed in'o a skirt behind, which nearly reached the grou; A fringe of little stripes of skin ornamented the bottom of this skirt When it was windy, he use to tie a piece of cord or skin round the waist of his coat ; at other times it hung loose. Within this dress was another of exactly the same shape, only the inner one was trimmed with beads instead of strips of leather. This inner dress was thinner than the other, and served as a shirt and an inn-door dress, with the hairy part worn next the body. '* Besides these two coats, he bad a large deer- skin cut open, with sleeves, by way of cloak ; but he seldom wore this, but kept it chiefly for a blan- ket. His deer-skin trowsers had no other fasten- ing round the waist than the string, which was tied very tight, and they were ornamented in the same gay manner as his coat. Two pair are like- wise worn of these, and my firiend's upper ones leer- but )lan* iten- was the llike- ones NORTHERN REGIONS. 193 were made out of the deer's legs in tasty stripes. They never make these trowsers to reach lower than Oie knee-cap ; and, though they suffer dread- fully in cold weather, and are frequently frost- bitten in that part, yet they will not add an inch to the length of their trowsers. *^ His boots reached up to his trowsers, which just covered the tops. He wore two pair, both made of deer-skin, one with the hair next the leg, the other with the hair outside. Between the boots he had a pair of slippers, and over all a strong seaPs-skin shoe, reaching up to the ancle, and fastened by a drawing string. In summer, when the ground is damp, he wears a pair of seal's-skiii boots, prepared without the hair : and so neatly sewed that no water can pass through. " Old Kettle had mittens made of every kind of skin, worn with the hair inside, and when dry, nothing could be more comfortable ; but, if once these mittens are frozen or wet, a case of ice would protect the hands just as well. " This was his winter dress complete. He after- wards shewed me that which he wore in summer, which was quite gay and tasty, being entirely made of the skins of ducks, with the feathers in- side. Indeed, it was a very comfortable light dress, and, as he assured me, easily prepared. You will be amused to hear, that when first we 8 194 NORTHERN REGIONS. were acquainted with these Esquimaux, the few ornaments they had were worn by the men. Ban- deaus of different coloured leather, platted in a pattern, and often with black locks of hair woven ill, so as to contrast with the white leather, were worn round the heads of the men ; a fringe of fox's teeth hung down from this over the forehead; and, in different parts of their hair, where our English fine ladies would place an ornamented comb or a pearl sprig, an Elsquimaux coxcomb would stick a musk-ox tooth, a small ivory figure, or the bone of some small animal. " llie Esquimaux ladies of my acquaintance were clothed in the same materials as the men, although the shape of every part of the di'ess was different. Their two jackets are much the same, except that they have also a short skirt in front as well as one behind ; and the hoods, which are im- mense, serve the double purpose of a covering to the head and a cradle for the child, not only while it is two or three months old, but until it has arrived at the age of two or three years. This hood Is called an *amaoota.' • " They wear a band round their waist, which are both ornamental and useful, being made of some rare trinkets, such as fox's bones, or the ears of deer, twenty or thirty' pairs of which sometimes hang round them, as mementos of the skill of NORTHERN REGIONS. 195 «ome renowned hunter to whom they are related. The ladies have trowsers similar to the men, ex- cept that they are made of white fur before, and black behind, and are never striped. They are tied round the body by strings, which are left very long, and which hang down ornamented with a pendent jewel, such as a small ball of wood, a stone with a hole ini or a musk-ox tooth! " The women's boots are truly ludicrous, and make them walk like a fat duck : you will scarcely believe them to be as large as those in my draw- ing. In fact, they resemble sacks made of skin, and the bulky part being near the knee adds to the peculiar effect they give to the figures of the ladies. The upper end is formed like a pointed flap, which is fastened by a button to the band which secures the trowsers. Two pair of these Capacious boots are worn, besides a pair of seal- skin shoes, and they are, I can assure you, orna- mented at least with some attention to taste. " As for children, they have no clothing till they are two or three years old ; when they are taken out of their mother's hoods, and stuffed into a fawn-skin jacket and trowsers opening be- hind, and by a string or two closed up again. A cap is always worn by a child, and the fantastical taste of the parents here displays itself; the skin s2 1 1" 196 NORTHERN REGIONS. of a fawn's head with the ears perfect, is a favou- rite kind of cap for children, and, as the holes for the mouth and eyes go across the top of the child's head, of course the little urchin, when you do not see its face, looks like the animal itself. " With regard to the hair, both men and wo* men have a great partiality to the side locks, which hang down sometimes to the length of two feet. The front locks are generally cut straight- arross the forehead, but those who keep all their hair long, tie it up in a bunch at the top of the forehead, from whence it hangs loosely down. The women always divide their hair into two par- cels down the middle, and arrange it on each side into two huge pigtails, and this is fastened round a bone f tiffner, by strips of skin'with the fur on, and forms a pretty spiral pattern ; the bottom of the lock is finished by a rose of hair. <' As the men only hunt and kill the animals, the women not only make all the dresses, but they prepare the materials, and while sitting at work, their feet are bent under their thighs. The wife scrapes and dries her husband's boots when he comes in, and if his mittins are stiff, she and the girls chew them till they are soft. In preparing deer skins, after licking the fat and oil off, they scrape and dry, then chew, rub, and scour them with sa^id; a second rubbing while dampv giv^^ KORTHERN REGIONS. l9T them the appearance of shamoy leather. A ce- ment of seals' blood, whitish clay, and dogs* hair, enables them to form their pots of stone ; they likewise make the whalebone pots." CHAP. III. ** After this minute account of the dress and appearance of the Esquimaux, you will be able to fancy yourselves with me in my visits to the huts, which were almost daily, as I found some- thing to amuse me, at least, in the novelty of all i saw. " My next visit happened to be just after they had caught some seals ; and blood, bones, blubber, and flesh, were strewed about; the lamps were all lighted, the women were cooking mixtures of blood, meat, and entrails. I entered Kettle's hut, and saw there two women sitting, enjoying themselves over a large pot of boiled seal's blood and oil, which they sipped with as much delight as your mamma would sip her tea. After this deli- cate meal was finished, the younger lady licked her fingers clean, then, scraping the spots of oil from her jacket and boots with a knife, she clean- ed that also with the same useful inplement, her tongue. The elder lady rather ux^k a furide in s 3 198 NORTHERN REGIONS. hi! the blood which covered her, and wondered at the folly of her companion in taking such useless trouble. " In passing one of the huts, I observed the entrance half blocked up by snow, and looking in, I saw a poor idiot boy who had been left by his parents while they went to the ships. He was about five years old, and was busy devouring the contents of the lamp, the oil, moss, and blubber, which he was eating, being varied by a bite now and then off a very dirty lump of snow; while I was looking at him he was seized with a fit, and, before we could break down the snow door to get in to him, he had forced himself out of his pelt blanket, and was lying on the floor. The fit was a severe one, but he gradually got better, and. the neighbours who were present, seemed to laugh at the whole affair, and contented themselves with saying that the child had eaten too much. i " When I returned from this visit, I was ac* companied by Ay-o*^kitt, a young man who was become a great favourite with me. He paid me a long visit in the cabin, and I set some food before him, insisting that he should use a knife and fork as we do, wipe his mouth before drink* ing, and not put a piece larger tlian an orange in at once, the natives in general cramming their mouths, till they can no longer breathe. I aftei«- NORTHERN REGIONS. 199 ac*- me life Ink- in leir wards made him wash his hands and face, when I saw him cast very longing eyes at my nice piece of yellow soap, which I at last gave to him, and he devoured it in a moment " The wolves continued to torment us most terri- bly : I had purchased a couple of Esquimaux dogs, but the snow house which I had built for them was no security ; they were carried off in the night by the wolves, after defending themselves bravely, for the very ceiling of the hut was sprinkled with their blood and hair. On the alarm being given, we saw a wolf cantering off with tlie dead dog in his mouth, clear of the ground, although the dog was full as large as the wolf. I fired, and the animal was obliged to let go his prey; but when I went witli two other men to fetch the body of the dog, we observed the whole pack of twelve wolves spying us through the gloom, and sideling along us as we returned to the ships. In fact, not a night passed without some depredations by these animals. ** We set a trap similar to what the natives use* in order to try to get rid of our troublesome neighbours. The trap was composed of strong slabs of ice, long and narrow, and was just large enou^ to hold the wolf without his being able to stivin. it: the door let down. by shdes, and was kept up by a string, which passed along tlie top 200 NORTHERN REC^IONS. of the trap, and then was let down through a hoL? in the end. At the bottom of the string wai? a whalebone hoop, on which was fixed the flesh bait. Tlie hoop was slightly hooked to a wooden peg, which was fixed to the opposite end of the trap, and when the bait was touched, the hoop went up, and the door fell down. " One evening a wolf was taken in the trap, and three balls were fired at him while he was confined in it. After tying his hind legs we drag- ged him out tail first, by a rope ; this rope he bit through in a minute, flew at Mr. Richards who was the nearest to him, whose arm he bit, after seizing his knee and being thrown off. And now, my boys, observe the advantage of presence of mind. . " Mr. Richards, instead of being overcome by terror, grasped the animal's throat and flung him back, at the same time retreating a step or two himself. " The wolf gladly took the opportunity of es- caping, having done no more harm than tearing Mr. Richards' clothes and slightly hurting his arm. If Mr. Richards had been less brave, or if he had not chanced to be a strong and powerfbl man, he would have been killed. The enemy, however, was found frozen to death the next morning ; a raven who had picked out one of its NORTHCBV SKGIONS. 201 eyes, hovering over its carcase^ was the first to attract our attention to it. ( *' We soon discovered that the Esquimaux are very improvident, as, notwithstanding they had lately caught so manj seals they were now in a ♦ state of starvation. Three dogs were killed and eaten, and they had nothing left to eat but bits of skin ; of course we giadly sent them a supply of bread-dust and cil, far which they were very grateful at the time. " As the little band of savages were all related to one another, it puzzled them to think how it was that we were not sou I, therefore, to save trouble, called myself the father of the * Kabloo* na,' which is their name for white people. But Mr. Kettle, who was the niost inquisitive of the party, found out that many of my children were older than myself and was not quite satisfied with my story. " On the 14th of February it was too cold for any of us to leave the shipi^ but we received a friendly visit from our neighbours. We set them to play at a game at leq> fro^ which was quite new to them, and the yoong men made most awkward attempts at jnmping^ and often pitched upon their heads. Tbc^r bore the laugh and the pain very good-humooredfy, and generally re- turned to the game witboot Being disheartened* 202 NORTHERN REGIONS. A winch, by which utie man could draw towards him ten other men who held by a rope, afforded great amusement. " Kettle was too old to join in these diversions, but he and the other old men laughed till the tears ran down their cheeks As they were only men who had visited us to day, we sent the ladies some pi'esents of candle ends by their husbands, and Kettle took home a choice cut of dog's flesh for my mother, which he carried in the inside of his inner boot, next to the dirty calf of his leg. For all these presents we got much thanked when we went to the huts. We amused ourselves by painting two of their faces with red and white co- lours, and they went home delighted, saying, their wives would not know them, but would take them for * Kabloona' ladies. (There is a compliment for you, Louisa.) To make them stand still, to be so adorned, we were obliged to treat them in turns to a bite of a candle end, till our candles and our colours were exhausted. " ^e returned this visit in a day or two, and were pleased to find them in the midst of plenty. The seal hunters had caught an abundance : heaps of savoury fare, blood, blubber, and entrails were lying in every hut, and even the dogs were enjoy- ing themselves, as they went from one child to another, licking the blood and greese from their NORTHERN REGIONS. 203 chins and cheeks. The women sat cooking, and sucking their fingers ; tlie men lounging about ; and while the messes were preraring, the chil- dren tore such parts of the entrails iis were not too tough for their young teeth, and when they met with any very hard parts, they gave it to their mothers, who soon chewed it into a proper state for their young ones." Louisa. " This account is a very disgusting one, uncle : I am not at all of Charles* opinion that your j*efusing the offer of a child is a matter of regret. I should not much fancy any little urchin making such meals here." " I owii, my dear Louisa, the sight was disgust- ing enough, but as I am giving you a full and true account of the habits of a set ojf people with whom I associated for several months, you must excuse me if I offend your delicacy, in order to gratify your desire of information. " These little beings know not the comfort of cleanliness, they have not a notion of it ; the only way their hands for instance are cleaned, is by putting iheir clos'^d fist into the mcuth of their mother. " I was invited to eat a fine piece of half-boiled seals-fiesh, from which the old lady first licked the gravy and dirt, and bit it all round to try which was the tenderest p&rt. I refused, you may be sure. ig04 NORTHERN REGIONS. Louisa, and pressed the old dame to eat it her- self, which she very soon did to our great amuse- ment, pretending to make wiy faces all the while. ** I found tliat the women do not eat with the men, biU have the privilege of licking the gravy from the meat before they present it to their lords, who often stuff till they are stupified. They have no knives or forks, or plates, you know, so I will tell you how they manage : they sit round, and a lump is given to the nearest person ; he sucks it all round, crams his mouth as full as he can, and cuts it off close to his lips, to their great danger as well as his nose. The meat then passes to the next person, who does the same, till the lump is done. The meal contmues a long time, each per- son swallowing several pounds. The pots are often filled again, during which time the party suck their fingers, ''.r enjoy a little raw blubber. At the end of the dinner, the rich soup in the pot is handed round, each taking a sip in their turn till it is empty, when the good woman of the house licks it clean and prepares to make her own mess. The meal being finished, every one scrapes the grease from his face to his mouth, and then licks clean his fingers. " In one of the huts, a little fellow of four years old amused me much. I have described to you the dress which disfigure the children ; and this ^ NORTHERN REGIONS. 205 [ears I you was the ugliest boy of his tribe. His dirty face, shaded by locks of tangled black hair, almost pre- vented him from seeing ; but he first of all chal- lenged me to dance, and began singing and beat- ing his drum and capering away. He then sat solemnly still while I danced. When I was quite tired, he took my book and pencil, and walked round to every one, gravely asking them their names and pretending to write them down, as he had seen me do. His drum was made of whale- bone, with a thin skin drawn over it on one side, and sounded like a bad tambourine. " The next Sunday the natives all came to see us go to church on board the Fury ; and, having only seen us in our grey jackets, their admiration was truly great, and, indeed, they hardly knew us again in our full-dress. The la(' ^ all danced and shouted as the marines, in their red coats, passed. "I was favoured with a visit from Togorlat and her mother, Il-yoo-mia, who brought me these little Esquimaux dolls, which I give to you, Louisa, and can assure you they are very well dressed, and will give you a better idea of the person and clothing of an Esquimaux female than my long description. Togorlat tattoed another pattern upon my arm, while her old mother undertook to do the same upon Mr. Bird. His repeated * Ohs' T I 206 NORTHERN REGIONS. drew my attentioti, and I found that the old woman was talking and stitching away rs if upon nn old sho*^, and that, moreover, she was so blind, that all the lines she made were crooked. " Okootook, and his wife Iligliak, next came to see me, with their ugly stupid looking little boy, who surprised me, however, by imitating the tones of a variety of animals and birds. Young ducks quack- ing again, in reply to the distant quack of their mother — every sound, from the hum of the fly to tlic growl of a bear, was mimicked by him. " It was on the same day that an iron bolt and tin funnel were missing from the Hecla, and the Esquimaux all charged my friend, old Kettle, with L?ing the thief. I was so pleased with Ayo- kitt, who sat in my room drawing men and boats, that I invited him to stay and sleep on board, to which he willingly consented. " After washing his face and hands, we made him draw a chair and join our evening circle round the fire. He even drank some coffee with us, and eat some gingerbread, but he did it as if it were medicine he felt obliged to take. I taught him to snuff the candles and stir the fire, and then we ^yliooked at pictures together. He was much sur- prised when I shewed him drawings of horses, he having seen no such animals, ai» " As the natives had now been some time with- out catching any seals or. walruses, great distress again prevailed amongst them, and a report reached us that they were moving their station. I ran to the huts ; and, true, I found them broken and deserted, except by a few old women and one old man, who was sitting alone without food or furniture : all was carried away. ^ " On my return to the ships, I found five old women who had come down for food, dancing away on deck, as if they were the happiest crea^ tures in the world, kicking their legs as high as their heads, making faces, and screaming with all their might. They had eaten a pailful of bread- dust, and forgot in their own merriment, the starv- ing condition of those in the huts, for whom they Jikewise had had food given them. NORTHERN REGiONS. 211 .," Two large walruses were soon caught, and many families returned to the huts to gormandize. One man had eaten until he was quite drunk, and was dozing with his mouth open. His tender wife, Arnalooa, sat by the cooking pot, and every now and then awakened her husband, cramming his mouth full of half-boiled flesh, which she stuffed in with her finger, and then cut it off the lump close to his lips. The blood and fat stream- ing about him, made him look truly disgusting. " They now pretended to despise the bread and oil with which we so kindly supplied them, when, by their excessive gluttony, they had brought oa a famine, and this discovery of their ingratitude, added to their many thefts, prevented us from re- gretting their change of abode, particularly as their visits would have been very troublesome to our ships as spring approached, and when we were obliged to be more actively employed. " Their final departure now took place ; their sledges were packed up a yard high with furni- ture and skins, tin pots, bottles, and jars hanging dangling all around the pile, while knives, forks, and other little things filled up the spaces. The very little children mufHed in skins, were packed up like bundles at the very top. The transparent windows of ice were carried with them. Even the dogs seemed to know they were 812 NORTHERN REGIONS^. about to begin a long journey, for they howled piteously. The signal was given, the sledges shot down the hill, one man taking care of eacli sledge, and the others walking witli the women. We accompanied the party for a couple of miles, all in great glee ; but one party was ridiculously sad. They all declared they should never see us again, unless indeed there should be a famine^ and then we might be sure to see them. . 'h " They indeed kept their word, and I will des- cribe to you what a kind of day it was tliat they spent on the ships when they did come one after the other. They would stuiF as if they had not eaten for a month, then they would lay down and sleep fop two or three hours, then stuff again, and then sleep, and so on for several times, and when one ship was tired of supplying them, they would go a*-begging to another. * j '* To our great delight, a general thaw now took place, the hills looked speckled, and the birds returned. Such was our joy at again seeing diese harbingers of spring, that we counted them as they came. I wished much to bring home a saow bunting, the plumage of which is beautiful ; their wings are jetty black, and on their breast h a cream-coloured mark in the shape of a horse- shoe, which contrasts most beautifully with th^. snowy whiteness of their body. Their heads and NORTHERN REGIONS. 213 necks were delicately tinged with pink, from the buds of the saxifrage which they eat ; and these lovely creatures are as tame as a robin, and very nice to eat, although we could scarcely find in our hearts to kill them. " In consequence of this encouragement from the more open state of thfj weather, we again set forth for a land-exploring journey, the particulai's of which will not interest you, though it served to give us some idea of the month of May in the arctic regions. " The object of this little tour was to discover to what point the ships might sail without tlie delay of coasting in order to explore inlets, and so far it answered the purpose. Nothing could be more flat and uninteresting than the country : no vegetation gladdened our eyes, which were afflicted with snow-blindness; while the partial thaw, though it did not supply us with water, made us perpetually slipping in as we walked, and kept us in a damp and dripping state when under shelter of our tents. We saw no birds, but plenty of deer, though they were thin ones. ** We found, on our return to the ships, that our companions were grieving for the loss of James Fringlo; ?» seaman who had died during our al> sence. His grave had l^een dug near the observa* 214 NORTHERN REGIONS. tory, and we buried him next day, and fired a volley over his body. ** I was greeted by a straggliiig Esquimaux, who had not yet followed his party, with a * vtrj well, I taank yoi'.* accompanied by a dand\ bow, which he had been taught to make at the ships ; and, when 1 told him we had seen deer, he determined to take his wife, and another family who still haunted the ships, in search of thenL They were wretchedly poor. Captain Parrj^ gave them a bone sledge, on which they placed their loads, one dog and a bandy-legged little puppy being all they had to drag it. They thought the journey they were about to begin might take tliem forty days, and yet, without a morsel of food be- sides a little bread and a few candle-ends, tliey set off in as high -spirits as if in a land of plenty. When they took leave of us. Captain Parry pre- sented each man with a boarding-pike, and Captain Lyon with a hatchet ; while a poor woman who was divorced from her husband, and had no one to rejoice for, stood with the tears in her eyes, not even begging for any thing for herself. Captain Lyon gave her a knife, and made her completely happy by telling her, that as soon as she brought her hus- band with her, he too should have an ay.e. " We soon had plenty of new visitors In the tbe NORTUEESr KEGIONS. 215 shape of birds : the gnm^ at first were white; but the raven, strange to my " On this spot we painted tae ships* names ; and, after shooting and roasting a few buntings for supper, we each took a piece of yackee, or Esqui- maux stone, and thus ended our rural and cold fete.** -^"^ Charles. " Before you leave the island, pray tell me, uncle, had you not some gardens this time as before?*' " Indeed, Charles, we had a hot-bed covered with glass for each ship, and this garden was a favourite lounge, and products ! us, besides mus- tard and cress, peas, two inches high, and radishes as thick &3 a thread ! Captain Parry*s stoves, too, were very productive in mustard and cress." NORTHERN REGIONS. 217 F I. ' CHAP. IV. !|i )ray time .:^ ** Thus passed our first winter ; and you will remark, that though our knowledge of the natives was much increased, yet we had not made much progress in discovery. For two hundred and sixty-seven days, which is nearly three quarters of the year, we had been frozen in y but at length we sailed forth, and were well pleased to be once more proceeding in a northerly direction. <^ As we advanced, the tides became tempestu- ous, and threatened the Hecla, whose only way of escaping was to shelter herself behind a fender of ice. The floes of ice were at length, however, driven against her with such force, that a weaker vessel must have been knocked to pieces. We got through it, however, and contiiiued coasting it at a slow rate, the Fury being before us, until we were stopped by the ice. Landing for a short time, therefore, we were gratified by a sight of a fine cataract and some magnificent scenery, such as we had never before witnessed in these regions. ** While we were still stationary, we had a re- gular battle with some walruses, a herd of which lay facing us with open mouths on the ice. u I I I' V i ' 218 NORTHERN REGIONS. * " A male and female, and their cub, were apart from the rest. We wounded the old ones, who, after a desperate resistance, were killed, and taken alongside our boat. The cub had kept close to them all along, getting first on the back of one ^nd then of the other, and its presence made them more fierce in their defence. " At length, from the crow's nest, we discovered Esquimaux tents, in the very spot laid down for our guide by Iligliak. We went in our boats to visit them, and now knew enough of their lan- guage to answer their questions of * Where do you come from ?* * What do you want ?* " They were all related to our friends at Win- ter Island ; and, therefore, after the first shyness was worn off, they were delighted to hear news of them, and we each of us had soon an attentive au- dience in each tent, to whom we told all we knew. Some of the old itien carried a spear made of a single piece of ivory of an unicoiTi's horn. << This band of Esquimaux live in tents covered with walrus' skins, and not in snow-houses, like their relations. Tliey appeared very poor and miserable, their dirty deer-skins sicarcely affording them sufficient covering to kee^ them warm at night. They were well behaved ; and, when we entered their tents, thanked us, and begged us to sit down on their deer-skinr^* '^f NORTHERN REGIONS. 219 " Of their hospitality we had most convincing proofs, for when we left them to return to the ships, we launched our boat in a thick fog ; and, after being beaten about by the ice for some hours, we were obliged to save it as well as ourselves by dragging it back to the beach. Here the natives met us in spite of the inclement weather, and got our boat up the steep shingle bank. As we could not stay by her, we were obliged to trust to the honesty of the Esquimaux. After making them a long speech, which I dare say they did not under- stand, about some tin pots which we would give them if they let the boat alone, an old man seemed tc make thr;m an oration, and then they all followed us without touching the boat, although it contained so tempting a store of wood and iron. " They then led us to their tents, took off our wet garments, and clothed us in their own furs, which they stripped off their backs. " Tlie women came and volunteered a dance for our amusement, to which they added various grimaces and cries, which they called singing. We then tried to sing them some noisy chorusses, but our teeth chattered with cold. The women^ perceiving how cold we were, tucked us up under our deer-skins, over which they spread boots, mittens, and raw duck-skins, whik the men stop- u2 I. I i 1 ii' 1 ■• i .^^ii^.feWV^Ll«.& 4 230 KORTHERN REGIONS. ped Up all the holes in the tent with bunches of feathers. *' With these kind and hospitable attentions we soon got warm, and enjoyed a comfortable night's rest, for which we the next day repaid our friends, by making them presents o£ every thing which we had in our possession. " We took leave of the Elsquimaux; and, not- withstanding the fog, reached the ships in safety, but we found them still beset with ice. " On my next visit to Igloolik, I visited their winter huts, which are curiously constructed of the bones of the whale, walrus, and unicorn, filled up with moss and earth. They were domed at top, and most filtliy inside, and all around the outside lay skeletons of animals mingled with human heads. Here I shot a snowy owl, which is a rare and beautiful bird : it is considered as being of a species between an eagle and an owl, anc)} like owls in general, it sees as well by day as by night. '' To see a little of the country, as well as to improve my acquaintance with these good-hu- moured Esquimaux, I determined upon going a few days' journey with Toole-mak, the old man whom Captain Parry had commissioned to pro- cure a supply of fish for the ships. ** We set off, with four men accompanyuig us w NORTHERN REGIONS. 221 in one sledge, and three boys in another, and a team of eleven dogs. We left the island of Iglooliky and travelled along the ice, and passed a luimber of red grroiite islands, bold and barren to view, but we sooii found the holes in the ice difficult to pass. ** Dunn, the old man, and myself, walked to an island to look about us, and found that there was water instead of ice a little way further, and that we could not proceed except with a boat. As we could not, therefore, reach the fishing- place, we spent a night on one of these rocky islands, and I was obliged to distribute our four days' supply of food among the whole party that night, for the Esquimaux, ever improvident, had brought none with them. The next morning we saw a groupe <^ thirty islands, which I named the Coxe Groupe. Dunn caught us a deer, by the usual stratagem among the natives. He hid him** self behind a stone, and imitated the singular cry of a deer, which soon attracted one of these sim- ple animals^ and he came near enough to allow himself to be shot. We all sat squat upon a skin, and enjoyed an excellent meal in the Esquimaux fashion ; and^ I can assure you, so well were the bones p'^ked, that not even tiie dogs would gnaw at tl m a second time. You must remember, Louisl: that dus was the first Indian meal. I had u3 I .'I If H 222 NORTHERN RliGIONS. ever been present at, and my first feeling was of disgust at the raw repast. I determined to be a spectator only, and to confine myself to eating a little preserved meat which I had saved from the last night's supper ; but I was tempted' to try a part of the spine, and found it, indeed, excellent ; and, if I were often situated in a similar manner, I know not if I should not even relish, as a dainty> raw venison." Charles. ^' And how did you like their mode of travelling, uncle—drawn by dogs ?" ^^ You would have been delighted to have been with us, Charles ; their sagacity was beyond every- thing. An old dog was placed at the head of the team as guide, and no well-trained soldier could obey better the word of command. As for beat- ing, it was out of the question; for, however tired, the cry of a seal or bear "vas enough to set them ofi* full gallop across the ice. It was a fine sight to see us racing away all in full cry, as if dashing along in spite of wind and water. Sometimes one of our dogs would get entangled and tossed over, when our driver would jump from his seat in front, and nimbly arrange all, and set off again. As for harness or reins, the long-lashed whip and the hollow tones of our driver answered the purpose well enough; and the. dogs would have gooe orderly enough through any difficult pass, if their NORTHERN REGIONS. 223 {09e constant biting and fighting had not somewhat interrupted them. The noises the men made, which are scarcely more musical than the growls of the dogs, formed a most stunning concert. *' Our reception from Ooyarra, the fisherman, was truly hospitable, while his wives and parents assisted in taking my wet clothes off and drying and mending my boots. I wrapped myself up in my blanket bag and hoped for a little sleep ; but, no, one native after another came in, and all were too curious to know how I could have got into my bag, to allow me much repose. They all thought I had sewed myself up in it. " I learnt the following day a new way of making fires of blubber and bones. The woman who is about to cook the dinner chews a piece of blubber, and then spits the oil from her mouth upon the fire to keep it burning. f* A number of strange customs excited my curiosity, and you will scarcely believe the story I am going to tell you. I was dozing in my tent about the middle of the day, when a native came and led me by the hand, desiring Dunn to follow us to a ball. We eixtered a tent, where a number of women, ranged according to their ages, sat round the room in solemn silence. It was an ^Esquimaux ball ; the dancers were two men, who advanced to the middle of the tent, near the pole I I «■ 224 NORTHERN REGIONS. of it The principal dancer moved slowly to the favourite tune of Am-naarya-a-ya, and when a little tired, walked up gravely to the second man, who was the assistant, and holding his head be- tween his hands, rubbed noses with him, amid the shouts of all the lookers on. He did the same thing over again for several times, till at last he led the assistant to the middle of the tent, and rushed out into the air to cool himself. The as- sistant then chose a partner, and so on till several couples had danced. But, alas, they were not contented unless I, too, joined in the diversion. I was led up by a filthy fellow, who seemed to con«- sider it an excellent joke, and, with all the ladies laughing at me, I was obliged to stand up and have 'my nose rubbed like the rest. When my turn came to choose a partner, you may depend upon it, Louisa, I picked out the prettiest girl in the room to dance with, which highly flattered the old dame her mother. I went on dancing for some time, till at last I too became weary; and, after a present of needles to the ladies, I made my escape. Dunn had more wisdom than myself, for when he saw the liberty that was taken with my nos^ he made his escape, and no entreaty could get him back into the room again. *^ These poor wretches, have notions of receiving visitors, as appeared from their kindness to me ; f NORTHERN REGIONS. 225 my for le; for whatever tent I visited, the master always rose and gave me the best seat. They exchange visits regularly among one another, and the men carry a long knife on purpose to cut their food with, and from these dangerous companions their fingers often suffer, in their over anxiety to get at the dainties quickly. A fashionable employ* ment indeed, is to flourish and lick this knife from one end to the other, whenever there is a little pause in the course of the meal. " It was with sorrow I thought of quitting these hospitable people, who, in their quiet state, were different from the other band of Esquimaux, whose shouting and eagerness for barter made them sometimes very teazing. Before I left them we had a good game of leap-frog, which I taught them, and in which they took great delight, the women even, with great children at their backs, running and jumping with all their might Some marks of their kind attention were left upon my arm, as you may perceive in this kakeen of a little man, which Ooyarra*s wife performed. '< Our ships again set sail, and it was not long before we entered a strait in the north-west direc- tion, and about four miles ^vide, which we named the Strait of the Fury and the Hecla. Here the ice was very little thawed, although we had seen the first of September. The coast on each side il 226 NORTHERN REGIONS. was bare and barren ; scarcely a flower had put forth its leaves, and most desolate was the pros- pect. A few deer were here and there gathering the scanty crop of moss that grew between the rocks. The remains of one Esquimaux circle was all the proof we could observe of this rugged shore having been inhabited, and that had evidently been long a ruin, for it was half buried in moss. " A number of little islands lay scattered about, and parties from our ship were industrious in ex- ploring them, as well as in ascertaining tlie state of the ice. The result of all was, th^it there was no part of the strait where the ice was not per- fectly unbroken, except the part we now were in, in which, alas ! we were becoming daily more and more beset. " Determined to persevere to the very utmost, a party was despatched to reach, if possible, the termination of the strait. They walked along the coast as much as sixty miles, and returned w^th this intelligence, that they could perceive no ter- mination, but that one unbroken sea of ice lay be- fore them, as far as they could discern. We all now felt sure that this then was the long-sought opening into the Polar Sea, and to have discovered this was very satisfactory, but when could we ven- ture to hope that it would be navigable ? Certainly not this year; for we were already battered about NORTHERN REGIONS. 227 nnd blocked up by shoals of ice, though we could only hope to make our way a few days longer. " For the present year, therefore, adieu to all our hopes of immortalizing our names by this grand discovery : at all events, we were in hopes of getting to the north a little, and feeling our way in that direction. But no; we were dis- appointed on all sides, and all our hopes now cen- tered in being able to leave a scene of such utter desolation before the second winter set in. ** Happily we just accomplished this, for had we been delayed many hours we could not have done it. After a variety of adventures, so si- milar to those we before experienced in navi- gating the icy sea that I need not relate them to you, we anchored near to Igloolik, in which station we determined to pass the winter, whose early approach filled us with dismal feelings. <' Our frieb ^^ at Igloolik had already taken pK)sse6sion of their bone or winter huts, where I paid them a visit, though I own it was with re- pugnance that I crossed the sloppy puddle at the door, to crawl in upon my hands and knees, and encounter the horrible smells within.'' Chakles. " Ah! my dear uncle, you would regret now the clean, snow huts of your acquain- tance at Winter Island?' ** If you will allow me^ Charles, to finish my I «p 228 NORTHERN REGIONS. description of these bone huts, I will then intro- duce you into some fresh-water ice ones, which you will acknowledge to be far more beautiful than either. ** These bone houses have no roof, but a weather-proof transparent skin covers the top, and admits sufficient light, at the same time that it excludes the air. I entered, as you may re- member, upon all-fours, and judge of my sur- prise on finding the feet of the inhabitants above my head. It contained several families, and each family occupied a high bench. The slope up to each bench was rendered so slippery by lumps of melted walrus flesh and other liquids, that an old man like myself had some di£;rulty in gratifying his curiosity by climbing up. A seal's skin curtain was carefully pinned up at the back of each family, to conceal the sooty wall ; for, singular as it may appear, these peofrfe, otherwise surrounded by dirt, cannot endore soot. I had observed before, when I visited them, that the slightest mark of soot on their fingers or on mine was carefully wiped off with a feather wet in their mouths. << There are not bone huts enough to oontani all the Esquimaux in Igloolik, and a number of ice huts were interspersed throughout the iPiUage. These were built as we should build our aumt NORTHCB9C REGIONS. 229 [with itam of houses. Slabs of ice were plaistered together by mortar made of snow. They were octagonal, or eight-sided ; sometimes finished with a dome like the snow houses, and sometimes covered with skins in the fashion of the hont huts. The transparen'jy is so great, that as you stand out- side you can with little trouble distinguish its inhabitants from one another : a number of young puppies lay comfijrtably in boxes made of the same beautiful material, and looked as if placed for a show in glass ca«es. '^ In my various vvat& to the huts, I could ge- nerally be accommodated with a ride in an Esqui- maux sledge ; but as I firand a present was always expected, it became rather an expensive carriage to me. The boldness of the natives in venturing upon the ice to the ships; was beyond every thing. Long before the ice would bear them with any degree of safety, men, women, and children would come sliding ali>n^ to our great consterna- tion. " From Ooyara we kamt some curious facts about the annatkos or coDjnrors ; and it came out that Toulemak, my feDow-traveller, was a re- gular annatko. I was not loi^ in persuading him to exhibit me a little ^lecnnen of his art ; and I wiU try to recollect the pnticnlars of the scene which was truly IvtdaoKms, His old. wife alone i 230 NORTHERN REGIONS. was in the room, which was darkened. A chaunt was begun by the sorcerer ; his wife began to sing Amna-aya. Toulemak then turned himself round and round, and calling for Toonga, his patron spirit to come, snorted and puffed like a walrus. Then the loud voice ceased, and, in a smothered tone he contrived it so that it seemed as if he was going farther and farther off, till it stopped alto- gether. The old dame then told me gravely that he was gone down into the sea, and would send Toonga up to us. At length a distant blowing and a different tone of voice was heard. * This is Toonga,' said thv old woman. *' I asked several questions from this would-be spirit, and was answered by two thumps on the deck, which the old lady said was favourable, A hollow voice was then heard, mingled with groans, hissings, and gabblings, like a turkey. The old lady sang still louder, and es I concluded that it \yaii all to terrify me, I cried out, * Gh ! I am so fr ightened ! * this set them a-going still more fu- riously, till the poor spirit was tired and begged to retire ; Toulemak then with a yell announced his rv'as fifteen, the bridegroom two year^ . diAis«^^.M iirilitliiii NORTHERN REGIONS. 233 older. Both looked very sheepish and shy when they came next day to visit Captain Parry. He made them some presents as a matter of course. " Toulemak the conjuror was a knowing man. One day he went into Captain Lyon*s cabin : * I have had a dream ' said he * which was, that a spirit in the shape of a Lyon came and brought me an axe.* " * I too have had a dream,* answered the Cap- tain : * I dreamt that an ol'l fellow was turned out of my cabin for being a beggar.* This last dream was instantly realized ; and the conjuror took the joke very good-humouredly, though he had to walk upon the cold deck, instead of sitting l)y a good fire. " We bade adieu to the sun on the second of December, and much as you wish to become a lx)ld adventurer, Charles, I cannot help hoping that you may never know the melancholy feeling of losing sight of that noble luminary alto- gether. Tom. " I think you have no reason to com- plainy uncle; for you had no illness either among you or. the Esquimaux. I have not heard you even mention vour doctor's name. ** Do not, Tom, be in too great a hurry ; I was just going to tell you of a cure which I performed myself upon a native who came to me with a fit ol' X 3 234 NORTHERN REGIONS. lumbago. He begged I would give him some soap, for his wife to wash his back with. This was done in my presence, by his good lady, with an injunction from me to repeat the washing every day till the soap was done. I then held my musi- cal snuff-box to his back for a short time, and the cure was completed. After many thanks, and the offer of his wife's boots, he retuined home quite well. " You may laugh at this story; but, simple as it was, the natives are not utterly devoid of dis- crimination. Toulemak one day gave me a very striking lesson. He came into my cabin, he slept with me, and he made a point of eating of every thing which I eat, and of doing whatever I did. During the visit he said to me, ' When you give me any thing, I eat, and I say very good : when the Kabloona come to see us they turn up their noses, and when we ask them to eat, they say * very bad.' Now pray, my litde niece, to whom would you give the prize of good manners?* Louisa. " Your question puzzles, me, uncle ; for though I think you might have avoided turn- ing up your nose, or saying any thing to offend, yet I cannot think you could very well have sat down and partaken of their horiT^I^ messes.' " ' Habit, however, I believe, Louisa, makes V 1 1 :es " NORTHERN REGIONS. 235 our food nearly as repugnant to them, although it certainly cannot be quite so disgusting. " However, I determined, if possible, to profit by the lesson, and I soon after paid Toulemak a visit, with the intention of staying all night, to see something more of his incantations. ** My politeness was now put to the proof; I found the family at a sociable meal, over a full and smoking pot of seal's flesh, and I sat down with them, and eat like one of them. I next was called upon to partake of a frozen slice of raw walrus. I even forced myself to eat of this, and received in turn the thanks and praises of the family, parti- cularly as they all declared that they knew the Kabloona were not fond of raw meat. Toulemak, my host, was so pleased, that he promised me a visit from Toonsa as a reward. I have before described to you the ceremony of calling up this spirit, and it was done in the same manner this time. When this was over, I had a new seal's skin spread for my bed, and in the midst of the family, who were arranged in a similar man- ner about the floor, I laid myself down to rest. " Our breakfast lasted at least four hours, the hut being constantly filled by fresh comers, among whom was my old friend Kettle. Toulemak immediately addressed him by the name of thief, when to my great amusement, the old 236 NORTHERN REGIONS. fellow sat down, and gave a most humorous ac count of his robbing * Pari,' as he called Captain Parry, at which the whole party laughed immo- derately. Thus ended my visit to the huts, and as if the natives had made a resolution of behaV'* ing well to me, it was the only time that I remem- ber visiting ♦hem when the word * Pilletay,' (give me) was not repeatedly uttered. '' Our second Christmas day arrived, and found us all in good spirits, and able to enjoy some ex- cellent old English roast beef, which had been hanging a year and a half, and would have kept still longer. This second year, however, tried the best men among us : and those who had suf- fered but little the first were forced to confess themselves weaker in this. I, among the number, was obliged to add considerably to my clothing, and we all suffered much from cold feet. " About this time I heard some curious anecdotes of bears from a very intelligent Esquimaux named Ooyaira. To hunt and watch them used to be a favourite amusement of his, when young ; and he boasted of having killed five in his life time. " Two walruses and their cubs ii«>e one day lying asleep on a piece of broken ice, when a bear was seen to swim slily up. He crept gently to the top of some lumps of ice, behind the walruses, and kMwening a block with his nose and paws, he a I^ORTHERN REGIONS. 237 rolled it, till it fell upon one of the old ones, which it killed. The other walrus and its cub rolled into the water, and the bear then descended and feasted very leisurely upon the dead walrus and its poor cub, which had no power of escaping, after the death of its parent. " The bear has recourse to stratagems almost as singular in catching the ooghiok, which is a species of the large seal, which, being of a timid nature, always lie close to the edge of a piece of ice, in or- der that they may, by one roll, get into the sea, in which they are safe from the persecutions of their enemy. They are restless creatures, sleep- ing in short naps, and rolling their head from side to side, something like your little brother Charles, when he gets himself to sleep. And they do as many other wild animals do, turn the way from which the wind blows, fancying that there is an enemy coming from that quarter. The bear, when he spies one of these animals, swims up to him in an opposite direction to the wind. He goes, in short dives, and contrives his last dive so that he pops out of the water just close to the seal, which, poor thing, sees him coming, and has no means of escape left. If it rolls into the water, it falls into its enemy's clutches ; and if it lies still, the bear makes a spring, and fastens his destructive -jaws upon him. . 1 238 NORTHERN REGIONS. " My attention was now much occupied with visiting the hut of Takkalikkita, whose wife and child were dangerously ill. The cold and damp situation in which we found them, induced Captain Lyon to take them into his cabin, where the poor woman died. The first care of poor Tokkalikkito, after the death of his wife, was to dress the corpse exactly the same as if she had been living ; it then was sewed up in a hammock, with the face left open, by the husband's desire. The poor man was greatly relieved when we told him the body should be taken to the grave in a sledge drawn by men, instead of dogs ; for he re- lated, to our great horror, an instance in which the dogs had actually eaten a part of the dead body, while they were taking it to its place of in- terment. The dogs were carefully tied up, and I went with the party on shore, where a grave about a foot deep was dug. The body was placed on its back in this grave, and the husband cut the stitches which had fastened the hammock: and though he did not throw it open, he made us understand that he wished it to be left unconfined. We then covered the body up, and left it. Tak- kalikkita staid behind to address a few words to his departed wife, and then followed us.*' Louisa. " And what became of the poor baby, uncle ?" NORTHERN REGIONS. 239 |by, " Ah, poor little thing, I must tell you that the father had appeared to us, as far as we could under- stand him, to wish that the child should be buried alive aside of its mother ; and, I believe, horrible as this seems, that many of these northern people fancy that an unweaned child cannot live many days after the death of its mother, and, therefore, that it is kinder, by burying it alive, to save it from the few days of suffering that it might linger through. ' " When we returned from the burial, we found that the elder daughter, Shegar, had been nursing the poor little baby, her sister, and had marked upon her forehead a spot of soot, as a sign the child must die. The father seemed convinced of :his, too, and I had much difficulty to persuade him to let me attempt to feed the child with some soup." Louisa. " And, did it live, uncle ?' '' You shall hear, Louisa. After much persua- sion, Takkalikkita left me to do what I liked witli the baby, saying, that I might take it home to my own country, for if it lived or if it died, he should never consider it his own child any longer. His affection for i;, however, was strong, for, in the middle of thv nigUt- I was disturbed by loud sighs ; and, looking up, I saw the poor fellow standing mournfully gazing upon his poor child. I got up IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I ^ m m |22 L£ 12.0 1.8 111 1 1.25 |U 1.6 < 6" ► m vl ^>. 2m. o 7 /A Photogra{iifc: Scmces Corporation 23 WtST MAIN STRUT WIBSTER, Al.Y. 14SM {jrit) 1.72-4503 V ;v •sj <> \ ;\ .^. A 240 NORTHERN REGIONS. i> t and entreated him to be composed, and lie down. He did so ; and, when I returned to look at the child, I found that he was dead, and that the poor father had perceived it. Takkalikkita then told me that the child had seen its mother, who had beckoned for it to come to heaven, and that he was not surprised the child had died, for that infants never su/vive their mothers, and that Sheera's black spot had made its death certain. " The poor little babe we buried in the snow ; and i went with Takkalikkita a day or two after to visit the grave of his wife. I observed him look carefully all around in the snow; and, seeing no foot-marks, he muttered to himself ' no wolves — no foxes. — Thank you — thank you.' Then he began to talk to his wife, and told her which way the wind blew. Then he began a kind of song ; and, then suddenly breaking off, he said ' takba,' which means * enough,* and walked away as fast as he could. " This inoffensive quiet family was now sent back to their hut with many presents, and not till they had gained our esteem by their gentleness. Before I have done with my friend Takkalikkita, .1 must, however, tell you, that although he mar- ried two more wives before the end of the month, he continued to visit daily the grave of his first wife. NORTHERN REGIONS. 241 sent ot till eness. (kita» mar- lonth, first *^ There was much sickness in the huts, and many of the natives had died since we had been there ; and so carelessly do the Esquimaux bury the dead, that the body of another man had been p^'nost entirv^ly eaten by the dogs. " A widow named Kagha was so dreadfully ill and miserable, that she, too, was removed to the Hecla*s cabin to be nursed; but her ill-temper gave us all a dislike to her : she never spoke but to complain, that as many presents had not been given to her as to the other invalids. As long as she was ill, great attention and care was shewn her, and when a little better, she was removed to the hut of a relation of her own, who promised to take care of her; and, though we clothed her with blankets and a new suit of clothes, she kept grumbling on to the last, and seemed determined that we should never have a better opinion of her; ^< But, attending to the sick, nursing them, or comforting them, is not among the good qualities of the Esquimaux; and Kagha, though surrounded by relations, was soon again reduced to such a state of misery ami filth, that Captain Parry had her removed to the hospital. Her friends had left her all alone, shut up in a small snow-hut. One wick of her lamp was burning ; and her hair was frozen to the bed-place in a quantity of blood Y 242 NORTHERN REGIONS. which she had spit up. All attempts to recover her were useless, and she died soon after her re^ moval. She was actually starved to death, al- though she had a number of relations near her, whom we discovered had never been to her, or supplied her with any kind of food since she had left the ships. This fact, although true, is almost too shocking to believe — it showed utter selfish- ness and insensibility to each others' sufferings in these Esquimaux. The body of Kagha was not removed from the ship for two days, but not a creature made the slightest inquiry about her, or seemed to care or know when she was buried.*' " I should imagine, uncle," said Tom, " that the ill-temper of this woman had prevented them caring about her." " It might possibly increase their insensibility ; but it was not the cause of it, as I have seen a va- riety of instances of it, some of which I have not mentioned to you. " Having heard of a village about twenty miles off, I drove over to visit it, and found a party of twenty-eight Esquimaux living in six small snow huts. Plenty reigned here ; and one young man had made himself so ill with eating, that I took out my knife and bled him, ordering at the same time his mother not to let him taste any meat for many days, and tp let him have nothing but soud. NORTHERN REGIONS. 243 The youth looked very surly, and seemed to con- sider me as his murderer. " My reception at the most miserable of the huts was truly hospitable, and compensated for the uncomfortableness of the place, whose snowy roof kept dripping down upon us. As for food, they would have stuffed me if I had been inclined ; and I in return took the baby, who was covered by a fox-skin, sewed up like a jacket, and singing all manper of baby songs, quite won the hearts of its parents. I slept in this small hut, with the lamp close to my nose, and a young seal for my pillow. ** It was with delight we perceived our second spring returning, but it did not find us all in such good health as the former one. Mr. Elder, the Hecla's mate, who was making this voyage for a third time, died of the dropsy after a few days* confinement. It was witk di£Bculty we could dig him a grave, as the earth was still so hard as to resist the stroke of our pick-axes. The funeral service was read over his grave, and two volleys fired. " And now a genei il breaking-up was about to take place. The ice was thawing; the Esquimaux were driven out of their snow-huts, which were quickly disappearing from the face of the earth ; the scenes of so much merriment, so much feast- ing, and latterly of so much illness, were now V8 244. NORTHERN REGIONS. I - nearly levelled with the ground, without leaving a trace behind. " In this general movement, our plans for the future were to be determined upon ; and, as we .had had plenty of time to talk them over during the winter months, this did not take long. " It was found impossible for both ships to pro- ceed on the voyage of discovery, as the provisions would not hold out for another winter. It was decided, therefore, that the Hecla should return home as soon as the ice permitted, and that the Fury should continue sailing northward. Captain Parry bravely resolving, that, as long as he could, he would continue his search for this much- wished-for western passage. *^ Before the ice broke up then, we had much to do ; our two fine teams of dogs and our sledges effected the removal of all the Hecla's stores to the Fury. These fme animals would drag an amtiz- ingly heavy load at the rate of a yard a minute from one ship to the other ; even the heavy an- chors were conveyed in this manner. ^^ A stray Esquimaux or two occasionally visited the ships till we left the place ; and, one widow, whose name will amuse you, if you can make it out, Ang-ma-loo-too-ing-a, walked fifteen miles to see us. She was very pretty, and quite conscious of it. As I sat at my table reading, and seeming NOKTHERN REGIONS. 245 to take no notice of her, I saw her go to *he glass, look in it, and put her head and face in p »tty atti- tudes, and smile to shew her teeth, which she rubbed with a piece of paper. She appeared quite charmed with her fine black eyes, and at last could refrain no longer ; but, coming up to me, said, ' Oh] how pretty my eyes are.* **" Another man, with his wife, came to see us. This man had received many presents, and, among others, about six shirts, which he wore all at once, the cleanest at the top. He was a well- made tall fellow, and some of us gave him a suit of English clothes, in which he strutted about quite proud. His wife, too, made him a green baize great-coat, with a white collar and cuffs, so that he thought himself a ' Kabloona' complete. He was an intelligent man, and told me many things which I had not heard before, and some of which I would willingly have disbelieved, had not they been confirmed afterwards by Toulemak. " Some years ago, he told me that there had been a grievous famine, and that one band of Es- quimaux had attacked another, and, horrid to tell, eaten the dead bodies of their enemies. " He told me, likewise, in some of the tribes of Esquimaux) murders are not uncommon, but that a man is never killed unless he is alone and asleep. His relations never revenge his death y3 \ 246 NORTHERN REGIONS. VI ' 1 immediately, but wait for some opportunity, which it is liifHcult to Rnd, for the murderer never lies down to sleep when others do, but he wanders iibout in the night, and sleeps in the day when all his neighbours are about^ and he is therefore in no danger. " Toulemak and his wife came to take leave of me, but, as I found they began to beg for presents, I gave them nothing, which made them very angry, especially when they saw me load others who came at the same time, but did not beg. Toulemak, how- ever, politely desired me to give his compliments to tlie Englishmen's conjuror (meaning the king), and I was directed to deliver this polite message to him : * Toulemak speaks King George the Fourth welly well, I taank you.' *' Having taken leave of these amusing people, I shall cut short my narrative, which I fear has already been rather tedious. '* We made various excursions up the countiy, but saw nothing very new ; but, notwithstanding our daily hopes of getting free from the ice, and leaving Igloolik, we were actually detained on the same spot till the middle of August, having been there nearly eleven months. *< This long detention (paused a considerable alteration in our plans. The health of our crew was not as it had been at the beginning of the NORTHERN REGIONS. 247 spring ; and, Captain Parry felt so sure that he should risk the lives of many of his men by con- tinuing his voyage and spending another winter in the arctic regions, that he resolved that the Fury should return as well as the Hecla, as soon as either could be released. " The happy day at length arrived. We broke through the ice, and sailed again in open sea, and took a final leave of the island of Igloolik, which, though an insignificant looking island, is an im- portant Esquimaux establishment, having no less than four villages upon it. ' " After a dangerous and troublesome voyage through the ice, we reached the coast of Winter Island, our old station, and some of us went in boats to visit the shore. The graves of our mess- mates remained undisturbed ; and, radishes, mus- tard and cress, and onions, had survived the win- ter, sheltered by a warm covering of snow. It in remarkable, too, that we again «;aw the aurora- borealis at Winter Island, which we had scarcely had a glimpse of, all the time we had been at Igloolik. " We again set sail on the 1st of Septem- ber, the ice and fog preventing our proceeding rapidly. It was about this time that t\c had the misfortune to lose another of our companions, and he was deeply regretted. You remember the ! •i! f ^ 218 NOnTIIERN REGIONS. name of Mr. Fife, who was one of our party in the first voyage. He had been long ill of the scurvy, was a stout man, and had got very fat during the winter, and had used but little exercise. He had a dislike, too, to acids, which are a very necessary antidote to the scurvy, " Our ships were now in very great danger, hav- ing never encountered more terrific ice-bergs, and we were in hourly expectation of some great dis- aster to the ships. We, providentially, escaped, however, and afterwards had a very speedy voyage till we got to the Shetland Isles. " We landed at Lerwick, and an old sailor like myself has seldom experienced such feelings as at that moment, when, after an absence of two years and a half, I once more set foot upon Bri- tish ground, among my own countrymen, and heard all that had happened to our country during that length of time. " The inhabitants of Lerwick flocked out to meet us clothed in their best dresses, and we landed amidst their cheers. Tlie town was iUu- minated at night, and a number of tar barrels burnt in every street. Every inhabitant was ready with his compliments, and every door was hospi- tably opened for our reception. " On Sunday, we all attended church, and the venerable Mr. Menzies gave thanks for our safe NORTHERN REGIONS. 249 return in a most beautiful prayer, which drew tears from the eyes of every one there, who seemed rather as if they were rejoicing for the return of beloved relations, than for that of mere strangers/* PART IV. .T- CHAP. I. " Surely, uncle, this is the age of adventure," said Tom one morning, as he entered with a book under his arm, '< and I think you will agree with me when I tell you that I have met with some adventures, still more wonderful than yours." " Well, Tom, let us hear what it is, for in re* turn fo • my long stories, I shall be very glad to be amused with some fresh adventures, provided they are are, like my own, true." Tom. " What do you think uncle, of a man travelling from England, through Russia, across the wilds of Siberia to Kamskatka, the very re- motest extreme of Asia, and almost entirely on foot, and with very little money ?" Uncle Richard. " It sounds very wonderful, and wild ; what can have been the motive for so extraordinary an enterprize, Tou* ? 250 XOKTHCRN REGIONS. 1^ Tom. " My hero was Captain Cochrane, an officer in the Bnt»»h Navy. He had been a great traveller heUum, baring made a pedestrian tour through France, Spain, and Portugal, and served in the West Imlk^i^ for ten years. This gave him I suppose, a lore of' travelling, for he offered his services to goienunent to explore the interior of Africa, in seardi of the source of the river Niger. For some reason or other, it seems this offer was rejected, and he was so bent upon en- terprize, that be obtained leave of absence for two years, and determineC to travel absolutely round the globe, trarersing Europe in the first place) then Aautf and crossing over by Behrings- Straits to proceed through America homewards. And this nice little journey, uncle, he resolved to undertake on tooL Now what do you think of the scheme ?" Uncle Richarik, ** I think, Tom, it was as glorious an one as Cbarles, in his most boastful mood, would be usatms to undertake. I conclude, however, that be gare up a part of it, for if he had crossed over to America, and traversed its wilds, I doubt wbetber he would have lived to have told the tale; but, at all events, Tom, if he performed half of ndiat be intended to do, I shall think him a bold and ac&Tenturous fellow. " I should like to bear mere of him, but his NORTHERN REGIONS. 251 t his books there under your arm, look formidable to a sailor like me, who am better pleased when talking than when reading; so, suppose Tom, you undertake to tell me all you think worth re- membering of his adventures, and I will promise to be a patient listener, as well as Charles here, restless fellow as he is." Tom's vanity was not a little gratified at being thought capable of affording amusement to his uncle, and therefore when everi"^ came, it was with modest pride that he spread out his maps and began his narration. • " With the determination to trace the shores of the Polar sea by land, along the coast of North America, while Captain Parry, and you uncle, were attempting to do it by sea. Captain Coch- rane left England in the year 1820. He filled his knapsack with every thing that he considered requisite, added to a few papers and documents ; and with this humble equipment, he prepared to visit the unknown wilds of Asia and America. ^' After crossing the channel, he landed at Dieppe, and pursued his walk through France, passing through Paris, Nantz, and Metz. Enter- ing Germany, he passed through Frankfort and Leipsic, and was not very much delighted with either of these two cities. '^ He left Germany without regret, af\d entered I w 252 NORTHERN REGIONS. ■I- I I Ph Prussia, where the good roads enabled him to proceed more rapidly. After visiting Berlin, he proceeded through Dantzic, Konisberg and Narva, and reached St. Petersburg at the end of April, not having been quite three months in performing a journey of 1600 miles." Uncle Richard. " That is nearly at the rate of twenty miles a day, which, for so long a con- tinuance, was a tolerable performance, and, I must own, excites my curiosity to hear more of this brave Captain." Tom. " Captain Cochrane stayed a short time at St. Petersburg!!, and obtained from the Em- peror Alexander several documents which might be necessary for his safety in travelling through his dominions, and particularly in Siberia, which is so remote from the seat of government. With his knapsack re filled by the kindness of the Eng- lish residents at Petersburg, he once more quit- ted a home, and he could not avoid, as he gave a last look at the city, reflecting with grief that he was about to quit the habitations of civilized man, and enter upon the abode of wild beasts or savages. << He silently reflected upon the best line of conduct to adopt, and resolved to respect the feelings of mankind wherever he should be, to trust for his safety to their humanity, rather than NORTHERN REGIONS. 253 to his own strength, and to be humble-minded and lowly. " His good resolutions were soon tried, for lie had not proceeded far before he was tittacked by robbers, one of whom dragged him into a wood by his collar, and the other pushed him on with the point of his bayonet. There they stripped him, and tied him to a tree, and after insisting upon his eating some black bread, and drinking a glass of rum, quietly took possession of all his clothes, together with the contents of his knap- sack. They then made off, and a boy passing soon after, released the Captain from his capti- vity, who, almost naked, flung his empty knap- sack over his back, and went on in this manner, till he was a hundred miles beyond St. Peters- burgh. " At Novgorod, the Governor supplied him with clothes, and promised to find out the rob- bers, and have them punished. ' I shall be in Siberia before then,* said the Captain. . " From Novgorod to Moscow^ his journey wa« very agreeable, the peasantry though in a servile and wretched state, were hospitable, and provi- sions were cheap. . " He stayed but a short time to admire this won- derful city, and with another fit of low spirits, he took leave of his friends there, and again set forth z ;' »' « !&64 NORTHERN REGIONS. upon his pilgrimage. He reached Nishney Nov- gorod, which is a kind of Birmingham to Russia, and with a new pair of English shoes which were given him, and a fresh supply of provisions, he embarked upon the famous river Volga, in a small vessel bound to Kazan. The Volga .!s a magnificent stream, and the number of vessels of different sizes and shapes made the scene very picturesque. A lofty chain of mountains on one side occasionally gave it an air of grandeur, but on the whole it was not very interesting, and our traveller would willingly have gone on shore again, but a large bag of money which he had to carry prevented him." '' Uncle Richard. " Money, Tom, I thought you were relating the adventures of a poor tra- veller?" " I intended to surprise you, uncle, for, to tell you the truth, it was copper money, and the whole value did not amount to a guinea. He was not rich enough to leave it behind, but he spent some of it in laying in a fresh stock of provisions according to his agreement with the master of the vessel. Flour, boiled and mixed with water and oil, and black bread was what he provided, and a very small sum of money purchased his store. They soop entered the extensive and rich ■1 a NORTHERN REGIONS. 255 > tell the He but stock with i and bread um of province of Kazan, through which the noble Volga runs. The manufactories of soap made from the fat of Astracan seals, and the gold and silver embroidery of boots, shoes, and bonnets, employ numbers of people. " The city of Kazan is a very large one, and contains a very handsome church, called * St. Paul and St. Peter,* which was built by a private gentleman in honour of the Czar Peter, who had once favoured his house by making it his resting place for a night. " He stayed a very short time in Kazan, and proceeded through Perm and Kongour till he ap- proached the borders of Siberia. He could not avoid contemplating with some uneasiness his en- trance into a country which he had heard of only as a scene of cruelty and misery. He proceeded however, and gently ascended the Ural moun- tains which form the boundary between Europe and Asia. He had a cold walk when he ap- proached the summit, and at the last European station he dined, and took his leave of his own quarter of the globe. While yet standing as it were between Europe and Asia, a group of little children presented him with some wild strawber- ries and cream ; this is the custom of the country, and the strawberries are remarkably fine fla* voured. z2 256 NORTHERN REGIONS. a He passed these majestic barriers, the ascent and descent of which was so gradual as to be almost imperceptible, and he slept in Asia that day, and reached Ekatherinebourg the next. " On ■ entering Asia, Captain Cochrane re- marked that the cottagers were all cleaner and more civilized than on the European side of the Urals. Whatever village he came to, they always set before him streshee, which is cabbage-soup, and bread and milk, nor could he ever prevail upon them to let him pay any thing. A pipe of to- bacco, or a glass of bodka or whiskey, was all he could prevail upon them to accept in return, and therefore he consigned his purse, which was get- ting rather empty, to his knapsack, and gave him- self no farther trouble about paying for his fare. " Another thing he remarked, that after he quitted Europe, he saw no more oak trees, which never grow in Asia; mice, too, are said to die as soon as removed over the Ural moun- tains; while the sable is an animal never met with out of Asia. " One of the cottagers undertook to teach him a little more of the Russian tongue. He knew that ^kchorosko* was the Russian word for ^well;* but he d^ not know that * kchvdo* meant ' bad,* so his host, to teach him, gave him a slap upon one cheek while he repeated the word hchorqsko, an() NORTHERN REGIONS. 257 a kiss on the other, saying, at the same time, hchudor Uncle Richard. " This was a very impressive mode of teaching; I should imagine your traveller would not easily forget those two words, at least." " At Ekatherinebourg, Captain Cochrane visited the gold mine, down which he was let in a basket to the depth of one hundred and sixty feet. It is worked by peasants belonging to the Empe- ror of Russia; and the tedious process may be imagined, when I tell you, that four thousand pounds weight of earth seldom produce one gui- nea's worth of fine gold. The produce of the mine is carried to the river, a part of which is clammed up to form a kind of lake, where it is washed, and the gold separated from the earth. A smelting furnace is close at hand. There are likewise large iron and copper fouiidries in the neighbourhood of the city. " Quitting Ekatherinebourg, my traveller was pleased at the thoughts of having entered Siberia, and directed his course to Tobolsk. He fre- quently walked five and thirty miles a-day at the expense of his feet, which got terribly blistered. At a little Tartar village on his road, he was re- galed with pork, eggs, and bread, and partook of it free of expense and a la Tartare, first shaking hands with the host, who gave him the blessiiig of z 3 258 NORTHERN REGIONS. ' Peace be with you,* and then squatted down on the floor in the same manner as the rest. " Thus hospitably regaled, he walked along, sleeping in the open air, as he had accustomed himself to do in Spain when wandering along in company with the merry muleteers. " The rains, however, came on heavily, and dripping with wet, and half famished, he reached Tobolsk, the capital of Western Siberia. He was received there, as he had been at everj' Russian station, most kindly by the family of the governor, and spent a short time most happily at this Russian prison, as it is generally called. It seems, however, that criminals and malefactors banished from Russia, are sent farther into the interior of Siberia, and political offenders only are allowed to remain in Tobolsk. Even in this re- mote region, however, he was gratified by seeing the good effects of the Emperor Alexander's visit to England, for Lancastrian schools have been since established in Tobolsk and other parts of Siberia by his orders, and nearly one thousand boys are taught in them, and have made great progress already." Charles. " WTiat an immense place thi* Siberia is, Tom! I wonder whether it always belonged to Russia ?'* ** Oh, no; I can give you some little ac- NORTHERN REGIONS; 259 vn on ilong, tomed )ng in savily, ;d, he Iberia, everj' of the appily called. 'actx)rs to the dy are [lis re- seeing s visit been irts of Aisand great e this dways le ao count of its conquest, which took place about the latter end of the seventeenth century. It was Yermak, a kind of captain of banditti among the Don Cossacks, that both discovered and, in fact, conquered Siberia. He was banished his country, and taking his little band of Cossacks, he went far to the north, and settled on the banks of the river Kama, near a factory which a Russian merchant had established for the sake of bartering with the Siberians. Every summer he made incursions to attack the Siberians, and in winter he built himself a Krepost, or wooden fortress. Accus- tomed to hardships, they penetrated farther and farther every year, till at last, with five hundred men, he laid siege to Sibei, the capital, and entered it in triumph. " Finding, however, that his forces were not sufficient to keep it, he sent a trusty friend to St. Petersburg to offer his conquest and services to the Czar, who gladly pardoned himself and follow- ers, and sent the^n handsome presents. " Yermak again boldly sallied forth with three hundred Cossacks in search of new conquests; but the news that the Khan of Tartary was on his road to attack Sibei, made him turn back. '^ He reached a canal he had cut for the defence of the place, where the whole party, overcome with fatigue, lay down to sleep. In this situation they 260 NORTHERN REGIONS. i were surprised by the Khan, who had followed and watched them, and after a scene of tumult, were all slaughtered, except Yerkm^ and one man. Yermak hastened to the river, attempted to jump into a boat, but fell in the water and was drowned. The 'Khan of course took possession of Sibei again, but it was not long before the Russians re- newed the warfare, and took possession of the whole of Siberia, Kamchatka excepted, which was not conquered till the eighteenth century. • " Thus the empire -of Russia, in the space of one century, extended its dominions from Europe to the Eastern Ocean, and from the Frozen Ocean to the confines of China, colonies, towns, and set- tlements were established, and I am shocked to say, those Tartars who would not submit to the Russian yoke, were barbarously put to death." Charles. " Thank you, Tom; I feel a little more at home in this vast wild, although I do not envy Captain Cochrane his journey, through which he, surely, cannot attempt to go on foot ?'* " At Tobolsk he was furnished with a leather water-proof knapsack, and a Cossack to attend him, and likewise an order for horses if neces- sary. With his attendant, therefore, he once more set forth, and soon came to a monastery, from which hundreds of people were flocking who had been paying their annual visit to the virgin, their NORTHERN REGIONS. 261 saint, who had been there in person to receive her rents. " After ferrying over the river Irtish, he passed through a number of Tartar villages, the inhnbi<- tants of whom were of the Bashkire race. The houses were clean, the people civil, and he fed upon cakes and milk. The Tartan women wear nothing but a plain white shift witli a ribbon round the waist. This, and a handkerchief on their head, is their only dress. The hair of the young girls hangs down their back in a plait, which sometimes is brought under the left arm and fastened to the belt of the shift. This is the summer-dress ; but the simple style is laid aside in winter, and a much gayer one adopted. " The Tartar cottages have white plastered chimneys. One part of the floor within is raised above the other, and serves for bed and store- room. They have neither chairs nor stools, but abundance of pillows for their beds, with which they form a seat for strangers. Earthenware tea- things and utensils form the only ornamental fur- niture of these cottages, which have always, how- ever, the useful addition of a vegetable garden at- tached to them. The women never eat till the men have done. " The account of the scenery of this part is given with great justice in the story of * Elizabeth» i, Pl 262 NORTHEBN REGIONS. or the Exiles of Siberia, but the town of Ishim, so much talked of there, is a most miserable place. The loss of his passport and papers, which a rogue, for he had got into the land into which pickpockets are banished from Russia, stole out of his knapsack while he was at dinner, a little damped his enjoyment, and he pursued his way to Omsk in a melancholy mood. Here he applied to the police, and after some trouble, got his pass- port again ; for the thief, finding that he had got only some useless bits of paper instead of money, took the trouble to send them after him. There is a noble military college at Omsk, founded by Alexander, upon the Lancasterian system, in which the youths are taught arithmetic, mathe- matics, algebra, and fortification, and some of the Oriental languages. Count IvanofF is the head of the school, which is for the children of soldiers, and is rather like a father to them. There is another school, too, for the Cossacks, which is not so well managed. " The wandering Kirguise live in the neigh- bourhood of this city. These people are divided into three hordes, each of which is governed by a Khan, although tributary to Russia. They travel about Siberia, from Omsk to the Caspian, and trade in the way of barter, exchanging cattle for tobacco and spirits. Many of .these Tartars ^ nokthc:rn regions. 263 im, so ace. lich & which >le out little is way pplied } pass- ad got loney, There led by m, in nathe- ofthe Lead of Idlers, ere is L is not leigh- vided led by They spian, cattle artars are to be seen in Omsk, who have been sold when children, by their wretched parents, for a glass of spirits, or a pound of tobacco. The Kirguise are accused, too, of kidnapping and selling Christians. In fact, they are a kind of gypsey race, living in a place just as long as they can find forage for their horses, and in winter resorting to the woods for the sake of the fuel. Their tents are wretched, an iron kettle and wooden spoons being their onlv furniture. " The Calmucks are another vagabond race, who live in this neighbourhood, though a distinct tribe, and entirely differing from the Kirguise in form, feature, and origin. They are not tribu- tary to Russia, but, like the Kirguise, they, too, will part with their children, in order to gratify the want of the moment. Their flat noses, small eyes, high cheeks, and yellow brown complexions, distinguish them from every other race. They are dishonest, but good-natured, and, after much discipline, make good servants. These were the two people Captain Cochrane was going to asso- ciate M'W.i in his next ramble, which he began in good spirits, with his Cossack and some horses. He dined on his road with two Kirguise Chiefs, whose appearance was very striking. A long blue cloth robe, ornamented with silver embroidery and a silver belt, from which was hung a dagger, 264 VOBTUERN REGIONS. knife, and pipe, and tinder box. A coloured shirt, large Tartar trowsers and boots, with a hand- some fur cap, completed his dress, while a long l)eard and bare neck added to its peculiar appear- ance. They were excellent horsemen, being well accoutred, with a long whip, which served for the double purpo§e of whipping their horses and their cattle. The youth of this race are very handsome in general. From Omsk to Semipalatinsk the Kirgiiise territory extends, being bounded to the cast by the noble riTer Irtish, which my traveller at length croBsed, a Kttle below the latter town. I must first, bowerer, tell you, that at Semipala- tinsk he found another Lancasterian school, of four hundred boys, which is very creditable to the Russian government, which, however, would do well to examine the state of the police, for the neighbourhood is infested with robbers to a dread- ful degree. A poor pedlar was robbed of his horse, besides roubles, to the amount of a hun- dred pounds, without the slightest chance of re- covering it. After crossing the Irtish, he saw melons, for the fintt time, in that part, which, with cucumbers and bread, were the usual food of the country pec^ie. Ten iar a penny was the price at which he bou^it dieniy and a penny a hundred for cucumbersyandfirepenrc for forty pounds of bread. Hospitality and abmidance united here to make ured land- long • pear- j well )rthe their Isome k the ;o the Teller town, lipala- lol, of to the lid do r the iread- of his hun- of re- le saw , with of the rice at •ed for bread, make KORTHEHN REGIONS. 265 Kim fare well. Every thing conspired to make his journey delightful. The scenery was magni- ficent; hitherto all had been flat, dreary, and void: now he had entered a bold and mountainous country, partly cultivated, partly overspread with forests. It was the month of August. Tar- tar peasants tending their flocks were the only living objects ; the sun was setting behind the mountains, to the west, and the moon gave her light from an opposite point, and the waters of tlie distant river, Ulba, gave a murmuring sound. He trotted along, enjoying, in solitude, this beau- tiful scene till midnight, when he halted at a vil- lage, and an easy ride next morning brought him to the Bourktarma. Here he reached the soutli- ern boundary of the vast Russian empire, and was again enchanted with the beauties of the scenery^ The peasants regaled him with currants and melons ; and at length, in the middle of a beau- tiful moonlight night, he reached the last Russian frontier station, which was occupied by a single officer and a handful of men. This marks the boundaries between the two mighty empires of Russia and China. He forded a little stream, which in fact was the limit, and sat down upon a stone. It was near midnight, and the light of the moon fell upon the lofty granite mountains, which enclosed vallies more luxuriant than an}' 2 a ^Hf f,¥ .'Vil ■> v.. 2^F NORTHERN REGIONS. in the world; and all uninhabited, save by wild beasts. " Our adventurous tra^^eller would willing- ly have extended his pilgrimage into China itself, but the extreme jealousy of this people, with regard to strangers, made him not dare tc do so. He retraced his steps, therefore; and af- ter a perilous passage in his canoe up the Bourk- tarma, entered the noble Irtish. This stream, which extends from the confines of China to the Frozen Sea, might, if navigated by steam boats, he most valuable for purposes of commerce. They had a rapid voyage up it, and made ninety miles in ten hours. " Leaving the Irtish, Captain Cochrane and a Cossack proceeded to the Silver Mines near Barnaoule, and it was a busy scene, carts of all shapes, canoes, and coffins even, being employ- ed in carrying the earth and the ore. Five thousand people are employed in this manner alone. The thirty-two mines at Barnaoule yield an annual profit of two hundred thousand pounds. The silver is worked and sent in ingots to St. P3tersburgh. TheVorks are carried on night and day ; the workmen, about 82,000 in number, are divided into three parties, who are constantly at woric ; for one week a party works through the day; for the next, through the night; and the ■P w ild NORTHERN REGION^. 267 third week they are allowed to work their lands at home. Their wages for this hard labour are very trifling ; but their condition is not bad, be- cause they have plenty of time to cultivate their ground, on which they grow corn and vegetables. Most of them have horses, which they let out to carry the ore, and which are extremely profitable to the owners. " The Governor General arrived at Barnaoule while Captain Cochrane was there, and he, as well as General Speranske, the Governor, was very kind to our traveller. The former told him of an expedition to the shores of the Frozen Sea, and offered him permission to join it, which the Cap- tain gladly accepted ; and after obtaining a most valuable letter of recommendation to all the heads of the government in various parts of Siberia, he $et forth towards Irkutsk. ** At Tomsk, which was the first principal town he came to, nothing fresh occurred to him, except that several of the things which the robbers near St. Petersburgh had taken from him were restored to him. He now passed over immense trticts of land, making nothing of a hundred miles, although mostly walking. The Tartar villages form the stages, and with some money in his purse, and provisions cheap, he wanted little. " He had a specimen of the manner of getting 2 a2 wm n 268 * NORTHERN Il£GIONSr. what they want adopted by the Cossacks, for hk attendant, not being able to get a horse as soon as he wanted it, took the elder of the village, whose duty it was to provide him with one, and gave him a sound drubbing*" \,S'i CHAP. II. ' ^"-l^.f.-.^jr- f^ " I have now brought you, uncle, together with my traveller, as far as Irkutsk, where the reception he met with was most gratifying to a wanderer like himself, who had already traver- sed so many hundreds of miles and encountered so few of his fellow creatures, scarcely any indeed, whose language was known to him, or with whom he could hold any communicadon. " Parties were made to welcome, and listen to his adventures ; and among the many with whom he associated during his stay in Irkutsk, none in- terested him so much as Mr. and Mrs. Gedes- trom, who had travelled together across the fro- zen ocean for the sake of discovery in the years 1809, 1810, and ISli. " Ffom them he gained some useful informa- tion and advice with regard to his future plans. - '* At Irkutsk there is a large Lancastrian school, and a prison so well conducted, that it *> It ether B the ^ ig to aver- tered deed, ^hom KORTHERN REGIONS. 269 Would have met the approbation even of the humane Howard ! ^' The society consists of the military men, who are genteel, and look down upon the other set, the merchants, who are, in fact, little better than Jew pedlars, and though rich, are perfectly uneduca- ted and vulgar. " A week's stay was all that this eager adven- turer allowed himself, and with a fresh Cossack, he bent his steps towards Yakrutsk. " Alternately walking and paddling in his canoe down the river Lena, at the rate of more than a hundred miles a day, they reached Ka- renga. His hospitable friends at Irkutsk had so loaded him witli provisions, or, as they call it bread and salty that he needed nothing till he reached this other station, where he was again amply supplied." * Uncle Richard. " Surely, Tom, this beauti- ful trait in the Russian character, this hospitality of theirs, deserved some remarks. I have heard it said, that a stranger may travel through the Russian Empire as long as his conduct is good, and want for nothing; Captain Cochrane seems to have been an instance of the truth of this. The remark of course can only extend to the mcivUized parts, for where there is much travel- 2a 3 270 NORTHERN REGIONS. Jing, such unbounded hospitality would be rui- nous. »» Tom. " Eight days heavy pulls up the river Lena, brought our Captain to Vittim, which is in the Tongousian territory, and four more to Jerbat The stages were long, and the river was filling with ice. The hardy Tongousian boat- men were obliged to strip, and plunging into the water, to drag the boa^ along. The extreme cold of the water rendered this a painful and dangerous operation, but, rewarded by a mouthful of smoke from a pipe, or a drop of brandy, they willingly underwent it. As the villagers were all engaged in fishing, they had a difficulty at Jerbat in getting either a boat or horses, and they applied to the elder to provide us, showing him an order. He, eyeing the traveller all over, said that the order re- ferred to a Captain in the Navy, whereas the long beard and nankeen coat of our hero shewed him to be a Russian pedlar. The Cossack would wil- lingly have applied his stick to this old fellow, but the Captain would not allow him, and determined to throw his knapsack once more over his back and walk along the coast till he met with some better friend. " There is a cave on the shores of Lena, much venerated bv the natives ; the roof is decorated NORTHERN REGIONS. 271 with icicles, which, as they hang down, resemble chandeliers. '* The Tongousians are likewise wanderers, and live in the north west of Siberia. They are divi- ded into forest and desert Tongousi. The Forest Tongousi fish and hunt, the Desert tend their flock, and wander with them from pasture to pas- ture. They are idolaters, very few having been converted; but they are honest and hospitable, and patient under hardships: they are grateful for kind treatment, but easily offended, and a blow is an insult they never forgive. " They are small and delicate, and would be rather pleasing in appearance, if they were not terribly filthy, as, like our friends the Esquimaux, they eat ' any thing.* Their dress consists pf rein- deer skin trowsers, with the hair inside, a leather waistcoat and jacket, lined and ornamented with white fox-skins, and in cold weather a frock over all. A few additions, such as a fur cap, large gloves, a white fox-skin breast-cover, and a com- forter round the neck made of the tails of squirrels, -finish their attire, added to which, in severe wea- ther, they have covers for their forehead, ears, nose, and chin. A bear-skin bed, a rein-deer skin blanket, lined with wolPs fur made in the shape of a bag, form their comfortable equip- ments. 272 NORTHERN REGIONS. '^ Captain Cochrane now took leave of the Tongousians, and entered the Yakut! district. He advanced by rapid st^es in his canoe up the J^ena, and in six days reached Yakutsk, the who)e journey having been enlivened by the sight pf numerous cheerful looking vilj^gers. The Gover- nor, Captain Minitski, had been many years ifi the English Navy, and received him as a friend* and provided him with every thing that seemed needful for his future journey. ,^^ j, ^ ;.. "At Yakutsk, the river Lena is in summer four miles, in winter two and half broad. It is in fact a noble river, running from its source near Irkutsk a course of three thousand miles, till it empties itself by many mouths into the frozen ocean. Yakutsk is a straggling kind of town, con- taining however a large population, some pf whom are Russians, some Yaji^uti, and some pf other tribes. " They all pay tribute, not in money but in furs, mostly in sable; a fine black sable from Vittim is valued from fifteen to twenty pounds. The inhabitants barter the skins of foxes, lynxes, squirrels, wolves, sables,* otters, and roartinsy with the traders, in exchange for tea, tob^cco^ spirits, kettles, nankeens, knives, 8(c. " Yakutsk is still more deficient in society thaa Irkutsk. A tea party, as described by Cfip- KT.MrWT! :-y''-M- NORTHERN REGIONS. 273 lain Cochrane, must certainly be a most stu- pid as well as ludicrous concern. A party of natives, some males, some females, visit the house of the chief. The ladies might be dumb, for they never speak, and sit silently cracking a small kind of cedar nut which grows abundantly in the neighbourhood. Perhaps half a dozen fdnales may be assembled, and each eat as many hun- dreds nuts, and leave the house without speak- ing one single word. They sip three or four cujw of tea, as long as the copper tea-urn has any water in it, but the way in which they use their sugar-candy, with which they sweeten their tea, is truly droll. Every one takes a lump out of the basin, and, instead of putting it into her tea, bites a little bit off with every cup of tea that she drinks ; so that there is generally a part of the lump left, which she carefully puts upon her cup when she has turned it down. When the party has broken up, these pieces are put back into the bason, so that a lady has a chance of finding her own bitten piece of sugar the next time she takes tea at the house. It is the same with their cakes, which they put behind them on their chair, and the pieces are collected when they are gone, and restored to the basket. '' The gentlemen all this time drink rum and brandy punch. ■^ trftr 274 NORTHERN REGIONS. " The dinner parties are no less peculiar ; they have no chairs, but a long table spread with fish- pies, deers* tongues, roast beef, and wild berries. A glass of brandy is handed all round in the first place, which it is the fashion to refuse twice, and accept the third time. ** In this little remote town, there is great at- tention paid to etiquette. The ladies, when they visit the Governor's wife, all kiss her hand, while she sits like a princess upon a sofa, without taking the slightest notice of this mark of respect. " Some little time was spent here in preparing a travelling dress, suitable to the climate and the sea- son Captain Cochrane was about to brave. This he thought he had amply done, but he had no idea of what he had to encounter. At Yakutsk he had gone about in his nankeen dress, and while even the natives fancied he must be suffering from cold, his spirit was resolute. His active mind prevented him fi'om dwelling upon his own persciial feelings, and kept him ever happy, because ever em- ployed. " At length, on the last day of October, he set forth on his journey to Nishney Kol3rnisk9 a distance of one thousand eight hundred miles, at the coldest season of the year, and to the coldest extreme of Asia. His agitation was great at quitting his friends to go alone, ignorant as he ^ NORTHERN REGIONS. 275 ; they h fish- )erries. tie first 69 and eat at- jn they while taking aring a he sea- This 10 idea he had le even n cold, svented ;elings, iT em- er, he msk, a iles, at coldest "eat at ; as he was, not only of the Russian language, but of that spoken by the Tartan tribes. " The ice which covered the Lena, allowed him with his Cossack and guide, to travel in a sledge upon its surface, but the jolting and the cold so annoyed him, that he preferred walking. After sheltering for a night at a yourte or hut, he continued his route, alternately walking and riding, and was cheered by the attentions of the Yakuti, who brought him milk, meat, and clotted cream, mixed with wild raspberries^ " The river Lena he now exchanged for the Aldan, which is another large river, which took him to a town of the same name. Horses here were procured with some difficulty to carry them on for one hundred miles into the Kolyma. These horses are small, but of a fine breed, and a Yakut for a wager, will ride one of them a hundred and seventy miles in four and twenty hours, in a good round trot, which would surprise our sportsmen at home. " Their nights were now passed in the open air, in the following manner. The first thing on reaching a spot suitable for shelter, was to unload the horses, loosen their saddles, take their bridles off, and tie them to a tree. To set the Yakuti to fell timber for a fire was the next, while the Cap- !^76 NORTHEIlN REGIONS. tain and the Cossack cleared the snow with wood*" en spades. With branches of the pine they formed a seat, which, with the fire in the centre and a leathern bag beneath them, made them comforta- ble. The kettle soon boiled, and then their suf- ferings were forgotten. But poor Captain Coch- rane was worse clad than any of the party, and while one side of him was roasting, the other would be freezing, on which account he was frequently obliged to get up and run about to warm himself. " In ascending the mountains which form a kind of barrier between Northern Siberia, Captain Cochrane occasionally took shelter in a charity yourte, which is a kind of hut, built by some kind people' for the accommodation of travellers. In these yourtes, a large opening in the roof serves both for window and chimney, the centre of the hut is left for the fire-place, and at some little distance round are ranged snug little cells for sleeping places. The outside is banked up with snow, and the roof is covered in with the same. The distance at which these yourtes are placed is inconvenient ; if they were at twelve miles a-part instead of twenty-five it would be much better. The country was very picturesque, and the vai- lies between the mountains, furnish fine timber. Wrood- r >rmed and a iforta- ir suf- uocn- ', and other e was )Ut to VOETHERN REGIONS. 277 Animation only is wanting, for in a journey of half the length of England, not a single dwelling- house was met with. '* After leaving Baralass, the weather became dreadfully cold. Parties of Yakut! on horseback armed with bows and i..rows for hunting, were here and there met with, who were always civil and obliging, and from a Yakut prince they received a bowl of frozen milk. They soon en- tered the valley of Tartan, and killed a deer, the marrow out of the fore-legs being given to Cap- tain Cochrane as the most dainty part. The deer weighed about two hundred pounds, but it served only for a single meal ; for three or four Yakuti will easily devour that quantity, it being with them as with the Esquimaux, always either glut- tony or starvation. " Captain Cochrane saw a child not above five years old ; the little fellow was crawling in search of tallow spots which had fallen from a candle ; and hearing from the people about, that this was eaten in common with every thing else, he gave him three whole candles, which he devoured one after the other ; a few pounds of sour frozen butter, and a lump of yellow soap, were then eaten up by this promising child, and he probably could have done more if Captain Cochrane had not de- sired the people not to give him more. 2 b ^" 2t8 WOBTHERN REGIONS. ^' It in no wonder that men can eat so much, when they are accustomed to it from their earliest infancy. A Yakut will eat forty pounds of meat a-day, howerer putrid it may be, and he will drink off' tea or soup in a boiling state." Uncle Richjird. ** I might fancy, Tom, that you were teUiii|r me some of my own tales over again, so much do the eating powers of these Asiatic, resemble those of my Esquimaux friends." Tom. '* They are not selfish, however, with their greedinessi, for Captain Cochrane remarked, that in Siberia, whoever will share the trouble of getting, may be sure of obtaining his part of the food ; and he always made a point of joining in the occupation of whatever party he met. Tlie Silierian fishermen have an ingenious contrivance for casting their nets under the ice, by means of large holes which they cut at distances, and slide their nets from one end to the other. "You most now, uncle, follow my traveller over terrible roods; often and often was* he obliged to help the natires t«> clear the snow before his horses could proceed. Sometimes they were obliged to nnloaid^ and drag the baggage for many yards. When they got off this tedious path, and went along the met, they were not much better off; for the ke was so slipp^y, that without first of all chop^ng it up with hatchets, they could not NORTHERN REGIONS. 279 1 i get on at all. They tied cloths to the horses feet, and tried every contrivance ; but with all this, they could only just go by very short steps; and they often fell groaning under their burdens, in a man- ner most distressing to witness. Captain Cochrane had two horses for his own use. and his plan was to lead one over a rough part, and to tie him to a tree and return to fetch the other. " This laborious life histed three days, and his feet pained him so much, that it was most fortu- nate that they came to an extensive plain, now and then meeting with a charity yourte, in which they could, at least, rest their weary limbs. " A few more dangerous passes over tremendous mountains, where not an object met his eye, ex- cept a few little crosses, on which the Yakuti, as they passed, cast a horse's hair, in token of grati- tude for their deliverance, brought him at last to Zashiversk, a miserable town on the banks of the ludigirka river. The desolate scenery around this place can hardly be described. He had tra* veiled from Tabalak to this place, a distance of two hundred and fifty miles, without meeting a single human habitation, and he now reached a town in which there were only seven inhabitants ! *' Two clergymen, two officers, a post-master, a merchant, and widow, form the society of the 2b 2 ■«■ 280 NORTHERN REGIONS. place ; the river supplies them with fish ; but as not a blade of grass grew near, and no horses are kept within thirty miles, there is difficulty in bringing hay for the support of two cows. ; " The hospitality of the people was as great as their poverty, and Captain Cochrane lived in lux- iny on the flesh of hares, wolves, bears, elks, and rein-deer ; and, what he considers as the greatest treat he ever enjoyed, frozen raw fish." Uncle Richard. " T can bear witness for him there. I have eaten a whole fish in this state, and prefer it to the finest jelly, or oysters. It is cut in slices with a sharp knife, from head to tail." Tom. " With a bag of these dainties, my tra- veller again set forth, after taking a grateful leave of his hospitable entertainers at Zashiversk. The frozen surface of the Indigirka river gave himself and his companion almost as much trouble as ever ; and as he rode along, exposed to the cold bleak north wind, his knees had a feeling of deadness in them, for which he could not account. An old pedlar passed him, and, by signs and words, told him that he would lose liis legs if his knees were not better protected : he offered him a pair of his own souturee, or knee-preservers, made of rein-deer's legs, which Captain Coch- rane gladly accepted. The warmth they gave NORTHERN REGIONS. 281 but as » horses 2ulty in -* jreat as in lux- k-s and yi'eatest for him te, and t is cut til." ny tra- 1 leave The limself ble as e cold ng of !Count. IS and i if his )d him ervers, Coch- gave him had a wonderful eifect in restoring the use of his knees, which convinced him of the necessity of taking care of the extremities. Charles. " This reminds me of your golden rule, uncle. Follow the custom of the natives, in whate'^er climate you are." Uncle Richard. " It is but natural to sup- pose that experience must teach those who live in a cold climate, the best mode of adapting them- selves to it." Tom. " My travellers soon began to suffer from snow blindness ; but their own sufferings were forgotten when they reacherl a habitation, in which all the people were starving to death. They had actually resigned themselves to die, and were not willing to be disturbed. A little warm tea roused them, and they summoned resolution to go with the party to the next station, where they obtained a supply of fish from peasants almost as poor as themselves. " They stop;"'^d a few dayt at Sordak, another poor Russian station, and proceeded towards the Kolyma. The first yourte they came to was oc- cupied by noisy children, growling dogs, and, worst of all, a scolding hostess. Poor Ciptain Ck)chrane unluckily hung his cap and gloves to dry upon the pegs which held the images which he worshipped, and the woman was very ani ry 2b 3 283 NORTHERN REGIONS. and furious, till the Cossack, to pacify her, told her that he was an English priest, and pointed to his long beard to confirm this fib of his. From this time he always went by the name of English priest. " He now reached the Kolyma ; and crossing its noble stream, entered Sredne Kolymsk, «and took possession of an empty house in the town. About one hundred people form the population of the place, and they are supported by fish from the river. The people came and threw them^**h *"> upon their knees before the supposed priest, lot- his blessing, and brought him presents of sables, which he in vain begged them to take back. To return a present they consider a great insult. •' " He left his faithful Cossack behind him, and, accompanied by a poor fellow, followed the course of the Kolyma. He was now to the north of the Arctic Circle, but had not lost the sight of the sun, which was the only thing that cheered his de- solate path. " The horse-track now was at an er^l, and you must fancy my traveller in a kind of a vehicle drawn by a team of thirteen dogs. A blanket ana pillow, besides his bear skin, formed a kind of bed inside, which was covered over with a frame of oil-cloth. He attempted to lie down in this bed, but felt so dreadfully suffocated, that he took his NORTHERN REGIONS. 283 r, told ited to From i^nglish rossing ik, and town, -tion of ti from nM\ r. JStj ior sables, b To t. a, and, course of the of the his de- id you ehicle :et ana of bed me of s bed, ok his %. knife and cut his way out of it in a great passion, and tossing the covering into the snow, he exposed his face and neck to the air, and thus proceeded. He still suffered from want of exercise, and at last became so drowsy, that the driver had great dif- ficulty in rousing him from this dangerous state of stupefaction. " He was carried fifty-five miles by the same dogs, and after a perilous journey, he reached Nishney Kolymsk on the last day of the year. His sufferings had been great ; for notwithstand- ing the care ot Mr. Minitsky, he was worse clad dian any of the poorest guides or attendants ; and if it had not been for the providential present of the knee-caps, nothing could have enabled him to reach the end of the journey." ,t' :■ '-t '. --■ CHAP. HL " Captain Cochrane was received at Nishney Kolymsk by Baron Wrangel, who gave him a room in his own house ; and he was lucky in the lime of his arrival, for' the next day being new year's day, he ^vas overwhelmed with presents. First, while he was at breakfast, came two large fish about two hundred pounds weight each ; this he was told was for his winter's store, as every 284 NORTHERN REGIONS. one had already laid in theirs, and it could not be supposed that he had brought any with him. Next came a leather frock, to be worn while he was in the Kolyma. It was trimmed with sable and martin fur. Boots, trowsers, shoes, and stockings, were added, sufficient for a year's wear, besides which was a bear's skin for his bed, a lea- ther blanket lined with hare's skin, and gloves sent him by the ladies. " itji - Wrangel was preparing for his expe- dition to certain whether the continent of Asia joins the continent of America, as some have sup- posed. Captain Cochrane offered his service'^ to accompany him, but they could not be accepted because he was a foreigner, and had not procured special permission from the Emperor of Russia. " He spent two happy months, however, in this rrmote corner of the earth, on the very shores of the Frozen Ocean." Uncle Richard. ** Come, Tom, let us hear how he amused himself; I may get some new ideas for my next visit to the Arctic regions." Tom. " Then I must mention to you, uncle, the ice mountains, which is in fact a Russian amusement, a number of feasts, many interesting books lent him by Baron Wrangel, and, what in- terested him most, making observations relative to the country. , not be 1 him. lile he 1 sable s, and s wear, , a lea- es sent 5 expe- jf Asia re sup- ice^ to :cepted ocured ssia. in this )res of s hear ir ideas uncle, ussian 'esting lat in- tive to NORTHERN REGIONS. 285 I " Nishney Kolymsk is rather a large town for that part of the world, and has four hundred inha- bitants. The want of grass prevents them from feeding more than two cows, and a few horses, who feed upon stunted trees, bark, and moss. Cossacks, pedlars, and priests, compose the populace; the latter are merchants, too, and are more industri- ous in trading than in saying their prayers. In summer they float the wood down the Kolyma, . build, and lay in stores for firing. In autumn and spring, they fish, and shoot birds. The women embroider all the articles of dress and assist in fishing. Farther to the south they mind the cat- tle. The riches of the people consist chiefly in their dogs, of which there are about eight hundred in the town. They take great care of them, and for six months in the year, allow them a plentiful supply of fish : about ten herrings each daily is their portioit; and the natives must be in a very starving condition before they will touch any of these fish allotted to the dogs. " The Kolyma is not nearly so productive in furs as it used to be ; but, foxes, white, blue, and red, are still met with on the shores of the Icy Sea. " There are two very curious disorders here, the accounts of which have made me laugh much. One of them is called Imerachism, and does not ! 286 NORTHERN REGIONS. affect the health of a person, but makes him do very ludicrous things. An Imerach cannot help doing whatever he sees the person doing who stands before him. He flies into violent passions, or fits of laughter, without any reason. " A dog-master, who was an Imerach, once saw his team of dogs attacked by a white bear; he ran to the) * defence, and the bear seeing him come up, reared himself upon his hind-legs, and began cry- ing and roaring in a great rage. The dog-master did just the same; the bear began to dance about, the dog-master followed his example, and the scene was most ludicrous, though very dangerous, till the other driver came up, and giving tlie bear a blow upon the nose, secured him." Uncle Richard. " The nose, Tom, I sup- pose your traveller tells you, is the only vulnerable part of the bear which can be attacked without fire-arms ; even then they must be shot through the head before they can be secured. " Have you any other anecdote, Tom, of this curious disorder?" Tom. " There were two old ladies both afflict- ed with this disorder, and they were one evening sitting opposite to one another at tea, when a mis- chievous person put his hand behind each of their backs, and gently bent them forwards. The two old ladies instantly exchanged cups and saucers NORTHERN REGIONS. 28T with one another, to the great diversion of the company. " Many people of rank have been banished from Russia to this remote region, and the punishment must have been a most severe one — cut off from every comfort, as well as from friends and fortune. " In the end of February, Baron Wrangel left the town, and with his party proceeded up the Kolyma, with the intention of tracing the shores of the Frozen Ocean as far as the East Cape. " Captain Cochrane having made up his mind to visit the fair of the Tchuitchi, and from thence to cross over Behring's Strait into North America, set off a few days after, accompanied by Mr. Ma- tuishkin and a few friends. I think this must be considered as almost his first entrance among savages. ' " The fair took place at the fortress, about one hundred and fifty miles from Nishney. It commenced by the Russian commissary baptizing two of the chiefs. These chiefs and their followers afterwards came in a kind of procession, dressed in their gayest apparel, seated in a narte drawn by two rein-deer, about thirty-five pairs of them. After they had paraded a little, the priest bap- tized other men and women, not by sprinkling them with water, but obliging them to strip and plunge three times into a cauldron of ice-water. 288 NORTHERN REGI0K8. The long hair of the women became surrounded by icicles. Tobacco was given by way of a present to the new converts, who like their re- ward so well, that they have been known to go over and over again to be christened. The com- missary then declares that the fair cannot be- gin till he has received a tribute for the Empe- ror Alexander, and all the chiefs came forward with a red fox-skin. The priest blesses them, and the poor people are quite happy, and very soon get quite drunk. ' ^ " The commissary then introduced the subject of Captain Cochrane*s wish to travel through their country, by telling them that he was come from the Emperor of Russia to accompany them through their dominions as interpreter, under- standing that two strange ships had arrived oif their coast, with whom they wished to trade. The chief replied, ' We want no interpreter, and will take none.' This was rather unpromising. But Captain Cochrane begged that they might be told that it could do them no harm to allow him to go with them, and it would be better than offending the great emperor. Another chief answered, that if the great emperor wished to send interpreters, he would doubtless afford to pay for them. " Tn fact they demanded a payment of several thousand pounds weight of tobacco, which you NORTHERN REGIONS. 289 'ounded ly of a lieir re- 1 to go le com- not be- Empe- forward em, and ry soon subject rh their 16 from f them under- ived off e. The md will r. But be told u to go Pending 3d, that preters, several ch you know, uncle, our poor traveller was utterly unable to give. The chiefs then agreed that he must be a poor emperor who would not give such a present as that, and that Captain Cochrane must be a pitiful interpreter who could not advance it him- self; and they added, sagaciously enough, * We doubt whether your friend can be an interpreter from the Emperor, for he cannot speak the Rus- sian language ; and, if he neither speaks Tchuckt- chi or Russian, of what use can he be to us ?" Uncle Richard. " Your traveller was in my opinion rightly served, for I am a plain old sailor, and never can think deception or falsehood justi- fiable on any pretence whatever ; and I am always pleased when the plain open truth appears and puts them to shame." " Thus, foiled in his wish of travelling through their country. Captain Cochrane determined to see all that Ke could of this singular people. He visited their camp, which was a few miles distant from the fortress. It consisted of three iarge and three small tents. The large ones, for the chiefs and their families, were horribly dirty; but the smaller ones, for the poorer people, were clean and comfortable. Like the Esquimaux huts, they are warmed and lighted by a single lamp, and the fur- piturie is still morp simple. A rein-de^r skin, • 2 c 290 NORTHERN REGIONS. lined with white fox's fur, is their bed, while an axe, a wooden bowl, and a few spoons, are all they need for their simple cookery. " Our traveller and his companion entered the tent of a toion, or chief, who with his wife and daughter were all naked. They received their visitors hospitably, however, and cooked them some rein-deer flesh, while their guests lolled on the rein-deer bed. The want of air in the tent rendered the smell so unpleasant and suffocating, that their visit was but a short one. The toion drove them home to the fortress in a narte, drawn by two rein-deer : it was quite a neat concern — leathern thongs served for reins, and he used a very pretty kind of whip, made of a long elastic cane, with an ivory knob at the end, formed out of the tooth of a sea-horse. A thump on the back with this knob made the animals pace away famous^/. But I am pleased to say, uncle, that these savages are not behind hand with yours in humanity to their brutes. They never whip either their rein- deer or their dogs, without it is absolutely neces- sary, and treat them quite as companions." Charles. " Ah, what a good lesson might these savages afford to many a civilized English- man. I saw a poor horse dragging a boat along the canal yesterday; its bones were starting through NORTHERN REGIONS. 291 liile an ill they red the ife and d their 1 them lolled he tent seating, e toion drawn icern — i a very c cane, of the jk with nous^/. savages nity to ir rein- neces- might inglish- t along hrough its skin, and its leader was lashing it so iinmerci- fnlly, that Louisa began to cry, and I could scarcely help giving the man a good blow with my cane." Tom. " I think the feeling of compassion for brutes is carried too far, if possible, among these Tchuktchi, who even consider it unmanly to ride, and walk great distances rather than fatigue their animals. They only allow their women and chil- dren to ride when they are going a long journey. " On returning to the fortress, they found the fair going on briskly. It was conducted in the following manner: the Tchuktchi had arranged themselves in a semi-circle opposite the fortress ; their little nartes were in front, covered with the furs they were going to barter, each native stand- ing by his own. The Russians place their large bags of tobacco in the middle of the semi-circle, and then walk round examining the furs and in- quiring their prices by means of interpreters. The natives take no trouble about the matter, and leave the Russians to drag their heavy bags about for hours, before they will agree to exchange. Just before the signal for barter is given, the scene is quite amusing. Russian pedlars, with pots, pans, kettles, knives, spoons, needles and scissors, hanging rattling about them in all directions, look like May-day sweeps. Cossacks, officers, priests, men, women, and children, are all thus 2c2 \ 292 yOftTH£RN REGIUKi!;. oddly decktxl, to which a few of tlie richer pedlars luld bells curaU, and pipes. '' In exclian^e lor these small articles the Rus- sians receive reii»-deer flesh and sea-horses* teeth. The heavy fur* of wolves and bears are sold at a - cheap rate, too, because they are troublesome for the natives to take back, or expensive for the Russians to transport. But tobacco was the article they received in exchange for their more valuable furs, iiuch as red and white and blue foxes, otters, and martinji^ for a few articles of dress, and for ornamenti^ made from sea-horses* teeth. These, however, were not procured from their own coun- try, but came Grcaa the Kargaules, a nation of North America, some few of whom were like'^ e at the fair. " The price set by the Russians was one martin park, or frock made of twenty martin-skins, and fifteen redfoxesfbrereTy hundredweight oftobacco; but the Tciiuktchi were very wary in making a bargain, and the Russians were obliged to lower their price. It h difficult to cheat a Tchuktchi, though all manner of ways are tried; sometimes by wetting tlie tobacco to increase its weight* The natives never bay without trying the tobacco by squeezing a leaf as hard as possible in their hand. If the leaf leaves any moisture, it is a sign it ha« been wet ; if it keeps in the shape that it has been )edlur» e U US- teeth. Id at a •me for for the Jas the * more i foxes, ss, and These, coun- tion of ke^ e martin s, and bacco; ing a lower ktchi, les by The o bjr land. : ha« been NORTHERN REGIONS. 293 squeezed to in the hand, it is reckoned weak ; but, if it expands quickly, it is considered strong and good tobacco. " On the third day of the fair the Russians brought their vodka to the market, and the wiiry Tchuktchi produced their most valuable goods — the brown and black fox-skins, but they sold them very dear, and took numbers back again with them. " This, most probably, was because they are not able to carry back with them more than a certain quantity of tobacco, which is too lieavy for their rein-deer, whom they are so unwilling to over- load, that every native sets off home with forty or fifty pounds of tobacco upon his own back. Their journey homewards towartls the Bay of St. Law- rence, takes them seventy or ninety days, the dis- tance being near five hundred miles." Charles. " Surely, the same rein-deer cannot drag their nartes all that distance ?" Tom. " No, the rein deer take them as far as the river Tchaon, where the natives have left their own, which they again take possession of, and leave the others there. " This fair is chiefly to supply the remote tribes of the Tchuktchi the Russian pedlars and mer- chants trading along the nearer rivers themselves. Each tribe has a chief or toion, three of whom came to the fair. They all pay a small tribute to 2c 3 ■i 204 NORTHERN REGIONS. the Emf 3r, but call themselves independent. They are distinct from one another, and speak a different langnage, and all so difficult to pro- nounce, that the interpreters are always laid up with sore throats three days after the fair has begun. " As a nation, these Tchuktchi are much more intelligent than the other northern Asiatics, al- most all of the boys reading and writing pretty well. They are intbrmed of every thing that takes place at Irkutsk and Yatusk almost as soon as it has happened, and they talk it over just as our village politicians do the gossip of the day. " Captain Cochrane, by means of interpreters, held many conversations with the chiefs. They told him that no land was ever seen to the north of their country, nothing but huge mountains of ice for ten months of the year. That during August and September the ice is a little broken, but not sufficiently so for ships to pass through." Uncle Richard. " That is bad news for us, if ever we go to the Arctic regions again. How- ever, go on, Tom, for I am interested with your account of these savages. Tom. " They are indeed a peculiar race. I am going, however, to close my account of them. In some respects they resemble the Esquimaux ; and Captain Cochrane is inclined to think that NORTHERN REGIONS. 295 Indent. >eak a pro- ^id up |ir has they are of American rather than of Asiatic ori- gin. They are avaricious, but honest; they are fond of tea ; and as for tobacco, they eat it, they smoke it, they chew it., and make snufFof it. They are a small, but healthy race, and their complex- ions are fair. Their rein-deer dresses are large and cumbersome, but clean. I must not omit re- marking, that their large iron kettle, which is their most valuable piece of furniture, is called ' Coukie,* in their language ; and it is possible that they are so called in remembrance of Capt. Cook, who first supplied them with these kettles. Ano- ther singular circumstance is this. Large armies of mice are occasionally seen to be moving, and it is supposed that they migrate somewhere, but where it is not known. All the clothes of the Tchuktchi are embroidered with mouse skin. '* Captain Cochran, now prepared to return to the Kolyma. He took a grateful leave of his kind host, who was of the Yukagir nation, and who had most hospitably entertained him. This old chief, like most other Asiatics, was , a capital chess player, while the "tchuktchi laughed at him for passing his time io idly. A light carriage and hungry dogs brought him, in two days, back to Mishney Kolymsk, where he met Baron Wrangel, who had already returned from his ex- pedition, round Shelatskoy Noss." 'J I If 1 HPMPIM 296 NORTHERN REGIONS. 1^ CHAP. IV. " To take leave of Baron Wrangel, in whom he had found a friend and brother, was very melan- choly; but Captain Cochrane was anxious to begin his travelling before the ice was likely to break up. At the latter end of March, therefore, he set out in a narte, drawn by thirteen dogs, ac- companied by a Commissary, Cossacks, and Yakuti. He determined to travel to Okotsk, by the direct road, in opposition to the advice of every one at Nishney, who warned him of the dangers he would certainly encounter. His dogs drew him eighty miles the first day, and he soon reached Sredne, where he was greeted affectionately by his old Cossack servant, Peter TrechekofF, in whose house he lodged. It was a pleasure to him to find thai the good character he had given this man had caused him to be made a serjeant. " He spent two days with his old friend, wait- ing for a new Cossack, who had been appointed to attend him ; he, poor fellow, being newly mar- ried, did not like to go so far from home, and leave his young wife, just as the busy fishing season was about to begin. He was obliged to submit, however, with the promise of being allowed to re- turn direct to the Kolyma, and he had the com- mmm Northern Regions. 1^7 fort of knowing that his wife would be just as well provided with her store fish as if he were at home to catch for her. Such is the friendly custom of this poor place ! ^ " A fall into a snow pit was their first adven- ture. Their horses scrambled up the sides of the pit and ran away, leaving them and the baggage to fare as well as they could. They walked on to the next yourte, which was about ten miles off, and despatched people for their horses and baggage. " While this was going on, a skatnane, or sor- cerer, afforded abundant amusement to Captain Cochrane. A short coat, ornamented with little bits of iron, the size of a pen-knife blade^ embroidered boots, cap, and gloves, was the peculiar dress he wore. He seated himself near the sick person whom was going to cure, smoaked a pipe, then struck his tambourine, and sung a most melancholy song. 'I'hen he began to jump about; and he roared and screamed so hor- ribly, and made such dreadful faces, that he h^vd every appearance of being a madman. He next drew his luiife, and seemed to plunge it intc^ his body, but no blood appeared. The fa* >, the shamanes are enabled, from habit, to draw in that part of the stomach, in which it appears as if the knife were entering. He then dismissed the party ' " ' iW i i ^ By 298 NORTHERN REGIONS. assembled to hear him cast the demon out of the sick man's body, and told them to come the next day, for that the evil one would not obey until a fat mare had been sacrificed to him." Uncle Richard. " The blindness and weak- ness of the people in being deceived by such im- postors is most wonderful." J.OM. " These sorcerers are even more im- pudent than your old friend, uncle ; for they pro- fess not only to cure diseases, but to change the weather, give success in hunting, and find stolen things. " Verchney Trolymsk, still on the river Koly- ma, was the next village, and was two hundred and fifty miles from Sredne : here, however, the travellers allowed themselves only a day's rest, and again set forth over dreary and desolate wilds. After crossing a mountainous pass, the country on one side became more luxuriant, and our travel- lers were supplied with food in a manner quite original. The country was full of partridges and hares, and the wandering Yakuti had set up mul- titudes of traps for the benefit of other travellers, this condition being understood, that they should set the trap in their turn. It consists of a log of wood, supported by a little wooden fork. The partridges touch this fork, and the log instantly falls upon them and crushes them. NORTHERN REGIONS. 299 " When this charitable supply was at an end, the Cossack suffered much from hunger, not being able to partake of horses' flesh, and his guide being almost blind, their journey was not a very merry one ; the snow was deep and soft, and the scene most dismal. Not a blade of grass or moss for the eye to rest upon. " The scenery became very magnificent as they approached the Lake Boulouktak; but the poor home-sick Cossack became much worse ; and after staying to nurse him five days at a yourte. Captain Cochrane was forced to proceed without him, tak- ing in his stead a Yakut, a stupid, gluttonous, lazy fellow, six feet high. With this sorry companion he traversed the mountainous paths leading to the river Omekou, but they soon got bewildered ; and having ascended a steep and slippery rock, and slid down a precipice a hundred feet high, they would soon have been lost if the sick Cossack had not reached them just at this time, and led them into the right path. " In this desolate place however, they were obliged to pass the nighi after supping upon horse flesh ; but when morning came, the grand puzzle was, how to ascend the mountain. It was so slippery that the Cossack and himself were obliged to creep up the sides, cutting and hacking the ice with hatchets, to get some kind of footing. Then ^^ v: If H ff 300 NORTHERN REGIONS. they made r* long striiig of leathern thongs, and dragging up the baggage, lef itdown the opposite side. But how to get their horses up, they could not devise. Tlie poor creatures, accustomed to all manner of dangerous travelling were very tame and tractable, and with hard labour got 'to the middle of the ascent, but they could get no far- ther, the fatigue was too great, And they were forced down again, and reached the bottom in a miserable state. The situation of the whole party was terrible, they had been without fire, and the horses without food for two days, and the greedy Yakut grumbled at his hard work and poor fare, not having been allowed more than twenty pounds of meat a day. " As their luggage and bedding had been re- moved, they passed the night in a wretched state. The two next days they succeeded in passing over the horses they wished to take with them, and killing one for food, they again started. But they had lost five fine travelling days, and they paid 4^ar for this unlucky accident. *** The wither was now becoming mild and pleasant, and the country often abounded with game, but the little rivers were breaking up, and '«< they were often obliged to wade through them. Their Yakut giant, who thought only of eating, was become very careless and saucy, and the mmnffi JUpit, u imiiiipi m rs, and pposite f could ned to ytame to the no far- y were >in in a e party md the greedy jr fare, pounds een re- 1 state, ig over n, and lit they ly paid Id and d with p, and them, eating, id the h I hiZ-liMf .iprii^*!'jd't5.by J.ffunis.S.'PniiLi ihiinii Yum J Northern regions. 301 Cossack was forced to bring him back to subjec- tion by a good flogging. Tliey left him at last, and travelling as fast as possible, soon came to the l)eautiful valley of the Omekon, where a Yakut prince gave them half a rein-deer, and, what was the greatest treat to Captain Cochrane, tea and milk. " Two or three of these princes accompanied him to the yourte of the Yakut Prince of Omekon, Peter Gotossop, where the hospitable reception he met with, and his bed of rein-deer skins, re- warded him for his sufferings and toils. *' The rich valley of the Omekon is filled with cattle and horses, the latter of which are so much prized by the Yakuti, that they will not let them be loaded, scarcely ridden on ; in fact, they are almost kept for show. The beautiful scenery, the clean yourtes with their hospitable inhabitants, tlie good fare, and happy look of this valley, might well have tempted our weary traveller to have remained there, and the natives united their warm persuasions to prevent him from continuing his perilous journey. ^^ But he was resolute, and he set oat in search of the Tongousians, from whom he hoped to get a supply of rein-deer. He fell in with them at last, and sending a herald to their chief, Prince ShoumielofF, he was received by him in fiiU state. 2d i&a&i««^^. 302 NORTHERN REGIONS. His dress was a black suit of velveteen, a cocked- hat, a sword, with medals in abundance hanging from his neck. These empty honours had been sent him in exchange for his property. Formerly he was rich, and called many thousands of rein- deer his own ; now he is poor and has but a few iumdred. He is obliged to live upon fish, which the rein-deer Tongousian considers a great hardship. '' After much persuasion and a few glasses of vodka, he agreed to provide Captain Cochrane with rein-deer to take him to Okotsk, and he said he would accompany him himself. " The rein-deer are caught as the Mexicans catch their bullocks. A man mounted on a well trained rein-deer, takes in his hands a long line formed into a noose at the end. He gallops quickly past the wild rein-deer, throws "the noose over its horns, and thus secures him. " With fifty fine rein-deer and the prince as his guide, they left the valley, but the snow rapidly melting, made the travelling so fatiguing, that many of the poor rein-deer died of fatigue. The prince was very angry, and threatened to leave the party. The difficulty of passing the mountains in- creased, more rein-deer died, and the others we're weak and exhausted. In fact, after some few quar- rels with the prince, who attempted to cheat him in no very princely manner, they all returned to the KORTHERN REGIONS. 303 V a: cocked- hanging lad been formerly of rein- ut a few hich the rdship. [lasses of i^ochrane 1 he said ^exicans m a well long line ! gallops he noose ice as his rapidly ng, that e. The leave the tains in- ers wete jw quar- kt him in d to the Omekon, and Captain Cochrane was obliged to procure horses to take him on towards Okotsk. " After a long and dangerous journey they reached the ford over the Okota river. The stream was about twenty yards across, the horses and baggage passed in safety to the opposite shore, and as they were puzzled how to get at a canoe which uas fastened there, he fastened a rope round his body and swam over, and return- ed with it, to the great gratitude of his compa- nions. " Hunger and fatigue were their portion for many days : sometimes they had a partridge be- tween four ; at others, only a few berries. They set to work, and felled timber to construct a raft ; upon this they embarked with their baggage. '< This raft was so ingenious, that it deserves notice. About ten logs of trees fifteen feet long composed the body of it ; they were crossed by five others, and two to make a seat for the person who took care of the baggage. The logs were fastened together by leather thongs, and ap- peared strong enough to encounter a good thump. Other logs were made into oars to steer with, the Captain himself being steersman. They had some difficulty in hauling this concern into the middle of the stream, but when once it was so, it floated along so rapidly, that they were almost giddy when 2 D 2 mm 304 VOBTHERN REGIONS. they passed the tree* and rocks. No accident how- ever happened, and they were in hopes of getting to Okotsk to breakfast, when lo ! on turning a corner, a large tree growing out into the river, withJtt branches jutting oat in all direction^*, threat- ened them with certain wreck. The Cossack and Yakut crossed thenLselves. Captain Cochrane quietly watclied: they struck, and the raft re- bounded and was upset. The two men however, were able to keep bold of it, and it drifted them in safety down the stream to an island. Captain Cochrane clung to a branch of the tree, his body under water, head and hands only above. He made an effort and sprang upon the top of the tree, the branch broke and he fell down into the water, and was likewise carried by the current to the island. ^* Here then they were all safely landed, but in a most terrible plight, separated by a rolling channel from the side of the river they were anx- ious to reach, without any means of reaching it." Uncle RfciJARii. ** Necessity is the mother of invention, and sailors have always a thousand resources, which jou land-people who live in quiet ease at home, hare no idea of. I have no doubt your traveller hit upon some very ingenious mod« of extricating himself Tom." Tom. '^ You shall bear. He first of all got NORTHERN REGIONS. 305 some dry clothes, and warmed himself by exer- cise. Then to save the baggage and raft was liis next care, and in that lie succeeded. Night was approaching, and he felt sure that if they re- mained in the island they might be washed over, nor could he venture to launch the raft in the dark. He walked to the end of the island, and there he found a tree which had fallen from the river side, nearly half way across the narrowest part of the stream. The current was so strong, between the island and the tree, that it would have been madness to have attempted to swim, and therefore he resolved to build a bridge." Charles. " A bridge, Tom, why how could he build a bridge in one day, without stones, bricks, or mortar?" ToM. <' He did though, anJ you shall hear how he managed it. He fetched the logs which remained from the broken raft and his baggage to the spot opposite the tree. Four of his hea- viest luggage bags he fastened together, and put them into the water; to these he fastened two logs, which did not however reach the tree. He walked along this bridge carrying with him two other logs which he fastened to the end. One more log completed his bridge which now reached the tree. Over this slender bridge the Cossack followed him, and they both reached the opposite 2 D 3 306 NORTHERN REGIONS. bhore in safety : nothing, however, could induce the Yakut to trust his body upon it. " Captain Cochrane therefore rerurned to him, and cutting up a leather bag, he made a long line, one end of which he threw over the river to the Cossack, and fastened the other to the island. He then collected his logs and made them into a small raft, vhich, having a line fast to each end of it, the Yakut was drawn safely over by the Cossack, and, by means of the other line. Cap- tain Cochrane drew it back in order to follow. " In crossing over himself, however, the raft upset, and he got a good ducking. He managed to keep hold of the raft f-nd was dragged out, but in so cold a state, that his clothes resembled a coat of ice. " All this was accomplished by ten o'clock at night, and you may suppose the party were quite cheery, when, by means of flint and steel, they had the benefit of a blazing fire. But in fact there was now almost as much danger of being burnt to death as there had been of their starv- ing, for the v,-oods and the grass were so dry, that the flames spread till he whole forest was in a blaze. " This immense fire however had one good effect, which was, to tempt the other Yakut guide to swim his horses over the river to join the party, which NORTHERN REGIONS. 30T induce to him, ig line, to the island. into a > each by the Cap- le raft inaged It, but a coat ock at 3 quite , they Q fact being starv- r, that i in a effect, swim ivhich was a most seasonable arrival, as, from the great scarcity of food, the Yakuti. would have been unable to return to their own country without. " They spent the night in drying their clothes, and preparing for their next day's journey, and at length, after being five days with no food but a few berries, they reached the abode of a Yakut prince, in a small island of the Okotaj from whom they got a small supply of horse flesh, which they now considered a dainty. " He entered Okotsk next morning, where his haggard appearance, his frost-bitten face, long red beardj and longer hair, excited the astonish- ment and pity of all who saw him. He was re- ceived with kindness by the chief. Captain CJshin- ky, and felt a degree of pride at having at length, after so many perils and escapes, reached the shores of the North Pacific Ocean. " Captain Ushinsky told him that he been long expected at Okotsk, but that when he had heard that he was gone from Yakutsk to the Kolymc, he gave him up for lost." Uncle Richard. " No wonder, I think ; and yet I am inclined to think, that where a man has strength of body, foresight, and a quick inven- tion, he may travel with greater safety in any country than is generally imagined.^' \ i 308 NORTHERN REGIONS. Tom. " At Okotsk, Captain Cochrane fornir ed the resolution of returning to Europe, after he had first visited Kamschatka ; but you must not imagine, uncle, that it was a fear of the difficulties or dangers of the enterprize that brought him to thi." determination. These were his reasons. " In the first place there was no ship going from Okotsk to America during the course of that year ; in the second, the Russian Govemmenthad fitted out two expeditions, in neither of which he was allowed to go, for the purpose of making similar discoveries to what he had proposed to himself. He was ignorant of these expeditions when he set out, but they rendered his own useless. '^ Having thus arranged his future plans, he got himself respectably dressed in blue trowsers and great coat, and with his beard and hair some- what lessened, he once more looked like a human being. '' Okotsk is a small town, and having lately been removed from the sea-shore, is scarcely finished; it will be a neat place when com- pleted, and is a depot for the American trading company. There is a great deal of shipping going on, and salt works at which the convicts labour. There is little society in the place, but .'M NORTHERN REGIONS. 309 it is rapidly inproving under Captain Ushinsky, who studies to improve the condition of the na- tives, and to do away with the old and barbarous customs of the place." CHAP. V. " And now, uncle, what have you to say to a year in Kamschatka, among the refuse of Russia ; pick-pockets, thieves, and criminals of all kinds, who are banished from Russia to this second Botany Bay? " Captain Cbchfane was too restless and adven- turous to stay long in so dull a place as Okotsk, and after a safe voyage of fourteen days, reached the harbour of St. Peter and St. PauPs on the south-east coast of the long peninsula of Kams- chatka. '* Here he had the delight of meeting some of his own country people, and passed two months most happily. Here, too, he had leisure to fall in love !" Uncle Richard. " And was the lady a Kams- chadale ?" Tom. " Yes, indeed uncle, and it ended in marriage, but not till he made the tour of Kams- chatka, through which you must follow him, or at least you must listen to the observations he made, 310 NORTHERN REGIONS. for as at this time he travelled with a comfortable set-out of dogs and attendants through a country, wild indeed, but sprinkled with Russians, he had not many adventures to relate. " Throughout the whole of the peninsula of Kamschatka runs a magnificent chain of moun- tains. It is intercepted too by rivers and lakes, which are impassable except in winter, and prevent the natives from holding any communi- cation with one another. Winter occupies one half the year, though these are mild compared with those in Siberia. In summer, heavy rains and fogs make it very unpleasant, and, though plenty of wood, there is but little cultivation. ** Their furs are the greatest riches the Kams- chadales can boast of, and next to these their dogs, who do all the work that our useful horses do for us. They are rough-looking, but most sagacious animals, resembling a common house- dog. They have abundance of game and fish, and whales which have been killed by th(3 sword- fish, for the sake as it is supposed of their tongue, are found dead upon their shores. '* The natives live in neat Russian villages, and have mostly been baptized. They are still drunken and servile, though good-natured, ond strikingly hospitable. In winter they keep to their old fur clothing, but in summer they NORTHERN REGIONS. 311 dress in nankeens, and most of them wear a shirt. The women wear a Russian head-dress : and in fact, being supplied 'with every thing they can want by the Russian pedlars, they now live just like Russian peiisants. But still they are impro- vident to a degree, and will part with their most valuable furs for a glass of spirits, and place the same reliance now upon their priests, which they formerly did upon their sorcerers. " It is much to be doubted whether these Kams- chadales are rendered happier by this mixture of the Russians with them. The introduction of spirits is ruinous to them. They do not hesitate to leave their wives and families in a starving state in order to supply themselves with vodka. The tax which they pay to the Russian Govern- ment is levied most unmercifully, and the pedlars are a public nuisance ; wherever they come, open house is kept for them. They extort a shameful price for their goods, and they feed themselves and dogs at a poor fellow's yourte, perhaps for weeks, without giving them a word of thanks when they go away. Besides these grievances, there are the government officers who travel about to collect levies. An officer will enter a yourte, take possession of the warmest corner, the Toion and his wife take off his upper clothes, clean the snow off and dry them. They scrape his boots, and the woman prepares the best dinner she can. di2 NORTHERN REGIONS. I ■ ' i The poor Toion comes in, and forces a kind of smile as he presents his unwelcome guest a fine pair of black sables. When dinner is ended, the officer asks how many sables have been caught, which they bring him, and receive in return a few hand- kerchiefs and a little tobacco. He then orders his dogs and departs. Charles. " What infamous conduct! how pre- ferable is the rude independence of the Tchuktchi." Tom. " It is, indeed. The present chief, Captain Rickord, is doing much for the comfort and welfare of the colony, and some future govei*- nor will, perhaps, rescue these poor fellows from their servile state. " After a tedious and unsatisfactory journey, Captain Cochrane returned to St. Peter's and St. Paul's, where his marriage was soon after solem- nized, with much greater parade than if it had taken place in 1 England ; and, added to his many singular adventLires, it was not the least, that he should be the first Englishman who had married a Kamschadale, and his wife should be the first Kamschadale female who had ever visited Eng- land." Charles. ^* I am glad to find, then, that he did not stay to live in Kamschatka, for I do not like the place, from your account, at all." Tom. *< He was much pressed to do so ; but he longed for the winter to pass, that he might be f smile pair of officer which hand- orders )wpre- ktchi." chief, omfort gover- ns from urney, md St. solem- it had » many hat he larried le first 1 Eng- hat he do not 3; but ght be VOBTHERN REGIONS. 318 able to set out homewards. The vessel, however, was not ready till June, and then he and his wife bade adieu to Kamschatka. << At Okotsk they made preparations for a six- weeks' journey to Yakutsk, and joined a caravan of a hundred horses. His wife had never seen a horse before in her life, and was dreadfully fright- ened at first mounting one. The dangers she had to encounter were in fact very great. She was thrown from her horse on tl\e banks of the Urak River, and lay without speaking for twelve hours. There were six ladies in the caravan, which moved but slowly along ; and the fatigue of the journey was such that many horses died. This grieved the Yakuti guides more than their own sufferings. Out of thirteen for his own use, Captain Cochrane only saved one horse, and was dbliged to supply their places with oxen. *^ After this terrible journey* they readied Ya- kutsk on the 1st of October. <' The Yakud people are of Tartar origin, and of ^ light copper complexion. They are terrible glut- tons, and live mostly upon horse-flesh, breeding vast quantities of those animals in their pastures. The poorer kind dress in horses skins, the richer in those of rein-deer, Tlieir yourtes are formed of wooden planks filled up with grass, earth, and dung, and blocks of transpaient ice serve as windows. The 2£ 814 NORTHERN REGIONS. fire-place is in the centre, and is formed by sticks propped up. Each family has a separate hut, which, however, is strongly scented from the cow- house, which always joins the yoiirte. They have a much greater variety of kitchen utensils than the Other Asiatic savages; and the richer ones use a tea-urn ; but none of them ever use plates, but eat .in the Esquimaux fashion, filling their mouths quite full, and then cutting off the piece of meat :close to their mouths. They drink warm melted butter to finish their meal, and smoke a pipe of tobacco by way of dessert. ... <• I need not tell you much of Yakutsk, as we have been there before. The travellers left it after a stay of two months, and their next journey was enlivened by the parhelia, or mock suns, which they saw. My astronomical brother Charles will explain to you what these are, and how they are accounted for, for I am going to proceed with the party who were jaunting alongin sledges. ■ ** They bade adieu to the Lena River, on whose course, which is three thousand miles, there are but two towns situated, and came to Irkutsk, where they made a long stay, enjoying their first taste of good society. From this place Captain Cochran^ miide a tour to the precincts of the Chinese em- pire, but I do not think, uncle, that he saw any thing of interest besides what I related to you when NORTHERN REGIONS. 315 )y sticks ate hut, the cow- ley have than the es use a f but eat mouths ! of meat melted pipe of ij as we ft it after rney was IS, which irles will they are with the he was there before. He returned to Irkutsk, and from thence pursued his former route to lomsk, Tobolsk, Kougour, Perme, and Kazan. From thence he entered Russia, not as he had left it, on foot and alone, but travelling comfortably, in a cart suitable to the country he was in, and with his wife. He reached Moscow, put up at the London Hotel, and had leisure to look about him and enjoy himself. I shall just convey him to St. Petersburg, and there leave him, at Mrs. Rea*s Hotel, engaged in all manner of gaieties, after receiving many compliments from the English residents and merchants there." Uncle Richard. 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