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Attiiur of "Thb Ghfat Frozen Sea," etc. TART I. T HAVE selected t'lc aliove title for the -*■■ articles which I pi-oposc to present, with all (lifliilence, to the readers of Good Words, because what I am ab the adoption of the proposed scheme ; those antagonistic to it being principally influen tial men residing in Eastern Canada, ami those who, although living in Winnipeg ami the North-West, were pecuniarily interested in tlie moral and material progress of thii Eastern provinces. They were fully imbueil with the idea that the scheme, if attempted, would prove a financial failure, advancing as their main argument that Hudson's Bay and Strait would not oc navigable for a suffi- cuntlylong period during the year, to enable ships to convey ihe produce of the country to Eui'opcan markets, and that the railway, if constructed, would therefi^re be inoperative for at least eight months in every year. On the other hand, those in favour of the scheme were confident that the Strait was open to navigation for at least four months during each year, ami in all probability for a much longer time, and they maintaiKed that even that period would suffice not only to make the construction of the railway a finan- cial success, but that its existence would also tend to }»romote the commercial development of the country In order to throAv some light on the sub- ject, which was admitted to be a very im- portant one, the Dominion Government of Canada in 1884 authorized the expendi- ture of a large sum of money for the pur- pose of defraying the expenses of a steamer to be dispatched to Hudson's Bay that 24 GOOD WORDS. Captain Markham iu travelling outdt. yec'ir, for the express purpose of establishing meteorological stations in various positions on both sides of the Strait, with the view of receiving reports on the state and condition of the- ice, and obtaining full particulars regarding its movements, together with other important matters connected with the mete- orology of those regions, for a period of twehe consecutive months. The Dominion Govern- ment also intimated their intention to ])re- scnt, as a free gift, to any company that should undertake the construction of a rail- way, no less tlian 8,400,000 acres of land, reserved from the crown lands on the line of route Lo be selected. So keen was the in- terest evinced in the pioposed undertaking, that the i)rovincial Parliament of Manitoba also voted a grant of £900,000, at 4 per cent, per annum fur twenty-five years, to assist in carrying it out. _ The leason for the lively interest that was displayed in the Xorth-West, and the eager- ness that was manife.sted to promote the scheme, is not ditficult of solution. The distance by rail from Winnipeg to New York is 1,779 miles; and from Winnipeg to Montreal 1,12.') miles. By establish- ing direct railway communication between Winnipeg and Hudson's Lay, the distance l)y rail to a sea- l)ort is reduced to sor:^thing under 700 miles ; and it has been esti- mated (but I am unable to vouch fur the accui'acy of the CLitimation, although I believe it to be bond fide), that a saving of no less than 5s. per quarter will be eflfectcd on each quarter of grain exported to l']urojte by tiio pF'oposed route, whilst from £3 to £\ will be saved on each head of cattle so trans- ported. The establishment of such a route would not have the efFect of lengthening, to any appreciable ex tent, the sea-voyage, whilst it would reduce, Ijy more than one-half, the railway journey between England and the North- West. This is also a matter of great importance, not only to the farmers of Manitoba and adjacent districts, but also to intending emigrants, who would, by the proposed route, reach their destination earlier and with greater ease and comfort, than if they took their passage vul Montreal or New- York ; whilst they would not be ex- posed to the risk of being induced to break their journey and settle in the eastern parts of Canada, or perhaps even iu the United I States, a matter of no slight significance. j It is easy to understand the lukewarmness, ^ not to say opposition, that was displayed to the adoption of the scheme by the eastern cities, and those connected with the new Canadian Pacific Railway. If the pro- posed line was constructed, it would de- prive them of a very large amount of traffic, both of passengers and of cargo, that must now necessarily pass through theii ' country and over their lines of conveyance. j The goods required for consumption in the , Nortli-West would, if the scheme was carried \ out, be received direct from England, instead of being supplied by the eastern cities, and of course at very much reduced rates ; and they would be deprived of the opportunity of retaining in their own country a certain number of intending emigrants, who would, if left to themselves, with no inducements held out to them to remain, have preferred to settle in the west. These reasons have^ doubtless, influenced the minds of eastern capitalists, and in a TlHiOUail HUDSON'S STRAIT AND BAY. itablish- nication [iitlson's ,0 a sea- '' under o ^ CU CStl- voucli imatioii, ml fide), than 5s. ctcd oij )rtod ti> routt!, be saved 10 trans- such a effect of iable ex it would half, the England lis is also ance, not Vlanitoba t also to would, ach their h greater ;hey took 1 or New lot be ex- iduced to e eastern le United mce. i^armness, played to e eastern the new the pro- ould de- lount of of cargo, ugh their iveyance. )n in the as carried d, instead ities, and ates ; and portunity a certain lio would, lucements preferred influenced and in a certain measure, although their integrity of ]nu'|i(i.so a' 'I patriotism is not to be doulited, prt'judiceu tlietii ngainst the scheme; but tlieso men should not forgot that in a yoiuig ;iiid growing country like Canada, patriotism, to be true, should Ijo regarded in its broadest and most comprehensive sense ; the welfare and development of the whole Dominion !^hould be considered, and not be limited solely to provinces ai.d districts, in which those iuHuontial men who Ai'icldsuch a power for good or for evil in the State, are pecunia- rily interested. Looking at it from a perfectly impartial point of view, and having very carefully con- sidered the matter on all its bearings, it appears to ma to bo an incontrovertiltle fact, that the establishment of a seaport, F;ome bOO .niles nearer to Winiu'pcg than Mon- treal (the nearest port at wliich goods can now 1)0 shipped and transhipped), must be of the greatest possible value and import- ance to the extonsivo wheat-bearing and cattle-producing country which claims "NVin- nijjog as its mercantile centre. Tlicre seems to be a general concensus of opinion among those who are the most inte- rested in tiic success, or failure, of the pro- ject, namely, the peojjle of Manitoba and the North-West, that a railroad to Hudson's Bay is aljsolutcl}' necessary, in onler to give thera an easier, a more expeditious, and a less The Carthaginian amongst Icebergs. expensive means of conveyance for their produce than they at present enjoy. Among those who are opposed to the scheme, and who have systematically thrown cold water upon it, are the majority of the otiicials of the Hudson's Bay Company. I do not mean to say that all those who are associated with that once powerful and wealthy corporation are averse to the construction of a railway, but the majority of those belonging to that Company, whom it was my pleasure, and privilege, to meet during my recent journey through their dis- tricts in the Hudson's Bay territory, took no j)ains to conceal their aversion to the accom- plishment of the undertaking. They have been so loi.g isolated from the outside world, and are so conservative in their ideas, and are withal so loyal to their cmplo}ers, that they naturally view with dis- favour a scheme, the achievement of which would have the efTect of opening up the country and driving the fur-bearing animals, the great source of their profits, to more renujte reirions. After all, tiie only real and soiuid reason that can be advanced by the opponents of the scheme, is the supposed impracticability of naviifatina; the strait leadintr into Hud- son's Bay for a sufficient time during the year, to make the construction of the railroad a renuuierative speculation for the share- GOOD WORDS. 1 f lioUlora. This is the solo contention, but it is a very in^.nitiiiit one. Those inin,i(;;il to tlie scheme aver that Hudson's Strait is open only for a very shoi't mil uncertain i)eri(ul thiiing eacii year, and that even (hiring that time, the navigation is rendered extremely hazardous, not to say dangerous, on account of the heavy masses of ice with Avhich it is reputed to he choked. Against these assertions and statements, we have it on undouhted authority, that (hiring Uie last two hundred and .seventy years the .Strait has been successfully navigated by vessels belonging to the Hudson's IJay Com- pany, by men of-war, by vessels engaged in exploration, and by whalers and other ships, altogether by about seven hundred vessels ; tliat out of this large numhei' the loss3es have been infinitesimal, whilst the number that have failed to acliieve the pa.ssago of the .Strait, either on the outward or homeAvard passages, have been very small indeed. It nuist be boiiie in mind that the vessels, towhicli I am now alluding, were all sailing ships, and that the majority of them Avere small, frail, and ill found. These vessels invariably made the passage through the Strait during the months of July or August, and sometimes even as early as the month of June. No difficulty, so far as I am aware, lias ever been experienced during the return voyaje, for ice is rarely met in the Strait so late as October, the month the ships usually select to ..ail for their homeward journey. During the latter part of October the young, or what is called pancake, ice begins to form, but although the Strait is clear of ice not infrequently as late as November, it is not advisable, or prudent, for a sailing ship to delay the return voyage later than the latter end of October. Steam has, however, in the present day entirely revolutionized ice navigation. This was brought very prominently to my notice during a voyage I made to BaflSn's Bay and the Gulf of Boothia in 1873, in a steam whaler from Dundee, nhen in the short period of six months we succeeded in passing positions that had been reached by previous explorers, only after long and weary months of toil and hard work. It was also my pri- vilege to be a witness of the great advan- tages possessed by a ship with steam power engaged in ice navigation, when I served as Commander of the Alert under Sir George Nares in 1875 when, in three short months citer our departure from England, we suc- ceeded in reaching the latitude of 82' 27' N., the highest northern latitude that has ever oi- siuce, by a been reached, either before .shi{). It is, therefore, only natural for us to infer that what has been so often succes!^- fully accomplished, year after year for more than two centuries, by small and indillerently e(iuipped sailing ships, can be better, and witl: a greaLer degree of certainty, achieved by powerful steamers specially constructed for ice navigation. It is also reasonable to assume that with steamers specially adapteil for this particular work, the passage through the Strait can be accomplished at an earlier date on the outward voyage from Liveri)Ool, and, inferentially, at a later date on the pas- sage home, than could have been performed by the old sailing vessels. This, then, was the whole bono of conten- tion, and the matter that was re([uii'ed to be settled was briefly this : Is the Strait open to navigation for a sufficiently long period (Juring the year, as to render it expedient to create a seaport on the shores of Hudson's Bay in direct communication by rail with Winnipeg, or any other large town in the North- West ? I have already stated that the Canadian Government had dispatched a steamer in 1884, for the express purpose of establish- ing meteorological stations in various posi- tions in the neighbourhood of Hudson's Strait. No less than six of these .stations were established, and placed in charge of young Canadian gentlemen who, attract(;d by the novelty of the duties that would be required of them, as well as by the interest attached to the situation, had volunteered for and received the appointments. In 1885 the Alert was sent up by the Canadian Government with the object of visiting these stations, and also for the pur- pose of relieving the ol:)servers ; as it was considered, and very rightly, that a period of twelve months was quite long encjugh for the men to live in such a rigorous climat(>, and in such complete isolation from the out- ward world, for the stations were too far apart for the residents of one to communi- cate with those at another. The Alert, it will be remembered, was the same vessel tliat was commanded b}' Sir George Nares in the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6, and having recently returned from a successful trip, to Smith Sound, for the pur- pose of rescuing Major Greeley and the sur- vivors of the late American Arctic Expedition, had been lent to the Canadian Government by the Admiralty, with a view of being em- ployed on this special service. As I was on the point of leaving England THROUGH HUDSON'S STRAIT AND BAY. 27 ICO, l>y a 3r us to succesK- for inoro illcronlly tter, ami achiuvi'il nstructod onablo tn : adiiMti'il 2 throu,i;h an eailici" jivorpool, [1 the pas- lerfuriucd •f contcn- ired to be ,it open to led dining to create I's Bay in ^Vinnii)eg, •th-West ? Canadian :camer in ostablish- ious posi- Hudson's e stations charge of attracted would be 10 interest )Uinteored ip by the object of r the pur- as it was a period g en(Migh us cHiuate, n the out- e too far communi- 1, was the ul by Sii- edition of icd from a r the pur- d the sur- xpedition, )vernment being em- England regard navigating the Strait I, nioHt opportunely, through the kindness of a fiiond, made the aciiuaintanco of a Cana- ,ii.in gentleman, a member of tlie Dominion Parliament, who had come over to this country in the interest of the proposed Hudson's Bay Kailway Company. On being informed of my desire to visit Hudson's Bay, he very kindly ortercd me a piu^.sage from Halifax to Y(jrk Factory in the .Ihrt, as he hawn on the bosom of thoso waters over whieli I had idready sailed. The very siij;ht of thetn l)i()ii^lit to my mind old and pl"asant re- colleetions. Passed us these large floating masses of ice were in apparently mid ocean. in an otherwise perfect sea of solitude, I could not but help being reniimled of the words of tlu! author of (he " I'aradiso of liirds, " who .says : — " ItfTP nil in rultcl liy filcnro fur and wiilr, S.ivc li^rlit w.ivci l.iliiitnt,' on the i(i'b( i(f'8 iiitlc." St. -lobirs, Xewfoiuidhiid, was reaelied on the morning of the Kith. With the excejt- tion of the new eatlndral, designed by Sir (Jilbert Scott, liut which, alas! is still irieom- plete and saddled with a debt of ,£:U>,000, there is littl of interest to be .seen at St. .lohn's. It reminded me somewhat of the most nortlii'iii town in the world, llanimei- fest, for, like it, it had a " very ancient and a fishdike .smell ! "' Churt showing the relative position of places rcfeiTcd to. We left again on the same evening, but were much pestered for many hours with dense fogs, when speed hail to be reduced, and occasionally the engines stopped alto- gether ; during this time we were subjected to a hideou.s din that enuuiated from the mouth of one of the most discordant steam- wliistles it was ever my illduek to li.sten to. It was not until the morning of the 19th that we reached Halifax, when we bade farewell to the (Jartluiyiniiui, sorry to ])id ailieu to those \.hose acquaintance we had made on board, but glad to have reached the end of our voyage, and not displeased to part with the smells and noises that were associated M-ith what had been otu' floating home for the past eleven days ! My first inquiries on landing were foi' the Alc/i, and on ascertaining her whereabouts, my steps were at once directed toAvards her. I found her lying alongside a wharf, with her sails bent and apparently ready for sea. I will not say that she looked as trim as when I last served in her, but she looked (|uite as capable of receiving hard knocks fiom that enemy which she had been sj)ecially fitted to grajiplc with and overcome, the ice, and was now only waiting to .ship her crew, and receive .some new blades for her }>ro- peller, before stalling on her s;^,cond voyage to Hudson's Bay. My appcaran';e on board was the fir,st intimation to her commander and olHcers that I was to accompany them on their forthcoming cruise, but fiom one and all 1 had a most friendly and cordial recep- tion. A cabin was allotted to me in the Avard-room ; and I was informed that the ship would probably put to sea in four oi- five days, 1)y Avlucli time everything would be in readiness for a start. if it ^vJiatl ON (MIILDRKN. 115 iulisc of 8 Hidr." he cxiH'I)- mI hy Sir ill iin'om .£:iO,OUO, en at St. at of the Ihiminer- iciciit ami i^ J.M wharf, with }a(ly for sea. I as trim as , she looked uinl knocks ecn specially omc, the ice, lip her crew, for her pro- \cond voyaji;e me on board conimandcr nipany them from one and cordial rccep- o nie in the led that the ea in four or ything would «i their elders unUl they wore invited." 'I'lie reply was instant, anil vrould h:ive been even nioie cnishinj; but for the fact that the su|tpose(l i\<^ri\ one was well under sixty, and did not look liis years. r.ut it was straiulit, and <^;ivv much joy. 1 r^ueas that was seventy or cijihty years aj;o, you bet."' i'l'obidtly that px)d man never runs on a child's spear now. One attractive trait in child ren nnist 1)c noticed — their aU'ectionateness. My last inci- ilcnt was of a clerj>;yinan coniinjj; to <;rief in sul)duin,ti; a child hy deserved sternness. Let me now j^dve a^ triilin;;' incident which once touched and instructeu the other side of the ocean a body of emigrants had just disembarked fi'om a Tviverpool steamer, and wei'e sitting on their baggage waiting for the ti'ain to carry them into the distant wilderness. A clergyman was walking about among them M-itli cheery and friendly words. It was u last o|)poi'- tunity of kindiu'ss before they parted for ever, and he wished to use it. A little child of thre(! years old was sitting on a box all by itself, watching the bustle with wide-open eyes, and coi'soling itself with " candy." The clergyman's heart twinkled when he saw it. I'erhajis he had little ones of his own at home, and quickly he ilrew to the child. Ho talked to the little thing, and then looking for permission from the father close at hand, he kissed the little brow ; the other pai't of tbe face l)eing in an unpleasant ■'ondition from the sugary fund. Tlie litth^ heart Avas touched but not .satisfied. It lifted up its lips into the stranger's face as if to say, kiss mo here. Tlie reluctance passed, the stranger's eyes were quickly closed, the kiss of j)cace was given, the little face beanuKl with content. With this afl'ec- tionatcness, which shows itself in countless ways of tact, and silence, and pi'cscnco of mind, as the years grow, and the perception of things widens, there is almost always 'ombined a good deal of sensitiveness which, if it is occasionally the better for a some- what bracing treatment, needs attention and some sympatliy. Their o.Tresse*, of whicli some indeed aic not onci' pro(lij;al (except in such cases us a Scotch uirl once bru;-(|uely indicated of her little hrntlier, "he is always aii'ecfionate when he wants something to cat") should not he repnised as trouhlcsonie, orderideda> worthless. The young aii^ soon chilled, and chills hai'den. Their piopos.ds to assist you in the aflairsof life, while some- times eml):Mrassinjj;,often clumpy, and peihups more often sug^esteil for waul of .sona;tliing else to do, need not be hustled away as u housemaid's ln'ooni sweeps out cohwiibs. Tlieii littlt! |)resents, often, just from want of thought, not <|uite as useful as they might he, shoidd he made nmch of and put away with care. Chihli'en iu» doubt (like other people) derive nuick satisfaction from I'cceiving pre- sents ; they have quite as nuich in giving them. It is a good hahit to encouiage, for s(!lHshness is everyone's foe, and tlu; foe that may be scotched but never killed. Thei'e cannot l)e too nnich tenderness, Miiicli need not mean softness. All li\int;' lliinu;s grow hest at lirst in a warm tempei'atui'e. To love need not mean to indulge; nay, some of the roughest-mannered and most firndy rnliiig parents I have ever known have been those who were simply wild with alarm if the children were ill, and would readily, even cheerfully, have died for them. The last trait I will notice is simplicity, often frank in its way of ex})rcssing itself, and sometimes on the verge; of what may easily d(!geuerate into a smalt rudeness. No one has written with more freshness or sym- })athy on the matter than Mi'. Stopford hrooke in his sermon on ''(.'hild Life." Free- (hmi of talk, and even of criticism, should not be too roughly checked. With all their fond devotedness children oftc; absolutely de- cline to read their father's Avritint's even when illustrated; sometimes are heai'd to express their o])inion that their sermons are long — a pertness which should instantly be sat upon, aiul peihaps followe(l Avith a dis- tinct request for an analysis of the disconr-se to be written o.(t at once. On the Avhole, it is better to train than to i)ruue, though sometimes pruning is e the last opjjortunity that we should have of com- luiniicating with our friends, letters were iiiirriedly Aviitten, and a small mail bag was bciit to one of these bouts, with u rec^uest that it might be put on board tlio first lionioward bound steamer that passed. On the sanu) evening we passed a remark- able-looking Hat-topped hill calleilthe Devil's Dining table, and on the following day rouiidcid the most (nistern point of Labrador, and sha[)ed a course to the northward. Icebeig.s innumcirable lay stianded along the shore, some of them of very lai'ge dimen- sions, and birds, peculiar to the northern regions, Hew around. Amongst them I no- ticed my old friends tho looms and fulmar petrels, as well as skuas and pidKns, the latter in countIo«s numbers, and so fat as to be hardly able to lly. Already wo had experienced a marked change in the temperature, the thermometer during the; six days that had elapsed since we left Halifax having fallen nearly 30°, viz. from (10 ' to 37°. At nddnight there was a brilliant display of aurora to the northward ; it was so blight that, although the sun had .set nearly three hours before, small print was tlistinctly legible on the upi)er deck by its light. The colours were of a bright orange and violet, and tho coruscations were ex- ceedingly brilliant. Luminous streamers shot up, at intervals, vertically from the horizon to the zenith, lasting several seconds and then gradually fading away. Altogether it was one of the finest aurone 1 had ever seen. The 2nJ of July gave the uninitiated on board the Alert their first experience of a real Arctic day, with its most unpleasant and disagreeable accompaniments, namely wind, cold, snow and ice, for the morning was ushered in by a still' northerly gale, snow was falling, the weather was gloomy and misty, and the ship was surrounded by loc drifting ice, whilst the temperature was dowi: to freezing {)oint. Coleridge surely had ii, his imagination such a scene is that oi which we gazed on the morning f tho 2n' of July, when he wrote - " Anil now Ihere cunie 1 th mist iind auuw, And it gi'ew \vonilii>Ms C'ld ; And ico iimHt-high c ■ :ne sailiua' by i As g-iecu us L'lueralJ." One of the icebergs that we pa.ssed w;; estimated to be at leasl, 200 1 I't in In ,dit, and half a mile in length; a maguiticent, uohl Oil appe;| chant may ' able shone .and luteal til it wlJ rofkei of . deep Jiuunl I THROUGH HUDSON'S STRAIT AND DAY. 117 owunl loni a rcniiirk- :lio Devil's \v\ui; tlivy liiilniulor, anl. idcd along rgo (limcn- . iioitlu'in ,hi!in I ni)- luul fulmar jllllillS, till! so fat us to a maikod icrniomt'tcr apsod since ily 30°, viz. there was a noithwanl ; the sun had ,11 print was ilcck hy its ■ight orange IS were cx- s streamers , from the cial seconds Altogether ad ever seen, iiinitiated on icrienco of a ; unpleasant iiits, namely the mornini.'; •ly gale, snow gloomy and ided liy loo • are wasdowi! urely had ii. •IS that 01 : the 2n' by ilOW, e parsed w; .•t in ht -di' liticent, n-jbK fi'llow, whoso summit tnwerod ovor tho tops of all adjacent hcigs. It must, indeed, jiavc heen (»f cnoiiniius diiMetisions wlieu it was originally se[)aiated fi'om its paient glaeiei', to lloat, as a fiM/inentaiy pitiec of iee, down to the warmer waters of the sduth. It was a graml sight to witness tho blue waves daslijiig tip in fheii' lieailiong career against the crystal sides of the hergs, nppa rently intent on ovcrwlielining them with their irresistihlc; force, expending their ener- ;;ies in their liist furious but impotent assiulfc, and then falling hack, lirokcn and sidxlucd, to mingle again with their own element, roaiaclivak Iidet, on the coast of Labi'ador, near which is estal)lished a post of the Hudson's Bay < 'ompany, an attcm[)t was made to enter, but the ice was found to be so lightly packed close into the shore, that it was dcemeil undesirable to persevere in our endeavours to get in, as we could only have done so at the expense of much coal— a very precious article when the supply is limited — so the attempt was abandoned, and we proceetled on our way northwai'ds. During the ilay we saw a largo munber of Avalruses in herds, varying from three to six in I'ach, lying dreannly basking in tho sun, on snuiU pieces of ict', but being Sun- day, no attempt was made to molest them. A few seals were also seen clos« alongside in the water, staring at us inquisitively with their large, beautiful eyes, and with a deci- 'ledly hnnuin expression on their wistful laces; but they, likewise, and for the same reason, were not molested. Another lirilliant disi)lay of aurora was seen during the evening. Un this occasion it took the form of an irivgular arch along the eastern ,sky. Near to the horizrogress was sadly interfered with, and our movements nuich hampered, by ice and fog. Either one of these enemies to navigation is bad enough by itself, but when combined they form seri- ous obstacles to progression. We were cer- tainly most unfortunate in our weather when we reached the neighbourhood of the en- trance to Hudson's Strait, for had it not been for the heavy snowstorms and dense fog that prevailed, we sIkjuIiI have thought but little of the ice b}' which we were surrounded ; prudence and discretion, however, were pro- nunent characteiistics coiuiected with the navigation of the .i'cii, and they prompted a delay until cleai' weather should reveal the dangers to be encountered. Sfjcnsers lines in the "Faerie l^ueeu " were \cvy applicable to ourselves ; — " Tlieic;it tlicy picatly woro disiiiiiynl, ne wist Hiiw to iliu'ot tlicyr wiiy in d:iikiirs «icl(\ But .liui'.'d to \v:ind(,T in tliiit ^vasl(;fllH iiiiatc, Inr tiiiiilillllf,' iiiio liu>^cliit';i' uiicsiiydr, Wui.so i.s the Jiiiiger LidJuu (lira dc-ciidi;." As it was, we very nearly "tombled into ndschiefc," for sudilcniy, during a brief in- terval, the loom of land was seen indistinctly for a moment close to, and in an unexpected ([Uaiter, and we had no little dilliculty hi boring our way through the ice in an oppo- site diiectionto the land, until we had [ilaced a considerable distance between ourselves and being tiiat I i THliUUGll HUDSON'S STKAIT AND BAV, 11(? the rock.s ! Wc had been (h'iftcd in by the uncertain eurrents and eddyiiigs which are well known to exist, and wliicli have given to the entrance of the Strait an unenviable reputation by the maiiners of old, who fre- (juently observed curious tunndtMou.s commo- tions in t!io watci's in that locality. Although the ice by which we were sur- rounded was of a soft and l)rashy nature, and of .such a consistency that a powerful steamer couM easily have forced her way through, we were sevei'al times helplessly beset by it, and on one occasion, in the middle of the night, the ice was squeezing so tightly and with such pressure, that it piled up around the ship as high as the bulwyrks. To sleep was out of the (piestion, tor although there was no real danger, the noise produced by the soft ice being pulverised against the ship's side so resembled the crackinii; anil groaning of our own timbers, that it was diHicult to believe that the ship herself was not being smashed up ! On deck the scene was wild and dismal. The wind A\as howling through the rigging, snow was falling heavil}', and the ship was entirely surroun led by ice; whilst the noise ot the ice, as it v.-.,.- broken by the irresistilde pressure of the pack, mingled Avith the howl- ing of the gale that was raging, was so great tiiat it was i^bsolutely impos.siblc to hear people speaking close alongside : — " The ice was bcio, tlip ico wris there, Tlic ice WHS all avdund ; It craokeJ and ;jiowlecl and roared and howled Like uoifccs iu a i- wound." It must not be imagined that, during the foui' days we were detained oil' the ('iitrance to the Strait, our detention was caused by ice, for such was not the case. Frequently during the day the pack would loosen, and leave its in a lai'ge e.\[)anse of water, with broad lanes radiating in all ilirections through the ice, but we Mere unable to avail our- .selves of these oi)i)ortunities to i)roceed, in consequence of the fogs and thick weather that prevailed. I nnist not onut to mention that it was - we passed ra])0 Chidley, and entered tiie Strait withom, .et or liin- drance from ice. As tlie fog ek'ared away a most eneouraging sight Avas revealed, namely, a broad expanse of Iduc water, extending as far as we could sec in every direction, M-ith only a few stiaggjing pieces of ice, (lotted hei'e and there oa its sur- face, lu this clear Avater we stei.med along gaily, and such good progress did wo make that by noon the following day, we had pene- trated into the Strait a distance of one hun- dred and thirty miles. As wc proceeded to the westward our com- passes ])ecame visiltly atl'ected, and worked so .sluggishly as to be hardly reliable ; this loss of sensitiveness was due to the inllu- encc exerted on them by on.r proximity to the North j\lai;iietie I'ok, +o-.vards the neiLrh- bourhood of which we were rapidly ap- proaching. On the cven-ng of the 10th, our progress was somewhat checked oil' the nuddle Savage Islands liy an accunndation of ice, but so loosely packed that we experienced but little diiliculty in etlecting a })assage through. Although these islands are so named on our nio(leni charts, they were really named by Henry Hudson, who discovered them in IGIO," the "Isles of Cod's .Mcrcie."' Their original name, which should undoubtedly be retained, will I hope 1)0 restoriid to them in all future issues of the chart of these regions. It ha\iiig been decided to call at North Bluil", on the northern side of the Strait. (Avhore one of the meteorok)gical stations had been estaldished), for the purpose of taking on board the gentleman who had been j)lace(l in charge of the station, a course was shaped with that oliject, and early on the morning of the 11th we dropped anchor in a snug little bay named Ashe Inlet, in sight of the station house which had been erected tv,o years previouslj'. The station hands were not long before they made their appearance on board, in. fact, were alongside long before the anchor was let go, delighteil at seeing the shiji again, after their long isolated sojourn T On the (Joust of Lat rmlo ■. away from the civilised world. They were j roindeor moat, that tlioy turned up their noses in perfect health, and had spent a jjleasant ; at some fresh beef that we proposed to send and, comparatively, happy winter. So well ' on shore for their consumption, romarkinu had they been supplied 1)y the E.skimos Avith I that An-c had better keep it for ourselves': TllKOUCIlI HUDSON'S STIIAIT AND BAY. 121 ")rot<;ress 1 Savage but so )Ut littlo ;hrough. I on our iTucd b}' liem in ' Tbeir itodly be them iu regions. ^t North e Strait, ions luul if talking :;n placed IS shaped morning n a snug ;it of tlu; !ctcd tv, m before lioard, III le anchor the ship sojourn All tlmt tlioy rpquired -was a little preserved I ice, wo were told, did not form in the Strait niih^ and buttei', and, of eoune, tol)acco. befoic Decendier, and it was eonsidci'ed tliat The lowest temperature recortled by tlioin the cliannel was perfectly free tor ]iavigatiring the winter was IC^ below zero. 'Hio during the entire month of Novcmlier. Two luri ^fc . '^'Jir^- « y t . Jtetcoroli)<;iu:il Station, Asho lultt. their noses ?(1 to send remarking ourpelve« ! families of Eskimos had si^ttled down close to the station-house, and had there wintei'eil. They Averc of the gieatest service to the station, supplying them with fi'csh meat besides skin clothing, iVc. At the time of our vi-it, these children of the soil had i'eine\ed fi'oni tlieir winter habita- tions to their sunuuer tents, which latter were made of seal-skins, sewn together and spread out on Avooden poles. Their dross was iilen- tical with that described by Sir Edward Parry sixty years ago, Avhich shows that among these simple people fashicms do not alter so rapidly as they do with the more highly civilized inhabitants of the globe. They appeared jierfectly happy and contented ; had fat, round, flabby, and good naturcd faces, but were all excessively dirty, whilst the odour peculiar to these people Avas (piite as )'ercej)tible, and as pungent, as I have found it to be Avith those Eskimos Avhom I haAO met in much higher northern latitudes. One of the Avomen had the lower part of her face tattooed in straight lioiizontal linos. They Avere in posscs.sion of tlu'ec kayaks'- a'nl a • A kriynk is a riiiior rnvovril \\\ \\ AsAW. mikI sk liirlit Unit 'i I'inn ran easily oaviy it iim bis Iicml. 'I'lip ICskiiuim arc very i.xpcrt und skili'iil ii! tin- liaudliii!,' of tlioso boalf. foAv dogs, but the latter seemed to me to be inferior in size and sti'ongth to those of (ircenland. (bimc a])poareil to be plentiful in the neighbourhood of the station. Numerous herds of reindeer Avore met Avith during the Avinter, and hares Avcre reported as abundant on an adjacent island, whilst bears, seals, and Avalriis Avci'e fro(|uently seen. Tied tip outside tlie house Avas a Avolfs Avhelp, Avhich had boon captured about a fort- night i)rior to our arrival, its mother having been shot by one of the natives. I Avas informeil that it Avas getting quite tamo, but from its Avild and frantic attempts to escape, and its vicious cndeaA-oiu's to bite Avhon it Avas approached, I could not help thinking it Avas a very long Avay from domestication. We only remained at Ashe Inlet a couple of hours, Avhicli was all the time required by the gentleman in charge of the station to pack up his belongings and come off to the ship. His presence on board Avas a very pleasant and agreeable acquisition to our small party in the Alert. On leaving Ashe Tnlet it Avas our intention to have gone across the Strait, for the ptu'pose 12: GOOD VVOKDS. of visiting another station that liad been cstiiblialied on tho south sil, but lifter jjroi'eeding for about seven miles ill that direction, wo were niortilied to iind tiie streams of ice packed so tiglitly togethei', that W(! could only have ])enetrated tlieni at the e.\])eii.se of much valuable time and fuel ; the attempt was therefore abandoned, and a cour.^e was sha|)ed to the westward. ijut,a'ias! no better [)rospect of advancement appeared in this direction, for hero also we weie met by a barrier of ice extending, ap- parently, right across the Strait. The sight was not an inspiriting one, but, like all ditli- culties, ir. Avas more formidable in i ppearaiico than in reality, and although the ice, our im- placable enemy, was apparently consolidated into one large field, it was never so tightly packed as to prevent progress, however slow, being made through it. At periodical intervals during the day, when the ice would be affected by the tide, the pack would loosen considerably, thereby enabling us to make fairly good progress, but at other times, on account of the want of .siiflicient jiower on board the Alert to force her through tho pack, we would remain for hours stationary, helplessly beset by the ice. \ more powerful steamer, sj^ecially con- structed for ice navigation, would, however, have cxpeiienced no ditiiculty in making continuous [u'ogress through the ice that we encountered, and although her rate of pro- gression might not have been pai'ticularly rapid, she would have succee