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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m4thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 eyl/ >J r ( /?*^ i'vl^^'j r k 1 c -2 -7-.-^ c eZ^ ^ 1 TIIK LAST OF THE ARCTIC VOYAOES. «f % «l '.ANj' OK Tin; .\K(:Ti'- '.■•vi(,!:s H''ivo 'i sr i'\Jl \ 1 M i:'r EXrE]'iV|;p, )s J, t, ^^_ ^^^j,,, ^^^.^ (► .-H- . v:,M . ■^ ''V XHii NArrKAj l[lvH;i( ''i.''M'-. i'M.j (' ^ »'!.!":■ J i,"- WjW:4;>.I! ,;l<>!^ t^jf ;^j ' ■(,, ■,. „f ,f,. ^j_j._,._ ij;,,,,;..,,,,,,,^.,,. , '■ ''■■Uir\.,t, . ' N , . MM m •),/ .t -*- >* U': • •!*.„ THE LAST Oh' THE AllCTIC VOYAGES ; BKINO A .VAHn.MIVK OK THE EXPEDITION IN II.M.s. ASSISTANCE, USDEB TUB CUMUANO OF CAPTALN SIR EDWARD RELCIIEU, CM.. IN SEARCH OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, bl'RlNU TIIK YEARS 1852-53-54. WITH NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY, BV SIR .roIlN RICHARDSON, PROFESSOR OWEN. THOMAS RKJX, .1 W. SALTER. AND LOVELL REEVE. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. L i3ublisf)tli unlrn; iljt ^utljoritg of ih Eorlis € ommissioncrsoftljcaiimJraUB. LONDUJN : LOVELL REEVE. 5, nENRlETTA STREET. COVENl GARDEN. 1855. /'-icMf/,' r- i> .'oir\ vnTTviin tiyi.oii, viiiNTEn, linil (jllKN lllliLI, IIKl01,N'h l.\.\ IlliLD^ 1 « TO KUAR-ADMIKAL SIR FKANCIS MMALFOHT, K.C.H., I'.H.S, K(i.,s., K.H.A.M., Kir., TIIK IIVI)l!()(i|!.\|-|ll:K OK THK ADMIUAI.TY, t'NDBB WHOSE .IKNKUurs SVMPATIIV \KU rNFUNCIIlNO PATRlOTlJiM TIIK VAIMors KXl'KDITIONS ENd.lOED IN SEAHCII <.K SFK .lOHN FRANKLIN AND HIS GALLANT ASSOCIATES HAVE IIKEX CIIIEII.Y PI.ANNKU AND EXICriTED. E\)i9 Xarratiljc THE LAST OF THE ARCTIC VOYAtiKS IS fnv I'EUMissiox) WITH FEEI.INOS OK HESPECT AND ORATlTrDE DKDICATED nv HIS VKHY FAITliriL KHIEND AND ADMIREH, THE AUTHOH. PREFACE. The details of Arctic Exploration, including wintering and sled <5e-tra veiling, having been so fully described by l)reccding voyagers, my object in presenting to the public the following narrative has been rather to place on re- cord an account of the Expedition of H.M.S. Assistance, as being ' The Last of the Arctic Voyages' undertaken by this country in search of the lost Franklin, and as being that which penetrated up Wclhngton Channel to the extreme limits of navigation. The Title of the work may appear open to objection, but taking into account the dates of original Orders, and those in force in Ai)ril, 1854, it will be apparent that the final conunand of the British Naval Expedition within the Arctic Seas was vested in me. That I conceived aright the intent of my Instructions, the probabilities attending the safety of other branches not acting immediately under my con- trol, has been sufficiently verifi d by the safe return of all engaged, to this country. Recent accounts affording the satisfactory intelligence VI PRRFAf'K. of the release of the American Expedition adds another proof of the uncertainty of tlie navigation even of the mouth of Lancaster Sound, which was found hite in Angust to be completely barred by ice, and consequently Captain Ilartstein was unable to place the monument to Captain Franklin on Bccchey Island. With such facts before us, we cannot but rejoice that no vessels and crews were left, to distract the feelings of relatives nor uselessly to exhaust the revenues of the country. The system of Arctic travel by sledges over vast dis. tances, and the powers of men in cariying out labonrs under which the quadruped, taking man- against horse- powex, would succumb, present a new feature as com- pared with the labours of the lamented Parry and his associates. True it is that the qualities of the professed seaman find but small scope in this narrative; but the exertions of those who did venture upon travel ofiers matter for reflection on the powers of men in every stage of action where their services may be required, be the enemy frost, fire, patient endurance of monotonous la- bour, or battle. The value of the seaman— T mean the disciplined man —in carrying out the service here recorded, entailing questions even of existence if they faltered or failed in strength, has not, I fear, been sufficiently estimated by those who merely read of the exploits of the sledge tra- vellers; nor can my pen do justice to their labours, to the passive endurance, the high discipline, which cha- racterized their performance, only to be sustained on the PREPACK. VII homeward route under the conviction tliat faihire would entail the most cruel death. Unwittingly we allot the credit to the officers; but, as one of those travellers who entered most* fully into the feelings of the men, their habits and prejudices, and free from the killing labour of the drag-rope, my duty compelling me +o stop labour when I perhaps felt quite able to endure more, 1 do conscientiously assert thut the greatest credit is due to the fine moral crew which it was my good fortune to command, and to return to this country without even the threat of the lash. What has been their reward ? The excitement of war possibly has blinded their countrymen to their deserts; or Arctic service, now that search has terminated, is eclipsed by labour in the trenches. Thus much then for Arctic service. Next will be found matters connected with science, which, although treated of in the early history which broke grountl through Lancaster Sound in 1818-19-20, still left us in doubt as to the general laws which prevailed over a series of years,— indeed did not afford any decided data on which argument could be founded, as to the mean temperatures of months or seasons, nor of the ratio in which the freezing of the winter ice covering those seas proceeds. Nor do I pretend to have determined these questions; but raorrly in producing possibly the most perfect collection of such records, and, as an observer on the spot, furnishing such ideas as forced themselves on my mind, afford to those more deeply versed in meteoro- vui PRKFACK. logical questions dnca on which they may build more reliable tlieories tiiau prevailed previous to this Expe- dition. Another question, and one not unattended by oppor- tunity for cavil, may be found in the measures which were adopted by me for the preservation of the liealth of my crew, as well as the comfort between decks ; but on all these matters I think that figures and facts must flrown all cavil, and that in any future fittings the sys- tem advocated and proved by me must have force in a sanitary point of view. The deaths which occurred were clearly those which might have been avoided by a more strict attention to the selection of the individuals ; none could be classed as the result of Arctic travel or exposure. Other matters, embracing periodic returns of gales, bad weather, and unaccomitablc disruption of the ice after winter had apparently set its seal on the season, otfer subjects for interesting discussion. The effect of contrary tides, meeting as they do in this country about Dover, point out unmistakal)ly the reason that Welling- tou Channel remains sealed at the very moment that nature appears to promise its free navigation. One only question remains in mystery, that is the final report as to the fate of the gallant Sir John Franklin and his companions. I have treated that with the same con- fidence which induced me to assert, in August, 1852, " that he never passed northerly or westei-ly of Beechey Island ;" and, until positive intelligence to the contrary ti i i I'nKKAf'K. IX tl reaches us, must yet believe that his parties divided as I have imagined. Although I have not in these pages asserted any claim to the participation in the solution of the Northern Passage to the Pacific, still any geographer will readily understand that the cortinuous frozen sea, traced by the officers under my command, in 1853, proves a water comnumication through Wellington Channel, round Parry Islands, to the position attained by Captain M'Clure; and tliat in 1854 our sledge-parties had pe- netrated to the southern extreme of Prince of Wales Strait, perfecting the labours of Dease and Simpson. I am indebted to Sir John Richardson, Professor Owen. Professor Bell, Mr. Salter, I\Ir. Glaislicr, and Mr. Reeve, for their valuable contributions to the Natural History portion of the second volume. Each statement offered is supported by documents, accessible to any who may be desirous of further evidence. To those who have seconded and supported me in my duties, whether named or otherwise, my thanks arc due ; and I thus express myself because I know it will be acceptable to those who honestly performed their duty : " Palmam qui meruit ferat." Edward Rkixiikr. LoikIoh, Nuremhcr 1, 18.55. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 25 PRELIMINARY. Admira; y Instnictions.— List of Ofliccrs.— Tlie 'North Star.'— l?oatDf])artiiient.— Supplies.— Instruments.— Aziiiuith Tables. —Library and Printing Press.— Ships Uiidocked.— Leave Wool- wich.— Visited by the Admiralty.— Quit the Nore .... CHAPTER I. At Sra.- Reach the Orkneys.— Stromness.— Scarcity of Stock.— Departure of the 'Basilisk' and ' Desperate.'— Enter Baffin's Bay. — VVhalefish Islaiuls.— Reception by Esquimaux. — Lievely. — Disasters.- Moored at Lievely.— Survey of the Port.— Quit Lievely.— Search for Coal.— Quit the Waigat CHAPTER II. Anchor at Upernavik. — The Scpiadron adrift. — Dangers nume- rous.— Prospects of the Voyage. — Browne Islands. — Prepara- tion for Flitting.— The 'Resolute' nipped.— Docking.— Blast- ing Ice.— Wreck of the ' Regalia.'— Meet a Whaler.— Irregu- larities of the Crew.— Melville Bay.— Floe Law.— Capture a Bear. — Cape York CHAPTER III. Native Dogs.— Red Snow.— Cape Dudley Digges.— Game.— Cape Wanender.— Becchey Island.— Rejoined by Captain Kellett.— Cape Riley.— Find Pieces of Whale.— Parting Ceremonies.— Wellington Channel. — Queen's Channel. — Count Percy.— Winter Quarters . 65 42 I XII CONTENTS. '.Ml ('HAPTh:i{ IV. Vro'M'u in.-Sl,.,lf.,. Trnvlli„j.._Waln.8 Sl.ot.-iral.its of thr Walrus.— Villa-c I'oiiit..— Ks(,uiiuaux ||,i(._l),.,.,.iv,,| l,y mj- n.K<-.— Tent K.iuipa-...— The Snitind.-I.r Acc.iinulatio.is.— An Intriul.T.— Kx.uouUi island.— Hrjoiniu- of tlie ['arty — Xip uml Pilin- Icf.— Quit Exmonth Island.-Nortli Coniwall CIIAI'TKK V. lU'trcat.— Land's Knd ol' Xoilh fwnwall.— 1>,.|| I'oint - Tal)l(; Island.-CI,as..,l l,y a Walr.is.-- Slcdfr.. |„.c,,ks (n.-Dan-rr Ironi the Ice— Ol.smatory .Tcclfd.— Second Anlnmnal Kxnc- tlition.— Tm(-c8of(iold.— (ialcand Dimniption of Ice— (Jomi'.k const rndcd.-AValnis Ibod.-Thc ' Eidc-duck.'-fiain the Land-ice.- [{each Voint Itcposc— lloturn to tlic Ship 1 1 .^ CHAI'TKK VI. The 'Assistance.'-. Winter Fittinf-s.-lMoistnre between Decks -Meteorological lnve«ti-ations.-Tide fiaugc-Anatonncal Shninps.— Washhouse.— Thouf-hts on Arctic Fittin-s —Ter- raced L.'vels.-Elieets of Tidal Action.-Tidal Fissnres -Ex- pennients on Ice.— Last View of the Snn.— Her Majesty's Arctic Theatre.-A Galc.-The Observato,y._A Snow-storm 137 CHAPTER VIL Transit Telescope.— Extremes of Cold.— Effects of the Gale.— liemarks on Ecpiipnient.— Sensations of Cold.— Paraselena — Schools Established.— Soci(!ty of Loyal Arctic En-nneer's — Dellections of the Mag-n..tometcr.-Experinients ou^Frcezin- —lee Crystals.— The Aurora . . " i.,. low CHAPTER VIIL Short Days.— Minimum Temperatures.— Warmth of Vessels V She-Bear.- Preparations for Travel. —Theatricals.- Shortest Day.— Chnstnuis Ode.-Christmas Fare.-D,>pth of Winter -The New iear.-Comparison of Thermomcters.-Fn.v.in-r Mercu.y.-l{anf,^e of Extrenu. Cohl.-Frcezino- Ale.-Aleohol at a low lemperalure I ISl (ON TENTS. CHAPTKH IX. nho of Tnnpornturo.-A Bear sIk.1.— Trnnination of Dnrk.icss. — Kc-nppcamiicc^oftl.c S.iii.--J),,,tl, ofa Marine— Cold Period orAlarcli.— Tal.loofTeinii.TaUnvs. -A .SlicTlearand lierCubs. -Sled-cs in.iuTted.- hrl WrapiH-rs.- Departure .,|- tl..- Medfrc:s._T?,,u,,„H._(;ain,s.— Parhelia.- Inland Kxrursion.— \\ay\- lee.— Cookinfr Apparatu.s.— Lamps.— Keturn of Depil Oivision CHAPTER X. The Cairn.— Anticipations.— South-west Kxpedition.— Ti(hil Mo- tions.— lieturn of Mr. Loney.-])oo- Killed.— Lett.-rs from Pidlen. — North-east Expec'tion.— Tent Arrun},^em'ough the pack; the forcing a vessel through" loose, movable pack under canvas or steam, with the chances of taking advantage of cracks or openings. Brmh, comminuted ice. Buckle, bendinjj or arching of the ice upwards, preceding a nip. XVI oc/<'.- this is simply an opciiiiifi- cut out of th< lloe into which the ship is warped for security aiiainst threaliiud pressure, frrun extensive floes cominjf into opposition. It is, as reason will point out, at right angles to any e\lensive crack or o|)cn water. .\ " natural dock" is frc(|ucntly ail'orded by some deep gap, out of which, at some of these convulsions, the iee has floated. .\ny extensive lloe falling across tin; mouth of such an o|)ening would naturally close it, expending its force on the projecting irregularities. Fief (I Ice, any great exteid of snu)oth ice, the result of water frozen in n (piiesccnt condition, and of e?(! may lie perfectly relleetcd or iv- l)resented, or, when very distant, a whitish auroral divcrffcnce of rays constitutes the hiiiik, seen Vw^ liefore the ol.jecl itself can lie distiiiNuishcd ; it is coni|)arative with our " looiii of laud." Chivh, larp;»> socket ciiisela, into which poles are inserted, used to cut holes in the ice. Uuuk.'i, or Clau'H, similar to timlicr daws; a doulile hook, with rcctaiifrular pointed claws to hold on hy alirupt ice or cracks. Ar MaHlf); or Ice Qnartermndi'r, a whaling captain or mate, seli'ctcd for his expericnee in the whalc-lishery, to afford advice to the olli- eers connimndiii},'. lie usually pilots the vessel either from the Crow's-nest, or Hjtilcc plaiik, when amoniist tlu' wv. Ice Plmih, or Spike Plaiik; a platform projcctiiifj; across the vessel seven or ei<,'ht feet above deck and beyond the sides, to enable the pilot to run from side to side, to pilot the vessel clear of ice. Ice Suica, huge saws made from half-inch plates of iron, and varyiiij- in lenjith from ten to twenty-four feet. Ice Slmlye, smaller eomminuted ice, or bay iee broken up by the wind. Ire In- Lane, any open craeks, or separations of floe, offerin-r navi<.ation. fA'aJ, similar to Lniie. JVip: when two floes are in motion and approaching each other, the result generally is a grinding action in ])assing or until their im- petus is expended, which destroys the opposed surfaces, raising long ridges of curled or thrown-up iee. When a vessel uuhajipily has not time to dock, or becomes eiitiiii)|)ed belwcen the ojiposed bodies, she becomes nipped, or, in many cases, tln^ Hoc, which is weakest, rises over and overwhelms her entirely, — to use the whaler's term, "walks clean over her." VOL. I. J, XVIll (iLOSSAin OK AKCTIC TEUMS. Old Ice, tliiit of previous seasons. Park is tl,at collection of broken floe which, huddlnl tofjether under l)rcssure, is constantly varyinjr in its position; it cannot l,e dealt with nor can it be travelled over until cemented toj,r..ther l.y frec.- i"g^; It has no limit,- it may cover a mile or hundreds of u.iles, as HI Bafhn s J{ay. Simply it is any loose ice packed into a space before vacant. Pancake Ice, that which results from snow falling into the sea with- out thawmg, and by the action of the waves driven into pancake forms, which ofler no soUd obstruction, but nevertheless hamper 11 vessel more than small ice. Reemng, following up various labyrinthine or angular channels until the vessel reaches open water ; as, " reeve the pack " li»,, when the ice is suddenly impelhul by an unaccountable, fitful, rushnig motion. Saili,!,, loose ice relieved from pressure, which admits of pickin.^ a way through the weakest jjarts. "" Shearinr,, or Lapping .- this applies more peculiarly to young or thin ice with boats, one plate overlapping another whe're a boat has rnade an extensive crack. AVhere boats have been thus destroyed he crews have rarely escape.l, the ice being too weak to bear, mul the plates overlapping those attempting to swim Shelf, or Tongue .• frequently, on the meeting of adverse Hoes, a smaller interposing floe-piece is forced under, and, cohering or freezing to hat above presents, below water, a tongue or shelf, which annoys the keel of a vessel, or, breaking oft; comes np as a "calf" wi'th great violence. Sludge, comminuted ice. Smoke ox Vapour, a peculiar kind of vapour, the natural result of the conversion of water into ice, which is constantly supposed to indicate lakes or open water in an unfrozen state. Water Sky: this evidently is connected with smoke or vapour, and is the reflected colour of th(. blue sea in the atmosphere or vapour arising from the warmer sea ; it generallv exhibits a dark dull neutral tint, which is never seen to the eye, at least of an intelli- gent i.r-mastcr, unless /,-.//.,• be unthir it. This is peculK.rly the rase in Melville Bay. Voiouj Icr, that immediately formed, or of the present season. LIST OF CHARTS, PLATES, AND WOOD ENGRAVINGS. 1 2. 3. 4. 5. C. 7. 8. 9. JO. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. IS. 1. Discoveries in the Arctic Sea, 1819-54 2. Plan of the Port of Lievely 3. Plan of Northumberland Sound 4. Plan of the Fossiliferous Oval Arctic Squadron quitting the Nore Extraordiiiaiy Dyke, Point Hogarth Novel Ferry Exmouth Island The ' Hamilton' under canvas Duck-shooting in Oomiak sledge Snow wreath, Northumberland Sound Paraselena Alarum Tidc-gauffc Departure of Sledges Entrance of Cardigan Strait . Blown out of Winter Quarters Crystal Palace Winter Quarters Upper Deck Fittings . Cenotaph at Pecehey Island Direction Signals Thennometer buried in snow Plan of Oomiak sledsrc Vol. I. Vol. 11. In pocket. lb. Page 90 391 * Ul. I. , r ronti 5piece. " J> Page 85 )> ») 93 >l 1) 105 )) )» 119 • Jl y> 133 J» j> 155 »» a 169 >) n 141 )> 11 243 . Vol'.' II., „ 271 Frontisj)iece, • J) Page 67 JJ 1) 291 . Vol! I. . Vol.11. . Vol. I. 1) 231 350 173 131 I XX LIST OV CHARTS, ETC. 19 to 22. Illustrations of Snow Crystals 23 to 30. Illustrations of Fish .' 31. Bones of Ichthyosaurus 32 and 33. Illustrations of Shells 31 and 35. Illustrations of Crustacea . 3G. Illustrations of Carboniferous Fossils Wiaati IBttfltabmss. Esquimaux huts Wooden flaying-knife lee cracks Effects of tidal motion Aneroid incrusted with snow Effects of gale on snow piUars 1 lard-lined clouds IMercurio-spirit thermometer Thermometer vane Feet-wrappers Thcnnometer block Parhelia .... Big of sledges Upsetting of sledges and old ice Princess lloyal Island Hamilton Depot Fossil station Hollow cairn Graves .... Peculiar Caira . Freaks of liefraction . Star Bluff, Cape Ekins Driven aground — Hun of iee Coast-line tissures Prismatic Cross Vol. 11. Appendix. Vol. I. Vol 11. 'ag • 95 }} 97 >) 109 )) 119 )) 157 >J lfi2 i» 109 )> 2U7 u 212 )) 9 '11 A. ta 1 1) 223 »j 227 a 229 J) 231 13 258 >) 2()3 J» 272 ») 280 »J 285 n 291 >> 303 »» 325 J) 57 )) 73 J) 92 THE LAST OF THE ARCTIC VOYAGES, UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN SIE FT^WA^D BELCHER, C.B. PRELIMINARY. Admiralty Instnictions.— List of Officers.— The ' Noi-tli Star.'— Boat Department.— Supplies.— Instruments.— Azimuth Tables.— Library and Printing Press.— Ships Undecked.— Leave Woolwich.— Visited by the Admiralty.— Quit the Nore. Her Majesty's Government having deemed it necessary to prosecute the further search for the 'Erebus' and ' Terror,' which left England in the month of M-y, 1845, as well as for any traces of Sir John Franklin or his fol- lowers, my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were pleased to entrust me with the conmiand of the Expedi- tion, the entire oljjects of which will be nearly apparent from the following Instructions : — ORUEES.-No. I. By the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Ad- miral of the Vniled Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, etc. etc. 1. Having appointed you to the command of the Expedition (to consist of the ships nauu'd in the margin*) preparing for the further * Assistance, Resolute, Pioneer, Intrepid, North Star. VOL. I. jj ADMlUAl/rV IXSTllUrTIONS. 1852. scnrcli for Sir John Fniukliii, you are, wlicucvi'v such ships slinll be in nil respects ready to ])ut to sea and ))rocce(iinff down Clumuel or "north al)o\it,"' make the best, of your way to l^arrow Strait, caliini;- at Disco (if in yonr way) for sueli replenisiunents as tlu' place ajl'irds, and for a supj)ly of dogs for slcdninia; purposes. 2. AVe have entrusted you witii this command in the full persuasion of yonr tlioroiiiiii ae(puuntaiic(^ with its obligations, and of your judg- ment anil ability to nu'ct tlicm. 3. We do not therefore consider it necessary to encumber you with minute instructions for your guidance at eacii step of your proceedings ; but furnishing you with papers wiiieh jioint out the views of the Ad- miralty, as successive expeditions have been despatched from this coun- try, and tiiose also relative to the diHieulti.'s occurring to -e by ships up \'t'ellini;lon Ciiannel or to tiie west ol' (Irillith Ishind: and, under such eireunistaiiees it will he for you to consi(h'r iiow far it niii;iit serve any useful purpose to undertake an examination hy travcllinfi par- ties from i'xiriui;' Hay or i'rinee Alfred l?ay, in the direction of Jones's Sound; in addition to those which it will lie your duty to send out to the north and north-west, for traces of Sir John Franklin, in the direc- tion of Queen's C'hainiel. 13. Our instructions therefore an; without reference to the possibh; circumstance of records still beinjr found at Beeehey Island or elsewhere (and for which it will be your duty to search), at a certain distance from the respective cairns, where it has been stated it was Sir John Franklin's custom to (h'i)osit them ;* and if by such records it should prove that Sir .lolin l''ranklin proceeded to the eastward out of J^an- caster Sound, alter he wintered at Heechey Island in IS irj-lli, yon will still continue to push forward two of your shijjs towards Melville Island, as already dirt'ctcd by us, and with the other two you an; to act as cir- cumstances nuiy reiuler necessary, dependinii; on the infornu\ti()n which those records nu>y convey. And advert inj;' to the report of two shi|)s havinu; been seen on the ice in tin' North Atlantic in the sprinj;- of l'^;")!, we think it expedient to draw your attention to this siibject, that yon may adopt such steps on your way from l^atlin l^ay, with reference to search and impiiry on the shores of Davis Straits, as you may con- sider most advisal)le under the circumstances above stated, anil tiie information the records may convey. 14. You are aware of the deposit of stores and provisions at Port Leopold, and of the steam-launch left there by Sir James lloss : you are at liberty to employ that vessel in any way that her services may be made available; but with reference to the store of provisions at I'ort Leopohl, and also those for one hundrednuMi which were landed by ^[r. Saniulers on an island in Navy Board Inh't, it is our directions that such provisions and stores shall on no account be touched by any of the vessels under your orders, unless comjielled to do so by absolute necessity. * The ])iecc of tin or copjjcr, said by Adam Beck to have been dr<)})ped from a stall, should also be looked, for. — See IJcideucc hefunt till' Arctic CoDimitlee. 1852.] ADMIRAT-TY IXSTIUCTIONS. i /I 15. We liavo fiirnislicd you with copies of tlicsc iiistniHioiis, wliirh you are to d.-livcr to tiic Cnptniii mul Olli.rrs in coi aiui ol' vrsscis under your orders. And we dvnn it necessiu-y Ih.it von should he dn-eeted to eoninuiuieute freely and unreservedly with vour s.einid in (•ouMuand and tiu' officers in ehar-,- " the oth'er ships, on all points eonneete.l with the Kxpedition, keepin- tlieni aequainted with your views and intentions, that, in ease of an aeeideut ha))i)ening to your- self, or n separation of the ships, these officers may be fully aware of the course of proeceding-s intended to he adopted hy yon ; 'and when the ships are separaled from you for tlie purpose of earryiuir out onr onh'rs, the sauu' unreserved intereour ■ and eouuuiinieat'ion is to he nuiiiitaiiu'd hetween the officers in eonnuand of the respective shijjs. Ki. You arc no douht aware of the ' I'rinee .\lhcrt,' private vessel, hein- cn-a-cd in a like search in the Arctic Seas ; you ar.. to ador.l that vessel every aid ami assistance, in the event of fajlinf.- in with her, hut yon are in no way to interfere with her orders or tak. her under your eharuc. 17. The various logs and private jonnials, with drawinj-'s, plans, etc., arc to he sent to this office on the return of tiie Exjiedition. And yoii arc to he careful that, from the date of your partinjy company with "the ships sent to assist in towiiij.- you, your own letters to our 'secretary, toj.-cther with those of the officers addressinj-- you, are duly nmnhercd as well as dated ; and you arc invariahly, should any opportunity of^er, to leave letters for ns at such jjlaecs as Cape War'rcndcr, Ponds ]hiy, etc., provi(h'(l no delay he incurred thereby. 18. Your ships have been fully Cfpiipped for the seiTice they arc li-oins upon, and it has been oin- desire that you should be provided' with every means and resource that might he imuh; available. We have an entire reliance on the best use and application of those means on your part, and we have equal confidence in the care to he exercised by'you for tlios(> employed under your orders ; hut there is one object wliic'h in the exercise of that care will naturally engage your constant attention, and that is, the safe return of your party to this country. 19. AVc ar(> sensible however that notwithstanding a wish to keep this part of your duty prominently in mind, yet that an ardent desire to accomplish the object of your mission, added to a generous sympathy for your missing eouutrymcii, may prevail in some degree to carry you beyond the limits of a cautious prudence. 20. Yon aiv therefore distinctly to uiiderstaml onr directions to he, thattlie several ships under your orders shall each be on its way home' G ADMIRALTY INSTRUCTIONS. [1852. am to the eastward of T^nrrow Strait, whenever their stoek of provision shall have l„.en n.h.ee.l to twelve n.onths' full allowanee; an,i eon.- ■.'.■.uhno; you, an.l those en,,,h,ye,l under you, to the providence of (i„,|. we trust tluit sueeess may erown your etibrts, and that vou n.ay be the means of alfordinjr «„c.,our to those of our country men .hose absence we have so long (h-plored. Given under our hands this 16th day of April, 1852, NoiiTIIIMllKltLANl). To Sir Edward Bei.chkii, C.B., Cajjtam of Her Majexfi/', Shij, Assistance, at (Jrecnhitke. By Command of their Lordsl.ips, W. A. B. IIajiilton. Hvm; I'akkku. I'lni'l'S iioilNBY. TifOS. IfERnEUT. Alex. Milne. I Xo. II. By the (JommmionerHfor executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, etc We have to inform you tlunt we have despatched her Majestv's stean- vessel < 1 l,a,mx, un.ler the eonnnand of Commander Inglelield, with the Breada l)ane transport, to Beeehey Island, for the purpose of re- plenishing the ships under your eonmiand with stores and provisions in ease your supplies may have been so far re.h.eed by the depui formed at Melvill.- Island and the various cachettes on tlu- roast as to preveut you from continuing further search for Sir John Fnmklin during this season and the winter of 1833-5.1, if the information vou may liive gained determine you to continue such further search ' 3. u, communicating with you on the subject of your former orders and he service on which you are employed, we are aware how im- possible It IS lor us to send out any definite instructions with reference to your future proceedings, when we are ignorant of the position in which you may now be i)laced, or whether any trac..s of Sir John Iranklm s Lxpedition may have been found during last Autunm or the bpnng of this year, and what steps you may have considered it most expedient to adopt But if no trace of the missing ships hav,. b,.,. found beyond the Uellmgton f'hannel, and if it should appear that bv / \ if Ib52.] AD.MIRAI/I V INSTRUCTIONH. the cxtciulfd senrcli you riiny linve bc(!ii eiial)lc(l to mako in that quarter, tliat tiie iiii.-ssiuu' ships diil not proceed iu tiiat direetiou, and if Captain Keliett sliouhl have reaeh<'(l Melvilk; Ishmd, as dire.'ted hy his instructions, and Ids land expeditions sliould aUo have I'aiU'd in findinii' any such traiv, it does not appear to us that there is any other (lireetion ni which a prospect of their discovery can be expected. Every ucceasiijle part of tiie sliores of the J'olar Seas west of I.aneaster Sound will have been visited without findin,!;- a trace of the niissjujr ships, except their former station at IJcechey island in lS|.r, and ISKi" III such a contiu^-eney as this, and if surh should likewise be your o])iniou after mature consideration with the senior oliieers under your couunand, there appears no other course lelt but to abandon all lurtiier search. 3, iJnt in case you should have found any trace of tiie i'lxpetlition, it will be your duty to follow up that trace. " In doing this you must exercise extrcim^ caution, so as not to lose your means of connnuni- cation with Jieeehey Island ; nor are you to incur any hopeless risk by proceeding beyond reasonable limits, for the sal'cty of your own crews must be your first care. AVe place every confidimce in your zeal and intelligence, and feel assured that you will act with sound' judgnunt in whatevt^r situation yon may be placed ; we therefore h'ave i't to you eitiier to abandon the Expedition altogeth(>r, if you are of opinion that no further steps can be pra<;ticably taken, or to 'send such of the ships to J'lngland as you may mt recpdre; transmitting by them to our Secretary not only a I'ull account uf all your proceedings, but charts of all your discoveries, and keeping us informed of your views ami intentions, so that, if it should be necessary, every requisite aid may be given you in the Summer of 1851. 4. Before your final departure from the Polar Seas, should xou think proper to adopt that course, there ap])ears one very important subject which will recjuire your serious consideration; mul that is the ])resent position of the ships under the connnand of Captain CJoUinson and Commander M'Clm-e, which entered the ice to the north-east of Point Barrow (Behring Straits), the hitter in August, IS.oU, and the former in .Inly, ]8,-,l. These officers with their resp,.,tive crews may have been compelled by circumstances to abandon tiieir ships. If such should be the ease, they may probably attempt to reach Melville Island ; and having had this in view when you left England, we directed in your instructions that a depot of provisions and other stores should be formed at that island. From this position thev will no doubt 8 ADMIRALTY INSTRUCTIONS. [1852. uiidiMivniir to iiiakc! their way to Ricclify ImIhikI or Port Leopold. It will tliereibre l)c jour duty, Ix'tore returniii;; to Kui!;iand, to be fully satislied that a pro|)er ilepot of eoals, provisions, etc. had heeu t'ornied ut Melville isljuid liy Caplaiu Kellell, and that clear iul'onuatioii had also heeu left there that siuiihir MU})plie.i would hi; I'ouud at lleecliey Island. 5. This depot on Reeehey Island is to consist of u full store of coal, |)rovisions, clothes, and other stores, and you will tak<' can; to havo it most carefully secured against the depredations of hears or other aninuils ; you are also to leave one of your ships there, with or without a cri-w, as you may deem most advisable, so that Captain Collinson or Coiinuander \!'(.'lure's parties nuiy find every possible assistanct; whii;li they may re(piire, and have tin? means at their romnumd of returning to Englaiul ; l)ut should you find it to he practicable to place tln^ ship, or a depot of stores, in a miu'c advanced position, between Melville and Heechey Islands, it might be expedient to do so. This is a point on which you can form a better judgnu-nt than W(t can. Our most anxious wish i.s to establish the best possible arrangement with the view of giving succour and su])port to the crews of those ships, should they be compelled to seek refuge in the direction we have pointed out. 6. Having expressed thes(! general views, which will rerpiirc your careful consideration, we leave it to you to take such steps as you may consider most expedient for meeting the circumstances of the ease. 7. t)n the arrival of the trans))ort at ]5ecchey Island, you are im- mediately to hasten licr discharge, and despateli her to England with the least possible delay ; ami you are not to (h'taiu the ' I'hu nix ' longer than may be necessary, or to risk her being frozen in, but to send her also to England with intelligence of y iiir proceedings, ex- elumging any of her men, and sending invalids, etc. Given under our hands this 11th day of May, 1853, (Signed) .7. IL (>. (ihaiiam. IIyOE I'.MtKKR. M. F. F. Bekkeley. R. S. DUNUAS. To Sir E. Eei.cuek, C.B., Ai.ex. Milne. Captain of Her M/iJi'sfi/'s Ship Jmntaiice, Arctic Seas. B) Connuaiid of their Lordships, (Signed) T{. Osbohne. i si' I 1«52.J ADMIIlAJ/rV INhTHUt'TIOXS. }) I No. III. l>ixl,uirlin„s lo Caplnl, Sir E,hn,nl Hrlrln-r, C.H., or the Senior q^icer ojHrr Majesty h Sl>ij»i at lin'rlH'y hlanil. Ij.,„ .lilniiralty, .Ijiril ^8, 1851. My Lords Cominission.Ts of the A.l.nirallv liav .liivcfd II.t M,.j.-.ty's ships n„n.ix au.l Talbot, un.l.T th.. onhTn of Captain 1.,.^.- hfld, to pronrd with provisions and stores to Hreduv Island, lor "the pi.rpo. ol replenishing the ships and depAts under vour onhr, • and i ann^oninianded l,y their Lordships to ae.pmint von that on the r'etnni «'l tl'i' ' I'luenux • Iron, HeVehey Islnn.l last year, they had tl... satisfae- tionol heannf,M,r the safe arrival or Her Majesty's "ship Investioator, under the eonnnand of Captain M'Clnre, at Hanks Land, havin-M-on.. pL'ted the ,lis..overy of the North-West Passa^v, thon^h nnhappilv. without diseoverin- traees of Sir John Frunkliii, and that part of Ihe nvw had b,rn enabled to reaeli Captain Kellett's station at Melvillo Lsland. I5y despatches which they received from liehrin- Straits th.^y have information that in An-ust, 18.51, Captain Coliinson, in Her Majesty's ship Knterprise passed the entrance of the Colviile Kiver- nml their Lordships trust l.y the reports he may have obtained from the natives of I'nnee Albert's Land, as well as from the reconis deposited by Captain AL'Clure on his passa-e alon- that shore, that he may also have been enabled to reach seme harbour on JJanks J.and, from uhem.c he has made known his position either to Cai)taiii M'Clure or Captain Kellett. * Their Lordships hav.^ desired me to direct your special attention to the nnuisures th.^y now require to be ado])ted for at on.u! withdrawing d' possible, the whoh^ of the force now eiM|)h.ved in the search of Sb' J. Franklin from the I'olar Seas; for elleetin- this object they refraiu from issiiinj.- any ])ositive instructions how you arc to act, "or what steps you are to take, as they are aware you must he entirelv "nidcd by the position of the shij.s, and those varyin- pircumstamrs which in that re-ion must influence your opcrati.ms ; but their Lordships' view may be stated generally as follows : — 1. If the crews of the ' Enterprise' and 'Livesti-ator' are at Hanks Lmid, they nmst aban.h,,, their ships, and ••very endeavour should be ■V may r.ltiiu to Kimland. i% made to get them to Heeehey Island, that the If this has already been elfected, and Captain K'.'llett with' h'i's'^rhips has retunied from Melville Wand, you aiv immcdialciv (o proceed to Kngland with the whole of the ship, and their erew., ab,„,dnninn ,11 ! 10 ADMIHAI/rV INSTIHU riONS. [my2. further scnrcli lor I lie iiiiH!in^' eountninen. Uiil ir('ii|)liiin Keilelt litis lii'iii nniililc to move IVoni his |)osilion at Melville Island, it may be iieeessary to ;;ive ordern to him to idiaiidon the ' Uesolnte' and ' Intrepid,' a' d ^eellre his retreat to Kreehey Uland ; hnt as this can- not he aeeonijiiisiied this year, yon need not detain any ollieers or men wiio may iiave already reached lleeehcy Island, Imt send them lo Kiifiland t'ortliwith. 2. Siionld no tidini^s Inive l)een heard of Captain Collinson in her IMiijesty's ship Miiterprise, it ix'Pomes al)solntcly necessary to provide for his ;afety. I'or this purpose the Melville lslaiiiil.l 1,,. ,"xanm...l ;' and you arc tlim-forc to in.lcavoiir, in xonr instruction to tlic !4lii|i.i procccdinn- (o Ki,jrlj,ii,|, to meet this conlin^rcncy. In the cvnit of your licalth irndtrinjr it necessary for yo\i to return to Kn^Hand, and th<' necessity of a part of the scpiadron 'ivnw.inin- ,„it another winter, you are to make known to th(t otlicer wlioni you"ma< appoint to succeed you in e( umil, all your views and arraiifrcuicnt's respeetiu": further pr()eee(linf,''s. Although this <'()uutry is now at war with Kussia, you are clearlv to umlerstaud that you are not to counnit any hostile act whatever, tho ships under ytnir comnuind haviufr l„.rn titteil out for the sole purposo of aidiufr tiiose enSHr>/,'o>, . David Lyall, M.D. . W.T.Doniville,M.J). J{. M'Connick.' * Additional ibr ' Pioneer' tender. f For ' Intrepid' tender, t Seennd Master, Lieutenant. Sherard Osborn* Walter W. Atay •). V. Clieyne Master . . T. F. Loney . . T. Allard*" . . NoKTii Stau. W..T. J.Pullen. T. C. Pullen. W. tSliellalnrrt i 1852.] THE NOllTH STAR. 13 1 Assistance. Mates . . F. ]5. Heibort . T. B. Ciiovc. . F. W. Pym fart.) Jsst.Sury. J. H. KicnnU* . 1'. V. Toms Jioaim-ain . ^h. Tjivlor Ciirjj('i//t ; then will the following tables, by showing the true bearing of the sun, enable the leader to adopt what course he })leases, and moreover to adhere to it, by repeatedly looking at his watch and estimating f 1852.] LIBHARY AND PRINTING PRESS. 19 the angle betwcoii the sun and his track,— which opera- tions require no unnecessary exposure. " Tlie tables are computed for the zone comprised by the parallels of 70° and 81° north, and extend from the beginning of March to the end of September— the sea- son most likely for exploring expeditions ; but should their use be required before or after those periods, the intelligent traveller can readily estimate the allowance he should make, by comparing the differences in the preceding and subsequent colmnns, and by observing the changes produced by the varying latitudes ; though the reader will perceive, that even a material error in the assumed latitude would be scarcely appreciable in taking up a line of march." — F. B. This merely evinces the scientific interest in the matter. The compasses themselves were enclosed in neat leathern cases, suspended by a belt (spare pins and needles in- cluded), and the magnetic needle itself so adapted to the card that at noon the compass could be set by the sun to tell the tni<> Mcru/iau; and thus, until a fresh opportu- nity was afforded of obtaining further proof of the time by that cheering luminary, the traveller was relieved of the perplexities attending the correction for variations amounting to almost half the circle in extent, « 42° to 150°. The libraries furnished to each vessel contained all that was asked, which, aided by private collections, left nothing to be wished for in that department. A very excellent printing press, with full type, was supplied to the leading commands, and was found useful. In the comforts and extras for the sick, and for the complete equipment for the collection mid preservation c 2 -20 SHIPS UNDOCKED. [Jfarr/f, of rare objects, and all matters connected with natural history, oni* acknowledgments arc specially due to Sir William Jinrnett, the Director-General of the Medical Department of the Navy. The tents, sledges, and general equipments, as on the last (,'xpedition, were furnished by the Dockyard at Wool- wich. Gutta-percha cases of all descriptions were pro- vided, but none succeeded : they will not stand intense or moderate cold ; but some adaptation of this, or Jeffries' marine glue, would, I a. satisfied, under judicious ar- rangement, prove highly important. On the 19th of Mfu-ch the ship left the dry dock, ma- king a most ominous lurch, and was secured alongside the Dockyard. On the 25th, hauled off to the ' Charger' hulk, and nothing appeared likely to detain us beyond the contemplated day, April 15. On the loth of April all the vessels were in the stream, and constantly crowded by inquiring and interested vi- sitors. On the Monday the magnetic instruments were embarke 1, and a series of very valuable thermometers, specially prepared, from Greenwich and Kew Obser- vatories. Tuesday and Wednesday were exciting days : the presentation of twenty-five silken wrought banners for the sledges, by ladies deeply interested in our suc- cess, and our leave-taking from these warmly esteemed friends and their relatives, will never be effiiced from our memories. To the Lords of the Admiralty generally, to Captain Hamilton, Captain Milne, and Mr. Grant, I personally owe my acknowledgments, for the kindness and facilities afforded me throughout the equipment of this Expedition. A 1^52.] THE SIIll'S LEAVK WOOLWICH. 21 To Mr. Barrow nil arc deeply indebted for his nn- deviating kindness, anticipating wants which in our ex- cited preparation we had l)ut little leisure to dream of, and for promises fully realized during our absence. Under such conditions, like spoiled children, with everything our own Avay— with even the weather favour- ing every motion of our equipment— behold the Expedi- tion ready, if need be, at the api)ointed hour ! I have an almost superstitious dread of indccisiou, and do not consider men liable to it fit for any species of trust. And under such feelings, on the l.jth of April, nmch to my relief, the Squadron slipped their fasts to the hulks to which they had been secured, and, towed by the steam-tugs, proceeded down the river. It was a deeply interesthig scene in eery sense. Groups might be noticed on the Dockyard Wi lis, scanning with eager interest for the last signal. Wow a white handkerchief rose and fell with an almost passionate ac- tion. On board frequently a laced-cap individual might be noticed intently gazing through a telescope, and sud- denly holding up the badge of recognition. Often the wave of the blunt seaman's hand told where his heart was, " without leave." Fortunately the steam-tug dis- pensed with any but the sacred duties of the last farewell. In addition to these interesting matters, the Dockyard authorities had summoned the workmen to line the walls, the band striking up ' Should auld laug syne' and other appropriate tunes, between the peals of cheers which kept our crews incessantly engaged, and which were re- sponded to with equal vigoui'. This friendly fire was again taken up by our warm-hearted friends, the True 22 VISITF.I) HV Till', ADMIllAI/l'Y. [JprU, Hliios of the Arsenal, and finally by a very unexpected sally from the Minie liiflo division at the Marshes, who had advanced to the river-side. And now all was silent. Deep thought prevailed, and the fidgety, short walk clearly indicated that some weight had been removed, and that duty was sought for change. Shortly after noon the first stage of our eventful journey was accomplished, and the vessels secured to their mooring-buoys at (ireenhithc. On the l()th the vessels were swuug for local attraction due to the iron on the compasses. My duties carried me to Loudon. Captain Johnson ])erfornied this duty, Cap- tain Kellett attending to his own ship. The stowage and iron fittings of the tenders remaining nearly the same, the tables for those vessels remained unchanged. The 'North Star,' having been detained by })rovisiou still unstowed, dro})ped down and joined company. The pow- der was embarked in rather large ([uantity for blasting purposes, and nothing now prevented oiu* proceeding but final instructions, and the customary visit of the Lords of the Admiralty, which had already been duly notified. On Monday, the 19th, the Board, comprising His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, Rear- Admiral Sir r. Hornby, Captain Sir T. Herbert, Captain Milne, the Private Secretarv, and Sir B. W. Walker, the Surveyor of the Navy, inspected the ships, officers, and crews. Privy Council duties rerjuiring the attendance of the Duke hi town, the Board left rather in haste, leaving me to re- ceive and entertain Prhice D'Aguila, from the Neapo- litan Court, for which purpose the state barge had been sent down with Mr. Gore, fiag-lieutenant, from Woolwich. / 1S52.J QUIT (illKKMirniE, 23 i ^; I'- After Ilis Royal lliglnicss liiid iiis))ccto(l the vessels, he returned to liOiidon. Oil tlie 2()tli Coimuodoro luleii arrived witli the pay- clerks, paid the crew up to this date, at which theycoiu- ineiice their doid)U' pay, and six months' ordinary pay in advance (two months' iK-ing customary), ruder ordinary circiuustances, the payment, with such facility to escape, many having no men-of-war's time, would have been cou- sidi'red hazardous. We had no such feeling on the whole, nor were we deceived. A finer body of men never trod the decks of any of IFer Majesty's ships of war. Our North Sea pilots })i'ing embarked — the same who took out Sir John Franklin having been allotted to us — I went to London to receive my final instructions, returning l)y eleven o'clock that night, accompanied by a warm-hearted friend, nlio had volunteered to see me to the Orkneys, and be the bearer of our last adieus. Such friends are not butterflies. My detention to this date was by su- perior will. Shortly after four a.m. on the morning of the 21st we slipped our moorings. The Squadron, towed by the ' Lightning,' 'African,' and ' Monkey,' and tenders under steam, quitted Grecnhithe before the good jjcople had time to open their eyes, or think of anything like cheering. About eight o'clock avc sighted the shijjs at Sheerness, the 'Ocean' bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Hope, Admiral the Honourable Josceline Percy being absent on leave. About nine o'clock, casting off the steamers, we an- chored at the Nore, in order to complete the stowage of the ' North Star,' and to make good certain defects ..' u t^UlT THK NORE. [Jpril. ciiuse-d by the' Pioneer' nuiniiig into us. Here we were joined by tin; ' liasilisk' and ' Desperate/ res(!rve war- steamers, eoniinanded ])y (!onnnandi'r (Jardiner and Lieutenant Stevens, ordered to aceonipany us as far as the 20th meridian west j tlie ' African ' to tow for six days from the Nore. Commodore Hope came off in the steam-tender * Sprightly,' and, in order to exj)editc our supplies, I accompanied him to the Dockyard, the ' Monkey' and 'African' also running in to coal. JJaving paid my respects to the Admiral's lady and family, and invited tlnin to visit the ship during our de- tention, her daughters, as well as those of my old friend Sir Charles and Lady Colville, availed themselves, with other visitors, of the opportimit' At three o'clock, our defects i, ng becu made good, \vc took leave of our friends, the Commodore passing under the stern of each vessel, giving and receiving in return our three last and most exciting cheers ; for hero wc felt that the final knot was cut which connected us with civilised England. Our anchors were tri[)ped, and, towed by our respec- tive tugs through the lowering mists which hung over the embouchure of the Thames, we took our last look at the shores of Kent, and dived to om* cabins, to me- ditate on the great work wc had undertaken ; — not in pride of connnand, but in the feeling that we were merely following up the clue which others had barely left us enough to hold on by — hardly enough to warp ahead with. % I 25 CHAPTER I. At Sen. -■Rcacli tlio Orkneys.— Sh-omiic.sB.--S(.nrcity of Stock.— Dc- J)artiirc of tlu; ' IJasilisk' niid ' Dcsix-ratc.'- Kiitcr IJallin's Jiay.— VVhali'lisli Isluiuls.— U.Tcptioiihyivsfiuiiiiaux.—J.icvrly.— Disasters. —Moored ut Lievely.— Survey of ti.e I'ort.— Quit Lievely.— Scarcli for Coal.— Quit the Waijjat. Up to this moiucnt all has gono well. The sun has shed his chi'cring ray on all our movements, and not a day's rain interfered either with our rigging or embarkation of stores. One cannot but be grateful for all these bene- fits, and deem tlieni but a prelude, under God's blessing, to a fortunate termination to our ettbrts. In tow of the steam-tugs ' Monkey' and 'Afi-ican,' and accompanied by the ' Desperate,' ' Basilisk,' ' Lightning,' and oiu- steam-tenders ' Pioneer' and ' Intrepid,' we formed rather an imposing than warlike squadron. The tide being in our favour, we moved rapidly through the shoals of the Thames-mouth, and enterhig the iXorth Sea soon began to feci the old sensations of being again on the ocean. The breeze freshening last, and my instruc- tions directing the return of the ' Lightning' and ' Monkey' from the Sunk Light off Harwich, the ' Intrepid' also having signalled defects in machinery, I determined on )} (I .> 26 REACH THE ORKNEYS. ypri/, niiclioring for the night, complete * Desperate' with coal from ' Monkey,' and despatch the latter vessel to Wool- wich. Before daylight, the 'Intrepid' having made good de- fects, we again moved forward ; the 'Assistance' towed by the ' Basilisk ;' the ' llesolnte' hy the ' Desperate ;' ' North Star' by ' African ;' and ' Lightning,' ' Intrepid,' and ' Pioneer' under ijteam ; but the ])reeze soon render- ing towiiig inconvenient, sail was made, and each vessel moved independently. As the sea rapidly increased, and ■would soon render connnunication unsafe, I despatched my last connmmication by the ' Lightning,' directing her return to Woolwich ; and as the breeze very soon increased and separated the Squadron, and 'African' did not rejoin, I imagine that she followed the ' Lightning.' J/jfil 23. — About one a.m. we romided the Dudgeon Light and steered for Buchanness, where the consorts, • North Star' excepted, rejoined. ^jji-il 25. — About three a.m. on the morning of the 25th, the breeze faihng, the steamer resumed tow, and about seven a.m. the ' North Star' was seen under the high land of Caithness. About seven we took on board an Orkney pih)t, and shortly before noon, under a most brilliant and cheering sun, not a breeze moving and sea glassy smooth, we threaded the Orkneys, passing Long Hope, where I had at first purposed anchoring, and by noon were safely anchored off the town of Stronuiess. The ' Basilisk' was then sent to aid the ' North Star.' The remainder of the S(piadron gradually dropped in, anil before sunset all were in seciuity, the tenders and steamers within the inner harbour. i: (.— 1853.] STROMNESS. 27 This being Sunday, and the inhabitants at church at the tune of our arrival, we wore not visited until the afternoon, when the Custom-house authorities and Dr. Hamilton came on board, tendering tlieir services. Understanding from these gentlemen that a vessel laden Avith coal on sale was witlun the harbour, I was enabled, before the arrival of the steamers, to make arrangements for their entering a^ once, to transfer it more conveniently without further delay or expenditure of fuel. This, probably, was the first time that the inner harbour of Stromness bore on its waters four steamers of war of such length and tonnage. Unfortunately the Post-office at Kirkwall did not for- ward our letters, notwithstanding that the official envelopes were addressed to Stronmess,— possibly, in the cxpec- tation that the seekers for them would find their way thither. In this they were not mistaken, as our younger men were rather anxious to conunence their explorations and breathe a little pure air,— an example which Captain Kellett and myself soon followed a pied, on the rising ground in the inunediate vicinity. The observations on the town and scenery are hardly expected in these days, and amount to ;///. Our attention was chiefly directed to the pohits and facilities for watering, obtaining the necessary sup})lics, and other trivial duties. Nor Avas time idly expended on board. We had as yet had but our first shaking, and it was not long before my indefatigable aid, Conunander Richards, found stow- holes for many objects which doubtless })uzzled him, and which probably never before lumbered the quart(!r-deck of any vessel bearing a j)endant. These comi)rised heavy n T 28 SEA-STOCK SCARCE. \_j1jnil. cases of concentrated sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol), gal- vanic batteries, balloon gear, emu mulfis aliis, which would probably involve more queries than I would care to answer. At every step these were really obstructions, and some were subjects not to be ill-treated with impimity, even thus far out of Scotland. In the midst of all these duties, involving ahnost a rcstowage of the ship, watering, coaling, etc., we began to discover that our private stock of animals and other requisites, involving the comfort of both inner and outtir man, had been most peculiarly over- looked. The natives, too, had discovered our weakness, from a certain furor displayed by one or *a\o leading purchasers, and did not even, while thus patriotically and philanthropically engaged, fail in forming just estimates of the contents of om' purses, probably understanding fi'om previous visitors that men-of-war's men are fair game. Independent of any such feeling, and setting aside any presumption that stock here is cheap and easy to be pro- cured, I woidd strongly advise my brother officers not to trust to any such fallacy beyond eggs, milk, and butter. Animals, ducks, fowls, etc., are not lit to kill, do not live, and turn out eventually very dear bargains. But this applies in most minor ports. It is only the practised stockman who will supply objects fit to eat, or which Avill endure the caging on board ships. Our rambles exhibited to us, or rather to myself, no improvement since my visit to the Orkneys in 1821, — a private individual, and most warndy and hospitably enter- tained by some good friends at Kirkwall, whose names have escaped my memory, but their kindness has not 1852.] SAIL PROM STROMNESS. 39 . been forgotten. Possibly tliey recollect me at the Manse only as the inquisitive " stone-breaker." I rode over to Stromness and back the same evening. To expect hos- pitality or attention under present circumstances would be unfair : who could entertain such an army of locusts ? One of our deserters, or rather an unfortunate middy whose dreams were more powerful than the cheers at partuig, had now given himself uj), having posted and railed, express, through two parts at least of Great Bri- tain to overtake us, and crossed by gig from Kirkwall. As there was no "cheque without leave," no further questions were asked ; I was only too glad to see him. By him we received information that the steamer which brought him to Kirkwall would depart on the next day evening for Aberdeen. I had now to lose my kind companion Mr. E. Ray. ^Ve took leave of him on the evening of the 27th, seeing him off by the mail-cart ; and to his kindness, mid iiN terference with the Post-office, I feel that we in a great measure owe the reception of our letters by our return officers. He carried with him our final despatches, with which he would sail at dawn on the morning fol- lowing for Aberdeen. April 28.— Fortunately we obtained the smi for our chronometers at two p.m., just as the weather began to exhibit a suspicious, murky appearance, when the S(|ua- dron weighed, cleared the islands, and was once more on its forward progress. The absence of the 'African' we now felt seriously ; her services might have proved important to tow out the ' North Star,' as in this thick weather one more tug would have kept us securely con- 1 30 THE BASILISK AND DESPERATE DEPART. \j\Tmj, I. nectcd. We were compelled to lie to — and that is, under tow, a most tedious operation — until one of the steamers could extricate the ' North Star ;' much valuable calm and offing in this variable climate was thus lost. Having fairly gained an offing, the ' Basilisk' was al- lotted to the 'Assistance' and tenders, and the 'Despe- rate' to the 'Resolute' and 'North Star.' About four A.M. on the 29th, we passed Cape Wrath lights, and before nightfall had cleared the northern end of Lewis Island. AVe were now truly at sea. My instructions were ex- plicitly Umileil to taking the two steam aids as far as the longitude of 20° west. It was my intention, on reach- ing that meridian, to complete the tenders with coal, and then release them. That the orders were worded so im- peratively was unfortunate. Had it been simply, not to carry them beyond their safe means of return, I might easily have taken the supplies out at an earlier date, or, at reduced coal, worked a day or more longer, until smoother water prevailed Unfortunately this distance was not made good until Sunday, the 2nd of May, when the labour did not ap- pear sufficiently imperative to disturb that day of rest ; but, the breeze suddenly freshening at nightfall, and towing-hawsers parting, it became necessary to make sail independently. Bad weather continued until the 8th of May, when, taking advantage of a lull, we communicated with the steamers, exchanging a marine and taking their towing- hawsers. Our despatches were sent by the ' D(!spcrate,' Lieutenant Stevens, as being more likely, by steam and f> 1852.] ENTER Baffin's bay. 31 il canvas combined, to reach Plymontli, and, by rail, Lon- don, earlier than the 'Basilisk,' bonnd to Portsmouth with paddles and canvas. Much pleased with the dili- gence and handling of these vessels by their respective connnanders, we cheered and parted company, thus se- vering the last link on this side of Greenland. ' Shortly after parting with the steamers, we fell in with a dead whale, and began to experience the customary visitation of the fish-hunting birds, mollymoks, gulls, etc., of Greenland. On the 15th of May, being in lati- tude 57° 5G' north and longitude 38° 26' west, we were visited by a snow-bunting, and on the 20th noticed the first iceberg; but, although we passed between several small pieces of ice, neither the air nor sea exhibited any change of temperature. On the 1st of May we passed Cape Farew-11, and on the 24th were becalmed off Godhavn. The d.odge was sent down and some few shells obtained, but the cod- fish and halibut, notwithstanding the most enticing baits were tried, could not be induced to bite. Suddenly a long rolling swell came in from the south-west, causing the vessels to pitch very heavily, and, as they rose to the sunmiit of the wave, exhilnting the land-ice, not before noticed, as lining the coast-line. The effect was curious, and not pleasing. The customary routine of such icdious navigation con- tinued until the 29th, when we got a fair wind and ran up to the Whalefish Islands. As customary in these cases, reference was made to " the voyages," and to persons on board who had been here before; but no one could afford any information •^'A 32 WHALEFISH ISLANDS. [May, '. i } I calculated to be of use. Wc were therefore compelled to grope our way, aided by our dead reckoniug. To the seaniau scekiug Whalefish Islands nothing can be more deceitful than the first sight of the group, when distant about ten miles, and more particularly if the wind should be light and the sea very smooth, when probably it woidd prove glassy calm at the islands. They would then appear merely like a scattered reef on the siuface of the ocean ; but the mystery is easily dispelled. If they display a wide extent, you are to the south-west ; and if you bring them to bear nearly frue north, you must be in the fair way for the entrance, which is by the south-east end of the southern island. E.N.E. by compass, they show in the centre of Disco and as one island. The two main islands are high, about six hundred feet, and ^^ill exhibit a deep gap between them. It is in this gap, about half a cable wide, that vessels anchor. The Danish Establishment is on the southern island, termed Kron-Prins Island. If the breeze be steady, shave it on the east, as a rock lies off about a cable's length north-north-east true, and run for the gap until Boat Isle is seen midway in the channel ; drop anchor in the mouth, and veer to secure to either or both shores. Eive of Her Majesty's ships were safely berthed well within the mouth. The latitude of Boat Island was determined to be — latitude 68° 58' 42" N., longitude 53° 13' W., variation 70° 46' 39" W. In Captain Mangles' account I notice that Sir John Franklin was much in the same dilemma as ourselves ; 5 il 1852. J DIRECTIONS FOR WHALEFISIf ISLANDS. 38 indeed when I was first informed that tliey were truly the Whalefish Islands, I could scarcely credit it. They did not api)car to afford the slightest chance of shelter. On the other hand, no seaman who has once visited them, and used his eyes, can for one instant be in doubt. There are no others to mislead him, if he approaches them on the proper bearing. Disco may also be in sight, and the very remarkable mountain over Lievely will, bearing north (true), be an infallible aid. If these islands should be sought from the northward, bring the easternmost point of the high eastern island to bear south true, and run down until you perceive the channel, with a rock in the centre, between the two highest islands. Round all rocks easterly, at a good berth, and enter this channel boldly; steer for the starboard channel; pass Boat Island ; after which run for the port side, to avoid a rock, close in shore, on the starboard hand ; anchor as you open the narrows. Bergs sometimes plant them- selves at the southern mouth of this gully ; it is therefore safer to be well within, as they ground and may break your anchor, if you should be just outside the opening. The moment any vessel is noticed steering for these islands, the Esquimaux, or "Huskies,"* as the Danes customarily term them, come off in sufficient numbers to satisfy you that you are near the haunts of uncivilized men, and will afford sufficient information to guide any stranger to his anchorage. They are all in the pay of, or dependent on, the Danish Resident there or at Lievely,' and carry on the seal-fishery for the Company's interest.' * "Husky" is tlieir own term. I rccolleot the chorus to a souo- at Kamtchatka was " Husky, Husky." ° VOL. I. _ ; I « 'f ; ■) 34 aECKl'TION BY KSQUIMAUX. \JHnf, The establishment nt the Wluilefish Isluiuls iinist have degenerated in a most extraordiiiiiry de}j;ree of htte yeirs, it' it ever deserved the reputation of luiving one deeent house in it Avitliin the memory of man. Never did I wit- ness su(!h utter tilth and degradation in any Esquimaux western tribe in my hfe ; but visits to Lievely, Uper- navik, and Cajje York, satisfy me that the tribes here are more filthy. Upon the occasion of our visit, nine kaiacks formed hi line ahead, awaiting our arrival, with lances poised, as if we had been some mighty monster of the deep they intended to attack. These kaiacks jrobably were manned by their select men, and in- tended to exhibit a visit of courtesy, as they Avere better clad than we afterwards noticed. They kept up with the ship, throwing their spears at objects which offered, re- covering th{;m with great agility as they came up w'ith them, buoyed by their light fish-bladder. One unfortu- nate hmme was struck, probably gazing in astonishment at us, but pursuit was overbalanced by the chance of the nice things they might pick up from us, particu- larly as it was our dinner hour, and Jack is generous in his way. They probably had seen the ship before, but no whaler ever could be mistaken for her. Many of them have some })retension to head and stern, and are even gilded ; but why our predecessors deemed it expedient to make our vessels so unlike anything before created, not a little perplexes me, for in truth we have less of the heavy ice to encounter. The day will yet arrive when whalers, or those intejiding to anuise them- selves in " northern researches," will prefer clipper- moulded vessels, instead of tea-chests. (■ k 1852.] QUIT FOR LIKVELY. 35 h i ■>■!. Our time here, wliilst refitting, watering, nnd rcstowiiig our holds, was employed examining the Islands and shootmg di'.cks, chiefly the eider (Ams wo/lmma). As to any communication with the so-called Governor, or oil-cooper to the settlement, only distinguishable by a white f..- and reddish hair from the us filthy Es(pii. maux, there was no inducement. Taking our departure by the northern route, on the 5th of June, we passed up the eastern side of the group, in search of Lievely. Tiie same remarks apply to information about Liev(;]y. It must be sought by latitude and longitude, being situ- ated in latitude 0U° 13' 5C" N., longitude 53° 42' W. The surest and unerring mark is a flat-crowned beetling cliff, about one-third from the western point of Disco, where indeed they appear to terminate. On nearing the land, which is " safe to," the rocks which form the port of Lievely will be seen to project well to the southward, and fine gravelly beaches commence im- mediately to the eastward of the rocks which, externally, form this very close port. It is indeed the port of the island of Lievely. At about two miles westerly from these fine dark gravelly beaches, the jutting angular headland will exhibit the great red beacon, which at once sets further doubt at rest. This beacon is on the outer south-west head, and has a deep bay within, which at first sight might be mistaken for the port. Steer past this bay on the outer side of the islet, which lies off, and round the next inner j)oint, within which a deep strait will open, and pilots Avill meet the vessel. The port lies at the eastern extremity of this strait, and is a most perfect, land-locked, safe anchorage. D 2 ju; DISASTI'.IIS. [/. tffie. I I J I Tlic town cnnnot be scon until you reach the eastern bight of this strait. In our case, the tenders having been directed to look out, the beacon was signalled by ' Pioneer;' and rinuiing in with the ship to a safe distance, 1 left in my gig, to ascertain where the j)ort lay. I was nnich pn/zled by the outer bay; but innnediately on roiuiding the inner ])()int, the warping-rings lot into the ro(.'ks, and num- bered, clearly indicated where to proceed. I was not a little surprised to find that no pilots were coming out, and, until I reached the Resident's house, that none were ordered ; but they innnediately accompanied me in their own whale-boat, and on opening the point I made the signal to the ship ' to steer for my position,' advancing in the course which she was to maintain. This was im- mediately com))lied with by Conunander Kichards, and rejoining oft' I'alse Bay, we stood in, })r(;pared to beat up to the harbour. I had ho})ed that the ship would have beat in to the anchorage in decent style ; but fate seemed to decree; unusual disasters, and either flurries of wind or counter-currents acted to the annoyani'^ of each. The 'Assistance,' always weatlun'ly outside, \Nould not keep to the wind, and lost ground in tacking. The pilots (too many) Avere all uttering unintelligible jargon, and giving contrary orders, twice putting us on the same rock with- out damage, owing to its abruptness ; so thiit I found, with such a strong breeze prevailing, that it was neces- sary to anchor. In the meantime the 'Pioneer' had made love to an iceberg, which deprived her of her mizenmast. 'Intrepid' groiuuled in stays; 'Resolute' anchored ; and next morning, after it moderated, and the 1S52.] M()01U;i> AT LIKVKLV. 37 V, ^viiid fiivouml lis to get in, ' North Star' tailed on the harbour spit, and remained one tide. We all had our taste of beating into Lievely. Had all this happened to raw hands, it would have been clear enough, but we had too many surveyors aceustonuul to greater ditlieulties. The undertow must have been the cause, by the strong wuid from the eastward forcing the water through the channel on the east, at the same moment as the flood was making high water on the surface from the west. One decided jjoint in my own mind was the want of rake to our mizeiunast. This I had strongly urged be- fore leaving Woolwich, but it was not complied with. I now insisted on its being done : the result has proved that I was right. Having all the Scpiadron now securely luoored in this beautiful little harbour—uouc under the length of any five; hundred ton ship— I Ix-gnn to reflect how any one could venture to waste tiuie by frequenting the Whalefish Is- lands, when such a complete refuge as Lievely could be gjiined, with a civilized Governor, clad at least Avith re- spectable clothing, and gentlemanly in manners, and when; every other acconunodation which a port should afford was to be obtained. Port charges might i)revent the generality of whaling ships from entry, but this could not influence vessels of war. Referring to Sir I]. Parry's remarks, 1 notice that he only visited this port in his boat in 18.:2-1., and, unless he sounded it, or consulted the pilots, could hardly be sui)posed to know its capa- eity. He considers it excellent for small vessels, but nar- row for ships of three hundred or four hundred tons. 1 should be very glad of such a harbour for three sail J t ■ I ♦ L 88 Hl'UVKY 01" rilK I'ORT. [J/ftlC, of tho Iiii(\ It ronvcniontly lUTommodntcs five sail, in berths ulicrc til'ty-j^un IVif^atcs would l)c safer than in l*ortsMioutli harbour. The (lovcriior. Mr. Mrasnms MoeUhMip, showed us every attention, and afforded us all the infonuiition in his power. A sur\cy was made of the port and entrance, and some of our sportsmen manaf^cHl to find exercise and anmsement, if not }];ain(S by clind)ing some of tlie frown- ing hills inunediately over the anchorage, particularly that which I have noticed as the best guide in seeking this port. This hill, estimated by some of those who had not tried its ascent, was estimated at seven to eight hundred feet above the level; measurement, however, proved it to be 2100 feet. The Governor and family were entertained on board both vessels, and some of the younger hands had an opportunity of getting uj) their polkas and (piadrilles, etc., with some of the half-breeds of Danes, who really performed to admiration, and having been duly dressed, from " the theatre proi)erty," in Eu- ropean feminine costume, were not wanting in beauty. Having obtained seal-skins for booting our travelling parties, and other supplies, we cpiitted Licvely on the 1 0th of June, intending to examine a locality in the Waigat, ■where the Governor informed me that coal abounded, ond might be obtained at the beach with little labour, — but that it was cheaper for them to get it from England, than to pay the wages demanded by the Es([uimaux.* Another spot, within forty miles, Avas also named. As the ice threatened westerly, I hoped to get round inside it by the Waigat ehaimel, comuig out by the north * Thi" coal sinof visited In" tlir ' Plimnix.' I J . 1 1 1! i 1S52.] (iUiT i,ii;vr,i,v ao end of Disco, and tlicivtbiL" (Ictcriniiic-d to seek this coal. Our doj^^s were procured here ; hut we (hd wroiijr in trusting solely to the (lovcnior-. hu had sonic which he wished to get rid of. \Vc wx-re informed that all tho best bred were absent huntint^ Light airs delaying us, [ (|uittcd the ship in my gig, near the entrance of the W^aigat— a sound which divides Disco Island from Cireenland; and keeping along the shore, at length readied a spot where the banks exhibited unmistakable signs of a coal-bearing district. Tlu coal was found in (h-tachcd pieces on the beach, but not in sutt^cient (juantity to reward delay. I therefore moved easterly, to the mouth of a great valley barred by sand, and which appeared during the summer season to be the bed of some great i-ivcr. Within, it being low water, it was cut up by streams in all directions, the sea-beach forming a kind of barrier. Strewed along this sandy beach, about three bags of loose pieces were picked up; but no elites, banks, or rocks- near, which exhibited the slightest chance of coal i/i ,vfif. The surrounding liills appeared, at two or three miles inland, to be formed of some very dark stone, constantly disintegrating and tundding down into the valleys ; but neither timt' nor labour could be afforded to examine them. The Go- vernor's explanation, that " it would not repay the labour of collection," was but too apparent. That this was one of the spots alluded to, as "near a house forty miles cast," I was fully satisfied, as he had informed me that it was at a sandy beach not far beyond where they had 11 house; and this house I visited, and similar coal to that picked up on the beach easterly had there been • I •:h !:( 40 SHARCII i'Oll COAL. I 'I ( t I \ I ■ 1 > i !. [Ju/ie, used as fuel. Fiirtlicr along the coast a party again landed, but no traces of coal : it must therefore lie in- land, and is probahly l)rought down by the heavy streams which the thaws throw down through the valleys. Tlio interval between the nearest mountain-faces and the shore was covered by a thick peaty soil, in which a person would sink deeply in any thaw ; the labour, therefore, of transporting coal, even if it existed within one mile, would be excessive. During the day and night previous to our departure from Lievely, it had snowed heavily, and covered the land generally to souk; depth ; but the line sei)arating this coal-bearing region was most clearly delineated by the total absence of snow,— doubtless due to the gcnie- ration of heat by the previous thaws and sun's rays act- ing upon the shaly beds, charged with iron pyrites. To the eye, as viewed by telescope, the hill-ridges appeared to be composed of a slaty siiale, or coal, cropping out oc- casionally like dykes, and were in inuncdiate association with a ferruginous clay, deeply channelled by late thaws. The coal found was not bituminous, but more of a slaty wood-coal ; l)urned well and retained its heat when mixed with other coal, and would be admirably adapted as an aid for our steamers, especially for banking up or retaining low steam. A white fox came to inquire our reasons for visiting this part of the comitry, but departed abruptly before he came within gunshot. As the evening continued calm, [ sent the officers on shoi-e, to shoot and amuse themselves by nmking further researches inland towards the black formations; this i I 1852.J QUIT THE WAIGAT. 41 latter tliey found too todious, by reason of the yielding I)eat over which they had to travel ; but they were more fortunate in securing several brace of ptarmigan, now very acceptable to onr invalids,— particularly Captain Kellett, nearly on his legs again, and regaining his cus- toniary spirits. June 13. — Having contended in this neighbourhood for some time with strong breezes, and loose ice increas- ing so fast as to render the navigation a severe duty to the crew, even to keep the ship clear of it, and the pro- spect to wiiuhviird unsatisfactory, I bore up round the south end of the island, and, passing Lievely, reached the sea again, now invested with larger and more muue- rous l)crgs than we had before noticed. This, however, indicating a great southerly motion, aftbrded me hopes of making an easier passage, as these monsters generally clear away all before them and break up the small floes, 1 notice that the Danes dift'er from us, in terming these masses " blinks," whereas we apply that term to the re- flection of ice or water, as ice-blink, water-sky. Wn i fe III I t •' 42 i •( V. CHAPTER II. Anchor at Upcrnavik.— The Squadron adrift.-Dangers numerous.— Prospects of the Voyage.— ]3rowue Islands.— Preparation for Flit- tnig.— The ' Eesohite' nipped.— Docking.— Blasting lee.— Wreck of the ' Regalia.'— Meet a Whaler.— Irregidarities of the Crew.— Mel- viUe Bay.— Floe Law.— Capture a Bear.— Cape York. On the 16th of June we had reached the western entrance of the Waigat Channel, and found it closely blocked ; the ice also, to seaward and the north, apparently closely packed ; but in this we were undeceived as we neared it, several lanes opening, which admitted of sailing, by a little caution in selecting the weakest points for breach- ing. The floe pieces, or flat ice, were so much eaten into and rotten, that, if due calculation was made for the im- petus in running into them at almost natural fissures, no difficulty existed in dividing them and reaching tlie next "lead." After some little excitenuMit of this nature, and giving a few shakes to the old craft, merely to let her know that she must awaken to her old duties, we reached the open water, and were making good progress, unfet- tered by further obstacles, to the northward. On the ISth we were off" Anderson's Hope; winds light and adverse. Eeat up amongst the islands, and. ^ 1852.] ANCHOll AT Ul'ERNAVIK. 43 as usual, no one able to speak dislinctly to any land in sight, — and yet so remarkable, that he who has once seen ought never to forget it. Late in the evening, as we reached close in upon one of the islands, it was thought, on the view we had of a very high perpendicular cHfF (3300 feet), that it might be " Anderson's Hope ;" but I, who had never before seen the land, knew full well where I was : but where to find the anchorage at Uper- navik was the mystery to be solved. The difference be- tween noon and midnight, in this latitude, was scarcely taken into account by us, and therefore I felt surprise that no colours were exhibited, or pilots came off. They were all asleep ; it was past midnight. Early on the 19th, a boat, manned by Esquimaux, came oflF, but no Danes. At two a.m. I sent the cutter, with the master, to seek for anchorage and point out the set- tlement. Still no notice was taken of us by the Danes ; nor could we distinguish the settlement. At length we noticed the cutter, in a deep bight, with the signal flying for anchorage, and shortly after discovered the chapel and residence of the Superintendent (or Governor) on a point above. Upon the return of the boat, we stood in to a small but snug bay, open to the northward, and anchored, se- curing to a small islet, as well as to an iceberg grounded off the mouth of the bay. I now proceeded to call upon the Governor, Karl Gelmeyden Elaiseher, and received from him everv at- i/ tention, apologizing for not sending out any pilots, as most vessels fre(pienting this place are well acfjuainted with the usual anchorage. We obtained about twentv masBm W Ill ij I' '' 1 ? 44 THE SQUADRON ADRIFT. [>rfr/i(', good "water-skins" (a peculiar seal), for the soles of our travelling-boots, vvhicli wc were unable to get at Lievely ; purchased boots and mocassins, pup-seal skins for lin- ings, and sundry curiosities, Esquimaux models. The priest also, Jens Michael Peter Kragh. came to pay his re- spects, — a sharp, intelligent man, particularly conversant with the value of a British sovereign. Both these indivi- duals were the offspring of mixed parents on the mother's side and Danish fathers, were born in Greenland, and partially educated in Denmark. Their wives are Danish, and the children interesting, animated, and likely to be handsome. We were also introduced to a pretty dark- eyed brunette, the daughtei of Petersen, who accompa- nied Mr. Penny as interpreter in his late expedition. In the window of the Resident we noticed several varieties of flowers in bloom, but principally natives of Greenland, although conunou hi England. We were most anxious to obtain seal's flesh for the dogs of the exj)edition generally; but my endeavours were completely frustrated by the interference of private in- terests, by which the natives were induced to demand as much for one carcase as the Governor informed me would have purchased all in the colony. The result was, that all were disappointed ; the Resident absolutely refusing to allow any sales under these exorbitant demands. In the evening it came on to blow very fresh, and I now began to congratulate myself in not trusting to the stability of bergs ; our bower anchor was well placed, and an intervenhig rocky ledge pi-evented the berg from ilriving upon us. The ' Resolute' commenced by breaking adrift, owing iJ M i 1852.] QLlT UPERNAVIK. 45 I to the turning of the berg ; ' Pioneer' fell foul of her, taking away the jib-boom of ' Resolute,' and losing her own fore-topmast. Both went adrift in a strong gale, with thick fog, hito the Strait. Our own berg, although close in shore, took leave of us, carrying otf the ice-anchors and hawsers of the ' As- sistance,' ' North Star,' and ' Intrepid.' The uuccrtain condition of the ' Resolute' and ' Pioneer,' in fog md bad weather, amongst rocks, kept us in unpleasant suspense during the night, but fortvuiately they rejoined the day following, when our hawsers, etc., were also recovered. We dropped our second anchor, and rode it out comfort- ably, although the gusts at times were very heavy. June 20.— The day turned out very fme, — bright sun, and little Avind. After prayers, I took leave of tlu; Resi- dent, and joined the vessels outside, but, fog coming on, had some difficulty in colh'cting the Squadron. We now passed in to the eastward, between tlie is- lands, into the Great Sound, having been informed that " Sir James Ross did so, and avoided mucli uni)leasant ice." But in this we were mistaken. After knockiiifr about untd midnight, frequently obscured from each other, and the sight of land, by fog or snow-drift, and Avithout any appeaiance of an opening, I determined on effecting my escqic l)y the first western outlet between the islands. Wit'iin, as far as we had proceeded, the ice was fast. AV^ith om accustomed good fortune, we soon hit on a fair lead between them, and just cleared the southern band of ice, interposed between us and Upernavik. This neighbourhood is very dangeiou,^ to navigate, and I have been since informed, that scarcely a whaler passes ;.,t msmm ! . !' 1' in n ! ! 1 « ■^'■■■: r ': if ■" ! * V i 46 DANGERS NUMEROUS. [June, l)y this route without striking on, or discovering, some new rock. Several were noticed by the ' Resohite,' as well as ourselves, just capped by ice, and both escaped once or twice; the 'Resolute' found out her mistake when intending to graze the ice which concealed the danger ; great caution must therefore be exercised. As to fixing the position of any which we saw on the charts, it was impossible : fog and other difficulties entirely pre- vented our knowing where we were. If one calmly casts his eye on the charf, and there views the dots decorating the coast, each of which is intended to represent an island — and sixty of such dots would represent sixty miles— the difficulty of placing any- thing there to warn navigators may be understood. The navigator in these regions must, like the pilots of the Bermudas, carry his chart in his head, and use his eyes properly. Latitude and look-out may help him, but the water is very deep— too deep for the lead— and but few soundings on the chart. Before quitting this neighbourhood, I will endeavour to give my own opinion as to the approach to and an- chorage at Upcrnavik. It is necessary, in the first in- stance, to know the latitude and longitude of the place bound to. The anchorage point of Upernavik Bay is si- tuated in latitude 72° 48' N. and longitude 55° 53' W., about one mile east of the church. The Danish vessel, which makes her annual visit, I am informed, moors within a fine of rocks, in the depth of this bay, which forms a natural dock; and she is, I doubt not, in perfect security, if properly provided with ground-tackle. Our anchorage in the outer bay showed the flag-staff of the ' 1 rr 1 1 1852.] DIRECTIONS FOR FINDING. 47 settlement open between (he two outer islands, in eleven fathoms stiff clay, with a ledge of rocks, probably, be- tween us and the anchor, as the grinding noise of our cables evinced, and the anchors and hawsers used in warping were entangled with much kelp. The anchor was let go when the flag-staff was clear outside the rocky islet. The approach to Upernavik is considered to be safest by "the inner passage," immediately under the high cliffy part of Anderson's Hope, inside of the two is- lands. When the last point on the right exhibits the eastern passage open, haul easterly and southerly withal. The settlement will be noticed about south-east, on the starboard hand, with the Danish colours flying, and a white-faced chapel beside it, unless you happen to do as we did— visit it at midnight : then, ^ven a gun, unless charged with sovereigns, might not elicit much atten- tion. Even the Danes have very sound ideas of luxury : in such climates it requires great inducement to get out of bed. Some of the officers of the ' Resolute,' I be- lieve, visited the " Rookery" and Plumbago districts ; but of this I am unable to give any account. Havhig now, I conceive, done my duty to those ma- riners who may follow me (?), I shall proceed with our monotonous voyage ; for really, but to seamen, I cannot flatter myself that bergs, floes, sailing ice, etc. will greatly interest any one not in want of such information. All narratives of voyages of this nature demand great indul- gence from the general reader. One should possess the pen of Marryat, Hall, or Glascock, and indeed coin in- teresting matter, to induce any one to enter these pao-es. :|ii' J 11 ' / f .. Hi H 1^ 48 REFLECTIONS ON OUR PROSPECTS. [June, I cannot play the Inimorous or the buffoon, but trutli, sini])le truth alone, in such pleasant terms as I can re- duce it to, will })revail. I have nothing to gain, nothing to fear : my own family motto must guide me through- out. Those who despise " Loyal au mort" and loyal to facts, must not depend too much for amusement in this narrative. Our departure from Upernavik, to use the seaman's well-known expression, was the " hoisting in of our long boat." Henceforth we must be considered at sea, and dependent on our own resources. Cut off, for a scries of years, from any but our own companionship, and depen- dent in no small degree upon the bond fide constituents of our society, power ceases, and the will of the least amongst us may create hello, horrhla hclla. Upon Avhat a volcano do we stand ! The sullen chief, if he be so, must chew the cud, and vegetate year after year in sul- lenness and vexatiousness of spirit. No such purgatory could exist, better calculated for a man of narrow mind, — none so dangerous to a sensible mind. Such then being our feelings, I proceed, in charity with all men, not perfect myself, and willing to overlook all faults in others, provided they do not, when I tell them of it, still continue to tread upon my corns. I had a very strong inclination to cut across direct for the west land, under the impression that we should find less obstruction ; but the predominant feeling being in favour of jNlelville Bay, being myself but a Johnny New- come, I submitted to the ice masters and others, who thought they knew better, and followed up the whalers, reported to be about twenty days in advance of us. I 1852.] OFF BROWNE ISLANDS. 49 am far from believing that I did right, with regard to the shortness of passage ; for I firmly believe, a very little perseverance in maintaining our westing would have re- warded us l)y open water to the westward. Juu,' 21.— The longest day,— and certaiidy a very long one, to most of the executives at least. Thick fog came on, causing a separation from our consorts, but fortu- iiately cleared up in tin)e to prevent mischief,— for no two appeared to have their heads in the same (hrection. The 'Resohitc' alone was standing directly for us, having heard our guns and fog-signals, and answered them"^ The afternoon turned out beautiful. Aided by a light fair wind, we continued to thread the passages between the icebergs, at one of which we tried the three-pounder, shotted, expecting the concussion of the air would cause; some huge fragment to separate, particularly as it exhi- bited many d(!ep vertical fissures ; but not the slightest splinter moved. We soon reached the termination of the open water, and secured the vessels to the fioe or sheet of field-ice,' averagir.g generally from three to four feet in thickness,' six-s.-venths of which are supposed to be immersed ; but we found by experiments, at a later date, that eight-ninths is nearer the truth. The weather being foggy, ^^•c were unable to see any distance, or to select any position near to any probable opening. On the morning of the 23rd, on the fog clearing ofl', we discovered that we were rather too close to one of the Browne Islands, in four and a half fathoms, added to which the rocks under our bottom were too visible to be pleasant ; moreover the ice was drifting us fost VOL.1. J,, i,H ' I t 50 I.OSK TWO DOCS. [J/n/f, towards the islmid. Tlio ' Pioneer' wiis iimiiediately put into re(jiiisitioii, ami, luiviiijf i^ot Iter steam up, touid the whole .S(|iia(h'on uUo deeper water. Had it not been tor this uiitbrtiniate iiitirlereiiee, I shoidd have huuh'd, and ohtained observations, to ti\ some of the other ()I)jeets in si|;lit, as well as son|;ht tor the eji;ns of cidtr-ducks, said to abonnd here. 1 was only able, on a moving j)ieco of ice, to ol)tain the lalitmle, whieli placed us in 71° T N., the Devil's Thnnd) bear- ing north-east fifteen miles; shortly l)efore nndnight, the ship was secured to the floe. About noon on the :2 tth, the steamers liaving now become indispensable, they towed tlu; vessels through a lead until eight l^.^r., when we secured for the night, — or rather to afford the crcAV rest, for it is almost an absur- dity to talk of nights during tlie summer in these high latitudes, "^lidnight" however becomes a ttmi of time; and at this hour a large berg, in rapid motion towards us, compelled us to again resort to our steamers, which towed us sufficiently out of its way, but unfortunately with the loss of two dogs, which, not yet sufficiently fa- miliar to tlK'ir new masters, and possibly over-fed, pre- ferred auuising themselves on the ice to rejoining their slii[)s. A boat and parties were sent to recover them, but without success. They were again seen on the floe- cdge the following day, and the boat sent to endeavour to take them, but although food was taken to entice them, stdl with no better success; starvation, or the gri[)e of some hungry bear, would probably very soon be their fate ! Little as we knew these ])oor animals, still their loss was perce])tibly felt. I [ I i M l.sr)2.J l'IU;i'A»ATI(»N lOH I'LITTINCi. 51 Wo had now ivaclicd "Melville Hny," and tlie remark- nble c.hjeets known as " Devil's 'riiinnl)," "Snjfar-loaf," "Melville iM(annnent,"an(l(!ai)e\Valker, familiar to Arctic navij,'at()rs, vven3 all clearly defined, and apparently very near. But the positions on the chart, if they he' truly placed— and we have reason to doubt it— would place us about forty miles from them. '^<0>r 2(1—1 Ait. 74° 31/ i\., lon;r. r,in." About cifjlit tliis aftcr- iiooii, the rlinii^c of fidi; or ciirrciit set the western ice ill motion soniherly. As we had no wish to travel that ronte, our vessels were removed to the o|)])osite or land- floe, and, as we thought, in a place of safety ; indeed, the space of o|)en water seemed to ))roniise us security, and T had intended to remain (piiet the ensuinj^ day, Sunday, ^ivinj; the crews their full day of rest. Shortly l)efore mi(lni of iuflicting almost in dead calm. It was not a direct ])ressure, 1)ut the grinding power of two unecjual forces, acting laterally in opposite directions. The best illus- tration to my fair readers would bo to imagiiu! the ship to be the roller of a mangle. The ])ressure strained the ' Resolute' a little, lifted her above licr line of floatation some eight or ten feet ; the bells were set ringing, glasses clattering. 'J'he sick did not care to remain be- low; indeed, in a few minutes they might all belong to another vessel, and our noble consort Iiors dr vomhat : and yet not the slightest noise or confusion, and no I (' 11 1S52.J l)(MKlN(i M a|>|)iii('iit fen r of wreck ; bouts and <,'('iir ivndyoii the ice. This was a calm iiii), and here it ended, with merely the loss of ru(hhr; hut luid the outer floe been pressed by the mhhtion of wind, distant, althon^-'i not felt by us, and the "/;///////" of th(! broken floe commenced, which result j^'enerally continues luitil all the weaker points havi; yielded and the f^'iants are firmly opposed by e(|ual re- sistance in I'ach other's end)race, the conse(|uences wt)ul(l probably have been sirious. In very few minutes every rud(K'r of the S(juadron was unshipped and hung to the stern-{hivits, and partii>s engaged cutting docks for tiio vessels, a duty on which the crews were engaged \uitil nearly six a.m. About four the ' Resolute' was released, and docked with us ; and as her rudder was found too much injured for immediate repair, the spare one was got u}), put together, ship})ed, and ready for service be- fore the following noon. 1 am aware that my naval friends will recpiire no (Ex- planation as to "docking" in ice, l)ut hmdsmcn may wish information, and, dry as it may be, I will endeavour to af!brd it in as few words as [jossible. I have already ob- served that the (hmgcr consists in being cauglit between th(! edges of two fields of ice in motion, and that, when these bodies come into contact, with a force impossible to calcuhite, all weaker objects, including the icy pro- jections themselves, undergo " the crushing force," until e(pial foi'ces overcome the causes in operation. It nuist therefore be very ajjparent, that Avliere such vast sur- faces, miles in cxteni, are so firmly cemented together, if objects be suificiently withdrawn into gaps within the line of their opposing vertical projections, they arc safe. iiif If : i -] ! . 54 l{LASTl.\(i ICK. It is tlicrcforo custoi.iaiy, by tlu- use of ice-saws, vi.rviiig Irom U'li to scvciittvii or ."inhtcru feet in Icngtli, imm u quark-f to half an iiidi in thickness, and ahout nim; inches wick), to saw out a space wliieh will a(hiiit a vessel twice lier own ien-'th, and a i•v^v feel wider than li(>r ex- treme breadth, within the irreoular edov, and which will lK!conic completely sealed, should an adverse Hoc close its inouth ; oi', to refer very simply to evcry-day practice, it IS just backing up some alley, if one is in the way of u runaway bcer-druy in tlu; Strand. In the present cas(> we discovered, even with thivc ice-masters in each V(>ssel, and nnich other assend)ied talent and experience, that there is always nuich to learn, aiul moreover, to facilitate any unconnnon service, that method is imperatively required. Our docks, constructed in haste, and without previous organization, were inqjcr- fect, and therefore we were compelled to cut deei)er,~ incurring double laboni-. As our men ami ollicers were now stationed to each saw-gang, I had the opportunity, as this work was /c/- 6-ffrc/// duiif h,/ one match, of determining the rate of ^\()rk on which I could rely in ordinary cases. 'J'he average cut- ting of three-feet ice I found to bo at the rate of ten feet in three minutes, which, if nooI)staclcs opposed, and there was external space into which the masses couhl be floated, would allow of "cutting in" in tbrty minutes,- or less] if danger threatened. Every olHcer in command should,' whatever may be tlu.' service required, estimate, nay d(>- termine, truly, the power at his disposal; and not'until then is he competent to order, decide on, or reject any contenqjiated movement where time is involved. ■■' J.atcr.'xp.nuinit.: 1. tiK ,lo,k,,| ^ 1 ;^:^Moiim,v nmuw tl, I i H lb5;2.J DOCKlNd Slill'. ;ji) 111 tli(\s(! oiii' (xcifiiig sju^ctacle. I have helbre stated that method is indispeiisahle; it therefore heconies the duty of the oiKcer superintending to have all his men duly stationed : iiii otiicer to each s.^m ..raiig ^n^^\ ti'iimgle; the carpenter, wiili his rrew. h) iiu ont the dock ; and otiiers ready to carry out any spi<'ial onh rs oi' the chief. 'PIio carpenters line out a spac(- (,f a wedge-shape, once and a iiidf the length of the s!;ip. say a hundred and eiglilv feet in length, on a midd!', iiiie, sixty teet wide at the outer mouth, and thirty feet at the inner extreme. The side mmmmmmmmm 50 WRECK OP THE 'REGALIA.' [J/ow, 1 h ' ! , ■■( . I if !- I lines arc tlieii cut l)y the savv-gangs ; and, as soon as they have fairly coinnK iced, diagonal liiujs are folloucd up; tri- angles or jib-pieces (for which see Appendix) arc shai)C(l out, which are removed as cut. On the pii)e " Dock ship ! " the ofticers with their saw-g;uigs i.ninediately repair to their proper saws and triangles, and march of to the floe, two to the saw, two to the triangle, and f.nn to the "gins" and "bell-ropes," in umch the same order as ar- tillerymen to their gun-gear, and await orders. The first few feet is a silent duty ; but '■ Now, my lads, for a song!" and at it they go cheerily, never forgetting those nearest their hearts, as " Sally is the girl I love so dearly," and sundar improvised measures, cheering on the duty, oc- casionally interrupted by a simultaneous burst, or yell, from some, at least to us, unknown cause. The iceiucn of the ' Resolute' consider that vessel to lia\e had a very narrow escape, and I perfectly bt^lieve, with them, that no whaler could have withstood the pressure to which she was subjected. The result has produced a more serious jjreparation for "flitting,'^ and greater attention to boat-fittings. AVhat I had fbrcseeu happeued : a shift of wind set our fioe in motion ; the docks broke up, owhig to numerous cracks occasioned by the explosions by gunpowder, ami a general movement resulted. A polar bear approached the ' North Star,' but her sportsmen, too eager to get the tirst shot, tired be- fore he was within range, upo.i which he very wisely withdrew from such uncourteous couipany. Jtoie 30.— AVe had succeeded, after much toil, in cut- ting and blasting through several necks of ice which separated the vessels, and were again collected, when the 1852.] -MEKT A \VIlALi;U. 57 m-cck of a vessel .-n the ice was reported from the crow's-nest.* Jt was then so foggy that we had been groping our way along the floe-edge, in order to prevent the possibility of pnrting company. On reaching tlu; wreck, which we found to l)c still suspended with her bow out c: water, by her casks and air contained be- tween decks, I caused the vessels to be secured to the ice, and connnenced saving all th(- available firewood, of which we were in need. l]y bits of papers and brands upon her s|)ars we discovered tliat she was the 'Re- galia,' of Kirkcaldy, iuid had but recently been aban- doned and set on fire. The hacking of her spars, rig- ging, etc. api)ear to have been executed by the inost malicious feeling of preventing others from making use of them. The fires were still burning, and it was evi- dent that the crew had not long quitted. We some- times laugh at the rapidity with which wreckers destroy and carry off proj)erty; but in a very short space of time the masts, yards, rigging, etc. of the late good ship ' Regalia' were absent, and stowed somewhere on board the fiv(> vessels, which " had not room for another cask of provision." As the hull, in its present position, miglit endanger some other vessel, I determined to let her ^o down, and, at the same time, relieve her of some of the casks and staves within. This, one of our twenty-pound cylinders of gunpcnvder very effectively accomplished, strewing the surface of the sea with the remnants of casks, stav(>s, etc. At this moment our men were at din- ner ; but the noise of the explosion brought them uj), and * " Crow's-ucst," a look-out pliKV, iil)oiit \\\v size of a i'a/c/ //V/ (ii)'niia. It furnished food for contennthition, of a very mixed character. Hut a few hours since, such niiii;ht have l)een thi' fati' of the ' l^'sohite,' and, in less time than it takes me to C(Mnniit this to paper, may be our own ' Whilst thns engaged, the fog cleared off, and dis- covenul a vessel under sail to the westward. About foiu' I'.M. the 'St. Andrew,' of Aberdeen, joined, and I tlu're found part of the crew of the ' Regalia,' who in- formed me, that if we had hove in sight, we could have saved a great jjart of her bread and provisions, ^vhieli would hiive been most valuable. She had been nipped ten days bi.-fore, the ice passing entirely through her, uu'eting at the main hatchway, or, as they termed it, "com[)letely toggling her."' The master having given up charg(!, and leleased the crew from further obt>dience, each boat-steerer, as customary, took his boat, — and having provisioned her, ihe crew then broke into the s])irits, and, regaling themselves in the cabin, at their highest pitch of intoxication, ordert-d the skylight to be closed to keep them warm, when the least motion of tlu; ice might have sent them in an instant to their last reckoning! This was succeeded by eviay wanton act Avhich madmen could commit. A fire was made upon the rudder lying flat under her stern on the ice. and the shi[) bmaiid until that end of her sank, leaving lua* floated nu ri'ly by the air contained in the bow and lb52.J RKt'LECTIONS ON MELVILLE 15AV 59 empty casks in tlic fore-hold. Wc gave the ' St. Aiulivw ' a tow u|) to the whahiig fleet, which we discovered that aftenioou, docking in conii)any witli thirteen, a])ont ten o clock that same evening'. Tile great floe of Melville Bay, where we were now secnred, deserves some little notice. Enlivened, as at l)resent, with a forest of masts and animated ^einy-s, its wilderness is not snlHciently contemplated. Hut let the solitary vessel be there imprisoned, and compelled for weeks, withont a consort, to anxionsly watch every change, night and day, which may attord her the slightest chance of getthig into the " north water," and every inspection mnst impress upon the mind the dreary monotony of that floe ! As far as the eye can range, a painfnliy whit(!, even snrface j)revails, hew and there broken by a hnge iceberg; or where momds of crnshed ice or nips present them,selves, piles of rnbbly irregnlarities, like Imge paving flags, cause the mind to dwell on the stupendous power engaged. The eyes become painfully affected by the glare, particularly when the sun is bright. The icy sur- face is generally co\ered with a line sheet of snow, oi', at times, flue conuninuted drift ice, which on close in- s[)ection will appear to resend)le hailstones. This floe-covei'(Ml ocean varies in tlu' thickness of its sheet of ice from two to seven feet, and, where pressure has taken eft'ect, is fre(piently doul)le(l o]- trebled l)y al- ternate flakes i)ressed mulerbythe meetin"- of conflictino' floes. It is owing to the pressure of hundreds or thou- sands of acres against the land-fast ice, catching a vessel unprepared by (h)cking, that these faial " nips" r< .snit. The computation of the floating weight sini[)lv of a surface three hundred yards s(piare amounts to ()3,0mI GO THE ' M'CLELLAN' NIPPED. \,hdu. ;i . ,'i > V i i'^ ^%. \ ' tons. AVith I'vcii this insi^niticant floo, iinju'llcd by Aviiul or tide against tlu; frail voodon structure of man, what can avail? — something like the jS'asmyth luunmer on a nut ! If the vessels intended for the whaling trade wt'rc l)uilt with a more wedge-shaped bottom, the ice in many instances would merely raise them out of water, and allow them to regain their floatation when it eased ; but she would not then hold the cargo which gain rec|uires. Strong, however, as the' Assistance' is supposed to be to withstand pressure, 1 nnich doubt whether we should come off so well in the event of deci(l(>d " nip" as many of the vessels here. AVe arc deej), heavily laden ; they are light, without cargo, would rise easily, and evade the death-gripe, when we should be crushed. I nuich fear that my readers will exclaim, "This is merely a book of disasters : another wreck ! " Hut too true ; and this time an vmfortunate American. On the ()th of July, in one of those animated moves, when every etl'ort is exerted to get ahead and obtahi " the lead" through mo- mentary openings in the ice, the 'jM'Clellan' bar(|ue, be- ing in advance, endeavoured to pass a narrow opening, in order to reach the next "lead." She had nearly suc- ceeded, but the ice, changing its motion, caught her in the narrows, "ni})ped" and hurt her badly. In a very short time she was deserted by her crew. On this oc- casion our crews aided, rej)aired, and left her, as we deemed, all safe, and her crew Avere induced to return. But hardly were wc all secured in docks, and I was con- gratulating myself in having thus saved the vessel of our ally, when it was n^ported " that slu; had experienced a frt'sh nip, wa- diivi u on to the i)ow of the ' N'oilh i I I 1852.] FLOE LAW. 61 Star,' carrying away her cat-licad ; and that further as- sistance was r('(juired." Couunandcr Tullen further re- ported, "that he uiomentarily expected to lose his how- sprit, if furtlier damage did not resuU." Fatigued as our crews were, there was no alterna- tive : all the available hands from the Squadron were sent to the * Nortli Star;' and the master of the Ame- rican having abandoned his vessel to me, ])ossession was taken, to save stores, protect })ro))erty, and to |)revent any mad action of the Avreckers, which might endanger H.M.S. North Star. It is unnecessary for me to narrate all that was done. 1 adopted such measures as secured the 'Xortli Star' from injury, saved a considerable (piantity of bread from the ' ^rClellan,' and eventually allowed the vessel to go down. The iloc about this period ])resented a very interesting subject for the painter. Several of the whalers were ex- periencing very decided pressure from without, aiul astern of these vessels would be seen the various "flitters," boats, sails, provisions, etc., with the crews idly and unconcernedly awaiting the; result. The AuKu-ieans too liad not yet selected their vessels, and Avere, with their boats and chattels, on the floe, sleejnng however on board ditt'erent vessels. One fact however, totally unlike the old breed of English seamen, 1 was ashamed to witness, — the child- ish apathy, or Avorse feeling, which seemed to pervade them at the moment when their services Avere most re- (piired, and when their exertions might have determined the safety of their vessels. No danger to themselvc^s presented ; yet all subordination appeared to cease, when- ever one boat-steerer chose to take his boat to the ice. ne WHALERS TO TIIK SOUTH. [■'"i.'h ■I,. , \) i; ' ■- I 1* 1 mark ///.v, because I think it is this vicious principle of makiiifj tlie boat /li-s* and joiiiiiiji; iuiothcr vcssc;! with her, that causes all tliis precipitate ubaiuloiiiiu'iit, iiisub- orchiiation, and h)ss of vessel 111 the case of th(^ ' iM'CIellan,' the first act of the })oat's crew of the 'Kcffalia,' sheltered by her, was to set the captain at open defiance, and her own crew would not ])ut a finger to the vork. I firmly believe that if Her Majesty's shijis had not been present, sad outrages would have been coinniitted. I endeavoured to induce the masters of the whalers present to embark part of her cargo of oil, etc., saved, Avitli salvage allowance ; but sill refused, declaring that by their law (that of the floe), all that came over their gun- wale was the projicrty of the ship. It is on this priiiciiilc that they destroy their vessels. The oil then floats ; they could take it on the sea, but not from wreck. For flic provisions, fuel, etc., I agreed that Her jMajcsty's Go- vernment would pay the owners, on ])roduction of my recei})ts. About the :20tli of Julv, tlu; whalers having come to the resolution of going south, juul not losing more time in trving the uncertaiiitv of Mc-lvillc Bav, or gaining the "north water" by this route, our letter-bag was de- s})atched by the ' True-love.' On 'he 2 1st, tluy gradually stole away, leaving us in cpiiet possession, the ' Alexander' alone determining to stick by us, and to take our latest despatches. The feeling was gloomy, but as the .separation directed onr energies to our own immediate duty, I was not sorry to * \\ li\ not |);i-s a law to luakc it pirarij to lakt^ a l)oat without the master's sin-iiatiirc ami I'liil ronseut? ! * 1 li I 1853.] CAl'TUUK A MKAH. 03 1 be alone : iiulced tlie conipanionsliip and sliip-visiting (lid not agree with my notions. On the 2lii\\, the lanes a[)[)eared to have been Ibr nearly sixty lionrs gnulnally widening; at times tlic sheets of water Ijroad, and apparently free. Oin- [jrogress, however, jnst as we had almost caleulati'd onr honrs to Beeeliey Island, beeame snddenly arrested by fog. The iee also clo.sed in, eompelling ns to doek ; the' lv( solute,' ' Xortli Star,' and 'Intrepid' were lost in fog, but not i'ar distant, as we (;onld hear their return-guns plainly. ,Mj/ 21.— In 7,"/ ;}G'X., (iT 51/ VV.— Toiling, tow- ing, and blasting the ice, nntil eight p.m., when we made fast for the night; about midnight, on the fog clearing off we discovered the other ves.sels, about four miles dis- tant to the .southward. IJeing now so far asunder, and the chances of their taking a ditlerent lead i)robable, I Jaade the .several rendezvous, pointing out Capes York and Dudley Diggcs as the two Hrst. J/'/// -2^), Sinuhiij. — Quiet as any Sunday could l)e wished ; we distinctly heard tlu; bells of our consorts over the ice, and, having nuuisured base by guns, fonud the 'Resolntc' to be four miles distant. On the 2 /til, about midnigiit, we lost siglit of onr con- .sorts behind some 1)ei'gs ; they were, at the time, appa- rently free, and proceeding rapidly by the iii-shore lanes. We ran alongside an iceberg, to water from a pool on its suuu)iit, effecting our landing on the berg from the forcyard ; but the tloe threatening to eh)sc ami ])ress ns on the berg, \\c were compelled to haul otf, before we had completed. The 2Sth found us moving on cheerily ; f)[)eu water and plenty of room. A beuF was discovered on the floe. \ 64 STOUT f'AIM', YOUK. \.hlh/. il!'i *. 1 1' I I .■.'»■ ! ^1« to wliirh \vc gnvc cliiiso in tlic p;ig ; tlic simpleton fool- ishly took to tlic wntiT, nnd {jjavc us a very snmrt pull ; lunvi'vor, ])oor fellow, lie soon discoviii'd tliiit he \viis not in his eli'inent, and s|)rang upon the first small tloe-piecc he met, where he took his wounds most courageously, ])limging again into the sea to allay the pain. iVfter u very animated chase, and some very hail shots, the l)alls finding their way to the ship instead of liruin, he sur- rendered, turning up suddenly on his back. This was the second killed in JMelville liay, the first by Comman- der M'C'lintock and Lieuti-nant Meecham, of ' Kesohite,' on the ()th instant. This animal, eveu after a ball had j)assed through his brain, I was informed by Lieutenant Meecham, was disposed to show fight ! J nil/ 2U. — Our advance had now ])ccomc pretty re- gular, occasionally impeded by sudden meeting of points of tloes, but these were soon overcome bv blastinji;. I ' I/O left the ship today for a short time, with Lieutenant May and i\lr. Grove, in pursuit of the rotges, small acpiatic birds {Alca Jl/c) about the size of a water-hen. Wc killed one hundred and fifty ; but in the act of picking lip the dead birds, a sudden rim of the ice took jjlace, at the rate of three knots, drivhig many of the bii'ds under the sharp ledges of the tioe. We killed between five and tifteen at a shot. The ship and ' Pioneer' were tem- porarily pressed against the floe, but it soon ceased. On the 30th, we had reached 70° N. and 63° .29' W., and clearly on the verge of oiu' long-desired " north wa- ter :" Cape York was hi sight, and, towed by * Pioneer,' w(! were pursuing our course merrily, hoj)ing to rejoin our consorts there, not doubting but that they had been more fortunate in getting along the land than ourselves. I 1 (15 CilAPTEK in. Native Doijs. — |{,.(1 Snow. — Ciipc Hiidlcy Di-iics. — r!iiiiic. — ("ape Wanviulcr.— Hccclicy Island. — Ucjoincd l)y Captain KcUctt. — Cape Kilcy, — I'iiid I'icccs of WhaU,'.— I'artiiij;- Ccrcniouics. — Wellington Clianiiel. — Qneen's Channel. — Monnt IVrey. — Winter C^narters. Jnlij 31. — During the iiiglit, we luul Ik-oii niakiiig good progress, threading the mazes witli facihty, although oc- casionally ])e\vildered by fog ; but as tlie sun gair.i-d power, this gradually gave way to ti beautit'idly clear morn- ing, and before eight we were able to distinguish the huts of the natives under Ca})e York : no ti'aces, northerly or southerly, of our consorts. Illuming close un(l(;r the southern side of this high cape, we noticed the sledges driving doAvn to the floe-edgc, and, accompanied by Dr. Lyall, I went in the gig to visit them, taking presents of knives, scissors, ueedles, thread, looking-glasses, saw.s, beads, etc. It was at this Cape that Captain Onunanney examined for traces of Sir J. Franklin, and brought away the native boy called Erasnms York. I nuicli regretted the absence of the Esquimaux vocabularies, none havino- been supplied to this Squadron, and therefoi'c was totally unable to make them comprehend that three other large vessels were expected ; they betrayed no signs of having VOL. I. F I r IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) h ^'A^ a ^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 ■so *^" M^H m Bii J 2.2 W y^ iiii 1.4 il.6 y ^^ HiolDgraphic Sciences Corporation 4^ ^1 \ "^ <^ 23 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)873-4503 '^ r o^ ^ m. 66 OBTAIN DOfiS FROM NATIVKS. [Ju///, 'i'i u fr'l • If ' if.' 11 'M A seen them. As to inquiry after E. York, they no doubt considered liini sohl as a slave, and turned their atten- tion more to the busuiess in prospect. But one ohl man and a boy met us at the fioe-edge, tiie others, although near, having held aloof, in all probainlity Avaiting mitil they were apprised of the turn of affairs. Oiu* traific ■with these jjeople, who were filthy in the extreme, cannot prove interesting. In return lor our presents, but more particulaj'ly in exchange for a boat-hook and a broken oar, we obtained three very fine and handsome native dogs, not differing a hair in morks or colours from each other, being of an iron-grey, whitish beneath, dark stripe on back and shoulders, and strongly rcsend)ling a very dark-coloured Arctic wolf. I was indeed glad to find that the articles which they preferred were likely to be of such value to them, instead of the trumpery gewgaws usually given to these uncivil- ized beings. As to looking-glasses, if I for an instant imagined they would reflect their own deformities, and induce them to mend, wash themselves, or to scrape off their filth, I woidd gladly have bestowed on them all our supply. Of wood they appeared to be greatly in need, and had I been aware of it, before leaving th"- ship I would have given them some of great value, viz. the staves of the great oil-casks picked up from the wrecks. Each of the sledge-runners I noticed, were constru ted of no less than nine pieces of oak, partly staves and heads of casks cleverly sewn together, and probably belo ging to some vessel wrecked, or procured from the ' North Star' when she wintered a short distance to the northward in Wol- stenholme Soujid. They were evidently accustomed to 1852.] TINTED OR RED SNOW. G7 the visits of Englisli, the boy in particulp^ — a much more intelligent lad tlian York, and very playfnl, freqnently repeating "Yes, yes." Their tents were pitehed on tho low ground, under the southern and iinier slope of the Cape, wliich is proba])ly about fivL- hundred feet eleva- tion ; ])ut we had seen quite enough of the individuals, not to care about inspecting their habitations, and I had yet to reach the Cape in time to secure observations for time and latitude. On our quitting, several parties joine'i our friends ; and we moved off", directing the ship to proceed towards Cape Dudley Digges, and, if not over- taken by us, there to await my ari-ival. At the time we landed, eider-duck {Anas mollissima), lummes {Uria .^riinnk-hii), dovekies {Uria Gri/lle), rotges {Alca Alle), gulls, and other sea-birds, were numerous, and the nar- whal {Monodon monoceros) was sporting in great numbers. I omitted to observe, that the rotges shot by us ap- peared to be absolutely gorged with a small deep-red shrimp, which probably renders the flavour of these birds more palatable than those subsisting entirely on fish. And it frequently occurred to me, that the tinted spots in our vicinity, termed red snow, had some connection with these birds, which build their nests in the cliff's innuediately overhanging; and the ffoe, far from this region, was repeatedly noticed as tinged by them, but certainly not of so bright a lake or crimson as that now noticed by us in this locality, which is not given for the habitat by Sir John Ross ; nor did we notice it to pre- vail much between this and Cape Dudley Digges. A supply of both (occvirring together) watj taken, and pre- served for future examination. Mr' a (58 PASS CAPK DUDLEY J>I(i(iKS. \.l„ly. ii. ,r r ::f^ i i: The latitude of Cape York was dcterinined to be 73° 53' 47" N., and the variation 90'' 4' W.; but \vc were too late to determine, with any def {)reeision, thi- h)ngi- tnde. It agreed witii the observations taken on board. But the coast line, as placed on the chart, is certainly er- roneous, as it makes it coiivcr ; Axhereas I plainly saw Cape Dudley Digges, and all the intervening points, in the cnncarc, as well as the imnamed island, oft", fioni my position. 8ever.nl wild flowers, including poppies and saxifrage, were in bloom, and the base of the clifl" was well clothed with abinulancc of long grass. AVe regained the ship, about three miles to the north- ward of Cape York, and had full time leisurely to examine the coast '--th our glasses, as we were slowly towed by the ' Pio. ■)•.' Where Beverly Cliffs may be, I know not ; but no crimson snow now marks the spot. Towards midnight, we neared Cape Dudley Digges ; and as this was the second rendezvous, I landed to erect my beacon, leaving instructions to Captain Kellett to follow to Cape Warrender. It was a cold and dreary job, and, but for the noise of the distiu'bcd birds, which have their nests here, might be pronounced awfully so- lenni. It was very difhcult to find any position on the profile of such a vertical bluff which would conspicuously exhibit my mark ; by dint however of scrambling, we found a ledge well suited to the purpose, on which a whitewashed cask was placed, and filled with stones, our cylindcn* being suspended within reach from a lower level. This completed, I was not sorry to regain my boat, and find myself, after twenty hours' exertion, on my way to my nest. Some few lummes and dovekics ll 1852.] IIEFLECTIONS ON GAME KILl.ED. G9 wcro added to the larder, and a very fine burgomaster {Larm ylancus) was winged, but lie fluttered so far to leeward that jjursuit was not warrantable. Cape Dudley Digges is a high beetling bluff", elevated about eight hundred feet above the sea, and of a i)or- phyritic character. About five miles north-west from it is a higi' ^>eaked unnamed island, termed by some of our men— not inaptly— Desolation Island. Off this I rt^"oined the ship, which, by the reckoning, would place this island north-west five miles from Cape Dudley Digges. I cannot imaguie that our consorts have passed, or some sign would have been left. Before taking leave of this region of birds, I would wish to record my observations upon the i)robability of Sir John Franklin seriously thinking of laying in any supply. It is not improbable that they did so for pri- vate purposes, or for tlie use of the sick. But any man traversing latitudes within the Arctic Circle, will be per- fectly aware that no salting process would be necessary, where nature takes nuicli more efficacious means, by rea- son of low temperature. They are not so easily killed, or taken when wounded, as some may be led to believe ; and with four double- barrelled guns, in one hour, but a hundred and fifty were captured, and yet they simrmcd. But I very much doubt any one killing them with peas, certainly not with " split peas," with which I think Sir John Franklin's and other Arctic vessels were supplied. Nor would any ra- tional person so wilfully throw away " pearls after swine," when abundance of shot was provided by the Government. But wishing to determine, in the distribution of birds ■'■^pp ■iri I 70 BIRDS NOT DEEMED IMIOVISION. [Jtf^MSf, ly.! 1^1 \ 19 |;ij H' killed on service, what would be deemed a fair equivalent as compared with meat, I directed a connnittce to report tlu-reon. The result was, that twelve of these birds {J/cu Jlle) were not deemed more than adequate to one pound of meat. This, then, reduces the question to one of numbers : 12 X 90 = 1080 per diem would be re([uired, to afford the crews of the ship and tender with one meal. It is my conviction that, taking a boat's crew, or even two, of our picked men, fit to be trusted with sporting, this number would not be taken in one day, and the opportunity never probably to be repeated. IJut u much more im- portant matter hinges on it. His vessels, we know from Jhe letters received, were fearfully hampered with coal and provision. Where were they to stow some hun- dreds of thousands ? Moreover it is too doubtful an ex- periment to try upon a crew, situated as he was, to force them, before necessity rendered it prudent, to take a sub- stitute for provision. When birds are issued, it gene- rally is considered in addition, to cheer them, to keep up their spirits ; or when game, as deer, musk-ox, etc. can be substituted entirely, or half with half rations, on the inarch, and where they ei^^ as much as they recpiire, no bad feeling would ensue. Uut the result in my own ship was, that I did not consider it a safe experiment : it was not necessary, and therefore the birds, when we had killed sufficient, w^ere served out as additional. Aiff/iist 1.— Lat. 76° 3' N., long. 70° 40' W.— Wea- ther very fine ; light breeze ; the horizon clear, blue, and well-dcfiued, dotted merely here and th }re with small ice- bergs ; the eye much relieved from the late painful glare of the ice ; and the good ship, under canvas and in tow. 1852.] IN ADVANCE OF LAST KXrEDlTlON. 71 gliding smoothly along at the rate of 35 knots. After our late dreary continenicnt in the floe, this was indeed felt as a release, — .e breathed freely on our own ele- ment. Nothing now was wanting, to complete my satis- faction, but the sight of our consorts, ahead or astern, — the former preferable, as our single stcoui-tug would soon bring us up with them, at all events, long before we re- quired them in aid of our operations. At this position, I notice that my frieiid Austin was, on the 14th of Au- gust, about ten miles north-north-west of our position; so that we may console ourselves, after all our tedious delay, that we are at least thirteen days in advance of his expedition, — amounting here to nearly half a season. Notwithstanding much was advanced against the pro- priety of our early departure from England, I now feel fully satisfied that we were still as late as could be ven- tured. We have gained greatly in strength, in aptitude f( '" ice-service, and generally better acclimated than if we had made the most rapid progress from the mouth of the Thames to Beechey Island. There are also many minor, l)ut very important considerations, to which it is unneces- siu-y to revert, relating principally to the general health of the crews, of which my mind has been but lately relieved ; and this delay has considerably enhanced the value of some individuals, who might otherwise have been deemed fit subjects to be scut home. But we are now in full vigour, ready for any service, and in good trainhig. On the 2nd of August we had reached the lat. 75° 5' N., and long. 73° 21' W., and but few spots of ice visible. These steamers are certainly better than nothing, but are unable to tow us more than three and a half knots, under ij A wim 7a PASS CAPE WAllHENUJiH. \^Aii(/i(sf, I L W f' m ill I". \ t Hi . Hi ';li !i1 every assistance of canvas ; and at very critical nionients, owing to want of power, are under our bows, or possibly foul the towing hawser. Vessels for this service should be independent screw steamers, accompanied by the ships as transports or depot vessels. The officer com- manding should be in the steamer. Hailing and strain- ing the lungs to people always half deaf, is not pleasant to either party, and is productive, by repetition of orders, when not heard or not obeyed, of very unplea- sant feelings. Towards the evening, the breeze having freshened considerably, reducing us to close-reefed top- sails, we cast oif the tow-rope ; motion quick and un- pleasant, and ship dropping away to leeward very fast. On the 4 h we were again enabled to make all sail, but found we had been driven, by current, to the south- ward of the entrance of Lancaster Sound, making Cape Walter Bathurst, in lat. 72° 19', long. 70° 20' W. It is needless to dwell on our misfortunes, or the time taken to recover ground ; I shall therefore assume my position off Cape Warrender, on the 7th, whence I despatched Conunander Richards to the Cape, to examine for re- cords, and sent the ' Pioneer' off to Navy Board Inlet, to report upon the coal and provision deposited there by the ' North Star.' At Cape Warrender Commander Richards left my despatch for the Admiralty, as well as one for Captain Kellett, but could not find the document left by Captain Onunanney. The label of the cylinder, with " Pull out," was found, — apparently intelligible to foxes, as the impression of their teeth was unmistakable. There is, however, from later inteUigence from Comman- der Inglefield, strong ground for believing that not only 1852.] THE 'INTHEI'Id' UKJOINS. 73 this, but my despatches deposited there, were carried off by Esquiiiuiux, whom he met with at Duiuhis Harbour, a Uttle to the northward, in the sununer of 1S53. Captain Kellett evidently had not called here, or he would have left some intelligence. Our progress, unaid- ed by the ' Pioneer,' and contending with adverse wind and tides, was very slow. The weather was beautifully fine, and we anxiously looked out for the return of the ' Pioneer,' whose absence Avas now very protracted. \\'o had too nmch spare time to admire the extraordinary smgularity of the entire land composing the northern side of Lancaster Sound. One very impressive idea is almost forced upon the senses, and that is, that one line has been conmion to the entire sununits, and at one period the sur- face nnist have been continuous, exhibiting an immense surface of table-land, and this, the original feature, was pro- bably level with the ocean ; that, either at its up heaving, or on the subsidence of the waters, it left parallel terraces for hundreds of miles, and the escape of the water chan- nelled deep ravines, or scooped out deep bays, constitutino- the present castellated eminences. Subsequently, I am led to add — Nor is it to the eye alone, as viewed from . the deck of the passing ship, that these ideas are solely formed ; it will be noticed hereafter, that a sinular coiirsc of structure, similar rocks, fossils, etc., pervade this strange region, even to the extreme exploration north of this parallel. By dint of standing close in-shore, and watching every change of tide or wind, we had just gained a position to enable us to "He up" for Beechey Island, and the breeze continued to favour us, when our curiosity was excited by report from the crow's-nest of a stranger Ml T^^ 'I 4 111 74 m;AR AND WALRUS CAPTURED. y.'in I 78 THOUGHTS ON VIEWING CAPE RII.EY. [^Aligusf, y -4 . 1 ' 4 ''! 1 f Franklin's people. I very much regret that the articles had not been found by ns. I am not j)resuniptuous enough to fancy I know more than others, but there is a sort of freemasonry in men accustomed to distress, which enables them to read the movements of others, induced by the recollection of what they have themselves practised. Such a feeling has ever remained fixed in ray mind ; but several important questions arise. What tents do we know of having boU-rojws ? Why would they cut them off? But, on the other hand, I have had to cut up my sails, to make sandals for my men ! Again, for what use was that rake ? Not to take objects of natural history, but to detach the edible fuci, which my men and officers have repeatedly seen me seek, and eat with satis- faction. The inner low-water beach and rocks, immedi- ately under the point at Cape Riley, furnish this fucus (dulse). Captains Kellctt, Pullen, and myself have had some little practice in magnetic observations, and we were unanimously of opinion that this station never was se- lected for such service, or, if so, very injudiciously, as the vertical mass of mountains overhanging would preju- dice any results obtained. In plain terms, I believe that some accident occurred there ; and possibly they had to cross the bay, to regain the ships, if they Avcre there. Another argimient against tents is, that they are sup- plied by the Ordnance, are not of canvas, and could not have the service-mark in th, 'foiir-sfrandctl cords or fines. This then iruist still remain clouded in mystery. An- other consideration forces itself on the minds of men who work in these temperatures — At what season would they propose to make their magnetic observations ? Not at all 1852.] THOUGHTS ON BEECIIEY ISLAND. 79 probable in August, when Franklin would bo bound up Wellington Channel, or homeward; and only in August, or later, when thaw had removed the ice, would we find men groping, with savage adaptation of rakes, in search- ing the bottom for objects of natural history: one of three objects only placed them there— game, anuisement, or distress ; I fear the latter. I cannot, painful as the conclusion is, divest myself of the fetlings which were impressed on my mind on searching that so-called wash- house. The indelible features of a catastrophe were there : painted canvas, panels, mouldings, oakum from the side-seams of a vessel (wide semns too), pill-boxes, surgeons' phials, rags,— all hidicated a house of shelter or hospital; moreover the internal inclination was tailing to the centre, as if the casks Lad formed the side bai° riers, and the sleepers had slept with their feet towards the common fire. Now, taking into consideration the earliest moment that the ships would embark observatory tents, and with tenf-pc^s, any ground into which they were driven would yield them easily in June, July, and August. I ask, what hurry? And again, in colder months, what would they be employed about in tents? mid then, whence the confusion ? They could not get out in July. Indeed every suggestion of huny is abso- lutely untenable. A collection of the articles found was piled up, and ordered to be preserved, and unfortunately was not attended to; for, to my mind, the most impor- tant article, the oakum from the seams, was lost.* * Tliese remarks wore penned in Au-ust, 18.-,3. T see no reason to alter my opiiuon now, ir 1855 : I still believe that position to mark a disaster. i i m m I!'' 80 CAPTURE A BEAR. \^Au^usf, /J t' ■ g H; 1 ■ ' fM^■ However, I shall now dismiss this subject with Cape Riloy. Fossils abound there, particidarly fine specimens of the lily cncrinitc, but the oj)cratiou was too laborious to procure any conuc jted specimens, the rock splitting to pieces under the slightest concussion. Moving on towards Gascoigne Inlet, we noticed a bear in distress, that is, puzzled, not knowing how to proceed without confronting us. They are not courageous beasts, and fly from man, if escape is ever open ; but this poor unfortunate gentleman was perched at the top of a steep debris chnfe, which had a steeply inclined corresponding glacier on its left. There he stood, as we suddenly came U})on him, and most uneasy were his movements, — he paced his quarter-deck in agony. Captain Kellett and myself landed ; we both fired from below, and wounded him ; I then ascended by the debris, backed by my boat's crew, with boat-hooks, etc., and got upon his level, when one ball settled his fate. Poor stupid creature ! — never call them cunning more ! His den Avas beneath him, under this glacier, where he might have snugly en- sconced himself and huighed at us ; and into this refuge did he now try to crawl, as he received his death-wound. We should have been glad of the aid of Gordon Gum- ming to extricate this monster, as it was no easy matter to pull him out by the hair of his hinder extremities ; however, having got hold of one hind leg, he was soon gliding down the face of the glacier, faster than on any " montagne Russe," leaving us very little trouble to get him over tlie remaining ice into the boat. Our examination of Gascoigne Bay did not prove satis- factory. There was not sufficient depth of water for the 1852.] FIND PIECES OF WHITE WHALE. 81 * North Star' to lie secure, even at its mouth ; no shelter from the ice of the strait ; and, from the thhmess of the floe, it would inevitably break up with the first breeze, leaving her quite exposed to the driving pack. It was therefore decided to cut into Erebus and Terror Bay, where very strong ice still prevailed, notwithstanding some of its ouxr lines were constantly breaking away. As we ncared our ships, I noticed f'at something un- usual was taking place, as the inoUymoks and gulls were dashing at pieces of floating matter, with which they were gorging themse!-es in a most excited manner. I determined therefore to ascertain the object of so much contention, and, much to my astonishment, found the floating pieces to be the outer (or blubber) parts of the white whale, cut into pieces of eighteen inches to two feet square, and evidently by some sharp instrument. Two pieces were taken on board, to be reported on by the ice-quartermasters (whaling-mates), who pronounced them " to have been cut by some sharp instrument, and that they were recent and sound." I could therefore only attribute them to some visit of the ' Prince Albert.'* The ' Pioneer' having returned, and Lieutenant Osborn reporting that he had been unable to find the provisions at Navy Board Inlet, every effort was made to complete her coal from the ' North Star' that evening. On the afternoon of the 14th of August the ' Intrepid' also returned, her Conunander reporthig "open water as far as he had been able to examine, but patches of ice in several directions in our route." The leading officers dined with me, and after reading over the several instructions * This question has never been cleared up. VOL. I. O l\ III? I' h i •V 1 ■ll- i,r': . { li ,;t" y 82 PARTING CEREMONIES. {Ju(/mi, for their guidance during our separation, our despatches and last letter-bags for home were closed, and delivered to Commander Pullen, in the hope that the ' Prince Al- bert' might stray this way on her homeward passage. And now a very painful and exciting duty remained to be performed. The crews of the Squadron having been collected under the Union, on the floe, were addressed on their several duties. The beautiful prayer composed by the Rev. H. Lindsay, for the commencement of tra- velling, was read, and a copy distributed to each person. After many and some very warm expressions and pres- sures of the hand, we parted to our several duties. Cap- tain Kellett remaining with me to the hist ; for in such a service there are many last explanations. But on one point a most fervent determination, " God willing," was exchanged, "to communicate in 77° N. and 105° W." About eleven p.m., all our arrangements being compltte, I took leave of my companions; and as they passed over the side, the order "Let go the warps" was issued. Towed by the ' Pioneer,' we slowly moved forward, cheering and cheered, until the island intercepted further communication. We were now entering the threshold of the contested Wellington Channel. Anxiety, deep anxiety, oppressed me; it was unmixed with doubt, — rather the reverse. Through that channel my course lay. If any explanation of my feelings could have been reached, possibly it was nearer to gratitude that Providence had enabled me to be the humble instrument by whom it was to be explored. By midnight our entrance, to my mind, was no longer doubtful : no trace of opposition, — the clear, deep blue 1852.] MOVE UP WELLINGTON CHANNEL. 83 sea, visible to the horizon, was before us, and, r:flected in the heavens beyond, the well-known " "iici sky" aflPorded us the cheering hope of passing the Rubicon, the icy barrier of Penny, at Cape Osborne. Every foot advanced raised emotions not to be explained, and the telescope had but little rest, so eagerly did we scan every feature of the surrounding coast-line. On the morning of the 1 5th, a small cairn was noticed on a point a little ahead ; I quitted the ship in the gig to examine it ; it was Cape Grinnell, but no record re- mained. White whales were sporting very unconcernedly in the brisk tide which, near the Cape, flowed to the southward, but the ship evidently moved rapidly to the northward ; this, probably, was merely an in-shoie eddy current. How the imaginations of the croakers had conjm-ed up the " barrier of ice," I am totally at a loss to conceive, for here rot a particle of ice, to be seen from the land, about eighty feet above the level, could warrant an idea of obstruction. Passing Cape Osborne about noon, we entered on the chord of Baring Bay, apparently but a slight indenta- tion, and free from ice. Our attention was specially di- rected to this part of the channel, fully expecting to dis- cover some inlet, stream, or lake, which might afford Mr. M'Cormick some chance of discovering "a lead" into Jones's Sound, but in vain ; nor could we find any moun- tain, hill, or elevation, to correspond with the Mount Franklin of De Haven. Before evening, all fears of barriers had vanished, and our course westerly and northerly was still clear from the mast-head. About two A.M. on the 16th, we shoaled our water to G 2 I 'I 311 II r 81 f % il 84 LAND AT CAPE ITOOARTH. [Jtf^!fSf, thirteen fathoms off a low point of Nobody's Bay on the charts — (there are no less than five of these, merely bc/ids, not baj/s, between Cape Hogarth and Cape Osborne) ; and very shortly after this, the water continuing to shoal gradually, a very conspicuous cairn inland was reported. Before this I had been reposing on my sofa, but this alloAved of no further hesitation : with every power of telescope I scanned the pile, and the more I gazed, the more mysterious still it appeared. It was too large for any ordinary cairn, and yet I thought that its regularity could not be mistaken : at one time it appeared to be the remains of a stone house, the chimney-stack alone re- maining, — possibly a column of masonry, and the work of man ! Under such feelings, leaving the ship to pro- ceed under sail, and casting off the tow-rope, I put my- self on board the ' Pioneer,' and proceeded to solve the question, taking with me instruments and chronometer, in order to fix its position. The ' Pioneer' grounding about a mile off shore, I landed on the beach close be- neath it ; and it being then low water, by the shore, I well knew that she would soon float off. On reaching this remarkable pile, I found it to be one of Nature's freaks. It was apparently the remains of a limestone conglomerate, or dyke, the surrounding rock being ta- bular, slaty, magnesian limestone, of a much firmer and compact nature, on which the snow or ice acted more directly. However, the looser rocks had fallen away, leaving this pyramidal column standing; its base was twelve feet by six, height twenty feet. A white hare noticed us, and kept performing most suspicious circles round us, frequently presenting herself ■)ll ; m H i m I I*' r:r \ * ! :]» ;t I i; ' ;. ( '1 (Orr ill vonn ' ai-wl.or,r<;.n.,KMiirrlui ,-rM>i...;, .•vdvi^cnr 'o (nkJ 1" l.ul sli.. !!-•■( r ,H:riiiii!M hill, fo />> ni.i;, f,uts?r, f • t.v nmif siMhlcnlv niKni .h. ,-, hur, j.nf i,.; .,;^ „!v gun ;y<. V • ti" ••;.c.;i>r.i Til • (Ict-'Miiinnnon (,{ fhfs posirioji '■ '"' '* - '*' -'■ ' • ;-.'; ^r: IS iO'^v tl.,' ' '''''■ ^'- ^' -^ '- -'^K'.- ^' i-.^ .u.,i ;,.',„..; 'hr no!-rT< .^•r„.;.l^•,l ;.5 ,;,.,•.„.„./ y Ciip^.l,:.! .-,..■ '■•• •"■lu'V i'-uii,il. '-.i; i|i!;l> . I i ; h '. '• •^ ■ !.— '■•" -.^ , ' - I/.'. nil-, i, '.!■' . . • I'l , •, , '. ■■■'•n\ \\ ■ I . . It.; ,, ' I---' ■ V.V.. I .;■! tl i- ■ ;■. u *..' Ih: ' V< '!i--=-.. H7.., ivnl!v,:;nH.,(lin;!..;:|,i...i:,rj,:nn-;-.,M, 1 1 V^iL^y-a.-cl .'^llfSWSfP'RS' HI 'Ml 4' |: ( h I « ■■#- f<* I; S 1852.] COPY OV NOTICE. 85 nt the opposite point from wliich she lind vanished. Dr. Lyall, who accompanied me, used every endeavour to take her, but slie never permitted him to get within range. I o;.ce came suddenly upon her, but, not having my gun in hand, she escaped. Tiie determination of this position proved it to be the riso of Point Hogarth, and yet none of Captain Penny's travehers noticed this obelisk ! It is situated in lat. 70° 12' 53" N., long. 1)2° 4S' 42" W., the variation 1 40° H' 51" W.; a most unmistakable eminence, to which I have given the name of Lyall Bluff, is almost innnediatoly adjacent. The terraced levels were strewed with bivalves, chiefly of the jVj/a tribe. As an example of the notices deposited at each cairn visited by any ex- ploring officer, I beg here to add the one left at this sta- tion J they were printed forms, filled in by the officer in connnaiid of each party. ^i-clic Searchhi!/ Ejcpedition, mider the Command of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B. DIRECTION. Ships.—' Assistance ;' Tender, ' Pioneer.' Wellington Channel ' P^'solute' (II. Kellett) ; Tender, • Intrepid.' MelvUle Island Lane. Bepik or General Remlezvoits.—' North Star,' Beecliey Island. L^ft Reechey Island, Saturday, 14th Augnst, 1852, at ten p.m. Proceeding towards Sir Ilobert Inglis 13ay, westerly. i)ffy.— JMouday : date, August IG, 1852 : time, three p.m. Condition. — All well. y?m«rX-.».— Landed, believing the remarkable stone pillar, inland, to be a cairn erected by human hands. Observed for latitude, 'longi- lude, and variation, and to correct chart. Edward Belcher, Captain, Officer in Charge. The day was really entitled to the appellation of lovely; ! j 1^ ) i t ,. 'I.: I i i V- 8« PASS INTO THE QUKKN's CHANNEL. [^AuftUat, it wns serene nnd ])nliny for this climntc. Having re- joined the ' Pioneer,' we overtook the ship to the eastwiird of Cape Mujendie, and mistuking it for Cnpe Beeher, on whieh I detennined to land a cache, despatched Com- mander Ricliards and tlie master to execute this duty about eleven p.m. The cache consisted of forty-two days' rations for ten men, or four hundred and twenty rations, and was intended to relieve our parties who might have to travel back with despatches. About two A.M. our boats returned. The tide running strong to the eastward, prevented our getting nmch beyond Cape Beeher before I gained the deck in the morning, so that, as we progressed, I had the full advantage of scanning the entire coast-line. To the southward, I noticed a shoal islet, not on the chart, and some very remarkable capped table mountains, in a northern deep indentation, to which I gave the name of Barrow Bay, and to the conspicuous little detached table mount, John Barrow Head; saw the islands Parker and Barrow, of Penny, and noticed that any points he might have seen were but the outer spits of several islands covering each other and flanking the northern shore. As to the geography of the place, we were sailing over a great deal of hard land of the published charts, without injury to the * Pio- neer' or ourselves ! Moving on rapidly under sail and steam, I asked myself the plain question, "Would Sir John Pranklin, under such circumstances, stop here to erect a cairn, with the sea open before him?" I ex- claimed to myself, No ! and, tainted with some such prejudice, and with such a breeze thinking it would be sinfiU, on we went. But there is an end to all things, I ■; ii 1852.] A8CKND MOUNT I'KHCY. 87 ond so, having rcnchod the end of the far-fiunrd Queen's Chainiel on this mh, and our progress iuipech-d, I thought that sonic beacon shouUl designate the tiu-ning ; and fur- ther, as it had now become necessary to seeic for our next course, I (U'terinincd on ascending tiie mount, the base of wliich I have retained as Cape Sir Joim Frank- hn, from whence I obtained a most connnanding view of hnid and ice from north to west and round to the south. Hut unfortunately, what we Httle dreamt of wlien wo connnenced our ascent of this mountain, was clearly ex- hibited to our senses, for ten miles beyond the base of our position, an ominous icy barrier prevented further I)rogres3 westerly ! The only chance which seemed to offer was by taking the north, through the inside pas- sage, which yet remauied to be examined. Beneath us lay a magnificent sound, hemmed in by two great islands, and until Nature was inclined again to favour us, there we nuist await her pleasure. To this elevated position I gave the name of Mount Percy, taking possession, in due form, for Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria j and to the sound ])encath, that of Northumberland Sound, in honour of Her Majesty's Mujister, the noble Duke presiding over the Board of Admiralty. Descending in somewhat diminished spirits, I rejoined the ' Pioneer,' recalled the ship, which was fast dropping down into the ice, and succeeded most happily, as tliin"-s turned out, in securing her that night in safe quarters. Nund)cring our particular events, I term the passage of the Queen's Channel No. 1 fortunate. That of secm-ing the ship before she fell into the jaws of that ice. No. 2 ; for most assuredly her tindxrs, unless she drifted bark in ii •'I 'i; I1 (' lii;^ I A Hi I i! ,:i s • ■ ii *if ; 88 SECURE IN NORTHUMBERLAND SOUND. [Ju^HSf, the direction of the strait bv which she entered, and had contrived to reach Barrow's or Sir Robert Inghs's Bays, never would have repassed Beechey Island (if they ever do, as it is). From the summit of Mount Percy, Cape Becher is shut out, and Baillie Hamilton Island not de- finable. The Point to which Captain Penny has given the name of Sir J. Franklin, is the point of Long Island, twelve miles southerly, covering Barrow Bay ; but as it was manifestly intended by Government that the names of Sir John and Lady Franklin should occupy the limit- ing points of the Queen's Channel, I have removed them there. From this point our new world commences ; and as I have taken such liberties with Sir F. Baring Bay on my passage up, I think I cannot better place his name, than by giving him the great bight within us, easterly. I have not interfered with any of the points southerly, as named by Captain Penny, but the islands will take appropriate names as may be hereafter assigned to them. August 18. — Our measures were not taken an instant too soon; hardly were we secured in Northumberland Sound, than the ice began to threaten, and it soon be- came evident that we must select more secure quarters. However, before the ice had made any breach into our snug position, I ran over with the ' Pioneer' to the northern remarkable island, and from its summit I soon perceived that, for the present, all progress by ship must be stayed. I had also sent Connnandcr Richards to an- other higher mount, so that our motions, at all events, by ship, boats, or sledges, should be based on some fixed positions. The view from the pinnacle of the island, I 1852.] SECURE IN WINTER QUARTERS. 89 which has been temporarily termed Pioneer Island was truly cheering. To the north and easterly, islands' and land as far as the telescope could see. Nothing but ice occupied the arc of the horizon from north to west- south-west. There lay the Arctic Ocean ; Cape Lady Frankhn, at least our newly-named cape, appeared to bound the southern shore, but the loom of land was evi- dently visible further to the southward and westward. On my return to the ship, Commander Richards in- formed me that he thought a very complete little har- bour would admit the ship on the opposite side of the Sounu. It was found, however, to be unfortunately barred by a ledge of gravel, having only twelve feet • but immediately outside and behind it Nature appeared to have thrown out a rocky spit, which would afford us shelter within, and at the same time be at the line of open water, should occasion require any inriiediate removal. Into this, as our other position was in very deep water (thirty-six fathoms), and much exposed we were accordingly transferred, and, as events proved,' not an hour too soon. From that spot the ship never moved, nor could have been moved, for any sensible purpose that season ! Nor was it possible, had such been the command of their Lordships, to have moved any vessel westerly of that position ; moreover, had such been practicable, no man in his senses, having a discre- tionary power vested in his hands, would disgrace his trust by any such mad attempt, when the special object contemplated by this Expedition could be much better achieved by boat or sledge travelling. 90 \^- •4 '. V..:! '■'h.* i i k ; H I ■' !;! i . ' CHAPTER IV. Frozen in. — Sledge Travelling. — Walnis Shot. — Habits of tlie Walrus. — Village Point, — Esquimaux Hut. — Deceived by Mirage. — Tent Equipage. — The Sentinel. — Ice Accumulations. — j^u Intruder. — Exmouth Island. — Rejoining of the Party or-Nip and Piling Ice. — Quit Exmouth Island. — North Cornwall. The position which we had taken up will be best under- stood from the small plan of Northumberland Sound, of which a very rapid survey was made during the pro- gress of feeling our way, preparatory to more decided exploration. Our anchorage, although very nearly land-locked, was very capacious, and afforded great scope for heavy mn&ses of ice to play their pranks. But I consider our principal safeguard from any such visitation consisted in the tidal stream, which set directly parallel to the chord of the bay between our outer point of the peninsula and the opposite southern horn of the bay ; and the motion of the ice from the westward would be fiu-ther impeded by a long shoal islet, stretching well out to the northward of the great island, and flanked by a smaller one within, on which they all appeared to expend their impetus. The outer point of the peninsula (called Mount Beaufort) was f i.'i •] 1:ii or PRIXCK ALBKKT ISLAXI) Osborne I^ j SuuYord Mt { CAPT'SIR KDW? HELCHEB POS'Of WINTtR QUARTERS ij«t.77°52 -Long. ;>7"W. 1852-3. S»'ule of MiLps JjtiandU ffornhv Island Bide Parlw P.' ('.Sir J, FntnUin LulitL'nruhUiliLj by Laydl lUeyc , i Sc'rirwOa S J\iblvi}u.d by LoieU Rtt-ye It Mc/tru^tta Strtet .ibveta Garden. Kiigpav*"*! bv J 9k' ('.W'alkrr r^Tfrmmmmm '.'■ m it ! iV 1852.] COMMENCE SLEDGE TRAVELLING. 01 our first protection, and the ledge oflF the intermediate rounding angle our perfect guard. With a rapidity not at all understood, we became sud- denly fro/en in, and at a period too when previous navi- gators would have led us to believe that the ice might "break up" for the season. What impressed me with the conviction that the present occurrence was decisive against further motion, I cannot conceive, nor did I wait to inquir'-. I had seen enough to instruct me that de- cision only would enable me to save the remaining part of the season, and, if properly employed, would make a great extent of the northern land, estimated as forty miles distant, British territory. August 20. — About midnight on the 19-20th, the 'Assistance' ceased her travels for the season. On the 23rd, at 7.30 a.m., three sledges and one boat moved out fully equipped, from the ' Assistance.' The Hamilton boat and Londesl)orougli sledge — the Captain, and Mr. Loney, master. Second sledge — Commander Richards, and Mr. Grove, mate. Third sledge — Lieutenant Os- born and Dr. Lyall. The party consisted of twenty- seven persons, and carried twenty -one days' provision. A short space was navigable, to which the other boats aided us, but quitted on reaching the outer floe under three hearty cheers. At starting, the ' Hamilton' alone was available for crossing the lanes of water, but this so much retarded us that Commander Richards returned for one of the whale-boats. We had then advanced about three miles. On one occasion we enlisted the services of a piece of loose ice, on which a sledge and crew com- plete were, by our united sounding-lines, warped across ! 1i' m \w • I '1.1 ( 02 WALRUS SHOT, [A/fffffst, safely. But it was not a little amusing to watch the countenances of some of the party ferried, — more doubt than confidence prevailing. Here we encamped until Connnander Richards returned, or until the following morning, diu'ing whicli time I succeeded in shooting four walrus, two of which I was enabled to secure, but, Uyak fashion, their heads only were at this time taken. During our absence on this journey one of the beheaded carcases floated near the ship on the floe-piece where I had left him, and was captured, but not, I believe, without fur- ther expenditure of annnunition : of this I have no par- ticular evidence : he had 'no head to speak for himself, and no such trophy was produced. It is not pleasant to narrate acts which bear the impress of cruelty, and I nuist confess that, on reflection, the killing of four of these animals, without securing them for use, was unnecessary: the sportsman seldom thinks of this. The death of monkeys or parrots, and turtle, where they could not be consumed, has often brought me to the same reflection. But without dwelling further on acts or motives, the duty of naturalist compels me to notice the conduct of these warm-blooded animals on being wounded. The father, mother, and cubs were of the party. On the death of the mother, or rather on receiving her wound in the neck, it was painfidly interesting to notice 'le action of her young : one literally clasped her rouna the neck, and was apparently endeavouring to aid in staunching the blood with its mouth or fli^jper, when at a sudden convulsive pang she struck at her infant with her tusks, and repeating this several times with some severity, pre- vented its further repetition. The male, with a very white ti nm M ■ > ,'-i w- U'} ; thivntnii!-:' ;. i* , ^i,.-,,,. M,) m! lis 'ii/i'Mricc , , 1 'u> hiiilui l»i-. Ifujj' rl.. ii,„. r,,,;,, -\'v vr.'l, ■■/ '^^ full H-'^ HM^.'.pabilih- or til. X ,,...,■ , ^•"'M)Ha. h lif .(. .,, v,^ , ..,, •;, ; ..^., j/ ,, ( 1 1 \l f i'-'i ■'-h] ^' J y'.'*l;-^:. fe i-.:' 1852.] HABITS OK THE WALRUS. \K\ iH'nrd (stronfT l.on.y bristles), rnn.r np ivpratodly in a most tlnvntc ni„pr „ttit„,|,. suortinjr alo,,,! his sviv^omuv • nml wHI satisfied was I that tlu- tin., uas ,ny safe^Miard • ; ml.tl.ss lu, would have wreaked his ven...anee on the Nanulton. ""d ue shouhl have met our punishment I Auother, tindin^^ that she couhl not I.^.^r,., ,,,;,„ ^j^,,; iH-nitely ha..led hc.-self up on the floe to die. Xow with "H ,1 [ in. I;, i i !1 I ) ]'. 08 TENT EQUIPAOE. [Antjust, iiig four feet on its sides, and not more than one fooi above the surface of the ground. Tills was our liouse ! I recollect something, hi former voyages, of })tariiiigan being mistaken for musk-oxen, but they were more dis- tant and on the snow. We now pushed forward for a long, low island, about five miles to the northward, a})peariiig in the distance as a mere gravel bank ; but this proved to be a deception, of an o})posite character, iortunately, we were favoured by a narrow lane of water, of which, having launched our boat, and stowed our sledge and cargo therein, we made good use, although at any moment the slightest move- ment of the ice might have pinched her to atoms. We reached it about four p.m., very glad to encamp for the night, and await the arrival of our party. This being a ne^v possession, the colours were duly displayed ; it was found to be at least eighty feet in height ! Our mode of encampment, etc., not having been ex- plained in any works published, I shall here give a rough outline of the tent, equipment, etc. The tent is very si- milar to that of American hunters, with this exception, — instead of two forked poles, and one horizontal, resting in the forks, with the sides pegged down, the extremi- ties of these are framed by two boarding-pikes, forming the pitch or sheers at each end, and a horsehair (clothes) line strcitched over these forks, and well secured to the sledge at the back, and by a pickaxe in front, keep all steady, — so long, at least, as they hold. Instead of peg- ging, the sides are well banked with snow, which re- tains the heat, and keeps thein pretty secure, if well performed ; but if not, the breeze is sure to pene- 1853.] THE BAllBER. 99 i trate and create more rattling than is conducive to com- fort or pleasant dreams. Each person is furnished with a blanket-bag, formed of thick drugget or felt, having an outside shell of prepared brown holland, supposed to be impervious to the air. The officer, who should al- ways occupy the i)ost of honour, is located at the extreme end, and that end is always placed towards the wind, in order to prevent its blowing into the mouth of the tent ; he is able, therefore, to feel exactly for himself, as well as those around them. Into this chrysalis bag, by dint of a kind of caterpillar wriggle, each individual contracts himself, endeavouring, by every reasonable mode, to pro- duce a suffocating heat, and using his knai)sack, boots, sextant-case, or any other convenient object, for a pillow. Indeed, it is absolutely necessary to place any article, to be worn on getting up, sufficiently in contact with the body to preserve its flexibility, or to prevent it becom- ing frozen. Over the snow is spread an oilskin canvas and buffalo-robe carpet; and when all are laid out, or have supped, a general coverlet of felt is superadded, which is snpposed to confine the accumvUation of ani- mal warmth. Cold, it is imagined, does not ascend, nor heat descend ; yet it is very distinctly felt in both ways, especially when the warmth produces something very similar to a thaw beneath. But the enemv, — not " the sweet little cherub," etc., but the barber,— is ever aloft, condensing the breath, and dropping down re- freshing snow-showers, which makes one very dubious about exposing his head outside his shell, the lap of which he manages to turn down, and complete the en- velope. The cookery and other proceedings are mere II 2 w m i 1 ■»■. m \\t. w '■•! i '; [ ', 100 MUD VERSUS STONE. [Ai'ffiist, commonplace. In these tents you sleep as soundly as you can fancy, under the teni})erature, unless the whis- pers of " bear," or the ominous snuffling of that animal, should induce you to ask, "Who is cook?" As this personage, although permitted to sleep at his post, is the sentinel par exceUence, he of course has the place next the door, and, if not very sound asleep, is aroused, and betakes himself to reconnoitre ; the result may appear in another act. In the morning we ascended our hill, eighty feet above the sea, to look for our party, and to construct one of those cairns so emphatically recommended in my instruc- tions. These structures are supposed to be of stone ; but as the ground here was fine gravel, and frozen hard, enough could not be amassed to support our flagstaff. Necessity, however, effects wonders — at least for tem- porary purposes ; failing in stones and gravel, we had recourse to a peaty moss, found in a kind of morass at the back of the summit. The foundation having com- menced with this, the men soon found that the peat mud was warmer than the air, and froze as they used it. Sailors have their ideas of enjoyment ; and as this proved a novelty, a new mode of building was immediately adopted, and between peat, with black mud for cement, aided by a sharp frost, a very fine black pyramid arose, quite as solid, so long as frost continued, as any con- structed of stone. It was strange, how^ever, that the pond of black mud did not freeze nor lose its tempera- ture during the period we remained at work ; our men seemed to enjoy the warm mud, washing their hands in it before retiring, and I have little doubt that, with the t' I 1852.] ICE ACCUMULATIONS. 101 second application of water tit the sea-beach, it removed much grease. At this island \vc had a very fair opportunity of wit- nessing the effect of "piling ice," particularly as no- ticed on all western projections in the Queen's Chani.el, or beyond, where they arc apparently exposed to the whole impetus of the fides of the Arctic Ocean. In this instance the ice had been raised, slab over slab, on the north-west point, above the summit level of the island ; and at first I was so impressed that it was one solid mass, or that it could not be an accumulation of floe- pieces, that I sent the master to determine the fact, as I suspected it to be part of a berg. But it was simply piled ice, frozen into a mass, and nearly a hundred feet m height. No bergs are supposed to be seen in these seas (?). This island had been the resort of geese and eider-duck in the spring, many of their nests remaining quite distinct, and partially clothed with down. Shortly after our arrival, we were joined by Commander Richards, Adio had brought the whale-boat ; but as I wished the fact determined, as to our depot ordered to be placed at a i)oint on the coast, I sent his division in-shore with instructions to rejoin me at the Great Red Island (Ex- mouth), then in advnnce about ten miles. About eight a.m. on the 26th, we struck our tents, and moved forward, aided by a short lane of M-ater. The day was beautiful, and, with a temperature of 29°, proved too warm for travelling on the lioe, which we experienced when Ave commenced with the ' Hamilton' made fast be- hind our sledge, Mr. Loney and myself aiding, by helj). ing the boat by the stern over the inequalities. IH l ' m ! 102 RATE OF TRAVEL. [Jf/fftist, Method is my invariable rule, even for the most trivial duty. So far I am an advocate ^'^r the soldiers' system, or rather what I always look forward to in our })rofession — the establishment of a distinct corps of Royal Naval Engineers in essence, although that term would now en- tail confusion, such being applied to the steam depart- ment. " Knowledge is power," and such power enables every one conducting service of a laborious character to ac- complish .t with the means at command with less diffi- culty. The exertion of undue labour at one period of the day, and relaxation at another, when difference of temperature causes very important changes of capability, is to be regulated, and strength husbanded. In order, therefore, to determine our actual rate of travelling, I determined to pace our " spells," or time employed be- tween breathing or resting places. I had noticed that the duration of a "spell" was subject to the will or caprice of the men, or any one indolent man, if such should be present ; and I found it to be an evil requiring remedy. Having determined, during our times of rest, tliat my step was equal to 2'33, or 4G6 feet for double paces, I soon arrived, aft<^r three hours and forty-six minutes' actual travelling, and pacing 43,020 feet, at the result, that our legitimate scale did not, including the bout in tow, more than average 19 miles per hour, exclusive of stoppages ; and these I found took the range of spells or time travelling, commencing in the morning at thirty- three to twenty-three minutes before noon, and twenty- eight to thirteen minutes after noon ; their strength, to my most perfect conviction, dimhiishing between four li I S ; 1 1 !'!.:• 1852.] NOCTURNAL VISITORS. 103 and six p.m., or ininicdintoly nftcr the nfternoon's grog, which was consequently discontinued until the proper time, of supper. About 5.15 we pitclicd our tent for the night upon tlie smooth part of tlie fioo ; but just as our pcnnnican was properly seasoned and ready for distribution, a visitor, not victualled, made his appearance, attracted doubtless by the savoury perfume; tliis was a polar bear. Our party withdrew into the tent, and the gen- tleman very deliberately walked up within short pistol- shot, snuffing the air with the peculiar hobit of these animals, and contemplating, no doubt, a comfortable meal. A ball through his fore-arm caused him to stagger and attempt escape ; but the next, through the heart, from the other 1 arrel, laid him low. Pemmican was entirely forgotter. until his skin was deposited be- side the tent, our heroes declaring "that they never could get his jiieket off, if he once got cold." Pooi- fellow ! his confidence deserved a better return ; but his jacket, as well as his fat (for fuel), were now important considerations. Our supper finished, and gun reloaded and placed ready for further service, we withdrew into our shells, and were soon enjoying comfortable dreams, fij', very far, from polar bears ; but about midnight, his anxious lady seeking him, in all probability, tracked him up to the tent, and there found his head, outer garment, and his slipptu-s, the latter intended for a carriage com- fort for a fair friend. Her hard breathing awakened the cook, wl;o, as I before stated, is, in addition to " the little cherub," etc., our only guardian angel, and who whispered along the bag-mouths, " Another bear. Sir." Hi I 1 1. 1 1' , ■' 'i 1 i ' ! )' i f i ' !'' i 1 1 p • 1 1 1 f t 1' r: ' 1 . 1 1 1 ^ : 1 e ? 1 ; i ] \ 1 i' '- x\ ' 1 I! ■ -J] ( i 1 :: ^ 11 i 104 EXMOUTII ISLAND. [^Aitgust, The heavy blanket overlying me, and the difficulty re- sulting from the general move of my bedfellows to extri- cate themselves, prevented my reaching my post, per- haps, as deliberately as etiquette might demand ; but I found my gun in hand, and the enemy in front, quite in time for action. The clear light which prevailed enabled me to see the eyes and black-tipped nose within about three yards of the muzzle of the piece, and one ball in the mouth and through the head was, I thought, quite enough to expend ; and believing it impossible for the victim to escape, I did not fire the second. She moved away, spouting blood, and doubtless died. Some of our people tracked her for a short distance, but were soon recalled ; we had already more than we could conveni- ently carry, although bear's-greasc is with us quite as important as to our friends at home. After flinching this from the skin, the latter became a very useful pad between our ribs and the ice. About eight we recommenced our journey, determined to use every effort to reach our red-tinted island before encamping tonight. A similar set of experiments on marching, with a little more attention to the periods of rest, afforded two miles* per hour with less fatigue. By two vv^e arrived at the floe-edge, and found open water leading up to the island. Launching the ' Hamilton,' we effected our landing under oars alone, in less than two hoiu's. August 27. — This island, viewed at a distance of fif- teen miles, presented, from its slopes being composed of red sandstone, a very cheering aspect, and was at first * All distances reckoned in this narrative are fcpographie mihss. I m . [I 1' r;i 11 i\ ! ,1' II! .1 I I"! .V ■■; % t-! !W ^i !K.>i uivrii . < V -w.! '.^1 sst: h:i. I. I; tviuiKM |i<"■'•*; !'3 ft- I » , ;■ <..!;, !•■, ; ., i,,! i .^ .^i \i _ .>; mi.: ,Mii ..li lit-! .idiit.i! r'<., ■ I. U ■■•)'' \' lyhiUV !i)ir—l in. f. ;.;!(, ,,r ■ !'..-'i. ■. 1 ii ';.;ii'i u'-;:, vtlii'', .o r^ V', t I IM 1 '"' *■;'/ 1 '■• <. 1^ It t i;.'!'^' (;ivl , I 1,1 !"!( I !' i i.i, I'll'.'iii;- .-irUiUi: t" ;i|. ..Ir-!, !•■:-: ■>,,■? l'.i;il|.I. ;■'•,; i-0\\Ml', r i |ti, ,;■ , toA it. ■ ■• il i.ritf! K.i;:: ,-1 .rr*"M . I •' I •.'. ,■ 1 1 1 / \^ <. "'i III- ' , ■ i\ ' \i w^^ y I t; n, 1 !i '■!' ill M hi i:i- \ -I 5.»u ^t ;^ 'i *• ,«■■ ,.^ s , > -% '^^- "• 1 f .\ %^ : r Pi,, . ! 1852.] DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND. 105 simply named Red Island j but this being the anniver- sary of Lord Exmouth's action at Algiers, I took pos- session, with the customary forms, under the title of Exmouth Island, which our observations place in lat. 77° 15' N., long. 95° 50' W. The western peak I had before selected from Pioneer Island as my principal station, and ^rom this command- ing height I had long anticipated a magnificent view of any lands wliich might fringe the distant horizon. Such were my calculations when I went to rest; the morning of the 28th was bright and cheering, and, buoyed by hope, gladly did I avail myself of the sun for the requisite observations for securing my position ; but in these latitudes time, in every sense, is precious. Trusting to present appearances, I did not ascend the mount until afternoon ; and just as I gained the summit, and not without considerable labour, fog — the result of our fine forenoon — enveloped us, cutting off all objects beyond three miles. We constructed two cairns, and continued to wander about the summit, and watch most anxiously until eight at night, for some glimpse; but snow-drift increasing, and temperature falling to 22°, we returned to the beach disappointed. The bay ice was forming fast, the tide of ebb running strong to the east, past this island, and towards a new channel or sea, to which, as yet, we had not traced land ; it was simply a continuation of Jones' Sound, in ima- gination. The flood set due west ; both tides had a velocity, taking the masses of ice carried to windward as a criterion, of two knots. Recent marks of deer were noticed, both on the sinu- Hil mm 10(5 THE TARTY IIKJOINS. \^AH(/HSt, :■ ■<, mit nnd on the slopes, particularly in the row frozen watercourses, which here form numerous radii from the mountain, and where antlers and skidls were frecpiently found imbedded in the loose sand. Geese, ducks, ptar- migan, and hares must have prevailed in great nmubers ; hut we oidy noticed about twenty brent-geese, which alighted near us, and were too wary to afford us a meal. The formation is red sandstone, capped about twenty feet on the sunnnit by fossiliferous limestone, in which some large bivalves (pectens, etc.) and some bones were found, unfortunately broken before they were brought to me. IJeneath this limestone, the rock is swinestonc to about three-quarters from the base, the entire height being 5()7 feet. In the sandy bed of one of the large gullies a large ball of iron j)yrites was found, at first mistaken by one of my crew for a six-pound shot, and brought to me as belonging to one of the missing ships. Some very slight traces of coal were noticed at the wash of the sea, but none iu sifii on the island. No marks of natives W(>re noticed, notwithstanding all these signs of game abounding at some seasons. Vegetation, on the great belt of this island, appeared to be more luxuriant than we have elsewhere witnessed in this region. AiiqiiHl 2i). — This being Sunday, I had made up my mind to remain at all events for the day, and eventuidly (>ven until the rejoining of the absentees. Our scouts soon rcporti^d the boats in sight, and before noon, fog still })revailing, Conunander Kiehards and his party re- join(!(l. They had encam|)e(l, the night previous, on a low island near us, but it was so beset with grounded and l)iled ice that even the island had entirely escaped our 1852.] COMMANDER lUCIIAIlDS DETACHED. 107 notice ! Richards had taken possession, appointing him- self " Governor," and the others to varions places of trust, — an act long remembered as a joke. Some tern were noticed, and a young one just born found on the nest : pretty temperature for rearing it, 32°, 10° below freezing ! The intelligence broiight by Richards damped me a little, and caused me to alter my disposition of the ser- vice. 'Pioneer's' boat, detached to examine the depot, had met with an accident, by which the men got wet and the bread damaged, besides injuring more or less all the dry provision. This compelKxl me to trust to my own resources, and alter the entire arrangement of the Expedition. I therefore gave Richards the direction of the particular service of exploring the next (Table Island), and of carrying up the coast-line now discovered to Village Point. To myself I allotted the examination of the term incognita of which I had a glimpse from Pioneer Island, estimated in my own mind (but, I very firmly believe, in nuhihm, amongst others) at eighteen or twenty miles beyond our present position. Fourteen days' provision for ourselves was deposited here en eaehe (with the paws of the bear), and my party Avere all in high spirits, with "Pet Hamilton" as our trusty friend. Richards had already found it laborious work drag- ging the boat and sledge by relays, and could not tliere- forc care nnieh about advance, unless he replaced .Air. Loney. Rut Kieliards was the only qualified person to command, and to jjerform the duty recpiired, l)eing a surveyor. The separation was ])aiiiful and iiieonvenient, but the separate command could oidy confer additional importance. Another consideration also actuated my de- h f i. 1 1 1 ^ i- 'i'i irii) 108 NIP AND PILING ICE. [Atlf/Hst, cision. I should leave behind iiie one of my own offi- cers, who knew my intentions and habits thoroughly, competent to cany out the service, should accident cut me off, and who would advance, or come himself with, the necessary supplies, or aid, in the event of my absence being prolonged beyond a reasonable period. Shortly after noon he parted for the eastward, in the full hope of achieving something new. I reascended the unfortunate mountain with the same ill-success, but before starting directed the tent to be struck, and the bivouac shifted to the opposite side of the island. jNIy readers will, I fear, charge me with presumption, but possibly I may pay the penalty before the cruise termi- nates. But our business is to view all obstacles as to be overcome : " nothing risk, nothing gain." During my detention on this southern and western point, 1 happened to stray with my gun to the beach, and whilst there heard the peculiar groaning of pressure, or " nip." At first I was unable to distinguish from whence the cause proceeded, but in a few minutes, after watch- ing the dreary white sheet until vision became very im- perfect, I noticed, first, an arching of the floe (prevailing here from three to four feet in thickness), then its dis- ruption, find the flukes of ice piling one above another in slabs, until they became influenced by some greater obstruction near the land. Then a very different ac- tion ensued. Instead of the great slabs of ice, the op- posing and unyielding forces, being nearly ecjual, caused a comminution, and the powdered substance, resembling white sugar in appearance, tumbled down most gracefully over the before-accumulated slabs, involving all in one I'j fi ■ W. ■.! 1853.] QUIT EXMOUTH ISLAND. 109 smooth detritus, which (eventually filled in with snow, and freezing into a mass) puzzles us so much, and induces us, without verification, to suspect the masses to be "bergs." But this is but a trivial illustration of the " ice motion" in, and to the northward of, the " Queen's Channel." It is fearful to think of the possihiliti/ of Franklin's ships entering this region, " to be driven by the pack;" no hope of escape could be entertained: and therefore most sin- cerely do I wish they cannot have passed up; for as to traces, none could exist, subject to such accumulated dangers as are hourly apparent. But this is more pe- culiarly forced upon my mind by the events of today. From the summit we noticed the breaking-up of a very great extent of floe, immediately in our neighbourhood: nothing but a diagram can sufficiently illustrate it. Let the reader imagine the white sheet spread beneath him, suddenly to exhibit the deep blue sea in the cracks, and then to notice this immense surface, some hundred acres, perhaps loosened by no apparent cause, from late- \i 4 ^ m ('(■: I \ i ; .1' f ! 110 I,AND ON NORTH CORNWALL. \Angil^t, rnl pressure, fall asunder, float off, and disperse, form- ing in the space of an hour a dense " pack." Where, then, is the security of docking? It would prove end- less labour to dock, unless oiu* missing navigators should in the present instance happen to be to the north of this great opening, when they mi(/ht push some twenty miles westerly, — but never again, I fear, in these high latitudes, to recover casting! About nine p.m., having utterly failed in gaining even enoagh to guide me in the direction of " the wished-for haven," and having the only consolation, that as far as I could see in the direction where I knew it must be, open water prevailed to a hunted distance, I quitted the mountain, perfectly confident however of success, or that we should reach it by water. Aufjmt 30. — Three days had now elapsed, and yet all in mist ; the weather had slightly improved, and the sea was apparently open in our intended course : the wind also was favourable for the blindfold expedition. We packed, and started under canvas, the tent-poles serving as sheers or mast, and the tent-bottom as sail, furnish- ing us completely in the most approved rig of the Malay "^xx^ic prahu . At a quarter past eight we left the shore, and pro- ceeded at a very cheering rate, steering by the sun ; but the breeze failing shortly after noon, we had recourse to paddles. About one, we made out terra firma; but as njy western object was clearly defined from Pioneer Peak, and I felt great confidence in " first sight," I pushed on for it, well aware that a latitude alone, obtained there, would secure its position beyond dispute. About a i:S 1852.] GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. Ill quarter past two p.m. we efFeeted a landing within tlic floe-edgc, and about five miles from the north-western and extreme Point of this land. Of this new territory I now took possession for oin- Gracious Queen, with the customary form,— calling it in compliment to His Royal Highness the Heir Apparent' "North Cornwall." Sir Edward Parry having adopted the western counties, Somerset, Devon, etc., the Scilly Isles, when discovered, remain for some more fortunate explorer. I know not whether "Duke of Arctic Corn- wall" may be added, but wc drank the health of His Royal Highness most sincerely, to that title. Thick weather succeeded, but knowing how fickle Da.ne Nature is in these regions, I determined not to be caught napping. Proceeding inland, to the nearest ac- cesbible height which would command a northern as well as western range, we advanced about three miles. The view obtained was not indeed satisfactory, but wc per- haps were too greedy. I saw enough to satisfy me that our present position was insular, and that no northern or western land ^^•as near. I have deemed the distance three miles, to be within bounds ; but looking to the angles obtained from Pioneer Peak, I could not be less than five miles from the western point of the island, and our elevation not less than eight hundred feet. The ra- vines are deei)ly channelled out of a very friable sand- stone, in the bottoms of which I noticed large masses of clay ironstone, sejjtaria, and nodules of iron pyrites. Coal was also found, but disseminated, and impossible to trace in situ. Bivalves, apparently of recenl oriijin, and having the cartilage hinge perfect, were abundant. 112 GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. [Juffmt. This is matter of grave consideration. When, or did the sea ever invade these heights? Yet the cartilagi- nous hinge was perfect, and the epidermis in many in- stances scarcely removed. Birds may have placed these shells ; but with our knowledge of this climate, prevail- ing ice, and the scarcity of animal life especially, this is scarcely credible. I cannot, will not, at present say more. This friable sandstone and sand, interspersed on the surface with boulders of granite, and almost garnet masses, constitutes the principal features of the land on the west of North Cornwall. 113 CHAPTER V. Ketreat.— Land's End of North Cornwall.— Pell Point.— Table Island. —Chased by a Walrus.— Sled{,'e breaks in.— Danger from the Ice.— Observatoiy erected.— Second Autumnal Expedition.— Traces of Gold.— Gale and Disruption of Ice.— Oomiak constnicted.— Walrus food.— The ' Eider-duck.'— Gain the Land-ice.- Reach Point Re- pose, — Return to the Ship. About eight p.m. it commenced snowing heavily, and not feehng very certain about our road back, we beat our retreat for the beach, selecting the apparently best ravine. We followed it up, and fortunately came out about five hundred yards north of the tent. On the floe edge we noticed one very large seal, and on the land a track of fox, but of no other animal, nor any traces of Esquimaux. We estimated the north-western point of the island from our elevated position to be five miles, equidistant from us and the tent. Au(/ust 31.— On the morning of this last day of Au- gust we experienced thick moist snow, temperature 30°, with the sun shining at intervals between the falls of snow and passing clouds, tantalizing us considerably, particularly near noon. Fortunately I succeeded in ob- taining the latitude and true bearing of our stations on VOL. I. I I"l \ ! rn 114 land's end of north cornavai-l. [^Srpfrmhcr, Exinoutli and Tabic Islands, hut no objects beyond these — also secured last evening. The result places our ob- servhig position in latitude 77° 84' N., and by the true bearing of Exniouth Island in longitude 90° 20' W., exactly coinciding with the tangent obtained from Pio- neer Peak, and infinitely j)referable to any chronometer longitude. The west extreme therefore will be in latitude 77° 3D' N., and longitude 90° 15' W., and the Land's End of North Cornwall, the north-western extreme of the island, seen from the hill, probably hi 77° 45' N., and then trending about N. 30° E. Sepfemfjerl. — Our insidious enemy, the floe, had played us a trick, hcnnned us in, and left no escape by water. But, supported by the picked men of the 'Assistance,' no trifling difficulties could stop us. W^ therefore, after a somewhat heavy tug over the land, with the boat also to transport, regained the open water, launched, and were again on our element. Jack Frost we were civil to ; he was our insidious enemy, at least in the present degree. In all his vigour we laughed at him, as then we should have solid 'ce, but so long as he maintained the Christian symbol (+) he was to be dreaded. Here we have reached the exciting 1st of September; and yet, although these regions have been portrayed as teeming with animal life, I much doubt if even the sharpest Esquimaux would find anything M'orthy to present to his lovely wife and daughters on this even- ing ; even bears and foxes seem to be forgotten, or pro- bably have not volunteered for thir service. After we quitted the shore, some few timid seals put their inqui- sitive heads above water, as if to inquire the cause of 1852.] ENCAMP ON PELL POINT. 115 our visit, but were soon satisfied. Indeed the aspect of nature throughout presented timt heavy gloom which should accompany this very type of barren solitude. Pulhng along the coast for a period of six hours, and estimating the distance traversed to be about seventeen nnles, wc reached the southern angle of the island, where the first high jutting heads frown upon the coast' hue, which, in the interval from our late station, pre- sented but a succession of low spits and creeks, pro- bably intersecting this part of the island; and at one opening, about five miles from the western station, a narrow strait appeared to divide that portion into a se- parate island. Under a pair of high " double cliffs" we pitched our tent ; the snow was deep for the season, and no vegctu- tion to be traced. At sunrise on the 2nd of September, every prospect of a bright, clear day promised, and I succeeded in obtaining the sun, as weiJ as angles to Ex- mouth and Table Islands, but the snow still continued to fall, baffling further exertions. I ascenJed the high land commanding the eastern horizon, which at tlmt time was very clear, but no land could be traced easterly of Table Island. The eastern limit of North Cornwall I was enabled to trace about fifteen miles, where it seemed to terminate in a low spit, and then turn abruptly to the north. I have therefore but little doubt that this great east- ern space connects with Jones and Smith Sounds, or the Polar Ocean, on which the search of the next season will doubtless throw more Hght. Our business, it is true, does not so much concern geographical discovery, as the I 2 I ? •f ii ii m I w I ii li- no OPINION ON TIIK OIM'.N WATER. \Sl'/)fl'lllhn\ I r most scrutinizing s(>nr('li, not only for vessels, hut for persons or their truces ; and, however confi(h'nt our opi- nions niiiy he that they eouhl not exist for sucli a length- ened |)eriod in this vicinity, still no excuse W(juld he sa- tisfactory, if we failed to silence the coiiji'ctin-rK of those who might even iiiia//i)ie that any reasonahle spot, to which access to them would |)erhaps \w impossihh', had not heen rigorously examined. That duty yet remains to be executed, (jod willing ; and in the prosecution of that duty, it may ycit be our lot to determine if Sir John left any record in the so-called " Jones Sound." It is far from impossible that his vessels may have entered this region, and have drifted even thus far. If they reached this open water by Jones or Smith Channels, my impression is that they would endeavour to gain the noi'thern wat(M', and may be anywhere within tlu; pa- rallel of S()°, but I doubt it exceedingly. The latituch; of this position was determined to be in 77° 29' N., longitude 95° W., variation 141° IS' W. It received the name of Pell Point. In this region, where the tides or currents are scarcely obst: ucted by islands, and run with some velocity, rip- ping up the floe like paper, much open water nuist of necessity prevail, and possibly still more so to the north- ward. This may offer the means of drift to and fro, but not the means of navigation ; nor do these islands afford either sustenance, chance of harbour, or refuge. That they are not washed by any free currents from Asia or America, the total absence of even a particle of drift would seem to infer. The young ice threatened to annoy us ; and a stretch of seventeen miles, under such i ^ - 1852.] LAND ON TAHM', ISLAND. 117 circimistiuircs, wiw not ccrtninly witliotit risk ; but wlio knows of any otluT work lu-n.— even in our hrown-piiiu-r l)oat ! Oiw sut'or course was, no doubt, by the Hoc ; but no floe was at hand to aid us. Cutting the matter very sliort, wc launched, toiled hard, experienced a nasty, toj)|)hng s(!a, but eventually got up to Table Island, fetching about ten miles to leeward of otu- inti'uded l)ort. Nevertheless we were grateful to reach the shore, luid made the most of it; but heavy "pancake ice" in- tervcned between us aiul our luiven. I required but one glance of the eye from our ice-mate, Boiul,— never behind in courage at this work : I knew that he did not object. In wc went, and, by dint of labour, spooning, rolling, and eventually getting a line to the ice aground, slept on shore tliat night ! Very much delighted indeed were all of us, and if the 'Hamilton' could blush— but she was painted yellow— she must have felt very uneasy at her i)raiscs, so very broadly expressed. One Irishnuui decliu-ed that he would either buy her, or have just such another built, and make his fortune on some lake in Ireland. "Well done, little Hamilton!" often burst from my lips ; and many a good cruise yet do I cxi)ect her to bear me through, before she be laid np in Green- wich. Here we are then, nolem roJcns, cast ashore on Table Island. This particular spot attracted my atten- tion from the sunnnit of Exmouth Island, and I had in- structed Conunander Richards to cxanrinc it, and place marks. I fully expected to be able to haul onr boat over into a magnificent harbour, formed by the low land encircling nearly the western head ; but the neck, which at ten miles appeared but a thread, was now found to be i''ri 118 CHASED BY A WALRUS. [September, f 'X nearly a mile, and the whole interior of the harbour one sheet of ice. To this harbour I gave the name of Londesborough, and to its point Grimston. September 3. — During the night the current had for- tunately swept away the ice from our harbour, and left us free to pursue our journey. The morning was fine, beautifully clear, and the sea westerly open to Exmouth Island. Ascending one of the commanding hills, I ob- tained a view of the leading features of this island, as well as a station in connection with some of those erected by Captain Richards. The breeze favouring, about eight A.M. we put to sea, and succeeded in reaching Exmouth Island shortly after noon ; lunched, took up our cache of provision, and, as the wind continued favourable, lost no further time. Winter was now approaching most un- mistakably in earnest, and a few hours might render our work either very laborious or very simple. The change which u few days had made here was impressive ; I could hardly recognize the features of our late encampment, and the beach was only by dint of great labour acces- sible. The main floe was in motion, and continued to press easterly ; but the breeze increasing with heavy snow, and the tide setting strong to windward (west- erly), and driving heavy pieces of ice end on to the floe, forcing the boat also so strongly on it as to damage her, rendered decision necessary. I therefore quitted the floe and made sail, but right glad were we to seek shelter for the night on " Governor Richards' Island." Chased, I believe, by the identical old walrus before alluded to at the commencement of our trip, we felt very queer, and as he muttered some unintelligible warnings, we were excessively civil. 'i • I n s « : ¥ ■4' -3 JliiiD'.fS "IM'S. ill) ^■(•ttni<:i; JvDublcsu lU' ^' .',: refuMj !.> ,'.r<'r hy tin- ••ntl ulie ^v.!.. last tiUiK v.s' iIhsU "i ;M;ri(V ;■)!i.,i.: .•■, <<:■ ■ ■ i-'i[<'t\ ijt (■■1ioc,iiij.{ 'lU)' III i.'-. "ii-i-i'v a •• wc. s!iso<<%t' !:'-••! ilu; other p':rrv i:!.f;hnrf ol ■:.-, n^i.vc '.' ;'iL \t ':!> -a' s^'ir iuil'-n^-j '^ir ■-, i'o;i,:i! i .'■ >■ .,.!,,.■ • ' * ■ i •■ , '1^ ■., , ^ ■ ' ... J 1 ■ . . . - ! :it>'-pinct i.-v wUii-ii ol)jcci n-e ■ b n i, ;' > 'ir .i- ,; i . .. OS '■ N,7;//i^^^ ^^ . - H ivinof I'O'liilli? t'uilUn' ■'•M^i^'.-ii^ .- ■ \- ••' ,,,^ if I't*-- !;,i!:!it ; -:^ !.,• iiah-iV ,-. : '■>: k • •. "I ?''ivr(i, \y,). .■".!!•' 'H.; . •. ■. •;i":^ il ih'i' '• i>i k.J'l ^t 'k( ..a, '1. '. ■' .; '.i'-tli'." ■ |..'i ^ m '■ M^S^ \. >A'^'4|, 'Si h, % \ ^ V: ^ %:!■ ^^ %ife' •ill im vl 1 -St" ., Si> V ••^s ^ ?' % ■>..■* ; I; \*'- ^♦^J' "T- » • '.t *- ■:?! ie32.] BRIDGING GAPS. 119 AVc were fortunate in reaching this island : the sea was getting trouhlesonic, the boat refused to steer by the oar, and she was fast filUng; one dash of spray, and our castles would be drniolished ; any impudent wave might have given us a wetting which would have rendered that night comfortless. Every such incident as that before my eyes forcibly brings to my mind the utter helpless- ness of any of our unfortuinte missing friends. One wetting, without the means which we possessed of dry- ing themselves, would have destroyed their energies. On the morning of the 4th September, the wind hav- ing lulled, we launched our boat, and pushed forward to avaU ourselves of the yet open water. About noon we succeeded in effecting our disembarkation on the floe, and, after luncheon, recommenced floc-travcUing. Shortly after we discovered the other party in-shore of us, under the land. At one of our halting-})laces. Commander Richards and Dr. Lyall came up with us, and liaving spared them part of our provisions, we resumed our pro- gress, fully expecting that they would overtake us at our resting-place, for which object we shortened our march. They evidently made heavier work, and pitched one mile short of us. Sqjf ember 5. — Having nothing further to detain us, we made the best of our way to A^illage Point, expecting to reach it this night ; but the half-frozen lanes, breaking repeatedly, considerably retarded us ; latterly however I contrived, on some occasions where it was very narrow, to bridge the passage by floating pieces of ice cast into the gap, and by a dexterous run over our floating bridge, got safely across before it became immersed. Owing to I I-' IP 120 SLEDGE BREAKS IN. [September, H! such delays, we were compelled to encamp at evening, still distant from Village Point. On the 0th we experienced a fine, sunny, lovely day, and pushed forward at 8.30 ; but, still retarded by the difficulties before alluded to, it was not until 8.30 p.m. that our advanced party, with the boat alone, reached the point. Having pitched the tent, a party was sent back to bring up the sledge. Unfortunately they had no officer to lead them, — got on to young ice, — broke in, and very nearly lost one of the crew ; providentially it did not prove fatal to all, as, from their accoinit of the matter, they acted very injudiciously, by simultaneously rushing to the edge of the broken ice, to save their ship- mate, instead of forming a connected chain to more solid ice. I almost instantly detected this misfortune, by noticing a single man on the outline of the snow, wring- ing his hands and throwing off his boots. Mr. Loney and others were despatched in aid, but noticing the remainder of the party showed their heads, I detahied the cook, to prepare hot tea, etc., which the man who had been innnersed very much needed, — reaching the tent, assisted by two others, in a very exhausted state. He was soon clad in dry clothes, a dose of hot tea and spirits administered, and packed in his bag ; and by the time he got warm, a pint of hot chocolate and pem- mican were ready, to complete him for his slumbers. Sepfeiiibor 7. — The morning fine, but temperature 18"5°. Moved up to the crest of the peninsula, cross- ing recent tracks of bears, foxes, and deer; the latter either very numerous, or a pair had been making very extensive gambols, tearing up the grass, etc. »; f 1852.] DANGER FROM OVERLAPPING ICE. 121 Coramaiulcr Richards was noticed making good pro- gress down a lane which had opened, and, by the time wc were abont to quit the Point, hmded to receive his final orders. We then moved on to Pioneer Island, to complete our work, and thence to the ship ; but ex- perienced very difficult work in crossing the young ice, which threatened several times to press the boat by a shear-Wic movement, one sheet overlap})ing the other, but she escaped with one hole only in her bows, which I succeeded in stopping with my silk handkerchief. 1 Un- fortunately wc did not reach the ship this night, but en- camped on the floe, and fired a rocket almost over their heads, to warn them of our behig near : this, however, was not seen. In the morning we pushed forward, and soon joined, or came u[)on the track of, the other party, which, by not having any off"- shore duty to execute, had avoided our difficulties. On opening Mount Beaufort, we noticed parties from the ship advancing to aid our men ; but I believe that in the succeeding two hours, until we reached the ship, more damage and wettings were ex- perienced than during our whole cruise. This resulted from the ice being much weaker in this direct line of greatest tidal force : it is the last portion frozen, and the earliest thawt'd. About 4.30 I re-entered my cabin, quite prepared to enjoy every comfort it might offer. JFinfcr Operation.^. — The winter had now been com- pletely established, and the 'Assistance' and tender firmly frozen in. The customary prei)arations were made for houshig in the ships ; but as we considered the vessels too secure to require any extraordinary preparations, the \'' mv n T ' t I'.S ! 1 ! 'i I H 'Ml. .' If! ); 122 OBSERVATORY ERECTED. [Sojjtcmbe)', topgallaiitmasts were merely housed, and sails securely furled. The absurd fittings of the Sylvester warming-appa- ratus, requiring the main hold to he nearly cleared be- fore the fires could be lighted, compelled us to place the provisions, etc, on shore, as well as the greater part of our sails, boats, hawsers, etc. In all this I of courne ac- quiesced, because it was the routine of my predecessors ; but I nuist say that, for many reasons, I doidited the propriety. In the case of provision especially, I do not think that salt n^eat, sid)jected to excessively low tem- perature, is ihiproved, but, on the c(mtrary, vitiated; first, by the freezing process rupturing every vessel which before resisted the pickle ; and, secondly, when thaw takes place, permitting that same pickle to take greater effect on the meat. It is very near akin to cu- ring meat or Burnetizing tindier by exhaustion. The Magnetic Obsei'vatory, constructed from pieces of Avreck saved in Melville Bay, I found well advanced, and near to it, beyond any possible infl lencc of the iron em- ployed, at a distance of twenty ya/ds, one of the cut- ters was inverted, on supports, to afford a thermometer house. In this it was purposed to submit all the ther- mometers supplied, to direct exposure on 180°, or half the circle, facing the south (true). The Observatory was also fitted for two transits, which could be brought to act together, independently, or on certain stars at fixed altitudes. This was eventually given up, and the instru- ments removed ; first, on account of the cold afFecthig the clamps, but principally from the breakage of *vio levels by meddlers, and, finally, some influence which I M 1 hi I I 1852.] PREPARATION FOR FURTHJiR TRAVEL. 123 fancied their steel fittings might have on the more im- portant movements of the magnotomcter. The wah'us, before mentioned at our departm-e on the north-east journey, floated or was driven by the pack near the ship, and its carcase secured by our sportsmen for the dogs. The body also of one of the others, shot at a later date, was ref,cued from a bear, who intended to devote it to his own use. Several bears had been shot during my absence, and their carcases also served to increase our supply of dogs' meat. The winter operations being in formal progress, and not requu-ing the superintendence of heads of depart- ments, my attention was directed to the conveyance across the channel, to Cape Lady Frankin and Barrow Island, of the necessary depots for the spring travellers. This ser- vice was allotted to Commander Richards. A boat had been stripped of every useless encumbrance, and a sledge fitted to carry her. The depot was packed in casks, re- duced in the stave to the utmost lightness consistent with security, and the day appointed for this duty was the 14th September. Our hill-scouts however reported the ice to be loose, exhibiting suspicious streaks in all directions; in fact, the middle-channel ice was still in motion. I must say that I was not disappointed ; there had been a manifest pressure from without that I must follow the motions of my predecessor, without adequate reason, and as he laid out his caches in autunm, I must, perforce, follow his example. I certainly was prepared to do so, where common sense pointed it out as practi- cable or urgent: neither of these were appreciable at present, and the risk to men, stores, and anxiety about 124 SECOND AUTUMNAL EXPEDITION. [Sopfcill/wr, V iri tl ' m I i\ tlu'in, rendered its jjropriety very questionable. This iortunate consideration sealed its fate, — it was j)ostj)oned. ]iut in order to divert our minds to other more im[)ortant matters, and to dispel some doubts in my own mind as to the complete search on the islands skirtinj;" the shore between this and Ca})c Hecher, for traces of our missing ships, I determined on another small expedi- tion, with the same force as before, intending to leave at Cape Becher a record of our late })roceedings, and whereabouts, to guide Connnander Pullen in his visit in ^lay- Having delayed until after the spring-tide of the crpiinox, — which period I calculated, from the record of tenn)eratures on preceding occasions, that from 6° to 10° were the best freezing-jjoints for the sea, when we might ex[)ect the ice would again be compact enough for travelling, — we left the ship on the morning of the 21st September, in the teeth of a southerly wind and the snow in our faces, with thermometer at 10°. I was persuaded to leave the ' Hamilton' behind, as the small pack-ice might destroy her ; but I had reason to regret it. The expedition consisted of the same sledges and crews as before, but without the surgeon and Mr. Grove, and we had only fourteen days' provision. Our journey lay for twelve miles, at least, over the smooth floes of North- umberland Sound, through its neck (or channel whenever thaws permit) into Baring Bay. But as this was also a service of survey, we had frequently to stop, ascend heights, and construct cairns -. these matters will not much interest the general reader — I shall therefore skim lightly over the surface. Our first halt for the night .■/.<^- . iif/f-i isr)2.] TRACF.H OF (iOI,!) FOUND. 125 was luuliT tho slope of a long tongue from Mount Percy, forniing the channel Initween that island and the main. The next morning we moved on to Cilaeier Bluff, and Connnander Richards ascended the mountain which caps it (named Blanche, after one of the Ikniier ladies), whilst we were engaged constructing a cairn beneath. One of the crew, noticing a bright streak on one of the stones struck by the pickaxe, exclaimed, "Gold, Sir!" As the rock was a heavy })iece of cpiartz, T stooped to inspect it ; but thinking it to be merely a vein of iron pyrites, ordered it to remain undisturbed, as I was then using the instrnujcnt, and ultimately a i)ieco was broken off for future examination. The large piece was also in- serted in the })ile, with a case of pcmmican, to await our return. There was little fear of desertion to these dig- gings ! However, I kept the development of our riches for our return. On this expedition I also brought the dog-sledge and three of oiu' Cape York dogs, which car- ried me and about forty pounds' weight of instruments very cleverly. From the summit of Mount Blanche — the highest in this region — Commander Richards had a good view, reporting "the ice close and apj)arently firm." This Point received the nam", of Pemmican Station, and is the connuanding jutting tongue of the northern narrows, or the pre-supposed neck of what we had be- lieved to be Percy Peninsula, but now clearly defined as a very narrow boat-channel. We pitched our tent for the night on the outer head of this entrance or bight of Baring Straits (?), giving it the name of Point Repose. The terraced nature of the land here afforded good shelter, on fine gravel, from I . !' t ' 1 120 NKVV ('URE FOR A imOKI'.N NKCK. [Srph'mbt'f, ''* > 'H • ; cnati'rly winds ; niul heiicntli, in warmer fhiics, w very snug little yaclit Imrhour might be Jivailahle within ii tongiKs of jiroji-cting Hhingk*. But the iee on which wc were now to try our chance was most unpromising. The * llaniilton* could only have been conveyed on her own carriage ; indeed, would have; been deposited here pro lent. On the morning of the 23rd w«^ advanced towards tlie outer island, the western extreme of which forms Point So|)hia of the old chart. The travelling was diflHcult, by reason principally of newly broken young ice, of every imaginable angle, cemented + '^etlier by the late frosts. Over this, as it jarred my Innbs walking, I tried tlic dog-sledge, which answered admirably on the smooth ice ; but meeting with an awkward hnnp, I experienced a most unpleasant sunnnersct, inflicting rather a severe; concussion to my liead and neck, whicli had bei;n in- jured on the 1st of October, 1850, by a fall. As this accident occurred to the o})[)osite side, it tended to cure it ; but the remedy would not, I suspect, be prescribed, even in these days of innovation. (I have since perfectly recovered.) We reached the island in safety, landed, and erected our cairn. I foinid the rock to be composed of a dullish dirty brown, sometimes variegated, swinestone, probably susceptible of polish ; it frequently exhibited veins or layers of chert, the sharp fragments of which rendered it very unpleasant to travel over. As this island was one of the dreams of Penny, I retained Point Sophia, and added Cracroft Island, in compliment to his enterprising spirit. On my descent, I found some of the party an- noying a few ducks in a pool of water ; but as they could I 1852.] REACH irUNflllY ISLAND. 127 luitlicr kill, nor pet tluini if killed, I thought wc might stand II butter chance lusreulter by not now coming to hostilities. Our party vviis now divided, Commiuuler Kichard.s })eing directed to seek the outer ])()int of the next large island, and shaping my own course to its iinier jmint, hoping thereby to save time luul labour. Our sledge broke in and wetted some articles, but wc reached our destination without further accident. The latter ])nrt of the journey was attended with considerable anxiety, owing to the rotten state of the ice. Com- mander llichurds luul a cold bath ; and even when wo liad reached within a few yards of our destination, laud- ing was doubtful, and only efl'ected under great caution, taking some of the light weights first, over the uew bay ice, by the dog-slcdge. Having encamped, I asceiuled the highest hill, which commanded a great range, and obtained my obscrvatious. The temperature fell to b°, and our prospects were at present i)ropitious, with every probability of the ice strengthening. It is, perhaps, ven- turing almost too much upon English ideas of tempera- ture, but it is no more strange than true, that, with this temperature, 24° below the freezing-point, sonu; of us were wishing it, at least for a period, lower ! Our pre- sumption, j)ossibIy, was to be punished. Before morning on the 24th September wc had it at 20°, with a strong breeze from cast, and nuicli snow- drift. I began to feel great anxiety about Commaiulcr Richards and his party, having given him instructions to proceed on to the projecting point of the next island, if his work was executed in time. Mr. Loney was de- Ifc !-*■ 128 GALE AND DISRUPTION OF ICE. \Sepi ember. %\ I r spatchcd to seek him, and luckily finding liiia at our opi)osite point, delivered my instinictions to rejoin me Avith all despatch. This indeed was imperative, as he was on the most exposed part of the island, and was but too glad to reach our more sheltered position. They encamped beside us near noon. The result of this gale, with temperature increasing, was obvious. The ice gradually broke up, and drifted away piece by piece ; and " short commons," if not worse, was to me apparent. I did not hesitate on petty measures, but instantly ordered the reduction to half al- lowance, and our attention was further directed to the best mode of relief. INIy own plans had been already formed ; I therefore merely dropped the hint that I in- tended to build a boat, — leaving any brighter hitcUect to " furnish plans and estimates." Unless calm prevailed at least for three days, aided by low temperatiu'es, we had no hope of escape, even to the mainland ! It is true that the entire ice had not yet broken up, but it would not beai our weight, even across to the southern island. Sej)ic))iher 25, Satun/ai/. — The wind abated ; tempe- rature 11° at noon. The sergeant wounded a w^^lrlli^, hA it was beyond our reach; and several eider-duck-^ A\ere swimming in the pools, but as they could not be ob- tained, even if killed, orders were issued to reserve the amiiumition. In the evening the wind shifted to the northward, and the temperature fell tc e°. The slum- bers of those who slept were probably pleasanter, but j)rayers for Joicer temperature, or intense cold, possibly had not before been so devoutly offered (?). , V }': ■' V 1852.] CAPTURE A WALRUS. 129 September 20.— This day was calm and serene, but the sun's bright rays liad Httlc charm for us. I strolled to the eastern point, and found the ice strong enough to bear three men, who walked across to the southern island. But on their return, their report proved but a damper to our hopes : the channel between it and the main was " open water." The evening was beautifully clear and serene, but the wind again drew round to east, and the temperature rose to 13°,— sure indication of fur- ther bad weather. About sunset I shot a walrus, which remained on the floe-piece probably mortally wounded, but we were unable to reach it. At dark, about eight, and again at nine, rockets were sent up, to indicate to the ship our position and want of assistance. From the hill-sununit I thought I could see Mount Beaufort, or the land immediately behind her ; but our hopes were vain— our eyes were strained to no jjurpose— no rei)ly ! Once I was mistaken by the sudden unveiling of Venus, just at the spot where I expected to discover the signal or burst of the rocket. Early on jMonday, the 27tli, the wind increased, with snow, sleet, etc. ; ice breaking up, and sweeping past us. The shout of " A walrus close to, and drifting in-shore," caused no little excitement, particularly amongst my own energetic men. ]3ond, the ice-quartermaster, aided by anotlci", put off on a piece of loose ice, with a line fast ti the shore, and succeeded hi hooking it with a boat-hook, by which means he drew it to the shore, where it was soon secured. No sooner was this done than some few more oozed out of their bags. But this 'id not suit. " All hands secure walrus !" brought each ( > , VOL. I. K w^ : \ I 130 SNOW HOUSES. [Sep/ember, n i !• Ihl ! i' man to his duty, and tlic agreeable monster Avas secured, cut up, and dej)osited at the tents — a most acceptable boon in every way. It not only secured our cxidciice until the ice re-formed, but afforded plenty of that next blessing to food, the means of cooking and obtahiiug water — -ft'cl. Now might be heard the discussion of who killed it : of this I ea) 1 not, — we caught it, and it was yet warm, and good food. It had been shot in the throat, a wound generally fatal, and cnising them to seek the floe to die. Another gratifying feeling was also af- forded me — that our dogs woidd iind sustenance ; for the loss of them, by starvation or con. pulsion to kill, would liaAe distressed n^e considerably, next indeed to personal misfortune. It continued to blow hard, with sleet, rendermg our labours very harassing ; but activity and employment for mind as well as body must be found. I had great dilHeulty to contend with. Snow- walls were ordered to be built round our encampment ; and, as it occurred to me that this would prove; a convenient moment for prac- tising our men in house-building, I superintended per- sonally, as chief mason, in this practice. On Tuesday, the 2Sth, the wind shifting more south- erly, and no "plans or estimates" for the boat having been sent in, I pvoceeded to work in my own way ; and I nuist say, although the others volunteered, when she was constructed, to connnand her, that j\Ir. Loney did so before I connnc^nced, in the full confidence of suc- cess attending. However, volunteers do not giud(! me; I select those; to whom T intend to entrust the duty, and Connuander Richards would have been selected. \ ■■I'l I i:ll^ f il! i ■■ n ;• 1 i fl V 4'. i ; l« I \ V 1h- 1\ ■^\ « — ^ — -vi ^ ! «- - - —XT t -- SfJ '^- ^•' !H ^.._- liv 1853.] OOMIAK CONSTRUCTED. 131 Taking one runner-sledge as my IranieAvork for an on- viiah\ and two flat sledges for the ends, it will elearly be seen that the rudiments were in a state for completion ; ribs were then brought up at eaeh runner-b{>ai-er, rising about one foot above the sledge ; and to this, ooniiak- fasliion, I formed my gunwale by four light spars, two of tough China mahogany, and two bandjoos used for yards, for sledge sails : by a little straining these were brought nearly together at each end, and eross-pieees lashed. It was, indeed, to those versed in Esquimaux boat-building, the oomiak, or woman's boat. It only remained to cover this properly ; this was effected by the canvas-bottom cloths and JMaekintoshes of the tents, so as to form two layers. The object was, to convey to the main a party with one day's provisicm and their sleeping-bags, who Avould walk on to the ship and forward to us in due time the necessary relief. As the three leading oliieers of the vessels and twenty-seven persons were thus cut oti', I deternuned to remahi alone with my own men and JMr. Loney, sending Connnauder Richards, Lieutenant Osborn, and any others who could not eat walrus, by the boat. He was to have started early the next morning, and his ordi'rs were already written ; but as the c([uinoctial spring-tide here would not occur before 2.30 on Thurs- day, I determined to defer it until that event had })assed. To oppose the antipathies of any set of men, is absurd, — is making them of too nuich importance. I disHke p(!mmican, — never would touch it if I could avoitl it, because I consider that it is, to me, unwholesome food ; many of my crew also refused it for some time : I con- K 1 132 HEFLECTIONS ON WALKUS FOOD. [Scpfcmbrr, r r 'i tinu(\l to cat it for example sake. Others also dislike partieiilar birds. But my prineiple invariably is, to endeavour to make anything tit tor food palatable, and, setting aside my hielinations, to make it suit my pur- })ose. I would not prefer whale; or wairus flesh t(j the /jcs/ hcofdvah, but I w(jul(l most assuredly prefer the best whale or walrus to many meats Icnncd hccf. Of this walrus I not oidy partook heartily, but T think that I overcame the objection of many, and that therel)y they gained a Avholesonie and nom'ishing food, instead of semi-starvation. I had almost forgotten to mention that, in order to i)rove our boat, I started with four hands in chase of some ducks in the o})en water, killed four, and a grey doveky, Avhicli Avere divided as four Avould lie by three, the lawyer taking the remainder for his pains ; they afforded, with walrus and bacon, a very acceptable meal. On the 29th we experienced strong gales from east- south-east, which caused the ice to break up rapidly and drift off. The tide at noon today rose beyond its ordi- nary level, carrying off all the heavy grounded masses of ice, and denuding the shores of the island to the gravel ; nn occm-rence of sea-wasluxl beach not witnessed by us since the 28th of August. On the 30th, the wind having changed to the south- west during the night, the loose ice packed in upon us, and toward the evening it moderated greatly, leaving a fine, clear night, Avith a temperature of 22°, but much too Avai-m for our excited feelings. At nine I made the j)reconcerted signal to the ship for assistance, viz. tAvo rockets, ^'enus showing betAveen the passing clouds at li <.\ "k % r" ■iHBIIW^ :.I I' Mil ;. ^' I. 1.11- ■ SvlDKH nvc&,' im ,;,"t r . -" ••iiti' J <'#iip» ^ -cuted, afibrdiid ' . vpltid fh" ' ')liraenfc. Hiit '' '111 i'"j sbn. .... tiotio'ci.-— fi i!;i moment paiiilVilly exciting. ' )i'. such st.rions con^iidcratior. ' iUciiurds • •'■'f • '•; : ;,' i- ,. - .,.;.:.. • t Tll(l.-;:d 1 S -" •!. f . ■• ■ l;i .i. i •-; ill ; ck .\ ., ■■■■■■■ "''ifv^:- - : ' .■'■<,!■;■ ,,r '^ :'l,: ,li I ■ ,1 • M iM,. wt ;"!f| ;i.^ ¥ I- tiir i \\M u V > %':: 'l'-* ';. ^':r 'l V' « ?^ 1 )■ Ib52.] LATNCll Till; ' J.IDl.H UUCK.' 133 file very spot where our ntteiitioii wus direrted, aftbrded tlie siigf>;esti()ii tlmt she aeeeptcd the eoiiipHnient. hiit iiothiii^f of this iiuiiire IVoiii tlie ship was noticed, — a matter Ix'eoiiiiiig about t])is moment painfully exeitiii}^. I had omitted, amongst sueh sei'ious considerations, to notice the launch of our new vissel. It is usual in lower latitudes, or in the regions of the grapes (or even of malt), to christen such bantlings with the customary honours ; but on the occasion of (jur launch there was nothing at hand but snowballs, aiul in sober sulkiness she took the water under the appellation of ' The Eider Duck.' Commander Richards became very anxious to maki; the ntteini)t to cross; but with the rough packeil ice this was not safe. Indeed I had deternu'iicd not to risk our all on any ill-considered i'xj)erimeiits. On Sunday, the 3rd of October, was our day of rest. ]\Iany solicitations to cross were repeated; but 1 had no confidence in anything around me, and I felt that when I ceased to command, then the spirits of my best men would flag, and that where diiHculty and danger was to be braved it was my duty to lead, iiesides, some mule- finable feelhig prompted me to delay : who shall attem[)t to unravel this curious or rather mysterious habit which has followed my fortunes ? I wiis firm ; providentially, I must add, I deferred until the morrow. On the 4th the temperatures fell sueeessi\ely from 10° to 4°; but the ice, although frozen in many parts, still exhibited very suspicious cracks, riiaccountably 1 had now arrived at my deteriniuation, — why or where- I'ori', to myself is inexi)licable ; mujeo\t'i, it was still more il IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) fe ^ %' ^ .**> 4^ 1.0 I.I 25 3.: us lit 2.2 iiuu Mill 1.4 lil.6 I /: c^. o: o / s Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STRKT WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)872-4503 ^^^^J^''^ ^^^ ^0^^ ^ v\^^ 134 CAIN THE LAND ICE. \Odoher, incomprehensible tliat the advocates for crossing yester- day were now m/ccrse! Bnt that mattered not; I felt tjuite assiu'ed of the practicability, if I conld cross the band of smooth ice intervening Ijctween us and the pack, but that would not bear 'he weight even of one man ! The order "Down tents!" was the first indication of my resolve. The ice was broken, and a channel for the 'Eider Duck' cut by sj)ades; it closed, was cut agahi, and eventually, not without nmch trouble, all our ef- fects were ferried by our valuable oomiak to the solid ice. The 'Eider Dnck' underwent inunediate transfor- mation, worthy of any pantomime, her various parts re- suming their duties in the sledge equipment. Moving forward in right earnest towards the main, we reached it, and lunched on the "land-floe" at noon. Every one has his p(>culiar feelings : we liad crossed many cracks, esca})ed many serious difficulties, solely by dint of that activity which rcsidts from the umate fear of losing all. V,\ thus (piitted " Hungry Island," — a name which I do not think even Peimy will dispute. I nmst believe that every individual had his own ear- nest fi'clings as each touched the safe shore, or land-ice. For myself, 1 felt thai: the meal was more solenni than usual. Such sensations are better left undescribed, for neither the feelings nor the pen can execute their duty. Our actual difficulties were yet to be encountered, but we knew them not. Several wettings were ex])erience(l, and at nightfall, on reaching our most critical position, we had not found safe landing for the sledges, which still lagged behind, i'ortunately I was in advance with my dog-sledge, and, trusting to the instinct of the aiii- h ■!■ I 1852.] REACH POINT RKPOSE. 135 f mals, which refuse unsafe ice, they selected a safe pas- sage ; I Uuuled, and, estabhshing the ferry, sent the dogs back with the driver to convey our equipment by hght loads on this sledge. FrecpKnt tri[)S increased confi- dence; for several had fallen in and got wet, and our sleeping-bags unfortunately shared the same fate, my own, I bel;eve, amongst the nu'- ber. Eventually all were safely landed, and our tents pitched at C(i])c Jh- poHc. Jicfore ten, I think, thanks to an overruling Pro- vidence, all were safely landed ; for I am co.ivinced that no security covdd have been fonnd that night on the ice, the temperature having again risen to 28°. ^[any in- deed had wet beds, l)ut with our warn- suppers this was now but a trifle. On the morning of the 5th I despatched Conunander Richards with the other sledges to the ship, with two days' provision, I'cserving the remainder to complete our survey. On examining our old (juarters, where we had de})osited the dogs' food, we found that it had been robbed by bears ; but the dogs having devoured their fidl travelling allowance of walrus at Hungry Island, this was less important. Our subsequent ^notions being but matters of survey, I shall pass them ra})idly. In our advance to the ship, we called at oiu- North Cali- fornia for our penunican, and to seek any further speci- mens of the precious nu'tals which might turn up. In the latter search I Avas luisuccessful. The temperature, having fallen to 4°, was in itself sufficient to check any ardent pursuit after metals ; they bite as severely in cold weather as gold docs in California or Australia, About noon we met a relief party from the ship, under \\ I I " 1^ u 136 RKTuitN TO TiiK SHIP. {Ovtoher. Mr. Herbert, mate, and Mr. Ricards, assistant-surgeon. Moving along the coast, we slept in the Sound j and at eight the following morning, starting for the ship with the dog-sledge, were again met by Messrs. Groves and Pym, who most kindly and charitably shared with us a very acceptable luncheon of sandwiches and sherry. About eleven we reached the ship. Never did I enter my cabin with more unfeigned thankfulness; not for myself alone, but for the safety of the fine set of men who had shared our misfortune, and whom this particu- lar branch of the Kxpedition could so ill afford to losi;. i:i m ¥} 137 CHAPTER VI. The ' Assistant.'— Winter Fittinirs.— :Moistiirc between Decks.— A[e- teorologicul Investifjations.— Tide (niujrc. — Anatoi'iical Shrimps. — Washiiouse. — Tliou<>-hts on Arctic Fittinjfe.— Terraced Levels.— Ell'eets of Tichil Action. — Tidal Fissnres. — Experiments on lee. — Last View of the Sun.— Her Majesty's Arctic Theatre.— A Gale.— The Observatory. — A Snow-storm. Our own uusories terminated, turn we now to the good ship ' Assistance.' As I had anticipated, the ship had not been a whit too secure, and the absence of our party might have entailed censure on mc, had any serious mis- chief occurred. I was informed that the ice had broken up to within a hundred yards of her dow ; and that, in the expectation of its proceeding further, w arps had been carried to the main floe to secure her. Had the ice broken up here, as it did at Hungry Island, there can be no doubt that she would have been driven on shore; but the want of tide prevented this. As it was, the ice had cleared out up to the southern point of the Sound, and a sporting party had visited it in one of the boats, but without any view of relieving our necessities. Any of the above misfortunes, viewed singly, might be deemed trivial ; but the loss of the principal petty I. i. ' ^^T- ' ) ' 18^ TIIOUCillTS ON WIXTKH I'lTTINCiS. [Or/o^H'r, officers niu] myself inip;lit have very mueli changed the resiiUs of this Jvxpeditioii. Our attention nuist now naturally revert to the com- pletion of our winter arrangements. The temperature liad not yet atibrded sulHeient proof of the necessity of covering our decks with snow, or building walls nu-ud the ship : of the [)ro[)riety of both these mattvTs 1 enter- tained my doubts, and wished further experience before I connnitted myself. Of the advantage to be derived from a good snow-wall, distant about a f(Kpted. But these matters shoidd have had full consideration in England, and the means for carrying them out provided. Beside this, there is a kiiul of awkward responsibility attending innovations of this nature, which, unless fiauuh'd on something stronger than mere authority, would imluce restless writers to at- tribute every mischief and misery, however remote from conunon sense, to the innovator. I'uder such reasoning, the onlv alternative is — " If thev were miserable and sickly before. Captain • found he could not remedy it ; and therefore, however comfortable the cabins of the captain and officers may be, matters musi lie conducted 1 mmimm n J 853.] MOISTURE BETWEEN DECKS. IIJU \ as they wove by their ])re(lccossors." Now, T am firmly of opinion that Sir John lloss was right as to his system of ventilation, but carried it on upon such a reduced scale that it could not act sufficiently. And T feel fully satis- fied that the evil in these vessels might be reniedii'd by liatching the present decks, and in winter removing the crews six fciet lower. Such a disposition would avoid the immediate condensation of breath on the lower deck beams, resulting in a constant drip[)ing on tlic lower deck, and, at night, soaking the bed of every man sleeping there ! IJr.duc wet and j)ervading moisture, and that too cliarged with the customary constitm^nts of the breath of men, is but too well known to be the predis[)osing cause of scurvy ; and yet, knowing all this, will it be credited, in the hist portion of the nineteenth century, that horse-sponges arc supplied to wi})e off this mois- ture? — a thing only to be discovered in October, when these drij)pings counnence, and when v; daily doleful re})ort of the surgeon is, " She is so very wet between decks. Sir." And, as if this should not be a sutHcicnt Avarning, I find that vent-holes, to let down cold air, to increase and keep up this coridensation, are actually opened, when the heat l)elow cannot be maintained at 40°, and was frecpiently, even in my cabin with a stove, below 20°. This season may pass, and, I sincerely tru^•t, without any material mischicjf ; but should it be our lot to pass another here, I have fully made up my mind that, luiv- ing given tlu; |)lans of my predecessors a fair trial, a very different system will be enforced, for the future comfort of all. 140 METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. \Octoher, 1 \v % As Licntcimnt Clieync Imd l)roiiglit with liiiii — sup- j)lie(l, I understood, chiefly from Kew — sonic very delicate electrometers, I determined that he should have every assistance the service admitted for attending to the influ- encc which the aurora might exercise;. To ensure this, he was excused from other duties, and directed to attend to the registry of thermometers ; and as it would be in- convenient to send officers aloft tf> register thermometers, I adap "d a bahmce-pole of twenty-eight feet in length, so that it could be easily jJuUed down ; to this a minimum thermometer was attached, to be read at eight a.m., at noon, and at four r.M. Another plain thermometer was also fixed at twenty feet, and one of the standards .as placed on pikes at four ieet above the earth, near the Observatory, independent of the general board, contain- ing fifteen standard thermometers from Kew and Green- wich, under the boat. The })ike-therniometer \\ as regis- tered hourly with the magnetometer. A very delicate electrometer was also placed in the Observatory, but was broken not many hours after by the prying curiosity of some meddler. Before the Sth of October the general ol)servations on the magnetometer were supposed to commence; at all events, the registry dates from noon of that day. The officers who volunteered for that duty were Lieutenant May, jNIr. Herbert, Mr. Grove, jNlr. Pyni, mates, and jMessrs. Ilavwood and Webb, engineers, of the * Pioneer.' The observations were continued hourly, both night and day, throughout the winter, up to July. Various other observations were carried on by myself, at the instance of Mr. Glaisher, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, M; M ., i\\ k f I i .'i if 'u. 111 i ? ! r* r M. 1 -rrrrT-i T-'-rr^i i \ i (^' . TTTTm'T-r rnr i // A /"-^ys/^ A-/VW\ ^«A/VSAa!N^A'^A'N^/^/'n'N ^'' AA,\AA/Nil ._,-lL14_Lj_LU-J i ja_L t .( 3 ^^' — 3 1 , g. LjJ-l-i-i-i-t-i-i-t-LLi 1. U '-L1.X J4.^1 L •^ \ \ \-s. ^3 i: TIIiK-OAUdE ESTABMSIIKn. tl t: 1852.] who supplied, by i>»itl»<>vity ol" the Admiralty, ii most valuable suite of tlunnomcti'rs and other iiistruuients, and spared uo exertion to allbnl vaUiable inlormatiou and suggestions for their management. As ili(! decrease of temperature \\o\\h\ soon prevent the accurate r( and I have rejected all the former conclusions, because these are not invariably, even in winter, "snow-clad" re- gions ! The discussion of the causes operating on upper levels must be referred to other authorities and forces, and, as far as I know, must ever remain theoretical ; no proof can exist. The first cause is plainly illustrated by pressing a flat board, having a smooth rectangular edge, againct a slight ridge of sand on a table : this will produce the first ridge, or terrace. Possibly the inner edge of the board may rise, and shde up the sand some inches : comparing great things with small, this is Nature's first movement here. The fine bay ice, say six inches thick, forced very slowly by millions of tons weight and impelled by wind or tide, presses on some beach, a noise like that of a rushing wind is instantly heard, and ice is noticed travelling up the beach, forcing before it all the light gravel. This of course planes the subjacent matter. It has possibly re- moved one great shaving, and the upper abutting gravel resists but for an instant, — it buckles, breaks, and turns up, forcing layer after layer, and " piling" the beach un- til the motive power is arrested, possibly miles distant ! This is Act I.; it may be repeated, and the successive forces, possibly with planes of four feet in thickness, do their work with unerring certainty, until arrested by the general freezing of such a mass so accumulated on the shore as will compel the outer ice to buckle, break, and pile, overwhelming tlie strongest works cf man. These are plain, unmistakable facts. Tli spring thaws reveal these facts — these apparently " tiuo terraces," and leave new comers to dream of their origin. 1,2 ill V!l "MSfHB ■m I II 148 EFFECTS OF TIDAL ACTION. [October, Ml M Such an operation of Nature at the beach, and par- ticularly in our situation, would inevitably destroy the Observatory, perhaps leave no hope of saving the instru- ments ; but this I did not anticipate now. The bay or land ice had formed, and the planes for this season would not in all probability be disturbed to any extent ; but it was to be feared. Another cause in daily operation, and acting to the same end, was in quiet, irresistible action : this was the tide. If the elder Perkins is alive, he may remember explaining to me his earliest invention, the cotton-pressing machine ; I think it may still be seen at the Polytechnic Institution. Such is our tidal ice-power, the "taking up wedges" being the snow-drift, etc., which fills in as the tide opens the various fissures following the contour of the coast margin. Let it be conceded that a great and continuous space at high water is frozen, and that the established winter ice, grounding daily in sixteen feet water, causes gaps varying from one foot to six inches, in contour lines cor- responding to the depths surrounding the land. It must be evident that these gaps, if filled up, must at each re- turning high water (twice daily) force the in-shore ice up the inclined plane equal in amount to the interposed compressed matter. This we found it did, until the heavy ice formed, to guard the in-shore line which it had taken up. Then these gaps presented another feature : they turned up, or rose above their in-shore groimded pieces, causing, wherever resistance ottered, unpleasant barriers. The upper crack of the ice-line ceased about six feet from the Observatory steps. I cannot state precisely how mpny yards it was from high- water line : ] p 1852.] ACTION OF TIDAL FISSURES. 149 when I selected the position, but it certainly was six feet above the level of the hifjliest tide. II w Supposing the upper line to represent high water ; the second to indicate the thickness of ice ; next, the centre line to indicate low water, and the third its under surface of ice; the breaks on the shore would indicate the na- tural causes operating to crack ; the upper dots, the early stealthy movements up-hill, as evident in tidal pools. The preceding matter may be dry, but I am not aware that any previous navigator has attempted to explain the causes in action ; and if I merely succeed in drawing the atteni.'on of enlightened men, — not of those irritated by the truths which demolish their theories, — I am fully re- paid. 1 cannot say, Ex fumo dare liiccm ; but they may blow the smoke from our eyes by enlarged discussion. That tlie floe had moved inshore I had absolute proof before I finally removed the tide-pole; when it was placed, it had an inclination semvard, and the pole was at the back of the hole ; when removed, it had about the same inclination inshore, and we had to cut away the outside part of the floe : this would not afford at that spot, afloat, more than one foot. One very curious fact was the depth to which we had to dig to get out the triangle legs, — three feet perpendicular. The question then arose, where does the increment take place in freez- ing? 1 am inclined to think, in the early season, both ■ 't, « wmmm^tm mmm 150 CUBES OF ICE FOE EXPERIMENT. [October, t -' ways, — upwards by evaporation, and below by the cus- tomary process of freezing ; but here again avc have a very stubborn fiict to contend with. By all the experi- ments made, until I became sick of reported breakages of thermometers, I could not detect a well-attested differ- ence between the temperature at the bottom, in seven fathoms, and that at the snrface. If heat ascends, and the cold will not descend through ice below 32°, the sea preserving 29° to 29 5°, why does it not freeze to the bottom ? and why does it accumulate on ice freezing at 28°, but only at 32° when frozen ? Our experiments have not resolved this difficulty, — every trial has been marred by some mistake. Cudes of Ice. — Experiments were now commenced on cubes Oi sea-ice, and, as the thickness increased, they were extended to the mean upper, mean centre, and mean lower masses. Nor did it cease there. These cubes, duly numbered, were exposed to the upper-deck temperature during winter, and weighed at particular seasons to determine their changes by exposure, evapo- ration, etc. The water resulting from thawing these re- spective divisions of the ice was bottled, as well as that at the surface, for fuaire examination. The atmospheric air, in well-dried, stoppered bottles, and covered with leather and bladder, was also obtained. On the 25th of October, a cubic structure was formed with snow bricks, of twelve feet in length, ten wide, and six high, the crevices being sealed with snow and water. In this mass five Six's self-registering thermometers were inserted, equidistant in height as well as lateral distance from the air, as follows : — I 1862.] LAST SIGHT OF THE SUN. 151 No. 1. 5 feet (lp(!p and 5 from the side. 2. t „ 4 3. 3 „ 3 l. 2 „ 2 „ 5. 1 „ I „ A hole had also been cut into the rocky soil, in which a wooden tube four feet in length wns inserted, in order to detennine the maxima and minima during the winter season. But, to my Siirprise, I found that it had been registered with the other thermometers daily. However, it was finally sealed and secured from further molesta- tion on the 28th of Novcmbo' . On the 27th of October, the sun should have been in bed ; however, I could not resist " one last, fond look," and as he displayed his countenance for the last time, his altitude was observed, giving about 31' 31" 5'" refraction. Our winter had now connnenced : the thought brought with it many last expressions on quitting home, con- nected with the return of that luminary, not easily for- gotten ! This is not a region to chase away such in- trusive reflections ; but they only nerve us, perhaps, in remembrance of the many mottoes, to persevere, to do, and possibly, to deserve. Dates will now pass rapidly, although oiu' time will be completely engrossed by matters too tedious to de- tail and too heavy for the general reader. I shall there- fore go back to the l)efore-mentioned washhouse, Avhere I found that Conmiander Richards held some mysterious meetings, which seduced from their allegiance several subjects of my Observatory. It was too cold and dreary a spot for me to pry hito. At length however the mur- der came out : he had become the Sole Lessee and Director of Her Majesty's Theatre Royal, and had there li Jf— ajiBjiKT^ypuj^KJVIU^n S^-r^ 152 GREEN ROOM DISCOVERED. [A^ovemder, 4j established his f/reen (?) room. In due time the chittering of carpenters and other cmjjh^es rushing to and fro was heard ; and, near the commencement of November, the following play-bill, printed at the Royal Press, on satin, was placed on my table, ordered to lie there, passed three readings, and received due assent, the Lord Cham- berlain having no objections thereto. rUDEK TUE DISTINOVISHED I'AXKONAOE OF CAPTAIN SIR EDWARD BEICIIER, C.B. CoMMANDEU G. II. RiciiAUDS, of the IloYAL AiicTic Navy, {the Sole Lessee and Mnnayer,) has the honour to accjiiaint thi; Nobility and Gently of North Cornwall that he has, at a considerable personal sa- crifice, and with the almost sole view of contributing to their entertain- ment, engaged u highly select and talented COUPS BliAMATlQUE, and has entirely rebuilt and re-enibellishcd the Queen's Arctic Theatre, and that on the Ninth of November, being the birthday of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES, DUKE OF CORNWALL AND EAllL OF DUBLIN, will be performed, for the first time in this countiy, the inunitable Comedy of THE IRISH TUTOR. Flail Mr. GROVE (of the Argyle Rooms). CuARl,F,s Mr. ALLARD (of the Royal Pioneer Olyminc). \ I r 1S52.] iiKR majesty's Anoxic theatre. 153 Mil. TiLLWELL Mr. LEiriS. Doctor O'Toouf 1 Air. HERBERT (the Vovicx of the present (Jay J, KosA Mr. CIIEYNE (an Jurorn of the frst water from Sadlera' frells, where her performance electrified the audience). ^Iauy Mr. UARirOOD Oter first appearance on any Stage). N'illugera, Peasunlcsscs, etc British Seamen. To be foUoweil by A MUSICAL INTERLUDE. GtEK. See oui- o.u, like ( l\'- 'I ^O^^ fceMrated Jrctic Vocalist). leathers play, ... ^^'- '^'^^''' ^^U (from the R. - 0.). ' ^ CMr. J. ALVCAllTNEY. UiKT, The Queen's Coaehman, Messrs. 11. & I. HALES (from R.P. O.). Solo, Ireland Uv. J. MACARTNEY. Naltical Hornpipe Mr. A. DICKENS (from the R.P.O.). Alter which, at the express desire of the Ladies, The perlect Farce of THE SILENT WOMAN. Mr. Sandford Br. RIC.IRDS. Artiumi Mr. GROVE. Marianne ... Mr. CIIEYNE. i: The Queen's Own Band will be in attendance, and a Maoni- FicENT Drop Scene is being painted by that celebrated Arctic Artist, MR. WALTER MAY, for which an overflowing house alone can in any measure rcnnmcrate the Sole Lessee and Manager, who takes this opportunity of repeatin;'- to the rublicthat he is actuated by no feelinn; save that of contributiu"- to their anuisenicnt, and reaVuing a competency for himself against in- creasing years and infirmities. The House will open at 0.30, the Perfonnancc commencing precisely at 7 o'clock. Tickets may be had of II. 1?uiant, at the Arctic Printing Otiicc, Winter Quarters, Northiunberland Sound. BY AUTiioiUTY.] [11. llriant, Printer. h.' '\'\ T^ 154 THEATRICAL ECCENTRICITIES. [NovemdcY, !■'' H I One authority however had not been consulted — it was too kite — it was the Clerk of the Weather ! I am informed that the very same mistake occurred " last cruise," on this identical day too ; therefore the " old hands " were to blame. One thing however settled the matter — it could not be put oft' — it was to open on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Duke of j\or//i Cornwall. Blow it might, and do its worst, and blow it did. As the Way-bill intimates, the subjects selected were 'The Irish Tutor' and 'The Silent Wonum.' The theatre was got up with considerable taste, and every character admirably supported, even to a most troublesome one-uycd pic and ginger-beer man, who most pertinaciously chose to present himself at the Royal Box. He knew full well Her Majesty and the Prince could not travel this weather ; indeed, he had heard the apology from the Lord Chamberlain read by the Soic Lessee, exflaining the cause, and intimating her most gracious pleasure that the men should not forget Mr. Allsopp, which latter sentence was received with thun- ders of applause. As to hearing anything, Boreas had it all his own way : it lay principally between him and a Woolwich waterman politely intimating that " the last boat would start j!?OAY;-TivE-ly at eleven." As we were unable to hear, it is almost needless to add that the excellence of the acting entirely superseded the noise of the tempest ; and between it and the music, of which ' Cease rude Boreas' could not be heard, and but imperfectly understood by the tremulous fingers of the musicians, the evening terminated satisfactorily. The manager, being most lnudl^ called for, at length appeared, I ?^ I! I I ! I i I »'i ■tmmT-usfn I \ J] i1 1 h i lb52.] A •iA'K- ^^^ and, hnving overcoiiu liis modesty, luiuU; ii very taking speech, not omitting Allsopp in conclusion, and retired, promising to omit no exertion to please at a more pro- pitious day. The temperature during the performance may be as- Bumed as near 17° as possible. This would be warm if calm, but the breeze in the boxes made it cutting : no- thing but the most determined loyalty rendered it en- durable. This gale came on with the thermometer at 30°. On the 8th it fell to 10°, nt noon on the 0th to zero, and rose us high at the Observatory, when we had it at 17°, in the theatre, to 20°, at least so I find it recorded. The tide-gauge rose one foot above its scale, and I have rea- son to believe that some movement of ice, unperceived by us, shook the Observatory. On the 10th of Novend)er the gale continued with unabated violence, cutting off all connnunication with the shore, the temperatures ranging from 0° to zero, rising according to the strength of the wind. A heavy snow-bank formed on our port side, but the reaction of the wind against our side caused it to maintain a re- spectable distance, channelling out a nice sheltered walk for our men in future, and raising a most picturescpie, ornamental snow-wreath as a permanent overhanging wall, distant about sixty feet fron\ the ship's side, and level with om" upper works, or about fourteen feet above the ice. Between us and the ' Pioneer' a huge wave of snow intervened, nearly on the \ipper level, and extended up to the shore, tapering to notlung. This weight of snow caused the water to flow up, which, when solidly •1 ' [ : ^mggm imiiiUH i •1 / If ii i' i ■'1 ■ i .'i ' i 156 EXAMINE OBSERVATORY. [A^ovcmder, frozen, formed a level promenade about six inches above the ice. Thus from every evil some benefit results, if we be only disposed to view matters as boons of Pro- vidence. The fissures in the ice, both in-shore and off into deep water, were also more numerous. I have before noticed that this is not a snow-clad re- gion, — that is, the land, — and this morning has verified that observation. The gale has denuded the entire coast, except in the ravines, where it is almost perpetual, bridg- ing over the watercourses, where, during thaws, the water flows with rapidity beneath. To-day, the 14th of November, the gale abated. Yes- terday the Master had been able to extricate the chrono- meter from the Observatory, and had I been aware of his intention would have prevented it. The opening the door to-day was attended with a kind of mysterious feeling, difficult to describe ; but a solemn, unaccount- able oppression, similar to entering a long sealed tomb, weighed upon me, and yet there was literally nothing more than the dreariness attending the effect produced by any house overwhelmed by snow. The sensation was similar to the exploration of a cave, the work of ages. The scene before me was however one of Nature's imme- diate recent acts. I must say that it aflbrded informa- tion, experience, and matter for reflection : what more can I add? The scene before me was new, and, as connected with my instruments, charged with deep interest. In our ex- ternal portico the aneroid barometer, the wet and dry bulb thermometers, and some maximum thermometers were placed. Be it remembered that this was a portico, IV m i 1852.] DAMAGE FROM SNOW STORM. 157 composed of canvas, and the vibration caused by the gale against the planking which supported the instruments, might be supposed to militate agahisi the formation of any fragile accumulation of impalpable " barber" or snow dust; "barber" meaning truly, the immediate conden- sation of the vapour arising from water at the point of condensation, and blown upon the beard, — or the natural condensation on the beard of the exudation from " the animal." I do not admit that the term is Arctic. I knew it — as all my old friends who preceded me some fifty years ago — as the well-known "barber" coming down the narrows of the basin at Halifax, No... Scotia. Entering this portico, insjtead of the aneroid, a light cone presented itself, having the aneroid as its base, the base and frustum of the cone of snow being about two feet each. This, although of such light material, did not yield easily : but by the repeated apphcation of the snow-brush I gradually cleared away the snow, and rescued the instruments unhurt. I ,j ii The next was the Observatory, and this I almost feared to enter, for the doorway presented difficulties I; ir ii : I i • I I; \ 111 1 ! 168 SNOW FORCED IN BY GALE. [November. which puzzled nic. The standard barometer, previously coaxed into the performance of its duty, was evidently damaged, and the snow prevented anj force being used to open the door. The mcrciu'ial column had fallen be- low any rational range, and I was therefore prepared for the worst. On brushing off the snow I was satisfied that either the concussion of forcing the door (by Mr. Nobody), or the snow getting between it and the tube, had strained it near the cistern, a portion of the mercury escaped, and it was rendered useless. Brushing the snow off each, I had to congratulate myself, on quitting this chamber of horrors, that I had lost but one instru- ment, and that wos, one in which I never had confidence, for it lost mercury before leaving England. But the pressure of the gale had been so heavy, that every pos- sible crevice, by which air could enter, was beautifully fringed by deposits of impalpable snow-wreaths. These hints were not lost, and the proper remedies applied. Il 169 CHAPTER VII. Transit Telescope. — Extremes of Cold. — Effects of the Gale. — Re- marks on Equipment. — Sensations of Cold.— Paraselena. — Schools Established. — SoeitJty of Loyal Arctic Enjiiueers. — Deflections of the Magnetometer. — Experiments on Freezing. — Ice Crystals. — The Aurora. I HAD shortly before this constructed a fixed transit telescope, by fitting a good two-feet with the necessary wires, and setting it, by oiu* final observations, in the meridian. The results were dependent on the stability of the house, and of this now I had no further doubt. In few words, intelligible to most astronomers, I se- lected from Baily's Catalogue one of the jirincipal stars which would, with others of a nearly similar declina- tion, pass the Avires throughout the winter, so as con- veniently to afford me tunes for five- or ten-day compa- risons, ?vnd thus verify my rates. Selecting 13 7 Pcgasi and 1970 a Hcrculis as my standard stars, I possessed a range of seventeen hours to Avork upon until April, with all the intermediate stars, some of which happen to be more numerous than the Catalogue gives any no- tice of, but which are of equal value, unknown, for the mere piu-pose of rating chronometers. 1 1 iwr ■n I'M "! i ■ ' 1 'i ■1 >:' T I ; -. 1 1 ': 1 1 1 1 160 EXTREMES OF COLD. [November, On a decided change- of temperature between the 5tli and lOtli of November, I liad firmly relied and expressed my opinion. On the 11th I did expect that gale, and I further expected ii cessation of intense cold from that period until the 22nd December. This is not the result of a mere guess, but of a long coiu'se of observations in North America, and wherever cold predominates, that there are three periods of cold, — one in November, ran- ging between the 5th and 10th; a second in December, 22nd to 30th; and the third in IMarcli, near the 10th. These periods generally exhibit the extremes of tempera- ture. Of gales I take no special notice, but here they inevitably accompany any undue rise of temperatiu'e. These remarks led me to institute an inqu ry, or con- structing a table of comparison of the temperatures ex- perienced by Parry, Ross, and Austin, to which will be added om* own, and possibly those of the other ships composing this Expedition. I think that the scales will bear out my observation. I notice in Parry's Second Voyage, that he relates, " that the first week in the month of November the weather was mild; the temperature then fell to —30°, which change we felt sensibly." This extreme is not much exceeded by this month. His severity of mid- winter conmiences about the 2Gth of December, con- tinuing to the 9th of January, and reaching about —45°; on the 10th it is -f4°, and continues — . Towards the end of February cold increases, and up to the 11th of INIarch it is —36 7 5°: from this period (as elsewhere) intense cold ceases. We have yet to record the result in this terra incog- ^^w^pi 1852.] EFFECT OF THE GALE ON THE SNOW. IGl nita, but I feel confident in the average result that the law v.ill hold good, tides, winds, etc., taken fairly into account. To-day, 15th November, after inspecting the drift banks which seem to have their points of concen- tration between the stern of the ' Assistance' and the bow of the ' Pioneer,' I ascended the hill commanding the anchorage (Mount Beaufort) to examine the effects of the late gale. It was now denuded, not a place on which to impress a footmark. And yet, some few days since, on this very ground, I hau watched the operation of cutting "bricks" for building from this same spot, then a bank of solid snow preserving an average clear depth of one foot, and capable of bearing my weight ; the entire depth was about three feet. Some estimate therefore may be formed of the unceasing force and scour of the wind and drift snow, from the perfect denudation of this peninsula, and indeed of all the visible outlines of the land. It re- quired but one bright return of that absent sun to shed his rays on the landscape, and ideal spring would glad- den our eyes. As I reached the summit I was yet more surprised : there the denudation was complete ; every opposing obstacle had been overcome, and I at least imagined that on the slope of the opposite declivity the common laws of Nature would be observed, — that a de- posit would be found. Not a vestige of snow remained, and if any diiFerence existed, it was more denuded on that side, even to its very base. It was amusing to observe its effects on all the line of supports, or snow pedestals, of the electrical wires. They originally stood complete, as at a, but were now reduced J ii ICi WANT op PROPER BOOTS. [Novemicr, required. Every one had liis o[)inion, niid kept it for his own use ; we now l-now, and fee/ ho, what is rcfiuisite. If time had permitted, I could have had the opinions of the best practical men : lighter, better, and cheaper clo- thing would have been prepared for every individual, and submitted for approval ; the tents would have been ade- quate to preserve ^Ife, if wrecked, and yet lighter for travelling ; the stoves would have been serviceable now and hereafter; the sledges would not have been con- structed of soft Canada elm in the dockyards, but of lance-wood, by some inteUigent carriage-builder, and shod with steel instead of soft iron : they would have cost Government less money, and any North American knows well the value of his polished runner. Steel will pass over stone easily, and not be bitten ; iron is worse, copper worse still, and lead, to the meanest capacity, a dead drag. As regards the boots — these are now really so much matter of general supply, from the days of Parry to the present, that it would be almost mutiny to dis- agree upon such a subject ; yet they are far from water- proof, and for wet work, if properly made, they are in- dispensable. But the " travelling boot" is of more importance — everything is at stake here. We are totally unprovided, simply because we trusted. " Who from faults is free ?" We might, had the travellers of last cruise made known all that has now leaked out, and given us the result of their experience, have been ready for the field ; we are at present totally unprepared, and with one shoemaker and some sailmakers closely engaged making canvas boots with leather soles : some have been made of the w d great satisfaction. I was measured, it is true, but my clothes never were intended for a man under six feet, and plenty of room in arms and chest for very exten- sive smuggling. Fortunately, I did not reckon on the gratuitous supply, and obtained one warm ship suit ; that for travelling I was lucky enough to obtain from the Governor at Lievely. To myself all the blame is due, or rather to my want of opportunity or time to look after other even more im- * These seal-skins were specially obtained tor this puq)ose at Green- land, but were totally useless for such service. i I !^^^^^^^^"*P"ii*PP"^PP I H'l. I . ■! , 1 H: m 166 8KN8AT10N8 Ol' COI.U. November, portaiit mattc'i's. Many expciiditures of \\\v. public money, 1 now ptTocivr, niij^lit Imvo Iniun avoided, and space saved for niucli more imi)ortant stores. From tli(! proper de- partments at the Admiralty every facility was afforded, l)iit many sn|)plies would, if 1 again controlled a titting- out, he entirely expunged. How hahit changes the feelings! — not clothing, for 1 have not chang(!d the ordinaiy suit Avhi(;h I donned on reaching the Orkneys, and even in travelling have merely added the Licvely seal-skin trousers. \ot many weeks since, 20° was considered very cold in our tents ; and wc were reduced to melt snow to drink, about the 1st of Sei)tember. Another month, — about the 1st of October, 1 well recollect, being then in jeo})ardy, and the lead- ers of this Expedition cut oft' for a time, — our anxious prayers were offered for a temperature of zero, or even — 10°, in order to freeze the sea intervening between us and the mainland, and enable us to travel. Even then vvc did not feel the cold. About the 1 0th of November I noticed apparent disappointment that the mercury had risen to 15°, and on the 17th to 20o°. One hero, in my mind's eye, appeared to repent of his coming to a climate where he was not to have " constant exercise and training" to aid him in his preparation for his contem- plated march in the spring, with a temperature at —50°! but I very strongly sus[)cct that my hero, if unfolded, as the clown's babv was, would be found prepared for the worst, — simdry rolls of Hannel to make the man. For my own })art, I feel the cold, at times acutely ; it varies according to the state of health ; but I fear it not, and must canditlly express my wish to experience, in I f: ' r i| KI.KOTRIC SNOW-HOIJHK SINKS. 107 1852.] my own person, provided us wc nre with such ii i)erfect set of instniiuents, the lowest teinperntiire yet ri'gisterod by reliable iiistniineiits and observers. I shall then bo able to afi'ord my lunnble opinion as to its etlects. This is not foolhardiness, it is solely the pnrsnit of science ; but I Imvc no wish or intention to brave it i)y any im- nccessary exposure. T merely hope that the mininnnn temperature may not occur when T am in bed : T should be strongly inclined to defer its registry until I saw the mininnnn gauge in the morning. November 30. — About this period the season becomes extremely monotonous, and one is reduced to all kinds of imaginary reasons to account for the absence of ex- pected phenomena, more especially the aurora, for which every kind of solicitation had been adopted ; from mast- head to mast-head of ship, as n-ell as ' Pioneer ;' thence to the shore ; up the hill ; along the hill, on elevated poles ; indeed, wherever it could be supposed to pass, there a trap was in readiness. Possibly wc had overdone the business, exhausted the atmosphere, and it had not whennvithal to support itself, or held aloof at least from combination with oiu- protected neighbourhood. The Crystal Palace, constr\icted as the snncium mnc- lorum of the electric operations, had shared the fate of such castles, — had proved too heavy for tlu; floe, sub- sided, water flowed in, and the gale of the 9th Xovembcr had almost obliterated the site ! T^iis evening a beaiitifully defined ])araselena was ob- served about north-north-east true, l^y measurement with sextant the interior circle was found to have a ra- dius of 22" 10', vertical as well as horizontal; the ex- I i| • 'I w^ iFPS^^^^^^ ' I 'f 168 BRILLIANT PARASELENA NOTICED. [NoVCmbcr, tcrior 44°; the moon's altitude nt the time about 30". This beautiful phenomenon was represented by two con- centric halos, incomplete near the horizon, accompanied by two strong crucial rays, vertical and horizontal, hav- ing the moon for their centre, the moon at this moment being four days past the full. It was also acconipanied by arcs of other eccentric circles, having their common centre at a point within the zenith. The greater of these intersected the moon and outer halos, forming, at their contacts, luminous spots. So nearly did this represent the rectangular crucial form at the moon, that it was only by following the lower rays of the greater eccentric halo that they could be traced to be really a segment of a great circle. (See Plate.) At the points of intersection of these halos, bright paraselenaj, forming five on the lower and two on the upper arcs, presented themselves ; the moon and the hi- tersections by the vertical ray, exhibiting the most lumi- nous. The second eccentric circle did not intersect, at any visible point, the outer lialo ; but where the outer ec- centric and vertical cut through the greater concentric, a sort of luminous nebula appeared to vibrate, affording an impression of the effect of an aurora. I did not, at the time, consider that it ^-ould in any manner have any connection with the aurora or electric influence; but, on examining the magnetometer register, I found that between nine and midnight the instrument had been deflected from 124° to 134°, 110° to 125° being the customary range when nothing is noticed likely to be of interest. In consequence of the visits of very faint au- rora, and other distm'bances of the magnetometer, fresh I h 5U " ■^il ll ■ in mmmm «■ 5 , I 1 f i i\ o fin m\ .;: :\ li AU.-Li'^i' !' i:('i ' •■ill:'. : iwl ,\ .'.):.- !!v 'mmm 1 ■ .■ < I • I ■;:!il'i!' U':"\' tr . 'lit ..'!.'.» 'u i \ . .; •', \y r»rt \ V I ■; ' 1 li!!'i. r IS' I' r' !-,V. il! ■'( (•>h'hi'' I' u ' . ry (,■' Mifil. ' I'.ii- ■.; ■ ;i,- s^' 'hv\,T\ 'f I , !;;.' 'K. .i i;i!' ) . ■'■■ '^ Zti'^' '^ . ' . I'M- ■ 1 - -! u 11' 1 1';; "1 'I t 1 ' 1 ; , • , Hi t, * ■;.!;, i. '.sis ii;* i'l '-i- MJu; v^ iLU__._« ^^■iVi • — • - ■»- m^^^mmmmmmmmmmmm. ■j!^.~ -^ ,«1 Itif A* :-'':3 ll ^ ■IP '"I 1852.] HARD-LINED CLOUDS. 169 instructions were issued, " to note every deviation above or below 125°." A similar phenomenon, but on a much reduced scale, and not nearly so brilliant, occurred the night followmg. The magnetometer exhibited symptoms of undue disturbance between the hours of eight p.m. and thirteen (or one a.m.). To the pencil of Lieutenant May I am indebted for the very interesting sketch of the subject under notice, as well as of the ship and tender at om- winter quarters. On the forenoon of the 1st of December the southern arch of the horizon became considerably illuminated, — equal indeed to our tints in lower latitudes before sun- rise in March, and exhibited a very beautifid illustration of the effect of intense cold arresting the upper currents of air. This representation was so perfectly defined as to produce hard lines on the edges of the clouds, on which the fancy would frequently trace ideal figm-es. In one particular instance they seemed to be a collection of ! I ! I i t i the various outlines of the sunnnits of the land, and to be forced into rounded forms, as if impelled by a furious gale. Under this dark-coloured sky the distant land on the OTl^>^|libaft it, j';-orbing greedily the little moisture which may arise; all the bulkheads and furniture cracking and splitting with loud noise, at the same time attended with some rirate life,) he still looks to them ; and, relying on a discerning people and conscious of his own deserts, he will not desert the stage while ajdank of it remains. The House will open at 6.[i0, the rerlbrmance commencing precisely at 7 o'clock. Tickets may be had of II. Buiant, at the Arctic Printing Office, AVinler Quarters, Northumberland Sound. N.li. — The business of the Friiitini) Ojjice is considerably retarded, in consequence of the ink freezing on the rollers. — I'riutcrs Devil. BY AUTHouiTY.] [II. Eriaiit, Printer. Coiuuiander Richards, the mdcfatigablc Proprietor of Ilcr Majesty's Theatre Royal, supported the estabHshinent and his character with his accustomed spirit and effect, and was most rapturously and warmly applauded, par- ticularly at the customary royal message, but this time varied to home-brewed Allso})p. That name will live for ages in the recollection of all Polars. Sir Edward Parry mentions that the zeal of his mana- ger produced representations even when the thermometer fell below zero. In the present instance the tempevu- ture was — 34° outside, but the after-deck thermometer is registered as low as -- 37°. It was, however, to my feelings, uncomfortably cold, even in Her Majesty's box. Great dissatisfaction appeared to prevail at some por- tion of the speech of the now Proprietor, intimating an 1852.] PASS THE SHORTEST DAY. ISO intention of going to Melville Island or the ' North Star/ even to Behring's Strait or the Sandwich Islands, from whence most liberal offers had been forwarded. Nothing short of the blackest ingratitude and treachery could in- duce such a step : the curtain i>A in vapour ! Thus we passed the Rubicon of this much talked- of polar winter in Northumberland Sound, the evening terminating at a supper given on board the ' Pioneer,' where " bright eyes" as well as " Brother Polars" were not forgotten. Scarcely have we breathing time, at this busy season, to dispel the anmsing matters yet floating before our eyes, ere some other equally great, or greater, event demands our attention. Surely our good friends in England must be now pitying the poor unfortunate Polars, deprived of the light of that cheering and health-supporting lu- minary, which glaringly but too often reminds them of some gap in Ineir circle, as well as dwelling on the hor- rid cold of that inclement, boisterous north, and dream- ing of bears, wolves, and starvation ! Wait a few moments : Christmas approaches, and less noise and confusion i)erhaps prevails, — all arc intent on some great object ; mighty preparation is going forward, of which the principal, as at home, is kept in profound ignorance -. enough that he knows when he sees the bill of fare, and " pays the piper." December 25. — At midnight certain sounds of music, not customary, were noticed near my cabin door, and permission to enter having been granted, a demi-official note was presented (from the uniform I should imagine from the Com't of Louis Napoleon). This was, I even- tually found, a Christmas Ode, followed by the same very I" ¥ ■■■I I i . r t ' f I ^' ' i ,! 190 CHRISTMAS ODE. [Dccemder, well sung ; nnd, with the best wishes of a merry Christ- mas, the deputation withdrew. A CHRISTMAS TIECE. A-wakc ! luvukc ! the Old Year 's going, TiiiU! Uii's apace ; Awake ! awake ! the Now Year 's coming, To take the old one's place. Arise, arise, good shipmates all, And do not dajiger fear ; Arise, arise, good shipmates all, To welcome the New Year. God bless our brave old Commodore, And our good Commander too : Not forgetting all our Olficers, And our true and gallant crew ! Sleep on again, and on your brows ]May soft repose be seen ! Sleep on again, while in our lay We '11 sing, God bless the Queen ! II.M.S. Assistance. Wishing Sir Edward Belcher, C.B.,a happy and prosperous New Year. Composed, I believe, by the Printer or his Devil. Shortly after prayers I was officially informed by the Commander of the 'Pioneer' that the State Sledge, driven by the Queen's coachman, in full uniform (beadle of the parish), was in waiting, the Union flying instead of the footmen at the stem. Although such a pageant, perhaps, to those who know me well, was not quite in ac- cordance with my taste, still I had some part in the Play to perform, and knew too well the chords of Jack's hu- mours to fail in their gratification ; they were most gra- ciously appreciated. Mounting the state carriage, twelve of Her Majesty's best lireed of Polars conveyed me along- 1852.J VISIT TirE PIONEER. 191 side tlic ' Pioneer:' every precaution had been adopted to prevent my wetting my feet ; temperature, —80°. llather pantomimic t*c cliange! Stepping on her decks I was metamorphosed, in less time than llarlc(piin's wand could effect it, into my proper self, received and returned the salutes, inspected the men, and sent them l)elow. Still adhering to my proper character, I in- spected their preparations for their Christmas dinners, fancy decorations, etc., all of which were marked by neatness and extreme comfort, the entire midship divi- sion of the vessel being, in winter, appropriated to the crew, more capacious and higher in comparison than the 'Assistance.' I had here an opportunity of witnessing the superiority of Arnott'a stove over the Sylvester, with less expenditure of fuel. On the presentation of wine by the leading petty offi- cer, I addressed a few words to them, expressive of my satisfaction, and reminding them that the roast beef then smoking before them was "Her Majesty's own," request- ed that due honour should be accorded to the health of " Iler Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, God bless her ! and all the Royal Family." This over, I gave the health of " The ' Pioneers,' and may their enjoyment never be less than this Christmas !" I now returned, to preside, at noon, over the o^jcning festival of my own crew. Here too I found all the luxu- ries, not forgetting roast beef and plum-puddings. The arrangements were all perfect, and in good taste, and our trusty crew were prepared to do justice to their fare, and enjoy themselves. I felt differently here : why, I know not. I felt it a more solemn act. These were my own immediate crew, and I felt a deep interest in — t-r^j 102 CHRISTMAS PARE. [ Di'ccmbeir, thcni all. They were yet tcHhnuf fnidf. I could not help telling tlicin so, and expressing my earnest hope that they would return as we canifc out (a maiden ship?). Accepting the proffered glass, still of the Queen's own good port, I gave them the similar toa?t of "Our Queen, God bless her!" Never did a more hearty peal, nor from heartier lungs and more loyal hearts, ever try to burst those decks. My next duty to my Sovereign be- ing that to my own family, I gave them " A merry Christmas, and may God bless you all!" Taking ad- vantage of the fog, I retreated to my cabin, possibly not missed, but the cheers probably continued until they discovered that they were alone in their glory. It has never been my lot before to witness more apparent en- joyment than seemed to pervade the Northern Division : nothing followed to shake that good opinion. About six the officers of both vessels, numbering seven- teen, dined with me, and I think, by the very kind fore- thought of several Avarm-hearted fair friends, who will possibly remember their good deeds with satisfaction, that my table groaned under as goodly a spread of the luxuries usually exhibited at this season as it jould have done in Merry England, not omitting the roast beef, plum-pudding, raince-pies, and frosted cake of our na- tional predilections. "Poor Polars, how I pitied them !" Yet they seemed to enjoy themselves, and even to think of those poor people in England who might not enjoy themselves with half the genuine feeling. Our Queen and Consort, our Duke of Cornwall, our relations and friends there, were not forgotten, not even the banner cherubs and their mottoes ; nor were our companions here, though for a time severed, yet possibly to be for a I isr)2.] riir, DAY AFTKH. 193 inomeiit reunited in our spring trnvels, omitted. The toast, "Tiie rendezvous, 77'^ N., 10r>'' \V.," wns eniplmti-. cally given and determined on, as if it was already en- graven on the chart. About 1.30 each retired, to dream of home. Many uninterested persons may doubtless he of opi- iiion tliat these are not matters for the public journal of the Conunander of sjich an ex|)edition. I am willing to risk the verdiet ; it is the true index of the habits and customs of the Arctic explorers in 1 852-3-4-5-0, etc. Many an anxious eye uiay be turned to these jjarticular [)ages, when others of dry matter, or of a eontroversial complexion, would studiously be avoided. We have but little sun at this season. Let us enjoy all the brightness that warm hearts and innocent amusements can afford, not forgetting those whose feelings are also gratified at learning that in all our enjoyments their presence alone was wanting to complete tlx; cup. Sailors ever had, and will, so long as the good old breed is not extinct, have their feelings deep as the element they swim on, and no disguise. Dccvnihcr 20. — 7VII quiet ; great disposition to sleep, in which they were allowed to iiulnlge until the time for prayers, put off today until eleven. To many a Com- mander this is the most anxious day. Thankful did I feel that all had gone well, — not a whisper of any defect. " What would I not give to wander ?"— however, I feel assured that Ave were not forgotten ; so my dreams, at least, assured. Where will our next winter be passed ? was more than once started, — a most difficult problem to contemplate : time alone can tell ! VOL. I. o fi .]. 1 ir' li 51 » I li 9i '' ' (hi ! 194 DEPTH OF WINTER. [Decctnier. Bccemher 28. — Spring tide of this moon, and yet we have the thcrnionietcr down only to — 407°; mercury partially, not entirely, frozen. How one's feelings appear to accommodate themselves to the changes ! It is calm, and therefore we feel it less. I have just returned from taking exercise on the floe, but without being sensible of any inconvenience ; and it often occurs to me that it is injudicious to make so much parade about temperatures, when, were it not for the thermometers, few would feel the variation. On the other hand, the knowledge gives a man assurance of what he can bear, and furnishes him with a Mentor which prevents his exposure to imdue cold without being prepared to meet it. It is curious, to the uninitiated, to view the Esquimaux dogs perfectly satisfied and luxiu'iating in the snow at this tempera- ture! They have snow-houses, into which they can re- tire, if cold pinches ; but we do not perceive that they do so until the breeze makes it felt, and then the tem- perature rises with the force of the breeze. When the wind blows strong, with drift, the poor animals howl and move about evidently imcomfortable ; hunger and frozen food may in j)art account for this, but why are they never frost-bitten ? Oik; very curious fact, which I have repeatedly noticed, and to which I never have observed any previous allusion, iL'i the falling of light l)odies during intense cold, and, of course, calm weather. Does intense cold produce any- thing to be compared, directly or uidirectly, to a vacuum? Vapour condenses and falls perpendicularly as tine cry- st'dline ice; all objects exposed to this vertical action become coviTiMJ with rime, but never laterallv. The 1 1853.] THE NEW YEAR. 195 very curious question results,— from whence docs our snow, or crptaUine stars of ice, conic ? They nuist be formed and precipitated from an atmosi)liere exceeding- 32° in temperatiu'c : tliey descend into —42°; no less tlian 74° variation in temperature. Does the cold me- dium then compel all warmer bodies (possibly by con- densing their vapour on them) to fall as the feather under the receiver of an air-pump ? Verily we liourly witness strange things, and but too often how many pass disre- garded, unnoticed, because others have preceded ! Such Mill ever be the case where science is at a discount, or the possibly ignorant self-constituted philosopher sneers at the questions which he is unable to answer, or which happen to interfere with a favom-cd or popular theory. - The New Year of 1S53. Jauuarij 1. — This morning was ushered in by a sono-, composed by our own bard, and sung by the choral Ijand of 'Assistance :' a copy was delivered to me, but being in bed, nuich tired, and suflcring from fall on the ice, I could not enjoy its intent. The crew nowever are en- joying themselves; so far all right. Today our gim-room officers entertained their fj-iends. It passed off much in the same style as Christmas, Com- mander Richards presiding. I was of course a guest, and happy to contribute to the general good humour. We only wanted the missing parts of our Sciuadron, to make all complete. Shall we be able to pass it together next year ? My own impression is adverse : if we siiould meet before, undoubtedly our winter stations must be asun(h'r. o l % ■ i! ,li? -|l ^' ' t liMt u j; !| 196 COMPARISON OF THERMOMETERS. \Januari/, January C. — Our temperatures seem now inclined to reach their lowest point. It is at present —51 5°, and falling ; yet we do not feel the change. In some of the journals we may possibly find a minimum temperature nearly 2° below the standard, but the final results re- corded in the Meteorological Journal will alone be cor- rect. The annexed comparison of the seven best will indicate pretty clearly the value of the instruments : — Standard. 2 6 8 20 3 4 5 -20° 21-0° 20-0° 206° 21-2° 20-4° 20-7° 21-1° -30 310 30-0 300 31-5 308 312 31-.'i -40 40-5 39-6 39-8 40-5 40-5 39-5 413 -50 50-0 490 49'0 51-5 49-0 49'3 51-9 Cold as this is, — and my cabin temperature fell to 22°, freezing everything in it {malyrc Sylvester), — the cold, as intensity, would not have been noted, unless the officers at the Observatory had given information. Last night heavy sounds were heard, and some as- serted that the reports of guns were distinguished ; but I suspect that it was merely the result of a distant floe- crack, as the temperature of the ship causing her to re- lease herself from the ice, or from portions hanging on her, frequently produces similar results. The light is visibly increasing, enabling me, near noon, to note time easily by a watch. January 7. — The noises were repeated last night, and a large additional crack between tlic ship and the Ob- servatory was noticed. I understand that the ' Pioneer' 1853.] NOISES PRODUCED BY ICE-CRACKS. 197 also shifted her bed. The great masses of snow on the ice, hour!}/ consoUdating from evaporation from beneath, probably press the floe downwarda, and produce these very sharp sounds, very similar to the snapping of heavy bolts of iron. The prevailing impression, I believe, is that it arises from the latter cause. However, this is not satisfactory : no bolt or channel plate, exposed, has been known to part ; and if all these sounds proceeded from such causes, I fear there would be none left to trust to, next summer. The mercurial thermometers having indicated tempe- ratures much below the freezing-point of mercury, and this affording an opportunity of examining this metal but seldom prcocnted to quiet and careful research, I determined to avail myself of it. 240 grains were weighed in my cabin, contained in a fine porcelain mor- tar; the mortar and mercury having been previously subjected to a continued heat on my stove, to expel any possible moisture. The mercury was pure, being part of that which escaped from the standard barometer on ray cabin sofa, and carefully preserved in a stoppered phial for such experiments. (Temperature 40°.) It was then carefully removed to the thermometer-house, and the balance found correct. Exposed for twenty minutes to a temperature of —47-7° the mercury began to cry- stallize : the circumference became very convex at its edges of contact with the conical vessel in which it was contained, and the centre raised to a point when it had actually congealed; it lost 1-5 grains. At the first fif- teen minutes' exposure, the scale in which the mercury was contained rose very perceptibly as it diminished in It 198 FREEZING MERCURY. \Januari/t :f : I i weight; it then recovered itself; and finally, on being re-weighed in my cabin, was deficient r75 grains. In order to determine its effect on water, I turned the frozen mass into a tumbler of water containing six fluid ounces at 47 "5°: the mercury simply became encased in ice, and when it at length flowed on the bottom, the temperature indicated 44 5°, a difference only of 3°. I was anxious to determine the form of its crystal : this was a very difficult matter. It was attended with great inconvenience in the open air, and the change was screened by the superficial crust forming before the body became solidified. The transition from the solid to fluid could be better watched : this I tried. It then occurred to me that by using a large open-mouthed jar, contain- ing half a gallon of spirit of ^\ ine or alcohol cooled down to — 47 "5°, that I could leisurely, in my cabin (aided only by candle-light), watch its motions, and freeze or liquefy at pleasure. In this I succeeded, — remarking however that several travelling mercurial and other thermometers presumed to read below 42° ! But to the result of my examination : previous to freezing, or at the instant of returning to fluidity, I noticed that the mer- cury assumed a very active motion, resembling living polypi, — parts movhig in circles with great velocity. Positive crystallization I could not detect, but the in- clination appeared to be nearer to the forms of lead or bismuth on cooling, the surface lines behig clearly rectangular, or a beautiful network. This was on the semifluid; m its dense form nothing could be traced. Although much exposed today to low temperature, no change in my ordinary cabin dress was found requisite. 1853.] LOW TEMPERATURES NOT SENSIBLY FELT. 199 although occasionally I inquired if my nose exhibited any symptoms of the whiteness attending frost-bite. The dogs were more than usually playful, and fond of being caressed; once I thought that they would have been glad of my seal-skin mits b\' way of luncheon. However generous one might be at another time, the present temperature rendered it inconvenient. Jnnuarji 6. — This evening the 'Pioneer's' party fur- nished their quota of amusement, as may be learned from the following progrannnc : — ! \ !i ; t*^ ILM.S.Y. riOxNEEK, NOKTIIUMHKKI,.\M) SOlNn, I'OLAlt KEOIONS. LIEUT. SHEKARD OSEORN has the lionour to annoiincp to the I'ohir Public in particular, and the World at \w^.\ tliat THE QUEEN'S ARCTIC PHILIIAMIOxMC SOCIETY will hold its Geueral Annual Meeting on Tliursday evening, the ()tli of January, under tlie immediate ph*ronage of CAPTAIX SIE EDWARD BELCHER, C.B. AXD THK OFFICERS AND Slliv's COMPANY OF H.M.S. ASSISTANCE. When the distinguished members of that Society, as well as other local ^lusical Celebrities, will take prominent parts. i PI .1. ••'n^aaHH 200 PIONEER S CONCERT. yi I H ,i \x \January, The Evening's Entertainment wiU commence with the full Bond playing, under the leadership of our Polar Costa— IIERR IIAHWOOB, A GRAND FANTASIA, nltercd from Count Hum's Lcs Adieux li ISocuf et Biiire. PART I. Sentimental Section, led by the Primo Tenore, SIGNOR ALLARD (Perp. Grand.) will execute various select Solos; and Dut^ts ])y ]\lr. W. WOOD, S.C, SIGNORI SINNETT and CUSTANCE, all Members of the Q.A.P.S. Eollowcd by UN PAS MELR— by Moxsiiaii C. ALLEN. The Comic Section, under the able baton of Professore DON JUAN RICARDO, will consist of an elegant selection of Melodies bv DONS JOHN and RICHARD HALES, DON IVENJA^llN YOUNG, and DON GEORGE COUSINS, a galaxy of Buflb Singers uneciualled in these Regions. PART II. La Valse des Baleines and Narwhal Polka ! by the Band. Followed by a Grand Terpsiehorean Interlude, by Messrs. Dickens, Batciie- LOB, and Allen. The Serio-Comic Section, led by that well-known Basso IIERR HORATIO WEBB, and exhibiting such names as IIERR ORGAN, HERR EDEY, and HERR DICKENS! will assuredly fulfil the most sanguine expectation of lovers of the Anglo-Saxon School. The Curtain will drop to the Glorious Strains of GOD SAVE THE QUEEN ! The Proprietor need hardly rcmiiul the Public, that having secin-ed them a Musical Feast, in which the whole Talent of the North will be concentrated, that Her Majesty's Theatre and the Italian Opera are entirely done up, and the Sole Lessee and Manager is supposed to have absconded with his Scenery and Elastic Stage ! to Bcechey Island, to divert the Depot. The general arrangements of Scats, Lights, and Refreshments, have been placed imder the catership of Mr. Jos. Organ, and Mrs. Fenning has engaged to supply Ices gratis, BY AVTUOiirry.] [H. Briaut, Printer. 1863.] OBSEHVATTONS OF AU.\(iO. 1>01 This amuseiucnt, leiiuirkably well got up, consisted of a selection of very good songs ; and what rendered them to many the more interesting, particnlarly to the officer part of the andicncc, was their almost perfect ori- ginality. The lower deck of the ' Tioneer,' warmed by Arnott's stove, dry, and mnch more comfortable than my cabin, accommodated both crews, nmstering al)ont eighty-six. The entertainment closed with the National Anthem. The temperature has not risen above — 4G° the last four days, exhibiting a mean temperature for the inter- val of -5320°, or -55-01° for three days. Januarij 15. — The followhig may prove interesting to inquirers after the extreme cold of our position. I observe, in that excellent work of Sir Henry De la Beche (on Geology), that M. iVrago asserts, " that in no part of the earth, and in no season, will a thermometer raised two or three metres above the ground, and pro- tected from all reverberation, attain the 4Gth Centigrade degree." Secondly, " In the open air, the temperature of the air, whatever be the place or season, never at- tains the 31st Centigrade degree." Thirdly, " The great- est degree of cold which has been observed ujjon our globe with the thermometer suspended in air, is 50 Centigrade degrees below zero." Fourthly, " The tem- perature of the water of the sea, in no latitude and in no season, rises above 30 Centigrade degrees." We have been informed that Sir James Ross registered the air at —00°; of this however 1 have not at present any direct evidence. As to any question arising to affect the registry of our instruments, there can be no possible 202 LOWEST TEMPERATURE. \Januaryt m. doubt. The observers have been too numerous to allow of mistake : the self-acting index tells its own talc, ad- verse observers watch every decimal division, and the lowest minimum thermometer, after severe investigation, has been rejected. I copy the following from the Me- teorological Journal: — ''January 12. — About nine this evening, being at dinner with my weekly party of offi- cers, I was informed that the temperatm'e had fallen below —62°. As this was a question not to be casually passed over, I visited the Observatory, and remained walking about in my simple cabin dress for some time ; — 62*5° was the lowest which I, as well as others, read at the standard. But the minimum thermometer indices, read next day at eight a.m., only gave —020°, — 616°, — 660°, — 63-2°. The night was bright and calm : no sensation of cold. — 632° is the external exposed ther- mometer, but was never read, excepting by its indeXt at that graduation. This external thermometer, after severe testing under the boat as low as —40°, with the entire range of spirit and mercury thermometers, was selected as the standard Observatory gauge : supported on an open frame, attached to two pikes about one foot asun- der, it was subjected, uncovered, to all the winds of heaven. That was read at — 625°, and indicated what I have rejected, —63 2°. January 15. — I was induced, whilst writing these re- marks, to turn to Parry's work, page 145 (first voyage, 1819-20). On the 15th of February he remarks as his coldest, the thermometer standing at —54° for fifteen hours and a half, but his maximum on that day was up to —32°. Looking over the Observatory record, I no- il 1853.] RANGE OF EXTREME COLD, 203 tico that tlie following indications of low continuous temperatures prevail : — —46° and below, 156 continuous liours. 50 89 52 • 88 55 „ 52 58 to 62-5° 14 x^s the tabular register may never meet the eye of the casual reader, I will here insert eleven cold days in .la- nuary, from the 5th to 1 5th inclusive : — Maxinuiin. Mininuun. Mean, 24 rcadinifs. .lunuary 5 „ 6 „ 7 ,, 8 „ 9 „ 10 „ 11 „ 12 „ 13 „ u >, 15 42-5° 47-0 37-0 39-0 46-5 49-5 50-5 53-B 45-0 46-0 42-0 48-0° 51-5 49-3 47-5 500 56 57-0 59-5 62-5 50-0 52-0 45-08° 4902 88-01 43-00 47-97 54-17 54-31 56-25 54-23 48-00 47-65 Mean Temperature for 264 hours, 48-88°. If this will not satisfy the f^ppetite of the cold-loving hero, I will gladly invalid in his favour. Let us now review our proceedings of late. We have all been absolute boys, — some old ones nevertheless. % I 'i -J a i I ' ^11' ' I'' ,U' 1 , f! I, f:! I 1,.'. t ! I , i 204 ADSENCK OF l'UOST-HITI''.S. [Jflfl //((}•//, Wc leave (I am as l)a(l as the rest) our warm cabins, at say 50", riisli on deck and on to tlie floe, ai'ter science or Rrnin, it matters not, at — take tlu! mean, — \d"; 49 + 32 = 81° l)elo\v freezing, ami 50 + 40 = 09° change of temperature, without damage ! Wc have througlioiit been thinking, or rather talking, of ourselves — we do ha|)pen to think more deeply of the crew i but thanks to the unremitting attention of our medical men, and to the general care taken to prevent exposure, I should be disposed to assert, in my proper cajjacity of the Connnjuider, that no official report of frost-bite has yet reached my ears. To descend })erhaps, and allow that once one of my men " took his Captain ^jj/ the nose," under pretence that he thought his Cap- tain's nose was frost-bitten, and his warm (?) hand could restore it, "is not (piite true." But I totally and iiulig- nantly repel the very low insinuation, and believe that the blood from his heart flowed so rapidly to the end of his arm, that it saved my nose by the application of the hack of his warm hand, and I thank him : even if it was a deceit, I forgive him. Wc command here ; no bed of roses nevertheless — no absolute connnand is ! Ask the fathers of families, and this is not a small one ! To continue the matter of low temperatures. They made no impression here ; the pains of forehead or lungs some might have experienced, but they were never men- tioned in my presence. The only projection about which I felt interest was my nose, and upon this point (not a very prominent featui'e) I felt a sort of monomania, some- thing like, going into action, that I nuist be wounded in a leg, and nowliere else. I never intended to be killed, 4 ls53,] iur,i;/iN(i scAi.K OF MKiuriiv. 205 and so I told my surgeon wlicii Ihiit idea was reali/rd, but 1 mil constiiiitly asking jicoplc to view my nose. l^it ns I have so far wandered into self, and I know that ccrtiiin professional men who interest themselves about ine will expect to know, 1 will merely say that 1 expected certain wounds, cuts, frost-bites of youth, etc., to trouble me. I have sullercd intensely, more than can be ex- plained, but nothing to discpialify nie, in any manner, for this important command, or the liabilities attached thereto. iMy feelings are my own ; so long as 1 perform nil my duties, who cares for them ? Our present tem))eratures are low cnongh to satisfy most men, but if, in truth, —90° can be //-/(/// fouiul in this region, I would almost sto|) to see it. iMcrviii'ij. — The freezing-point at which f)nr(> mercury (not impure amalgams of spurious mercury at low ])rices, but volatilized, distilled, adapted for thermometers, etc.) should congeal still continues to haunt me. I'nfortii- nately, I left behind me every work on this subject to which I couUI, as to late date, refer. That — SUT)'' is not the correct pohit of congelation our standard mercu- rial thermometers prove, nor do tluy always contract to the same division. The congelaiiMU of mercury does not appear to form any part of the acknowledged divisions on these thermometric (?) instruments : the mercmy ther- mometers supplied to this Expedition from Greenwich, as well as Kew, were graduated below -- 1-0°. I had mvself remarked that no notice was taken of them in the record, under the assumption probably that they could not, dare not, act contrary to piini, but I ventui-ed to differ, whv I will state. 'I ( 'J ,{' V I' r I III 200 iiEADiNOH OP THERMOMETEiis. [January, On the 17tli December I Imd noted that tlie mercury thermometers did not cense to net at — W'.f, —400°, — 400'^: this excited my attention ; weekly I transcribe the register. On tln) 28th I noticed that the roy'iHtri/ of all the mercurial thermometers ceased at the mme hidi- cdtlo)!, — on the 4th January at 423°, by standard. Un- fortunately I did not notice it earlier, but on the 2.'ird of January, on my copying the rough register, I inserted the following order : — " The mark / to be prefixed to D when the mercury is congealed; p f, when partially con- gealed. The numbers 10, 35, 34, 2, read to —40° and below. The divisions below must be estimated, i. c. the point where it congeals, or declines moving further," lie (jNIercury) had stopped most religiously at — 39"3°, -39-2°, —300°, -300°; but in this case he was under martial law, and he knew he must move. 1 suppose he made his mind up to it, for 1 find the following curious register, taking care to satisfy myself frequently by per- sonal inspection. Noon. Stamliml | S|.int. : lit Juiiiiiil'V '«■'() „ 31 Fcbruaiy 3 „ ll» ., 21 130° l(l-2 15-4 45-7 11-7 I I- 5 Est'' lG-0 K)0 15-0 12'0 iir, .•55 M t2-0" 11 2 ,50'0* -ty'O* x! U-i\ no 11 5 i()(i i^'-) I2(» * How caiiic tliis* chiiiinc ^ II l«53.J TK8T-TII KHMOM ETEIl KITTKI). 207 Noon. StiiiKliird Spin!. I'.i :i:, 31 2 ^3■^°* FfbniarySl ■l-:j'H° 43-0° 4;io° „ 22 t.Vl U'O H(» 132* >i )i vii H-;{ U2 11 -2* i> )) iir, lO-O U)'() •A K)()* ,. 2(i 12' 1 H-0 n-2 c S3 HO* 'J )» 12 'S U-2 U-2 CQ HMt* '1 !> I2() ■n-0 U-2 ■K)-(J* Miirch ;{ i;5:} I2'2 42-2 n-s „ 8 11-2 H'2 H-3 IM After all this, I nsk, who will dispute the power of a Captain of one of Her Majesty's ships-of-war ? Noon he has invariably eontrolled, — eight a.m. and eight p.m. also ; but here the thermometers arc compelled to con- demn themselves or the mercury. With these matters fresh on my mind, T constructed the mercurio-alcoholic thermometer I), being a glass-stem 1 1) * If mercury freezes at —31)'^, liow is it that it eontimics to rise and full, ill eoiilbruiity with the spirit, between — 3',t'aii(l — K)'^? 1 f 1 1 •'''I ihl V :' 1 " f, i-.i ! 'i-i I '- ■ rW ' Ml I ill, 1 1 •i ; I ^1 li I I nil ! 208 OONOKLATIOX Ol' ALE. \,1anuary, spirit-tluTinoineter witli oriuluat(3(l stem iiiscrtcd into a test-tulx' containing four ounces of pure uiercury, well corked and co\ercd with four layers of bladder, to pro- tect it from the air; it was self-balanced in a kind of test-rack, and admitted of a })en(lulum motion to detcr- inhie its freezing-point. It liappened liowe', er, unfortunately, that this thormo- ineter never did its duty satisfactorily, and all its records are in such a state of confusion that they have been re- jected. A\'e may not, it is true, be contined to this high latitude, but it ''s probable that we may have an ojiportu- nity of i)ursuing this investigation more rigidly at stated temperatures next season. Next to mercury, it occurred to me to partially freeze Allsop})'s ale, and reserve the unfrozen fluid for future examination : congelation took place at ^.2 "5°. That frozen and drained b'om oue-thii'd of the fluid, wJien again reduced to a (iuid state, Avas very insij)id ; the re- mahider conc(;ntrated.* This mode of concentratins: cider is ])ractiscd in America, three barrels making one of good cpiality. Jtiiii'nri/ :2 I. — Already we begin to feel the increase of daylight, four hours ('oetn-een ten and two) being now avaihil)le. The light red tint of the southern horizon also intimates that the prodigal (sun) may shortly be expected lo exhibit his cheering and animating rays : we shall ])robably exhibit a sort of chameleon tinge, inclining to dead tea-green or an incipient case of jaundice ! The late extreme cold inchiced me to make experiments * Tlii< (•(iiu'cutralcd li;.- hccii Iricd Awv my lUTival in England, mid i'mind til l(r cxcrlKii',- quilc a li(|Ui'ur. II :| ( 1 1853.] ALCOHOL AT LOW TEMPERAICRES. 209 upon the expansion of alcoliol under low temperatures. TJie instrument for this purpose was furnislied by Mr. Glaisher, of tlic Royal Observatory, as well as a supply of the same spirit from which his thermometers had been filled. Unfortunately those who operate in Eng- land seldom dream of the mean temperature under which such observations would be conducted here, aiul have failed not only to supply gloves adapted to —50° or — 00°, but also to warn those who may not have brought their brains with them, that 10° to 20° below the con- gealing point of mercury is hot work. The raw expe- rimenter might easily lose his hands or life, should he inadvertently take up the bottle containing half a gallon of alcohol at -58° or -C0°, without the hands being properly protected. We find that the unfortunate artilleryman, servant of Colonel Sabine during the voyage of Sir Edward Tarry in 1819, in consecjuence of endeavouring to rescue the dipping-needle from the flaming Observatorv, was com- pelled to undergo amputation of part of four fingers on one hand and three on the other ; and it is but natural to suppose, from all the causes then in action, riiat the instiu^'ient itself could not have cooled down below —43", the prevailing temperature away from the tire: what then v\ould !,e tlie eflect of a person tuinblin'; and breaidng a *)ottle of alcohol, and shedding it v.wv his hands and person at the temperatun; of — 5S°P J-lven with double gloves, lined with fur, 1 felt the cold sharp- ly, and my hands generally suffered, but move particu- larly the nails and points of forefinger- and thumbs, throughout the winter, rendering adhesive straps neees- VOI,. I. p I : I pr I h> ri0 .")l-5 .'58 '5 52'29 1 s 3S-.-) Ki'O 41 54 ■/? <» 3 1'.") 40-.-) 30-83 s in 2 <.>■') 10-0 35 '08 ^ 11 12 310 31-.^. 15() K)5 39 -iM 38-13 o 3 <5 1:5 310 40-0 37-(;4. 11 Vi'O 33() 21) -50 f On the 14tli of March the Surgeon uispected the crews, and reported — sound. The outlines of the land are now becoming very dis- tinct, and I have strong impressions that some of our ncighbom'ing inlets may afford a nearer course to the Northern Sea ; but this I cannot venture to look into until I have pushed this depot across to Cape Lady Franklin. All our sledge crews are now eager for the work ; and if any vestige remains, northerly or southerly, our parties this season will, I feel quite satisfied, settle the question most satisfactorily. The morning of the 10th of March discovered the same old lady and her impudent cubs again on their way hither. This time it was determined that order and method should prevail, affording general amuse- ment. All hands were summoned, and the sportsmen 218 A SUE-BEAR AND lIliH C'UHS. [;)A(7/r//, li I i:i^i'' I ii 1 1 - > 2l ; 1 par excellenco were to be seen carefully loading their guns. No one was permitted to slam a door, or quit the ship ; the utmost caution was observed. Our lead- ing sportsmeii were passed to the ' Pioneer,' one division in readiness to push to the south-west, another ])arty to the south-east, the scn'en dogs mid sportsmen about south. I did not join the hunt. However, some men there are who will spoil sport : who he was I know not, but before the enemy was within shot, he fired. The dogs however, on this occasion, did the business. Keep- ing the old lady in constant alarm and worry for her cubs, Avhieh tlie dogs dashed at, the sportsmen soon got within sensible firing distance ; slic fought nobly for her cubs, but it was useless to contend with musket -balls. All three were killed! — not however before the mother had given our principal, but worthless dog, a scratch which sent him away yelping, sickening him of such work for the future : a Dane, not an Esquimaux : he af- terwards committed thefts and other improprieties, and ended his troublesome life by an act of suicide, with a spring-gun set for a wolf. On the 17th of March a most decided change took place in the weather, the temperature rising, at noon, to -|-5'5°, on the 18th to +21-5°, and on the 19th to +140°. I consider the 17th, therefore, as the break of the season. We now cleared away the hole for the tide-gauge un- der the stern, cutting through seven feet of ice. Owing to the daily increasing weight of the surrounding snow, the ice began to give under the pressure, and around the ship in particular the snow became uncomfortably wet. Taking the height of snow above the solid ice at fifteen 1553.] WATER RISES OVER THE FLOE. 219 feet, mul the mean tliickncss of ice at six feet, we sshould oliiain twenty-one feet as the apparent thickness of the Hoe witliin twenty yards of our sides. All the ice l)e- tween us and tlie ' Pioneer' is much thicker, and that between us and the shore {fiounds, where wo liad our tide-[)ole in sixteen feet ! Tiie fjoiid Ju/o off-shore floe of n season does not, I ])elieve, exceed six feet in tliickncss, and should you come into collision with it, will find any increase qiute innnaterial : it does its work as surely as an iceberg of six hundred feet. To return to our tide-pole : no sooner had thi . hole been completed, than the water rushed up similar to an Artesian spring, covering our promenades with about ten inches' depth of water, and causing some fears for the sinking of the snow wreath before alluded to, now representing, very prettily, a heavy white roller about to overwhelm the ship. At times I did not feel quite satisfied that mischief might not occur. Our fire-hole, abrea'^t of the ship, had been kept open all winter, and no such overflow as this had occurred. Taking also into consideration that the enormous weight firmly attached to l)oth sides might, by some sudden movement, be released ou either; the strain which any such sudden action xwwrX produce would materially injure the shij). We had no remedy but to " let well alone," — and all would probably in due time work its own course, irrespective of any feeble ef- forts that we could make ; independent of which, it was not a time to weary our crew with any unnecessary ex- ertion. With the low temperature which nmst yet pre- vail for some time, and probably below zero, this must I f IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /A WlP. '^ ^ ^ 1.0 ^ 1^ 12.2 I.I It u Hi ^ tiS, 12.0 I '•2^lll'-^ ■' ^ 6" ► ^1 m .^>;> ^w ■^■%^-' o 0^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSSO (716)672-4503 ^ ^ ^^ <^ 4!fS. vantages, I decided on it. As we ad- vanced, the deep ravines and steep beetling cliflFs seemed to invite a more distant lead of inlet ea' terly. The wind was now not only sharp, but strong from the south-east, rendering it difficult, over polished ice, denuded by the wind at every swell, from keeping our feet or making progress. This was more particularly experienced under the glacier of Mount Blanche, and its high cape within, which reminded me of the gales off Cape Sicie of old (do they blow since the Peace ?), and this appellation I bestowed upon it. It resulted clearly from the configu- ration of the land, as the breeze altogether ceased as we passed into the depth beyond. Recent deer-marks,* or those of musk-oxen, were noticed on the snow patches of the peninsula, but side hy side, as if four animals had walked abreast. But these snow indentations are so very deceptive, that I do not place great reliance on them : one head is worth a thousand feet. Our journey ended ♦ They were not deer-marks, and the late appearances in this coun- try induce me to think that this form is frequently produced by mow' dr\ft. i l\ 5 ' P! I 1853.] J'ARHEUA. 2^7 about four p.m., nt the further (south-east) end of the creek ; but the valleys evidently connected, north as well as south, with the other interior openings, particularly towards Hungry Island. During the time the men were occupied in pitching the tent and preparing supper, etc., I strolled up the mountain until I almost " found my- self" on a commanding eminence, about eight himdred feet above the level. A cursory glance around satisfied me that all my anticipations, either of advance or retreat by any of these ravines, must be entirely quashed. Still, as several heights easterly might serve to tie the work of this season (in prospect), I determined on the morrow to make an inland excursion, and place a beacon where any eminence to the north-east, oflFered, likely to afford such a desirable connection. The fine drift-snow blown off Cape Sicie, and conti- nuing suspended about that level, produced some very beautiful parhelia, dividing the arc contained between the zenith and horizon into three spaces, and forming four illuminated spots, the prismatic colours varying mo- Q 2 228 INLAND EXCURSION. [}farch, mcntnrily in intensity. The distance wo lind travelled on ice was estimated at ten miles : 1 notice by the plan that it was fonrteen. March 2G. — Temperature —7°. Our night in the tent, being the first of the season, notwithstanding the temperature did not fall below —7°, and calm, was much complained of by all ; and when a bright morning af- forded hopes of comfortable exercise at this temperature " over the hills and far away," it was unfortunately ac- companied by ft troublesome fresh breeze from south- east. It is not to be understood that temperature here is concerned, because —10° is the approved degree for travelling — is pleasant, to our feelings balmy ; but a cut- ting south-east wind, charged with fine drift, on the raountain-top, breathing heavily, is no pleasant " barber." As we surmounted the hill-difficulties we were surprised to find around us gently undulating surfaces, at times so perplexing in the distance as to confuse the senses, and cause one to deem them floe (or what would be level sea). Frequently did I observe, " Well, there at least is good floe to travel on ; " but very shortly this vision was dispelled by the intrusion of some headland presenting a very much lower level. Upwards of four hours we con- tinued to advance to the north-cast, gradually ascending in the hope of catching some glimpse of the North Sea. Glimpses of the horizon I certainly obtained at times, through long lines of distant ravines ; but the northern mountains, added to the great haze, put an end to all hopes of any proximity to the no' thern water. Select- ing therefore the nearest eminence, with regard also to building materials, a conspicuous cairn was constructed, 1853.] KIO OF SI.KD0E8. 229 seven feet high by nine feet in diameter nt base, and of such substantial stones as will last more than a season. My own impression wus that I saw some point or island through the valley. Time did not admit of further pro- gress, and that securing return before dark now became important. The cairn which we had constructed afforded some little shelter from the cutting breeze, and under this we lunched. Cold meat, of course, and a cutting cold atmosphere, — for the temperature had fallen, and our men were feeling it aloud. Between the snow-dust clouds I could now and then distinguish certain objects, which satisfied me that I had reached the hill which I had contemplated from the Observatory. Our packing up, and forward, or return movement, was rapid ; — so much so, that when I found myself at the tent, I re- solved on seeking a more convenient shelter for the night. We therefore packed up, and started under canvas. Our craft was rigged in the most approved Sooloo pirate style : sheer masts stepped into a specially fitted batten, forming an isosceles triangle, with the means of support 1« If it- ■ f ! ! •I i! ■i![ 23U OLD WAVY ICE. [MarcA, by shrouds from its extremity, greater by two feet than the width of tlie sledge, whicli hud also been increased for carrying the ice-boat, and our tent bottom was now formed into a well made sail. \Vc were tlvoreforc " ship- shape," and might easily be mistaken for a gig under iier customary lug ; or, in case of very reduced canvas, it coidd readily, by elongating the yard, constructed of one bamboo and one tough mahogany flag-staff, be converted into a latteen (in the line of holes from tack to yard-arm). I have before alluded to the tloe we came over, head to wind. Our progress now was somewhat swifter ; but of this very uneven and extraordinary floe I would now speak. Whence arises this wavy, glassy ice, undulating at such a very sharp pitch, viz. about two feet rise from the level hollow to the vertex or crown of the succeeding arch, or on a chord of thirty-two feet, about two feet difference of level ? The age of this ice — and it pervaded all the portion subject to this windy part of the strait — appeared great. The only rational cause to wliich I could assign its for- mation was the channelling by summer thaws and the forcing the water thus produced by the prevailing gusts over the irregular ridges, on which the sun did not act : this is the more probable, inasmuch as some of the in- tervening spaces, covered by the snow, presented smooth, clear blue, level ice, in long spaces, evidently where the water had been quiescent, whereas all these abrupt swells were composed of grey ice, rough, and abounding in air-cells of the size of hemp-seed or peas. As I before noticed, within and without this strait it was not met with ; there the ordinary level snow-clad floe prevailed. \ :r 1853.] UPSETTING OP THE SLEDOE. 231 Wc left with a gentle breeze, under all sail, going at a very pleasant trot beside the sledge, until wc came upon this roiigh sea. The velocity of the sledge, caused by the sudden increase of wind under Cape Sicic, trip- ped all hands up and dragged them astern, face down- wards. I was on the sledge, and dropped myself in time to avoid the consequences of the capsize which one of these waves caused. We escaped with one damaged spar ; replaced it, and moved forward more cautiously. This time our engine ran away ; again all hands let go. I was perched, for ballast, on the weather-quarter, across which a long gun-case, three feet six inches, was lashed ; but, as if my neck was destined to be continually in jeopardy, I experienced a gentle summerset, driven at a radius of four feet, with sufficient impetus to derange it ; however, I escaped with slight damage, and the sledge upsetting on a lee shore, enabled our crew to regain it. We now reduced our sail to a latteen until we cleared this frozen ocean, and eventually pitched our tent for the night on a fine gravel beach. This I well know, by experience, to be bad; but as the majority seemed to think they had bettered themselves, I was determined to let them learn, and not have to thank me for my inter- i ;' I'l" i ( i 232 DEFECTIVE COOKING APPARATUS. [Murch, posed authority. Experientia docet, when men can be made to understand it ; however, stone Avill, like metal, take a lower temperature than snow, and will of course abstract heat in a similar proportion. Each complained of greater cold. I was silent; some smiled, few slept, but all were very glad when chocolate was ready, and it required no second call to rouse the slumberers. Dry gravel, under summer sun, is however very warm, and to be then preferred. Striking our tent, we now moved on for the ship, but I ooon found that such antics do not suit my present constitution, and that severe spasms of my right leg compelled me to use a compress. We reached the ship at eleven a.m. on the 27th. On this short excursion wje fortunately discovered the inadequacy of our cooking-lamps either for stearine or spirits-of-wine. Instead of brazing, they had been simply soldered, and the first time the spirit was used, the sup- ply-tube fell oflF, the spirit (the entire day's allowance) was lost, and the tent endangered ; and yet these things are put into the hands of the proverbially " i areless and inexperienced seamen ! " What mechanic could dream of burning stearine or alcohol, in soldered vessels ! even the nozzles of the tea-kettles were so secured! Doubtless the Government paid very handsomely for these ineffi- cient claptraps, but our blacksmith had enough to do to keep them in repair ; indeed we were lucky to obtain him, for the steam department did not aid us in such matters, beyond helping the blacksmith in tin-work and at the belloWiS. These matters at first sight do not oc- cur to the uninitiated, but they are pregnant with danger, I it 1853.] OIL AND FAT LAMPS. 233 as well as inconvenience. Let us suppose that we had started with spirits only, as intended ; but in this case we had a small supply of stcarine. First act : spirit-lamp defective — feeding-pipe falls off (soldered to the side and bottom, instead of top). The alcohol flowing round and below took fire, and de- stroyed the lamp for use. If I had not been present and made a substitute, all the fuel would have been ex- pended. But let us imagine that the tent did take fire, what would be the condition of the party ? First, loss of shelter, and, from the attempt to extinguish the fire, inevitable frost-bites ; the result, loss of members bitten, or life ! But there arc other miseries ; without fuel, neither water, tea, nor chocolate to drink, could have been procured ; and thirst at this season, particularly at the commencement, is intensely felt; but had such an accident occurred at the outward limit of a journey, the result is fearful to contemplate ! What then, I may ask, would be the chances in this region for our missing countrymen, if they escaped from their vessels ? Fuel, even in savnge life, is requisite. Truly these preparatory journeys are valuable ; they point out our wants, and direct us to supply the defi- ciencies. Already each Government stearhie-lamp has been replaced by our own ship-made, and a composition formed with two parts of whale oil and one stearine, cast into plates, with wicks included to fit them, supersedes the lamp, so that lighting the fire is shnply lip-hting the candle of some eight inches' diameter. Some for my own sledge were formed from bees-wax and oil The spnit-lamp for my own sledge was superseded by a cop- I i ^1 f I I I I I ( ,11 1 234 RETURN OF DEPOT SLEDGES. [March, per vessel, hammered out of the solid, with six lips for wcks, affording the facility of adding oil, or walrus, bear, or bacon fat. These two light and simple article-* are available for any purpose. Our copper vessels have been riveted and brazed, but the kitchen itself, the outer casing of tinned iron, is already asunder ! How many years have they been warranted to last ? Gone before one season ! Very stringent orders will be given to pre- serve their remains for future service. The test which I would prescribe for all such articles, in copper (to be tinned after), would be boiling oil : if they stood this they might be received, not otherwise. Our appearance, short as our absence had been, brought officers and crew out to help us : to that com- fort we were anxious to reach, for our cruise had some- what shaken me, and the constant talking of cold which the men experienced, made me far from comfortable. March 29. — Our anxiety for the return of our party kept me very often on the hill, and today, turning my telescope towards the outer points, where I intended to place some beacons, I noticed dark objects in motion : ducks they could not be, but, deceitful as the atmo- sphere is on the ice, I was soon able to discover that they were the heads of our sledge crews, rounding the spit of ice off the outer island, when they all, strange to my mind, pitched their tents on the spit. I was not long in sweeping the island crest and discerning that this mo- tion was connected with parties cairn-building ; and after constructing two, they rejoined the tents and advanced. Affording them time to make their march, I took the di- rect path to cut them off, and joined them about two I I 1853.J REPORT OF DEPOT DIVISION. 236 miles from the ship. I was glad to find them all in health, high spirits, and free fi'om casualty ; but I could read clearly that this trip and return had proved of great importance, and rejoiced I was that they were prevented from proceeding until they had refreshed themselves and remedied deficiencies discovered on this first brush. It had proved a work of labour, biit the difficulty was now diminished. In condensing the able report of Commander Richards I shall use his own words, omitting only passages of de- tail, which will probably be printed in another /orm. The date of starting, etc., has been already stated as the 22nd of March, at seven a.m., temperature 22° ; the sledges being commanded as under : — The 'Sir Edward' — "Loyal au Mort" . . Commr Richards. The 'John Barrow' Lieutmmnt Osborii. The 'lleliance' Lieutenant May. Tlic 'Enterprise' Mr. Allard. Tlie ' Sir F. Baring' Mr. Ricards. Tlie ' Perseverance' Mr. Pi/m, Mate. 57 men and officers ; depot, 1200 rations; provision, 570. " The wind fresh from south-east, and weather hazy, we started under sail, steering for Spit Island west ex- treme, and accompanied for a short distance by the Cap- tain, officers, and remainder of the crew. At ten a.m. we got amongst hummocky ice, and the sledge ' Enter- prise' capsized with the boat, dfimaging herself so much that she was sent back to the ship to refit. " About two we encamped on the low western extreme of Spit Island, to await the return of the ' Enterprise.' At five the ' Enterprise' rejoined with her boat : George '■- I 1'; •■ ' ' I' SI I: l\ . ' li' 23C THE QUEEN 8 CAUSEWAY, [March, Youngson, of the * Perseverance/ fainted at his sledge, hut a Uttle brandy, and his dinner, recovered him. " March 23. — Cahu and foggy, + 8°. Started at seven A.M., and came ahnost immediately to heavy ice, which we dragged through all day, with severe labour to the men and damage to the sledges. It was a perfect frozen pack, Avhich we were obliged to cut our Avay through with pickaxes. The snow-drift very deep between the hummocks, which wc found of use ui making the road with. Two walrus, an old and young one, were wounded today in a hole of water, but were not captured. En- camped at 4.30, and patched up the ' Enterprise,' which sledge had suifered severely among the hummocks. "March 24. — Light wind westerly, with thick weather. We started at 6.45 ; at 7.35 came to better ice ; at 11 lunched : nothing important. "March 25. — At seven a.m. started : wind south-east, fresh, and hazy. Cut a road through a confused heavy pack with picks and shovels, and after five hours' labour succeeded in accomplishing little more than a mile, when we reached an old floe, halting at noon for luncheon. A bamboo and flag was left to mark this, 'The Queen's Causeway.' Encamped at 4.30. Wind strong from the south-east during the night, and the tent very cold. "March 26. — Wind south-east, strong ; weather thick. Started at eight a.m.; scarcely able to sec thirty yards ahead for snow-drift. Many slight frost-bites* occurred At 11.30 halted for luncheon; al- it, no land in sight ; moved forward, bc- undue amongst the men ay. Capo Lady Fro&c-bites tciiipornrv, removed bv snow or Wiirin hand. y 1853.] REPAIR DAMAGES. 237 Franklin close to us. Ice very uneven in-shore, and the stupendous hummocks which line the coast, and which must have been pressed up by a succession of north- west gales, are between seventy and eighty feet high : I should say that they have stood the thaw of many summers, and seem little affected thereby. The old floe which we picked up yesterday did noi carry us to the south shore, but a narrow belt of new ice intervenes. At 12.30 we landed on the south shore of the Queen's Channel, and planted the Union. The depot was placed on a sloping point, about eighty feet above the sea-level, and one mile from the summit of Cape Lady Franklin, east of it. The point is projecting, and is computed to be the nearest land to Spit Island; the heaviest hum- mocks of ice are grounded on it. The depot consists of the boat turned bottom up, with the other stores placed under it. Over the boat a flag was hoisted, and the cus- tomary record in a tin cylinder left." The vegetation on that shore appeared to be more abundant as well as forward ; traces of deer noticed ; formation similar. Ascended the higher land; noticed eight or ten deer feeding in pairs in the valley westward : two passed within fifty yards, the doc and fawn. The return to the ship is but the outward journey reversed. Canvas boots approved, as well as blanket wrappers. Carpet boots decried for travelling, causing sore heels to those who used them. Commander Richards is satisfied with the allowance of provision, but objects reasonably to mixture of peramican and preserved meats. The sledges have been much strained by rough ice : that belonging to Commander Richards so much shaken ; ill r i V ( •I' I I I ■ i ■ ' i ip ■ il if ill :' '■' ii 238 PECULIAR TEMPERATURES OF MARCH, [^/rt/c//, that it must be replaced. One missing, either buried in the floe, or in the snow on shore : the latter might be recovered. But the peculiarity of losing anything on the floe may be readily understood by the fact, that a snow-house and block for thermometers, constructed on the floe level in October last, are now just even with the surface snow, or the level of that of the snow-bank of our port-beam, fourteen feet above the solid ice. As the season advances, and 'he sea increases in tempera- ture by the great amount of thaw beneath, the ice is re- moved from the lower surface, water percolates, and the upper mass freezes ; and, as a matter of course, things which occupied the upper .'cy surface in October, must be sought for beneath it in May. Those which float may be recovered, but it may be possible that a pile of bottles, owner unknown, may yet be extricated at the mouth of Wellington Channel. In November I heard rumours of such losses, and dii'ected all tins and bottles to be re- moved to the land, that no such accident should mislead parties as to our fate. The hills have not been, so to speak, snow-clad during this season: any strong breeze denudes them, and the earth is in places ever visible. I cannot take leave of the month of March without some remarks on its peculiar character. Of the early part of the month, or first half, I have already made my extracts. From the 16th, the + sign prevails as high as 24°, the minimum being —18°. This, by referring to tho comparative table of the two * Hecla,' * Enterprise,* and ' Resolute* voyages, is contrary to precedent, no plus sign occurring at all ! The following comparisons will show the great peculiarity in this month : — [I 1853.] COMPARISON OF TEMPERATURES. 239 Assistance (1853) Mnximiini. Miiiinuini. Mcun. + U° -55-5° -1775° Hecln (1820) . . + fi 400 1810 Enterprise (184.9) + 8 510 2280 Ilecla . . . . -9 47-5 28-37 Resolute . . -8 44 5 25-70 We have experienced the month nearly divided be- tween intense cold and {to m) intense heat ! Between the 16th and 26th we experienced a change to a mean on ten consecutive days of +5'593°, and on seven con- secutive days +10'627°, the maximum being -+-24°, mi- nimum 17°. I take leave of it and bequeath it as a legacy to the speculative theorist at home. I . 240 I I! CHAPTER X. ' ;|i - The Caim. — Anticipations. — Sotith-wpst Expedition. — Tidal Motions. — Return of Mr. Loney. — Dog Killed, — Letters from Pullen. — North-east Expedition. — Tent Arranr Ri- chards was the hearer of (h'spatches for the A(hniralty, via Melville Island, as well as others for Captain Kellett, to be left at the previonsly ordered rendezvous in IT N. and 105° W. The arrangements contem])lated the Com- missariat sledges to aid Commander Richards until he had reached the meridian of 110°, when he would have forty days remaining, and adequate depots secured for his return to Cape Lady Franklin, where the whale-boat, with sufficient provision, was already deposited j he was also provided with one of the light ice-boats. The little fleet, having at this time their masts better secured, sails reefed, and their Commanders having in every way gained experience from their former tri[), now sailed away more " ship-shape," and were soon lost to our view. One great feat complete, I had now to revert to my own course. I had heavy difficulties to contend with, but go I must: I could not leave such an important trust to any one I had here. The first step was the completion of my official correspondence for the Admi- ralty, to be deposited at Cape Rccher, where I fully relied on my emissary being met by one from Com- mander Pullen, if he himself did not come. j^jjril 11. — Tlie weather continuhig to hold out the prospect of moderate temperatures, our moan being above zero, I determined on despatching two sledges, under the command of Mr. Loney, aided by Mr. AUard, to lay out our first north-east depot. This was also in- R 2 "W MM 244 TIDAL MOTIONS. [^pri/, tended to feel the way for our boats, wliicli would have to travel in that dh'ection, as well as to determine the actual state of the ice in that exposed locality, for I had my doubts of a permanently frozen sea throughout the space beyond Exmouth Island, and the region westerly and northerly. Jpril 12. — On the morning of the 12th of April they started. About eight a.m. the thermometer ranged on either side of zero; on the 13th the temperature fell sud- denly from —6° to —12° and —19°; and at four a.m. on the 14th to — 25°, attended by strong breezes from the westward. This continuing until the IGth, I did not give them credit for contending against such diificul- ties, particularly the snow-drift we have experienced : I certainly expected they would, to use the Arctic expres- sion, have " bagged," or slept in their tents. These breezes seem to have a surprising influence on the tides, and this renders me still more anxious ; for when they once become active, the sign is infallible, to my compre- hension, that, like a mob, there must be vacant space somewhere, from whence they came, and to which they can return : nothing but open water, northward or west- ward of this channel, can effect such motions. At one time I had some suspicion that the tide-gauge was foul, but it moved too freely, and the customaiy ice-cracks, termed bolts-cracking, have of late been more loud and frequent. ' Jpril 17. — One week has elapsed : in three days Mr. Grove will probably furnish me with the gratifying intel- ligence that the division has safely reached the southern shore. Climate and winds differ here so widely within f \ \ 1853.] RETURN OF MR. LONEY. 245 a space of ten miles, that it is quite impossible to calcu- late on the weather they may experience. They are all sound men, and well attended, and will, I am satisfied, do their duty, especially my own crew. April 19. — I cannot sufficiently express my satisfaction when one of my own followers exhibits a pattern of smart work. Under all the ditficulties I anticipated, I find Mr. Loney returned, and his work satisfiictorily executed, two days within the tiuie. He had deposited the cache eight miles to the north-cast of our furthest station of last year, and had from thence a good view of an island seen by me (as in nnhibun) from Exmouth Island. I then (on the 28th of August) directed Commander Richards to look for it from his more advanced stations, but he was prevented seeing it, owing to thick weather. The party exj)erienced very severe cold, travelling head to wind directly against heavy snow-drift, but with- out a single casualty (my own well-tried sledge crew) ; snow-blindness and trivial frost-bites {alim cold fingers) being the only difficulties. The day after they quitted us, j\Ir. Loney, accompanied by Mr. AUard, being somewhat ahead of the sledges picking the way for the men, encountered a bear steer- ing direct for them. At first they mistook him for a dog, and, being unnrmed, they reversed their engines, and dropped upon the sledges, Mr. Bruin trotting up most fearlessly to attack the party. However, his assurance cost him his life, but not before he had struck his awful fore-paw into the fore-shoulder of the leader of our Cape York dogs, and literally torn it out, rendering it necessary to put an end to his misery : he was the 1 '' ■:i 'I »i :t' < i .ill IH ^^^ ^ 246 RETURN OF MR. OROVE. [Jjjri/, finest of a most peculiar and very handsome breed, ob- tained at Cape York. As I had suspected, the water in the Main-tide Channel, between Pioneer Island and Vil- lage Point, was open for half a mile, but on their retiu'n was again skimmed over, probably under a — 25° tem- perature. This and one or two other air-holes noticed will probably break up the moment the sun has a fair view of them, — they are directly in the course of the strongest tide. One other bear was seen, but he was too wary to trust himself in such company. Jpril 20. — -This being the appointed day for the re- tm'n of the first sledge from Commander Richards' divi- sion, shortly after noon the banner of the ' Dauntless' was seen, and about 1.30 Mr. Grove returned, the bearer of a letter from Commander Richards, reporting all well, in high spirits, and informing me that all was going on smoothly, no casualties, and that they had made good forty-five miles against these adverse gales, which ranged from north to north-north-west, with a temperature not lower than — 27°, it being then —17° in the tent where he was writing ! A sledge having been prepared, with ten days' rations, for the conveyance of the despatches to Cape Beclier, they were entrusted to the charge of Lieutenant Cheyne, under the 'Victory' banner. This left me about eight days to complete my arrangements for my examination to the north-east, unless intelligence by Dr. Lyall, due on the 2nd of May, should interpose any difficulty. Our artificers were busily engaged re-manufacturing cooking gear: indeed, every sledge that retur)is reports some- thing amiss. Tn time we shall be perfect, but it is really ; 1^53.] LETTERS FROM COMMANDER PULLEN. >47 di. heartening to start for ninety or p hundred days un- der such apprehensions ; not as regards myself, but for those who have ahvady departed. On the 28th, about 3.30 a.m.. Lieutenant Cheyne re- turned, informing me " that he had brought an ' Enghsh mail.' " The report surprised me. However, a very few minutes decided that ne had made an egregious mistake: he had brought one or two letters ar. ' ncvspapers, but the "despatches," as noted in Commuiider Pullen's note, were left behind. Two packages were clearly indicated. This note of Commander Pullen's puzzled me not a little. Commander Inglefield had arrived in the ' Isabel,' brhig- ing " despatches and newspapers," copies of which were also deposited at Cape Phillips. This unfortvmate mistake, at such a moment, worried me not a little : but considering that Commander Pul- len must be aware of any material change of orders, and would indicate it in his sealed note to me, I resolved that no orders or despatches had arrived. However, having given i\Ir. Cheyne fresh instructions to retrace his steps, and find the despatches on the return of Dr. Lyall, I commenced my preparations for the march. I fully intended to proceed on the evening of the 1st of May, but I was too unwell. Another cause, perhaps, had also some weight m causing me to delay : I was very anxious to include in my last report any intelligence of which Ur. Lyall might be the bearer, and as that offi- cer was also eventually to join my division, I wished to confer with him before starting. I fully expected his ar- rival early on the 2nd ; our preparations were com[)lcte on the 1st. if I I .; ii I '■ '. 1 '•J 248 NORTH-EAST EXPEDITION STARTS. [i>%, ' Londesborough ' . . 7 men, 2 officers, 40 days' provision. ' Dauntless,' Grove . 7 „ 1 ,, 40 ,, „ ' Enterprise,' Allard . 1 I )0 28 men, 1230 rations. We were also attended by the sledge-boat * Hamilton,' under the Blanche banner, two Cape York dogs, and three pups. Our patience being exhausted, at six a.m. on the 2nd we took our departure from the siiip, not in- aptly termed the " Deserted Village," cleared the Sound, and before noon found the sun, with a temperatiu:e be- tween -f 3° and +0°, unpleasantly oppressive. The ' Hamilton' was at first attached to the three sledges, but it was subsequently found preferable to at- tach her solely to the ' Londesboroug i,' taking reliefs of four men from the other two sledges, as circumstances requu'ed. Several seals were noticed on our journey towards Village Point, but all too wary to permit any one to get within shot. Indeed, unless these animals are instanta- neously killed, they preserve such a convenient distance to the hole in the ice, that their dying agonies alone would cause them to slip or wriggle through before they could be secured. As the snow was deep and soft, and the day warm, our sledges, cutting deeply into the snow, made but slow progress. I therefore walked on, accompanied by Messrs. Grove and Allard, reaching Village Point about 2.15. Here we found a large sheet of water,* extending nearly across this narrow strait, and about one mile in length, in which several very inquisi- * Today the open water was also noticed, extending from the south point of the Sound to Spit Island. , I 1853.] A SLEDGE-MARK. 249 tive seals were playing, and frequently raising their busts out of water, as if to inquire the cause of our visit. About 4.30 the sledges reached the low point, when we encamped for the night, the men much blown and fa- tigued from the effects of the sun, which already pro- duced symptoms of snow blindness. It is yet an unex- plained fact, but we found a broad and deep slcdge-niark in the gravel from the cairn to the point. Part of the officers and rrews of every sledge which had visited this point last season were present, but no one could recall to mind any sledge taking such an unusual direction, and dragged, too, entirely on gravel : most of them had crossed at right angles; but the runner width exactly coincided with that of the sledges used last season, and therefore I conclude i>'ust have belonged to our Expedi- tion. At our first encampment the temperature at six P.M. was +95°, and the prevailing temperature during the night was about +15° in the tent, with +10° outside. About seven a.m. on the 3rd we moved forward; wea- ther not pleasant, but better for travelling : the tem- perature at starting was 10°. Our object at present be- ing to make the shortest cut over the space examined last season, we steered for the depot point, passed near to the wrecks of dog and bear, left by Mr. Loncy, of which the rib-timbers were noticed, probably picked by wolves and foxes; and about six, finding that the in- shore course would lead us through very rough ice, we pitched for the evening at the south end of Coffin Island, which afforded us most convenient shelter from the then prevailing wind ; the temperature had fallen to 5°, and at midnight reached zero. Here we constructed a cairn. ■;!! \ 1 .1 250 TENT ARRANGEMENTS. [J%, V f ^ii I ■} ! ^; 1 ,. ) cooked pennnican and tea, and withdrew into our sliolls. I shall merely notice one day's routine, to murk our mode of life, or change from th >t of last season. The pennni- can is now so well known that it hardly requires descrip- tion : however, we had four varieties : the first made with currants, herbs, etc., pounded beef, and suet; another sugared ; another plain ; another herbs ; marked C. II. S. l)lank. Of this compound three-quarters of a pound was fomid sufficient for each person, to which was added one ounce of maccaroni, or four ounces of potatoes, onion powder, sage, etc., ad lib. Of this food I was not fond, and one ounce was enough for me ; latterly I avoided it entirely. Our tea was of the best quality. Sleep we had to provide. The bed, although already described, I shall repeat, is a bag constructed of thick grey felt ; this bag is about seven feet in length and three feet in width, al- lowing a man, Avhen in, to double the top over his iiicc, like a long envelope, and endeavour to suffocate himself by his own heat, mitil that becomes inconvenient, when he seeks a breathing hole. This bag, I had almost for- gotten to remark, is covered with a prepared casing of brown hoUand, supposed to retain the air. It is not easy to enter or emerge from this bag, especially if the alarm of bear, fire, or water, should be given, as the aggregate living mass is covered by another heavy blanket, made fast to the tcnt-polcs at the officer's end of the tent, to keep him down until the rest escape : he is also placed at the weather or extreme end, to keep the cold out, as the place dltonnewr ; and to shield him, a further strip of this brown hoUand, furnished with pockets, to place small articles in safety, affords further protection from 1853.] DAILY ROUTINE. 251 the piercing wind. But to the main protection between the snow, ice, or cold gravel, and the body : the " fea- thers" (iMacadaniized bits) being removed, a Mackintosh cloth covers the flooring ; on this is spread f blanket of buffalo skin, but this also was mdagre ; frecpicnt wet caused the hair to take leave and enter the cookery, and (;ventually, until indignantly turned out, it was reduced nearly to spotted parchment ! It is almost needless to excite the sympati'" 's of those who can soundly sleep on the roughest gravel, or piles of shot, and whose bony projections are calculated to withstand any inconvenience ; but, pour mol-imme, I am getting tender, and I feel the diiferencc between true and fictitious feathers ; and the cold, which at first chose to make my dorsal cohunn its innnediate point of attack, was very sensibly felt; but layers of non-conductors eventually remedied this : habit too (like the eels) inures one to sufiering. Tent discipline contiiuied : at a cer- tain hour the cook is called : I never knew a cook call himself. Why should they sleep more than any other member ? seehig that they have the same time allowed, and change daily : probably the last cook being the very foremost to call his successor to a sense of his duty. Our fires were candles, therefore soon lighted ; but the cook had to procure his snow and thaw it, before he ob- tained water. When this could be coaxed to boil, the chocolate was put in, and the word passed, " Cocoa ready." Heads emerged, pannikins produced (tin-pots holding just measure one pint and more each person), biscuit is served out, and breakfast soon despatched ; no waiters to pay, no chambermaids. The luncheon-grog is %\ .1 ! t f lo ! L! ill i 1 (I • n\ I II 1 i: 252 A COLD BATH. [^% mixed with the water from remaining fire (now available): limeheon put into the " scran-bag," and " Down house — break up!" Such, reader, is the delightful process of the Polar travelling gentlemen, to be understood in future as " started" = after breakfast, etc.; " pitched" = or erected teuts, cooked, and went to sleep. On the 4tli of May, at seven, moved forward for Star Bluff, but heavy packed ice — fragments of broken floe, cemented together l.)y frost — (only to be compared with the roughest rocky travelling over disrupted quarries) rendered our progress difficult with o'U' heavily laden sledges; we were very glad to "pitch" Aac miles short of it. About eight a.m. on the 5th we moved forward, aud on closing Star Bluff we found the ice becoming very tender. I thought that the off-sliore ice would prove firmer : it was so, but I did not go sufficiently far, and in the attempt to make a short cut, to avoid one of the most apparently dangerous spots, the leading sledge broke in. Here the trusty 'Hamilton' did good ser- vice ; she was soon floating beside the sledge, and safely were the goods transferred. The instruments were safe, and I was on the po'nt, carrying the theodolite-legs in my hand, of seeking ;.i secure spot, when 1 found myself suddenly unmersed in a bath, by no means acceptable : it might have been an intentional interpretation of C. B., but it was beyond joke. The current beneath the ice ran very strong. I had the chronometer on me, and, unless I was soon rescued, T should be missing under the ice ! At present the legs of the instrument across the hole sustained me just enough out of water to pre- h i i I HEACII THE FIRST DEPOT. 263 1853.] vent wetting the chronometer. A trnek-bclt tlirown to me, and connected with others, — for it was dangerous to approach me, — soon dragged me out hke a wah'us, and all was right. The present condition and safety of our wardrobes being a matter of considerable doubt, Mr. Grove most kindly clothed my lower extremities until matters were accommodated. Our only loss was nhiety- six i)0unds of bread and some pretty considerable damp- nesses. The gutta-percha cases for bread proved too brittle, and split ; they are certainly not adapted to the rough handling of seamen: no man who cannot under- stand (and feel for) them should be entrusted with, or can derive advantage from them; they will not stand rough usage. The bread thus damaged was buried, and a cairn erected to mark the spot, so that, if ilistress re- quired us to fall back upon it, we knew where it was de- posited. But many of my readers would doubtless like to know how I relished this cold bath. I will describe it in a few words. The imexpected innnersion was not pleasant : when in for it, I cared little about it, but the tide and safety of chronometer did not allow mc to enjoy it : the cold was not felt, but a glowing sensation pre- vailed until I recovered my customary dry clothing. Moving forward towards Star Bluff, we pitched about seven that evening off it ; but the ice proved too heavy to allow us to pass to the land. On the Gth we pushed forward for the depot esta- blished by Mr. Loney, but failed in reaching it by two miles ; but on the 7 th we succeeded in time to make it a rating position for the chronometers. Here we ob- tained the latitude and other important observations; ( ?' 4 254 VISITED BY A \VOI,P. [Maif, II I !' I , ht 1 1 1 1 L mndc good our deficiency of provisions from the despot ; unp last, not least, rested six hours. At this station a wolf came to inquire the cause of our visit : it was joined by the dogs of our i)arty, and did not quarrel ; but the animal was so luilike a wolf, and, supposing our Cape York dogs a little blanched, the extraordinary simi- larity of the remaining black lines so much interested me, that I issued orders for his " tabu," under a feeling that it might possibly be one of Sir John Franklin's dogs, and by petthig would conduct us to some clue as to his people, or, even failing in that, to some tribe of wandering Esquimaux (Huskies is the only term used here). The bears had visited the cac/ie, torn down the blue flag, but without disturbing the staff or the provi- sion ! Funny fellows they are ! Why have tney such an antipathy to blue ? Yellow is safe ; possibly they icixx pratique, as many bears did not many years since ; but to have climbed this loose gravel pile, stood on hind legs, torn down the flag, and rent it as they did, is mar- vellous. Their general weight is about seven hundred- weight ; my own weight about one and a half, and yet I found it difficult to retain my footing on such a moving pile ; they must be fairies ! About eight p.m. we pitched two mik'S short of a low gravel point, having in sight the new island seen from Exmouth Island on the 28th of August last; distance six miles, the temperature +4°. 3faf/ 8. — On the 8th the division moved forward about seven, but about eleven I remained behind with the ' Hamilton,' Mr. Loney, and two hands, to secure the latitude and other observations on a low intervening gravel island. This island is composed, as all here are, 1853.] LAND ON PRINCESS ROYAL ISLAND. or,", of rubbly Mncadimiized niagucsiaii limestone, abouiuU ing in frngmcnts of fossils, scattered in (;very direction, principally Terebratula;, I'ectens, and Madreporitcs. At this position the value of our sledge-boat 'Hamilton' was practically evinced : our party had gained a start of at least two miles ; they verc under canvs ; we made sail, and with two men, two dogs, Mr. Loney, and self steady- ing the boat, overtook the sledges with ease, at least two miles ahead, in the lapse of two hours. About six we pitched on the northern spit of the island, ascended its high-tiu-reted peak, built a conspicuous cairn, and, this being the first important discovery and keystone of our operations this season, hoisted the Union and took pos- session, under the customary forms, of Princess Royal Is- land. At the base, with a temperature of +0°, the cold was felt sensibly ; but as we reached the sunmiit it be- came softer, and eventually comfortable. Those who deal with cold metal instruments, pencil and paper, appre- ciate these changes very sensibly : I consider 1° in the value of wind here to be equal to —10° on the previous temperature. This was Sunday. Our motions by day interfering much with our present mode of travelling, the customary observance was deferred until evening, when all hands were collected in my tent. These are matters of disci- pline. It is not my intention to inform my readers, or rather to trouble them, with the question of how good or bad we were, but possibly we may be found to Him who knows our secrets, quite as good as " the tinkling bells." In few words, and to the point, I merely observe. Let the reader peruse the incidents of this Work, and :| 'i ^' 250 A WOLP nOVKniNO. [.}fajf, ! i osk, " Had wo not cnnso to think (U'('j)ly, nnd exclaim, ' If tlie Lord liinisclf liad not been on onr side'? " jlfa// U. — (Temp. 2°.) On the low northern jwint of this island wc deposited our surplus provision, leather boots, and every useless article of hamper whieli had been un- fortunately, but stealthily, cranuued upon the sledges, giving the crews some additional hundreds of weight not estinuited in the two hundred pounds per man. My previous arrangcmei t had contemplated the return of Mr. Allard from the depot ; but, having re-victualled his sledge there, we again moved forward, taking him five days further. I think I hear my good old friend. Sir W. N., exclaiming, "That confounded racehorse spirit !" etc. Well, be it so : the thought of what one once could do often impels a man forward -. I thought my strength would enable me to return without asking any one to drag me, and in this T was not deceived. Our new friend, the wolf, still hung u])on our rear, but not disposed to make friends, or quarrel, with our Cape York dogs : its habits are certainly very peculiar ; it cares not for us, and frequently approached so near that it might have been shot ; but it is fafj/t. Sailors are deemed super- stitious, — granted ; but let reason have its course. The canine species has not unfrequently put the biped to the blush. What sensible aj)ology is there for shooting this, at present, harndess beast ? and yet, by good fortune, or providentially, if but a dog escape to savage life (and those we have are but wolves), it may yet lead us to the last resting-place of his beloved master ! Wniy then com- mit a mere wanton act of cruelty ? The Queen orders he shall live ! f! 1S58.] TIDAL IIKNTS TIIOUBLKSOMK. 267 Our (.'oursc! is now diivctcd to a low point to tlie cast- south-east, surmounted l)y « very remarkable! mount, almut a mile and a lialt' within. The ineluded segment between this and the outer point of Princess Royal Island forms a deep bay, evidently nuich cut up by mi- inerous streamlets, flowing from extensive lakes, convert- iug the entire space, if thawed, into one inunensc series of flats, mostly even uith the surface : then; is there- fore at j)resent no chance of sinking into this "mud flat floe." Upon tliis line of mischief, as all shoal lines are ("dmigcrs"hy(lrographie), the pack ice was of curse compelled to observe " the rules," and within it we ob- tained smooth, but, wlu^n cracked, slightly impeded, tra- velling. But :o make this matter clear, and to mark this species of travel, it is requisite to bear in mind, that notwithstanding the incomprehensible masses of floe-ice which cover the Polar Sea as with a mere tablecloth of varied fabric, coarse or fine,— that tlic great laws of na- ture, the tidal influences, cannot be arrested. The huge floe must obey the law of floatation: it rises, cracks, falls possibly below, or is supported by some interposed sub- stance above, the so-called land-floe, which refuses to move (possibly in our case because it cannot) ; is frozen to the bottom : a gap is left, fiUed in with light snow, and one very fatal to sledge runners, and uncomfortable to those who have no serviceable legs left, by finding the hips nearly engulfed in these cracks,— chasms morc°pro. perly. It is therefore advisable to keep inside these traps, and rather observe the parallel contour of the land, or where the ice is solid, than to contend for short cuts over humniocky ice or frozen pack. I have thus VOL. 1. II QUIT PRINCESS ROYAL ISLAND, far travelled out of my road to explain fully the nature of the sealed hydrography of these regions, as well as to explain that Nature will exert her undoubted rights at the Equator as well as the Pole itself! On the power philosophical I need not dilate : the laws are too simple. I have stated its winter nuisance ; add to this, for sum- mer, the difficulty of landing, by reason of interposed bands of water near the beach, where the sun acts on the dark-coloured mass of the hills and beach, causing the water to flow freely between, long before the table- cloth can be pierced. At our noon luncheon position w^e erected a snow py- ramid, and, as it was not convenient to have it disturbed by bears, left a composing dose for Bruin, in the event of his revisiting this spot, his tracks being numerous just here : it is to be hoped the wolf will not taste it ! Thinking of JJrsiis marUimus and the original astrono- mers, who placed Ursa Major and her cub at the Pole ? It argues a knowledge that we cannot understand : it is the only true representative of the lolar bear! Is this "the sweet little cherub"? As one of our family mottoes is " Bear and For-Bear," I shall be silent. PKINCESS BOYAL ISLAND : N.N.W. FIVE MILES. I Mir f.ii ! May 10. — Morning fino, but hazy; temperature 6°. Wolf hovering ; men complaining of sore eyes, resulting 1853,] REMEDIES FOR SNOW BLINDNESS. 259 from the sun's glare : doctor's shop opened, and vari- ous remedies applied— viuum opii, glycerine, tea-leaves, tobacco, etc. Each seemed to have his favourite remedy, and as there was no really bad case, it was as well to let them have their run of humour : for my own part, I was satisfied that a more lenient mixture of the vinum opii was preferable. Example does wonders: I esta- blished the daily wash of ten drops in a tablcspoonful of water, and I never had to apply the raw material again. As my duties with sextant and theodolite brought me into more direct collision with the sun, and I did not suffer, my men soon found that the Captain's remedy was perhaps the best; and gratefully they afterwards ac- cepted the wash as I passed it round, giving each man his strip of lint or bandage wherewith to bathe his eyes before he entered upon his delicious dreams of deer, musk-ox, hares, or ptarmigan, of which he was, as it re- sulted, never to taste ! May 11. — About eight we moved forward; heavy work, warm, sun, and pack-ice. As we gradually neared what we imagined to be the smooth floe, we at length perceived that we had ascended considerably above the sea-level, and after moving forward about five hundred yards, crossed over the low point which we had seen from Princess Royal Island ; and thus, the labour being over, very much to the satisfaction of om- crew, having done a heavy day's work, "pitched" before noon. The ascent of oiu- hill, having no weights and a chance of game, was mere amusement : but our delay here was important. The view from the summit enabled me to save hours, nay days, of conjecture ; it furnished the groundwork Vf- I i : 1 J ii :i 1 I ' 260 REACH MOUNT PARKER. [J%, of weeks' labour, carried out hy the knowledge of what must be the realization of the then radius of vision : it was one of those bright days which are to be made the most of in these regions, of which I was not slow in taking advantage. In conv I'ment to one of my most respected friends, the senior naval Lord of the Admi- ralty, I named this Mount Parker. The fev/ hours' de- lay liere repaid me abundantly : I had laid in a stock of mat':er to guide me strictly for many days. I was ena- bled, by our astronomical data, to impress the indelible seal of truth on all I had done, and bv that truth to be aided in fixing beyond dispute, so long as sun and lati- tude continued available, many other important positions from which I might merely see this ! So far the sur- veyor is strong in his position : he can combat opposi- tion, simply by facts and observations, which the most talented can but verify; and eventually can aftbrd to make a long stride and overtake his poor friend the tor- toise or hare, driven perhaps by impulse, but certainly not by sagacity, to despise the truths of science, to the accomplishment of unproved, and not well-searched dis- tance. The delay here enabled me also to put in prac- tice what I had some days contemplated, viz. changing the travelling hours from day to night : that is, the men enjoyed their repose or sleep dming the warm tempe- rature by day, when exposure to the sun was oppressive and withering, commencing work at six p.m., lunching at midnight, and ending at six a.m. ; the sun however, although at very low altitudes, being always visible, if not veiled by clouds, etc. On our descent from Mount Parker we noticed the \ ; li m i 1853. J WHALE DISCOVERED ON THE MOUNT. .''Ol deposits of hare, ptarmigan, and fox were abundant ; and following a track which I supposed might lead to their haunt, most unexpectedly stumbled upon some bor.os of great size projecting from the earth, which, on closer ex- amination, proved to be the head and probably the en- tire skeleton of a very large whale, imbedded at a height of not less than five hundred feet above the sea. I en- deavoured to detach one of the ribs, but it was too firmly frozen to yield to our picks ; a portion of the head-bone was broken away and preserved.* About eight in the evening we moved forward, steering for a long, low spit, bearing east-south-east, barely visible from Mount Parker, owing to the difficulty of distinguishing any slight rise of snow-covered land ; the weather also now inclined to sleet, which to us is quite as annoying as fog. Maj/ 12. — Shortly after midnight we crossed many tracks of bears, and about five o'clock Ursa JMajor and Minor made their appearance, trotting down very lei- surely, mistaking us, no doubt, for three fine walrus : the train was stopped, and all but the guards desinnl to lie down and keep close ; the enemy still coming on very leisurely, but evidently not at ease, ever and anon casting her black-tipped nose aloft, looking over her shoulder, and sniffing at something not pertaining to us. Afalhcureiisemenf, the wolf now showed himself, and just as we considered our game certain, made a feint in rear, spoiling all. Mamma was quite on the alert, and intent to save her cub : off they went at a canter. Our * It was then chavged with oil ; it has since b,. on dcnosilod nt the ! ti: Royal College of Surgeons -*FT" A BEAR HUNT. [Ma?/, five dogs were slipped, and tlie young men of the party followed up the hunt. GalLantly did the dogs behave, the wolf acting in concert : and at a most critical mo- ment, when Punch (our Punch) was making a deter- mined assault on the cub, mamma put her paw on him ! All was breathless suspense, for this was our pet. At this instant the wolf proved his superior tactics by at- tacking Madam in rear, when Punch was released, and escaped, not much damaged : but he was not cowed, and proved himself a fine, courageous animal. One or two ineflFectual shots were fired, and the party returned, when we renewed our journey, encamping at seven a.m. on a low spit, probably a-wash, if free Irom ice. The loss of one of the bears was much felt, our stock of food for the dogs being now nearly gone ; however, from the number of tracks, we expect soon to have more of their society. The change of travelling time entails on me the duty of watching the sun from nine a.m. until near three p.m., but does not call for any assistant ; tempera- ture at noon 44°. Before starting this evening I deter- mined on depositing the ' Hamilton' on this point, as affording the most convenient spot for sea operations, should her services be required ; and as our route now seemed to promise an almost direct journey along the land to Jones's Sound, it was not probable that we should require her aid until it became necessary to make further examination of North CornAvall in July next. Here also were deposited the return rations of five days, in iron-bound casks, for each of the two long-journey sledges, ' Londesborough' and ' Dauntless.' A very con- siderable pile was constructed of the surrounding frozen 1853.] HAMILTON DEPOT. 263 turf, and above this the boat was inverted, with her mast reversed or stepped on her keel by our mode of rig, and a large blue flag hoisted to mark this as another of our fixed stations in the survey, to which the name of Ha- milton depot was given. HAM^iiTON UEp6t. ;l ^^ H 264 >'i % t ■ ; 1, 1 i ■i i ) '.'!■ CHAPTER XI. Inconvenient elevation. — Cape Disraeli. — Inibcddiid Wlialo. — Depar- tnre of Mr. AUard. — Dctcnnination of speed. — Strait discovered. — Progress arrested by the Vack. — Snow Crystals. — Discover op(;n water. — Overland March. — Progress barred. — Fossil Station. — Deep Soinidings. — Pack Ice. — A hollow Cairn. — Cape Disappointment. — Wellington Channel. — Apparent Graves. — Pitch Slouut. — Bears. These arrangements complete, at six p.m. (temp. 5°) we moved forward, intending, as the weather proved hazy, to adhere to the tidal or land-floe crack, which would securely, although circuitously, lead us to our next po- sition ; but we were again most deceitfully led into an- other ascent, until we suddenly discovered, through the momentary cessation of drift, that we had upon this occasion rather a stecpish declivity ahead, and that avc had arrived at an elevation of at least eighty feet above the level ; and yet our men at the drag-belts had not dis- covered the increased labour due to the ascent ! Until we fairly ascertained our position further progress might entail unnecessary laboiu", as, from the distance traversed, we computed that we could not be two hours' march from our next important station ; we therefore encamped, and shortly after, on the cessation of snow, noticed, about 1853.] CAPE DISRAELI. 2G5 iv- eii op ve y. Id 0- n- lie lis ve ve is- til ht ■d, ch d, lit foiu- miles east-south-cast, tlie remarkable jutting head- land seen from Mount Parker : our delay was fortunate, and saved much labour, and possibly the destruction of the sledges. May 13.— At noon the weather was fine, moderately clear, and warm, with the temperature at 20°; latitude, 76° 44' N. At eight, with a temperature of +5°, we moved forward. Our course now lay down-hill, for the nearest floe-edge (luckily a frozen swamp or pool) be- came available, which led us out of our dilemma by its outlet to the sea, and before midnight we were encamped at the base of the remarkable headland before noticed. Mr. AUard was now ordered to complete our two sledges to forty days each, and return to the ship, replenishing at the back depots up to Princess Royal Island ; on his return from the ship, accompanied by Dr. Lyall and his ten-men sledge, he was to bring up the whale-boat, should open water render any such step advi.sable. Our party ascended the mount, elevated about eight hundred feet above the sea, from whence our immediate course and future operations would be determined. This was a critical position, involving perhaps our ultimate sue- cess or failure in reaching Jones's Sound. We had now lessened our latitude to 7(5° 41' 30" N., ten miles south of the ship's position; and here we had reached an angle, dividing two lines of advance. A wide, cai)acious channel invited to the south, possibly turning, beyond the points in view, westerly or easterly, but clearly to my mind not a navigable sea ; it might lead to Jones's Sound, but " the great object of our search" was over navigable seas, and where any party escaping would in- I ;l « I :|^: i! .'i !' V 9 206 AN IMBEDDED WHALE. [J%, fallibly leave some sign. The otlier course was due east, seen, it is true, by myscli only, almost as a dream, but so doubtfully and indistinctly to the naked eyes of others as not quite to satisfy them ; but there is no accounting for sight. Now it should be recollected that my sight was assisted by a theodolite and good telescope, through which no one else cared to look. I had seen enough to satisfy my mind. Our cairn was built, the territory duly taken possession of, and, as this sack was to be d' !y kept until my retiu-n, I thought it but prudent that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should seal it ; it was therefore named Cape Disraeli. On our ascent two ptarmigan were fired at, but the gun v/as bad and I missed kilhng, but wounded one, which probably was enjoyed by some fox. 3Ia^ 14. — On our descent we again met with another imbedded whale, and at about the same elevation. Our position at noon placed us in 76° 41' N. and about 91° 30' W., as yet to the west of Cape Hogarth, and only twenty-nine miles north of that position : I could not therefore afford delay here, without anything offering be- yond following up land traces by this channel, nor could I venture to move further soutlu'rly ; yet I felt very un- easy at lca>ing this strait unsearched. At noon the sun shone out powerfully, and dispelled some of the snow-charged vapours hanging over the out- line ; and yet the thermometer did not rise above 1 5°, and only 44° in the tent. All were absorbed in deep sleep, when suddenly, in the far east, two resplendent white caps (distant, I found, thirty-six miles) revealed them- selves, marking out the gates of our channel. An inde- scribable sensation pervaded me : I sang out, as Cohun- I 1853.1 DKPARTURE OF MR. ALLAUl). 267 I bus no doubt did to his friends, " Master ! (Mr. Loncy,) I have it." "What, Sir?" "Tiie key of Jones's Sound." Such it proved. A snore, and all again was silenee. I continued measuring base, taking angles, etc., to deter- mine the importance of Cape Disraeli as to height, etc., which resulted in eight hundred and forty feet j but sleep I found impracticable. About six P.M. the sledges were packed ; jNIr. Allard received his instructions to a particular day, then very doubtful (and not intended), when we were to meet again at Princess Royal Island : under the customary cheers, with banners displayed, we parted on opposite courses. Our journey, through a dense and almost impracti- cable pack, became very difficult, rendering it necessary to double-man our sledges by spells, and eventually v e emerged on the comparative smooth floe, having acccm- plished about half a mile in four hours. At midnight the temperature fell to — 5°. Our wolf deserted us, re- turning, I believe, with Mr. Allard, who took away three dogs : a she-bear and cub, worried by a wolf, were no- ticed at a great distance, and avoided us. The movniiig of the 15th was brilliant ; wc encamped at seven a.m., after a laboriot^s day. All the distant land was enveloped in haze, and previous excitement, added to some degree of fatigue, had induced me to sleep, so that I got up too late to catch the sun at noon : I was however very content to enjoy alone and undis- turbed the scenery which about that moment became unveiled, and, aided by sun and several of my well-fixed landmarks, I was enabled to prune the coast-line of any I \ ■11 * I 2G8 DETERMTNK RATK OF TKAVF.L. [Ma,/, clmnco crro.^. We breakfasted at four, this being Sun- day, and at six p.m., after prayers, witli a temperature of 7°, moved forward. The floe had now beeome uniformly smooth and clear of hununocks. Hitherto the rate of travel had been estimated, the efforts were irregular, and resting periods undetermined : this did not suit me. I travel always, for years past, with reels of the strongest cable-laid sewing-cotton, capable of sustaining fair weights — fourteen pounds : these I had measured before leav- ing the ship, and they were found to be very correct in length, viz. one hundred fathoms (it is marked. Patent Hue, two hundred yards) : of this line I brought eighteen reels, equal to eighteen hundred fathoms : some had been rewound on a core, with the running part from the centre, as customary in grocers' shops, etc., which prevented any chance of undue twist. These lines were intended for sounding in great depths ; and the entire loss of the line proved but a cheap mode of purchasing a valuable fact, for the failure of finding bottom in great depths is valu- able informaticm. May 10. — Making use of one hundred fathoms and the chronometer, on the principle of the log, I was en- abled to determine the period at which the sledge moved over six huiulred feet of snow ; the result, at very slow travelling, gave one mile in forty minutes. As this was easy work, I enacted that each spell should occupy forty minutes, and an interval for rest of ten minutes, securing a mean value of one mile in every fifty minutes of travel- ling; thus, in a complete day, we had, from six p.m. till midnight, six hours, — one hour for luncheon, smoking, etc., and five hours, up to six a.m., making togctlu'r J i I i.. I, 1853.] DISCOVKR THE MOUTH OF A STRAIT. 2G9 eleven hours, or 13-2 miles. I considered that eight miles was a fair mean, and fifteen an excited, journey j but on the third day from quitting Cape Disraeli wc had made good, notwithstanding the heavy difficulties attend- ing our starting, thirty-six ycotjrapMc miles. In the first instance I thought forty minutes might be deemed a long spell, but I soon ascertained that frc- ([ueutly, our time-bearer being ahead picking the road, and his signal unnoticed, that fifty-six minutes or more stole away imperceptibly. Of this however I seldom failed to learn, after pitching, by some dry remark from some of the party; they always fancied they had achieved at least fifteen miles. The reflected rays of the sun be- tween midnight and six a.m. being principally in our faces, caused much inconvenience to the eyes, and re- tarded the morning's work considerably. May 17.— The latter part of our journey lias been through rough and hummocky ice. About midnight we lunched near the first seal-hole we had noticed since passing Star Bluff' Bath ; about six a.m. we encamped on the smooth floe, but the weather was too thick to dis- tinguish any objects but our two friends, the direction bluffs (Capes Derby and Stanley), distant about five miles south-east. The temperature had now risen to 15°. On coming out at noon to obtain the latitude, the fog had dispersed, revealing to me a most interesting channel, inviting our entry : the main road was here clearly de- lineated, and studded on either side by noble, beetlino- cliff's, each exhibiting a similar dark belt of stratification above the line of lUhris, affording, to me at least, a nobler and more acceptable view than any vista of palaces. rv^T-T. 270 rnonnEss arrksted by the pack. [Maf/, , I /( In the (listnnce, where several rnngcs of intrusive huni- niooks interfered with tlie observations I wished to obtain, I couhl pcreeivc siinihir high, gohh-n-tinted chffs, just showing hke gems above the liorizon, of a bright flanie-eolour, but between them and the north land a clear gap showed the distant and free horizon. As I stood alone, all my party locked in sleep, I felt tho sullen grandeur of the scene, and looked forward, with no coirnnon feeling of interest, to place the colours of our Queen on those bright specks 1 As to disturbing niy companions, it was useless ; they would soon see enough of it, and possibly might not be over-grateful for breaking in upon some pleasant dream of very different objects. Within our grasp the accomplishment at least r this quasfio vexala appeared, to my anxious mind, cui i ; everything seemed to be in our favour, — provision, men, and high spirits ; I therefore went to my bag ! Our latitude was to a second the same as that observed under Cape Disraeli, making our course hither, due east, thirty-six geographic miles. Mai/ 17. — Temp. 22°. About seven p.m. we moved forward : I had a strong inclination to take the north- ern shore, at all events until I could gain a good eleva- tion from whence to see my way in advance.* Strange impulse ! We had reached more than mid-channel, and had lunched at the furthest limit on the floe from whence I could command the stations on each side, as well as the distant land. Here we were arrested by an imprac- ticable, heavy, and very high pack : our only resource * It was this station which served to iix all the distant objects easterly. 11', . ' .v-: » • , "!i: ( 1 1 I'K:! . ; AHl'I'd'S r,\' sY,,,i tt.^iWT.s" S''-.(t]l('i'!l ;-'m lu t;!.!-- ' !' Iic;iv\- I .. ,-'''■ ''^ '"-' ''^'' ''.'m- ;.;•,;.■ •.,..,'.! I ;• .^, , , „ ;.. l.);,-.s. ■ •'''' •' ''^ ''''i'^' '■''■ --■<■!■ r-,i;, ^',:M:l^ , „i r.fi„.r skI .. I, •'^ ' -i^T'v Mr;!!.j„-d ..pj;: r ,; :,|;;,,.s, w:,vii,..(l (.niiHJy to ,!,.. '■■ ' ^- ■ '^r:.' !T I.. .,.„, ■.,. .-,,,,_ ^;,^ : ■'"'" '■ ■ ■■ '^'''!- . iii Hi: ii- ji^c*'-' I ;„fi..i-iri ,j . ;. - •■■■ ' , ii ;i.)\v ii.:- ! r • Ulli . :i\> ■\ : Vf: ■ . .\;U: ••)•. '»' ''!•!■;. (i: V- .,1 ; .;-.,' i \ i - -v^-r :."r '-.ir .--.M.. ^i^:: }m 1^' i !• ',; *ii I 1 . ■*? ■'••> ■•V: > t*?i^'' 1853.] PECULIARITIES OF SNOW CRYSTALS.' 271 was the southern side, and tliat scarcely afforded ad- vance. The entire channel appeared to be pressed home with heavy pack, and suspicions withal. Water, a stran- ger to us for some time, might be seen in the holes ; the very cliffs themselves, frowning on either side, with their dark stratified upper features, seemed calmly to de- ride our efforts to penetrate these mysterious recesses. May 18.— While we delayed it began to snow. We had long joked on the different forms in which these crystallized particles fell, and had classed them into fa- vourable, harmless, and unfavourable. We have to deal with the favourable, or that which, falling in large, beau- tifully formed crystals, in their most elaborate degree of finish, I had termed " stars and garters," from their similarity to the star of that Order, excepting that it has eight rays, whereas Nature only gives six. It now snowed " stars and garters." Seamen are a little su- pcrstitious. I seized this as a favourable omen, and pushed for the southern shore, landing about six, when the sun shone brightly, and we obtained our time, etc. : but it soon resumed harmless snow. I succeeded in ob- taining the latitude, placing this new land in 76° 38' 21" north ; and taking possession in due form, named our di- rection heads Capes Derby and Stanley, and the terri- tory North Yorkshire. The position abounding in fossil limestone, chiefly of the Derbyshire marble, with Eniro- chi, Terebratida, etc., obtained the name of " Fossil Sta- tion." At seven p.m. we pushed forward, skirting the tidal crack : but our work was not pleasant ; the evening less so, OM ing to a south gale brewing, which, concentrated into this pipe of the channel funnel, would perhaps M I i ; t m i M ( i ,i 'l ) I i ", ft 272 DISCOVER OPEN WATER. [Ma^, cause us to lose a clay. And yet how fortunate have we been — never delayed an hour by weather ! We followed our course under the base of these beetling cliffs, shoot- ing their debris into the sea (when unfrozen). The strip available for travelhng was at times reduced to such a very steep incline of drift snow, that we were compelled to take to the rough ice. In our march round the base of the cliffs one ptarmigan was seen, and Mr. Grove killed a small hare. 3 fat/ 19. — About foiu- a.m. our further progress was arrested l)y the dense and impenetrable pack up to the cliffs : off-shore it proved still more disheartening ; had it been merely ice, through which we could have cut our way, the matter would have been simply one of labour. Mr. Loney advanced to reconnoitre, but the result of his report decidedly closed further speculation : the water had made between ! The glacier, abruptly broken off in advance, was Hea-waslicd, and the channel exhibited un- mistakable evidence of breaking up ! -A: 1863.] OVEKLAND MAKCII. 373 Tlie only alternative remaining was to pitch our tents, and cecidc on making the most of our position. I was not yet quite convinced that we miglit not, by sacrificing a mtle of that precious article— time, convey one sledge overland until we met the floe again, and, leaving tlie ' Dauntless' party here, proceed alone with the ' Londes- borough.' Thoughts and orders follow in rapid succes- sion. Our arrangements were complete by nine p.m., and the weather having changed, the double party wen' in march "over the hills" in high spirits, carrying one tent, sleeping bags, and provision for five days : if any prospect of success promised, the party would return for a sledge and further provision. This was a change, a cheerfid change, too, from our dilennna,— and what is not to well-disposed men?— and we had the pickings of a very fine crew, relieving some of those likely to suffer from the crew of the 'Enterprise.' About noon we lunched on Victoria Peak, North Yorkshire, elevated about fifteen hundred feet or more above the sea, enlivened by a beautiful midnight sun, clear, and temperature 18°. But our fate was decided • not only open water from shore to shore, close up to our late encampment, prevailed, but the entire sea, east- erly as well as northerly, was nai'i(jahle, streaked only by sai.ling ice. But although checked for a time in this direction, from this elevation other objects for ' Hope' and ' Enterprise' discovered themselves : north-westerly new islands showed out, and afforded reason to hoi)e, disappointed as we nuist feel in not placing the confir- matory cylinder on Austin's cairn, or exchanging oui-s for it m Jones's Sound, that we saw its commandinfr VOL. I. ^ i!,i \-\ hi. \l I • i 11 r ■ I 274 FURTHER PROGRESS BARRED. [May, hcndland, niul Imd now the prospect of adding furthor lands to J lev Majesty's Polar territories in the north- west. But we had not yet finished ; the furthest avail- able station must be reached, and the colours planted on the eastern head of this new strait. jVr/t/ 20. — At seven a.m. (temp. 20°) we reached the bounding cliif, possibly fifteen hundred feet above the sea, which was named, in compliment to one of our ban- ner ladies, Britannia Cliffs : beyond this, advance was absurd, but not impracticable for possibly three miles, but only to descend to the floe, and reaseend with loss of strength, etc. I determined therefore to be content with my position, and make good my ground, preferring complete observations to any puerile attempt at enlarg- ing my " streak upon paper" at the expense of want of verification (English, triffh). We surveyors know the value ^f " taking time by the forelock :" that only could indelibly establish our furthest, as well as the position of the extreme land in sight. Here we stood on this noble headland on the 20th of May, in a bright, warm sun, in latitude 76° 30' 42" north, and eastward of 90° west, with an open navigable sea below us : yes ! the " Polar Sea," for aught any man knows to the contrary, beneath us ; to the south-cast- ward several large arms, or inland rivers of some extent, penetrating, even visibly to us, deeply into the land, form- ing probably other islets, and connecting eventually with Jones's Strait or Sound. On this bare, bleak mountain, having obtained all that was required, I at length went to sleep, and for the first time probably disappointment and fatigue rendered my nap sound. The land on the q\)- 1858.] RETURN TO FOSSIL STATION. 275 posite side of this strait was clearly an island, to which I gave the name of North Kent, and to the south-eastern conspicuous cape. Prince Edward's Cape; the remaining remarkable extremes I leave for Her Majesty's pleasure. May 21.— After building a large stone cairn, having placed others on four different hills, and deposited the customary records, we struck our tent at nine p.m. (temp. 20 ), and, retracing our steps, reached our rendezvous about three a.m. ; made coffee to recruit the men, and then moved westerly to obtain a more sheltered posi- tion for repose. During our absence, a bear had been noticed sauntering about the bay. but, even with one man in charge, did not approach the tent. We were much deceived in the distance, and when we pitched, 'Dauntless' was at least two miles behind. At noon 1 was the only unfortunate gazing at the sun. I found here a splinter, or cortical layer, of a pine-tree, not aged Waiting until ten p.m. for ' Dauntless,' we moved for- ward, reaching our old encampment at Fossil Station about 1.30, where we pitched: the weather now be- came cold, attended with sleet and bad-omened snow About three the ' Dauntless' rejoined, and, the weather havmg improved, we ascended the commanding hei-ht near Cape Derby, in the hope of being able to make out (bemg fifteen miles nearer) our new islands to the north- west. The temperature was 14°, but bitter cold from the south-east, and the driving snow, just before we gained the summit, destroyed every prospect. This mountain, unhke any we have seen, is composed near its summit of grauwacke slate, of which, as it furnished noble building slabs, we constructed our cairns. On our return to the t2 ^F m J ijfi '"!■ Il ! J" 'Mi i ': 276 NO SOUNDINGS WITH 400 FATHOMS. [Mai/, tent \vc found the weather perfectly mild. Since our last visit the snow had nearly disappeared, and revealed five circles of stones, marking probably the resting-places of Esquimaux, but very old : they could never have occurred there by any freak of Nature. Our place of encampment was also a strange accumulation of fossiliferous rounded rocks. This position afforded us the first opportunity of determining the rates of our chronometers, which appear to have behaved well ; one being my own, well tried for twenty-three vears, I knew the value of, but the other belonged to Government. At seven p.m. we moved forward against a cold, bleak, north-west breeze, and about midnight fell upon oiur out- ward track, and lunched at one of our former stations, near the seal-hole. Such an opportunity was too valu- able to lose, and I here tried for soundings in the seal- hole with a two-pound lump of lead, and the cottons (to which I have already alluded) : four reels rapidly va- nished, but no bottom, with four hundred fathoms in the strait. The current was found to set very strong to the west {tnie). About six A.M. on the 23rd we pitched about two miles in advance of one of our late bivouacks. The sun again lent his cheering rays, but, "after recent expo- sures," attended by unmistakable appearances of thaw in the strait, not unattended by the drawback that it might break up the pack before we reached Cape Disraeli, I possibly was not so grateful for his presence as I might have felt at any other period. Breaking up " the pack" and breaking up " the floe" are so widely distinct, that I think some explanation is needed ; in few words, there- 1853.J IIEMAIIKS ON PACK ICE. 277 fore, the floe is n lioniogcneoiis frozen mass, of possibly miles in extent, averaging from three feet to three feet six inches, or four feet, in thickness ; it is tough, elastic, not easily upset, and impermeable to the sea ; but the pack, being but a collec ion of bits of floe, or bay ice, broken into pieces of every size and in every imaginable idea of confusion, at one place two feet, at another twenty or thirty, and only cemented by casual freezing, tumbles asunder by its own inequality of weight, rending the heavier from the lighter by any slight access of tempera- tm-c, or still more vigorously by cracking and letting the warmer sea — at this period never below 295° — flow in between the joinings. Such a body of ice is at all times suspicious ; we look upon it in the light of sedition in the camp, and calculate pretty correctly that the si)ring will relieve us of such lubbish when we can cut through the simple three-feet ice and persuade it to float out of our way. On the 25th, being then near to the entrance of the southern lead from Cape Disraeli, I moved towards the eastern peninsula, in order to erect a beacon, directing the ' Dauntless' to pitch on our old outward track, near the pack, and aAvait my regaining. Our tent was pitched about a mile from the shore, at the verge of the rough ice, from whence we walked to the shore, ascending the crest of a very remarkable little peninsiUa, forming a deep bay within it to the southward : from hence I saw down the throat of this strait, nearly due south, but it was too hazy to obtain any satisfactory clue. Construct- ing a substantial rocky pile, of five feet base by eight feet four inches in height, we returned to oiu' tent, re- i«M»«V«PW*> tm* H ■ i S' 278 RKTURN TO CAPK DISRAKLI. [May, joined ' Dauntless,' and proceeded on to Cape Disraeli. Our old friend, the wolf, now rtvjoined, but the charm was broken ; the ktiif no longer existed : he had better ke(;p out of range : I had lost all confidence hi his " trusty" and honest intentions ; he was henceforth a victim to science, if taken, and might eventually figure in one of our national nmscums : T find Parry did not obtain one. About six A.M. on the 25th wc took possession of our old (piartcrs under Cape Disraeli : bears, both old and young, had been searching ; but it is strange that they did not devour our fat pork, bacon rinds, etc., which were still apparent and untouched. I resolved now to search this southern channel, and therefore sent the crew of the ' Dauntless' to rebuild, on a larger scale, our upper mark on this cape : I considered it yet possible that some sharp turning easterly might again throw us into some connection with another channel leading to Jones's Strait. ]VIy own preconceived opinion, ui August, 1832, relative to the vapour or apparent smoke seen from the deck, and reported from the crow's-nest " as fog rising from water behind the range of mountains," now recurred to me. It was clear to my mind that there was abundant water to produce any quantity of such vapours ; and our position here being but twenty-eight miles and three- ((uartcrs north of my position on Point Hogarth, and, deducting eighteen miles for the interval of land, there was yet abundant scope for any channel taking an east- erly course. On the 26th, at seven p.m., we started on this explo- ration, under sail; a fresh snow-storm breeze sent us / 1853.] DISCOVER A HOLLOW CAIRN. 279 1 unpleasantly fast over the rough floo, endangering the sledge: it was very similar to that encountered in the creek in Northumberland Sound, in April, but the ico was less undulatory. In order therefore to avoid this, wo hauled close in to the land, ranging the snow line, just within the tidal ridge, or where the land-water would leave level surfaces. The 'Dauntless* being yet far astern, we delayed for her coming up, erecting several piles, and examined one on a Jiill, Avhich had deceived us considerably. Once I became entirely cut off by a snow-storm; and being alone, and fearing the sledge might move forward and miss me, at the rapid rate it travelled, left me not very comfortable. On the ' Dauntless' rejoining and weather thickening, we pitched for the night under shelter. At seven p.m. on the 27th, the weather having slightly improved, we moved forward, directing Mr. Grove, of the ' Dauntless,' to erect a beacon on the opposite shore. We steered for the base of a very remarkable hill, which jutted considerably into the channel, on the opposite side, where Mr. Grove had been instructed to rejoin me : having lunched there, we conuncnced the ascent, merely intending to place a pile on the first level. A brace of })tarmigan led me higher, one of which the gun killed, when I noticed a structure over my head which seemed to offer materials for a cairn : as I neared it I began to trace the operation of art, and a few moments sufficed to place me beside a cairn, or hollow dome, constructed by man, and evidently of comparatively recent date ! This required attention : the stones were carefully removed, the minutest piece of moss or snow being searched for I '>^ ir^- I II t 1 1 \ 1 \ : ( f * i! 280 UKSCIUl'TION Ol CAIRN. {May, any relic stovvwl bctwi'cn, wliich \\\\^\\. iitford sonic liglit lis to its fonuation, or by whom. \Vc were totally unsuc- cessful ; it th(!ruforc only rcnuiins for nic to describe its construction. It was a double cone, behig about eight feet on the axis and about the same at its greatest diameter: the rough computation at the time gave about forty courses of stone, varying from two to four incihes, all parallel, selected slabs, and sonu; appeared too heavy for any pair of our men to transport even for a few yards. These stones were not similar to those in the inmiediate vicinity, but were evidently obtained from a lower sand- stone level ; how they could have been brought up to this ])osition was ])('rplexing. The surroundhig stones were all of large size, and would possibly afford some, but none of the peculiar gritty sandstone of which the upper and larger tablets were composed. The internal height, excepting in the centre, Avas not above four feet ; and the interior appeared, as each slab was removed, to have been very carefully filled in with small flat stones and moss, and yet no moss was to be found growing near it in any direction ! It was ninrHh vwss, and must 1853. CAl'K DISAPPOINTMENT. 281 linve been hronglit from below. 'Die oriricc at the apex was about three feet in diameter, and the coverin{?-stonc had be(!n left open, by which it became partially filled with snow. Tiie general impression was that it was of recent constmction : no trace of age was visible, although every adjacent stone on the mount bore a most rugged, barren, weather-worn, and lichen-covered aspect. I would have named it Mount Desolation, but Cape Disappoint- ment was substituted. Every instant I expected to hear some shout of sur- prise ; but all was mystery,— no document, European or Esquimaux. Its position was in itf-lf curious, standing on a shoulder of the hill, commanding a view up and down the strait, and about five hundred feet above the level ; the ascent also very fatiguing. I cannot imagine it to be a cache, for it would be mere anmsemcnt to a bear to dismantle such a structure. At one time I fancied it built for temporary shelter; but it was a work of too much time for such an object, and, situated as this was, no such idea could be entertained. On reaching the liase we were rejoined by the ' Daunt- less,' and again moved forward; Mr. Grove had killed one ptarmigan. They were again despatched on a spe- cial mission to the opposite coast, whilst we continued along the western shore. Proceeding to the nearest spit point, wc pitched, and fortunately killed two ptarmigan. The coast here is cut up l)y mountain streams (when do they run ?) into all imaghiablc terraces and ravines, lead- ing one to imagine that at some time this strait must be all in commotion ; possibly it froze when it last was so, for the ice at present does not lead one to imagine that I ' r 282 REACH TTARMIOAN STATION. [71%, i' b' B Vi I, it has thawed for ages ! — heavy, wavy, whitish-bkie ice, but partially covered with snow, and presenting more of lake than sea formation. When these rivers are set in motion by the thaws, it is not improbable that they flow over the ice and freeze immediately. The temperature on the land when thaw occurs at present I find, at three feet above the earth, to range between 20° and 24°, when at the same moment it would exhibit a temperatiu'e as low as 14° on the floe surface : the thaw therefore must result from the absorption of heat by the oai'th and stones alone during the day. The latitude of this position Avas 76° 34' N., and it received the appellation of Ptarmigan Station from the birds killed here, as well as being our first fresh /ia(f- mcal obtained from our guns. The soil composing this point being a very fine sand, covered hevu and there with patches or tufts of saxifrage, without a trace of rock, com- pelled us to construct our pile of the tufts, cemented with moist snow and sand, which, freezing as we progressed, led us to hope that it might at least hold together until our next station was established. On the 28th of May, the temperature having risen, wc were incommoded by a fall of moist snow, sufficiently heavy to detain us to clear out and restow our sledge, so that we did not succeed in quitting our position until near nine, which delay enabled our consort, the ' Daunt- less,' to rejoin, when we proceeded towards the southern depth of the bay, estimated as distant five miles, and not at all indicating any prospect of an opening. If one trusted merely to appearances in this service, he would most assm'cdly, in many cases, be deceived ; 1853.] VIEW OV WELLINGTON CHANNEL. 283 ; and it is one of the unpleasant duties connected witli search of the nature imposed on us, that tlie truth must be proved, not guessed. Forward we moved, and at midnight, enjoying a brighter sun than we had expcri- enced for many days, halted to lunch at its eastern depth, fully believing that our journeying in this direc- tion was at an end. During the period allowed for this meal, I ascended the hill immediately above, and there detected that two low, overlapping points, immediately beneath, concealed a narrow channel connecting another great bay, and that further progress was available at least five miles, and in the distance an extensive floe- covered sea could be traced to the horizon : that sea, I knew at once, could be no other than the Wellington Channel ; and thus were we rewarded for our i)ersisting against hope, and, I may say, strong opinion, by the dis- covery which was now presented. Moving forward with much improved spirits, we soon opened out a new scene, and passing through a very nar- row gorge, not exceeding an eighth of a mile in width, found ourselves within a spaciou basin, extending to the south-east and south-west. The ice within the points im- mediately changed its character from the common smooth travelling, snow-covered floe, to the bared, undulated ice noticed generally in deep creeks, rendering our footing very insecure, and sledge-travelling troublesome. Abou't four A.M. we reached the south-eastern angle of the basin, where a narrow tortuous channel, still aff"ording sledge movement, appeared to connect the two seas by tidal lakes, and this very apparent by the occurrence of fre- C|uent pyramidal breaks, occasioned by the rise and fall of tide over the rocks subjacent. ^\ I;. i ii Ifi t Jl I n II ' 'I .1' ' i! 284 FjaST FRESH RUNNING STREAM. [il%, During the examination of some of these irregularities on one of tlie upper levels, by the aid of axes, etc., the water was detected running in a pretty smart current beneath, and, on tasting, proved to be sufficiently fresh for washing pm-poses, thus affording to our crews a very unexpected treat : at one spot we found also pure, fresh, lively aerated water, the first we had noticed since the previous August. To explain the importance of such a discovery, it will be merely necessary to observe, that all our water obtained hitherto involved an expense of fuel, by thawing snow, and therefore it was a most pre- cious commodity. It had been our general practice, as far as saving of fuel would permit, to warm sufficient water daily to afford some kind of ablution, more parti- cularly to the cook, and this was foimd very materially to refresh and invigorate the crew, as well as to conduce to their general health. Washing and drinking therefore became the fashion at this " watering-place," and in these excesses they were suffered to indulge during our deten- tion, much to their improvement in general health and comfort, as well as in personal appearance. Leaving our hands thus engaged, and pitching the tents, I commenced a stroll up the mountain immedi- ately overlooking. It is ciu-ious at times to reflect how this habit of strolling, and without any sensation of fatigue after a hard day's travel, finds one unconsciously, and I might say injudiciously, perched high above his friends, unprepared and imarmed for offence or defence. I had in this man- ner reached a connnanding elevation of fourteen hundred feet, aftbrdhig a magnificont view of most of my well- known objects in Wellington Channel ; — Cape Majendic, 1863.] APPARENT GRAVES DISCOVERED, 285 Dundas and Hamilton Islands, westerly ; and to the cast- ward Cape Hogarth and nature's own cairn were clearly defined. But I had brief time to dwell on these objects: my attention was arrested by two structures, not many yards from where I stood, and, from their outlines, ex- citing greater interest than the caini noticed on Mount Discovery. These were apparently graves, and, to my senses, raised by European hands ; moreover, in no sin- gle feature did they resemble anything hitherto noticed among Esquimaux. I approached, examined them, and still felt more convinced that in the present case my con- jectures were well founded. My first impression was to remove the slabs, and proceed to the examination, but they Wore very heavy ; and it occurred to me that the disturbance, as well as examination, should be under- taken by other parties present to witness the result. I therefore desisted, revolving in my mind, during my re- turn to the tent, the discovery of the before-mentioned cairn and these two objects, and fully prepared to expect some result throwing satisfactory light on the object of our Expedition. The direction of these structures was cast and west {true) : the length too great for the body of any Esqui- maux, being about seven or eight feet, and three feet in width: each end was terminated by three slabs, over- lying each other in gradation, and to my ideas intended I ii! \'^ i • ( * 1 I 1 •: i W' '11 .'I It 286 LARV/E OF FLIES. [7l%, ' I! to represent head and foot stones. If one such structure had been a freak of Nature, she seldom repeats sucli freaks within thirty yards. 7l/«y 30. — About six p.m. the sledge crews separated ; that of the ' Dauntless' to examine the outer remark- able headlands, and erect conspicuous cairns, and our own party to search these structures and the general fea- tures of the coast easterly. After a very close examination, removing every loose stone to the foundation in the solid rock, not a vestige of anything but black dead moss was discovered, and portions of this so blackened and pressed that it was at first mistaken for human hair ; however, after due exami- nation under the microscope, and subjection to fire, its >'egetable origin was clearly proved. At the very base, interspersed in the moss, numerous minute black cells, subsequently proved to be the chrysalis coverings of mi- nute flies,* were detected, — which leads to the inference that these may have been caches for deer, etc. That these formations were constructed by human hands, I have not the sHghtest doubt, — moreover, in all probability, by the same tribe which raised the cairn ; but for what purpose remains still a matter of perplexity. If for a cache, what necessity for moss ? for no moss or vegetable production exists on this mount, and all this is withered : beneath, near our tent, moss was very abun- dant. But if they abstracted their food, why cover the spots again so mysteriously ? * These larvre and chn'salidcs in 185 !■ were discovered in peat near onr winter station : they probably belong to the ninains of lennnings, which resort to hollows nndcr stones for shelter. / I I ''5 1853.] GRAVE MOUNT. 287 From these now demolished structures wc constructed a very substantial cairn, seven feet in diameter by nine in height, stripping the pseudo-graves to their bases, which we found to be excavated out of the solid rock. But from whence these heavy, durable slabs were ob- tained still remains a mystery, as the rock composing the surface of this mount was chiefly of a loose, rubbly, fossiliferous limestone, hardly cohering sufficiently for re- moval in tolerably sized plates for constructing our pile, and between the laminae abounding in Tcrebrafulce, En- trochi, etc. None of the supposed grave-slabs were of this very loose character, and although we visited two other stations on this same range, the stone was found to be still more rotten and rubbly,— exhibiting however cokunnar bits of two feet in length by about four to six inches sq-iare. Nothing at the base favoured any forma- tion of solid stone, and the only position not examined Avas on the north steep incline, where it appeared to have a slaty structure; but that would require great labour to transport up at least a hundred feet of hill, and tools also to work withal. By trigonometric measurement the height of this hill, to which the name of Grave Mount was given, was found to be fourteen hundred feet, and our position at its base to be in latitude 7C° 23' north, differing but ten miles in latitude from my position on Cape Hogarth. Moving to thi eastern summit of this range, which completely connnanded all the features of Prince Alfred Bay, stations were taken up, wliicli com- pletely confined its limits, reducing it somewhat from its former dimensions. At this moment all our cairns were purposely constructed to aid in any operations hereafter I a '< , I h) \» r 'I ;'M h' ,Pj ,; n\ ' ■ 288 PRINCE ALBERT S ISLAN'I). [JJaf/, from Wellington Channel ; and, curiously enough, our de- tention in the following August rendered thcni important aids in fixing our positions, whilst drifted to and fro by the moving floe. The strait connecting the two seas received the name of Arthur's Strait, in compliment to the Prince, as well as to the Duke, his noble namesake. The range behind was named the Douro Range. Tho 'Dauntless' party returned from their labours neariy about the same moment that we reached the tents, having done good service about nine miles to the w^est, where two more conspicuous cairns attested oiu' right to territory on what must now be termed Prince Albert's Island. The following day was passed much in a similar man- ner, with the difference of our party visiting the most conspicuous outer headland, immediately on the verge of Wellington Channel, and about nine miles from our en- campment. This position enabled me, by direct refer- ence to our cairn on Cajjc Hogarth, to verify all longi- tudes in connection with Beechey Island, and to confine Baillie, Hamilton, and Dundas Islands within limits easterly. The day pioved bitter cold for handling metal instruments, and the vapour which floated in the air, al- though imperceptible to us, constantly impeded my ope- rations by forming a thick incrustation of ice whenever the object-glass was exposed to the breeze; the sleet also covered the instrument with a fine sheet of filmy ice, which destroyed its motion. One deer was seen, and my coxswain (one of Sir John Richardson's land party) sent to kill it, but was unable to get within range : if [ ;i '■ i. i 1853.] SHORT PERIOD OF SLEI'I'. 289 was very small, not exceeding the size of a small calt or goat, and was fiu-nished with a pair of small, flat horns, which some of our men, not inappropriately, compared to the sails of a windmill. This night travelling has, I find, a very peculiar effect on my constitution. I am not much addicted to sleep at any time, and obtain but little calculated to support my constitution; but on the march, generally about two a.m., or after luncheon, I am frequently seized with an uncon- querable and very painful stupor, compelling me to lie down or sit on the sledge during the ten-minute halts. Today I was compelled to do so in this bitter cold ; fortmiately however finding an easy chaT formed by Nature out of some limestone rocks, which protected me from the breeze. The doze ranges between ten and fif- teen minutes, is heavy and concentrated, and seems to satisfy nature : at least I find myself reUeved,— at the ex- pense however of none during the allotted period for rest. I scarcely touch spirits for days,~never at these times, —one day's allowance (one gill) being sufficient for five or six days. I recollect one occasion, when a long e::- posure between Liverpool and the Ribble had exhausted me, that some kind friends noticing my head to fall at evening service, most charitably attributed it to inebria- tion. The truth was, that I had been all night and two days without food, and had drunk too much sea air. The outer headland visited by us stands al)out one mile within the Wellington Channel waters, the interval being covered by a low, marshy belt projecting seaward, and thus forming an ojjposite bay to that of Prince Alfred. This fine height I named Mount Pym, after my est(;emed VOL. I. y M' \$ ! Ill' I, it;. 'i i^fr 1 |m ■ i '' I .^ ,^ / 1 ■ u 1 i u 290 CONNECTION OF THE TWO SEAS. [May, friend Admiral Sir Samuel Pyra, his grandson also being my boat companion From this height, in conjunction with Grave Mount, I plainly traced the connection of the two seas by two large lakes, with one of fresh water feeding them.* Here I first noticed the effect of a tnie fog. Our temperature was 17°, with a bitter north breeze, but the air was clear, and objects well defined. Notwithstand- ing, the vapour condensed on every object; and the coldest, our heavy stone cairn, was, before we left it, a polished cone on the weather side, with the r'^ocmblance of icicles, or thaw, pendent from the under edges ! Sub- sequently, at other stations I remarked the same. Here the ground was snow-clad, the sun had no influence at midnight, and the temperature was 15° below frcezhig; yet the atmosphere, northerly, was clearly "misty:" does this come from the Polar Sea ? We were naturally anxious to get back to ouv tent, from which our computed distance was 9.2 miles direct. We reached it in five hours and a half, slept, and about nine p.m. on the 31st commenced our ret irn up this strait, picking up a new station at Pitch Mount, which derived its name from a very strong naphtha and asphalt effluvium, added to its swinestone formation. Mr. Grove had ascended it by another route; and hiforming mo that he had passed a small mark, which he would not allow any of his people to disturb, I visited it in my way down. Excitement in every degree seems to pervade * This has since been named Grinnell Land, but not by nic. I (h-ny the possibility of its being seen by any vessel fi'om any point of llio parallel of 75° .30' north : Hamilton Island may. I 1853.] PECULIAR riLF OF STONES. 291 this channel. On reaching tlu; mark I found a still more perplexing puzzle than any we had yet met with. Solid and heavy structures we well know are capable of resist- ing the pressure of snow, wind, etc. ; but here was a pile, consisting of five or six stones, constructed with such raatheniatical ability by the hand of man, that it was at present firm and complete, but tottering if any one stone was abstracted ! To argue against the visit of man up this channel is absurd : man built this cairn ; all these objects lie in his direct path, and he selected heights. As to the ability of the Western Esquimaux, I have many convincing speci- mens of their workmanship, evincing a high degree of intelligence, and a wonderful habit of adaptation of the means to their object. If these structures had been of this season, 1 should have imagined that Commander Pulle.1 or Mr. M'Cormick's people had forestalled me in this channel : but the oi)erations are, on mature reflec- tion, too laborious for Europeans. They are the result l^f long delay and constant application, to serve some important purpose,— at least deemed to be so by the con- structors. u .:.' }k! ! 'i * k t' ill II:' 1 u in •>0"2 .V I' fW VISIT or A HKAll, \Jinir, Shoul(l(!ring my gun, T snllicd forth ncross ilio Imy, prepared eitlier for bear or i)tiirinifi!in, and visited Dauntless Pile, wlici'i-, after a eool walk for some iiours, investigating every rock of wliieli it ia comi)osed, — and a fine green porjjhyry was ouiongst them, — my crew re- joined, and we moved on to slee[) at I'tarmigan Station. I wna not in good spirits, for a most troid)lesome swell- ing of my right cheek (earhuncle) worried me despe- rately. One never likes to cut oneself up, particularly in ':ich cold weather; and had I been so (lisi)osed, could not see to do it. For my own part I attributed it to eating pemmican ; others, to not eating enough : doctors disagree. At this station we had an oj)portunity to sleep without disturbance from the sun at noon, as it com- menced blowing luipleasantly from the north-west, at- tended with heavy snow. June 1. — At seven p.m. the wind fell, and with a tem- perature of 20° we reconnnenccd onr journey. Shortly after midnight a bear was seen coming down full trot right before the wind, the weather proving hazy withal : wc all lay close, both sledges in line and duly prepared, my coxswain having one double-barrel, myself the other, and i\Ir. Grove behind with his rifle. Bears arc verv humorous, and even funny, in th(>ir way. Suddeidy he seemed to tlnnk he had left something behind, or he had mistaken his objects ; possibly he deemed that we were too large for seals, and making an awkward bow, as I thonght, within forty yards, was on the retreat : five barrels were discharged, dogs set on, and the hunt com- menced. I remained by the sledges, leaving the yonnger ones to tire themselves, and <|uietly measured the dis- Vl I » 1 i-'- ^ 1858.] ('URIOUS I'ASTIMK OK A HIIK-HKAU. 2!)3 i tance to wlicro he was, wlum T fired : this I found, to my surprise, to he one hiuuh-ed and forty-six yards. Still, it the guns had been good, our game would have been secured, the dogs M, and wo shouhl have saved very valuable fuel. The party returned unsuccessful. Punch alone would not give up;* his tongue was heard long after ; and when it ceased, 1 felt very much afraid that he would tire hinis<;lf and become an easy victim : but bears will run, and are not very anxious to face a dog. We pushed on for Tongue Point, and there pitched. More bears ! I was busy on the Point with the instru- ment, watching for an object, when I noticed a lady and her cub, amusing themselves, as I imagined, at a game of romps, but the old lady was evidcmtly the more ex- cited. Possibly no such opportunity has before been afforded to any naturalist of witnessing quietly the hu- mours or habits of these animals. At first the motions of the mother appeared to me as ridiculously absurd, or as if she was teaching her cub to perform a summer- set, or something nearly approaching it : but the cub evinced no interest, no participation in the sport — indeed moved off and lay down, apparently to sleep. The antics too of the mother were too distant froin the cub to prove instructive. I will endeavour to convey my impression of the exhibition, as viewed through the telescope, at a distance of a quarter of a mile, as well as the object on which she appeared intent. It nuist first be borne in mind that a bear of such dimensions as that before me would weigh about six and a half or seven hundrcd- * Punch is one ol' the C^apc York doiis, now at the Zoolo{,'ical Gai'- -e.—AVatercour.ses. — Wounded l'cl)l)les.— Surface Disturbances. — Ca])e Ogle. — Water-fowl. — Lemuiiufis.— Star Blulf. — Jveturn to the Sliip. June 3. — This being our third visit to this station, it atfordcd a good rating position for the chronometers, and served to secure all our operations easterly : it had idso the advantage of being fm-ther tested by a complete chain of triangulation, carried through Arthiu-'s Strait and into connection with our first position at Cape Ho- jiarth. Quitting this about 6.30 p.m., we pushed for- ward towards the Hamilton Depot, in order to pick up the boat and vejoiu our r(.'inforcement at Princess Royal Island. About midnight we reached tlc^' lioat, lunched, took out our provision and boat, reb \ui. the pile, and moved forward, clogged a little by the additional labour recjuired for the ' Hamilton,' but succeeded notwithstand- ing in gaining our old quarters, mulor Cape Parker, by seven a.m. This distance, from iie fact of knowing the l)est road, and behig altogether in better travelhng disci- K ■■I , r /: I lij. i it? ; ■f M i':', It ■ I I I 298 REVISIT MOUNT I'AHKER. [J/(HP, plino, was now nccomj)lishe(l in twelve honrs ; the out- ward journey occupied tliirty-six hours, or tlnrc traveling days ! A bear came; hohlly down upon us, and probably w^ould have afforded us fuel and dog's-meat ; but, fortu- nately for him, my coxswain, when last in chase of the old lady and her cub, had loaded with snow before the powder, which was now^ found useless, and further en- tailed great difficulty and delay in discharging, reload- ing, etc., independent of crippling the lamrod. Bruin made off very leisurely, yet still continued to evince con- siderable curiosity. Three of our party volunteered to accompany him, but he was very suspicious, vouchsafing them very little attention, and merely increasing his i)ace from tune to time to preserve u dignified distance, which having attained, he leisurely turned round to scan his impertinent intruders. As our affairs did not admit of delay, we were soon a/ route : on crossing the flats, now barely skinned >\itli dirty ice, we noticed fragments of coal, chert, shells, etc., which had been washed up pro- bably last season. About seven p.vi. on the 4th, the 'Dauntless' and the ' Hamilton' were despatched in advance, our party as- cending the mount, in order to obtain, if possilde, the bearhig, as well as the best route through the off-lying pack to our new islands. Fi'om the summit they were barely seen, but I had a very clear view^ of the eastern boundary of North Cornwall, confirming my idea of its being an island ; no land intervened between it and the ca})ped hills of our northern group. Even to have seen them was satifiiactory, for those wlu) did not view them ihrough the instrument deemeil them imaginary. In I i I? KS53.J I'ATCIIES or WATER NOTICED. 299 the north-west direction the sea presented several large pools and lanes leading towards Table Island and west- erly; but this was more especially evident in those localities where I knew the tide to prevail with peculiar force. Several snow-bnntings and two plovers were noticed. One or two luni])s of inferior coal, jutting out f)f the general lUhris of mud and limestone ; one rocky clump of clay ironstone, nmch broken up by frost into large rhomboidal masses, and some few i)ieces of selenite were picked up. One would almost imagine that this particular mineral had the value of gold ; it was secreted by the finders, and obtained a variety of names,— that most prevalent was mica or talc. Shortly after mid- night wi; moved forward to rejoin the ' Dauntless,' which, although hampered by the boat, had gained greatly in advance. The sun was oppressive, and as our men were much fagged, we pitched, at the usual hour, about half- Avay between Cape Parker and Princess Royal Island, and one mile from the ' Dauntless.' Shortly before noon, whilst engaged in taking my customary round of angles, 1 noticed three dark objects in the field of the telescope, and that they were in motion on the side of a hill : it was very soon evident that they were musk-oxen, the first clear proof which we had of their existing on this side of the Queen's Channel. I also noticed on the iniKT end of Princess Royal Island a cairn and staff, by which I felt assured that our relief party had arrived, and, curi- ously enough, to the very day I appointed, although I did not intend to meet them when T parted with Mr. Allard. On the nth, about eight i- m., we moved forward for the island ; the weather hazy and unpromishig. Shortly 300 mi. LYALI- AND MU. AF-LAKI) JOTN. IJiinc, W: S\ \ ! I| '^ I before eleven we noticed a flag on tlie south beacon, and a party was discovered advancing to meet iis from that direction. A little before midnight I had the pleasm'c of shaking hands with Dr. Lyall and Mr. Allard. They had reached the rendezvous, iiccording to arrangement, the night before, bringing the latest intelligence from Commander Richards, as well as the missing despatch(;s, which were found on the second attempt (accompanied by Dr. Lyall) just where they should have been on the first visit, had proper vigilance been observed. After luncheon we moved forward to the north end of the island, where the other sledges v/ere directed to as- semble, bringhig up the depot. Time being now a valu- able commodity, I ascended the peak of the island, and fortunately obtained the most important stations : I also saw our new islands, and thus I imagined all doubt was silenced. A much increased cairn was erected, and we returned to our tents. The so-termed " despatches" did not contain one line from the Admiralty ; they were simply service letters or official returns from Commander PuUen. By this con- veyance I received details of Commander Inglefield's proceedings and discoveries in the ' Isabel,' at Whale, Smith, and Jones's Sounds, and I now regretted that he had not been able to obtain one satisfactory line to my eastern headland from that side ; but the cheering intelh- gence that the Squadron generally were all supposed to be pursuing satisfactorily, and without obstruction, their several allotted duties, was matter of congratulation : so far all well. Next, my despatches from Commandei Richards were very satisfactory; the rendezvous, ditl'er- % 1853. J I'KF.rARATION FOK SEARCH NORTFIKRLY. 301 iiig only u few miles in latitude, had boon visited, but no accounts of Captain Kellett or his division. Mr. Her- bert, the last detached ofHeer from Commander Richards, had returned, reportinp:, "Ail well, doing well, and in higli spirits; Lieutenant May yet expected." The wind had now set in strong from the northward and westward, attended by thick weather and snow. About two A.M. the relief party rejoined, bringing up the depot from the southern shore. June 7. — I had now made my arrangements to pro- ceed with the ' Hamilton,' accompanied by the ' Lady Iranklin,' Dr. Lyall, with fifteen days' provision, to the islands, and to send the sledge and tent, with remaining provisions (fifteen days'), to the mainland, inside of the island. The ' Enterprise' and ' Dauntless,' taking up all caches, were to remove them, depositing at Star \\\\\[\ five days', at Depot Bay five days', and Villi'gc Point five days', and bearing additional orders to the Command ini? Otficer at the ship to send Mr. Pym with the light whale- boat, alxxady fitted under my o\vn inspection as an ice- boat, to be in readiness to aid should the water make from Village Point. At first I had intended to go alone, but I soon })rr- ceived that tli(! crew coidd not drag thirty days' i)rovision in the boat alone, added to instruments and otii-r lieavv requisites. It was fortunate that I changed my puri)():-e in time ; a few hours later would have (^ntailed greater hibour than we alone coidd have mastered. Our num- bers now amounted to eighteen men and officers, witii seventeen days' provision. Two men were sent l)ack with instructions "lliat 'Dauntless' crew were to await :* J ',; ;302 LOST DOG REOOVKRLl). {.Tune, This was luistakcu, P' 1 Itt^li I I ^ my return, niul guard the tent.' failed ; and we lost thereby, in all prol)al)ility, the musk- oxen and other gan\(!. The York biteli, supposed to have been nuu'dered by some bear or wolf, aft(;r twcnfj/- two daj/8^ absence, rejoining in apparent good condition, was sent back with these men.* June 8. — The rough pack ice presented serious and tiresome difficulties, and the occasional appearance of water, into which our men frequently put their boots knee- deep (without hijury or wet), damped, I fear, for a time, the ardour of some of our new hands ; but the old i)arty knew as well as 1 did that we should soon find tlu! old tioe, over which we had travelled safely, at no great dis- tance. Many random shots were fired, none told ; the " flying islands," " water making," and other such hints, all passed by harndess ; my determination was not easily set aside ; on we went in silence, but tongues were loos- ened as we reached the solid smooth floe. Countenances varied as the Aveather improved : what wonders the sun eftects, even in these climes ! On the 9th, the outlines of the northern land began to make clearly, indeed to loom large ; our principal difficulties had been surmounted or ceased ; the ice was firm, the tloe smooth, and no trace of open water coidd be discovered. Bear-tracks had become rare, and runch, poor aniiual, driven almost to desperation by hunger, having had nothing lately but the scraps of the party to subsist uj)on, robbed the chest of four pounds of peni- * Tlii.-- is a most vuuiiirkiiljlc event : it was haU'-starvcd when it let! n°, and how it sustained itself I'or this lontr period is quite uuaccount- \. 1853.J niEAKS OF REFRACTION. 303 mican. As far as my own feelings were conccrncfl, right glad was I to hear of it, as it enabled me, without nnir- mur, to make it good ; my allowance was stopped until the deficiency was covered. It was undoubtedly my i)ro- vincc to order the proper allowance for the dogs ; but I was well aware that, under the possible privation which might attend our adventure, the allotment of pemmican would be viewed with great jealousy by some of our imrty ; and yet, if these poor animals did not work, to lighten their labour abundant whip was bestowed' by these same pseudo-feclinf/ bipeds ! Snow, but not aus- picions, continued to fall, and the barber within the tent troublesome : several of the men also were affected by weakness of the eyes or partial snow-blindness, doubtless the result of the late prevailing easterly wind. About two A.M. on the 10th of June, the weather clearing, discovered to us the land, very distinct, but at times so distorted by the play of refraction as hardly to preserve the same features beyond a few minutes ; or, once having caught the true image, wandering into every 4 imaginable phantasm fancy might suggest. 8ucli were four diagrams, as here given, No. 4 being the final or true ai)i)earance of the object. • h f i' (I i ,r 1: ^f 1 ■t 1 304 SI,EEPINO-HA(i. [J/mo, About nine a.m., tlic vapours having been greatly dis- pelled, I contrived, by close wateliing until near two P.M., reading the same object perhaps five or six tiuies, to realize a set of angles. No one but a surveyor can possibly comprehend such labour ; possibly many would not, but take their legal allowance of sleep, much more refreshing to the animal ; to myself it was no loss, in- deed I could enjoy with more satisfaction the small quantity recpiisitc to sustain me, which, as a maxinunn, may be concentrated into two hours, and very fortunate do I deem myself when such a luxury can be obtained. Our noon latitude was 77° '2' N.; forty-eight hours will, I trust, enable us to plant the Union on the lerra inco^- iiUa of this new region. Shortly after two p.m. I underwent the wriggling ac- tion of contracting myself horizontally into my chrysalis case ; the attempt in a free tent may not be so difficult, but confined to a space of two feet, and fearing to dis- turb others, it exhausts one's energies, and is followed by a sensation of faintncss. My own bag had been altered, to suit my restless habits ; the a[)erture being " a shark's mouth," eighteen niches from the head, the upper portion constituting a complete hood, protecting the crown of the head from side-wind or drip])ings: by merely closing the mouth of the bag it became a com- plete envelope. About five p.m. the word " chocolate" turned up many disappointed faces, so fond are mankind of that intoxi- cating passion — sleep ; yet the law, "Out and pack before you breakfast," requires the; rolling up of beds and a clean sweeji lor a comfortable meal. I wns myself rather I'^SS.] LAND ON Tlir, WESTKHN ISLAM). .3()5 inclined to slccj), but law-niakors must sot a good ex- ample. Two islands, (Equidistant,— one northerly, the other westerly,— presented for selection ; anxious however to obtain further intellirrence, if possible, of the boundary of North Cornwall, J decided to push for the western, suspecting, from a very deceitful haze which prevailed,' that open water, or moist floe, which was worse, inter-' vened between us and that to the northward. On the evening of the Uth we pushed on westerly, iu high spirits, until reaching a heavy ridge of hunnnoc'ks, which at first sight seemed to otfer serious obstruction ; but its outhne having been overcome, revealed merely the result of a severe nip, beyond which the smooth floe again prevailed. About seven a.m. we pitched, with the sun bright, very oppressive, and biting severely, the temperature in the shade being from 22° to 28°; the natural result Avas that all our objects were shrouded in misty vapour, tan- talizing us by the vision of the bases only of points, bays, etc. Our latitude was 77° 8' N. At 0.30 we advanced towards our island, at that time the only ob- ject visible, hoping to reach it before midnight ; iu this however we were disappointed by the obstruction offered by the belt of island pack, which delayed us until two A.jr., when we pitched )u tn-ra firm, and hoisted the Union. Possession being taken, we l.uieli(>d, and com- menced the asci'ut of the luaicst elevation, and there established the iiistruments. Before proceeding further it may be as well to describe this " belt of island pack," for clearly it can only result VOL. \. ^* M \i '-■ aiTit ' j^a>iiir'">"T'*' ■1^ ': > m !'.' I I I -i' li i i^. If!^^ ■It-' III ' ' rt ,1). |! i '\ i [ ! I 306 DKSCRIPTION OF TIIK ISI.ANM). \jTnnv, from the great floe having a tidal motion backward and forward, easterly and wi'sterly, ut a time when the tem- perature admits of the broken floe remaining afloat as loose pack. At the period of our visit all was lirmly frozen, and no continuation beyond the outer circle seemed to afford proof of any but the action which 1 have described. The i(;e here did not seem to have been forced with so much violence on the land as in the vicinity of Exmouth Island. At the time we conunenced our ascent of the hill, which was about two Innidrcd feet above the level, the tempe- rature was low, 2b°, with a cool refreshing air ; the soil was Avell frozen and firm, and the sununit land covered with a slight crust of snow. The island is belted, from the first base of this elevated range, by a low marshy slope of frozen mud thickly covered with tufts of grass. This mud is the result of the debris during the sunnner thaw, which appears to lose itself in the sea, distant from the elevated land about a quarter of a mile. The solid elevated land is deeply channelled into ravines, present- ing, on some of the sides, vertical dark-coloured masses of rock, probably, from the general distribution of fragments which I examined, of clay ironstone. The interior pre- sents smooth, rounded hills, deeply clothed with snow, and rising to between seven and eight hiuulred feet, but very difficult of access by reason of the snow in the inter- venmg ravmes. On the lower skirting we noticed the tracks, as well as recent deposits, of deer, hares, and })tarmigan ; and as v. e ascended the elevation, antlers and other marks of recent animal presence increased. One antler still exhibited its r l^:)S. KKKKCT OF TIIK HUn's IIKAT. 307 skill c'overiiijr, partly ndlicrinj]:: aiid fi-oiii its porlimu' on exposuri! to the sun ut tliis early (lat(>, must lia\ < he- lonjfed to a recent visitor. Dr. Lyall found anmsenient in shooting at plover, brent-geese, and ducks, on the low l)elt, at least until •supper- time. But having taken my station on the hill, 1 was in no humour to deseeiul until my work was com- plete, and that wouhl detain me until two p.m. at least. As the men nuist have rest, a watch was estahlishcd until that liour; the little food that I recpiired, being sent uj) when occasion otfered. However, two of my guards wished for exploration, and it being their watch [ re- leased them. They ascended tlie highest snow-clad mount, and as they explained themselves on their return, much fotigued, "Deepish; not fit for you. Sir!" I was satisfied. On the highest mound they constructed a mark with antlers, and returned with the one alhuh^d to, evidently dropped this year. IVoni their account of the land seen westerly, I had already viewed the extremes of that group from positions on the floe. At the time we commenced operations here the soil was well frozen : and into that state, water exposed a few minutes would also be reduced. The ground betrayed no symptom of weakness : it was iiartially snow-clad. But as the power of the sun increased towards noon, the snow about me disappeared, the instrument legs sank deeper into the soil, the levels shifted and frecpiently recpiired adjust- ment; yet still the temperature, as exhibited by a ther- mometer protected from sun, and hanging to the tripod of the instrument, somethnes behind our earth-pile, sim- ply indicated 25", or 7° below freezing. As noon passed, X 2 1^ ^ ^^. 0% /A /a '>> ^^. %^^/ ^ W ^^' V w W '/ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) i!! 1.0 I I.I 1.25 u^ iU |2.2 ■nut |U ill 1.6 III Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSM (716)S72-4S03 ^ ^ .^ iV !^ ■ ■ J l>' i ■M '!: I. ' 'fi i ( f 'i\ T ;^ 308 FLUIDITY OV THE SOIL. [Jtnip, the soil in all the hollows or small wntcrcourscs became serai-fluid, and very uncomfortable to walk on, or sink into. At the edge of the southern bank, the mud could be seen actually //o/rvwy ; reminding one more of an as- phalt bank in a tropical rcj^ion than our position in 77° 10' N., and, when a mist too deeply enshrouded the sun, attended with anything but pleasurable feelings. The entire aspect of our immediate position, aiul beneath, presented the features of a newly drained lake, the lower land conveying its fluid mud to the sea. The soil, a dark brown ferruginous clay, resulting from the disintegration of clay ironstone, black and glazed by exposure to the sun, and cracking into compartments, impressed on my mind the probability that a continued series of hot days would materially change the outlines of my |)rescnt [)o- sition, converting it possibly into a similar slope to that now exhibited beneath. Even where I stood, the tempe- rature, basking in the siuj's rays, was lii/hii/ at 25°, — with the sun clouded, chilling : but I am informed l)y those who were in the tent, that the heat was almost in- siipportable ! As to my surveying observations, which confined me to the spot, they have been before alluded to ; bii'. at this position I experienced infinite annoyance from the incessant derangement of the levels, rendering repeated adjustment imperative. How these islands were originally produced, I leave theorists to determine : how they are changed, and changing, recpiires no great reasoning powers. About two P.M. I was not at all sorry to couunence our descent, but we experienced very dirty work before this was ef- fected. The entire slope, in consecpieiice of tlu; thaw, V li 1S5J3.J liUCKINCIIAM ISLAND. 80!) hud become! a Hiiitl moving r/iitft' of (k'6rf\s for at li-ast one foot in (loptii, and the attempt which we made on the steep part was higlily dangerous, particularly to the men who carried the histruments. Retreat was impos- sible, and our only chance was to put forward our whole efforts and reach the flat. Heartily thankful were we to regain the tent, for ssniothering in nmd was an inglorious mode of exit. 1 have continued the use of the term "tent," — but the ' Hamilton' served this purj)ose; and as she was always dry and warm, at this season particu- larly, she was invaluable. The island received the name of Buckingham, and the mount Windsor, — after the royal palaces : the entire group was called the Viftoria Archipelago. One circumstance connected with these islands still co!itinued to \nviz\e me. 1 could not but think it strange i\iut as the outlines of these islands were clearly and dis- tinctly detined from several of our stations, on mountains of fifteen hundred feet elevation, that these same emi- nences were now entirely hidden, notwithstanding they were searched for in t!ie computed direction with good and powerful instruments. The summits only of these islands were seen from Princess Royal Island, from whence they appeared but as dots on the horizon. Fur- ther reflection on these matters clearly convinced me that, from height to height, objects of one thousand feet elevation could not be mtisfactorlly seen at a greater dis- tance than forty miles. From ]\Iount Victoria every fea- ture of this group was distinctly visible, and strongly im- pressed on my mind, — never to be erased. Each point, blutt', etc., was duly registered ; annnlly hinted at, I must confess 1 was surprised ; but as no one at that period ventiu'cd or wished to look through the telescope, the vision was not to them revealed. The fatigue on this occasion prepared mc for sleej), and for obvious reasons T was not disturbed until I was ready for chocolate, a term very significant in military life : indeed I believe that by general consent it was deemed convenient to make the most of this delay. About eight p.sr. we struck our tent, and extricated our- selves from the surrounding pack, bidding an etenial adieu to this interesting group. Our last floe station, previous to landing on this island had been marked by a large snow pyramid, surmou.i i)y a blue flag : to- wards this our course was directed, and on reaching it we j)itehed for the day. At noon, although the thermo- meter in the shade showed 34°, and it was dead calm, the heat was oppressive to our feelings, but not the slight- est action could be detected on the floe : the only change noticed was that the covering snow, instead of exhibit- ing a flocculent light character, was found to consist of minute, splierical, transparent globules, like fine hail. At this time probably the floe was undergoing the internal change which renders it " rotten ;" and the vapour result- ing r.ssists, with the sun's rays, in converting the snow into the globides described. One circunjstance was frc- ((uently remarked, — that the soft, heavy-travelling snow of the day generally changed after six p.m., when the temperature fell, to a compact soUd bed ; sustaining in a more satisfactory degree the men and sledges, aftbrding n firmer footing, and very considerably facilitating travel. iii; 1853.] SKAL-IIOLKS. 311 Such is my own view of the matter. This reduction of the snow was, after I detected the varieties, taken advan- tage of to faciUtate cooking, as tlic heavy globular variety was found to produce water in less time and save fuel. Although the tracks of bears did not frequently occur on this off-shore excursion, still they were noticed in the inmiediate vicinity of Buckhigham L.^nd. The absence of seal-holes, and the general denseness of the ice, may account for their scarcity: and this leads to the ques- tion, How do these latter animals bore or keep open the lioles in the ice? I am awaie that Nature, even during })eriods of very low temperature, will keep open certain vents or escapes ; and although frequently skinned over, they are soon removed by the first glances of retm-nhig sun, or by warm currents of water beneath. In seal- holes however there is generally a conical, funnel-shaped onening beneath, evincing some power possessed by this animal in thawing the ice. In February they come up to bask and pup, even wiien a few minutes might cut off retreat : and although -t is generally maintained that bears are constantly found where seals abound, such has not been borne out by our experience, — rather the reverse. In order to secure our retreat, T determined to recover our track over the old floe of ]\Iay, and follow it up to Cape Disraeli or Mount Parker : this would carry us clear of tdl difficultie>. On the 14th, having recognized our old landmarks, we soon recovered our former track along-shore, and about six A.M. pitched within six hours of our destination. As nothing important called for my presence, and the sun SPP li: •ii-2 RliTUKS TO i'KlNCElSS K()\ AL ISLAND. \.fane. iM i r it li 1 ' 1 % 1) ] . % I \. (lid not It'iid his cheering coinitcnaiicu, — suffering also from troublesome plagues (carbuncles) on my head, which weakened me considerably, I was too glad to snatch any repose; and this time Nature helped me — I really slept. When 1 did turn out, it was not attended by the bustle and hurry of tent arrangements: the boat was my cradle, my special cabin ; and there was no necessity for disturbance. I kept my own room in order. As we ncared the land, we were anxiously looking out for some signal from the 'Dauntless; but no sign of tent or sig- nal could be traced ; I therefore imagined Mr. CI rove to be revelling in the slaughter of nuisk-oxeu, deer, or ptar- migan, and in any direction but where we were looking for him. At six p.m. we pitched on the outer edge of the inner pack line. About eight p.m. we were again in motion, and before midnight well in upon the land-ice, or that barely sheathing the frozen nmd-banks beneath, but now rapidly decaying, by the discolorization enabling the sun's rays to act vigorously. The tracks of bear were again beconnng common. At midnight we halted for luncheon : still no sign ; possibly he had again turned ni(/ht into night, and was asleep. Onward we puslied, with tho Union flying — Grove's recall (he was at the ship !), and at length pitched, at two a.m., on our old position at Princess Royal Island. The features of the land were much changed by the denudation of snow. Dr. Lyall, who made a direct cut, not deviating as we did, saw and fired at a large bear, — probably, from the size of the foot, a male. He must have passed very near to our sledge, but was not noticed, nor did we even hear the report of the gun. On Dr. Lyall rejoining us. ,* J. ls5;i.J ANOTlfKII ItKAK HUNT. 313 \v(j discovered his triciid gradually working ii traverse towards us, ])!it evidently very sliy : at lengti. we deter- mined to try and eireumvent him hy amhnsli, iakini' ad- vantage, Indian lashion, of every hummock intervening, to steal ui)()n him. Presently I became tired, and as he had caught a glimpse of me, ami exhibited a disposition to bolt, I tried my distance with a ball : he whistled in his peculiar way, as nnicli ns to say, " 'J'his is not i)lea. sant,"— a sort of twinge of the gout, etc. Punch was now loosed, and ciosed in the most scientific manner, keeping him at bay in admirable style, liruin was not (piite in command of his lind)s, — wounded probably by the doctor and touched up by me ; he began to think of intrenching himself, and, finding a convenient hummock, albeit at an angle above 45°, backed up : thus enabling him to keep Punch completely in front, and prevent any annoyance in rear, but ocr ^ionally casting a very sus- picious look over his shoulder, and, I suspect, detected Lyall or myself getting too near. I was within shot, and waited only for a clear view of him, when he backed to the summit and dearly saw me. He also was evi- dently up to our tactics : bolting down, and keeping the hunmiock between us, ^\as far a^ay before I was able to regain sight of him. Punch followed, giving tongue enough to frighten ali the bears in this region. We re- treated, and right glad was I to get back ; these excur- sions, after ten hours' tiavel, take the coimagc down amazingly. Punch made the circuit of the island, com- ing in quit(! as much refreshed as if he had stolen an- other uiass of pemmican. Pine gentlemanly breed, those Cape York dogs ! — proud as Lucifer. Oiu- place of en- campment exhibited traces of three beavs,— male, female, I- i: f: ?' l1 }i J! ' 1 > I ! 1 :t il < I Ii IJ Ml 4 Hl'COVKll ()l.l« .Sl,i;i»(iK. \Ji(nr, ninl ciil), — who had very iii(|iiisitiv(ly scarchcil the pnv iiiiscs. It is probabK', if we had Ijccm Irss oftVnsive and taken the iiiattir (|uit'tly, that thoy might have revisited us today. Punch got half uiy supper, to make up for his disap|)ointmcnt. Jinn- l"). — The day turned out gloomy: no sun at noon, with tom|)erature at 28°, by which we lose this ns a rating position, now however unimportant. As no signs of Grove could as yet be traced, at six p.m. the sledgi's were irdercd to meet me on the south side of the island, and, taking two men to carry instruments, I travelled over the sununit, whicli conunanded a more extensive view. Independent of ^ir. Grove, I began to feel some alarm at the non-appearance of the two men despatclicd, as well as for our provision ; but on one point I felt assured, as by my orders left with Mr. Allard he would be detained, " to await the return of Dr. Lyall." The temperature rose to 30°, moist, and thawing rapidly, yet the cold was more sensibly felt : the near floe exhi- bited a rent eighteen inches wide, and the water rose in the fissure within nine inches of the upper surface of the ice ; any move therefore must carry all this ice otf-shorc, June 10. — On reaching the island crest I perceived a tent pitched on the opposite shore, and two men, one of whom was in the act of crossing to our sledges. On re- gainhig the boat I received a note from Mr. Allard ; he had misconceived my orders entirely, — taken Mr. Grove to the ship, leaving the two men in charge of spirits, a g\m, and ammunition, and who could be surprised ? — one had escaped unhurt by the bursting of the Hudson Bay gun ! Independent of my written orders, fnially allot- ting Mr. Grove to this duty, Mr. Loncy had verbally ex- I (n(\ \>^w^. MUSK-OXKN. 315 I l)laiii(;(l it to the leading ninn, the ship's cook : however, on we pushed for the tents, packed, and departed. It was a great disappointment, as I had intended seiuhng Dr. iijall and Mr. Grove uj) the C-reat Valley, between thi.s and Wall liluff where I intended remaining, or possihiy moving on to fetar Biuft": they would have enjoyed the o|)portunity of good sport, and jn-obably have met with herds of nnisk-oxen, which we were now satisfied were not scarce here, ns these men noticed three, and jjro- bably they would iiave been taken had any sensible per- son been jjresent ; however, all was now deranged, and it only remained for us to make good the positions lying in our homeward route. Before reaching the depot (laid out by Mr. Loney in April) we noticed two deer, but they proved too wary for our eager sportsmen. Shortly after midnight on the 18th we encamped at the Station. Mr. Allard had left a note, by which I learned that he only quitted on the 13th. The weather clearing oft" and a bright sun aiding, I ascended the high land in rear, expecting to obtain a gi'cat range ; but the hazT re- sulting from heat destroyed my hopes, and I returned unsuccessful. I waited for the sun at noon, but as it did not seem inclined to sliow out, I strolled along the land in search of fossils, which were very abundant, es- pecially one or two varieties of madreporitc, which were here strewed in patches as if they had formed a sub- marine garden ! Beyond, to seaward, the open spaces of water were pretty well stocked with eider-duck and brent-geese, which occasionally flew close over our heads ; but, with the miserable fowling-pieces we had, kilhng w as an achievement rarely awarded to our exertions. % \lil L'. > - I i , i : ;U0 IU;i l.lJ'TKl.Ns (»N WATEKCOL'llSKS. I Jton; About (').ir» oil \\n> Istli of Juno wa continued our journey, wliicli, IVoin the rotten state of the ice, was con- tined to the eoast-hiu; or across the - petent break the seal and enlighten ns. Under the present aspect of the const nbont us, solenni indeed is the feeling as regards our njissing countrymen : no hope here, so far as our experience serves, can exist for sustenance beyond the casual capture of bear or fox during six moiiths of the season, and no means of allay- ing thirst but by thawing ice in the mouth until June, perhaps July, then only pcrliaps for six Mceks. As regards the surface disturbances throughout these regions, I am far from allowing ice to be the agent. In warmer regions masses of rock are disrupted, because water enters the crevices, is frozen, and rends them: heat drives off the ice entirely; here no such action takes place ; masses of rock however arc disrupted from their deep beds, and rise in confused heaps upon many rounded hills, where the pick, even in the warmest sum- mer day, would not penetrate many inches without being oj)poscd by a solid mass of ice and stone, defying further progress. The surface heat of some few warm hom-s (few and far l)ctween) would not penetrate one foot ; and even admitting such a fact, for argument sake, the re- sult would be merely adding a fresh icy covering until renewed heat entailed a similar repetition. This we ex- perienced re})eatedly during the Avhole summer season, rendering it difficult to dig a hole any dei)th ; but if the simple mode of disintegration by frost be advanced. ■I u It lit 320 DEKU NOTICKl). [JfOiC, V ill f): (I.. ^ 'I; let us inquire wliotlier such nn explnnation will satisfy our scruples as to the mixture of so niauy ingredients, and of many never found /'// situ .- will frost bring them together? I would venture to submit a few interesting questions for solution : in the first place, how did the rubble on the mountains and sides become reduced to Macadaiiiized proportions, not affording, for hundreds of yards, one stone weighing above one pound ? At what per.f'd were the skeletons of whales deposited? When did trees or vegetation flourish here ? If these seas were ever open, where is the drift-wood, or why are the small pieces found of the oldest possible date ? These are mat- ters for the discussion of nuister minds ; they afford fair grounds for reasoning, and may prove highly interesting to science. Except at our extreme eastern position and Arthur's Strait, no trace of Esquimaux has been noticed ; still I am inclined to believe that their visits to this northern region have been comparatively recent. In our progress towards Step Bluff, three deer were noticed. Dr. Lyall, accompanied by tw(^ of our best sports- men, attempted to creep towards them, but they proved too wary, and made off up the valley. We were now pushing for Step Bluff, the north-west angle of Prince Albert land, aiul the extreme discovery of last season. Several troublesome spits rendered travelling very labo- rious, the sharp angular stones cutting deeply in' > the soft iron of the runner bands, as well as tearing out the rivets. As we neared our position, greater ditHculties however assailed us ; the heat had sufficient influence on the inchned dark detritus from the mountain above us to 'line. 1858.] ASCEND CAPK OULE. 321 'g melt the rcniniiiiiig portions of snow, and thus produce a belt of water within the skirting ice, which opposed great difficulty to our advance, notwithstanding our light loada and double-manning the sledires The travel without wading now became very difficult; and thinking I might avoid the difiiculties by crossing the ravine about a hundred yards up the hill-side, I made the attempt. But I found the soil fluid, and' so quick, that in my weak state it was unsafe to risk beii ^ entrapped : even the light dogs declined the effort. As cending however until I gained the old snow, I succeed- ed in finding a place pretty well bridged, which enabled me to clear the remaining difficulties. If such be the condition of the coast-line in June, what must be ex- pected in July and August ? The floe was no longer safe, and a few hours might jjlace us in the awkward di- Icnmia of not being able to advance until it broke up. Not a day had we to spare, and therc^fore it was neces- sary to exert every effort to reach the turn of the land before the ice became detached. June 19.— As we neared Step Bluff* (now named Cape Ogle), the road improved, and about two a.m., having reached the shingle beach which fringed the coast-line, Ave pitched. The day was bright, the horizon clear, and all the objects we were anxious to see were clearly defined ; and this being our connecting, or key station, I lost no time in gaining the sunnnit. Indeed I had become so weak, and anxious to relieve myself from further fiitigue, that I had preceded the party, hoping to terminate my labours. But I was doomerl to meet vvith disappointment : before the instrument could be le- voi,. 1. r I 322 BIRDS NOTICED IN OPEN WATER. [June, i 'if veiled, a dense curtain of fog capped the mountain. At intervals the bright sun dispelled the vapours in particu- lar directions, and permitted the most important distant points to be taken. But I was not easily discouraged ; and, determined to wait the pleasure of Dame Nature, made up my mind to try her humours, at least for twelve hours. Adopting a watch, I directed my meals to be sent lip, and a spirit-lamp to warm tea, cocoa, etc. From this commanding elevation (about eight hundred feet) I had a good view of the changes which had oc- curred. The water had made in great detached pools be- tween us and Exmouth Island ; indeed some spaces af- forded sufficient area to manoeuvre the Arctic Squadron. Immediately beneath the base of our cliff, and continu- ous to Star Bluff (about six miles), the ice had broken off abruptly from the shore ice, leaving a vertical gla- cier face of ten or fifteen feet, and within this only was travel practicable. The boat certainly could pass; but the launching, hauling-up, lading and unlading, rendered this mode of travel injudicious, as well as insecure : it would further cause infinite delay, and at this moment could not be risked. In the water beneath, but preserving a very respect- ful distance, we noticed numerous brent-geese, eider- duck, gulls, kittiwakes, and mollymoks, which our crews were very anxious to try their luck with in the boat ; but too much rotten ice intervened, and, with the heavy load of provision we were now burdened with, it was pecu- liarly necessary to husband strength and avoid risk. Inland in the valley gorge between this and Depot Sttition, a vast lake communication appears to penetrate 'ii^ ;. M 1853.] VISITED BY A HARE. 323 about five miles to the south-east ; and from the steeply inclined sides of the mountains, a very considerable water surface must prevail. If musk-oxen, deer, or other game exist anywhere in this region, I should be greatly inclined to seek for them there, and the attempt may yet be made from the ship. The entire formation of this headland is a fossiliferous grey limestone, with a tendency to oolite, comminuted as usual into four-ounce pieces. Whence the larger lumps were obtained to construct the cairn, I know not, unless they cleared the mountain before our arrival : Comman- der Richards was unable last season to find more than enough to construct his very small mark. Making a temporary bed of the smoothest Macadam- ized spot, I lay down under the lee of the pile, in order to avoid the barber, or condensation and freezing of fog on eyebrows, whiskers, and beard, reducing one literally to Jack Frost, very troublesome and very painful to re- move. I happened to drop into a momentary doze, when my watchman pulled me by the coat, and on opening my eyes I noticed before me, in my confused state, a fairy-like vision. About thirty yards in front of me sat, with body and ears erect and fore-paws hanging, a most interest- ing, inquisitive, snow-white hare. Although in some mea- sure disposed to pity the poor creature, the cruel instinct of oui- nature prompted me to point my gun, and fire a ball ; and this failing, shot followed; but the vision, much to our mortification, vanished. One brent-goose we had, to which this would have been an agreeable addition. But Puss, and many other specimens of Arctic zoology, may thank our bad fowling-pieces for similar escapes y2 i •6U TWO TAAli I.liMMINOS. [Ju/ta, ^ii ^ ? '^»': ■':!■' ! from the National Mitseurns. Events seldom occur sin- gly : I had not moved from my soft gravel bed, having reloaded, when two other furred animals came to inquire the cause of disturbance : one literally ran into my hand, and the other was taken by my attendant. These were two fine specimens of lemming, much resembling moles. Sauntering about, I found, on the very edge of the pre- cipice, a very large vertebra of whale, which I have since discovered to have been carried up the mount last season by some of Commander Richards's party for a mark. Descending to the beach to determine the latitude, which I found to be 77° 3' N., I continued sauntering about this flat, examining the variety of mineral bodies and fossils here collected and freed from their matrix; not varying, however, from those of Depot Point, ex- cepting that the madreporites here more frequently pre- sented the chalcedony or flinty state. On reaching the pile erected here, I remarked three other vertebrae, nmch larger and very different to that on the cliff', these hav- ing their projecting processes complete, and of a dark, dirty greenish colour; that noticed at the summit was much bleached. The temperature, under a very oppres- sive sun, ranged between 28° and 32° in the shade, the water still making, and ice off'-shore in motion. About two (having maintained myself independent in the boat since the return of the tent) I endeavoured to recover some of the lost sleep, but without success ; and at four I'.M. commenced our lower beacon, removing or con- structing a duplicate further out, in connection with the •nark seen at the base of Star Bluff". Jtnic 20. — (Six P.M., temp. 28°.) We now pushed for- ■■ !;f - +s 1S53.] STAR BLUFF OR CAPK EKINS. 325 ward, and liad very intricate travelling ; the snow-bank observing the inclination of the diihris, throwing all the weight on the lower runner, and imbedding it in such a manner that, with all hands and very great labour, it was difficult to make any progress. After mastering two miles of this disheartening work we agani reached a flat beach, following up the tracks of our returning sledges, the ' Dauntless,' etc. The bay contained between this and Star Bluff was evidently the great outlet of some ex- tensive lakes, possibly those before alluded to ; but its course here was bounded inland for two miles at least by vertical bluffs, extending from Star Bluff, and on the north by high level terraces, swept away at their base h\ the force of the waters. Three distinct end)ouchures, with beds of rounded stones and occasional boulders, presented ; but not one drop of water ! About eleven i we reached the depot on Star Blutf, not named from any propitious star, because I here took my involuntary C.B. (cold bath), and here was deposited our damaged bread. 326 RACE OFF CAPE EKIN8. [June, '•( 1 'C ! as well as additional supplies, which wc now wished at the ship. Star Bluff (now named, in compliment to my old captain, Cape Ekins) takes its name from a curious ar- rangement in the fracture of the cliff face, which observed a radiated form ; the snow, lodging on the ledges, pre- sented against the dark ground, elsewhere prevailing, a very perfect stellar form,* used by us for a long time, and at great distan'^ps, as a mark. Here we founu that the greater part of the provision remained, and we had therefore to overload our sledges and carry it forward. It was unpleasant, and not quite fair to oiu" crew ; but delay would make matters worse : it was therefore to be executed, even with our harassed crews ; every one was disconcerted, and very dark were our faces. During this process I ascended the hill, where I had ordered a cairn to be built ; possibly it was deemed too steep for younger blood: we built three, one a house, the two others were constructed by myself, — the last being on the inaccessible summit of True Star Bluff, — and unattended. I must say I would not have ordered it to be done by any but a volunteer. It is needless to repeat another Step Bluff version : we pushed on, making very slow work, and pitched at a low rubbly point, about five miles in advance. We have now been fifty days engaged at this work, with fair sportsmen and three good private guns, besides two indifferent Go- vernment fowling-pieces; and two hares, five ptarmigan, one brent-goose, and several plover, not one day's provi- sion, is our list of game taken. The race past Cape Ekins was rapid, with overfalls ; the water abounded with wild- * Tlie woodcut is more decidedly stellar than the reality. 1853.] MEET SLEDGE IN NAPIER BAY. 327 fowl, but that wad all wc benefited by this " teeming of animal life." I think it possible, had we launched the boat, that four or five ducks might have been killed j they were all very wary and strong on the wing. How ten men, dependent on their guns, could subsist, I can- not imagine ; if travelling, it would be next to impossi- ble. Wf.'i'us or bear, if t!ie party was stationary, would afford fuel and food ; and, during the season, the skins of both, aided by snow huts, might furnish a miserable shelter : the frozen skin of the walrus would be impene- trable, and the fat could be peeled off as required. How many would survive such a life I venture not to surmise. At midnight on the 22nd we reached Depot Bay. I was on the heights, obtaining angles, when I observed both sledges, having entered well on the floe, simulta- neously turn back : there certainly was open water not for from them, but as both our retiu^n sledges could not be much in advance, and we were on their track, I has- tened down, and, on reaching them, found that merely surface water had alarmed them. Having extricated the sledges, we double-manned them alternately, and soon surmounted the difficulty, occasionally sinking into the holes, where sm'face pools hud frozen, about knee-deep ; but this I knew must be expected just at this season, the true base of the floe having a thickness of at least three feet ice : no accident or truly " break in" occurred. We now pushed forward for a low spit island, in the depth of Napier Bay, in which direction I noticed a sledge advancing under canvas : this was hauled up at the spit, and her crew advanced to aid our party. It proved to be Lieutenant Cheyne, despatched by Lieu- ji ^im If'.. ^ t^i 'r i „ 32S RETUUN TO THE SHIP. [JiOlO. tenant Mny, who had returned to the ship on the 13tl« of June, and was the bearer of intelligence from Com- mander Richp»'ds, who had fallen in with Lieutenant Ha- milton, of the ' Ucsolute,' by chance, about one hundred miles west of the appointed rendezvous, to which he was then proceeding. Fortunately, Conuuander Richards was thus enabled to direct Lieutenant Hamilton where to overtake Lieutenant Osborn, who was also instructed to conduct him to the rendezvous. Lieutenant Osborn was further directed to forward the documents brought by Lieutenant Hamilton, by Lieutenant May, who had thus, on reaching the ship, again despatched them by fresh hands to meet me : the contents of these despatches will be treated on in the following chapter. Leaving Mr. Chcync to assist the other parties, after a short rest at this spit island, I pushed on for the ship, with two days' provision : on our outward journey it took three days to get thus far, but now, using the ' Hamilton' as a sledge under canvas, we reached Vil- lage Point in four hours, viz. about 9.30 p.m. Having delayed a short time to obtain some angles, I was in the act of setting up the theodolite : an ominous jarring behind me caused me to start and leap aside with the instrument ; providentially I escaped. This pile, con- structed of very large stones, fell with a heavy crash on the spot I had occupied ; it was twelve feet at base by ten feet high, and flat-topped, to support an instrument. The work finished, onward we pushed, and at five P.M. on the 23rd of June, ten hours only from the time of starting, I was divesting myself, before a warm fire in my cabin, of my travelling dress. u; I ill :i20 CHAPTER XIII. \ Open Water. — Despatch from Hicliards.- -Notice left by M'Clure. — Stores covered with Snow. — Brewing. — Mustard and Cmss. — Hi-- tum of llichards. — Movements of Western Division. — Grine killed. — Canal completed. — Cairn on Ban*ow Island. — Osbrrii rejoins.— Mount Acland. — Assistance Spit. — Visit of Pullen. — Port Kefu{>e. The great surfaces of open water which I liad observed to the northward, added to rumours of the appearance of a similar incUnation in the vicinity of the ship, ren- dered me very anxious to be present, in order to super- intend in person any measures which might be expedient for the rehef of the southern parties, which might be ex- pected about the 13th of July ; but I was much relieved, on arriving at Village Point, to find, by the open water there, that tliese matters had been very much overrated, and that nearly the same area of water remained as no- ticed on the 2nd of May ; at which date also the ice had manifested similar symptoms off the southern end of the sound, towards Spit Island. The passage of the Queen's Channel has doubtless been in a similar condition for some time, and attended with danger ; but before the period arrives for the final crossing of our party, they will be aided by open water 'ir 330 L/iisrATni from coMMANnFii mnuuDs. [Jitjiv, ^ Mi ^^ nnd tlicir two boats. On examining? the inner clianncl ice, it was found, in the tideway, when; many holes existed, to average two feet in thickness. The Lady Fanny Disco* was despateiied (in hen of a carrier-pigeon) to (lie ship, adorned with a yellow flannel necklace, within the folds of which a note to my steward was secured, directing him to make the necessary prepa- rations for my return : this trust she faithfully executed. But her poor companion, Mr. Neptune, having been drummed out and declared by all the sledge crews as a notorious pemmican thief, had connnitted suicide by attempting to steal the bait of a spring-gun set for the wolf which had followed our dogs up to the ship : no one had yet succeeded in capturing one of these animals. I now proceed to explain the nature of the despatch received from Connnander Richards, and the circuin- stances attending his meeting with Licutonant Hamilton. Alluding to Lieutenant Osbo'n he observes : — "\Vc parted on the evening of the 17th of May, and on the morning of the 18th, steering at the time to the north-westward, I discovered sledge tracks, apparently very recent. Halting the sledge, I proceeded with two of my crew to follow them up, and in the course of an hour came upon the encampment, which lU'oved to be a party under Lieutenant Hamilton, twenty-one days ab- sent from the ' Resolute j' we must ha <3 passed each other within one mile, but the thick weather, had it not been for the sledge tracks, would have prevented our meeting. "From Lieutenant Hamilton I learned that H.M.S. Resolute and Intrepid had reached Winter Harbour, * One of the dogs, so naiuecl by the men. 1853.] NOTICE LEFT DY COMMANDER M'CLURE. 331 Melville Island, but finding it linnipcrcd by ice, had win- tered at Dealy Island, Hridpoit Inlet. That Lieutenant Mechani, on his return last season from the duty of lay- ing out the dejjots, haa fortunately discovered a record left by Comnunuler M'Clure at the Sandstone Rock, in Parry's Winter Harbour, stating that II.Ai.S. Investiga- tor had been olocked for three winters in the ice, at the " Harbour of Mercy," Ranks Lan0.— 5.20 a.m., Int. 72° 1' N., long. 100° 12' AV. IMade the ice, which did not appear heavy ; but upon entcrinji; it a short distance was undeceived, and ran out. August 5. — In running along the jjack edge, endeavouring to find an opening, exchanged numbers with the 'Plover,' and at 11 A.M. made a low shingle beach to the eastward of AVainwright Inlet, and at midnight rounded I'oint I^an-ow in 73 I'athoms, but from the foggy state of the weather did not see it. August 8. — 1.15 a.si., being oil Point Drew, sent ^Fr. Court, Se- cond Master, and ^Ir. Miertsehing, iiiterpretcn-, to deposit a notice of our having passed, who met sonu- Esquinuuix that had arrived three days previous. These trade with the Russians, and wen; very frieiully ; therefore sent a letter, with Mie chance of its reaching the Admiralty. We also heard from them that last year three boats had passed to the eastward, with white n\en and Indians, which was most probably Lieu- tenant PuUen. In the evening erected a cairn, and buried another notice at Point Pitt. \\ :\iM roMMrVICATlONS WITH NATIVKS. \\S'){). Jiit/iisl it. I'anxcil the (Dlvillc, uhoul forty iuilt:« from itn ontviiiKV, in tlircf fathoms nixl a half, .liiffiixt \\. — ncpositfd a iiolicc 111)011 .loiii-s's I^laiul, wliirh was tliickl.v strewed with drift wood; in tlie forenoon two liaithirs, eontain- infj; twenty-fonr nntivos, ramc ah)nKt*ide. Tin- eliief poHscsned a (