A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xvi Part 22

They seemed very fearful and cautious, expressing their desire by signs, that no more of our people should be permitted to come up.

On my laying my hand on the shoulder of one of them, he started back several paces. In proportion as I advanced, they retreated backward, always in the att.i.tude of being ready to make use of their spears, while those on the rising ground stood ready to support them with their arrows. Insensibly, myself and two or three of my companions, got in amongst them. A few beads distributed to those about us, soon created a kind of confidence, so that they were not alarmed when a few more of our people joined us, and, by degrees, a sort of traffic between us commenced. In exchange for knives, beads, tobacco, and other articles, they gave us some of their clothing, and a few arrows.

But nothing that we had to offer could induce them to part with a spear or a bow. These they held in constant readiness, never once quitting them, except at one time, when four or five persons laid theirs down, while they gave us a song and a dance. And even then, they placed them in such a manner, that they could lay hold of them in an instant, and, for their security, they desired us to sit down.

The arrows were pointed either with bone or stone, but very few of them had barbs, and some had a round blunt point. What use these may be applied to I cannot say, unless it be to kill small animals, without damaging the skin. The bows were such as we had seen on the American coast, and like those that were used by the Esquimaux.

The spears, or spontoons, were of iron or steel; and of European or Asiatic workmanship, in which no little pains had been taken to ornament them with carving, and inlayings of bra.s.s, and of a white metal. Those who stood ready with bows and arrows in their hands, had the spear slung over their right shoulder by a leathern strap. A leathern quiver, slung over their left shoulder, contained arrows; and some of these quivers were extremely beautiful, being made of red leather, on which was very neat embroidery, and other ornaments.

Several other things, and in particular their clothing, shewed that they were possessed of a degree of ingenuity, far surpa.s.sing what one could expect to find amongst so northern a people. All the Americans we had seen since our arrival on that coast, were rather low of stature, with round chubby faces, and high cheek-bones. The people we now were amongst, far from resembling them, had long visages, and were stout and well-made. In short, they appeared to be a quite different nation. We saw neither women nor children of either s.e.x, nor any aged, except one man, who was bald-headed, and he was the only one who carried no arms. The others seemed to be picked men, and rather under than above the middle age. The old man had a black mark across his face, which I did not see in any others. All of them had their ears bored, and some had gla.s.s beads hanging to them. These were the only fixed ornaments we saw about them, for they wear none to the lips.

This is another thing in which they differ from the Americans we had lately seen.

Their clothing consisted of a cap, a frock, a pair of breeches, a pair of boots, and a pair of gloves, all made of leather, or of the skins of deer, dogs, seals, &c. and extremely well dressed, some with the hair or fur on, but others without it. The caps were made to fit the head very close; and besides these caps, which most of them wore, we got from them some hoods, made of skins of dogs, that were large enough to cover both head and shoulders. Their hair seemed to be black; but their heads were either shaved, or the hair cut close off, and none of them wore any beard. Of the few articles which they got from us, knives and tobacco were what they valued most.

We found the village composed both of their summer and their winter habitations. The latter are exactly like a vault, the floor of which is sunk a little below the surface of the earth. One of them which I examined was of an oval form, about twenty feet long, and twelve or more high. The framing was composed of wood and the ribs of whales, disposed in a judicious manner, and bound together with smaller materials of the same sort. Over this framing is laid a covering of strong coa.r.s.e gra.s.s, and that again is covered with earth, so that, on the outside, the house looks like a little hillock, supported by a wall of stone, three or four feet high, which is built round the two sides and one end. At the other end, the earth is raised sloping, to walk up to the entrance, which is by a hole in the top of the roof over that end. The floor was boarded, and under it a kind of cellar, in which I saw nothing but water. And at the end of each house was a vaulted room, which I took to be a store-room. These store-rooms communicated with the house, by a dark pa.s.sage, and with the open air, by a hole in the roof, which was even with the ground one walked upon; but they cannot be said to be wholly under ground, for one end reached to the edge of the hill, along which they were made, and which was built up with stone. Over it stood a kind of sentry-box, or tower, composed of the large bones of large fish.

The summer huts were pretty large and circular, being brought to a point at the top. The framing was of slight poles and bones, covered with the skins of sea-animals. I examined the inside of one. There was a fire-place just within the door, where lay a few wooden vessels, all very dirty. Their bed-places were close to the side, and took up about half the circuit. Some privacy seemed to be observed; for there were several part.i.tions made with skins. The bed and bedding were of deer-skins, and most of them were dry and clean.

About the habitations were erected several stages, ten or twelve feet high, such as we had observed on some parts of the American coast.

They were wholly composed of bones, and seemed intended for drying their fish and skins, which were thus placed beyond the reach of their dogs, of which they had a great many. These dogs are of the fox kind, rather large, and of different colours, with long soft hair like wool. They are, probably, used in drawing their sledges in winter. For sledges they have, as I saw a good many laid up in one of the winter huts. It is also not improbable, that dogs may const.i.tute a part of their food. Several lay dead that had been killed that morning.

The canoes of these people are of the same sort with those of the Northern Americans, some, both of the large and of the small ones, being seen lying in a creek under the village.

By the large fish-bones, and of other sea-animals, it appeared that the sea supplied them with the greatest part of their subsistence. The country appeared to be exceedingly barren, yielding neither tree nor shrub, that we could see. At some distance westward, we observed a ridge of mountains covered with snow that had lately fallen.

At first, we supposed this land to be a part of the island of Alaschka, laid down in Mr Staehlin's map before-mentioned. But from the figure of the coast, the situation of the opposite sh.o.r.e of America, and from the longitude, we soon began to think that it was, more probably, the country of the Tschutski, or the eastern extremity of Asia, explored by Beering in 1728. But to have admitted this, without farther examination, I must have p.r.o.nounced Mr Staehlin's map, and his account of the new northern archipelago, to be either exceedingly erroneous, even in lat.i.tude, or else to be a mere fiction; a judgment which I had no right to pa.s.s upon a publication so respectably vouched, without producing the clearest proofs.[1]

[Footnote 1: If the account of Beering's voyage had been accurately given, Captain Cook need not have hesitated about the situation or nature of the place he now visited. Captain Billings afterwards anch.o.r.ed in the same bay on his voyage to complete the discoveries of Cook, as related in Mr c.o.xe's work. Still, however, our acquaintance with this part of Asia is very imperfect. Captain Cook, it may be proper to remark here, had the merit of ascertaining the vicinity of the two continents, which had been but vaguely conjectured before his time.--E.]

After a stay of between two and three hours with these people, we returned to our ships, and soon after, the wind veering to the south, we weighed anchor, stood out of the bay, and steered to the N.E., between the coast and the two islands. The next day, at noon, the former extended from S. 80 W. to N. 84 W., the latter bore S. 40 W., and the peaked mountain, over Cape Prince of Wales, bore S. 36 E., with land extending from it as far as S. 75 E. The lat.i.tude of the ship was 66 5-1/4', the longitude 191 19', our depth of water twenty-eight fathoms, and our position nearly in the middle of the channel between the two coasts, each being seven leagues distant.

From this station we steered east, in order to get nearer the American coast. In this course the water shoaled gradually, and there being little wind, and all our endeavours to increase our depth tailing, I was obliged at last to drop anchor in six fathoms, the only remedy we had left to prevent the ships driving into less. The nearest part of the western land bore W., twelve leagues distant, the peaked hill over Cape Prince of Wales, S. 16 W., and the northernmost part of the American continent in sight, E.S.E., the nearest part about four leagues distant. After we had anch.o.r.ed, I sent a boat to sound, and the water was found to shoal gradually toward the land. While we lay at anchor, which was from six to nine in the evening, we found little or no current, nor could we perceive that the water either rose or fell.

A breeze of wind springing up at N., we weighed, and stood to the westward, which course soon brought us into deep water, and, during the 12th, we plied to the N., both coasts being in sight, but we kept nearest to that of America.

At four in the afternoon of the 13th, a breeze springing up at S., I steered N.E. by N., till four o'clock next morning, when, seeing no land, we directed our course E. by N., and between nine and ten, land, supposed to be a continuation of the continent, appeared. It extended from E. by S. to E. by N., and soon after we saw more land, bearing N. by E. Coming pretty suddenly into thirteen fathoms water, at two in the afternoon, we made a trip off till four, when we stood in again for the land, which was seen soon after, extending from N. to S.E., the nearest part three or four leagues distant. The coast here forms a point, named _Point Mulgrave_, which lies in the lat.i.tude of 67 45', and in the longitude of 194 51'. The land appeared very low next the sea; but, a little back, it rises into hills of a moderate height. The whole was free from snow, and, to appearance, dest.i.tute of wood. I now tacked, and bore away N.W. by W., but soon after, thick weather with rain coming on, and the wind increasing, I hauled more to the west.

Next morning, at two o'clock, the wind veered to S.W. by S.; and blew a strong gale, which abated at noon; and the sun shining out, we found ourselves, by observation, in the lat.i.tude of 68 18'. I now steered N.E., till six o'clock the next morning, when I steered two points more easterly. In this run, we met with several sea-horses and flights of birds, some like sand-larks, and others no bigger than hedge-sparrows. Some s.h.a.gs were also seen, so that we judged ourselves to be not far from land. But as we had a thick fog, we could not expect to see any; and, as the wind blew strong, it was not prudent to continue a course which was most likely to bring us to it. From the noon of this day, to six o'clock in the morning of the following, I steered E. by N., which course brought us into sixteen fathoms water.

I now steered N.E. by E., thinking, by this course, to deepen our water. But, in the s.p.a.ce of six leagues, it shoaled to eleven fathoms, which made me think it proper to haul close to the wind that now blew at west. Toward noon, both sun and moon were seen clearly at intervals, and we got some flying observations for the longitude, which, reduced to noon, when the lat.i.tude was 70 33', gave 197 41'.

The time-keeper, for the same time, gave 198, and the variation was 35 1' 22" E. We had, afterward, reason to believe, that the observed longitude was within a very few miles of the truth.

Some time before noon, we perceived a brightness in the northern horizon, like that reflected from ice, commonly called the blink.

It was little noticed, from a supposition that it was improbable we should meet with ice so soon. And yet the sharpness of the air, and gloominess of the weather, for two or three days past, seemed to indicate some sudden change. About an hour after, the sight of a large field of ice, left us no longer in doubt about the cause of the brightness of the horizon. At half-past two, we tacked, close to the edge of the ice, in twenty-two fathoms water, being then in the lat.i.tude of 70 41', not being able to stand on any farther. For the ice was quite impenetrable, and extended from W. by N. to E. by N. as far as the eye could reach. Here were abundance of sea-horses, some in the water, but far more upon the ice. I had thoughts of hoisting out the boats to kill some, but the wind freshening, I gave up the design, and continued to ply to the southward, or rather to the westward, for the wind came from that quarter.

We gained nothing; for, on the 18th at noon, our lat.i.tude was 70 44', and we were near five leagues farther to the eastward. We were, at this time, close to the edge of the ice, which was as compact as a wall, and seemed to be ten or twelve feet high at least. But, farther north, it appeared much higher. Its surface was extremely rugged; and here and there, we saw upon it pools of water.

We now stood to the southward; and, after running six leagues, shoaled the water to seven fathoms, but it soon deepened to nine fathoms. At this time, the weather, which had been hazy, clearing up a little, we saw land extending from S. to S.E. by E., about three or four miles distant. The eastern extreme forms a point, which was much enc.u.mbered with ice, for which reason it obtained the name of _Icy Cape_. Its lat.i.tude is 70 29', and its longitude 198 20'. The other extreme of the land was lost in the horizon, so that there can be no doubt of its being a continuation of the American continent. The Discovery being about a mile astern, and to leeward, found less water than we did, and tacking on that account, I was obliged to tack also, to prevent separation.

Our situation was now more and more critical. We were in shoal water, upon a lee-sh.o.r.e, and the main body of the ice to windward, driving down upon us. It was evident, that if we remained much longer between it and the land, it would force us ash.o.r.e, unless it should happen to take the ground before us. It seemed nearly to join the land to leeward; and the only direction that was open, was to the S.W. After making a short board to the northward, I made the signal for the Discovery to tack, and tacked myself at the same time. The wind proved rather favourable, so that we lay up S.W. and S.W. by W.

At eight in the morning of the 19th, the wind veering back to W., I tacked to the northward, and, at noon, the lat.i.tude was 70 6', and the longitude 195 42'. In this situation, we had a good deal of drift-ice about us; and the main ice was about two leagues to the N.

At half-past one, we got in with the edge of it. It was not so compact as that which we had seen to the northward; but it was too close, and in too large pieces, to attempt forcing the ships through it. On the ice lay a prodigious number of sea-horses; and, as we were in want of fresh provisions, the boats from each ship were sent to get some.

By seven o'clock in the evening, we had received, on board the Resolution, nine of these animals, which, till now, we had supposed to be sea-cows; so that we were not a little disappointed, especially some of the seamen, who, for the novelty of the thing, had been feasting their eyes for some days past. Nor would they have been disappointed now, nor have known the difference, if we had not happened to have one or two on board, who had been in Greenland, and declared what animals these were, and that no one ever eat of them.

But, notwithstanding this, we lived upon them as long as they lasted; and there were few on board who did not prefer them to our salt meat.

The fat; at first, is as sweet as marrow; but in a few days it grows rancid, unless it be salted, in which state it will keep much longer.

The lean flesh is coa.r.s.e, black, and has rather a strong taste; and the heart is nearly as well tasted as that of a bullock. The fat, when melted, yields a good deal of oil, which burns very well in lamps; and their hides, which are very thick, were very useful about our rigging.

The teeth or tusks of most of them were, at this time, very small; even some of the largest and oldest of these animals had them not exceeding six inches in length. From this we concluded, that they had lately shed their old teeth.

They lie, in herds of many hundreds, upon the ice, huddling one over the other like swine, and roar or bray very loud, so that, in the night or in foggy weather, they gave us notice of the vicinity of the ice before we could see it. We never found the whole herd asleep, some being always upon the watch. These, on the approach of the boat, would wake those next to them, and the alarm being thus gradually communicated, the whole herd would be awake presently. But they were seldom in a hurry to get away, till after they had once been fired at.

Then they would tumble one over the other, into the sea, in the utmost confusion. And if we did not, at the first discharge, kill those we fired at, we generally lost them, though mortally wounded. They did not appear to us to be that dangerous animal some authors have described, not even when attacked. They are rather more so to appearance than in reality. Vast numbers of them would follow, and come close up to the boats. But the flash of a musket in the pan, or even the bare pointing of one at them, would send them down in an instant. The female will defend the young one to the very last, and at the expense of her own life, whether in the water, or upon the ice.

Nor will the young one quit the dam, though she be dead; so that, if you kill one, you are sure of the other. The dam, when in the water, holds the young one between her fore-fins.

Mr Pennant, in his _Synopsis Quadr._ p. 835,[2] has given a very good description of this animal under the name of _Arctic Walrus_, but I have no where seen a good drawing of one. Why they should be called sea-horses is hard to say, unless the word be a corruption of the Russian name _Morse_, for they have not the least resemblance of a horse. This is, without doubt, the same animal that is found in the Gulf of St Laurence, and there called Sea-cow. It is certainly more like a cow than a horse; but this likeness consists in nothing but the snout. In short, it is an animal like a seal, but incomparably larger.

The dimensions and weight of one, which was none of the largest, were as follows:--

Feet. Inches.

Length from the snout to the tail 9 4 Length of the neck, from the snout to the shoulder-bone 2 6 Height of the shoulder 5 0

Length of the fins { Fore 2 4 { Hind 2 6

Breadth of the fins { Fore 1 2-1/2 { Hind 2 0

Snout { Breadth 0 5-1/2 { Depth 1 3

Circ.u.mference of the neck close to the ears 2 7 Circ.u.mference of the body at the shoulder 7 10 Circ.u.mference near the hind fins 5 6 From the snout to the eyes 0 7

lbs.

Weight of the carcase, without the head, skin, or entrails 854 Head 41-1/2 Skin 205

[Footnote 2: Mr Pennant, since Captain Cook wrote this, has described this animal in a work which he calls Arctic Zoology. We refer the reader to N 72. of that work.--D.]

I could not find out what these animals feed upon. There was nothing in the maws of those we killed.

It is worth observing, that for some days before this date, we had frequently seen flocks of ducks flying to the southward. They were of two sorts, the one much larger than the other, the largest were of a brown colour; and, of the small sort, either the duck or drake was black and white, and the other brown. Some said they saw geese also.

Does not this indicate that there must be land to the north, where these birds find shelter, in the proper season, to breed, and from whence they were now returning to a warmer climate?

By the time that we had got our sea-horses on board, we were, in a manner, surrounded with the ice, and had no way left to clear it, but by standing to the southward, which was done till three o'clock next morning, with a gentle breeze westerly, and for the most part, thick, foggy weather. The soundings were from twelve to fifteen fathoms. We then tacked, and stood to the north till ten o'clock, when the wind veering to the northward, we directed our course to the S.W. and W. At two in the afternoon, we fell in with the main ice, along the edge of which we kept, being partly directed by the roaring of the sea-horses, for we had a very thick fog. Thus we continued sailing till near midnight, when we got in amongst the loose ice, and heard the surge of the sea upon the main ice.

The fog being very thick, and the wind easterly, I now hauled to the southward; and, at ten o'clock the next morning, the fog clearing away, we saw the continent of America, extending from S. by E. to E. by S., and at noon, from S.W. 1/2 S. to E., the nearest part five leagues distant. At this time we were in the lat.i.tude of 69 32', and in the longitude of 195 48'; and as the main ice was at no great distance from us, it is evident that it now covered a part of the sea, which, but a few days before, had been clear, and that it extended farther to the S., than where we first fell in with it. It must not be understood, that I supposed any part of this ice which we had seen to be fixed; on the contrary, I am well a.s.sured, that the whole was a moveable ma.s.s.

Having but little wind in the afternoon, I sent the master in a boat, to try if there was any current, but he found none. I continued to steer in for the American land, until eight o'clock, in order to get a nearer view of it, and to look for a harbour; but seeing nothing like one, I stood again to the N., with a light breeze westerly. At this time, the coast, extended from S.W. to E., the nearest part four or five leagues distant. The southern extreme seemed to form a point, which was named _Cape Lisburne_. It lies in the lat.i.tude of 69 5', and in the longitude of 194 42', and appeared to be pretty high land, even down to the sea. But there may be low land under it, which we might not see, being not less than ten leagues distant from it. Every where else, as we advanced northward, we had found a low coast, from which the land rises to a middle height. The coast now before us was without snow, except in one or two places, and had a greenish hue. But we could not perceive any wood upon it.

On the 22d, the wind was southerly, and the weather mostly foggy, with some intervals of sunshine. At eight in the evening it fell calm, which continued till midnight, when we heard the surge of the sea against the ice, and had several loose pieces about us. A light breeze now sprung up at N.E., and as the fog was very thick, I steered to the southward to clear the ice. At eight o'clock next morning, the fog dispersed, and I hauled to the westward. For, finding that I could not get to the north near the coast, on account of the ice, I resolved to try what could be done at a distance from it; and as the wind seemed to be settled at north, I thought it a good opportunity.

As we advanced to the west, the water deepened gradually to twenty-eight fathoms, which was the most we had. With the northerly wind the air was raw, sharp, and cold, and we had fogs, sunshine, showers of snow and sleet, by turns. At ten in the morning of the 26th, we fell in with the ice. At noon, it extended from N.W. to E.

by N., and appeared to be thick and compact. At this time, we were, by observation, in the lat.i.tude 69 36', and in the longitude of 184; so that it now appeared we had no better prospect of getting to the north here, than nearer the sh.o.r.e.