A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xvi Part 23

I continued to stand to the westward, till five in the afternoon, when we were in a manner embayed by the ice, which appeared high, and very close in the N.W. and N.E. quarters, with a great deal of loose ice about the edge of the main field. At this time we had baffling light winds, but it soon fixed at S., and increased to a fresh gale, with showers of rain. We got the tack aboard, and stretched to the eastward, this being the only direction in which the sea was clear of ice.

At four in the morning of the 27th, we tacked and stood to the W., and, at seven in the evening, we were close in with the edge of the ice, which lay E.N.E., and W.S.W., as far each way as the eye could reach. Having but little wind, I went with the boats to examine the state of the ice. I found it consisting of loose pieces, of various extent, and so close together, that I could hardly enter the outer edge with a boat; and it was as impossible for the s.h.i.+ps to enter it, as if it had been so many rocks. I took particular notice, that it was all pure transparent ice, except the upper surface, which was a little porous. It appeared to be entirely composed of frozen snow, and to have been all formed at sea. For setting aside the improbability, or rather impossibility, of such huge ma.s.ses floating out of rivers, in which there is hardly water for a boat, none of the productions of the land were found incorporated, or fixed in it, which must have unavoidably been the case, had it been formed in rivers, either great or small. The pieces of ice that formed the outer edge of the field, were from forty or fifty yards in extent, to four or five; and I judged, that the larger pieces reached thirty feet, or more, under the surface of the water. It also appeared to me very improbable, that this ice could have been the production of the preceding winter alone.

I should suppose it rather to have been the production of a great many winters. Nor was it less improbable, according to my judgment, that the little that remained of the summer could destroy the tenth part of what now subsisted of this ma.s.s, for the sun had already exerted upon it the full influence of his rays. Indeed I am of opinion, that the sun contributes very little toward reducing these great ma.s.ses. For although that luminary is a considerable while above the horizon, it seldom s.h.i.+nes out for more than a few hours at a time, and often is not seen for several days in succession. It is the wind, or rather the waves raised by the wind, that brings down the bulk of these enormous ma.s.ses, by grinding one piece against another, and by undermining and was.h.i.+ng away those parts that lie exposed to the surge of the sea.

This was evident, from our observing, that the upper surface of many pieces had been partly washed away, while the base or under part remained firm for several fathoms round that which appeared above water, exactly like a shoal round an elevated rock. We measured the depth of water upon one, and found it to be fifteen feet, so that the s.h.i.+ps might have sailed over it. If I had not measured this depth, I would not have believed that there was a sufficient weight of ice above the surface to have sunk the other so much below it. Thus it may happen, that more ice is destroyed in one stormy season, than is formed in several winters, and an endless acc.u.mulation is prevented.

But that there is always a remaining store, every one who has been upon the spot will conclude, and none but closet-studying philosophers will dispute.[3]

[Footnote 3: These observations of Captain Cook, in addition to some remarks which were formerly given on the subject, seem conclusive against the supposition of such large ma.s.ses of ice being the product of rivers, as has not unfrequently been maintained. They may, however, have proceeded from land in another way, being occasioned by the consolidation of snow into such ma.s.ses as were of sufficient weight to separate from the declivities where they had been formed. This undoubtedly may sometimes happen; but the explanation of their origin formerly offered, seems much more ent.i.tled to consideration, as a generally operating cause. The last remark which Captain Cook makes, appears to have been levelled at some would-be-wise heads, who had hazarded reflections about the possibility of some time or other finding an open sea in high lat.i.tudes. But, however illiberally stated, it is in all probability just, though for a reason unknown to Cook. The chemical reader will perceive we allude to the circ.u.mstance of the absorption of heat that takes places during the liquefaction of ice, in consequence of which the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere is reduced so much, as to prevent any more of the ice being dissolved. A contrary operation, as is now well known, takes place during the congelation of water, and heat is evolved. Thus then the cold of winter is moderated. And so, on the whole, the temperature is kept more uniform, than, without such adjustment, would be the case.--E.]

A thick fog, which came on while I was thus employed with the boats, hastened me aboard, rather sooner than I could have wished, with one sea-horse to each s.h.i.+p. We had killed more, but could not wait to bring them with us. The number of these animals, on all the ice that we had seen, is almost incredible. We spent the night standing off and on amongst the drift ice; and at nine o'clock the next morning, the fog having partly dispersed, boats from each s.h.i.+p were sent for sea-horses. For, by this time, our people began to relish them, and those we had procured before were all consumed. At noon, our lat.i.tude was 69 17', our longitude 183, the variation by the morning azimuths, 25 56' E., and the depth of water twenty-five fathoms. At two o'clock, having got on board as much marine beef as was thought necessary, and the wind freshening at S.S.E., we took on board the boats, and stretched to the S.W. But not being able to weather the ice upon this tack, or to go through it, we made a board to the east, till eight o'clock, then resumed our course to the S.W., and before midnight were obliged to tack again, on account of the ice. Soon after, the wind s.h.i.+fted to the N.W., blowing a stiff gale, and we stretched to the S.W., close hauled.

In the morning of the 29th, we saw the main ice to the northward, and not long after, land bearing S.W. by W. Presently after this, more land shewed itself, bearing W. It shewed itself in two hills like islands, but afterward the whole appeared connected. As we approached the land, the depth of water decreased very fast; so that at noon, when we tacked, we had only eight fathoms, being three miles from the coast, which extended from S., 30 E., to N., 60 W. This last extreme terminated in a bluff point, being one of the hills above mentioned.

The weather at this time was very hazy, with drizzling rain; but soon after it cleared, especially to the southward, westward, and northward. This enabled us to have a pretty good view of the coast, which, in every respect, is like the opposite one of America; that is, low land next the sea, with elevated land farther back. It was perfectly dest.i.tute of wood, and even snow; but was, probably, covered with a mossy substance, that gave it a brownish cast. In the low ground, lying between the high land and the sea, was a lake, extending to the S.E., farther than we could see. As we stood off, the westernmost of the two hills before mentioned came open off the bluff point, in the direction of N.W. It had the appearance of being an island; but it might be joined to the other by low land, though we did not see it. And if so, there is a two-fold point, with a bay between them. This point, which is steep and rocky, was named _Cape North_.

Its situation is nearly in the lat.i.tude of 68 56', and in the longitude of 180 51'. The coast beyond it must take a very westerly direction; for we could see no land to the northward of it, though the horizon was there pretty clear. Being desirous of seeing more of the coast to the westward, we tacked again at two o'clock in the afternoon, thinking we could weather Cape North. But finding we could not, the wind freshening, a thick fog coming on, with much snow, and being fearful of the ice coming down upon us, I gave up the design I had formed of plying to the westward, and stood off sh.o.r.e again.

The season was now so far advanced, and the time when the frost is expected to set in so near at hand, that I did not think it consistent with prudence, to make any farther attempts to find a pa.s.sage into the Atlantic this year, in any direction, so little was the prospect of succeeding. My attention was now directed toward finding out some place where we might supply ourselves with wood and water; and the object uppermost in my thoughts was, how I should spend the winter, so as to make some improvements in geography and navigation, and, at the same time, be in a condition to return to the north, in farther search of a pa.s.sage, the ensuing summer.

SECTION X.

_Return from Cape North, along the Coast of Asia.--Views of the Country.--Burner's Island.--Cape Serdze Kamen, the Northern Limit of Beering's Voyage.--Pa.s.s the East Cape of Asia.--Description and Situation of it.--Observations on Muller.--The Tschutski.--Bay of Saint Laurence.--Two other Bays, and Habitations of the Natives.--Beering's Cape Tschukotskoi.--Beering's Position of this Coast accurate.--Island of Saint Laurence.--Pa.s.s to the American Coast.--Cape Darby.--Bald Head.--Cape Denbigh, on a Peninsula.--Besborough Island.--Wood and Water procured.--Visits from the Natives.--Their Persons and Habitations.--Produce of the Country.--Marks that the Peninsula had formerly been surrounded by the Sea.--Lieutenant King's Report.--Norton Sound.--Lunar Observations there.--Staehlin's Map proved to be erroneous,--Plan of future Operations._

After having stood off till we got into eighteen fathoms water, I bore up to the eastward, along the coast, which, by this time; it was pretty certain, could only be the continent of Asia. As the wind blew fresh, with a very heavy fall of snow, and a thick mist, it was necessary to proceed with great caution. I therefore brought-to for a few hours in the night.

At day-break, on the 30th, we made sail, and steered such a course as I thought would bring us in with the land, being in a great measure guided by the lead. For the weather was as thick as ever, and it snowed incessantly. At ten, we got sight of the coast, bearing S.W., four miles distant; and presently after, having shoaled the water to seven fathoms, we hauled off. At this time, a very low point, or spit, bore S.S.W., two or three miles distant; to the E. of which there appeared to be a narrow channel, leading into some water that we saw over the point. Probably the lake before mentioned communicates here with the sea.

At noon, the mist dispersing for a short interval, we had a tolerably good view of the coast, which extended from S.E. to N.W. by W. Some parts appeared higher than others; but in general it was very low, with high land farther up the country. The whole was now covered with snow, which had lately fallen quite down to the sea. I continued to range along the coast at two leagues distance, till ten at night, when we hauled off; but we resumed our course next morning, soon after day-break, when we got sight of the coast again, extending from W.

to S.E. by S. At eight, the eastern part bore S., and proved to be an island, which at noon bore S.W. 1/2 S., four or five miles distant. It is about four or five miles in circuit, of a middling height, with a steep, rocky coast, situated about three leagues from the main, in the lat.i.tude of 67 45', and distinguished in the chart by the name of _Burney's Island_.

The inland country hereabout is full of hills, some of which are of a considerable height. The land was covered with snow, except a few spots upon the sea-coast, which still continued low, but less so than farther westward. For the two preceding days, the mean height of the mercury in the thermometer had been very little above the freezing point, and often below it; so that the water in the vessels upon the deck was frequently covered with a sheet of ice.

I continued to steer S.S.E., nearly in the direction of the coast, till five in the afternoon, when land was seen bearing S., 50 E., which we presently found to be a continuation of the coast, and hauled up for it. Being abreast of the eastern land at ten at night, and in doubts of weathering it, we tacked, and made a board to the westward, till past one the next morning, when we stood again to the east, and found that it was as much as we could do to keep our distance from the coast, the wind being exceedingly unsettled, varying continually from N. to N.E. At half an hour past eight, the eastern extreme above mentioned bore S. by E., six or seven miles distant. At the same time, a head-land appeared in sight, bearing E. by S., 1/2 S.; and, soon after, we could trace the whole coast lying between them, and a small island at some distance from it.

The coast seemed to form several rocky points, connected by a low sh.o.r.e, without the least appearance of a harbour. At some distance from the sea, the low land appeared to swell into a number of hills.

The highest of these were covered with snow, and, in other respects, the whole country seemed naked. At seven in the evening, two points of land, at some distance beyond the eastern head, opened off it, in the direction of S., 37 E. I was now well a.s.sured, of what I had believed before, that this was the country of the Tschutski, or the N.E. coast of Asia; and that thus far Beering proceeded in 1728; that is, to this head, which Muller says is called _Serdze Kamen_, on account of a rock upon it, shaped like a heart. But I conceive, that Mr Muller's knowledge of the geography of these parts is very imperfect. There are many elevated rocks upon this cape, and possibly some one or other of them may have the shape or a heart. It is a pretty lofty promontory, with a steep rocky cliff facing the sea, and lies in the lat.i.tude of 67 3', and in the longitude of 188 11'. To the eastward of it, the coast is high and bold; but to the westward it is low, and trends N.N.W., and N.W. by W., which is nearly its direction all the way to Cape North. The soundings are every where the same at the same distance from the sh.o.r.e, which is also the case on the opposite sh.o.r.e of America. The greatest depth we found in ranging along it was twenty-three fathoms. And, in the night, or in foggy weather, the soundings are no bad guide in sailing along either of these sh.o.r.es.

At eight o'clock in the morning of the 2d, the most advanced land to the S.E., bore S., 25 E., and from this point of view had the appearance of being an island. But the thick snow showers, which succeeded one another pretty, fast, and settled upon the land, hid great part of the coast at this time from our sight. Soon after, the sun, whose face we had not seen for near five days, broke out at the intervals between the showers, and, in some measure, freed the coast from the fog, so that we had a sight of it, and found the whole to be connected. The wind still continued at north, the air was cold, and the mercury in the thermometer never rose above 35, and was sometimes as low as 30. At noon the observed lat.i.tude was 66 37', Cape Serdze Kamen bore N., 52 W., thirteen leagues distant; the southernmost point of land in sight S., 41 E., the nearest part of the coast two leagues distant, and our depth of water twenty-two fathoms.

We had now fair weather and suns.h.i.+ne, and as we ranged along the coast, at the distance of four miles, we saw several of the inhabitants, and some of their habitations, which looked like little hillocks of earth. In the evening we pa.s.sed the _Eastern Cape_, or the point above mentioned, from which the coast changes its direction, and trends S.W. It is the same point of land which we had pa.s.sed on the 11th of August. They who believed implicitly in Mr Staehlin's map, then thought it the east point of his island Alaschka; but we had, by this time, satisfied ourselves, that it is no other than the eastern promontory of Asia, and probably the proper _Tschukotskoi Noss_, though the promontory, to which Beering gave that name, is farther to the S.W.

Though Mr Muller, in his map of the Russian Discoveries, places the Tschukotskoi Noss nearly in 75 of lat.i.tude, and extends it somewhat to the eastward of this cape, it appears to me, that he had no good authority for so doing. Indeed, his own accounts, or rather Deshneff's,[1] of the distance between the Noss, and the river Anadir, cannot be reconciled with this very northerly position. But as I hope to visit these parts again, I shall leave the discussion of this point till then. In the mean time, I must conclude, as Beering did before me, that this is the most eastern point of Asia. It is a peninsula of considerable height, joined to the continent by a very low, and, to appearance, narrow neck of land. It shews a steep rocky clift next the sea, and off the very point are some rocks like spires. It is situated in the lat.i.tude of 66 6', and in the longitude of 190 22', and is distant from Cape Prince of Wales, on the American coast, thirteen leagues, in the direction of N., 53 W. The land about this promontory is composed of hills and vallies. The former terminate at the sea in steep rocky points, and the latter in low sh.o.r.es. The hills seemed to be naked rocks; but the vallies had a greenish hue, but dest.i.tute of tree or shrub.[2]

[Footnote 1: Avec le vent le plus favorable, on peut aller par mer de cette pointe (des Tschukotschis), jusqu' a l'Anadir en trois fois 24 heures; et par terre le chemin ne peut guere etre plus long.--_Muller_, p. 13.--D.]

[Footnote 2: Deshnef's voyage in 1648, is considered the only one previous to this of Cook, in which the north-eastern extremity of Asia was doubled. Some account of it is given in c.o.xe's work. Others have pretended to this achievement, but there is not evidence to warrant belief of the fact. Beering, indeed, in 1728, got as far north as 67 18'; but as he immediately returned, and made no progress on the Asiatic coast, he is not ent.i.tled to this merit, although the extent of his discovery, as to the separation of the two continents, has procured him the honour of giving a name to the Strait which divides them.--E.]

After pa.s.sing the cape, I steered S.W. 1/2 W., for the northern point of St Laurence Bay, in which we had anch.o.r.ed on the 10th of last month. We reached it by eight o'clock next morning, and saw some of the inhabitants at the place where I had seen them before, as well as several others on the opposite side of the bay. None of them, however, attempted to come off to us, which seemed a little extraordinary, as the weather was favourable enough; and those whom we had lately visited had no reason, that I know of, to dislike our company. These people must be the Tschutski; a nation that, at the time Mr Muller wrote, the Russians had not been able to conquer. And, from the whole of their conduct with us, it appears that they have not, as yet, brought them under subjection; though it is obvious that they must have a trade with the Russians, either directly, or by means of some neighbouring nation, as we cannot otherwise account for their being in possession of the spontoons, in particular, of which we took notice.

This bay of St Laurence[3] is, at least, five leagues broad at the entrance, and four leagues deep, narrowing towards the bottom, where it appeared to be tolerably well sheltered from the sea-winds, provided there be a sufficient depth of water for s.h.i.+ps. I did not wait to examine it, although I was very desirous of finding an harbour in those parts, to which I might resort next spring. But I wanted one where wood might be got, and I knew that none was to be found here.

From the south point of this bay, which lies in the lat.i.tude of 65 30', the coast trends W. by S., for about nine leagues, and there forms a deep bay, or river, or else the land there is so low that we could not see it.

[Footnote 3: Captain Cook gives it this name, having anch.o.r.ed in it on St Laurence's day, August 10. It is remarkable, that Beering sailed past this very place on the 10th of August 1728; on which account, the neighbouring island was named by him after the same Saint.--D.

But Dr Douglas seems to err in this observation. At least, according to Mr c.o.xe's account, it would appear, that it was the island of St Laurence, which we shall immediately find Captain Cook afterwards fell in with, and not the bay so named, which Beering pa.s.sed on the 10th August. This, however, is a trivial correction, if even the imperfect relation we possess of Beering's progress could prove it to be one.--E.]

At one in the afternoon, in the direction of our course, we saw what was first taken for a rock; but it proved to be a dead whale, which some natives of the Asiatic coast had killed, and were towing ash.o.r.e.

They seemed to conceal themselves behind the fish to avoid being seen by us. This was unnecessary, for we pursued our course, without taking any notice of them.

At day-break on the 4th, I hauled to the N.W., in order to get a nearer view of the inlet seen the preceding day; but the wind, soon after, veering to that direction, I gave up the design; and steered to the southward along the coast, past two bays, each about two leagues deep. The northernmost lies before a hill, which is remarkable by being rounder than any other upon the coast. And there is an island lying before the other. It may be doubted, whether there be a sufficient depth for s.h.i.+ps in either of these bays, as we always met with shoal water, when we edged in for the sh.o.r.e. The country here is exceedingly hilly and naked. In several places on the low ground, next the sea, were the dwellings of the natives; and near all of them were erected stages of bones, such as before described. These may be seen at a great distance, on account of their whiteness.

At noon the lat.i.tude was 64 31', and the longitude 188 45'; the southernmost point of the main in sight bore S., 48 W., and the nearest sh.o.r.e about three or four leagues distant. By this time, the wind had veered again to the N., and blew a gentle breeze. The weather was clear, and the air cold. I did not follow the direction of the coast, as I found that it look a westerly direction toward the Gulf of Anadir, into which I had no inducement to go, but steered to the southward, in order to get a sight of the island of St Laurence, discovered by Beering, which accordingly shewed itself, and at eight o'clock in the evening, it bore S., 20 E., by estimation, eleven leagues distant. At the same time, the southernmost point of the main land bore S., 83 W., distant twelve leagues. I take this to be the point which Beering calls the east point of Suchotski, or _Cape Tschukotskoi_; a name which he gave it, and with propriety, because it was from this part of the coast that the natives came off to him, who called themselves of the nation of Tschutski. I make its lat.i.tude to be 64 13', and its longitude 186 36'.

In justice to the memory of Beering, I must say, that he has delineated the coast very well, and fixed the lat.i.tude and longitude of the points better than could be expected from the methods he had to go by. This judgment is not formed from Mr Muller's account of the voyage, or the chart prefixed to his book; but from Dr Campbell's account of it in his edition of Harris's collection, and a map thereto annexed, which is both more circ.u.mstantial and accurate than that of Mr Muller.

The more I was convinced of my being now upon the coast of Asia, the more I was at a loss to reconcile Mr Staehlin's map of the New Northern Archipelago with my observations; and I had no way to account for the great difference, but by supposing, that I had mistaken some part of what he calls the island of Alaschka for the American continent, and had missed the channel that separates them. Admitting even this, there would still have been a considerable difference. It was with me a matter of some consequence, to clear up this point the present season, that I might have but one object in view the next. And, as these northern isles are represented by him as abounding with wood, I was in hopes, if I should find them, of getting a supply of that article, which we now began to be in great want of on board.

With these views, I steered over for the American coast; and, at five in the afternoon the next day, saw land bearing S. 1/4 E., which we took to be Anderson's Island, or some other land near it, and therefore did not wait to examine it. On the 6th, at four in the morning, we got sight of the American coast near Sledge Island; and at six, the same evening, this island bore N., 6 E., ten leagues distant; and the easternmost land in sight N., 49 E. If any part of what I had supposed to be American coast could possibly be the island of Alaschka, it was that now before us; and in that case, I must have missed the channel between it and the main, by steering to the west, instead of the east, after we first fell in with it. I was not, therefore, at a loss where to go, in order to clear up these doubts.

At eight in the evening of the 7th, we had got close in with the land, Sledge Island bearing N. 85 W., eight or nine leagues distant; and the eastern part of the coast N. 70 E., with high land in the direction of E. by N., seemingly at a great distance beyond the point. At this time we saw a light ash.o.r.e, and two canoes, filled with people, coming off toward us. I brought-to, that they might have time to come up. But it was to no purpose; for, resisting all the signs of friends.h.i.+p we could exhibit, they kept at the distance of a quarter of a mile; so that we left them, and pursued our course along the coast.

At one in the morning of the 8th, finding the water shoal pretty fast, we dropped anchor in ten fathoms, where we lay until day-light, and then resumed our course along the coast, which we found to trend E., and E. 1/2 S. At seven in the evening, we were abreast of a point, lying in the lat.i.tude of 64 21', and in the longitude of 197, beyond which the coast takes a more northerly direction. At eight, this point, which obtained the name of _Cape Darby_, bore S. 62 W.; the northernmost land in sight, N. 32 E., and the nearest sh.o.r.e three miles distant. In this situation we anch.o.r.ed in thirteen fathoms water, over a muddy bottom.

Next morning, at day-break, we weighed, and sailed along the coast.

Two islands, as we supposed them to be, were at that time seen, the one bearing S. 70 E., and the other E. Soon after, we found ourselves upon a coast covered with wood; an agreeable sight, to which of late we had not been accustomed. As we advanced to the north, we raised land in the direction of N.E. 1/2 N., which proved to be a continuation of the coast we were upon. We also saw high land over the islands, seemingly at a good distance beyond them. This was thought to be the continent, and the other land the island of Alaschka. But it was already doubtful, whether we should find a pa.s.sage between them; for the water shoaled insensibly as we advanced further to the north.

In this situation, two boats were sent to sound before the s.h.i.+ps, and I ordered the Discovery to lead, keeping nearly in the mid-channel, between the coast on our larboard, and the northernmost island on our starboard. Thus we proceeded till three in the afternoon, when, having pa.s.sed the island, we had not more than three fathoms and a half of water, and the Resolution, at one time, brought the mud up from the bottom. More water was not to be found in any part of the channel, for, with the s.h.i.+ps and boats, we had tried it from side to side.

I therefore thought it high time to return, especially as the wind was in such a quarter that we must ply back. But what I dreaded most was the wind increasing, and raising the sea into waves, so as to put the s.h.i.+ps in danger of striking. At this time, a head-land on the west sh.o.r.e, which is distinguished by the name of _Bald Head_, bore N. by W., one league distant. The coast beyond it extended as far as N.E. by N., where it seemed to end in a point, behind which the coast of the high land, seen over the islands, stretched itself, and some thought they could trace where it joined. On the west side of Bald Head, the sh.o.r.e forms a bay, in the bottom of which is a low beach, where we saw a number of huts or habitations of the natives.

Having continued to ply back all night, by day-break the next morning we had got into six fathoms water. At nine o'clock, being about a league from the west sh.o.r.e, I took two boats, and landed, attended by Mr King, to seek wood and water. We landed where the coast projects out into a bluff head, composed of perpendicular _strata_ of a rock of a dark-blue colour, mixed with quartz and glimmer. There joins to the beach a narrow border of land, now covered with long gra.s.s, and where we met with some _angelica_. Beyond this, the ground rises abruptly.

At the top of this elevation, we found a heath, abounding with a variety of berries; and further on, the country was level, and thinly covered with small spruce-trees, and birch and willows no bigger than broom-stuff. We observed tracks of deer and foxes on the beach; on which also lay a great quant.i.ty of drift-wood, and there was no want of fresh water. I returned on board, with an intention to bring the s.h.i.+ps to an anchor here; but the wind then veering to N.E., which blew rather on this sh.o.r.e, I stretched over to the opposite one, in the expectation of finding wood there also, and anch.o.r.ed at eight o'clock in the evening, under the south end of the northernmost island, so we then supposed it to be; but, next morning, we found it to be a peninsula, united to the continent by a low neck of land, on each side of which the coast forms a bay. We plied into the southernmost, and about noon anch.o.r.ed in five fathoms water, over a bottom of mud; the point of the peninsula, which obtained the name of _Cape Denbigh_, bearing N. 68 W., three miles distant.

Several people were seen upon the peninsula, and one man came off in a small canoe. I gave him a knife, and a few beads, with which he seemed well pleased. Having made signs to him to bring us something to eat, he immediately left us, and paddled toward the sh.o.r.e. But meeting another man coming off, who happened to have two dried salmon, he got them from him; and on returning to the s.h.i.+p, would give them to n.o.body but me. Some of our people thought that he asked for me under the name of _Capitane_; but in this they were probably mistaken. He knew who had given him the knife and beads, but I do not see how he could know that I was the captain. Others of the natives soon after came off, and exchanged a few dry fish, for such trifles as they could get, or we had to give them. They were most desirous of knives, and they had no dislike to tobacco.

After dinner, Lieutenant Gore was sent to the peninsula, to see if wood and water were there to be got, or rather water; for the whole beach round the bay seemed to be covered with drift-wood. At the same time, a boat was sent from each s.h.i.+p, to sound round the bay; and, at three in the afternoon, the wind freshening at N.E., we weighed, in order to work farther in. But it was soon found to be impossible, on account of the shoals, which extended quite round the bay, to the distance of two or three miles from the sh.o.r.e, as the officers, who had been sent to sound, reported. We, therefore, kept standing off and on with the s.h.i.+ps, waiting for Mr Gore, who returned about eight o'clock, with the launch laden with wood.

He reported, that there was but little fresh water; and that wood was difficult to be got at, by reason of the boats grounding at some distance from the beach. This being the case, I stood back to the other sh.o.r.e; and, at eight o'clock the next morning, sent all the boats, and a party of men with an officer, to get wood from the place where I had landed two days before. We continued for a while to stand on and off with the s.h.i.+ps; but, at length, came to an anchor in one-fourth less than five fathoms, half a league from the coast, the south point of which bore S. 26 W.; and Bald Head, N. 60 E., nine leagues distant. Cape Denbigh bore S. 72 E., twenty-six miles distant; and the island under the east sh.o.r.e, to the southward of Cape Denbigh, named _Besborough Island_, S. 52 E., fifteen leagues distant.

As this was a very open road, and consequently not a safe station, I resolved not to wait to complete water, as that would require some time; but only to supply the s.h.i.+ps with wood, and then to go in search of a more convenient place for the other article. We took off the drift-wood that lay upon the beach; and as the wind blew along sh.o.r.e, the boats could sail both ways, which enabled us to make great dispatch.

In the afternoon, I went ash.o.r.e, and walked a little into the country, which, where there was no wood, was covered with heath and other plants, some of which produce berries in abundance. All the berries were ripe, the hurtle-berries too much so, and hardly a single plant was in flower. The underwood, such as birch, willows, and alders, rendered it very troublesome walking amongst the trees, which were all spruce, and none of them above six or eight inches in diameter. But we found some lying upon the beach more than twice this size. All the drift-wood in these northern parts was fir. I saw not a stick of any other sort.

Next day, a family of the natives came near to the place where we were taking off wood. I know not how many there were at first; but I saw only the husband, the wife, and their child; and a fourth person who bore the human shape, and that was all; for he was the most deformed cripple I had ever seen or heard of. The other man was almost blind; and neither he nor his wife were such good-looking people as we had sometimes seen amongst the natives of this coast. The under-lips of both were bored; and they had in their possession some such gla.s.s-beads as I had met with before amongst their neighbours. But iron was their beloved article. For four knives, which we had made out of an old iron hoop, I got from them near four hundred pounds weight of fish, which they had caught on this or the preceding day. Some were trout, and the rest were, in size and taste, somewhat between a mullet and a herring. I gave the child, who was a girl, a few beads; on which the mother burst into tears, then the father, then the cripple, and at last, to complete the concert, the girl herself. But this music continued not long.[4] Before night, we had got the s.h.i.+ps, amply supplied with wood; and had carried on board about twelve tons of water to each.

[Footnote 4: Captain King has communicated the following account of an interview with the same family: "On the 12th, while I attended the wooding party, a canoe, full of natives, approached us; and, beckoning them to land, an elderly man and woman came on sh.o.r.e. I gave the woman a small knife, making her understand, that I would give, her a much larger one for some fish. She made signs to me to follow her. I had proceeded with them about a mile, when the man, in crossing a stony beach, fell down, and cut his foot very much. This made me stop; upon which the woman pointed to the man's eyes, which, I observed, were covered with a thick, white film. He afterward kept close to his wife, who apprised him of the obstacles in his way. The woman had a little child on her back, covered with the hood of her jacket; and which I took for a bundle till I heard it cry. At about two miles distant we came to their open skin boat, which was turned on its side, the convex part towards the wind, and served for their house. I was now made to perform a singular operation on the man's eyes. First, I was directed to hold my breath; afterwards, to breathe on the diseased eyes; and, next, to spit on them. The woman then took both my hands, and pressing them to his stomach, held them there for some time, while she related some calamitous history of her family; pointing sometimes to her husband, sometimes to a frightful cripple belonging to the family, and sometimes to her child. I purchased all the fish they had, consisting of very fine salmon, salmon-trout, and mullet; which were delivered most faithfully to the man I sent for them. The man was about five feet two inches high, and well made; his colour of a light copper; his hair black and short, and with little beard. He had two holes in his under-lip, but no ornaments in them. The woman was short and squat, with a plump round face; wore a deer-skin jacket, with a large hood, and had on wide boots. The teeth of both were black, and seemed as if they had been filed down level with the gums. The woman was punctured from the lip to the chin."--D.]

On the 14th, a party of men were sent on sh.o.r.e to cut brooms, which we were in want of, and the branches of spruce trees for brewing beer.

Toward noon, every body was taken on board; for the wind freshening, had raised such a surf on the beach, that the boats could not continue to land without great difficulty. Some doubts being still entertained, whether the coast we were now upon belonged to an island or the American continent; and the shallowness of the water putting it out of our power to determine this with our s.h.i.+ps, I sent Lieutenant King, with two boats under his command, to make such searches as might leave no room for a variety of opinions on the subject.[5] Next day, the s.h.i.+ps removed over to the bay, which is on the S.E. side of Cape Denbigh, where we anch.o.r.ed in the afternoon. Soon after, a few of the natives came off in their small canoes, and bartered some dried salmon for such trifles as our people had to give them.

[Footnote 5: Captain King has been so good as to communicate his instructions on this occasion, and the particulars of the fatigue he underwent, in carrying them into execution: