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LATE VOYAGES AND TRAVELS.

(Lond. Lit. Gaz.)

JOURNAL OF A SECOND VOYAGE for the Discovery of a North-west Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific; performed in the Years 1821-22-23, in H. M.'s Ships Fury and Hecla, under the Orders of Captain Parry. London, 1824.

WHEN this Expedition, upon the

fate of which so intense an interest had bung in the public mind, happily returned to our shores, we were fortunately enabled to lay before our readers a very full and accurate detail of its leading incidents and discoveries. Our Gazettes, containing these accounts, where bought up with an eagerness which showed the extent of the curiosity and the feelings that existed about our gallant navigators ;* and we rejoice to observe that the present volume is well calculated, in every way, to satisfy the wish for still more ample and scientific information upon the subject. The numerous Charts, and admirable Engravings by Finden, from drawings by Captain Lyon, are superior to any illustrations of the kind within our knowledge, and greatly assist us in completing our ideas of the natives whom the voyagers encountered, and their mode of living; while the text, in a methodical and well-digested manner, places clearly before us the principal events of an attempt which, if not eminently successful, did not fail for want of proper care in the outfit and perse verance in the execution.

The work commences with an Introduction, which describes the liberal and judicious equipment of the ships, and their provisioning for three years. Then follow the Official Instructions. Completely prepared at all points and for all circumstances, the vessels sailed in May 1821, accompanied by the Nautilus transport; and on the 2d of July, having previously unloaded and dismissed that auxiliary carrier, they were off Resolution Island at the Mouth of Hudson's Straits. On the 16th, they sent their last letters to England by a whaler; and within five days were visited by a tribe of Esquimaux belonging to the Savage Islands in these Straits. These people were however acquainted with Europeans,

* See our last vol. p. 236. 291.

and not, we lament to say, the better

for their intercourse. They were greedy barterers, and not very honest; though only one instance was remarked of their endeavouring to swerve from a bargain after they had licked (their usual custom) the article received in traffic, and thus, as it were, ratified the exchange.

Capt. Parry states that they "possessed in an eminent degree the disposition to steal all they could lay their hands on, which has almost universally been imputed to every tribe of Esquimaux hitherto visited by Europeans. They tried, more than once, the art of picking our pockets, and were as bold and unembarrassed as ever, immediately after detection. It is impossible to describe the horribly disgusting manner in which they sat down, as soon as they felt hungry, to eat their raw blubber, and to suck the oil remaining on the skins we had just emptied, the very smell of which, as well as the appearance, was to us almost insufferable. The disgust which our seamen could not help expressing at this sight seemed to create in the Esquimaux the most malicious amusement; and when our people turned away literally unable to bear the sight without being sick, they would, as a good joke among themselves, run after them holding out the blubber or raw seal's flesh, dripping with oil and filth, as if inviting them to partake of it. Both the men and women were guilty of still more disgusting indecencies, which seemed to afford them amazing diversion. A worse trait even than all these was displayed by two women alongside the Hecla, who, in a manner too unequivocal to be understood, offered to barter their children for some article of trifling value, beginning very deliberately to strip them of their clothes, which they did not choose to consider as included in the intended bargain.

"Upon the whole it was impossible for us not to receive a very unfavourable impression of the general behaviour, and moral character, of the natives of this part of Hudson's Strait, who seem to have acquired, by an annual intercourse with our ships for nearly a hundred years, many of the vices which unhappily attend a first intercourse with the civilized world, without having imbibed any of the virtues or refinements which adorn and render it happy."

Proceeding up Hudson's Straits to the head, the Expedition was entirely baffled in endeavouring, through every inlet, to penetrate to the Polar Sea by any opening to the north of Southampton Island. It thus lost the season, amongst a few unimportant bays and creeks, to which names were given, and of which the only consequence is, that future trials in that direction need not be made. The non-existence of a passage through Repulse Bay, was determined.

The vessels now returned towards the East; several boat-expeditions were attempted, and they finally were laid up in winter quarters, at a very short distance to the north of their summer's labours.

"In reviewing (the author sums up) the events of this our first season of navigation, and considering what progress we had made towards the attainment of our main object, it was impossible, however trifling that progress might appear upon the chart, not to experience considerable satisfaction. Small as our actual advance had been towards Behring's Strait, the extent of coast newly discovered and minutely explored in pursuit of our object, in the course of the last eight weeks, amounted to more than eight hundred leagues, nearly half of which belonged to the continent of North America. This service, notwithstanding our constant exposure to the risks which intricate, shoal, and unknown channels, a sea loaded with ice, and a rapid tide concurred in presenting, had providentially been effected without injury to the ships, or suffering to the officers and men; and we had now once more met with tolerable security for the en

suing winter, when obliged to relinquish further operations for the season. Above all, however, I derived the most sincere satisfaction from a conviction of having left no part of the coast from Repulse Bay eastward in a state of doubt as to its connexion with the continent. And as the mainland now in sight from the hills extended no farther to the eastward than about a NNE. bearing, we ventured to indulge a sanguine hope of our being very near the north-eastern boundary of America, and that the early part of the next season would find us employing our best efforts in pushing along its northern shores."

In their winter's abode they found that the apparatus for heating between decks answered every expectation; and, to "kill the time," besides killing foxes, hares, &c. &c. they established a theatre for dramatic representations once a fortnight; had occasional concer; and for a better purpose, a regular school, and Divine service every Sunday, in common to both ships. But the grand resource from ennui was the visit of a tribe of Esquimaux in the month of February; and though in our former numbers, may be read many particulars of these harmless creatures, we are convinced that the following extracts, put together from the whole of Captain Parry's separate observations, will afford as much entertainment as any portion of his Work which we could condense into our first notice of it into one Number.

We will introduce them as Seal-hunters and Seal-eaters :

"The party we at first joined were seated on a high hummock of ice, with their spears in their hands, looking out for seals. After we had talked to them for a few minutes, Okotook suddenly started up and set off along the edge of the ice, without giving us or his companions the least warning. The latter seemed so much accustomed to this, that they took no further notice than by immediately following him, and we did the same; the whole party walking at a very quick rate, and the natives keeping their heads constantly turned towards the sea to look out for

seals. After being thus engaged for an hour and a half, we judged, from the motions of a party at some distance beyond us, that they had game in view. As we approached them, Okotook evidently began to be apprehensive that we, who did not understand the matter, would spoil their sport. To prevent this, he did the most civil thing that could well have been devised, which was, to send his companions, one by one to the spot, and to remain with us himself, keeping us at such a distance as to allow us to see their proceedings, without alarming the animal they were in pursuit of. The other seven Esquimaux now forming one party, disposed themselves into a single line, so as to make as small an appearance as possible in the direction in which they were going, and in this manner crept very cautiously towards the margin of the floe. On a sudden they all stooped down quite low, to hide themselves, and continued thus a quarter of an hour, during which time they prepared their lines and spears; and then, when the animal appeared to be intercepted from their view, again took the opportunity of gaining a few paces on him in the same cautious manner as before. When they had been thus occupied for a full hour, alternately creeping and stooping down, the seal which had been lying on the ice took the water, and they then gave up their chase. During this time, Okotook could scarcely restrain his impatience to be nearer the scene of action; and when we produced a spy-glass, which appeared to bring his companions close to us, he had not words to express his surprise and satisfaction. In a short time he held it as steadily as we did, and explained by signs every motion he observed.

"As soon as they had given up the seal they had been watching, the whole party seemed with one accord to turn their steps homeward, in which direction, being that of the ships also, we were by this time not sorry to accompany them. We were now between three and four miles north-east of the ships, and full a mile and a half from any part of the shore. In the open water beyond the floe, the tide was

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running two knots to the northward, and as the ice on which we stood had been formed only within the last fortnight, and a sheet as substantial as this had before been carried away by the stream, it was impossible not to feel some apprehension lest we might thus be detached from the shore, an accident that has been known to happen to Esquimaux ere now, and has probably more frequently befallen them, when none have survived to tell the tale.

"As we returned towards the land, we came to a small rising on the level surface of the floe not larger than a common mole-hill, and of much the same shape, at which one of the Esquimaux immediately stopped. His companions, still walking on, called us away, explaining that what we saw was the work of a seal, and that it was probable the animal was about to complete his hole and to come up on the ice, in which case the man would endeavour to kill him. We watched the man at the hole, however, with a glass, for more than half an hour, observing him constantly putting his head down towards the ice, as if in the act of listening for the seal, but without otherwise changing his position; after which, he followed us on board without success.

"If, however, a man has any reason to suppose that a seal is at work beneath, he immediately attaches himself to the place, and seldom leaves it till he has succeeded in killing the animal. For this purpose, he first builds a snow-wall about four feet in height, to shelter him from the wind, and, seating himself under the lee of it, deposits his spear, lines, and other implements upon several little forked sticks inserted into the snow, in order to prevent the smallest noise being made in moving them when wanted. But the most curious precaution to the same effect consists in tying his own knees together, with a thong, so securely as to prevent any rustling of his clothes which might otherwise alarm the animal. In this situation, a man will sit quietly sometimes for hours together, attentively listening to any noise made by the seal, and sometimes using the keipkultuk, an instrument

hereafter described, in order to ascertain whether the animal is still at work below. When he supposes the hole to be nearly completed, he cautiously lifts his spear, to which the line has been previously attached, and as soon as the blowing of the seal is distinctly heard, and the ice consequently very thin, he drives it into him with the force of both arms, and then cuts away with his panna the remaining crust of ice, to enable him to repeat the wounds and get him out. The neitiek is the only seal killed in this manner, and, being the smallest, is held, while struggling, either simply by hand, or by putting the line round a spear with the point stuck into the ice. For the oguke, the line is passed round the man's leg or arm ; and for a walrus, round his body, his feet being at the same time firmly set against a hummock of ice, in which position these people can from habit hold against a very heavy strain. Boys of fourteen or fifteen years of age consider themselves equal to the killing of a neitiek, but it requires a full-grown person to master either of the larger animals.

...

-- "After distributing a number of presents in the first four huts, I found on entering the last that Pootooalook had been successful in bringing in a seal, over which two elderly women were standing, armed with large knives, their hands and faces besmeared with blood, and delight and exultation depicted on their countenances. They had just performed the first operation of dividing the animal into two parts, and thus laying open the intestines. These being taken out and all the blood carefully baled up and put into the ootkooseek, or cooking-pot, over the fire, they separated the head and flippers from the carcass and then divided the ribs. All the loose scraps were put into the pot for immediate use, except such as the two butchers now and then crammed into their own mouths, or distributed to the numerous and eager by-standers for still more immediate consumption. Of these morsels the children came in for no small share, every little urchin that could find its way to the slaughterhouse, running eagerly in and between

the legs of the men and women, presenting its mouth for a large lump of raw flesh, just as an English child of the same age might do for a piece of sugar-candy. Every now and then also a dog would make his way towards the reeking carcass, and when in the act of seizing upon some delicate part, was sent off yelping by a heavy blow with the handles of the knives. When all the flesh is disposed of, for a portion of which each of the women from the other huts usually brings her ootkooseek, the blubber still remains attached to the skin, from which it is separated the last; and the business being now completed, the two parts of the hide are rolled up and laid by, together with the store of flesh and blubber. During the dissection of their seals, they have a curious custom of sticking a thin filament of skin, or of some part of the intestines, upon the foreheads of the boys, who are themselves extremely fond of it, it being intended, as Iligliuk afterwards informed me, to make them fortunate seal-catchers.

"The seals which they take during the winter are of two kinds, the Neitiek, or small seal (phoca hispida,) and the Oguke, or large seal (phoca barbata.) These and the Ei-u-ek, or Walrus, constiute their means of subsistence at this season; but, on this particular part of the coast, the latter are not very abundant and they chiefly catch the neitiek. The animal we had now seen dissected was of that kind, and and with young at the time. A small one taken out of it had a beautiful skin, which, both in softness and colour, very much resembled raw silk; but no inducement could make Pootooalook part with it, he having destined it for that night's supper.

"Toolooak having been concerned in killing one of the seals just brought in, it fell to his mother's lot to dissect it, the neitiek being the only animal which the women are permitted to cut up. We had therefore an opportunity of seeing this filthy operation once more performed, and entirely by the old lady herself, who was soon up to her elbows in blood and oil. Before a knife is put into the animal, as it lies on its back, they pour a little

water into its mouth, and touch each flipper and the middle of the belly with a little lamp-black and oil taken from the under part of the lamp. What benefit was expected from this preparatory ceremony we could not learn, but it was done with a degree of superstitious care and seriousness that bespoke its indispensable importance. The boys came eagerly into the hut as usual, and held out their foreheads for the old women to stick the charms upon them; and it was not till now that we learned from Iligliuk the efficacy of this very useful custom. As soon as this dirty operation was at an end, during which the numerous bystanders amused themselves in chewing the intestines of the seal, the strangers retired to their own huts, each bearing a small portion of the flesh and blubber, while our hosts enjoyed a hearty meal of boiled meat and hot gravy soup. Young Sioutkuk ate at least three pounds of solid meat in the first three hours after our arrival at the huts, besides a tolerable proportion of soup, all which his mother gave him whenever he asked it without the smallest remark of any kind. We now found that they depended on catching seals alone for subsistence, there being no walruses in this neighbourhood. As they were several miles from any open water, their mode of killing them was entirely confined to watching for the animals coming up in the holes they make through the ice."

woman

Of all the Esquimaux, a named Iligliuk was the most intelligent. Nearly at the beginning of her intimaey with our countrymen, Capt. P. relates,

"She favoured us with a song, and struck us as having a remarkably soft voice, an excellent ear, and a great fondness for singing, for there was scarcely any stopping her when she had once begun. We had, on their first visit to the ships, remarked this trait in Iligliuk's disposition, when she was listening for the first time to the sound of the organ, of which she seemed never to have enough; and almost every day she now began to display some symptom of that superiority of understanding for which she was so re

markably distinguished. A few of the women learned several of our names, and I believe all thought us Angekoks* of a very superior class, when we repeated to them all round, by the assis tance of our books, the names of all their husbands, obtained on board the preceding day."

This female even drew maps for them; but in the end, like most ladies who are spoiled, she changed much for the worse:

"I am (our gallant Captain confesses) however compelled to acknowledge that, in proportion as the superior understanding of this extraordinary woman became more and more developed, her head (for what female head is indifferent to praise !) began to be turned with the general attention and numberless presents she received. The superior decency and even modesty of her behaviour had combined, with her intellectual qualities, to raise her in our estimation far above her companions; and I often heard others express what I could not but agree in, that for lligliuk alone, of all the Esquimaux women, that kind of respect could be entertained which modesty in a female never fails to command in our sex. Thus regarded, she had always been freely admitted into the ships, the quarter-masters at the gangway never thinking of refusing entrance to the wise woman' as they called her. Whenever any explanation was necessary between the Esquimaux and us, Higliuk was sent for quite as an interpreter; information was chiefly obtained through her, and she thus found herself rising into a degree of consequence to which, but for us she could never had attained. Notwithstanding a more than ordinary share of good sense on her part, it will not therefore be wondered at if she became giddy with her exaltation, assuming certain airs which, though infinitely diversified in their operation according to circumstances, perhaps universally attend a too sudden accession of good fortune in every child of Adam from the equator to the poles. The consequence was that Iligliuk was soon spoiled; considered her admission into the ships and most

* Sorcerers or wizards.

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