Narrative of an Expedition to the Shores of the Arctic Sea in 1846 and 1847 Part 1

Narrative of an Expedition to the Sh.o.r.es of the Arctic Sea in 1846 and 1847.

by John Rae.

CHAPTER I.

Object and plan of the Expedition--Equipment at York Factory--Boats--Crews--Articles useful in an Arctic Voyage--Breaking up of the ice in Hayes and Nelson Rivers--Departure from York Factory--Progress r.e.t.a.r.ded by the ice--First night at sea--Reflections--Rupert's Creek--Unbroken fields of ice--Broad River--Description of the coast--Double Cape Churchill--Open sea to the north and north west--Arrive at Churchill--White whales--Mode of catching them--Sir George Simpson's instructions--Stock of provisions.

It is already well known to those who take an interest in Arctic discovery, that the Hudson's Bay Company intended fitting out an expedition in 1840, which was to have proceeded to the northern sh.o.r.es of America by Back's Great Fish River, for the purpose of tracing the coast between the river Castor and Pollux of Dease and Simpson, and the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, as it was then very generally supposed that Boothia was an island.

The party was to have been commanded by that able and enterprising traveller, Mr. Thomas Simpson, whose indefatigable exertions, in conjunction with those of Mr. Dease, had during the three preceding years effected so much; but his untimely and melancholy fate prevented that intention from being carried into effect, and the survey of the Arctic coast was discontinued for a few years.

When it was determined that the survey should be resumed, Sir George Simpson, Governor-in-Chief of the Company's territories, informed me that a boat expedition to the Arctic Sea was again contemplated, at the same time doing me the honour of proposing that I should take command of it,--a charge which I most joyfully accepted.

The plan of the expedition was different from any that had hitherto been adopted, and was entirely of Sir George Simpson's forming. Its leading features were as follows:--A party of thirteen persons, including two Esquimaux interpreters, was to leave Churchill in two boats at the disruption of the ice, and coast along the western sh.o.r.e of Hudson's Bay to the northward as far as Repulse Bay; or, if thought necessary, to the Strait of the Fury and Hecla. From this latter point the sh.o.r.e of the Arctic Sea was to be traced to Dease and Simpson's farthest discoveries eastward; or, if Boothia Felix should be found to form part of the American continent, up to some place surveyed by Captain or Commander (now Sir John and Sir James C.) Ross.

I started from the Sault de S^{te.} Marie in the latter part of July, 1845, in a canoe which I took on with me as far as Red River, where this frail vessel was changed for a boat, which is better adapted for traversing large sheets of water. We had rather a stormy pa.s.sage to Norway House, at which place five men were engaged for the expedition; and having brought two with me from the southern department, I required only three more, who I knew could easily be procured at York Factory.

At first there was some difficulty in getting volunteers, as a report had got abroad (set on foot, I believe, by either M'Kay or Sinclair, guides and steersmen with the expeditions under Sir G. Back and Dease and Simpson), that the whole party, if not starved for want of food, would run the risk of being frozen to death for want of fuel.

After leaving Norway House our progress was slow, the water being very shallow, and our boat rather a heavy drag, for a single crew, over the portages. Two Indians who were engaged, the one to go as far as Oxford House, and the other all the way to York Factory, stipulated that they should do no work on Sunday; to which I readily agreed, thinking that they acted conscientiously; and this I really believe to have been the case with one; but I had some doubts about the sincerity of the other, when I learned that, before leaving us, he had stolen a s.h.i.+rt and blanket from one of the boat's crew.

We arrived at York Factory on the 8th October, during a strong gale of north-east wind with heavy rain and sleet, which had thoroughly drenched us all; in addition to which the men were so bedaubed with mud whilst dragging the boats along sh.o.r.e, that scarcely a feature of their faces could be distinguished.

On landing I was most kindly welcomed by Chief-Factor Hargrave and the other gentlemen of the Factory.

There was little probability of our being able to get to Churchill by water this autumn, nevertheless the boats that had been built for the expedition were launched and put in order for sea. They were fine looking and strong clinker-built craft, 22 feet long by 7 feet 6 inches broad, each capable of carrying between fifty and sixty pieces of goods of 90 lbs. per piece. They were each rigged with two lug sails, to which a jib was afterwards added; under which, with a strong breeze of wind, they were found to work admirably. They were named the "North Pole" and the "Magnet."

We had a continuance of northerly winds until the ice began to form on the river, when it would have been highly imprudent to attempt going along the coast, and I did not wish to run the risk of having our boats stranded, which would have been a very likely occurrence had we put to sea. There was, therefore, nothing to be done but to haul our boats up again; nor did this cause me much disappointment, as I felt pretty certain that, in the following spring, we could advance as fast to the northward as the season of the breaking up of the ice did; and this supposition I afterwards found to be correct.

My attention was now turned to the proper equipment of my party, in which I was most ably a.s.sisted by Chief-Factor Hargrave and my friend, Mr. W. Mactavish, who was in charge of York during the temporary absence of the former gentleman; so that, with keeping a meteorological journal--in which the temperature of the air, height of the barometer, force and direction of the winds, and state of the weather were registered eight times a day--and taking observations for lat.i.tude, longitude, variation of the compa.s.s, and dip of the needle, &c., I had occupation enough on my hands.

Among other articles which I thought might be useful, were a small sheet-iron stove for each boat, a set of sheet-iron lamps for burning oil after the Esquimaux fas.h.i.+on, some small kettles (commonly called conjurors) having a small basin and perforated tin stand for burning alcohol, a seine net, and four small windows, each of two double panes of gla.s.s. An oiled canva.s.s canoe was made, and we also had one of Halkett's air boats, large enough to carry three persons. This last useful and light little vessel ought to form part of the equipment of every expedition.

On the 30th April, 1846, that harbinger of spring, the Canada goose, was seen; and so early as the 5th May the ice in Hayes' River commenced breaking up; but it was more than a month after this date before the Nelson or North River opened. At length, on the 12th June, it was reported that a pa.s.sage was practicable, and everything was got in readiness for making a start on the following day.

The crews of the boats were divided as follows:--

NORTH POLE.

John Rae.

John Corrigal, Orkneyman, Steersman.

Richard Turner, half-breed, Middleman.

Edward Hutchison, Orkneyman, ditto.

Hilard Mineau, Canadian, ditto.

Nibitabo, Cree Indian, ditto and hunter.

MAGNET.

George Flett, Orkneyman, Steersman.

John Folster, ditto, Middleman.

William Adamson, Zetlander, ditto.

Jacques St. Germain, Canadian, ditto.

Peter Matheson, Highlander, ditto.

All these men had the same wages, namely, 40 per annum, with the promise of a gratuity in the event of good conduct.

The lading of each of the boats, including the men's luggage, amounted to about seventy pieces; and with this cargo they were quite deep enough in the water and very much lumbered--so much so that, to allow room for pulling, a quant.i.ty of the cargo had to be displaced.

On the 13th June, after bidding farewell to our kind friends at York, and receiving a salute of seven guns and three hearty cheers, we set sail with a light air of fair wind. We had not proceeded more than a mile down the river, when the wind chopped round directly in our teeth, and blew a gale. As I could not think of turning back, we were speedily under close-reefed sails, turning to windward; the wind and tide were going in opposite directions, and there was an ugly cross sea running, which caused us to s.h.i.+p much water over both the lee and weather side.

After a couple hours of this work we gained sufficient offing to clear the shallows, which lie for some miles out from the point of Marsh, (this being the name of the N.E. extremity of York Island), and stood across towards the north sh.o.r.e of the Nelson River. The men in the Magnet, having erroneously carried on too great a press of canva.s.s, were left a mile or two astern. As we advanced the wind gradually abated, and we soon fell in with quant.i.ties of ice driving along with the current, through which we had much difficulty in finding a pa.s.sage.

We made the land near Sam's Creek; and it being now calm, and flood tide strong against us, we cast anchor close to the sh.o.r.e between 9 and 10 o'clock. The night was beautiful, and, as all my men had gone to sleep, nothing interrupted the stillness around but the occasional blowing of a white whale, the rather musical note of the "caca wee" (long-tailed duck), or the harsh scream of the great northern diver. Yet I could not close my eyes. Nor was this wakefulness caused by the want of comfort in my bed, which I must own was none of the most inviting, as it consisted of a number of hard-packed bags of flour, over which a blanket was spread, so that I had to accommodate myself in the best way I could to the inequalities of the surface. To a man who had slept soundly in all sorts of places--on the top of a round log, in the middle of a swamp, as well as on the wet s.h.i.+ngle beach, such a bed was no hards.h.i.+p; but thoughts now pressed upon me which during the bustle and occupation of preparation had no time to intrude. I could not conceal from myself that many of my brother officers, men of great experience in the Indian country, were of opinion that we ran much risk of starving; little was known of the resources of that part of the country to which we were bound; and all agreed that there was little chance of procuring fuel, unless some oil could be obtained from the natives. Yet the novelty of our route, and of our intended mode of operations, had a strong charm for me, and gave me an excitement which I could not otherwise have felt.

14th.--As there were great quant.i.ties of ice along the sh.o.r.e to the northward of us, I let the boats take the ground, so that this morning they were high and dry on the mud, the water being a mile or two outside of us, and we as far from the high-water mark.

As the Goose Hunt House (a small hut where one of the Company's servants and some Indians go every spring and autumn to shoot and salt geese,) was at no great distance, I visited it, but found that the people had taken their departure for the Factory--a certain sign that the geese and ducks had gone farther north. Numbers of the Hudsonian G.o.dwit (_limosa Hudsonica_) were flying about, apparently intending to breed in the neighbourhood.

The boats floated at a quarter after 10 A.M., and we got under weigh with a fine light breeze from the S.E. The temperature of the air was 62 and the water 40. There were many pieces of ice floating about, and a great quant.i.ty close-packed about half a mile outside. At mid-day we were in lat.i.tude 57 25' 93" N. After running by Ma.s.sey's patent log for 10 miles north, we were stopped by ice at a few minutes after 1 P.M., when we made fast to a large grounded ma.s.s, which protected us from the smaller floating pieces as long as the tide was ebbing; but as soon as the flood made, it required all our exertions to prevent the boats being damaged. We now found the great advantage of some sheet copper that had been nailed on their bows, as it completely protected them from being chafed. At 11 next forenoon, finding our situation rather dangerous, as soon as the tide flowed far enough, we pushed insh.o.r.e, and beached the boats on a fine smooth surface of mud and gravel. With the exception of a heavy shower of rain at 6 A.M., the weather continued fine all day, but the sky was too cloudy to permit any observations to be made.

On the 16th we advanced only 1 miles. The temperature of the air 42 and the water 34. By an azimuth of the sun the variation of the compa.s.s, 10 54' east, was obtained.

As it was only at, or near, high-water that we could make any progress, we crept along sh.o.r.e about four miles during the morning's tide, and in the evening we put into Rupert's Creek, which afforded us good shelter, and also fresh water, of which we were getting rather short. A fresh breeze from the east brought in much ice, which completely blockaded our harbour. The morning of the 18th was very fine, but the easterly wind still continued, and such was the effect produced by it that not a spot of open water was to be seen. The lat.i.tude 57 32' 18" was observed, and an observation of the sun's azimuth yesterday gave the variation of the compa.s.s 9 56' E. Some partridges (_tetrao saliceti_), ducks, and a flat-billed phalarope (_P. fulicarius_) were shot.

19th.--The ice having become somewhat more open during the night, we left the creek at 4 A.M., and ran 32 miles before a fine breeze of S.E.

wind, through lanes of open water, as nearly as possible in a N.N.E.

course. Large unbroken fields, on which numbers of seals were lying, now opposed our further progress. At high-water next morning, we set forward among ice so closely packed, that we were obliged to open a pa.s.sage by pus.h.i.+ng aside the smaller pieces; we thus gained between two and three miles and reached Broad River. We lay here during the remainder of the day, which was too cloudy for a meridian observation; but in the evening an amplitude of the sun gave variation 12 19' east. The dip of the needle was 84 46' 4".

The morning's tide of the 21st advanced us nearly three miles. Our new position was found to be in lat.i.tude 58 9' 51" N.; the lat.i.tude of Broad River must therefore be 58 7' N. A strong breeze of S.S.W. wind had driven out some of the ice, so that, with the aid of sails and poles, we gained 12 miles more northing in the evening.

From the 22nd to the 24th we continued to creep alongsh.o.r.e, but our progress was very slow, 19 miles being, at the highest estimate, as much as we gained. We were, however, killing ducks of various kinds, and collecting eggs enough to keep us in food. A deer was also shot by Nibitabo on the 22nd, and on the 24th I procured from a high mound of ice, where it was feeding, what appeared to be a Canada nuthatch (_sitta Canadensis_). The skin was preserved, and is with other specimens in the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company's warehouse in London.

On the 25th we lay all day in a small creek, which afforded us a safe harbour.

The wind, which had yesterday blown a strong gale from the N.E., s.h.i.+fted round to W., which gave us some hopes of an opening to seaward. In the evening much ice drove out with the ebb. The lat.i.tude of our position by reduction to the meridian was 58 31' N.

26th.--This morning we were fortunate enough, after a great deal of trouble, to get the boats into comparatively open water, and as the wind was moderate from E.S.E. we threaded our way, through narrow channels and openings, until opposite Cape Churchill. At 3 P.M. we doubled the cape, and to our great joy found an open sea to the north and north west of it.

The whole of the coast between Nelson River and Cape Churchill is low and flat, with not a single rock in situ. There are, however, a number of boulder stones of granite, and debris of limestone, to be seen.

There are numerous lakelets near the sh.o.r.e, the banks of which form the favourite breeding places of the Canada goose, the mallard, pintail, teal, scaup, and long-tailed ducks, great northern diver,[1] and the Arctic tern. The phalaropus hyperboreus is also very numerous--so much so that I could have shot twenty in half-an-hour. The female of this phalarope and of the P. fulicarius is considerably larger, and has much finer markings on its plumage, than the male, the colours being much brighter.

As we sailed along sh.o.r.e to the westward, the land gradually became more high and rocky, and there were many ridges of stones lying off several miles from the beach, among which we had some trouble in threading our way, the navigation being rendered still more difficult by a thick fog.

We arrived at the mouth of Churchill River at 3 A.M. on the 27th, but as the tide was ebbing we could not stem the current, so that we did not reach the Company's Fort, situated on the west bank of the river and about five miles up, until half-past six, when I was most kindly welcomed by my friend Mr. Sinclair, chief trader, the gentleman in charge, who had not expected to see us so early.

My letter of instructions had not yet arrived, so that we took advantage of the delay thus occasioned to have the boats unloaded, some slight repairs effected, and the cargoes examined and dried. I determined on leaving here some tobacco, salt, and one or two other articles that were not absolutely essential, supplying their place with pemmican and flour.

Some observations for the dip of the needle gave mean dip 84 47' 3".