Report on the Dominion Government Expedition to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Islands on board the D.G.S. Neptune, 1903-1904

by A. P. Low

VOYAGE SOUTHWARD FROM PONDS INLET.

We left Erik harbour late on the afternoon of the 22nd, intending to proceed southward along the coast in order to correct the chart, which we were informed was very unreliable to Cumberland gulf. The fog closed down shortly after leaving, and, soon, large sheets of heavy ice forced us to the eastward away from the land, which was not seen again until we were within a few miles of the northern side of Cumberland gulf, on the morning of the 27th. Meanwhile the ship, continuously battling with heavy floes of northern ice, had been forced nearly over to the Greenland coast in the endeavour to find a passage southward, and then had to work back to the western side in order to visit Cumberland gulf. Continuing in this heavy ice, which completely filled the gulf, we finally reached Blacklead island on the 31st, having passed a small Norwegian brigantine tightly beset in the ice about twenty miles from that place. We lay alongside this vessel during the night previous, and were boarded by her captain, who rightly had much fear for the safety of his small unprotected craft in the heavy pack. All the supplies for the coming year belonging to the mission and whaling stations of the gulf were aboard, and if she were crushed everybody living at those stations would have a hard time until relief reached them in the summer of 1905. We took on board the mail and ship’s papers for the stations, and left her still tight in the ice.

At Blacklead we were visited by the Rev. Mr. J. Peck and the agent of the whaling station, and learned from them that the past year had been very unprofitable to the whalers and disastrous to the natives. Owing to the quantity of broken ice that had been tightly jammed into the gulf throughout the summer, and which prevented the boats from reaching the open water, no whales had been captured, though a few had been seen. A succession of heavy easterly gales occurred during the winter, causing a heavy swell, which from time to time broke up the solid ice of the bay and prevented the natives from going as usual to the edge of the open water on their winter chase after seals and walrus; many, consequently, were in a chronic state of starvation during the winter. The same cause prevented relief reaching them from the stations, dog-travelling being impossible. Late in the autumn a heavy gale, in conjunction with an extra high tide, swept away several tents and other belongings of the natives who were camped on the lower part of the island, the tide rising twenty feet above the ordinary high-water mark. In March the heavy swell broke up ice three feet thick, on which forty Eskimos were encamped. During their retreat to a place of safety three of these people perished from exposure or were drowned, while many more suffered from frost-bite and exposure. All the survivors escaped with their lives only, losing all their belongings on the ice.

The total returns from the two stations on Cumberland gulf comprise about three thousand sealskins, twenty tons seal oil, two walrus skins, one bearskin and a few white-fox skins. The value of the whole is less than the cost of the provisions consumed.

A large amount of valuable information concerning the Eskimo living on the eastern part of Baffin island was obtained from the Rev. Mr. Peck. It has been used in the preparation of the article on the Eskimos.

A number of interesting photographs, some of which are reproduced in this report, were taken on the following day, when a trip was made to the summit of the island. From that point the northwestern part of the gulf could be seen blocked with ice as far as and far beyond Kekerten. The brigantine had drifted westward with the ice and now lay becalmed in it, about twelve miles to the northward, with much ice between her and Blacklead. No special object could be gained by a trip to Kekerten, and we therefore started, outward bound, early on the afternoon of the 1st of September. Heavy ice was encountered all the way to Cape Haven, which was reached on the morning of the 3rd. The ship was stopped at the small islands about four miles from the station, owing to the danger of entering the harbour with so much heavy ice drifting about on the strong tides. A boat load of natives came off to the ship about an hour after our arrival, and reported that Captain Jackson had left with two boats about ten days before on his way to Blacklead in search of supplies, all the provisions at the station being exhausted, and no new supply having come for the present year. No whales had been captured, and the year’s hunt comprised a few bear and walrus skins. The same complaints were made of the ice and easterly gales as at Blacklead, and the prospects of the station looked very dark. The natives said that a letter for us had been left at the station. A boat was sent for it, but returned with the information that it was addressed to the captain of the vessel supposed to be bringing supplies to the station from Boston.

The heavy Arctic ice, through which the Neptune had been constantly battling for the past two weeks, was finally left a few miles south of Cape Haven, greatly to the relief of everybody.

According to the Scotch whaling captains and the people at the stations, this season was the worst ever known as regards ice on the coast of Baffin island, and fog and constant southeasterly gales. The last mentioned account for the prevalence of ice.

Passing across the mouths of Cyrus Field and Frobisher bays, and to the eastward of Resolution island, Port Burwell was again safely reached on the 4th. We remained in the harbour three days, taking on board coal and provisions previously landed for the Mounted Police.