CHAPTER V.
Farther Examination in the Boats for the Purpose of Connecting the
Shores of Lyon Inlet with that of Gore Bay.—Continuity of the
Land determined.—Fresh Detention by the Ice.—Boats carried over
Land.—Return to the Ships.—Progress out of the Inlet prevented
by the Ice.—The Fury grounds upon a Rock.—Anchor in Safety
Cove.—Heavy Easterly Gales.—Proceed out of the Inlet.—Arrival
in a Bay on the south Side of Winter Island.—Ships secured in
Winter-quarters.
Again leaving the ships on the 15th, we rowed before sunset between six and seven miles along the high southwestern land, passing what appeared a small harbour, with an island near the middle of the entrance, and landed on a shingly beach near a small bay or creek, extending three quarters of a mile to the W.N.W., and then terminating in a deep, broad valley. We left the shore at half past four A.M. on the 16th, and in an hour's sailing, with a fresh northwest wind, came to some loose ice, through which we continued to make our way till eleven o'clock, when it became so close that a passage could no longer be found in any direction. There was also so much young ice in every small interval between the loose masses, that the boats were much cut about the water-line in endeavouring to force through it. In order, therefore, to avoid the risk of being altogether driven from the shore, I determined to attempt a passage into the bay, which was three quarters of a mile distant; and in this, after two hours' labour, we at length succeeded. Finding that the ice was likely to prove an obstacle of which we could not calculate the extent or continuance, we began at once to reduce our daily expenditure of provisions, in order to meet any contingency.
Ascending the hill at daylight on the 17th, we were much disappointed in finding that, though the ice continued to drive a little to the S.E., it was even more compact than before, the loose masses through which we had sailed the preceding day being now closely set together.
As soon as it was light enough on the 18th to make out the situation of the ice, which had now drifted considerably to the southward, we left the bay with a fresh and favourable breeze, and at a quarter past eight A.M., after a quick run through "sailing ice," landed to breakfast on the southeast point of this shore, which afterward received the name CAPE MARTINEAU. Proceeding from hence with a strong breeze and a considerable sea ahead, but the flood tide still running slowly with us to the N.W., we rowed several miles close along the shore, and entered at dusk a little cove, where the tents were pitched and the boats moored for the night.
The night being cold, clear, and nearly calm, a quantity of "bay-ice," half an inch in thickness, had, on the morning of the 19th, formed in the cove, and for some distance outside of it, which again cut the boats' planks very much, besides occasioning great loss of time in getting through it. This symptom of approaching winter, which had now for the first time occurred to us, rendered it expedient in future to select the most open beaches for our resting-places at night. After tracing every bend of the shore which here occurred, we landed at the point called by Captain Lyon POINT FARHILL, and, ascending the hill to take angles, obtained a view of Gore Bay, easily recognising every other feature of the lands discovered by Captain Lyon. A mile or two of coast was now all that remained to be examined, in order to determine the connexion of Gore Bay with the rest of the land recently explored. Proceeding, therefore, as soon as our observations were finished, we soon after entered the bay, and in the course of an hour had satisfied ourselves on this point.
The ice remained closely packed on the 21st, as far as we could see along shore, so that we were still detained in the same place. Some snow which fell in the course of the preceding night, lightly powdering the land, had entirely disappeared before evening, except in places having a northern aspect, where it now permanently remained for the winter.
On the morning of the 22d the ice was not only as close as ever, but had forced its way much higher up towards Gore Bay. A party was therefore sent out to endeavour to procure game farther inland; and another employed in gathering ground-willow, which was here abundant and in good condition for fuel. Two bears, a female and her cub, being probably attracted by the smell of our cooking, came towards the tents upon the ice, but, upon hearing our voices, set off in the opposite direction. A good deal of snow fell in partial showers in the course of the day; it was nearly of that fine kind which usually falls during the winter of these regions, but we had flake snow and even light rain some days after this. The snow, however, now remained undissolved upon the land in all situations. Our hunting party returned late in the evening without success, having merely seen a number of reindeer, which the want of cover prevented their approaching. Seven days out of the nine for which we were victualled having now elapsed, a party was selected for walking over to the ships on the following day, should the ice still continue in its present state.
The ice continuing in the same state, we commenced our work at break of day on the 24th, and in three journeys had carried all the lighter part of our baggage over land by eleven o'clock. All hands then returned for the two boats, across the gunwales of which the masts and oars were lashed for lifting them, the ground not allowing us to drag them except for a short space here and there. By half past one the first boat had been carried over, and, by the unwearied exertions of the officers and men, we had the satisfaction of launching the second before four o'clock, the distance being a mile and a half, and chiefly over rocky and uneven ground. As soon as we had dined, the boats were reloaded; and at five o'clock we left the shore. A quantity of ice was still aground upon the shoals and islets off Cape Martineau, through which, however, we fortunately found a passage before dark, when, having cleared every obstacle, we sailed in an open sea and with a fresh breeze to the northward. Keeping close along the shore to avoid missing the ships in the dark, our first musket was immediately answered by a blue-light; and, being guided by the lights now shown by the ships, we arrived at nine P.M., where we found that our late detention had excited some alarm for our safety.
On the 1st of October some small rain fell, which, immediately freezing, made the decks and ropes as smooth and slippery as if coated with glass; the thermometer had for several days past permanently fallen below the freezing point, and sometimes as low as 20° at night; which change, together with the altered appearance of the land, and the rapid formation of young ice near the shores, gave pretty evident notice of the approach of winter. The commencement of this dreary season in these regions may, indeed, be fairly dated from the time when the earth no longer receives and radiates heat enough to melt the snow which falls upon it. When the land is once covered with this substance, so little calculated to favour the absorption of heat, the frigorific process seems to be carried on with increased vigour, defining very clearly the change from summer to winter, with little or no immediate interval to which the name of autumn can be distinctly assigned.
We passed Cape Edwards on the 6th; but on the 8th the formation of young ice upon the surface of the water began most decidedly to put a stop to the navigation of these seas, and warned us that the season of active operations was nearly at an end.
When to the ordinary difficulties which the navigation of the Polar Seas presents were superadded the disadvantages of a temperature at or near zero, its necessary concomitant the young ice, and twelve hours of darkness daily, it was impossible any longer to entertain a doubt of the expediency of immediately placing the ships in the best security that could be found for them during the winter, rather than run the risk of being permanently detached from the land by an endeavour to regain the continent. We were in hopes of receiving effectual shelter from the numerous grounded masses, but could only find berths within one of them in five to six fathoms water. We now, for the first time, walked on board the ships; and, before night, had them moved into their places, by sawing a canal for two or three hundred yards through the ice. The average thickness of the new floe was already three inches and a quarter; but being in some places much less, several officers and men fell in, and, from the difficulty of getting a firm place to rest on, narrowly escaped a more serious inconvenience than a thorough wetting. The whole sheet of ice, even in those parts which easily bore a man's weight, had a waving motion under the feet, like that of leather or any other tough flexible substance set afloat, a property which is, I believe, peculiar to salt-water ice.
In reviewing the events of this our first season of navigation, and considering what progress we had made towards the accomplishment 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 two 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 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 N.N.E. bearing, we ventured to indulge a sanguine hope of our being very near the northeastern 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.