Moving out to sea under full sail, with a light wind from the eastward. We make little progress, but are able to pick our way among the loose ice. As we pass along, I see shoals of old tin cans, dead dogs, piles of ashes, and other débris of the winter, floating on ice-rafts upon the sea,—relics of the ten months which are gone, with all its dreary and all its pleasant memories. As I retreated from the deck, I saw the Esquimaux standing on the beach, gazing after us; the little white Observatory grew dim in the distance; and I have come below with a kindly "Adieu, Port Foulke," lingering on the lip.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
LEAVING PORT FOULKE.—EFFORT TO REACH CAPE ISABELLA.—MEET THE PACK AND TAKE SHELTER AT LITTLETON ISLAND.—HUNTING.—ABUNDANCE OF BIRDS AND WALRUS.—VISIT TO CAIRN POINT.—REACHING THE WEST COAST.—VIEW FROM CAPE ISABELLA.—PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.—OUR RESULTS.—CHANCES OF REACHING THE POLAR SEA DISCUSSED.—THE GLACIERS OF ELLESMERE LAND.
The schooner glided gently out to sea, but the wind soon died away and the current carried us down into the lower bay, where we moored to a berg, and I went ashore and got some good photographs of Little Julia's Glen and Fall, Sonntag's Monument, Crystal Palace Glacier, and Cape Alexander.
Although doubtful as to the prospect ahead, I was determined not to quit the field without making another attempt to reach the west coast and endeavor to obtain some further information that might be of service to me in the future. I had still a vague hope that, even with my crippled vessel, some such good prospect might open before me as would justify me in remaining. Accordingly, as soon as the wind came, we cast off from the friendly berg, and held once more for Cape Isabella. The wind rose to a fresh breeze as we crawled away from the land, and the schooner, as if rejoiced at her newly acquired freedom, bounded over the waters with her old swiftness. But, unhappily, a heavy pack lay in our course, through which, had the schooner been strong, a passage might have been forced; but as it could not be done without frequent collisions with the ice, the intention was not entertained. The pack was not more than ten miles from the Greenland shore, and I therefore put back to Littleton Island, and from that point watched the movements of the ice.
AT LITTLETON ISLAND.
We found a convenient anchorage between Littleton and McGary Islands, and we reached it just in time; for a severe gale, with thick snow, set in from the northward as I had anticipated from the appearance of the sky, and held for several days. Meanwhile the people amused themselves with hunting. A herd of deer was discovered on Littleton Island, and the walrus were very numerous. Four of the latter were captured,—this time, however, not from a boat, but by Hans, in the true Esquimau style. They came along the shore in great numbers, lying upon the beach in the sun, where Hans approached them stealthily, and got fast to them one by one with his harpoon. The line being secured to a rock, the animals were held until they were exhausted, and then drawn in, when they soon became a prey to the rifles. Wishing to obtain a young one for a specimen, I joined the hunters; and, selecting from the herd which lay upon the rocks one to suit my purposes, I fired upon and killed it. The others plunged quickly into the water. The mother of the dead calf was the last to leave the rock, and seemed to do so very reluctantly. In a few moments she came to the surface, and, wheeling around, discovered the young one still lying upon the rock. Finding that it did not answer to her cries, she rushed frantically into the face of danger, and in full view of the cause of her woes, (for I had approached very near the spot,) the unhappy creature, intent only upon rescuing her offspring, drew herself out of the water, crying piteously all the while, and, crawling around it, pushed it before her into the sea. I endeavored first to frighten her off, and then tried to arrest her, and save my specimen, with a fresh bullet; but all to no effect. Although badly wounded, she succeeded in her purpose, and, falling upon the dead calf with her breast, carried it down with her, and I saw them no more. I have never seen a stronger or more touching instance of the devotion of mother to its young, among dumb animals, and it came from a quarter wholly unexpected.
Having leisure while the snow-storm lasted, I went up to Cairn Point to see how the ice appeared from that place. After waiting there for a day, the atmosphere cleared up, and I could see with much distinctness to Cape Isabella. The line of the solid ice extended in a somewhat irregular curve up the Sound from that cape to a few miles above Cairn Point. The sea thence down into the North Water was filled with a loose pack.
AT CAPE ISABELLA.
The day after my return we put to sea. The pack being now much scattered, we entered it and penetrated to the margin of the fast ice without difficulty. In two days we reached the coast near Gale Point, about ten miles below Cape Isabella. Thence to the cape I went in a whale-boat; but the cape itself could not be passed; so we hauled into the first convenient bight, and climbed the hill. The view convinced me, if I was not convinced already, of the folly of attempting any thing further with the schooner. I no longer hesitated, even in thought. My opinions were thus recorded at the time:—