Leaving this place, we proceeded along the shore to the westward, and found other harbours, which I had not time to look into. In all of them is fresh water, and wood for fuel; but except these little tufts of bushes, the whole country is a barren rock, doomed by nature to everlasting sterility. The low islands, and even some of the higher, which lie scattered up and down the sound, are indeed mostly covered with shrubs and herbage, the soil a black rotten turf, evidently composed, by length of time, of decayed vegetables.
I had an opportunity to verify what we had observed at sea; that the sea-coast is composed of a number of large and small islands, and that the numerous inlets are formed by the junction of several channels; at least so it is here. On one of these low islands, we found several huts, which had lately been inhabited; and near them was a good deal of celery, with which we loaded our boat, and returned on board at seven o’clock in the evening. In this expedition we met with little game; one duck, three or four shags, and about that number of rails or sea-pies, being all we got. The other boat returned on board some hours before; having found two harbours on the west side of the other channel; the one large, and the other small; but both of them safe and commodious; though, by the sketch Mr. Pickersgill had taken of them, the access to both appeared rather intricate.
I was now told of a melancholy accident which had befallen one of our marines. He had not been seen since eleven or twelve o’clock the preceding night. It was supposed that he had fallen over-board out of the head, where he had been last seen, and was drowned.
Having fine pleasant weather on the 23d, I sent lieutenant Pickersgill in the cutter, to explore the east side of the sound, and went myself in the pinnace to the west side, with an intent to go round the island, under which we were at anchor, (and which I shall distinguish by the name of Shag island), in order to view the passage leading to the harbours Mr. Pickersgill had discovered the day before, on which I made the following observations. In coming from sea, leave all the rocks and islands, lying off and within York Minster, on your larboard side; and the black rock, which lies off the south end of Shag island, on your starboard; and when abreast of the south end of that island, haul over for the west shore, taking care to avoid the beds of weeds you will see before you, as they always grow on rocks; some of which I have found twelve fathoms under water; but it is always best to keep clear of them. The entrance to the large harbour, or Port Clerke, is just to the north of some low rocks lying off a point on Shag Island. This harbour lies in W. by S. a mile and an half, and hath in it from twelve to twenty-four fathoms depth, wood and fresh water. About a mile without, or to the southward of Port Clerke, is, or seemed to be, another which I did not examine. It is formed by a large island, which covers it from the south and east winds. Without this island, that is, between it and York Minster, the sea seemed strewed with islets, rocks, and breakers. In proceeding round the south end of Shag Island, we observed the shags to breed in vast numbers in the cliffs of the rocks. Some of the old ones we shot, but could not come at the young ones, which are, by far, the best eating. On the east side of the island we saw some geese; and having with difficulty landed, we killed three, which at this time was a valuable acquisition.
About seven in the evening we got on board, where Mr. Pickersgill had arrived but just before. He informed me that the land opposite to our station was an island, which he had been round; that, on another, more to the north, he found many terns’ eggs, and that without the great island, between it and the east head, lay a cove in which were many geese; one only of which he got, besides some young goslins.
This information of Mr. Pickersgill induced me to make up two shooting parties next day; Mr. Pickersgill and his associates going in the cutter, and myself and the botanists in the pinnace. Mr. Pickersgill went by the N. E. side of the large island above mentioned, which obtained the name of Goose Island; and I went by the S. W. side. As soon as we got under the island, we found plenty of shags in the cliffs, but, without staying to spend our time and shot upon these, we proceeded on, and presently found sport enough; for, in the south of the island, were abundance of geese. It happened to be the moulting season; and most of them were on shore for that purpose, and could not fly. There being a great surf, we found great difficulty in landing, and very bad climbing over the rocks when we were landed; so that hundreds of the geese escaped us, some into the sea, and others up into the island. We, however, by one means or other, got sixty-two; with which we returned on board, all heartily tired; but the acquisition we had made overbalanced every other consideration, and we sat down with a good appetite to supper, on part of what the preceding day had produced. Mr. Pickersgill and his associates had got on board some time before us with fourteen geese; so that I was able to make distribution to the whole crew, which was the more acceptable, on account of the approaching festival; for, had not Providence thus singularly provided for us, our Christmas cheer must have been salt beef and pork.
I now learnt that a number of the natives, in nine canoes, had been along-side the ship; and some on board. Little address was required to persuade them to either; for they seemed to be well enough acquainted with Europeans, and had, amongst them, some of their knives.
The next morning, the 25th, they made us another visit. I found them to be of the same nation I had formerly seen in Success-Bay; and the same which M. de Bougainville distinguishes by the name of Pecheras; a word which these had, on every occasion, in their mouths. They are a little, ugly, half-starved, beardless race. I saw not a tall person amongst them. They were almost naked; their clothing was a seal-skin; some had two or three sewed together, so as to make a cloak which reached to the knees; but the most of them had only one skin, hardly large enough to cover their shoulders; and all their lower parts were quite naked. The women, I was told, cover their nakedness with a flap of a seal-skin, but in other respects are clothed like the men. They, as well as the children, remained in the canoes. I saw two young children at the breast entirely naked; thus they are inured from their infancy to cold and hardships. They had with them bows and arrows, and darts, or rather harpoons, made of bone, and fitted to a staff. I suppose they were intended to kill seals and fish; they may also kill whales with them, as the Esquimaux do. I know not if they resemble them in their love of train-oil; but they, and every thing they had, smelt most intolerably of it. I ordered them some biscuit, but did not observe them so fond of it as I had been told. They were much better pleased when I gave them some medals, knives, &c.
The women and children, as before observed, remained in the canoes. These were made of bark; and in each was a fire, over which the poor creatures huddled themselves. I cannot suppose that they carry a fire in their canoes for this purpose only; but rather that it may be always ready to remove ashore wherever they land; for let their method of obtaining fire be what it may, they cannot be always sure of finding dry fuel that will kindle from a spark. They likewise carry in their canoes large seal hides, which, I judged, were to shelter them when at sea, and to serve as covering to their huts on shore; and occasionally to be used for sails.
They all retired before dinner, and did not wait to partake of our Christmas cheer. Indeed I believe no one invited them, and for good reasons; for their dirty persons, and the stench they carried about them, were enough to spoil the appetite of any European; and that would have been a real disappointment, as we had not experienced such fare for some time. Roast and boiled geese, goose-pye, &c. was a treat little known to us; and we had yet some Madeira wine left, which was the only article of our provision that was mended by keeping. So that our friends in England, did not, perhaps, celebrate Christmas more cheerfully than we did.