Narrative of a Second Expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the Years 1825, 1826, and 1827

by John Franklin; Sir John Richardson

Monday, 7th.An easterly wind gave place to a calm on the morning of the 7th: and as this change, though it produced no effect in loosening the ice to the north, caused more water to flow into the channel between the island and the main, we succeeded with little difficulty in crossing the flats that had before impeded us. Beyond this bar the water gradually deepened to three fathoms; and a favourable breeze springing up, we set the sail, and steered for the outer point of land in sight. We continued in smooth water until we reached Point Thompson, when, having lost the shelter of the ice which was aground on a tongue of gravel projecting from Flaxman Island, we became exposed to an unpleasant swell.

The Lion was very leaky, in consequence of the blows she had received from the ice; but as we could keep her free by baling, we did not lose the favourable moment by stopping to repair her. Our course was continued past Point Bullen, until we came to an island lying three miles from the shore, which proved to be connected with the main land by a reef. Dazzled by the glare of the sun in our eyes, the surf, which was breaking on this reef, was mistaken for a ripple of the tide; and although the sails were lowered, as a measure of precaution, we were so near before the mistake was discovered, that the strength of the wind drove the Lion aground, by which accident she took in much water. The exertions of the crew soon got her afloat, and both boats were pulled to windward of the island. The sails were then set, but as the wind had by this time increased to a strong gale, they were close reefed. We stood along the coast, looking for a favourable landing place, that we might obtain shelter from an approaching storm which the appearance of the sky indicated, and to repair the damage which the Lion had sustained. At length, some posts that had been erected by the Esquimaux on a point, denoted an approachable part of the coast, and we effected a landing after lightening the boats, by carrying part of the cargo two hundred yards through the water. The main shore to the westward of Flaxman Island is so low that it is not visible at the distance of three miles, with the exception of three small hummocks, which look like islands.

The carpenter had finished the repairs of the boat by midnight, and we were prepared to go forward, but were prevented from moving by a very thick fog, which continued throughout the night, and till Tuesday, 8th.eleven on the morning of the 8th. The storm continued violent throughout the day, but the fog cleared away for the space of two hours, and enabled us to perceive that the ice, which in the preceding evening had been at a considerable distance from the land, was now tossing about, in large masses, close to the border of the shallow water. We were also enabled, during the interval of clear weather, to ascertain, by astronomical observations, the latitude 70° 16' 27" N.; longitude 147° 38' W.; and variation 43° 15' E.

The hunters were sent out in pursuit of some deer that were seen, and Augustus killed one. They ascertained, during the chase, that we were on an island, separated from the main shore by a channel, fordable at low water. At this encampment we remarked the first instance of regularity in the tide. It was low water at half past nine on the evening of the 7th, and high water at half past two the following morning; the rise being sixteen inches. An equally regular tide was observed on the 8th, but we could not ascertain the direction of the flood. Wednesday, 9th.After sunset the squalls became extremely violent; and until three in the afternoon of the 9th, the fog was so dense that every object more distant than forty yards, was hidden. After that period, a partial clearness of the atmosphere discovered to us the waves more high than the day before, and beating heavily against the weather beach of the island. We rejoiced, however, at seeing a large stream of ice to windward, supposing that its presence there would cause the swell to go down, and that we should be able to proceed as soon as the wind should fall. We employed ourselves in observing the dip with Meyer's and the common needles, as well as the magnetic force. The mean dip was 82° 26'. The temperature of the air this day varied from 38° to 45°. High water took place at fifteen minutes after three p.m., the rise being two feet. The water did not fall so low as yesterday, owing to the wind blowing more across the mouth of the bay.

Thursday, 10th.On the 10th, the continuance of the gale, and of the fog more opaque, if possible, than before, and more wet, were not only productive of irksome detention, but they prevented us from taking exercise; our walks being confined to a space between the marks which the Esquimaux had put up on two projecting points, whither we went at every glimpse of clearness, to examine into the state of the waves. We witnessed with regret, in these short rambles, the havoc which this dreary weather made amongst the flowers. Many that had been blooming on our arrival, were now lying prostrate and withered. These symptoms of decay could not fail painfully to remind us that the term of our operations was fast approaching; and often, at this time, did every one express a wish that we had some decked vessel, in which the provision could be secured from the injury of salt water, and the crew sheltered when they required rest, that we might quit this shallow coast, and steer at once towards Icy Cape. We designated this dreary place by the name of Foggy Island. As an instance of the illusion occasioned by the fog, I may mention that our hunters sallied forth, on more than one occasion, to fire at what they supposed to be deer, on the bank about one hundred yards from the tents, which, to their surprise, took wing, and proved to be cranes and geese.

Friday, 11th.The wind changed from east to west in the course of the night, and at eight in the morning of the 11th, the fog dispersed sufficiently to allow of our seeing a point bearing N.W. by W., about three miles and a half distant which we supposed to be an island. We, therefore, hastened to embark; but before the boats could be dragged so far from the shore that they would float, the fog returned. The wind, however, being light, we resolved to proceed, and steer by compass, to the land that had been seen. Soon after quitting the beach we met with shoals, which forced us to alter the course more to the north; and having made the distance at which we estimated the point to be, and being ignorant which way the coast trended beyond it, we rested for some time upon the oars, in the hope that the fog would clear away, even for a short time, to enable us to shape our course anew; but in vain; all our movements in the bay being impeded by the flats that surrounded us, we were compelled to return to Foggy Island. Scarcely had the men made a fire to dry their clothes, which were thoroughly wet from wading over the flats, than the fog again dispersing, we pushed off once more. On this occasion we arrived abreast of the point whilst the weather continued clear, but found a reef, over which the waves washed, stretching to the north-west, beyond the extent of our view. Just as we began to proceed along the reef, the recurrence of the fog rendered it necessary for us to seek for shelter on the shore; and as we were heartily tired of our late encampment, we endeavoured to find another, but the shoals prevented our reaching any landing-place. We, therefore, retraced our course, though with much reluctance, to Foggy Island, which the men declared to be an enchanted island. Though our wanderings this day did not exceed seven miles, the crews were employed upwards of two hours in dragging the boats through the mud, when the temperature of the water was at 40°, and that of the air 41°. They endured this fatigue with the greatest cheerfulness, though it was evident they suffered very much from the cold; and in the evening we witnessed the ill effects of this kind of labour by finding their legs much swelled and inflamed. The fear of their becoming ill from a frequent repetition of such operations made me resolve not to attempt the passage of these flats again till the weather should be so clear that we might ascertain their extent, and see in what way they might be passed with less risk. Fog is, of all others, the most hazardous state of the atmosphere for navigation in an icy sea, especially when it is accompanied by strong breezes, but particularly so for boats where the shore is unapproachable. If caught by a gale, a heavy swell, or drifting ice, the result must be their wreck, or the throwing the provisions overboard to lighten them, so as to proceed into shoal water. Many large pieces of ice were seen on the borders of the shallow water; and from the lowness of the temperature, we concluded that the main body was at no great distance. We had also passed through a stream of perfectly fresh water, which we supposed was poured out from a large river in the intermediate vicinity, but the fog prevented our seeing its outlet. Saturday, 12th.The atmosphere was equally foggy throughout the night, and all the 12th, although the wind had changed to the east, and blew a strong breeze. Winds from this quarter had been extremely prevalent since the preceding April: but on our former visit to the Polar Sea, they had been of rare occurrence, and confined to the spring months, which we passed at Fort Enterprize. The obstinate continuance of fog forms another material difference between this season and the same period of 1821. We were only detained three times in navigating along the coast that year to the east of the Coppermine River; but on this voyage hardly a day passed after our departure from the Mackenzie that the atmosphere was not, at some time, so foggy as to hide every object more distant than four or five miles. The day that I visited Mount Conybeare, and that spent on Flaxman Island, form the only exceptions to this remark. A question, therefore, suggests itself:—Whence arises this difference? which, I presume, can be best answered by reference to the greater accumulation of ice on this coast, and to the low and very swampy nature of the land. There is a constant exhalation of moisture from the ice and swamps during the summer months, which is, perhaps, prevented from being carried off by the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains, and, therefore, becomes condensed into a fog. The coast to the eastward of the Coppermine River is high and dry, and far less encumbered with ice.

Some deer appearing near the encampment, a party was despatched in pursuit of them; but having been previously fired at by Augustus, they proved too wary. The exertions of the men were, however, rewarded by the capture of some geese and ducks. The whole of the vegetation had now assumed the autumnal tint.

There was not the least abatement in the wind, or change in the murky atmosphere, Sunday, 13th.throughout the 13th. The party assembled at divine service, and afterwards amused themselves as they could in their tents, which were now so saturated with wet as to be very comfortless abodes; and in order to keep ourselves tolerably warm we were obliged to cover the feet with blankets; our protracted stay having caused such a great expenditure of the drift-wood, that we found it necessary to be frugal in its use, and only to light the fire when we wanted to cook the meals. The nights, too, we regretted to find, were lengthening very fast; so that from ten p.m. to two a.m., there was too little light for proceeding in any unknown tract.

Monday, 14th.The wind this day was moderate, but the fog was more dense, and very wet. Tired, however, of the confinement of the tent, most of the party wandered out in search of amusement, though we could not see one hundred yards; and some partridges, ducks, and geese, were shot.

Tuesday, 15th.The fog was dispersed at seven in the morning of the 15th, by a north-east gale, which created too great a surf on the beach for us to launch the boats, and the fog returned in the evening. The temperature fell to 35 degrees, and in the course of the night ice was formed on the small pools near the encampment. Augustus set off in the afternoon to cross over to the main shore for the purpose of hunting, and to see whether there were any traces of the western Esquimaux, but he found none, and only saw three rein-deer.