The great probability of a North West Passage / deduced from observations on the letter of Admiral de Fonte

by Unknown

There were on the Shore, in many Places, the Remainder of Eskemaux Encampments, but some Time since they had been there. Timbers of Boats, on the Shores, which were much decayed, had laid long in the Weather; in the Carpenter's Opinion the Boats they had belonged to must have been built fifteen or twenty Years, seemed to be the Timbers of such Boats as had been seen with the Eskemaux.

The succeeding Day there was such Weather as they could not proceed; the Day after, the 25th, run up the Inlet about eight Leagues from the Harbour, which was about eighteen Leagues from the Entrance of the Inlet. As they proceeded they found the Country more level, thick Woods, intermixed with Birch Trees, and both Shores afforded a pleasant Verdure. They could not proceed further with the Schooner, by Reason of Falls; which, being surveyed the next Day, might be passed with the Schooner, but with some Difficulty. Therefore early in the Morning of the 27th, at a proper Time of Tide, when the Falls were level, a Party went in a Whaleboat, with a small Boat in tow loaded with Provisions, Bedding, and a Sail for a Tent, to explore the Head of the Inlet. The furthest they could get with the Boat was about five Leagues, being intercepted by impassable Falls, about 300 Feet in Length, and forty Feet their perpendicular Height, though of gradual Descent. The Fall Rocks, but the Bank of the Northern Shore, which was steep, was a Kind of Marl, without any Mixture of Stone; and no frozen Earth here, or in any other Part, usual in Hudson's Bay, as was proved by repeated Experiments: Therefore it may be concluded that this is a more temperate Climate in Winter than in any Part about Hudson's Bay, in the same or lower Latitudes.

From the first Falls to the second there were large Levels along Shore, the Mountains at a considerable Distance within Land, especially those on the North Side. The Mountains and Shores thick cloathed with Pine, Spruce, Birch, and Alder, much larger and of better Growth than those Trees nearer the Sea Coast; some Pines measured twenty-five Inches in Diameter. In a Pond, on the North Shore, saw two Beaver Houses, and there were Plenty of Beaver Marks, as Dams, Trees barked and felled by them. The Water was fresh between the first and second Falls. Poles of Indian Tents in many Places along Shore, Lodgments only for single Families, tied together with Strips of Deer Skin, and no Encampments after the Eskemaux Manner, shewed that a different Indians from the Eskemaux resorted into this Part. The whole Country had a pleasant Appearance; but as they came near to the upper Falls, the Verdure of the Woods, barren Points of Rocks that exalted themselves, terminating the View, the Disposition of the Woods which had all the Regularity of Art, joined to the Freedom of Nature, the Gloom of the Evening, the slow steady Course of the Water, and the Echoes of the rumbling Fall, afforded such a Scene as affected even those that rowed; and they said, it was the pleasantest Place they had ever seen. On a level Point, beautifully green, situated at a small Distance from an Opening in the Woods, and in full View of and Hearing of the Falls, there were the Poles of an Indian Tent, which, from the Ashes scarce cold, a Breast-bone of a wild Goose, with some little Meat on it that had been broiled, Pieces of Birch Bark left, seemed to have been not long deserted, and the Situation was such as expressed the late Inhabitants to have the softest Sensations. In coming up the Inlet they had found where there had been a small Fire made, as supposed, to dress Victuals, but put out or covered with Turf, a usual Practice amongst Southern Indians to conceal the Smoke, when they suppose the Enemy is near. The Boats were securely harboured, a Tent erected, with a good Fire before it, and the People rested securely all Night.

The next Day, August the 28th, two Persons were detached to a Summit, in Appearance about twelve Miles off, others went and hung Strings of Beads, Combs, Knives, and other Peltry, on the Trees, some at a Mile, and others at a further Distance, from where they kept their Camp all Day, to invite the Indians to a Converse with them; but no Indians were seen, nor any Thing meddled with. Those who had walked to take the View from the Summit, saw the Water above the Falls extend a great Distance into the Country, but not the Termination of it, passing through Meadow Lands of large Dimensions, and by the Foot of small rising Land, they saw a large high Ridge of blue Mountains at a great Distance, running North and South, which was supposed to be the Bounds of the new discovered Sea in Hudson's Bay: Saw several other Ridges of Land, but seemingly more level than those to Seaward; passed over in travelling several Spots of excellent Soil, the Timber of good Size and Growth. There was a great Plenty of Grass and Herbage; walked a great Way in an Indian Path, and saw several marked Trees, as is practised amongst the Southern Indians. They returned in the Evening, much fatigued with the Heat of the Sun, and swelled with the Bites of Musquetoes, and a small black Fly, like those in England called a Midge. Those that staid at the Encampment were also much plagued with these Insects.

The Latitude of the upper Falls was 54 Deg. 48 Min. near the imaginary Line that bounded the English and French Limits in these Parts; and it being supposed that the two Inlets, seen from the Height above the Harbour where they first anchored, would terminate in the French Limits; they therefore had declined making any Search there, and proceeded to search the Inlet to Northward.

The next Morning they set out to return to the Schooner, with a Design to search the other Inlet to Northward, seen from the Mountain at the Back of the first Harbour, but not seen since by Reason of a high Ridge of Mountains, as it was supposed, that covered it. In the Night there had been a sharp Frost, and early in the Morning a thick Fog. About Ten in the Morning they were returned to the Schooner. Several of the People, contrary to the written Instructions which were left, had rambled from the Vessel, got on the Heights, rolled down the Indian Marks, which are Stones that they put up one on another on the Knolls and Summits of Hills, to direct them in their journeying; a Proceeding which was highly dissatisfactory to the Commander, considering the Disposition which it was found the Natives were in, and whom, with the greatest Industry, they could not get a Sight of. The People had shot some few Fowl, which were plentier in this Inlet than any where that they had seen, but very shy and wild. They sailed that Afternoon to the Harbour which they were at when they first entered this Inlet.

August the 29th they sailed out of this Inlet to go to the Northward, keeping within a Ledge of Islands, as they might pass no Part of the Coast unsearched. Met with some Difficulties amongst the Shoals and Rocks; but about Four in the Afternoon were clear of all, and plyed to Windward to enter the third or more Northern Inlet, which they had now open. Saw at the Head of a pretty deep Cove, on the South Side in that Inlet, a strong Smoke arise, and that immediately answered by a lesser Smoke on the Northern Side of the Inlet. The Smoke on the Northern Side the Inlet continued towering and freshening; on seeing which they immediately steered for the Cove, supposing the Smoke to be made by the Natives as a Signal for Trade; but were delayed entering by the Tide of Ebb. At Sunset were surprised with a Squall of Wind, which came on in a Moment, and the Schooner in extreme Danger of being ashore on the Rocks. A hard Gale succeeded, but they fortunately attained a Harbour, which had been before discovered by the Boat, and rode secure.

The 31st of August, the Weather being moderate, two Persons went over the Heights to the Head of the Cove, in Pursuit of the Natives; and three Persons went in a Boat to the Head of the Cove, with some trading Goods, and to pass the two who walked, over the Water if it ran up into the Country, and the Natives should be on the opposite Shore; but after rowing up about two Leagues they found a Termination of the Water, landed and ascended the Heights, where they found a very large Plain, without Ponds, and a fine Soil, which they passed over and descended into a Valley, thick Groves, good Grass, and large Ponds. Here they met with a Bear; which one of the People firing too precipitately missed. Several Bears had been seen before, some Foxes, many Tracts of Wolves, both on the Shores and Inland, and in one Place Otter Paths.

Three of the People were sent to return with the Boat aboard, and two set out to go up a Mountain which promised a good Sight of the Country, and seemed possible that they might attain to the Summit of it, and return to the Schooner that Night; but were deceived by the Height of the Mountain as to the Distance they were from it. In the Ascent they found great Declivities and Hollows in the Sides of the Mountain, the Rocks rent in a most surprising Manner, having Rents or Fissures in them from thirty to seventy Feet in Depth; some tremendous to look down, and not above two or three Feet in Breadth. The Dogs that were with them would not, after looking down, jump over them, but howled and took a Sweep round. In the Levels and Hollows on the Side there lay great Heaps of fallen Rock. Some Stones or solid Pieces of ten or fifteen Tons Weight, besides innumerable lesser Pieces. And found a Patch of Snow in one of the Hollows, about forty Feet in Breadth, and fourteen Feet in perpendicular Height, frozen solid, and seemed of the same Consistence with the Islands of Ice. The Persons, though constantly labouring, did not attain to the Top of the Mountain until about Half an Hour before Sunset, where they found a thin Air, and a fresh sharp cold Wind; though below, and in their Ascent, they had experienced pleasant warm Weather, and little Wind. From the Mountain they perceived a Smoke, about ten Miles off more inland, the usual Practice of the Indians in the Evenings, when they form their Camps, to make a Fire to dress their Provisions, and to be by all Night; and it was then suspected that they were flying more inland, and that the Smokes seen the Night before were Signals from one Party to another to retire on seeing the Schooner, supposing us Enemies. It was too late that Night to return to the Head of the Cove, therefore encamped that Night on the Side of the Mountain in the Woods, near to a level Spot without the least Unevenness of above six Hundred Feet in Breadth, and three Hundred over, exactly resembling a Pavement without any Fissure or Opening in it. The next Day got to the Head of the Cove, near twelve Miles from the Mountain; on a Signal made the Boat fetched them aboard, where the People expressed in their Countenances a universal Joy at seeing their Commander safe returned, which was a great Satisfaction to him, as it was an Instance more sincerely expressed than by formal Words addressed to him, that they looked on their Security to depend on his Preservation. The Wind was contrary to their getting out of the Harbour that Afternoon; but the Boats were employed in seeking the best Channel for the Schooner to go out at.

The Morning of September the 2d, the Wind proved favourable, and that Evening they got a good Way up the third Inlet. When they were some Way up the Inlet, they discovered a Smoke upon an Island at the Entrance of the Inlet, and, when at Anchor, a Smoke also on the North Shore. Therefore by Day-light, September the 3d, the Time when Smokes are most discernable and looked out for by the Indians, a Person was sent to fire the Brush on an Eminence ashore, to answer that Smoke seen on the North Shore the Night before. Then the Schooner proceeded up the Inlet, and by Ten o'Clock was come to the Extremity of it, which terminated in a Bay of very deep Water, surrounded by very steep Mountains, with Groves of Trees on them; but they found a good Anchorage in a Cove, and an excellent Harbour. The Heights being ascended, it was perceived there was a narrow Streight out of this Inlet, which communicated with Ponds. And that there was a fourth Inlet to Northward, and which extended further to Westward than the Inlet which the Vessel was now in, and about four Miles off, beyond the Hills there appeared a towering Smoke, upon the Sight of which the Persons who went to take the View returned aboard to get some Provisions, and a Parcel of trading Goods, and set out again with an Intention to seek the Natives, and spend the Night amongst them. The Boat put them ashore where it was thought most convenient and nearest Place to the Smoke, but it proved otherwise; for after travelling about three Miles they fell in with a Chain of Ponds, which they were forced to go round. Hot sultry Weather, the Woods thick, without the least Breath of Wind, infinite Number of Musquetoes and Midges. But by being thus to go round the Ponds, had the Satisfaction of seeing several Beavers Dams made to keep out the Tide Waters. They saw a Continuance of the Smoke, and shaped a Course for it; but when on the Heights perceived that the Smoke was on an Island about two Miles off the Shore in the fourth Inlet, therefore returned to the Vessel that Night.