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

by Unknown

As the Eskemaux came along-side the Schooner, they were presented each with a Biscuit, a Person standing in the main Chains with a Basket of Biscuit for that Purpose. Then they aboard the Schooner shewed a Kettle, a Hatchet, and some other Things, which seemed much to please the Eskemaux. One of them attempting to get into the Schooner, two of the People helped him in: He was received civilly on the Quarter-deck; the trading Box shewed him, a Spoon, a Knife, and a Comb with which he touched his Hair and seemed desirous of, were given him. Other Eskemaux were by this Time aboard. They were presented with Fish-hooks, small Knives, Combs, and a King George's Shilling apiece, which they carefully put into their Sleeves. In the interim the Eskemaux who came first aboard was gone to the Side, and called to another yet in the Canoe under the Title of Capitaine. The Eskemaux so called to immediately came aboard, saluted the Commander with three Congees, and kissed each Cheek. He was presented with a Spoon and a Knife. Being shewn the Goods, appeared very desirous of a File, offering old Cloaths for it. But the Commander signified he would not trade for old Cloaths, but Shoeeock (which is Whalebone in their Language) or Skins; and the latter he denoted to the Capitaine by a Piece of white Bear Skin that the Capitaine had brought in his Hand. The Capitaine expressed by his Action that he had not either Bone or Skins: He was then presented with the File; was shewed a Matchcoat, which he surveyed very accurately; signed to the Commander if he was not come round from the South-west, meaning, as supposed, from Quebeck or the Gulph of St. Lawrence. Afterwards took the Commander under his Arm, and shewed a Desire of going into the Cabbin, which was complied with. He passed the Door first, and sat down in as regular a Manner as any European, having first accurately looked about him; but there were no Fire-Arms in Sight. Refused Wine, drank Spruce Beer; was shewed a Sample of all the Kind of Goods, with which he seemed well pleased; and it was signified to him that there was Plenty of them. While in the Cabbin the other Eskemaux who were on Deck, called to their Capitaine, they were invited down. Three of the Eskemaux came, but it was observable the Capitaine covered the Goods with a Woollen Cloth, which lay on the Table. They were presented with Beef and Pudding, which they took, and returned on Deck. The Eskemaux Capitaine put the Goods into the Box himself very honestly, and seeming to admire a small Brass-handled Penknife, it was presented to him. He then returned on Deck, pointed to the Sun, lowered his Hand a little, then made a Sign of sleeping by shutting his Eyes, and laying his Hand to his Cheek, and shewed with his Hand to have the Schooner to come to an Anchor just above. By which it was understood that a little after that Time the next Day he would be there with Trade. The Schooner, being by this Time opposite to a narrow Passage or Streight formed by Islands, through which the Eskemaux had come into this Inlet, the Capitaine ordered his People into their Canoes, and retired with a Congee himself, after repeating the Commander's Name, to see if he had it right, and which he had been very industrious to learn while he was in the Cabbin. The Commander attended him to the Side; and seeing in his Canoe a War-bow and Arrows, which are of a curious Construction, pressed him to let him have them, though the same Thing as asking a Man to part with the Sword he wore. The Capitaine, by Signs, shewed he could not part with it, and seemed to express it with great Reluctance that he could not. This Circumstance, and their having no Women with them, caused the Schooner's People to think they looked upon themselves, when they set out, as coming amongst their Enemies. The Drum was beat until they were out of Sight; and the Capitaine, just before he lost Sight of the Schooner by being shut in by the Islands, pointed to the Sun, and the anchoring Place. The Eskemaux, while aboard, behaved with great Decency and Silence; though at first they began to jump and halloo, as they had done aboard the Snow; but finding the People of the Schooner not so disposed, soon left off.

Soon after the Schooner was anchored in an excellent Harbour, the Snow's Boat came along-side, with the first Mate and Agent. They were asked to mess; and it being enquired of them how far they had been with the Longboat in the last Trip, said to Latitude 57° 14´: Had seen no Eskemaux, but within a few Days, though they had been out fourteen Days. The Mate said, that he had chased a trading Boat, with two Eskemaux in it, who had endeavoured to avoid them, and dodged amongst the Islands; but he came up with them as though he had been a Privateer's Boat; run bolt aboard them, and so frightened the Eskemaux that they fell on their Knees, cried out, Tout Comerado, and they would have given him all they had. He said they took out the Whalebone, which he brought aboard, about a Hundred and fifty Weight, and paid them for it as much as he saw the Captain give. He saw other Eskemaux at times ashore, where they invited him, but would not venture; and fired a Blunderbuss, charged with thirteen Bullets, over them, which caused some of them to fall down, others to bow. Some Eskemaux came along-side, and traded their Cloaths; but with great Fear, crying out, Tout Comerado, as he had four Men armed standing in the Bow of the Boat. Said that those Eskemaux had, who were just gone from the Schooner, the Peoples Cloaths who had been trepanned the last Year, particularly a brown Waistcoat, which had had white Buttons on it, and a white Great-coat. The Great-coat meant was a French Matchcoat, which the Eskemaux Captain had on, made up in a Frock according to the Manner that they wear them. The supposed brown Jacket was a French brown Cloth, and there were two Eskemaux who had them. The Mate said the Schooner's People had talked of some Inlets; but no Answer was made, on which he declared there was no Inlet between Nesbit's Harbour and where they then were, nor any Inlet to Northward between that and Latitude 57° 14´. After making some Enquiries, as to what the Schooner's People further intended, quitted, and made for the Streight the Eskemaux had passed through.

This is mentioned as an Instance of what Caution should be used, as to the Choice of Persons sent on Expeditions to explore unfrequented or unknown Parts, as the Adventurers may be Sufferers, and the Reason of their being so a Secret, and thereon pronounce decisively no Advantages are to be made, thus deprived of what might be greatly to their private Emolument in Time under a proper Conduct, and to the Benefit of the Publick. And there is a further Misfortune attending an improper Choice, which every social and generous Man will consider. That according to the Impressions that Indians receive on the first Acquaintance, a lasting Friendship may be expected, or an Enmity and Jealousy very difficult to remove, who, in the interim, will execute their Revenge; not on those who gave the Offence, but on all indiscriminately of the same Complexion, when an Opportunity offers. Reasons would be unnecessarily urged in Support of what Experience proves, and of which there have been several melancholy Examples on this Coast. By a Privateer from New York, some Years since, the first Offence was given; those who have gone since have done nothing to mollify or abate this Enmity and Revenge. There could be no Expectation of a Reconciliation with these Indians, to the great Improvement of Commerce in various Branches, but by the Measures taken, the sending some of his Majesty's Ships into these Parts to explore and get a Knowledge of the Coast; and the Commanders to establish a Regulation, which will be a Satisfaction and Encouragement to every fair Trader; and where the Trade long since might have been brought to some Perfection, had it not been from the little dirty Avarice of those employed by private Adventurers, who hindered the original Design having a due Effect; and by interfering the one with the other, to their mutual Prejudice, they prevented those Returns on their Voyages which might have been otherwise made. The Consequence was, all future Attempts were dropt, and it was indeed rendered almost impossible that any fresh Undertakings should meet with Success, by the Difficulties flung in the Way on Account of the Natives, but which will now be effectually removed by the Government giving their Assistance.

The next Morning three People were sent from the Schooner to go on the Heights, to discover the Water the Eskemaux had gone into, and to see if the Eskemaux were coming. The Account brought back was, that there was seen an Indian trading Boat or Shallop under Sail, which presently tacked and stood towards four other Shallops. They all lowered Sail, and the Eskemaux seemed to be consulting together. Soon after the People saw the Snow's Longboat coming, the Shallops hoisted Sail, then went one Canoe, afterwards two more, to the Snow's Longboat, while the Shallops crouded away. The Schooner's People, after this Time, had no Opportunity of seeing the Eskemaux; and attributed their coming no more to their Fear of meeting the Longboat, or the bad Weather, it being wet and blustering for the several succeeding Days. But they learned, after the Schooner had returned to Philadelphia, that those in the Snow's Longboat followed the Shallops, came up with them, and took what they had. The Reason is apparent for their not coming to the Schooner as they had no Trade, and as they might have a Suspicion that the Schooner's People had a Connivance with those in the Boat, especially as they might see the three People from the Schooner standing on the Heights.

The Commander searched the Head of this Inlet, the Shores of which were the most barren of any that had yet been seen, from the Sea to the Head of it, about nine Leagues. Upon their Return they found the Snow gone; they then went through the Streight by which they saw the Eskemaux pass to explore that Water. From this the Discoverer passed between Islands, without going out to Sea into a second Inlet; and from that to a third from where he had met the Snow, and the seventh from Nesbit's Harbour. And the seventh or last Inlet ran a North and Westerly Course, and terminated the furthest inland, or had the most Western Longitude of any of the Inlets; and its Head about fifteen Leagues from the Sea.

These last three Inlets to Seaward are separated by very large Islands, and have Islands lying off directly athwart their Entrance, so that it is difficult to discover, when within these Islands, that there is any Outlet to the Sea. The Islands have little Wood on them, and are mostly barren Rock; but the main Land much as in the other Parts, only the Inland more level. The blue Ridge of Mountains appeared plainer than from any other Part. The Latitude of the furthest Inlet about 56.

Having explored these respective Waters and adjacent Country, and Davis's Inlet, consequently, though it is difficult to which properly to affix the Name; and the Autumn being far advanced, as was apparent from the Birch Leaves becoming yellow, the Berries Frost-bit, the Pines and Spruce turning brown, severe Gales, Snow and Sleet at times, and excessive cold on the high Land; so as nothing further could be carried on with any Spirit, but excessive Fatigue, and the Health of the People, as well preserved as on first setting out, would be now impaired, with no certain Prospect of doing any Thing further that was material, sufficient Harbours having been found; on the 20th of September they set out on their Return.

Leaving the Land favoured with pleasant Weather, an Opportunity waited for to make an accurate Survey of the Fishing Bank, and to find the Distance it lay from the Land, which from the Soundings on making the Land, the seeing the Islands of Ice aground, and the Account of Davis, was known to be there, and named by him Walsingham's Bank, after the true Patriot and generous Patron of a Discovery of a North-west Passage. Sounding about a League from Land, with one Hundred and fifty Fathom of Line, had no Ground. At about six Leagues from Land, twenty-five Fathoms afterwards various Soundings, and catched a great many Cod, large and full fed, reckoned by the People aboard, to be very extraordinary Fish, some of whom from Boston followed the Employ of fishing for Cod. The Bank was concluded to be about nine Leagues broad, and ninety Fathom Soundings on the going off it, on the Eastern Side; and it was concluded, on a pretty good Assurance, that it reaches from Lat. 57 to Lat. 54, if not further; but the Weather proving boisterous, as they ran to the Southward, could not continue their Soundings.

The Schooner sounded with a Hundred and fifty Fathom of Line, close by an Island of Ice, of a surprising Magnitude, between the Bank and the Shore, which was aground, and they did not get Soundings.

FINIS.