The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-21 00:00:00

a nanny rousd it; we stood fur them, but when
the teats wire Fulling in thee •preared to regret
their temerity, for doves came the seal skin and away
they fin ; shortly gaining euurel., they returned, and, as
we approached, wren: zed thcromonea in liue upon the beach,
sad commenced eiteoding their arms above the head
me: cal of f • 10144), which being autism. red from the
rilleCrly avanr,d them of our amicable intentiohe
teen landing they eviLce a a most manly confidence., ruo-
bmg
nos, and einbraeing most vigorously; these Were
very*leanly, sa, that th. operation was not so unpleasant us
e•
ir ull.erni.i hese 'eft!. Through the interpreter, Mr.
lgiciteching, we learned that these people had never before
ave &European. or hod t the small, et article of European
mo huheeture about them (I.icotenatet tullen'a boats they
observed last year, but they were soma dietacce off, and
consopently had no coniai.noLti .10 They live during
the summer mouth.; up it ti.cm de...Ante Wand., and in the
wine r retire a short elletatem GA the mainland to their
scanner resideueme. Their women and tents were upon
mother 'slated. They were:. Rue active set of young men,
overact height about five feat six inches,. T Atte barter
their skim!, Mc., with a triLo further west, who, in their
cam, do the some with o.lu:sunlit they reach the Russian
pet opus C To them I intrusted a despatch foe
their I adshiae, which they promised most faithfully should
be forwanled to the Colsiala. I made them a few presents,
61.0 I float's ensign, is ameneuicr !non of the firm. man-
gator wheat ft i has ever Rotted in these sterile regions.
lee umegodiceme eat the gilt nay could not for some
time comprehend, and we ro ..-th to touch it, but at length
the inter{ nate mole them understand it was sent them by
a great chief, mil in return they were to be very kind to
all white men they tact, and stow it to them ; all this they
roans it; the chief then sclird it in his UM and ran
woos the island to hie canoe, followed by the remainder of
hie tri.,e, cud no doubt hurried with the joyful tidings to
the women. We find a w. set which prevents our
saltine hut slight progrc:s, the wind hanging so much to
the eastward.
Os the morning of the 12th four beldam came alongside,
containing the whole eocarr.snt vets of the teihe we met last
D ght, and also some tl w. 1.. I seen two days previous,
fr 'es which it 'potent' .10 y mipratory ; they brought
off a supply of fish and smile verison hut the letter wails
such a state of pulreltielion we could not touch it; we
IMOlt of the m.o to come on board, aed, although
well aware of their kase...h Fortuities, sad, consequently,
a shorn look out oas kp• cp theta, they most adroitly
managed to slip bob ha,.Jles of our winch and a mull ice
nne.or into their Haider, warn th! "air sex became the re-
nen ats ; it was by Ili • rscatest accident that the t eft was
eescoserod, by the etas of ore handle protruding from
beneath the ample proportions of the lady —who, when
heicp time, immeellatrry returned the articles, and in-
formed upon her husband. For this immorality the whole
boat was eaempted hum receiving any present. Working
to the eastward observed a few deer upon one of the low
islands, but was prevented sendiro any boat as a south-ease
Current was setting us in to shoal water very fast, so that all
the boats were toluene' to tow until eight p.m., when •
fight air ram is to toe westward it six fathoms; the loose kW
AA a rapid motion, end the larger floe pieces, aa they
puled, appeared to create a current white frequently
turned the vessel rnmld. t ly round against helm and sails,
the power of a two knot breeze being insufficient to
counteract it. On the morn.ng of the 13th we were en-
veloped is a dense fox, :am rag exceedingly heavy ana close
radon: ice, through which we attem,itied to work, and
found, that endeavouring to avoid once piece, we ran upon
another, striking oecaeson.liy with gnat force, which deter-
mined me to secure to a floe until it clemet. In this we
fortanstely suen rded, petting me that was grounded is
*ens fathoms. It was a heavy piece, but not so much so es
army th.t were about us. I took its height above the
watt: in seem places, which gave an average of ll feet 11
inches.; a peek, thiefiy composed of such, would be too
powerful a Ire for ode, ship lohg to contend against. At 8
am. of the 14th, it having cleared a little, slipped from the
flit, and commenced working to the eastward among muses
el ice. At 10.30 a.m. observed a shoal just in time toavoid
it; it was completely hidden frem view off deck, not being
as high as ice, having a quantity of driftwood upon it,
milieu is in great abundance along the whole coast. At 3.30
pm. our course was imer 3 d he another uf these low islands,
which had the ice restiig unon its northern extreme, while
the southern point was fienaed by &shoat, which connected
it with the island seen is the morning. We were thus per-
fectly hemmed in. The boats were sent to sound, when
Mr. Colin represented a passage practicable in 3 fathoms.
In tunning through we unfortemitely hit upon a spot with
only 2' fathoms, which had escaped observation ; we had
consequently to lighten the vessel considerably before she
got Mt which, however, was accomplished without any
damage (the bottom being sanely) by 11 p.m , having been
on shore rive hours. I regret to add, that 11 casks of salt
meat, which were placed in the first whaleboat, were lost
by her upsetting, being compelled to place the provi-
sions in the whalers, the cutters Laving the bower anchors
in them. This was a serious Ives; indeed, an irreparable
calamity. As soon as we were off it was my busicess to
return by the way we came in, but found that the ice had
set upon the shoal we bad first observed and cut off our
retreat, under which dr. umstanaes I was obliged to anchor
and wait a change of wind. Upon the 16th the wind
came slightly from the westward, which set the ice
in motion off the north point of the island. At
9 am. weighed and towed to the euge of the
ice, which presented a barrier of about 600 yards
in width between us and the open water we wished
to get into. We commenced warping at 2 p.m., and so
heavy was the ice that it was not until 8 p.m. that
we mold get through, it fell calm, so guide fast to the We
for the night. Neat morning, the 17th, a very thick fog,
with light north-east wind, at 4 a.m. commenced kedg-
ing to the eastward, but at 7 a.m. gave it up; the wind
freshened, and unable to see log. At 2 p.m. it cleared;
we slipped from the ice, and plied to the north-east, amid
heavy streams and large fine pieces, vessels striking vio-
lently, but unavoidably against them. 18.—To-day, from
the masthead, obeerved the tint lane of open water in the
pack, extending east and west several miles, hut very nar-
row. Is the evening a fresh breeze from the north-west,
and almost shouleaneously a slight pitching motion was
observed, which is considered an Infallible symptom of
open water being near. It was so foggy that nothing
could been seen; but notwithstanding 1 shaped a course
north-north-west for Banks Land, thinking that we had
Pounded the peck, having emoted it between 400
and 500 miles, we continued the greatest part of the
night to run without much obstruction, but upon the fol-
lowing morning, the 19th, our progress was checked by
ending that we had run into a diep hight, which compelled
us to work back again to the south-east. 20.—Before
getting clear of this pack, into which we had penetrated a
ecasiderable distance, being decoyed by a few lanes of open
water, we were compelled to run 70 miles south, which
placed us in lat. 69.50 north, lon. 130.60 west. It is seldom
that observations can be obtained, this being only the
sixth set since! the Sth of the month, the fog end aid
being more continuous then I ever remember to have me 4
elsewhere. August 21.—Have succeeded in getting olisis
into clear water. At 1p m. made the Pelly Islands.
MT the mouth of the Mackenzie ; the coast is, however,
so eiceesicoly shoal that 1 find it impossible to mash
the main land, which I was very anxious to meow
pli.h, but at the distance of 40 miles fns ft wen
obliged to tack in 3I fathoms. We passed dne Ws
of its tide, must distinctly marked, sheet 10 min thither
north, the water being the collet Of Um Timm al Will.
with, slightly brackish, and Ito Inusperstere II threw the
sea, four hours previously, being IS degrees. From what I
have observed of the Pack, I lesgegeminced that any attensp
to reach Banks Land threw. It would oaly terminate lA
Were, and the coaseqatat km of valuable time, but bp
working between its edge and the shore, have confidence lei
asking a good advance this esseffinj it is, therefore, my Is.
tuition to pursue the latter mask and in eo doing, do-
nate from my engine' purse eigi=g into the ice, as
mentioned is my letter t• emir dated the 19ilt of
July.
Aug 22.—Fog daring the while of the night very dense,
but having much open water spas the eastern shore from
the Mackenzie towards Cape Bathurst, had no difficulty in
working ekes is, in soundings from four to eight fathoms,
which latter was the extent that the ice per itted us off
shore. At noes a slight clear discovered to us • cluster
of Wands, which, by a very indifferent observation (let.
69.34 N., long. 135.9 W.), point them out as those of
P,lly.
• __

Aug. 23.—A fins clear day, the temperature Thing to 49
at awe. Made the northern extreme of Richard Island
fres the mast bead, and iiy a good observation established
our positiun let. 69 N., lung. 133 48 W., the waist
towards the shore being perfectly clear of ice, which agree*
With the seetnint gives by sir John Richardson. that the
wives observe one ice fee two moons, bat these never quit
the land any dilemma, tar were they to extend their ea-
COrs4ooll 10 Who further north than our position they
would had the path solid and impenetrati.e. Thu, how-
*ter, gives ample epees for navigation, the soundings being
ono exceedingly regular that, dating the most foggy weather,
we can stand in shore with the most perfect (*.tidier*
fathoms. A whale was seen to-day, 'sting only the third
dace rmandieg Foist Barrow, although upon the day we
ware off that point seven were counted.
Aug. 24.—Observed huts and natives off Point Warren.
I hastily clw this communication, in the bops Of its
teaching their Lordship. this year, through Fort Good
Rope, as 1 imagine these people cummuotcate with the
Mackenzie. I have writti ato the company'. officer at the
• s post, to request bin exertion. in sanding