Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-05-25


Philips Bay until the i,h They continued their route
till the I7th when unbrokeD pack of ice, extending
to scawaId, made them seek The shore IN Camdeh Day
large encampment Of EsGuimaux who Iecei'cu
them kindly In the afternoon there appeared mario"
passage Of water through the ice stretching
and they Immediately embarked, but had mol prrutu
above three miles from the land, when lhe ice s"uy
closed upon them, squeezing one Of 'h'ir poa'" I:r
with their provisions and baggage. they had h'" mn
Guilty in saving; and BY means oil por'"efS ,'" p".
piece of ice TO another the serving RS bridges ty
finally 20, on large foe where they passed an i"cIe
ment and anxious night! :, 49,.
they we're stoned by ice and violent North east wInd
until the 23d having on the preceding day msne 40 ~
rfecual attempt 10 weather foint AhSf'y, III VINO"
they narrowly escaped with thorough nrrnching-
The latitude ashore was 20 deg . mia 10 sec. from
thi, situation they had the satisfaction OF discovering
range of the Rocky Mountains TO the westward OF me
Romonzofr chain, and not seen by SIR John fianh"'
but being within the limit OF his survey, called IL Tue
franklin Range as Just tribute 10 his character ano
merits That evening they reached Sir John Franklin
Return Reef where their survey commenced that ON
Ger HAVING got no farther. Return Reef is one oil
chnp of reefs which for twenty miles parallel To Inc
coast, nj the distance Of about halt league, aiiotns
sufficient water within for their small craft The main
land is very low. From Point BcTens' to Cape hake"
it forms Harrison's Bay, fifty miles broad by aoout
third IF that distance in depth AT The bolton OF lns
bay another picturesque branch of the Rocky Mountains
Range rears its lofty peaks above these HAT shores
which they named Pellys Mountains, IN honor OF lhe
River two miles broad its mouth, TO the south west
of which stands Cape Hake, where they were detn'n'
ed by north east gale The whole OF the following DAY
The country, extending to the foot Of the mountain, APP
peared consist Of plains covered with short grass and
moss fayorite resort of reindeer of which they saw
numerous herds Observations obtained dctermin-
ing Cape Iialkett to be in lat 20 deg 43 min ~, long
I52 deg IA min. w the variation Of the compass i3
deg min. SO sec +.
Next morning, 2Uh july they passed the Gnhy, IL
about mile broad
From Cape Ilakct; the coast turned suddenly on 10
the w. n W. 1t presented 10 the eye nothing but sue
cession Of low banks Of frozen mud In the evening
they passed the mouths Of large stream, which lh"y
named Smiths River. From thence for about nine miles
the coast line is formed Of gravel reefs near the exife'
nifty of which Point Pits, the land trends more to The
westward Here they were detained by ice unlh Tue
following afternoon. (27th when opening presenting
itself they resumed their route 1t blew cutting blast
or the north east and the salt water roze upon the
and the rigging. Point Drew, seven miles distant
from their last encnmpment, is the commencement OF
BAY of considerable size but extremely shallow, and
much encountered with ice. To seaward the ice was
still smooth and solid, in the depth Of sunless win
ter. At midnight they reached narrow projecting
point across which the peaks OF come high Icebergs ap
peared This point they named Cape George simpson,
mark Of respect for the governor OF the company
territories whose excellent arrangements the success
Of the expedition is in great measure indebted.
This point destined be the limit OF their boat
navigation for during the four following days they were
only able to advance many miles. The weather was
foggy and dsmally cold, the wild fowl passed in long
flights to the Westward and there seeHed little pros
pect Of their being able 10 reach Beecheys Point Barrow
by water. Boat Extreme is situated IN lat Al deg .
min. 81 ~, long l54 Gg % min. 80 sec w vaEia
ton Of compass ~ deg 80 min Il sec. +
Under these circumstances Mr. Thomas Simpson un.
dertook to complete the journey on foot and according
" started the LIST OF August with five men, MIR Dease
and the other FIVE remaining charge Of the boats
The pedestrians carried with them their arms, some
ammunition, pcmican, small oiled canvass canoe for
the crossing of rivers the necessary astronomical IN.
struments, and few lrnkets for the natives
IL was OF the worst days Of the whole season,
and the fog dense that the party under the
necessity Of rgdy following the toTtuous outline of the
coast, which Cor 90 miles formed sort OF irregular IN.
land bay, (beDg guarded without by series OF gravel
reefs0 the shore OF which almost on level with
the water and ntersected with immune nhe sail creeks,
through which they wadrd besides three considerable
rivers which they trayeTsed in their portable canoe.
Next day the weather improved, and at noon Mr. Smp-
son had an observation for lat in II deg min As
The land inclined 10 the south west, and continued
very low and muddy, and, as on the preceding day,
ah0unding in salt creeks, whose waters were al The
freezing temperature The party had proceeded about
ten miles when 10 their dsmaY the coast suddenly
turned off to the southwark, forming an inlet as far as
the eye could reach
At the same moment they deserted great distance
small camp Of EsGuimaux To which they Immediately
directed their steps, The men were absent. hunting
and the and children took TO their boat in the
greatest alarm, leaving behind them an lniln man. who
was in an rgony Of fear. few words OF friendship
removed his apprehensions and brought back The ngi
tves, who equally surprised and delighted to be-
hold white They set before The party flesh rein
/ deer meat and seal OIL.
Mr. Simpson now determined 10 adopt more exprdi-
ous mode of travelling by obtaining the loan Of one
Of their :oomaks family skin canoes, To convey the
party to Point Barrow. with which, from chart drawn
by of the women appeared that these people were
we'll acquainted.
Four oars were fitted with ashings 10 this strange craft
pofor he hun vp0 aDt
bncco avis buttons. &c were made to all the inmates
Of the encampnen with which they were highly graft
fed.
Deases Inlet is five miles broad at this place. yet
low is the land that the shore is Just visible from
the other IN the clearest weather 1t again bic"
strongly from the Northeast, bringing back the cold
dense fog but the effected by the aid o
the compass The wares run high, and the skin boat
surmouned them with great buoyancy; the party en-
canped the side of the Inlet. The banks there
were Of frozen mud 10 or ~ feet high; the country with
in was perfectly fiat nbounded in small lakes. and pro-
duced very short grass; but nnwh here had The haw
nerraed more than inches beneath the surface, while
| under water along the shore the bottom still impe
netraby frozen Not log OF wood vas to ne found in
this land of desoation; hut party followed the cram
pe Of the natives md made their fire Of The roots OF the
| dwarf willow in a little chimney of turf. Next morn
! inp August g. the fog cleared for awhile. but it was
still bitterly cold, and The swell bent violently on the
outside Of heavy line Of ice which lay packed upon
| the shore
|
qualities of their boat after trial, carried them
safely through The land out for five miles 10 the
Norlhward, then turned of TO the Northwest bryone
which, at pun; Christie. the latitude a deg IL min
| SO sec observed From thence the trcndec
more westerly for len miles, forming two points and
bay, which MIR Simpson named after chief factor:
Charles and Rowand and chief trader Ross The party
then came up to what appeared a large bay, where
they halted for two three hours TO await the disper
sion Of the fog, knowing which way steer. In the
evening their wish graicd, and the weather from
that lime scnsbiy amellorated The bay was nuw
| a.certaned TO be only four miles in width; the depth
! half way across was l.2 fathoms bottom of land
thut Of Dease's Inlet afterwards found TO be two
fathoms, muddy lotion, being the greatest depth be
tween Return Reef and Poiet Barrow, except at ten
| miles S. E. from Cape Hasett, where three 'athoms