The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-10-29

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clear; its shores are in many places faced
with lofty granite cliffs, and some of the
adjacent hills rise 1900 feet; the tides are
very strong, running six or seven knots at
the springs. On the 18th of September we
passed through Bellot Strait without OBJ
struotion, and secured the ship to fixed ice
across its western outlet. From here, until
the 9th, when deemed il necessary to re-
treat into winter quarters, We constantly
watched the movements Of the ice in the
western sea or channel. In mid channel it
was broken up and drifting about; gradual
ly the proportion of water increased, until
at length the ice which intervened was re-
duced to three or four miles in width. But
this was firmly held fast by numerous islets
and withstood the violence of the autumn
gales. 1t was tantalizing beyond descrip-
ton thus to watch from day to day the free
water which we could not reach, and which
washed the rocky shore few mile to the
southwark of US.
During the autumn, attempts were made
to carry out depots Of provisions towards
the magnetic pole, but these almost entire
ly failed in consequence of the disruption
of the ice southwark. Lieut.. Hobson re-
turned with his sledge parties in November,
after much suffering from severe weather,
and imminent peril on one occasion, when
the ice upon which they were encamped be.
came detached from the shore, and drifted
off to leeward with them.
Our wintering position was at the east
entrance to Bellot Strait, in snug harbor,
which have named Port Kennedy, after
my predecessor in these waters, the com
mander of one of Lady Franklin's former
searching expeditions. Although vegeta-
ton was tolerably abundant, and our two
Esquimaux hunters, MIR Peterson and sew
eral sportmen, constantly on the alert, yet
the resources of the country during eleven
and half months only yielded US eight
reindeer, two bears, eighteen seals, and a
few waterfowl and parmigan.
The winter was unusually cold and
stormy. Arrangements were completed
during the winter for carrying out our in
tended plan of search. felt it to be my
duty personally to visit Marshal Island, and
in so doing purposed to complete the Cir
cult of King Williams Island.
TO Lieut.. uobson | allotted the search Of
the western shore of Boothia to the mag
nctic pole, and from Gateshead Island west
ward to Wynniatt's furthest. Captain Allen
Young, our sailing master, was to trace the
shore of Prince of Wales Land, Lieut..
Browns furthest, and also to examine the
coast from Bellot's Strait northward, to
Sir James Ross furthest.
Early spring journeys were commenced
on the 18th Of February, 1859, by Capt.
Young and myself, Capt. Young carrying
his depot across to Prince Of Wales Land,
while went southwark, towards the mag
netic pole, in the hope of communicating
with the Esquimaux, and obtaining such in
formation rs might lead US at once to the
object of our search.
was accompanied by Mr.. Peterson, our
interpreter, and Alex. Thompson, quarter
master. We had with US two sledges,
drawn by dogs. On the 28th of February,
when near Cape Victoria, We had the good
fortune to meet a small party of natives,
and were subsequently visited by about As
individuals.
For four days we remained in communi.
cation with them. obtaining many relics,
and the information that several years ago
a ship was crushed by the ice off the north
shore of King Williams Island, but that
all of her people landed safely, and went
away to the Great Fish River, where they
died. This tribe was we'll supplied with
wood, obtained, they said, from boat left
by the white mon on the Great River,
We reached our vessel after twenty FIVE
days absence, in good health, but somewhat
reduced by sharp marching, and the unnsu-
ally severe weather to which we had been
exposed. For several days after starting,
the mercury continued frozen.
On the ID of April our long projected
spring journeys were commenced; Lieut..
lIobson accompanied me as far as Cape
Victoria, each Of US had sledge drawn by
four men, and an auxiliary sledge drawn by
six dogs. This was all the force we could
muster.
Before separating we saw two Esquimaux
families living out upon the ice in snow
huts: from them we learned that second
ship had been seen off King Williams Island
and that she drifted ashore on the fall Of
the same year. From this ship they had
obtained Il vast deal of wood and iron.
|. now gave Lieut.. EIobson directions TO
search for the wreck, and to follow mp any
traces he might find upon King Williams
Island.
Accompanied by my own party and Mr..
Peterson, marched along the east shore of
King Williams Island, occasionally passing
deserted snow huts, but without meeting
natives till the Sth of May, when off Cape
Norton we arrived at snow village con-
tanning about thirty inhabitants. They
gathered about u without the slightest ap
pearance OF fear or shvness, although none
had ever seen living white people before
They were most willing to communicate all
their knowledge and barter all their goods,
but would have stolen everything had they
not been closely watched. Many more rel.
les of our countrymen were obtained; we
could not carry away all we might have
purchased. They pointed to the inlet we
had crossed the day before, and told US that
one days march up it., and thence four
days overland, brought them to the wreck.
None Of these people had been there
since 1913, at which time they said but
little remained, their countrymen having
carried away everything.
Most of our information was received
from an intelligent old woman; she said it
was in the fall of the year that the ship was
forced ashore many of the white men
dropped by the way as they went towards
the Great River; but this was only known
to them in the winter following, when their
bodies were discovered.
They all assured US that we would find
natives upon the south shore, at the Great
River, and some few at the wreck: but un-
fortunately this was not the case. Only one
family were met off Point Booth, and none
at Montreal Island or any place subsequent
ly visited.
Point Ogle, Montreal Island, and Bar
row Island were searched without finding
anything except few scraps of copper and
iron in an Esquimaux hiding place.
Recrossing the strait to King Williams
Island we continued the examination of the
southern shore without success until the
25th of May, when about ten miles eastward
of Cape Herschell, a bleached skeleton was
found, around which lay fragments of
European clothing. Upon carefully re-
} moving the snow small pocket book was
found, containing few letters. These al
though much decayed, may yet be deeipher-
ed. Judging from the remains of his dress,
this unfortunate young man was steward
or officers servant, and his position exactly
verified the ESquimaux's assertion, that
they dropped as they walked along.
!. On reaching Cape Herschell, next day, we
, avaminei SimnsonSs Eairn or rather W n I