The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-06-14


habits of the Esquimaux, was the only
sure method to escape the great Arctic
curse, scurvy. found more agreeable
and fully as reliable preventive in constant
exercise, and the excitement Of the snort
of harpooning, capturing and killing the
mammoth Polar whale. Perhaps the
element of constant danger enhanced the
charm Of this peculiar avocation.
Our stay in Repulse Bay was of short
duration, in consequence, as the comman-
der Of the Era termed it, of the scarcity
OF blubber; and the LIST of September
found us retracing our tortuous track
through the pack ice of Hudson's Straits,
towards the open sea, where We arrived
after two weeks of incessant toll, and af-
ter having a much more dangerous and
difficult passage than we experienced a
month previous Reaching the open sea,
the vessel was headed northward, and on
the 9th of October, 1867, we dropped an
chor in the harbor of Nyantilick, small
inlet of Cumberland Gulf, and situated in
latitude SO degrees 10 minutes west. Our
life was now almost exclusively spent
in the open boats, and though it was an
existence of uninterrupted toll, the hard
ships as yet were comparatively light We
had long since discarded the clothes of the
white man, and being provided with M
tive garments, the suffering from the cold,
which daily become more intense, was not
so great. By the middle of October the
ice commenced to form so rapidly that we
were forced to relinquish the duty in the
whale boats, just previous to which, how
ever, we were fortunate enough to catch
think, the most enormous fish | ever saw.
The monster was towed to the shore, and
at high tide was hauled, by means of i'm
mense tackles, far up on the rocks, and
there at every ebb Of the tide went through
the almost interminable process of being
peeled of his blubber, the natives and dogs
(the latter we had brought from Hudson's $
Straits), disposed of the carcase. As soon
as our operations in the open boats had
ceased, our vessel was towed out Of her
harbor at Nyantilick and carried about
seven or eight miles out into the gulf,
where she was moored stem and stern un-
der the lee of small island bleak and
barren as all of them were, which was
called by the Esquimaux Umanockjuak,
This removal was made in order that the
ship might be more convenient to the
scene Of operations in the summer when
the whaling was resumed, the ice breaking
up at least month sooner in the open
gulf, would thus enable the vessel to move
into open water, which could not have been
accomplished had she remained in the close
harbor Of Nyantilick. Under the lee Of
the island, then, the Era, the brig Isabella,
and the schooner Quickstep first prepared
to go into winter quarters, on the 9th OF
November, 1867. The ice all around us
had then become one solid mass, and was
fully twelve or fourteen feet thick. Nc
open water was visible as far as the eye
could reach outinto the gulf, aud we were
beginning to feel ourselves secure, having
banished from our minds all thoughts Of
thaw, or gale from the southward
strong enough to break down the barrier
Of ice that protected us. On the 9th,
however, at midnight, the wind suddenly
hauled to the southwark and westward, and
commenced blowing frightfully Early
one morning coming on deck | saw at
once that danger was imminent At /,
A. N. it was blowing lively gale, and the
ice had already began to break up around
the ship. The tremendous pressure ofvast
fields of heavy ice against the little vessel
very soon caused her to part the heavy
port cable to which we had been riding
with 60 fathoms Of chain. The ship at
once swung around, swapping her bow and
stern lashing as though they were mere
shreds Of silk, and carrying away portion
Of the upper works Of the Isabella, which
vessel we had run down. After sustaining
no further injury from the collision, the
two vessels were lashed together, but hard
ly had this been accomplished, when it was
discovered that strong hawser, which
now alone prevented the two ships from
dashing upon the rocks, and which was
made fast around ledge Of rocks ashore,
had chafed apart. We were in great peril,
and hardly think there was man among
us who did not freely appreciate his dan
ger. Volunteers were called for to secure
the hawser and refasten it ashore. The
bland was fully FIVE hundred yards distant,
the ice was in motion all around us, the
night was as dark as Erebus, and those
who offered their services knew well that
what was to be done would be dangerous
in the extreme, and that it must be done
quickly and effectually. | was of the
party; we had reached the shore and ac-
complished our task, and were returning
when VIC were hailed from the ship to come
abroad at once, as the ice was moving rap
idly from around the vessel, and was car
rying her out to sea, having parted again
the hawser we thought we had so thor
oughly fastened. | think those five hun
dred yards to the ship on that dreadful
night were the most rapidly accomplished
ever travelled over in my life, and my
feelings while on the moving ice, in the
pitchy darkness, and the vessel not discern
able through the driving sleet and snow, l
confess, were anything but pleasant
Luckily we stumbled over the parted haw-
ser, and following it from foe to foe,
reached the ship just in time to be pulled
up over the side as she moved out into the
bay, dragging her best bower and hun
dred fathoms Of chain with her. The
scene on deck was a most appalling one.
The confusion upon the decks of both yes