We Knew That The Dread Of
The Esquimaux Would Prevent These Men From Leaving Us As Soon As The
Indians Were At A Distance, And We Trusted To Their Becoming Reconciled
To The Journey When Once The Novelty Of A Sea Voyage Had Worn Off.
DEPARTURE OF THE INDIAN HUNTERS.
ARRANGEMENTS MADE WITH THEM FOR OUR
RETURN.
July 18.
As the Indians persevered in their determination of setting out this
morning I reminded them, through Mr. Wentzel and St. Germain, of the
necessity of our having the deposit of provision made at Fort Enterprise,
and received a renewed assurance of their attending to that point. They
were also desired to put as much meat as they could en cache on the banks
of the Copper-Mine River on their return. We then furnished them with
what ammunition we could spare and they took their departure promising to
wait three days for Mr. Wentzel at the Copper Mountains. We afterwards
learned that their fears did not permit them to do so, and that Mr.
Wentzel did not rejoin them until they were a day's march to the
southward of the mountains.
We embarked at five A.M. and proceeded towards the sea which is about
nine miles beyond the Bloody Fall. After passing a few rapids the river
became wider and more navigable for canoes, flowing between banks of
alluvial sand. We encamped at ten on the western bank at its junction
with the sea. The river is here about a mile wide but very shallow, being
barred nearly across by sandbanks which run out from the mainland on each
side to a low alluvial island that lies in the centre and forms two
channels, of these the westernmost only is navigable even for canoes, the
other being obstructed by a stony bar. The islands to seaward are high
and numerous and fill the horizon in many points of the compass; the only
open space seen from an eminence near the encampment being from North by
East to North-East by North. Towards the east the land was like a chain
of islands, the ice apparently surrounding them in a compact body,
leaving a channel between its edge and the main of about three miles. The
water in this channel was of a clear green colour and decidedly salt. Mr.
Hearne could have tasted it only at the mouth of the river, when he
pronounced it merely brackish. A rise and fall of four inches in the
water was observed. The shore is strewed with a considerable quantity of
drift timber, principally of the Populus balsamifera, but none of it of
great size. We also picked up some decayed wood far out of the reach of
the water. A few stunted willows were growing near the encampment. Some
ducks, gulls, and partridges were seen this day. As I had to make up
despatches for England to be sent by Mr. Wentzel the nets were set in the
interim and we were rejoiced to find that they produced sufficient fish
for the party. Those caught were the Copper-Mine River salmon,
white-fish, and two species of pleuronectes. We felt a considerable
change of temperature on reaching the sea-coast, produced by the winds
changing from the southward to the North-West. Our Canadian voyagers
complained much of the cold but they were amused with their first view of
the sea and particularly with the sight of the seals that were swimming
about near the entrance of the river, but these sensations gave place to
despondency before the evening had elapsed. They were terrified at the
idea of a voyage through an icy sea in bark canoes. They speculated on
the length of the journey, the roughness of the waves, the uncertainty of
provisions, the exposure to cold where we could expect no fuel, and the
prospect of having to traverse the barren grounds to get to some
establishment. The two interpreters expressed their apprehensions with
the least disguise and again urgently applied to be discharged, but only
one of the Canadians made a similar request. Judging that the constant
occupation of their time as soon as we were enabled to commence the
voyage would prevent them from conjuring up so many causes of fear, and
that familiarity with the scenes on the coast would in a short time
enable them to give scope to their natural cheerfulness, the officers
endeavoured to ridicule their fears and happily succeeded for the
present. The manner in which our faithful Hepburn viewed the element to
which he had been so long accustomed contributed not a little to make
them ashamed of their fears.
On the morning of the 19th Dr. Richardson, accompanied by Augustus, paid
another visit to Terregannoeuck to see if he could obtain any additional
information respecting the country to the eastward, but he was
disappointed at finding that his affrighted family had not yet rejoined
him, and the old man could add nothing to his former communication. The
Doctor remarked that Terreganoeuck had a great dislike to mentioning the
name of the Copper-Mine River, and evaded the question with much
dexterity as often as it was put to him, but that he willingly told the
name of a river to the eastward and also of his tribe. He attempted to
persuade Augustus to remain with him and offered him one of his daughters
for a wife. These Esquimaux strike fire with two stones, catching the
sparks in the down of the catkins of a willow.
The despatches being finished were delivered this evening to Mr. Wentzel,
who parted from us at eight P.M. with Parent, Gagnier, Dumas, and
Forcier, Canadians whom I discharged for the purpose of reducing our
expenditure of provision as much as possible. The remainder of the party
including officers amounted to twenty persons. I made Mr. Wentzel
acquainted with the probable course of our future proceedings and
mentioned to him that, if we were far distant from this river when the
season or other circumstances rendered it necessary to put a stop to our
advance, we should in all probability be unable to return to it and
should have to travel across the barren grounds towards some established
post, in which case I told him that we should certainly go first to Fort
Enterprise, expecting that he would cause the Indians to place a supply
of dried provision there, as soon as possible after their arrival in its
vicinity.
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