It Is To Be Hoped That Intentions, So Dear To Every Humane And Pious
Mind, Will, Through The Blessing Of God, Meet With The Utmost Success.
...
FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA.
CHAPTER 1.
DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND.
TRANSACTIONS AT STROMNESS.
ENTER DAVIS STRAITS.
PERILOUS SITUATION ON THE SHORE OF RESOLUTION ISLAND.
LAND ON THE COAST OF LABRADOR.
ESQUIMAUX OF SAVAGE ISLANDS.
YORK FACTORY.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR.
DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND.
May, 1819.
On Sunday the 23rd of May the whole of our party embarked at Gravesend on
board the ship Prince of Wales, belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company,
just as she was in the act of getting under weigh with her consorts the
Eddystone and Wear. The wind being unfavourable on the ebb tide being
finished, the vessels were again anchored; but they weighed in the night
and beat down as far as the Warp, where they were detained two days by a
strong easterly wind.
Having learned from some of the passengers, who were the trading Officers
of the Company, that the arrival of the ships at either of the
establishments in Hudson's Bay gives full occupation to all the boatmen
in their service, who are required to convey the necessary stores to the
different posts in the interior; that it was very probable a sufficient
number of men might not be procured from this indispensable duty; and,
considering that any delay at York Factory would materially retard our
future operations, I wrote to the Under Secretary of State requesting his
permission to provide a few well-qualified steersmen and bowmen at
Stromness to assist our proceedings in the former part of our journey
into the interior.
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