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.
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