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Page 20
CHAPTER IX.
_Chain of black mountains. The Dragon's dwelling. Changes
occasioned by rise and fall of the tides, and dangers attending
them. Uttakiyok's superstitious customs. Singular effect of the
tide in the bay of Ittimnekoktok. Arrive at Kangertlualuksoak
bay and river. Its situation. Transactions there._
August 6th.--We crossed the bay _Abloriak_, which is large and wide,
with many small islands and rocks towards the sea, and high black
mountains inland, called _Torngaets_. Uttakiyok, who was always very
eager to make us attentive to every object and its name, shewed us here
a wide and deep cavern, in shape like the gable end of an house,
situated at the top of a precipice, in a black mountain, of a very
horrid and dark appearance. This, he informed us, was the dwelling place
of Torngak, the evil spirit. The scenery was, indeed, extremely wild and
terrible, and the beforementioned prospect of the rocks and islands at
low water gave to the whole country a most singularly gloomy character.
Nor is this change, occasioned by the tide in the state of the sea,
merely in appearance terrific, it is so in reality: for we never durst
cast anchor in less than eight or nine fathoms water, lest at ebb-tide
we should find ourselves aground, or even high and dry.
The cavern just spoken of, connected with the chain of black mountains
in which it is situated, we called the Dragon's dwelling, but had no
time to examine the place, though it did not appear inaccessible.
Whether Uttakiyok would have ventured to accompany us into it, is
another question, for he was, with all his good sense, strongly attached
to the superstitious notions and ceremonies of his countrymen. Thus, on
passing dangerous places he always hung the claw of a raven to his
breast, and carried the blown paunch of a seal upon a tent-pole fixed to
one side of his boat. The latter is a common practice among the northern
Esquimaux, and probably considered by them all as a very efficient
charm.
We passed _Sioralik_, and many small and flat rocky islands: the bay
_Issorkitok_, (a grassy place), a nameless headland; and the larger bay
_Nappartolik_, (a woody country). The wood is said to commence at the
interior point of this bay, and to continue throughout the whole of the
Ungava country, which, as we afterwards discovered, extends to a
considerable distance to the southward. Then follows _Tunnuyalik_, a
point, or perhaps an island, on which lies a huge white stone, twenty or
thirty feet high, by which it is distinguished from other similar
headlands. A chain of low, flat islands, runs out into the sea to a
considerable distance, and appearing at a distance as continued land,
they are mistaken for a cape. Farther on is the bay _Ittimnekoktok_,
where it grew dark before we found a suitable anchorage. The wind was
high, and some of our company went on shore in the skin-boat, in order
to pitch their tent, and spend the night.
7th. On rising, to our great surprise, we found ourselves left by the
tide in a shallow pool of water, surrounded by rocky hills; nor could we
at all discover the situation of our skin-boat, till after the water had
begun to rise, and raised us above the banks of our watery dungeon,
when, with great astonishment, not having been able to find it on the
surface of the sea, and accidentally directing our eyes upwards, we saw
it perched upon the top of a considerable eminence, and apparently on
shore. We then landed, and ascending a rising ground, beheld with some
terror, the wonderful changes occasioned by the tides. Our course was
visible to the extent of two or three English miles, but the sea had
left it, and we were obliged to remain in this dismal place, till about
noon, before the water had risen sufficiently to carry us out. We now
began to entertain fears, lest we might not always be able to find
proper harbours, so as to avoid being left high and dry at low water;
for having anchored in nine fathoms last night, we were left in one and
a half this morning. Uttakiyok and Thukkekina were with us on shore. The
eminence on which we stood was overgrown with vaccinia and other plants,
and we saw among them marks of its being visited by hares. Near the
summit was a spot, covered with red sand, which stained one's fingers,
and among it were fragments of a substance resembling cast iron. We
seemed here to stand on a peninsula connected by an isthmus with another
island, or with the continent; but probably at high water it may be a
separate island.
As soon as the tide would permit, we set out, and proceeded towards a
cape called _Kattaktok_, surrounded by small islands. Between the cape
and our anchoring place, we passed, on the left, the following objects;
_Keglo_, a broad deep bay; _Katarusialik_, a headland, probably of the
continent; _Ukkasiksalik_, (meaning a place where soap stone is found),
a peninsula; and to the right of the latter place, an island,
_Kikkertarsoak_, which lies at the entrance of the _Great Bay_, or
estuary of the great river _Kangertlualuksoak_. We sailed with a strong,
but favourable wind, with some rain, between the peninsula and the
island; and not trusting to the depth of the water at ebb-tide, sent two
kayaks forward to sound. They soon brought us into a good harbour, where
we cast anchor about half past five P.M.
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