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Page 24
15th. Our people went out to hunt reindeer, and returned in the evening
with two. The wind shifted to the west, and blew with violence. We spent
again an uneasy night.
16th. Brother Kmoch went on shore and returned with a parcel of stones
for examination. We now began to feel some anxiety on account of the
great loss of time we were suffering here by contrary winds.
17th. About eight o'clock we set sail, the wind having come round to the
S.E. with a cloudy sky. We passed several nameless islands, at the
distance of about a mile from the shore. In the afternoon, it began to
rain hard, and after having sailed about twelve miles, we cast anchor
near a long point of land, called _Kernertut_, by which we were
sheltered from the wind, which had again turned to the South-west. The
sky however was clear, and the beginning of the night pleasant, with
beautiful appearances of the Aurora Borealis. Most of our people, and
with them Uttakiyok, had gone in the skin-boat higher up the bay, but it
was too shallow to admit of our following them. Only Jonas and his
children, and the two boys Okkiksuk and Mammak, were left with us on
board.
During the night the wind veered round to the N.E. and blew a gale,
which increased in violence till day-break.
18th. The sea now rose to a tremendous height, such as we had never
before experienced, and by the change of wind, we were exposed to the
whole of its fury. The rain fell in torrents. We lay at three anchors,
and the boat was tossed about terribly, the sea frequently breaking
quite over her, insomuch that we expected every moment to be swallowed
up in the abyss. With much difficulty we succeeded in lowering our
after-mast. Jonathan and the rest of our company on shore, were obliged
to be passive spectators of the dreadful scene, waiting the event in
silent anguish. They quitted their tents, and came forward to some
eminences near the beach, where, by lifting up their hands, and other
gestures, they expressed terror, bordering on despair. Frequently the
boat was hid from their view by the waves, which ran mountains high.
They expected every moment that we should break loose from our anchors,
and the boat be driven on the rocks. The length of our cables was here
of the greatest advantage to us. About noon, the rope by which the small
boat was fastened, broke. She was immediately carried up the bay, and
thrown, by the violence of the surf, on the top of a rock, where she
stuck fast, keel upwards. It was impossible to render us any assistance,
till the tide turned, when the raging of the sea, and the wind, began to
abate. As soon as it was practicable, Jonathan and the other men came to
us in the skin-boat. He seemed quite overcome with joy, and, not able to
utter a word, held out his hand, and shed tears of gratitude that he met
us again alive, for he had given us up for lost.
We now endeavoured to bring the great boat closer to the shore, landed,
pitched our tent, and gave thanks to God for the merciful deliverance we
had just experienced. Indeed all our people most fervently joined in
praise to Him for the preservation of our lives. A warm dinner was soon
prepared, by which we were much refreshed.
As soon as the tide had ebbed sufficiently for it, our people went to
the rock, on which the small boat lay, and got her into the water. To
our great surprize we found, that she had received no material injury.
CHAPTER XI.
_Doubts expressed by Jonathan and the other Esquimaux on the
expediency of continuing the voyage. Consultations. Resolve to
proceed. Thunder-storm at Pitsiolak. Account of Indians.
Esquimaux cookery and hunting feasts. Arrival in the river
Koksoak._
Jonathan and Jonas now became more and more anxious about our situation.
They represented to us, that, if we attempted to proceed farther, we
might probably be compelled to remain here the whole winter, as the
stormy season was fast approaching. They added, that to _them_, it would
be of little consequence, but that they were concerned on _our_ account.
Though we had not said any thing as yet that might tend to shake the
confidence of our party, yet we felt no small degree of perplexity
concerning present appearances. During the six days since we left
George's River, we had made little more than fourteen or fifteen miles,
and were at least, as far as we could judge, seventy or eighty from the
river _Koksoak_, which we had fixed upon as the final object of the
voyage, being the outermost western boundary of the Ungava country.
Insurmountable difficulties seemed now to present themselves, owing
partly to contrary winds and cold weather, and partly to loss of time,
for we had been already two months on the voyage, and had not yet
obtained our aim: so that our return might be unseasonably late, if we
proceeded. We could not possibly make up our minds to spend the winter
here, as we had not a sufficient supply of provisions, and knew what
distress it would occasion to our Brethren at Okkak.
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