Having got every thing ready, the boat launched and loaded about 2
o'clock P.M. on the 12th of August, I was about to distribute our spare
kettles, some hoop iron, &c. among the Esquimaux, when the compass of
one of the boats was missing. Search was made, but no compass was to be
found. At last I thought of turning over some heather that lay close to
where my tent had been, and there discovered it. It had been concealed
by one of the Esquimaux women--a widow--to whom more presents had been
made than to any of the others.
Some of the most decent of the men appeared really sorry at parting, and
waded into the water to shake hands with me.
We got under weigh with a light air of wind from the N.E. at 25 minutes
past 2. Our progress was very slow, there being frequent calms, so that,
between pulling and sailing, we reached only to within five miles of
Cape Hope at 4 A.M. of the 13th. A large black whale and some white
ones, with innumerable seals, were seen. Thermometer at +65; but it
became much colder after the wind came from sea. During the night we
sailed among loose ice. As it was still calm we anchored at half-past 4
A.M. to wait for the other boat, which was some miles astern, to re-stow
the cargo and cook breakfast. Thermometer at 5 A.M. +48°.
At half-past 6 we began pulling along shore. An hour afterwards a light
breeze sprung up, but still ahead. The breeze becoming stronger, we
hoisted sail and turned to windward, and would have made good progress
had it kept steady; instead of which it followed or rather preceded the
sun in his course westward, and thus headed us at every point we
weathered. The flood-tide assisted us until 4 P.M., when we put ashore,
as the ebb was too strong for us. Shot a young Arctic hare. There is a
number of long narrow lakes near the point we stopped at, which is
formed of grey and red granite and gneiss, and is about five miles from
the S.E. point of Repulse Bay. Caught three species of marine insects
with fins, which they use like wings: preserved specimens of them. Every
appearance of rain this evening. Thermometer +65° at 8 P.M.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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