Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 1Parry, William Edward, Sir
History
Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 1
Parry, William Edward, Sir
Arctic regions; Northwest Passage; Parry, William Edward, Sir, 1790-1855
It being now evident that the inlet into which, in the course of
our endeavours to penetrate to the westward, we had unavoidably
been led, would afford us no passage in that direction, I gave
orders for weighing at the turn of tide, being determined at once
to run back through the narrow channel by which we had entered,
and to push to the northward without delay, in search of some more
favourable opening.
Our uncertainty respecting the true situation of the Frozen
Strait, together with the want of observations during the day,
left us, at this time, in doubt whether we had already penetrated
through that passage, or had still to encounter the difficulties
which the former accounts of it had led us to anticipate.
We stood up the bay towards daylight, and at seven A.M. I left the
Fury, accompanied by a large party of officers, having by signal
requested Captain Lyon to join us. We landed upon a point just to
the eastward of this bight, in which neighbourhood are several
little islands and coves, probably affording good anchorage, but
which the more immediate objects we had in view did not permit us
to examine. Upon the point we found the remains of no less than
sixty Esquimaux habitations, consisting of stones laid one over
the other in very regular circles, eight or nine feet in diameter,
besides nearly a hundred other rude, though certainly artificial
structures, some of which had been fireplaces, others storehouses,
and the rest tolerably-built walls four or five feet high, placed
two and two, and generally eight or nine feet apart, which these
people use for their canoes, as well as to keep the dogs from
gnawing them. A great many circles of stones were also seen more
inland. About three miles to the N.N.W. of our landing-place, our
people reported having seen fifteen others of the same kind, and
what they took to be a burying-ground, consisting of nine or ten
heaps of large stones, of three feet in diameter, and as many in
height. Under these were found a variety of little implements,
such as arrow or spear heads tipped with stone or iron, arrows,
small models of canoes and paddles, some rough pieces of bone and
wood, and one or two strips of asbestos, which, as Crantz informs
us, is used by the natives of Greenland for the wick of their
lamps, and for applying hot, in certain diseases, to the afflicted
part.[*] Under these articles were found smaller stones, placed as
a pavement, six or seven feet in length, which, in the part not
concealed by the larger stones, was covered with earth. Our men
had not the curiosity or inclination to dig any deeper, but a
human scull was found near the spot. Our people also reported
that, several miles inland of this, they observed stones set up as
marks, many of which we also met with in the neighbourhood of the
point. Of these marks, which occur so abundantly in every part of
the American coast that we visited, we could not then conjecture
the probable use, but we afterward learned that the Esquimaux set
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account