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 2Parry, 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 2
Parry, William Edward, Sir
Arctic regions; Northwest Passage; Parry, William Edward, Sir, 1790-1855
In every direction around the huts were lying innumerable bones of
walruses and seals, together with sculls of dogs, bears, and foxes, on
many of which a part of the putrid flesh still remaining sent forth the
most offensive effluvia. We were not a little surprised to find also a
number of human sculls lying about among the rest, within a few yards of
the huts; and were somewhat inclined to be out of humour on this account
with our new friends, who not only treated the matter with the utmost
indifference, but, on observing that we were inclined to add some of
them to our collections, went eagerly about to look for them, and
tumbled, perhaps, the craniums of some of their own relations into our
bag, without delicacy or remorse. In various other parts of the island
we soon after met with similar relics no better disposed of; but we had
yet to learn how little pains these people take to place their dead out
of the reach of hungry bears or anatomical collectors.
The account we gave of our visit to the shore naturally exciting the
curiosity and interest of those who had not yet landed, and the ice
remaining unchanged on the 24th, a couple of boats were despatched from
each ship, with a large party of the officers and men, while the ships
stood off and on. On the return of the boats in the evening, I found
from Lieutenant Reid that a new family of the natives had arrived to-day
from the main land, bringing with them a quantity of fine salmon and
venison, of which some very acceptable samples were procured for both
ships. Being desirous of following up so agreeable a kind of barter, I
went on shore the next morning for that purpose, but could only procure
a very small quantity of fish from the tent of the new-comer, a
middle-aged, noisy, but remarkably intelligent and energetic man named
_T=o=ol~em~ak_. After some conversation, we found from this man
that, in order to obtain a fresh supply of fish, three days would be
required; this prevented my putting in execution a plan of going out to
the place where the fish were caught, which we at first understood to be
near at hand. We therefore employed all our eloquence in endeavouring to
procure a supply of this kind by means of the Esquimaux themselves, in
which we at length so far succeeded, that Toolemak promised, for certain
valuable considerations of wood and iron, to set out on this errand the
following day.
Shortly, after I returned on board Captain Lyon made the signal "to
communicate with me," for the purpose of offering his services to
accompany our fisherman on his proposed journey, attended by one of the
Hecla's men; to which, in the present unfavourable state of the ice, I
gladly consented, as the most likely means of procuring information of
interest during this our unavoidable detention. Being equipped with a
small tent, blankets, and four days' provision, Captain Lyon left us at
ten P.M., when I made sail to re-examine the margin of the ice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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