_Saturday, 11._–I sat up all night to observe the sun. At half past
twelve I called up one of the men to view a spectacle which he had never
before seen; when, on seeing the sun so high, he thought it was a signal
to embark, and began to call the rest of his companions, who would
scarcely be persuaded by me, that the sun had not descended nearer to
the horizon, and that it was now but a short time past midnight.
We reposed, however, till three quarters after three, when we entered
the canoe, and steered about North-West, the river taking a very
serpentine course. About seven we saw a ridge of high land; at twelve
we landed at a spot where we observed that some of the natives had
lately been. I counted thirty places where there had been fires; and
some of the men who went further, saw as many more. They must have been
here for a considerable time, though it does not appear that they had
erected any huts. A great number of poles, however, were seen fixed in
the river, to which they had attached their nets, and there seemed to be
an excellent fishery. One of the fish, of the many which we saw leap
out of the water, fell into our canoe; it was about ten inches long, and
of a round shape. About the places where they had made their fires,
were scattered pieces of whalebone, and thick burned leather, with parts
of the frames of three canoes; we could also observe where they had
spilled train oil; and there was the singular appearance of a spruce
fir, stripped of its branches to the top like an English May-pole. The
weather was cloudy, and the air cold and unpleasant. From this place
for about five miles, the river widens, it then flows in a variety of
narrow, meandering channels, amongst low islands, enlivened with no
trees, but a few dwarf willows.
At four, we landed, where there were three houses, or rather huts,
belonging to the natives. The ground-plot is of an oval form, about
fifteen feet long, ten feet wide in the middle, and eight feet at either
end; the whole of it is dug about twelve inches below the surface of the
ground, and one half of it is covered over with willow branches; which
probably serves as a bed for the whole family.
A space, in the middle of the other part, of about four feet wide, is
deepened twelve inches more, and is the only spot in the house where a
grown person can stand upright. One side of it is covered, as has been
already described, and the other is the hearth or fireplace, of which,
however, they do not make much use. Though it was close to the wall,
the latter did not appear to be burned. The door or entrance is in the
middle of one end of the house, and is about two feet and an half high,
and two feet wide, and has a covered way or porch five feet in length;
so that it is absolutely necessary to creep on all fours in order to get
into, or out of, this curious habitation. There is a hole of about
eighteen inches square on the top of it, which serves the threefold
purpose of a window, an occasional door, and a chimney. The underground
part of the floor is lined with split wood. Six or eight stumps of
small trees driven into the earth, with the root upwards, on which are
laid some cross pieces of timber, support the roof of the building,
which is an oblong square of ten feet by six. The whole is made of
drift-wood covered with branches and dry grass; over which is laid a
foot deep of earth. On each side of these houses are a few square holes
in the ground of about two feet in depth, which are covered with split
wood and earth, except in the middle. These appeared to be contrived
for the preservation of the winter stock of provisions. In and about
the houses we found sledge runners and bones, pieces of whalebone, and
poplar bark cut in circles, which are used as corks to buoy the nets,
and are fixed to them by pieces of whalebone. Before each hut a great
number of stumps of trees were fixed in the ground, upon which it
appeared that they hung their fish to dry.
We now continued our voyage, and encamped at eight o’clock. I
calculated our course at about North-West, and, allowing for the
windings, that we had made fifty-four miles. We expected, throughout
the day, to meet with some of the natives. On several of the islands we
perceived the print of their feet in the sand, as if they had been there
but a few days before, to procure wild fowl. There were frequent
showers of rain in the afternoon, and the weather was raw and
disagreeable. We saw a black fox; but trees were now become very rare
objects, except a few dwarf willows, of not more than three feet in
height.
The discontents of our hunters were now renewed by the accounts which
our guide had been giving of that part of our voyage that was
approaching. According to his information, we were to see a larger lake
on the morrow. Neither he nor his relations, he said, knew any thing
about it, except that part which is opposite to, and not far from, their
country. The Esquimaux alone, he added, inhabit its shores, and kill a
large fish that is found in it, which is a principal part of their food;
this, we presumed, must; be the whale. He also mentioned white bears,
and another large animal which was seen in those parts, but our hunters
could not understand the description which he gave of it. He also
represented their canoes as being of a large construction, which would
commodiously contain four or five families. However, to reconcile the
English chief to the necessary continuance in my service, I presented
him with one of my capotes or travelling coats; at the same time, to
satisfy the guide, and keep him, if possible, in good humour, I gave him
a skin of the moose-deer, which, in his opinion, was a valuable present.
