HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY'S ARCTIC DISCOVERY EXPEDITION.
[From the Morning Chronicle.]
The lively interest which the British public have for such a length of time ntanifeated in the further discovery IS the Arctic regions, induced the Hud- son's Bay Company to determine on equipping an expedition, solely at their own expense and composed of their own officers and servants, with the view of en- deavouring to complete the survey uf the northern tholes of the Anierican con- tinent. The formation and equipment of the expedition were intrusted to Mr. Simp. son, the Resident Governor, in the spring. of 1836. That gentleman, on his arrival from England at Norway Home, Lake Winnipeg, in the month of June of the same year, heat up for volunteers for this arduous sei.vice : two active and enterprising leaders, Alessre. P. \V. Dease and Thomas Simpson, end twelve men, were immediately selected and forwarded with the itecessaly supplies to Fort Chipewayan, Athabasca Lake, where they passed the winter of 1886-7. Inamediately ;titer the opening of the navigation on the Jet June la37, the party started from Fort Chipewayan in two small boats uhich they had cum strueted in the course of the winter, descended the Slave River, passed the western end of Great Slave Lake, where they were detained several days by ice, and descended Mackenzie's River to Fort Norman, where they arrived on the lit July, From Fott Norman they despatched two of their patty, with two other 111P11 belonging to Fort Norman, to the eastern end of Great Bear's Lake, for the purpose of erecting a small establishment at which they might take up their quarters for the following winter, and of laying up a stock of provisions preparatory to an extension of their survey in the summer of 1838. These ar- rangements being made, Messrs. Deese and Simpson, with the reinairoler of their people, fuming a party of twelve in all, continued tlair route down the Mackenzie, and reached Fort Good Hope, the most iwrtleiii establishment be- longing to the Company, on the 4th, where they found an assemblage of Hare and Loricheoux Indians, front whom they learned that the Eoplimaux had killed three of their party a short tittle previous, which prevented the dis- coverers taking an interpreter from that tribe. On the 9ili of July they reached the ocean by the most west, rely mouth of the Mackenzie, marking its situation in latitude 69 deg. 49 min. 23 sec. N., longitude 136 deg. 80 non. 45 see. W. They had proceeded but a short di.. tance to seaward when a party of nineteen Esquimaux went off to them from Tent Island, who showed a disposition to be troublesome but returned to their encampment when they found the patty prepaled to defend themselves if neces- sary. The progress of the party along the coast was very slow, owing to fre- quent obstructions from ice, cold, dense fogs, and strong head.winds. On the afternoon of the 11th they reached Point Kay, where they found another en- campment of Esquituaux, and where they were detained by a compact lady of ice, oacupying Bay until the 14th. They continued their route till the 17th, when an unbroken pack of ice extending to seaward made them seek the slit re in Camden Bay, near a large camp of Esquimaux, who teceived them kindly. In the afternoon there appeared a narrow passage of water through the ice, atietching outwards, and they immediately embarlierlq 'close° ttpon them, aitdo shotn, With their provisions and baggage, they Lail much difficithy in saving; and by means of portages from one piece ()lice another, the oars set vieg as bridges, they finally got on a large floe, where they passed art inclemeet and anxious night. On the 20th they reached Foggy, burets Bay, when they were stopped by ice and is %imbed tierth.east wind until the 231. having on the preceding day made an ineffectual attempt to weather Point Anxiety, in u hich they narrowly escaped with a therough drenchieg. The latitude ashore was 70 deg. 9 min. 48 sec. From this situation they hail the satisfaction if 11 it+COVCrillg a range of the Rocky Mountains to the westward of the RoulanzolT chain, and not even by Sir John Franklin, but being within the Ihnit of his survey, called it the Franklin range, as a just trilatte to his cha- racter and merits. That evening they reached Sir John Franklin's Return Reef, wiwre their survercummenced, that officer having got no further. Return Reef is one of a claiiir ot reefs which run fur twenty unties parallel to the coast, at the distance of about half a league affording sufficient water it ;thin for their small cwt.,. The mainland is very ;ow. From, Point Berene• to Cape Hal- kett it forms Harrison's Bay, fifty miles broad, by about a third of that distance in depth. At the bottotn of this bay another picturesque branch of the Rocky Mountains range rears its lefty peaks above these flat shores, which they named Pelly's 3101111mile, in honour of the Governor of the Company. At their base flows Colville River, two miles broad at its mouth, to the south-west of which stands C ipe Halkett, where they were detained by a north-east gale the whole of tke following day. The country extending to the foot of the mountains ap- peared to cousist of plains coveted with short grass and moss, a favourite resort of reindeer, of which they saw numerous herds. Observations were obtained determiniug Cape Halkett to he in latitude 70 'kg. 48 min. N., longi- tude 1.52 deg. 14 min. W. ; the variation of the compass 4:3 deg. 8 rein. 33 see. E.
Next morning, 26th July, they passed the Gany, a river about one mile broad.
From Cape Halkett the coast turned suddenly off to the W.N.W. It pre- sented to the eye nothing but a succession of low banks of frozen mud. In the evening they passed the mouths of a large stream, which they named Smith's River. From thence for about nine -notes the coast line is formed of gravel reefs, near the extremity of which, at Point Pitt, the land trends more to the westward. Here they were detained by ice until the following afternoon (27th), when an opening presenting itself, they resumed their route. It blew a cutting blast from the NE., and the salt water froze upon the oars and the rigging. Point Drew, seven miles distant from their last encampment, is the commence- ment of a bay of considerable size, but extremely shallow, and much encum- bered with ice. To seaward the ice was still smooth and solid, as in the depth of a sunless winter. At midnight they reached a narrow projecting point, across which the peaks of some high icebergs appeared. This point they named Cape George Sinipson, as a mark of respect for the Governor of the Company's territories, to whose excellent arrangements the success of the expedition is in a great rneasute indebted. This point was destined to be the limit of their boat navigation ; for during the four billowing days they were only able to advance as many miles. The weather was foggy and dismally cold, the wild-fowl passed in long flights to the westward, and there seemed little prospect of their being able to reach Beechey's Point Barrow by water. Boat Extreme is situated in latitude 71 deg. 3 min. 24 see. N., longitude 154 deg. 26 min. 30 sec. W. ; variation of compass 42 dog. 86 min. 18 sec. E.
' Under these circumstances, Mr. Thomas Simpson undertook to complete the tourney on bed, and accordingly started on the 1st of August with five men, Mr. Deese and the other five men remaining in charge of the boats.
• The diffetent rivers, ape., and other remarkable objects between Franklin's Re- turn Reef and tieeehey's Cape Harrow, were named by Messrs. Dears cud simpsoa after the Governor and Cireetors of the Hudson's Bay Compauy, stud other gentlemen ationected with the funtrade. The pedestrians carried with them their arms, some ammunition,
small oiled canvas canoe for the crossing of rivers, the necessaryas irronoloiol7o4taiiie'Dalle instruments, and a few trinkets for the natives.
It was one of the worst days of the whole season, and the fog was that the party were under the necessity of rigidly following the tortuous" dellse of the coast, which for twenty miles formed a sort of irregular inland ba guarded without by a series of gravel reefs), the shore of which was e? (11i% a level with the water, and intersected by innumerable salt creeks tm°Q hr which they waded, besides three considerable rivers, which they tr.;er aea"1„- their portable canoe. Next day the weather improved ; and at noon Mr.a. ; son had an observation for latitude in 71 deg. 9 min. 45 sec. 'litre alisintdil! inclined to the south-west, and continued very low and muddy, and, as preceding day, abounding in salt (leeks, whose waters were at the freer. Rant the perature. The party had proceeded about ten miles, is-hen to their di:Ili:yet coast suddenly turned off tu the southward, forming an inlet as f .— couAldt tr let ae c
me moment they descried at no great distance a small camp of El quimaux, to which they immediately directed their steps. The men were as, sent hunting, and the women and children took to thew boat in the greaten alarm, leaving behind them an infirm man, who was in an agony of fear. few words of friendship removed his apprehensions, and brought hack the fut. i lives, who were equally surprised and delighted to behold white men. They set before the party fresh reindeer meat and sealmil.
Mr. Simpson now determined to adopt a more expeditions mode of travelling by obtaining the loan of one of their " oomiaks," or family akin canoes, ts convey the party to Point Barrow ; with which, from a chart drawn by one of the women, it appeared that these people were well acqueinted. Four oars were titled with lashings to this strange craft. Before starting, the bunters arrived' and presents of tobacco, awls, buttons, ace. were made to ill the inmates of the encampment, with which they were highly Ft atified. Dease's Inlet is five miles broad at this place; yet so hoe is the land, the the one shore is just visible from the other in thearc_leittrcesteowticai.tehatsat..ogIt;Ilatet again blew strongly from the north-east, bringing bark h the traverse was effected by the aid of the compass. The waves ran high, sae the skin boat surmounted them with great buoyancy : the party encampeem the west side of the inlet. The banks there were of frozen mud, ten or tweln feet high ; the country within was perfectly flat, abounded in small lakes, ad produced a very short grass; but nowhere had the thaw penetrated inure than two inches beneath the surface, while under water along the shore the bottom was still impenetrably frozen. Not a log of wood was to be found in this land of desolation ; but our party followed the example of the natives, nod mile their fire of the roots of the dwarf willow in a little chimney of turf. Neat morning, August 3, the fog cleared for awhile, but it was still bitterly cold, and the swell beat violently on the outside of a heavy line of ice which lay parked upon the shore. To weather this was a work of danger ; but the good qualities of their but, after a severe trial, carried them safely through. The land ran out for in miles to the northward, then turned off to the N. W.' beyond which, at Point Christie, the latitude 71 deg. 12 min. 36 sec. was observed. From thence the coast trended more westerly for ten miles, forming two points and a hay, trhalienht Mr. Simpson named after chief factors Charles and Rownnel: aeon: Leili,ietfretarathderer Ross. The party then earn. up nat appeared a large bay, where they halted (CV kW ACM of! ha limo their wish W1L3 gratified Latchertained tab reejumrs to await the dl*Perolon tt.f the fog, not knowing from that time was sensibly ameliorated. The bay only fuur mike in width; the depth half-way tom of land ; that of Deaee's Inlet was nfterivards found to be toetnet muddy bottom ; -bring the greatest depth between Return Reef andt Barrow, except at ten miles S. E. from Cape Halkett wl ere three fathoms were sounded on our return. After crossing MaAckennie.'s Bay, ;he c!ta.st again trended for eight or nine miles to the W.N.W along, and beyond the reseb et ,;0;01,1 to eeawartl ; but tl:e party email iheii light vessel within that formidable barrier, aid made their way through the narrow channels (dose to the shore. At mideight they passed the mouth of a fine deep river, a quarter of a mile wide, to which Mr. Simpson gave the name of the Bellevue; and in less thin an hour trfterwardz the rising sun gratified him with the view of Point Barrow, stretching out to the N.W. They soon crossed Ekon Bay, which, is the perfect euloi, had acquired a tough crating of young ice, but had media tieulty it making their way thrnugh a broad and heavy pack that rested upon the shire. On reaching it, and seeing the ocean extending away to the south- ward, they hoisted their flag, and with three cheers took poseession of their diseuvet ice, in hie Majesty's name.
Point Barrow is a long low spit, composed of gravel and coarse sand, which Clue pressure of the ice has forced up into numerous mounds, that, viewed from
a distance assume the appearance of huge boulder rocks. At the spot where the party. 'landed it is only a quarter of a tulle across, but is broader towards its termination. The first object that presented itself on looking round the bud- ieg-place was an immense cemetery. The bodies lay exposed in the most hor. 'Adrenal disgusting manner ; and many of them appeared so fresh that the ma became alarmed that the cholera, en some other dreadful disease, was raging among the natives. Two considerable camps of the latter stood at no great die tance on the point ; hut none of the inmates ventured to approach till our party first visited them, and, with the customary expression of friendship, dissipated their apprehension. A brisk traffic then began; after which the women formed a circle, and danced to a variety of airs, some of which were pleasing to the ear. The whole conduct of these people was friendly in the extreme : they seemed to be well acquainted with the character, if not the persons, of white men, and were pan eionately fond of tobacco.
To the northward, enormous icebergs covered the ocean; but on the western side there was a fine open channel, which the Esquimaux assured the party en tended all along to the southward, and so inviting was the prospect in that di. rection, that had such been his object Mr. Simpson would not have hesitated $ moinent to prosecute the voyage to Cook's Inlet in his skin canoe. The natives informed him that whales were numerous to the northward of the point, ad and seals were everywhere sporting among the ice. It was high water between one and two o'clock a.m. and p.m. ; the rise of
the title was fourteen inches, and the flow came from the westward. °beer* tions were obtained which determine the position of the landing-place to be is latitude 71 deg. 28 min. 33 sec. N., longitude 156 deg. 20 min. W. agreeing closely with the observations of Mr. Elson. Then bidding adieu to their good. humoured and admiring entertainers, the party set out on their return. They reached the western mouth of the Mackenzie on the 17th of August, and Fort Norman on the 4th of September, from whence their upon is dated on the following day. From Fort Norman they were about to proceed to the eastern end of Great Bear's Lake, there to pass the winter, from thence haul their boats was to the Coppermine River, and resume their survey to the eastward at ttio. opening of the navigation in July next, with the view of connecting the (I! coveries of Sir John Franklin and Captain Back from Point Turnagate tO Great Fish River, in which, from the activity and perseverance of the leaders, it is confidently hoped they will be successful.
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