THE FRANKLIN SEARCH CONTINUED. 435 



CHAPTER III. 



NARRATIVE OF A BOAT EXPEDITION ALONG THE ARCTIC COAST FROM WAINWRIGHT 

 ISLAND TO MACKENZIE RIVER, — FROM THE HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED JOURNALS 

 OF REAR-ADMIRAL PULLEN. 



We have now to follow Lieutenant PuUen in his adventurous and important 

 boat expedition of nearly 1500 miles in open boats along the Arctic shore, 

 from Wainwright Inlet to the mouth of the Mackenzie River. Through 

 the kindness of Lieutenant (now Rear- Admiral) PuUen, who has placed his 

 most interesting journal of this undertaking in our hands, the present 

 writer is enabled to give the first detailed account of this expedition that 

 has ever been published. 



A preliminary sketch of a search along the coast for suitable winter 

 quarters by Lieutenant PuUen places us at once within the scene of action, 

 and restores to us the trim forms of H.M.S. " Herald," the lively yacht 

 " Nancy Dawson," and the slow and heavy " Plover." " On Friday, the 20th 

 July (1849)," writes Mr PuUen, " it was quite calm, and as I was to go away 

 with two boats, I got aU prepared ; and taking a week's provision, shoved 

 off at 5.45 P.M., in order to examine the coast between Capes Lisburne 

 and Sabine. I puUed in directly for the cape, and within a mUe of it 

 discovered an oomiak or baidar (Eskimo boat of walrus hide stretched 

 over a wooden frame, very buoyant, easily carried, and propeUed with 

 paddles) coming up the coast. At 7.30 we reached the cape, and while 

 waiting for the second boat, which was some distance astern, the oomiak 

 approached with friendly salutations, evinced by their holding up their arms 

 and shouting. 



" On coming alongside, the man who was working the after paddle seized 

 hold of my head, greatly to my surprise and disgust, and began to rub noses. 

 At first I did not know what he was going to do, and did not submit with 

 a good grace; but recoUecting it was their mode of salute and friendly 

 greeting, I quietly resigned myself to my fate, but was very much pleased 

 when released from the embrace ; for so fierce was the feUow with the rub- 

 bing, that my nose felt it for some time after. There were eight people in 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



