20-i 



Expedition of the Alert to 



and children are ail inordinately fond of tobacco, and it is no unusual 

 thing to see a child, after partaking of nourishment at its mother's 

 breast, reach up and take the pipe from her mouth, and smoke it with 

 all the apparent satisfaction of a true devotee of the soothing weed. 



After spending several days in trying to get through the ice into 

 Ashe's Inlet we abandoned the attempt, and steamed across the Strait 

 to Stupart's Bay, where Ave came to anchor on the morning of 

 August 22. 



The Bay is a very picturesque one, Avith bold, mountainous shores, 

 ami several islands scattered about. A number of Eskimo tents were 

 to be seen along the beach, while tin station-house, sheds and mag- 

 netic observatory were at the head of the Bay. 



Soon after coming to anchor, an Eskimo came out in his kayak and 

 made signs that he wished to see the Captain, and handed him a pack- 

 age from Mr. Stupart, the officer who had been left in charge. This 

 contained a letter giving the astounding intelligence, that Mr. Stupart 

 and his three men had abandoned their station several days before our 

 arrival, and had set out on a perilous journey of OA'er 300 miles, in an 

 open boat, for Ft. Chimo, at the foot of TJngava Bay. The letter 

 stated that the winter had been a very severe one, and that many of 

 the natives had starved. Thirteen of them died of starvation almost 

 at the door of the station building. Mr. Stupart had given them more 

 provisions than he could afford, and a like fate seemed to be in store 

 for Ids little party. Our ship should have arrived a month earlier 

 than it did under ordinary circumstances. 



Mr. Stupart feared that she had gone to the bottom. He, there- 

 fore, decided that his only course was to attempt to reach Fort Chimo, 

 one of the Hudson Bay Company's trading posts, whence he could go 

 on one of their vessels either to England or to Newfoundland. I am 

 happy to be able to state that Mr. Stupart and his party reached their 

 respective homes in safety. 



Soon after coming to anchor in Stupart's Bay a most singular look- 

 ing object was seen approaching the ship. It proved to be an oomiak, 

 or women's boat — a large open boat made of seal-skin — and Avas filled 

 with women and children. I counted thirty-eight people in this frail 

 craft. Each individual was in a state of tremendous and audible excite- 

 ment, yelling, gesticulating, and pushing for a good point of Anew, 

 while two divided their attention between paddling and adding to the 

 general pandemonium. It looked like Bedlam let loose, or a floating 

 lunatic asylum which had lost its keeper. 



As they neared the ship, their excitement increased and we could 



