4^ ^ ' Captain JamesV Voyage into Hudfoa’s Bay^ Book IL 
upon, taKing the Opportunity of the Tide, the Boat 
went forth to found, v»?hich returning again in two Hours 
told us, they had founded about that Shole, and had 
found a Place of fome Safety to ride in, and had been 
in no lefs Water than five Fathom. We weighed, and 
found our Cable galled in two Places ; which had foon 
failed us if the Weather had continued. We flood the 
fame Way that the Boat diredled. us ^ but it proved fo calm 
that we came to an Anchor in 1 8 Fathom, hooked the 
Boat, and went on Shore on an Hand that was on the 
fouthward of us ; which I named the Earl of Danbfs 
IJland : From the higheft Place in it I could fee all broken 
Grounds and Sholes to the fouthward, and rather worle, 
than any thing better, than that which I had been in. I 
found that the Savages had been upon it, and that it was 
full of Wood. I made hafle to found the Bay, for fear of 
Sholes and funken Rocks ; but found it indifferent good. 
Toward the Evening it began to blow hard, where- 
fore we made towards the Ship ; flie put forth her Buoy, 
and a Warp, and v/e rowing for Life reached her, wore 
to Leeward of her ; but by getting hold of the Warp, 
we hauled up to her. The Boat we left half full of 
Water, ourfelves being as wet as drowned Rats ; and it 
made us the more rejoice that we had efcaped fo great 
Danger; all Night it blowing a-mofl violent Gale of 
Wind, with Snow and Hail. On the 3d, about Noon, 
the Wind dulled, and we had up her Anchor, flanding 
farther into the Bay in four Fathom and an half Water ; 
here we came again to an Anchor with our fecond An- 
chor, for many of our Men are fick, and the refl fo 
weakened that we can hardly weigh our Sheet-Anchor. I 
took the Boat and went prefently on Shore to fee what 
Comfort I could find : This was the firfl time that I put 
Foot on this Ifland, which was the fame that we after- 
wards wintered upon ; I found the Tracks of Deer, and 
faw fome Fowl ; but that which rejoiced me mofl was, 
that I faw an Opening into the Land, as it it had been 
a River. To it we made with all Speed, but found it to 
be barred, and not a Foot Water at full Sea, on the 
Bay, and yet within a mofl excellent fine Harbour, 
having five Fathom Water. In the Evening I returned 
aboard, bringing little Comfort for our fick Men, more 
than Hopes. 
On the 4th it fnowed very hard, yet I got aflrore and 
appointed the Boat to go to another Place (which made 
like a River) and to found it; in the mean time I went 
with four more fome four or five Miles up into the 
Country, but could find no Relief for my Sick, but a 
few Berries only. After we had well wearied ourfelves, 
I returned to the Place I had appointed them to tarry for 
me ; v/here at my coming I ftill found her, flie having 
not been where I ordered her, for it had blown fuch a 
fevere Gale of Wind that fhe could not row to Wind- 
ward ; thus we returned aboard with no good News. 
It continued foul Weather with Snow and Hail, and ex- 
tremely cold till the fixth, when with a favourable 
Wind I flood in nearer to the Shore and moored the 
Ship. On the 7th it fnowed all Day, fo that we were 
fain to clear it off the Decks with Shovels, and it blew 
a very hard Storm withal ; it continued fnowing and 
very cold Weather, and it froze fo that all the Bows of 
the Ship with her Beak-head were all Ice ; about the Cables 
alfo was Ice as thick as a Man’s Middle ; the Bows of 
the Boat were likewife frozen half a Foot thick, fo that 
we were fain to beat it off. The Sun fiiined very clear, 
and v/e bore the Top-fails out of the Tops v/hich were 
hard frozen in them into a Lump, fo that there they 
hung a funning ail Day in a very Lump, the Sun not 
having Power to thaw one Drop of them. After the 
Boat was fitted we rowed towards the Shore, but could 
not come near the Place where we were ufed to land, 
for It v/as ail thick Water with the Snow that had fell 
upon the Sands that are dry at low Water ; this made 
it fo difficult to rov/ that we could not get through it 
with four Oars ; yet fomething higher to the W eflward 
we got afliore. Seeing now the Winter to come thus 
extremely on upon us, and that we had very little 
Wood, I made them fill the Boat and went aboard, and 
fent the Carpenter to cut Wood, others to carry it to 
the Water-fide whilft the Boat brought it on board ; for I 
doubted that we fliould not be able to go to and again with 
the Boat. It was miferable cold already aboard the 
Ship, every Thing froze in the Hold and by the Fire- 
fide ; feeing therefore we could no longer make ufe of 
our Sails, it raifed many Doubts in our Minds that wc 
muft flay and winter. 
After we had brought as much Wood on board as we 
could conveniently flow, and enough, as I thouo-ht, to 
have lafled two or three Months, the fick Men ^efired 
that fome little Houfe or Hovel might be built on Shore, 
whereby they might be the better fheltered to recover 
their Healths : I took the Carpenter and others whom I 
thought fit for fuch a Purpofe, and chufing out a Place, 
they went immediately to work upon it ; in the mean 
time, I accompanied with fome others wandered up and 
down the Woods to fee if we could difeover any Signs 
of Savages, that we might the better provide for our 
Safeties againfl them ; we found no Appearance that there 
were any upon this Ifland 'nor near it ; the Snow by this 
Time was half Leg high, and through it we returned 
comfortlefs to our Companions, who had all this Time 
wrought upon our Houfe ; they on board our Ship took 
down our Top-fails the mean while ; and made great 
Pires upon the Hearth in the Hatch- way ; fo that having 
well thawed them, they folded them up and put them 
betwixt Decks, that if we had an Occafion they mierfit 
bring them again to Yard., ^ 
16. The. 1 2th we took our Main-fail from the Yard 
which was hard frozen to it, and carried it on Shore to 
cover our Houfe withal, having been forced to thaw it 
by a great Fire ; by Night they had covered it, and had 
almofl hedged it about, and the fix Builders defired to 
lie in it afliore that Night, which I condefeended unto, 
having firfl fitted them with Mufleets and other Furni- 
ture, and a Charge to keep good Watch all Night : 
They had on Shore two Buckhounds, a Dog and a Bitch, 
which I had brought out of Englayid^ to kill us fome 
Deer, if happily we could find any. By the 1 3th at 
Night our Houfe was ready, and our fix Builders de- 
fired they might travel up into the Country to fee what 
they could difeover. On the 14th by Times in the 
Morning, being fitted with Am munition and their Order 
to keep together, but efpecially to feek out fome Creek 
or Cove for the Ship, they departed. We on board took 
down our two Top-mafts and their Rigging, making 
Account, if we removed, to make ufe of our Fore-faU 
and Mifen. 
The 15th in the Evening our Hunters returned very- 
weary, and brought with them a fmall lean Deer in 
four Quarters, which rejoiced us all, hoping we fliould 
have more of them to refrefli our fick Men withal ; they 
reported that they had wandered above twenty Miles, 
and had brought this Deer above twelve Miles, and that 
they had feen nine or ten more. The lafl Night they 
had a very cold Lodging in the Woods, and fo it ap- 
peared, for they looked almofl flarved, nor could they re- 
cover themfelves in three or four Days after; they faw 
no Sign of Savages nor of any ravenous wild Beafls, 
nor yet any Flope of Harbour. 
The i^th my Lieutenant and five more defired they 
might try their Fortune in travelling about the Ifland, 
but they had far worfe Luck than the others, although 
they endured all Night, and had wandered very far in 
,the Snow, and returned comfortlefs and miferably dif- 
abled with the Cold. But what was worfe than all 
this, they had lofl one of their Company, John Barton^ 
our Gunner’s Mate, who being very weary, merely to 
fave the going about, had attempted to go over a Pond 
that was a Quarter of a Mile over, where when he v/as 
in the very Middle the Ice broke and clofed upon him, 
and we never faw him more. Confidering thefe Difaflers* 
I refolved to fifli no more with a golden Hook for fear 
I fliould weaken myfelf more with one Hunting than 
twenty fuch dear Deers could do me Good. Being now 
affured that there were no Savages upon the Ifland, nor 
yet about us on the other Hands on the Main, as far asv 
we could difeover, and that the cold Seafon was now in 
that 
