Report on the Dominion Government Expedition to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Islands on board the D.G.S. Neptune, 1903-1904

To have, hold, exercise and enjoy the said office of officer in charge of the expedition to Hudson Bay and northward thereof in the Steamship Neptune unto you the said =Albert Peter Low=, with all and every the powers, rights, authority, privileges, profits, emoluments and advantages unto the said office of right and by law appertaining during pleasure.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent, and the Great Seal of Canada to be hereunto affixed. WITNESS, Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved Cousin and Councillor the Right Honourable Sir GILBERT JOHN ELLIOT, Earl of Minto and Viscount Melgund of Melgund, County of Forfar, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, Baron Minto of Minto, County of Roxburgh, in the Peerage of Great Britain, Baronet of Nova Scotia, Knight Grand Cross of Our Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and Saint George, etc., etc., Governor General of Canada.

At Our Government House, in Our City of Ottawa, this THIRTEENTH day of AUGUST, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and three, and in the third year of Our Reign.

By Command, P. PELLETIER, Acting Under Secretary of State.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. VOYAGE TO THE BAY. Introductory—Preparations—The _Neptune_—The Crew—Coast of Labrador—Port Burwell—Cumberland Gulf—Hudson Strait—Walrus Hunting—Hudson Bay—West Coast of Hudson Bay—Chesterfield Inlet—Arrival at Fullerton 1

CHAPTER II. WINTER QUARTERS AT FULLERTON. Fullerton Harbour—Preparations for Winter—Natives—Amusement and Work—Spring Explorations—Mr. Caldwell’s Trip to Wager Inlet—Surveys about Fullerton—Exploration of Coast to Chesterfield Inlet—Trip in Whaleboats to Southampton Island 25

CHAPTER III. SUMMER CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE. Fisher Strait—Ice in Hudson Strait—Supply Ship at Port Burwell—Voyage North—North Greenland Coast—Parker Snow Bay—Smith Sound—Crossing to Cape Sabine—Peary’s Headquarters—_Neptune_ on the Rocks—Taking Possession of Ellesmere Island—East Coast of Ellesmere—Lancaster Sound—Franklin’s Headquarters at Beechey Island—Record of the _Gjoa_—Port Leopold—Ponds Inlet—Natives—Arctic Salmon—Baffin Bay—Cumberland Gulf—Wakeham Bay—Sugluk Bay—Salisbury Island—Voyage Home 35

CHAPTER IV. HISTORICAL SUMMARY. Frobisher—Davis—Weymouth—Knight—Hudson—Button—Baffin—Munck—Fox and James—Hudson’s Bay Company—Knight—Middleton and Dobbs—Hearne—Ross and Parry—Parry and Liddon—Parry and Lyon—Franklin—Ross—Back—Dease and Simpson—Rae—Franklin and Crozier—The Franklin Search—Kane—Hayes—Hall—Nares—Markham—Greely—Nansen—Peary—Sverdrup 71

CHAPTER V. ARCTIC ISLANDS. Divisions—Physical Features dependant upon Geology—Islands of Hudson Bay—Baffin and Bylot Islands—Islands south of Lancaster Sound—Ellesmere—North Devon—The Parry Islands—The Sverdrup Islands 112

CHAPTER VI. ESKIMOS. The Central Eskimos—Annual Routine—Winter Months—Snowhouses—Cooking Utensils—Dog Sled—Dogs—Seal Hunting—Seal Spear—Foxes—Trade—Spring Occupations—Summer—Summer Tent—Kyak—Umiak—Harpoon—Caribou Hunting 131

CHAPTER VII. ESKIMOS—_Continued_. Manners and Customs—Government—Marriage and Divorce—Murder—Death—Burial—Superstitions and Beliefs—The Goddess Nuliavok—Origin of Races—Future State—Taboos—The Angekok—Amusements—Garments—Adornments—Moral Characteristics 162

CHAPTER VIII. GEOLOGY. Sources of Information—Succession of the Rocks—Earth Movements—Archæan Backbone—Silurian Sea—Devonian and Carboniferous Uplift—Mesozoic and Miocene Tertiary—The Glacial Period—Details of Geology—Archæan—Hudson Bay, Baffin Island, Islands of Group III., Ellesmere and North Devon Islands 183

CHAPTER IX. GEOLOGY—_Continued_. Silurian—West Coast of Hudson Bay, Baffin Island, Islands of Group III., Northeast Part of Ellesmere, Jones Sound, North Devon Island, Devonian. Carboniferous—Parry Island, Coal, Ellesmere Island. Mesozoic—Parry and Sverdrup Islands. Tertiary—Banks Island, Ellesmere Island, Coal, Baffin Island. Glacial—Distribution of Boulders—Ice Movements—Hudson Strait, West Coast of Hudson Bay, Labrador, Greatest Intensity of Ice-cap—Marine Terraces. Economic Minerals Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, Mica, Graphite, Molybdenite, Lignite and Coal 210

CHAPTER X. WHALING. History—The Whaling Fleet—Whaling in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay—Whaling in Hudson Bay—The Right Whale—Whalebone—Scottish Whalers—Ships and Methods—American Whalers—Ships, Crews and Methods—Whaleboats—Spring Whaling—Whaling Stations—Future of the Industry—Other Whales—Porpoises—The Seals—Walrus 248

CHAPTER XI. NAVIGATION OF HUDSON BAY. Need of Hudson Bay Route—Historical—Navigation of Hudson Strait—Navigation in Hudson Bay—Ports—Currents—Ice from Davis Strait—Ice in Hudson Bay—Period of Navigation—Sailing Directions—Trade—Natural Resources—Advantages of Hudson Bay Route—Storage of Grain—Railway 283

APPENDIX I. Meteorological Observations taken on the Neptune 300

APPENDIX II. List of Birds and Eggs collected on the Voyage 314

APPENDIX III. List of Plants collected in 1904 320

APPENDIX IV. Notes on the Fossils collected on the Voyage 322

APPENDIX V. List of the principal Works and Papers consulted in the Preparation of the Report 337

APPENDIX VI. Notes on the Physical Condition of the Eskimos 343

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. The Chief of the Aivillingmiut Frontispiece A Davis Strait Iceberg 1 Neptune and Era, Fullerton harbour 4 Crew of the Neptune in winter costume 6 Head of Nachvak bay, Labrador 8 Port Burwell at eastern entrance to Hudson strait 10 Blacklead island, Cumberland gulf 12 Kekerten harbour, Cumberland gulf 14 Walrus in Smith Sound 16 Fullerton harbour 18 Wreck camp, Chesterfield inlet 22 Neptune in winter quarters 24 Southampton island 25 Snowhouses on ice near Neptune 28 Hauling the winter water supply 30 Mr. Caldwell starting North 32 American Whaleboats in Roes Welcome 34 A Greenland Iceberg 35 Midnight in Smith sound 36 Ice off Cape Wolstenholme 40 Parker Snow bay, North Greenland 42 A Glacier of Bylot island 44 Cape Herschel, Ellesmere island 46 Franklin Monument at Beechey island 52 Provisions left for the Gjoa at Port Leopold 54 Cliffs of Bylot island 58 Eskimo Encampment at Ponds inlet 60 Women’s Boat at Wakeham bay 64 South coast of North Devon island 71 At Beechey island 96 Frenchman Cove, Cyrus Field bay 112 Head of Cyrus Field bay, Baffin island 120 Shore of Cumberland gulf from Blacklead island 122 Kenipitu from Chesterfield inlet 130 Lower Encampment, Chesterfield inlet 131 Eskimos at Blacklead, Cumberland gulf 136 Aivillik Women at Fullerton 140 Snowhouses at Fullerton 142 Interior of Snowhouse at Fullerton 144 Loaded Sleds from Chesterfield inlet 146 A Small Team and a Heavy Load 148 Interior of Snowhouse at Fullerton 150 Eskimo kyak off Cape Haven 154 Summer Tents at Wakeham bay 158 At Ponds inlet 162 Aivillik Woman in gala dress 168 Nechillik Woman 170 Kenipitu Belles at Fullerton 176 Kenipitu Woman in winter dress 178 Upper Encampment, Chesterfield inlet 183 Contorted Gneiss and Granite at Fullerton 196 Cape Haven harbour 202 Scottish Whalers in Ponds inlet 210 Limestone Cliffs of North Devon island 220 Scottish Whaler Eclipse 248 Crew of the American Whaler Era 250 Bundles of whalebone on the Era 260 Preparing for Spring Whaling 264 Whaleboats on the ice, in Roes Welcome 268 Scottish whaling station at Blacklead island 270 The Launch 283 Rafted Ice in Roes Welcome, June, 1904 290 Ice in Cumberland gulf, September, 1904 292

SHIP’S COMPANY.

SCIENTIFIC STAFF.

A. P. Low, Commander and Geologist. L. E. Borden, M.D., Surgeon and Botanist. G. B. Faribault, M.D., Assistant-Surgeon. A. Halkett, Naturalist. C. F. King, Topographer and Meteorologist. G. F. Caldwell, Photographer.

OFFICERS AND CREW.