Ilatsiak - 32
As they walked northwards, David kept to the shoreline, always watching the water, still amazed that it would be so inviting yet so cold. Even the azure blue colour was so tropical, almost Mediterreanian-like. How could this place be the arctic?
Fairholme shook his head as he gazed out at the sunlight dazzling on the blue water. Not a sign of ice anywhere. Why is it we are still so beset in ice even the ice-master admits is the heaviest ice he had ever seen in all his years of whaling in Davis Strait and elsewhere? Why had the expedition not checked out this coast more carefully? Surely the ships could have found a passage through the shallows, perhaps by hugging the Boothia coastline more closely. On his trek along the eastern shore of King William Land he never saw land extending towards the east. It always trended south and south-west...
He stopped again to arrange the sole on his left boot. The wet going and sharp stones had managed to loosen its sole and now it had begun to flap back nearly to his instep. Using the last bit of his silk neck scarf, he tied it up once again wondering as he did so how long it would last and what he would try as a fix the next time it flapped. Everything was running out. Each day there was less and less. Perhaps David had been right. He should have had it fixed by one of the women back at the camp. Still, how long would caribou sinew hold? Probably a mile or two, no more.
He looked across at David, dressed partly in native clothing, yet so carefree, skipping stones out into the calm water, counting the number of expanding ripples they created on their way. David would indeed be the great help just as Sir John had said he would be. How could it be that one so young had picked up the strange sounding language so quickly, after only a few months of contact with these people? And he even knew the word for map. Having the Inuit men draw the coastline of this land during his brief stay at the camp had been a real stroke of luck. Now they could be certain they were on an island. If David had it right, these people still remembered James Ross and his ships and the years they had wintered to the east of Boothia. It was Ross’s visit to the area that the hunter had been talking about that first day last Spring at the depot. David had learned that some of Eskimos had even travelled to Repulse Bay and knew about white men - kablunaat - from the people who sometimes wintered there. Yes, David would be an real asset. He felt ashamed to think how harsh he had been trying to convince Sir John of David’s folly of wanting to live with such primitive people when he had duties on board the Erebus. Now that Sir John was gone, he would have to speak with Fitzjames and Crozier and re-evaluate David’s status. But first he would have to break the news of Sir John’s death to David. They had become very attached to each other during the past two years the expedition had run. It would not be easy bringing the subject up. He’d have to think about a suitable way to let David know about Sir John, which would spare him too much pain.
His boot again serviceable, Fairholme signaled to the others and they continued on their homeward walk back to the magnetic observation post which had been established at Cape Felix during the previous fall and then, from there on they would head westwards over the rough ice where they’d eventually come to the ships lying still firmly beset in the ice about 15 miles offshore.
That evening, approaching Fairholme as he stood alone outside his tent fussing once again with his boot, David explained he would not be continuing on to the ships. Francis Pocock, one of the seaman had told him of Sir John’s passing and the difficulties which had become commonplace on the ships. David was surprised to hear about how badly the summer hunting had gone and the fact that food rations had been reduced by a third. By comparison he had eaten well all summer. They had cached both seals and fish during the summer as Agayuq had far more than he could use. David explained as well as he could that he no longer wished to return to the deprivations on the ships. Besides, he continued, there was no urgency anymore. In fact, he bluntly told Fairholme that he no longer felt welcome on the Erebus without Sir John’s protection and care for him. He had been almost a father to him.
In a way, this was a perfect out for Fairholme. He could declare David a deserter which would solve the problem his disappearance had created among the crew and at the same time relieve him of the responsibility of knowing where he was all the time. One less mouth to feed, one less soul to worry about also made the decision easier as well. Furthermore, he had the information regarding King William Land being an island as well as the news that the ice in which the ships were stuck only broke up on rare summers and not as a rule. Still, David was a British member of the expedition and to it he owed his loyalty, and this point bothered Fairholme.
“That may be your wish, Mr Young, but your duty is to the Expedition. I will consider your request and give you my answer in the morning. In the meantime, I expect you to assist the others as usual.” Fairholme, David could see, had not expecting his decision and insisted on treating it as a request, which it was not. This position made it harder on him, but his mind was made up. Just listening to Francis and the other men talking behind Fairholme’s back about how life on board the ships had changed, how their food was reduced and suspected of being bad, how their morale had broken down completely, with the men divided into cliques and full of petty jealousies, often fighting among themselves over little things. Worst of all was the revelation that more and more men were coming down with some mysterious illness much like scurvy, but worse, was proof enough. He couldn’t return no matter what his duty might be. It would be wiser to stay with Agayuq and perhaps eventually make his way to Repulse Bay or somewhere to the east and return to England that way. Surely there was little hope in remaining here until a rescue ship from England arrived. No doubt people back in England were already wondering why no word had been heard from the Expedition. They had been expected in the Pacific this summer, not stuck in the unrelenting ice. By next summer, their third out from England, a rescue ship would most likely be sent to find them, but given the bad news aboard the ships, would any of them still be alive when it arrived?
David left before any of them awakened the next morning, although he did shake Francis and thank him for the many kindnesses he had done for him over the past two years. He told him to head south and find the Inuit, as he called the Eskimo people, if conditions on the ships got worse. They would take care of him and perhaps together they could both get to Repulse Bay where people saw white people and English ships now and then. Francis declined. He believed the ice would free them and they would be on their way shortly. He still looked forward to becoming a hero when he got home to England, just like they said he would be as they left the docks in Greenhithe. David knew his mind was made up. He turned away and quickly ran inland along the ridge before finally heading southwards towards Agayuq’s camp. Hopefully they would all still be there...
Fairholme shook his head as he gazed out at the sunlight dazzling on the blue water. Not a sign of ice anywhere. Why is it we are still so beset in ice even the ice-master admits is the heaviest ice he had ever seen in all his years of whaling in Davis Strait and elsewhere? Why had the expedition not checked out this coast more carefully? Surely the ships could have found a passage through the shallows, perhaps by hugging the Boothia coastline more closely. On his trek along the eastern shore of King William Land he never saw land extending towards the east. It always trended south and south-west...
He stopped again to arrange the sole on his left boot. The wet going and sharp stones had managed to loosen its sole and now it had begun to flap back nearly to his instep. Using the last bit of his silk neck scarf, he tied it up once again wondering as he did so how long it would last and what he would try as a fix the next time it flapped. Everything was running out. Each day there was less and less. Perhaps David had been right. He should have had it fixed by one of the women back at the camp. Still, how long would caribou sinew hold? Probably a mile or two, no more.
He looked across at David, dressed partly in native clothing, yet so carefree, skipping stones out into the calm water, counting the number of expanding ripples they created on their way. David would indeed be the great help just as Sir John had said he would be. How could it be that one so young had picked up the strange sounding language so quickly, after only a few months of contact with these people? And he even knew the word for map. Having the Inuit men draw the coastline of this land during his brief stay at the camp had been a real stroke of luck. Now they could be certain they were on an island. If David had it right, these people still remembered James Ross and his ships and the years they had wintered to the east of Boothia. It was Ross’s visit to the area that the hunter had been talking about that first day last Spring at the depot. David had learned that some of Eskimos had even travelled to Repulse Bay and knew about white men - kablunaat - from the people who sometimes wintered there. Yes, David would be an real asset. He felt ashamed to think how harsh he had been trying to convince Sir John of David’s folly of wanting to live with such primitive people when he had duties on board the Erebus. Now that Sir John was gone, he would have to speak with Fitzjames and Crozier and re-evaluate David’s status. But first he would have to break the news of Sir John’s death to David. They had become very attached to each other during the past two years the expedition had run. It would not be easy bringing the subject up. He’d have to think about a suitable way to let David know about Sir John, which would spare him too much pain.
His boot again serviceable, Fairholme signaled to the others and they continued on their homeward walk back to the magnetic observation post which had been established at Cape Felix during the previous fall and then, from there on they would head westwards over the rough ice where they’d eventually come to the ships lying still firmly beset in the ice about 15 miles offshore.
That evening, approaching Fairholme as he stood alone outside his tent fussing once again with his boot, David explained he would not be continuing on to the ships. Francis Pocock, one of the seaman had told him of Sir John’s passing and the difficulties which had become commonplace on the ships. David was surprised to hear about how badly the summer hunting had gone and the fact that food rations had been reduced by a third. By comparison he had eaten well all summer. They had cached both seals and fish during the summer as Agayuq had far more than he could use. David explained as well as he could that he no longer wished to return to the deprivations on the ships. Besides, he continued, there was no urgency anymore. In fact, he bluntly told Fairholme that he no longer felt welcome on the Erebus without Sir John’s protection and care for him. He had been almost a father to him.
In a way, this was a perfect out for Fairholme. He could declare David a deserter which would solve the problem his disappearance had created among the crew and at the same time relieve him of the responsibility of knowing where he was all the time. One less mouth to feed, one less soul to worry about also made the decision easier as well. Furthermore, he had the information regarding King William Land being an island as well as the news that the ice in which the ships were stuck only broke up on rare summers and not as a rule. Still, David was a British member of the expedition and to it he owed his loyalty, and this point bothered Fairholme.
“That may be your wish, Mr Young, but your duty is to the Expedition. I will consider your request and give you my answer in the morning. In the meantime, I expect you to assist the others as usual.” Fairholme, David could see, had not expecting his decision and insisted on treating it as a request, which it was not. This position made it harder on him, but his mind was made up. Just listening to Francis and the other men talking behind Fairholme’s back about how life on board the ships had changed, how their food was reduced and suspected of being bad, how their morale had broken down completely, with the men divided into cliques and full of petty jealousies, often fighting among themselves over little things. Worst of all was the revelation that more and more men were coming down with some mysterious illness much like scurvy, but worse, was proof enough. He couldn’t return no matter what his duty might be. It would be wiser to stay with Agayuq and perhaps eventually make his way to Repulse Bay or somewhere to the east and return to England that way. Surely there was little hope in remaining here until a rescue ship from England arrived. No doubt people back in England were already wondering why no word had been heard from the Expedition. They had been expected in the Pacific this summer, not stuck in the unrelenting ice. By next summer, their third out from England, a rescue ship would most likely be sent to find them, but given the bad news aboard the ships, would any of them still be alive when it arrived?
David left before any of them awakened the next morning, although he did shake Francis and thank him for the many kindnesses he had done for him over the past two years. He told him to head south and find the Inuit, as he called the Eskimo people, if conditions on the ships got worse. They would take care of him and perhaps together they could both get to Repulse Bay where people saw white people and English ships now and then. Francis declined. He believed the ice would free them and they would be on their way shortly. He still looked forward to becoming a hero when he got home to England, just like they said he would be as they left the docks in Greenhithe. David knew his mind was made up. He turned away and quickly ran inland along the ridge before finally heading southwards towards Agayuq’s camp. Hopefully they would all still be there...
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