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• 1 2018-11-07T14:15:54+00:00 The Source 3 gallery 2019-09-12T20:12:56+00:00 Illinois Archives  Page 1
  
  Whale Islands. July 6th
  173
  
  -1-
  
  Lat 69.5[']9 N                               
  Long 53.13.W.
  
  My dear Dr. Richardson
  
  Our companion the transport
  will probably leave us in the course
  of this week, on her return home
  so I will not lose the opportunity
  of sending you some account of 
  our proceedings thus far. We
  had a voyage of 21 days across,
  a heavy gale carrying us round
  Cape Farewell and leaving us
  in June weather and smooth
  water under the high coast of
  Greenland about 50 miles North
  of it. From that time which was
  about the 23rd June we had much
  calm weather, and made
  but little way so that we
  did not arrive here till the
  4th as we kept close ashore
  and had [a] good opportunity
  
  Pages 2 and 3
  
  -2-
  
  of seeing all the line of coast
  I did not so much regret the
  delay, especially as I believe
  we may still consider that no
  time has been lost. Nothing
  can be finer than the scenery
  along the coast of Greenland. It
  consists of one continuous range
  of rugged mountains, rising
  abruptly from the level of the
  sea to the height of 4 or 5000
  feet, and frequently presenting
  most remark able peaks and
  M[oun]t[ai]n forms.  When we first saw
  land it was almost entirely
  covered with snow, but we have
  already observed the change which
  some fine warm weather has
  caused the black peaks
  and ridges now showing them-
  selves, and in many places
  
  Page 3
  
  -3-
   
  the snow being entirely confined
  to deep clefts and ravines.
  We have seen a very great
  quantity of ice in the form
  of bergs, but no appearance of
  anything more serious, and by
  the accounts we can gather here
  from a few Danish boatsmen
  we hope to find that the season
  has been a mild one, & that
  no great difficulty will offer itself
  to our getting North. Our na-
  -turalists have been busily
  employed ever since we entered
  the bay, and Goodsir especially
  has had as much as he could
  possibly do, in examining the
  lower marine animals which
  we have caught in great numbers
  medusae, crustacea. etc.  We
  dredged several times in
  depths of from 100 to 240 fathoms
  And [illegible lines]
  
  Page 4
  
  Post - 1650 MS 51
  
  -4-
  
  found that extensive cod bank[s]
  exist off the coast in latitude
  62° to 66° on which during the
  calm weather our ships companies
  got well supplied with fish.
  The evening before we got up here
  we saw close to the ships a large
  herd of walruses, which allowed 
  us to pass nearly over them &
  gave us good opportunities of
  observing their strange appearance[s]. 
  These and the 100 icebergs then
  in sight reminded us forcibly
  that we were really in Arctic
  regions, a fact which the seas
  and sky above us might have
  led us to forget.  These 
  islands are little more 
  than barren rocks, although I 
  must say that amongst the
  few plants and [---] which do
  appear [had], some are very beau-
  -tiful!  The anchorage is in a

   

  
  Notes:
   
  The letter is incomplete, with only four pages (on a single piece of paper) being extant in the collections of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois.  If any readers of this edition believe they have information about the location of the missing page(s), they are encouraged to contact us at sourcelabuiuc@gmail.com.