Folio 11: 13 August 1824. Samuel Martin?s shoulder less painful. Beating in shore...

Folio 11: 13 August 1824. Samuel Martin’s shoulder less painful. Beating in shore against strong wind, no further sightings of Inuit.

Folio 11: 16 August 1824. James Hay free from pain, Samuel Martin improving. Boring through ice for last few days.

Folio 12: 17 August 1824. A herd of walrus was sighted and the boats lowered in an attempt to kill some using muskets and harpoon. Several were wounded and a mother and calf killed. There is a description of the excitement and ‘sport’ of the hunt. Soon afterwards another herd of 50 were sighted.

Folio 12: 18 August 1824. James Hay returned to duty, Samuel Martin gradually getting better. Folio 12: 21 August 1824. Samuel Martin continues improving. For last few days the ship has been beating in shore on the South coast of Hudson’s Strait, near Cape Walsingham, the coast is described.

Folio 12: 24 August 1824. Samuel Martin has severe pain in the shoulder.

Folios 13 – 14: Several loons shot and eaten and a long description of two walrus hunts in the morning and afternoon of 24 August 1824. The head, heart, liver and some flesh taken from one and its calf killed at the same time, another escaped after being wounded several times and was assisted to escape by other walrus. Some accounts of walrus attacking boats are related and an attack on a boat in the afternoon, which was beaten off with a bayonet and by Mr Harding, the Gunner, firing his musket into the walrus’ face. It was killed shortly afterwards. Captain Lyon and Assistant Surveyor Kendall found that Southampton Island was about 40 miles East and South from where it had previously been supposed to be. They brought on board red and green phalarope, green plover, tern, snow bunting, stone chatterer and a loon. Also some scurvy grass, dwarf willow, saxifrage, yellow poppy, sorrel, lichens, mosses and various grasses; hornblende, serpentine, granite, flint, carbonate of lime, feldspar and stone containing iron, and several kinds of fish, including some with a circular sucker between the pectoral fins, and some crustaceans. They also saw various ducks and footprints of a man, a dog and a bear, and the remains of igloos.

Folio 14: 26 August 1824. Anchored for the night, for the first time since leaving the Orkneys, because of uncertainty about the tides and the nearness of the land.

Folios 14 – 16: 27 August 1824. An account of an expedition to the shore to take observations. Some more Inuit were encountered, the first paddling an inflatable boat made of three seal skins and the remainder on shore. They were differently dressed to the people encountered in Hudson’s Strait, having gloves made of bird skins with the feathers inwards, and a long lock of tangled hair above their foreheads. Surgeon Leyson explored inland, finding ponds of melt water, plants in flower and some circular mounds, thrown up by frozen water, which he at first supposed to be habitations. Eider duck, green plover, terns, divers and sandpipers were sighted. The others of the shore party visited the huts of the Inuit people, next to a stream where they fished for salmon with bows or spears. The surgeon procured locks of hair from a man and a woman before departing.

Folio 16: 29 August 1824. Samuel Martin’s mouth becoming mercurially affected. The Captain [Lyon], First Lieutenant and Assistant Surveyor Kendal went on shore to take observations. They found abandoned winter habitations but thought the people would return and left them some presents. The First Lieutenant brought a female ‘eskimaux’ head back, procured from a grave.

Folio 16: 31 August 1824. Samuel Martin’s mouth greatly affected. Rough weather the previous day obliged the ship to keep off shore, on checking the charts it was found they had apparently sailed over part of Southampton Island, which was shown too far to the West. Sailing for the narrows of Sir Thomas Rowe’s Welcome [Roes Welcome Sound].

Folios 17 – 18: 2 September 1824. An account of the Griper being nearly lost in a gale. On 31 August, at midnight, they were blown towards a lee shore, believed to be Cape Fullerton [on the American shore of Roes Welcome Sound]. Unable to get out of shallow waters and uncertain of their position, because the sun could not be seen and the compasses were useless, they attempted to anchor and the crew spent a day and a night on deck expecting to have to abandon ship at any moment. As the tide went out the ship struck several times, the final, most violent shock breaking the signal locker. The wind dropped on the evening of 1 September and the following morning they were able to sail into deeper waters and recover their lost anchors.

Folio 18: 3 September 1824. Samuel Martin’s shoulder painful again after the exertion of the previous days. Sailing northward all day through shoals, which have slowed progress. Blowing hard in the evening, the compasses so unreliable they have only the lead to trust to for their safety.

Folio 18: 7 September 1824. Since the evening of the 3rd a gale has been blowing, there have been few opportunities to take their position by the stars, the compasses are useless and the depth variable, with reports of strong tides. In spite of this and the crew’s constant work, the general health on board is good. Attempted to land at Cape Fullerton to get water but the wind was too strong.

Folio 18: 8 September 1824. Strong wind all day but moderate in evening and boats sent ashore for water.

Folios 18 – 19: 10 September 1824. Further treatment of Samuel Martin. Watering party returned with eider duck and water. Sailed northward until shoaling waters and a gale halted progress. At night the weather cleared and the crew were delighted at the sudden release from danger. It continued clear but with the wind against and more moderate.

Folio 19: 12 September 1824. Thomas Lyons, aged 27, Seaman; disease or hurt, frequent purging with griping pains of the bowels, tongue slightly coated, skin and pulse natural. Discharged to duty, 14 September 1824. Samuel Martin, the eruption on his shoulder painful and inflamed. Little progress the previous day because of light winds, anchored for a few hours in the evening to get water. In the morning blowing hard with snow. Near the entrance to the Wager.

Folios 19 – 20: 14 September 1824. Samuel Martin’s shoulder improved, Thomas Lyons returned to duty. An account of the Griper being driven towards a lee shore, near the Wager, in a gale and snow storm and with pack ice bearing down on her. The masts were stripped down, anchors dropped and the ship turned to face the weather. The temperature was 23 degrees Fahrenheit and the ship a mass of snow and ice, spray freezing as the water broke over her. After a day and a night all three anchors were lost and the ship again began drifting towards the shore. Trysails were hoisted and deeper water found. The wind veered and the tide ebbed, although the wind was still blowing a hurricane, it was in a favourable direction for carrying the ship away from shore and out of immediate danger. The wind continued hard for another night but then became more moderate and they sailed southward in search of a safe anchorage. The Surgeon expresses his surprise that there has been so little sickness, apart from a few mild catarrhs there has been nothing requiring treatment.