ICE-BOUND FOR TEN MONTHS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 276, 18 November 1905, Page 13

ICE-BOUND FOR TEN MONTHS.

THE VOYAGE OF THE STORK.

The barque Stork, which left Hudson* Bay on September 19th, 1804, with a cargo of furs worth £70,000, arrived at West India docks, after being ice-bound for ten months. In Mg account of the voyaga Captain Ford said the ship left London on Jane 24, 1304, and arrived at Charlton oa' August 31, snipped their cargo/of skins, and Bailed on September 19 for.-.home. But at the head of Hudson's. Straits.. between Southampton Land and Mansfield Island, am October 8, they were beset with pack ice.

The captain proceeded back to winter q-iarters at Charltcn Island—the only safe thing to do. Charlton ..was reached-again on October 2T, after .the Stork had sailed 300 miles, on the return Journey. "At Charlton he moored the ship, discharged the furs—otter, beaver, marten, 6eal—ami prepared to await the break-up of the iceThere were only two people ou the island —Mr and Mrs Harris—in the emiilovment of the Hudson's Bay Company. "It was only three years since a station was established there by the Hudson's Bay Company to give shelter to the Indian hunters .who brought In the skins. There were nineteen of them on board the Stork., and the.station keeper and his. wife made ;2L. One thing which had to be faced-was the food supply. The Stork had not sufficient provisions on board to last through the period of waiting which her skipper, .saw ahead of him. The .difficulty. was got. over •by the guns of the crew. The captain explained:— ' ■_ _ - We lived on wild rabhits aH the time, practically, from October 27th last year till we sailed again on August 0-of ttiia year. It was rabbity rabbits.- all-tlse-time. We ate altogether LToO rabbits while -we were there, and got very tired of them. There is no other game on the island, and no vegetation, so that we had no vegetables to our meals." The men felled trees and hunted rabbits. They lived on shore; some- in shanties which they built for themselves, others in houses which the company had built. The officers roughed it on board shipr and" had wood fires In theirs cabins.- - - -" Several efforts were made to get throng the news of the ship's position to the owners. "We tried with dogs," said Captaia Ford, "but there was always open water m the middle of the bay, and the dogs had to turn back. Our object was to get .to Ruperfs House Post, where an official of the company—a London man—ls stationed. It was not until January 13 of this year that we were able to get the news aerosa to Rupert's House that we were winterhij at Charlton Island." . . ' The news was then .taken, to Tannines by one of the Hudson's Bay Company officials, who had to. walk, most of the way. He reached, Winnipeg .towards. the. end jot February, .and the news was flashed oveß the cable to London.- . To wind up with, tho Stork had a stormy voyage home, and encountered heavy pac_ i ice -until she got clear of the ice belt. One incident was a* meeting with the ___u*cti» ship Discovery on Asgnst 23rd on her way •out, in her new capacity of a Hudson Bay Company's trading vessel.;

A sailor named W. J. McWhirter described how they played eribbage during their pojoc en on the island of ice, and one seaman impraviaed a banjo. The Eskimos gar* some amusement with their dances. Ons fatality occurred when the Ice began pa break, and It was possible to launch a canoe. A Done named Hansen went in the canoe to shoot birds, but la standing u*s capsized the little craft, and was drowaed in the icy water.