Narrative Of A Voyage To Hudson's Bay In His Majesty's Ship Rosamond

This is a journal written by Edward Chappell about his voyage to Hudson's Bay in 1814. Chappell, a distinguished naval officer, traded with the Inuit and was admitted into their homes, providing new information to English readers about their culture. The journal also includes anecdotes about the journey, such as a polar bear sighting and a meeting with a Native American chieftain. Appendices provide additional information on navigation, Inuit dress, and the Cree language.

Following distinguished naval service during the Napoleonic Wars, Edward Chappell (1792-1861) took part in two voyages patrolling British fisheries in North America. The second of these, in 1814, is recounted in this journal, first published in 1817. Illustrated with several engravings, Chappell's narrative dwells in particular upon the Inuit, who were little understood by Europeans at the time. Knowing only a few Inuit words, Chappell traded with them and was admitted to their homes. Though somewhat superficial and patronising, his descriptions revised previous accounts and brought new information to English readers. The rest of the journal brims with evocative anecdotes from the journey - a polar bear sighting, a thunderstorm on an ice-ridden sea, a meeting with a renowned Native American chieftain. The appendices provide such additional information as navigational data, details of Inuit dress, and a short vocabulary of the Cree language.