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Northwest Passage, Part Three

Written by Herbert and William Sakalaucks

"Land ho!"

Svend's navigation lesson with Captain Foxe came to an abrupt end. Landfall had been expected and the captain was needed on deck. Luke grabbed his boatcape and left to answer the hail. The wind was still fresh off the starboard aft quarter and the intermittent spray from the North Sea waves kept the aftercastle deck soaked. When Luke reached the aftercastle, John Barrow, the first mate, was standing next to the helmsman. "What bearing?" asked Luke.

John gestured to the left. "From the port beam to three points off the port bow. Scotland's off to port and South Ronaldsay Island's dead ahead in the cloud bank. Right when and where you predicted, Captain."

"The new chronometer is going to be a boon to navigators, John. Whatever Sir Thomas had to pay for it was well worth it."

Svend raced on deck and tried to sight the land. John walked over and rested a hand on Svend's shoulder, "You'll not see anything out there for a while, lad. You need to be in the foretop with a 'bring'em-near' to see beyond the curve of the horizon."

"An excellent suggestion, Mr. Barrow." Luke joined them at the railing. "Svend, go fetch my telescope, some drafting paper, and pencils. This is an excellent opportunity to continue your navigation lesson. Climb to the foretop, tie yourself off, and sketch each of the islands as we pass. It will help develop your eye for recognizing land features."

"Aye aye, sir."

Five minutes later, Svend began to ascend the shrouds to the foretop. The telescope hung on his belt by a strap, with a pack on his back for the paper and pencils. The swaying of the masts as the ship rose and fell on the swells made the trip up the shrouds interesting. He talked to himself to help concentrate on the climb up and to keep his mind off the deck below. His foot slipped on spray-slickened fastrope and he spun around the shroud. "I'm glad I tied off the telescope. If I dropped it, Father would be fit to be tied." He looked up to the lubber's hole. "Just a few more feet and I'm there." After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the crosstree. He seated himself, carefully uncoiled the loose end of the rope he'd wound around his waist, and lashed himself to the mast. "At least now I can't fall." He heaved a sigh of relief. Looking down, he could see the ship's bow crashing through the waves. The slow pendulum motion of the masts as the ship rode through the waves suspended him out over the water at the end of each arc. He realized his stomach was queasy. Suddenly, the idea of sitting at the top of a tall mast swaying in the wind wasn't so pleasant. "I will not embarrass the captain by getting sick all over the deck," he said through gritted teeth. "What was it Father used to say about seasickness?" As he looked out at the land, he remembered: Focus on the horizon. He brought the telescope around and focused ahead. After a few tense minutes, his stomach slowly settled down. With the pad perched on his knees, a sketch of South Ronaldsay Island started to take shape.

****

The sunlight started to fade as the Köbenhavn entered Scapa Flow. The sound of the ship's bell startled Svend. He realized he'd been sketching for almost three hours. If he wanted supper, he'd have to finish the sketch from memory. It took a few minutes of stretching to work the kinks out of his legs. I'll have to be careful going down. I don't want to drop anything, especially me. He held out the last sketch and compared it to the island they were passing. "I think Father will be pleased." He stowed his gear and carefully untied himself. All the way down, he made sure he kept a firm grip on the shrouds all the time.

John met him at the railing. "The captain was beginning to wonder if you were stuck up there. How did the drawings go?"

Svend handed over the pad. "After I got settled and used to the sway it was wonderful. The warm sun and the views made me forget everything else."

John flipped the pages slowly. The use of shading made the island views stand out from the page. "These are excellent. I'm impressed. Have you had training? The captain never mentioned anything to me."

"Nothing, I just tried to draw what I saw."

"You have a natural talent. These are better than most of the ones I've seen from veteran mariners. Run along to supper and show the captain." He handed the pad back to Svend.

The drawings highlighted a pleasant evening meal. Luke echoed John's praise. "These drawings show excellent skill. I want you to keep practicing when you have an opportunity. This will come in handy when we reach our new home." The conversation turned to the upcoming stopover at Stromness Harbor and Luke's concerns with taking on additional supplies and settlers. Svend just dreamt about a young lady on the Hamburg. When they finished, Luke reminded Sven, "You'll need to be up early in the morning if you want to see the harbor as we enter. We should reach Stromness around dawn."

"I'll be sure to be up before then," Svend replied as he left for his small cabin.

****

Svend awoke an hour before daybreak and wheedled a quick breakfast of hot porridge from the cook. When he went on deck, Captain Foxe sent him aloft with a telescope. "See if the rest of the ships have arrived. Hopefully their passage was faster than ours."

Svend scampered up the shrouds to the foretop, and surveyed the harbor. Two fishing luggers were leaving the harbor, their patched sails damp from the dew. They appeared to be almost flying over the waves. Svend focused back on the anchorage. Eventually, he was able to pick out some masts against the shadows and clutter of the village. He called down to the deck, "There are two . . . no . . . three . . . ships anchored and one's definitely the Hamburg."

"Excellent. It appears everyone's made it safely so far." Luke turned and called to John, "Mr. Barrow, if you would please, steer for the Hamburg and anchor a hundred yards to seaward of her." He started to head for his cabin and a thought struck him. "Oh, and have the longboat ready. We'll need to get the extra men from the warehouse raid back to their wives as soon as possible."

Over the next hour, Svend tried to stay out of the sailors' way as the ships approached the harbor. The tide was full off Point of Ness. The wind off the port quarter required a number of tacks for the ships to reach the harbor. As they approached the anchorage, Svend climbed onto the mainstays with the telescope and eagerly searched the people on the Hamburg's deck for a familiar figure. Disappointment and worry started to set in until he spotted Sir Thomas coming on deck, with Agnes right behind him. Shortly afterward, Svend was forced to come down to make way for the sailors to furl the sails. By the time the ship's anchor was dropped, he had finally caught Agnes' attention and she had waved back.

"Master McDermott, do you feel up to a long session of note taking?" John Barrow had walked up unnoticed behind Svend, who was still watching the Hamburg intently. "The captain needs his clerk to take notes when he meets the other captains."

"I can be ready in two minutes, Mr. Barrow. Just let me get my paper, quill and ink." Svend carefully closed the telescope, handed it to John, and then disappeared down the hatch to his cabin.

John walked back to the captain, who stood watching the other ships prepare to send boats away. "He's got it bad, Captain, and I don't think he even realizes it."

"I know, John. Were we ever that young?"

"I don't know, but I think Mistress Roe will be good for him. I just hope nothing happens to them." The creak of tackle drew their attention. "The longboat's ready, Captain. Should I send it away with the men who need to go back to their families? It's going to be a long pull for the seamen to reach all three ships."

"Yes, but have them use the starboard side. Keep the port side free for the arriving boats."

"Aye aye, sir." John left to supervise the small boat handlers. The departing settlers were already bunched up, waiting on deck with their belongings in bundles.

****

The Henriette Marie, the Hamburg, and the Wilhelm had arrived in Stromness two days earlier. Their captains arrived over the next hour and gathered in Luke's cabin. The only incident of note on their voyage was that Captain Rheinwald had discovered cracks in the Hamburg's lower mizzen and bonaventure masts. "I'll be having my carpenters finish repairs soon." The looks of concern from the group caused Captain Rheinwald to get defensive. "She's in just as good a shape as any ship here. As I said, Mr. Braun should have the boards fished on by the time this meeting's over." His emphatic nod cut off further comments.

Captain James broke the awkward silence. "I've passed the word around the port that we're looking to take on extra livestock and have space for additional settlers. Three families have already spoken to me about joining. They're all sheep farmers and would bring their flocks. There was a dispute in the clan over an inheritance and they want to leave soon. They'll be ready before we finish wooding and watering and loading extra fodder. I've also added two pair of the island's horses. They're used to the colder conditions we'll be facing."

"Excellent, Thomas! The only other point that needs covering is what happens if any ships are separated during our next leg of the voyage."

The captain of the fishing boat Bridget spoke up, "Lars and I already thought about this. Since we're going to be fishing anyways, we plan to save time and head directly to the fishing grounds and then to the settlement site. That way, you'll have fresh provisions soon after landing."

Luke paused to consider the idea. "That's an excellent suggestion. Otherwise, if anyone just becomes separated, head directly to Bell Island. Fire a gun if you are in distress." Luke pointed to Svend. "Once a week Mister McDermott will visit all the ships to retrieve updates for the master log I'm keeping, and any routine issues you feel need to be brought to my attention. Status on food and water, and ship's conditions will be included in these reports." He refrained from glowering in Rheinwald's direction. "Again, if something urgent occurs, use your signal flags or fire a gun and we will come to your assistance. We'll sail once we finish replenishing our food and water and load the extra settlers and livestock. That's all for now, gentlemen. If you can, let your crews stretch their legs on shore. This will be their last chance for quite some time."

As the group rose to leave, Luke drew two of the captains aside, "Thomas, Martin, would you stay a few minutes? I've some additional things I need to discuss with you." He motioned to the two cushioned seats. "I'll be right back." Luke saw the rest of the captains to their boats and then returned to his cabin.

As he reentered, Captain James asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no. The two of you have some unique skills that may help our long term success. Thomas, the native that's on your crew, would he work with Svend to teach him the Cree language?"

"I'm sure of it. Svend showed Joseph around Copenhagen before we left and has already picked up a few Cree words. They seemed to get along well. They're not that far apart in age and Joseph is very quick."

"Good. Martin, one of the settlers on your ship was a mathematics teacher, has training as a surveyor, and has the necessary tools. He started to train Svend shortly after he arrived in Copenhagen. I'd like that training to continue. What I propose is that Svend alternate afternoons on your ships, working with his tutors. I know that will mean extra small boat work, but it will also give us an opportunity to communicate more frequently."

Martin chuckled. "I just hope he isn't too prone to seasickness. All those trips in an open boat could be trying."

"I'll give him Sundays off to recover! I'm sure he'll be glad to visit your ship so often. I think he's taken quite a liking to Sir Thomas' young ward."

"I wondered. She always seems to take a keen interest in where your ship is when she's on deck."

"Just make sure he applies himself to his studies when he's there. If he wants to talk to the young lady afterwards, it's all right, as long as Sir Thomas agrees."

****

The expedition remained at anchor two more days while the sheep were driven into town and the additional families packed and loaded their belongings aboard ship. On the last day, Svend took the opportunity to go ashore with Agnes and Joseph. The afternoon was blustery. As they left the boat that had rowed them ashore and they climbed the slime coated steps to the pier, one of the sailors called out, "Mr. Barrow said to remind you, sir, we sail this evening with the tide. He said we were to wait here and fetch you if you wandered too far."

Svend laughed. "I don't think we have any worries there, Kurt. The whole village is only two or three blocks long. We'll be back in plenty of time."

"Now remember, Joseph, I want you to use only Cree while we're in town. I'll try to translate for Agnes."

"Âha."

Svend turned to Agnes. "That means, yes."

"Shall we get something to eat before we start?" Agnes asked.

Svend translated, "Â.hâw." Joseph nodded and pointed to the inn just off the pier.

Lunch was amusing for the young people as Svend stumbled over his translations. When they finished their meals, the innkeeper asked what was going on. Agnes explained. She pointed to Svend. "He is trying to learn the language of the natives where we are heading and Joseph is teaching him. He has to act as interpreter and translate anything we say, back and forth." She smiled. "He's still learning."

Svend immediately tried to stammer out to Joseph what Agnes said.

Joseph corrected two words and then added, "Ahay kîsposâkow. Tânitowahk wiyâs."

Svend turned to the innkeeper. "He says, 'Thank you for the excellent meal and wants to know what type of meat it was.'"

"Some of our local sheep."

As he tried to translate, Svend was stymied for a word for sheep. He tried a pantomime and then "baaed." He was saved when the sound of the bells came through the open rear door of the kitchen. He quickly paid for their meals and called for Joseph and Agnes to follow him. The sheep that the settlers were bringing were being driven to the wharf. Svend pointed to them and said, "sheep." He then asked Joseph, "How do you say 'sheep' in Cree?"

Joseph looked at the wooly beasts, looked at Svend and said deadpan, "sheep."

Svend's jaw dropped. Joseph walked over to get a better look at the first sheep he had ever seen. Agnes was laughing so hard, she was nearly in tears. She gasped for breath and sat down on a piling. Once she recovered her composure, Svend offered her a hand up. She stood up but tripped on a nail and stumbled into Svend's arms. She murmured something and Svend smiled. Joseph asked for a translation. Svend replied in correct Cree, "None of your business!"

The three walked back up the path by which the sheep had entered the village. After a hundred yards, they were outside the village. Joseph looked around, "Not like Copenhagen, just a bunch of stones." They proceeded to walk around the hills at the outskirts of Stromness and arrived back at the dock an hour later as the last of the sheep were being hoisted on board the Kristina. The noise from the flock was audible across the harbor.

"I'm glad I'm not on that ark." Agnes nodded toward the Kristina. "The noise and smell would be enough to make me want to row to Hudson's Bay."

"That's true, but they eat the best of anyone in the expedition." Svend looked wistfully at the ship, remembering the stew they'd had for lunch and the tough salted meat they'd eaten on the way to Stromness. Breaking out of his reverie, he motioned to the boat, "We'd better get back to our ships. The captain will want to sail soon, now that the sheep are loaded.

****

Svend spotted someone on the Hamburg's deck and stood up and waved back.

"Mr. McDermott, would you please sit down and quit rocking the boat? Captain Foxe would not take kindly to my reporting that you drowned while being rowed to the Hamburg," First Mate Barrow said.

"Sorry, sir. I wasn't thinking." Svend tried to look contrite but the object of his attention waved again and his attention was distracted.

"The sea's a harsh mistress and inattention can be fatal."

Svend waved again and John realized he was fighting a losing battle. "Very well, if you must wave, at least stay seated!" The two sailors that were rowing nearly missed a stroke as they laughed at Svend's reaction.

Five minutes later, they boarded the Hamburg. The trip had been brief and easy on the rowers. The Köbenhavn had launched them from ahead of the Hamburg's course and they rowed towards the boarding ropes on the Hamburg's side. They would repeat the maneuver when it was time to return.

Agnes met Svend at the entry port, along with their teacher, Jeremiah Redmond. Sir Thomas had arranged that she would join in the lessons, to further her mathematics education. Any concerns that Agnes might be a distraction had vanished after the first lesson. She was slightly ahead of Svend and a friendly rivalry had developed to see who could get the correct answer first. As a result, they both showed excellent progress. Once they settled into the empty day cabin Captain Rheinwald had set aside for the lessons, Jeremiah started going over what he had planned.

"Today, we will cover calculating the area inside an irregular rectangle. Do you have the answers and drawings to the questions I posed last time?" They both dutifully handed over the calculations. Jeremiah quickly reviewed their homework. "Very good, Master McDermott; however, your answer on the second question is in error. It appears you forgot the offset distance. Otherwise, your other calculations are correct and your draughtmanship is excellent. Mistress Roe, your answers are correct. I see that you still need help sharpening your quills. The technique on your drawings still reflects your problem there." Jeremiah pulled out his knife and showed her the proper technique. He handed the knife to Agnes and had her practice. After three tries, he was satisfied she could do it properly and returned to the math lesson.

****

Shortly before the lessons ended a commotion could be heard on deck. Karl Andersen and his sergeant, Wilhelm Engle had arrived from the Wilhelm and started drilling potential militia recruits. The deck space was too limited to attempt any marching drills so Karl had chosen to train the farmers and miners in groups of five on the basics of the arquebus. A barrel had been attached to a line and tossed over the taffrail for a target. When the math lesson ended, the third and last group was preparing to fire their first shot. So far, no one had hit the barrel, and Karl was showing his frustration.

"Now, if you 'gentlemen' would be so kind as to load your weapons as the sergeant showed you, without shooting each other, we'll see if you can at least hit the ocean."

Two of the group snickered.

"You think that's funny? It won't be so funny if the natives attack and you forget how to shoot!"

"But, Captain, Joachim and I already know how to shoot, and we brought our own rifles along. They're a lot better then this crap we're using here!"

The statement stopped Karl dead in his tracks. It had never occurred to him that there might actually be some worthwhile recruits among the passengers. If these two really had rifles, his shortage of qualified scouts might be alleviated. "Go get them and we'll see!" As the two headed below, Engle roared at the other three. "The captain didn't tell you to stop! Keep loading!"

By the time Kurt and Joachim returned, the others had finished loading and stood at the taffrail, aiming at the barrel. Their wives and children stood to the side watching. Karl chivvied Kurt and Joachim to get in line and load. As he saw what they carried, his eyes went wide. He had seldom seen weapons like these, but being the experienced officer he was, he hid his surprise with a roar. "Well, get loaded. I want to see if anyone can hit the barrel. So far, the barrel is winning this war."

The first attempt was by a farmer with an arquebus. He closed his eyes before he shot. The uproll of the ship sent his shot into the unknown.

Karl raised his eyes in supplication. "Not even the ocean!" When he looked back at the farmer, the fury was evident. "Keep your damn eyes open and aim!" He walked over to the next one in line, who was trying to stifle a laugh. "Think you can do any better? Let's see."

He was one of the miners from Amberg. He raised the arquebus, kept his eyes open and fired after the ship reached the top of the wave. The shot was in line with the barrel, but a little low. Karl was pleased. "Not bad, not bad at all. It's better to be low then high. A ricochet might still hit something. If you can do that again next practice, you'll rate out as militia. Give your name to the sergeant." The third in line never even got his weapon up before the gun discharged and he just missed a sailor scrubbing the deck. Karl grabbed the gun and kicked him back toward the group of women who were watching. He pointed with the empty gun at the last two. Kurt stepped up and took aim. The crack of the rifle was decidedly different from the previous shots. So was the result. The bullet left a two inch hole in the barrel. "That good enough, Captain?" Karl just stood there with his mouth open.

Joachim stepped up, raised his rifle, paused until the ship reached the next trough and then fired. He hit one of barrel's bands and the barrel exploded in a shower of staves. He rested the rifle butt on the deck. "My two brothers and I joined a mercenary company after the sawmill we worked at was ransacked."

"Well, you're back as scouts! Give the sergeant your names. It'll mean an extra bonus each month."

Karl walked over to Captain Rheinwald. "Pardon my intrusion Captain, but do you know where Master Mc Dermott is? Captain Foxe asked me to give him a shooting lesson when I finished with the militia trainees."

"Here's your student now." Rheinwald motioned to Svend, whose head was just coming into view.

Joachim was showing his rifle to the sergeant as Svend and Agnes walked past. The simple lines caught Svend's eye and he paused to admire it. Karl walked over and spoke to Svend. "An interesting weapon, yes? Did Captain Foxe mention that he wanted me to give you a shooting lesson today?"

"Yes, just before I left. I was coming to see you."

Joachim tapped Svend on the shoulder, the rifle extended in his other hand. "Here, try this one. It was my younger brother's and it's a lot better then one of the old arquebuses." He reached for his powderhorn. "Let me show you how it's loaded."

Svend's delight with the offer was evident. "Thank you. I'll be careful with it."

After a half hour lesson in the care and loading of a rifle, Svend was ready to try his first shot. Joachim explained how to shoot. "Snug the rifle up to your shoulder. If you don't, you'll get a nasty bruise. Then sight down the barrel and line up your target with the sight on the end. Take a breath and hold it. Make sure you keep your eye on the target. Slowly exhale and then squeeze the trigger. Don't jerk it or you'll miss. Remember to allow for the roll of the ship and the movement of the target. Now try it!" A new barrel was pitched over the railing.

Svend went through the instructions in his head. Just as he pulled the trigger the ship pitched a little and the shot missed by a foot.

"Not bad for a beginner. Now try reloading faster and let's shoot again." By the fifth shot, Svend had the reloading down to just over thirty seconds and had hit the barrel twice.

Karl stepped over. "Very good Mr. Hasselman. Your pupil learns quickly!" Svend also thanked Joachim and returned the rifle.

"You're a good shot, sir. I'd welcome you on a hunt with me anytime." Pulling out a cleaning kit, Joachim showed Svend how to clean the gun.

Karl watched thoughtfully. I think I may have found my sergeant of scouts. I'll talk with him later.

After the lesson, Svend managed to get Agnes to a quiet spot on the main deck where they could talk without being overheard. John was already hauling the boat in for the return trip and time was short. "I'll be back on Saturday to pick up the weekly reports. Do you think you'll have a chance to talk to your uncle by then?"

"I've already dropped some hints and he didn't seem surprised. I should have a chance after supper tonight."

"Then Saturday it is!" Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Svend leaned over to give Agnes a quick kiss. She drew it out longer than he'd hoped for. A yell from John Barrow that the boat was ready hurried him off, with dreams of future happiness, but some trepidation about his upcoming meeting with Sir Thomas.

****

"I'm glad this is the last ship, Mr. McDermott. These waves are making for a long pull today." Svend was finishing his weekly rounds, picking up the ships' log entries. An oilskin packet had been needed today to keep the pages dry. As they reached the Hamburg, the boatman reminded him, "Watch the battens. They're awfully slippery in this weather."

"I'll be careful, Mr. Dunn. I don't relish a swim in these waters." Timing his leap, Svend grabbed hold of the side ropes and carefully made his way up the side to the entry port. A seaman met him at the port and handed Svend the Captain's report. A second seaman dropped a rope over the side so the boat could be secured and towed until they reached a point ahead of the Köbenhavn. Svend excused himself to find Agnes and Sir Thomas. He took off the boatcape he had worn to protect himself from the sea spray. He was dressed in his best outfit. He ...