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SECOND CONTACT: PATTERNS OF “SECOND ENCOUNTERS”...
of the crew and Hudson, who was, in the event, unable to come to terms with
them. As a last resort, in June 1611, he was bundled into a shallop together with
his young son and the “sicke men” and set adrift in James Bay by the mutineers,
who were now facing the tremendous challenge of having to survive and find
the way home without the Captain (and upon return home, stand trial for
mutiny). While Hudson and those around him were not heard of anymore and
certainly died of hunger in distress, the rest of the crew, a company starved
almost to death, also seemed doomed. With stocks running out, they were
reduced to eating chiefly seaweed (“cockle grasse”) and some wild fowl, and it
was at this point, towards the end of July, that the Nunavik Inuit entered the
picture again, as the coxless ship laid anchor off the Saaqqayaaq-Qikirtasiit
(Digges Islands) at the northwestern tip of Ungava Peninsula.
This time, in what clearly seems a preconceived plan, the Inuit approach the
English and first gain their confidence, offering help in locating the edible birds.
Visiting the breeding place together, the two groups exchange hostages* — a
practice that is also known, for instance, from John Smiths contemporary True
Relation of Virginia (1608).** During this encounter, the crew even ask for and
receive instruction in the technology by which the Aboriginals hunt the fowl
down.* Some barter trade is also made, accompanied by overdone signs of joy
like dancing and singing — a practice applied bona fide by John Davis in West
Greenland in 1585, as well as by the Labrador Coast Inuit who hosted Louis
3 “The eighth and twentieth day <of July 1611> the boat went to Digges his Cape for fowl and
made directly for the place where the fowle bred, and being neere, they saw seven boates
come about he eastern point towards them. When the savages saw our boate they drew
themselves together, and drew their lesser boates into their bigger: and when they had
done, they came rowing to our boat, and made signs to the west, but they made ready for all
assayes. The savages came to them, and by signes grew familiar with one another, so as our
men tooke one of theirs into our boate, and they tooke one of ours into their boate. Then they
carried our man to a cove where their tents stood towards the west of the place, where the
fowle bred: so they carried him into their tents, where he remayned till our men returned
with theirs.” (Ibid., 127-128)
34 “That night we returned to Powhatan: the next day (being Whitsunday <of 1607> after
dinner) we returned to the fals, leaving a mariner in pawn with the Indians for a guide
of theirs; hee that they honoured for King followed us by the river.” (John Smith, A True
Relation of such occurrences and accidents of noate as hath hapned in Virginia since the first
planting of that Collony, which is now resident in the South part thereof, till the last returne
from thence, London, Printed for John Tappe, 1608, 34.)
35 “Our boat went to the place where the fowle bred, and were desirous to know how the savages
killed their fowle: he shewed them the manner how, which was thus: they take a long pole
with a snare at the end, which they put about the fowles necke, and so plucke them downe.
[...] To be short, our boat returned to their cove for our man and to deliver theirs. When
they came they made great joy, with dancing, and leaping, and stroking of their breasts:
they offered divers things to our men, but they only tooke some morses teeth, which they
gave them for a knife and two glasse buttons: and so receiving our man they came aboard,
much rejoicing at this chance, as if they had met with the most simple and kind people of the
world.” (Prickett, Larger Discourse, in Asher [ed.], Henry Hudson, 128.)
* 217 +