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Xy West the Yi tinder mand( Scient the L TF ' th •*■ whicb an objec least we thresholi It may I stated * tweeii B Pacific,' smallest was coil! though ' Biirleigl islande, we elite of Davi islands; we wer Baffin, • Burl. This disc( Passing Ic t If C aiUhentici Baffin's I that old I Lu e Fos as none b markably A ninp or ns no nav ' none but lay down some of t than it ac descriptio . was in pc too costly liegotacc to have « he ends \ >^-U$yJjL\fx ^ b M '^"<^ ( 175 ) Art. IX. — Journal of a Voyage for the Discovery of a North* PVest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, performed in the Years IB 19 — 20, in his Majesttf's Ships llccia and (hipeVy under the Orders of William Edward Parry, R.N. F.R.S. Lorn- munder of the Expedition. With an Appendix, containing the Scientilic and other Observations. Published by Authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. London. 18'il. TF ' the North-West Passage unto Cathay and lands Orientall,' "*• which for two centuries and a half has scarcely ceased to be an object of gnxious research, has not yet been completed, at least we may now say * the ice is broken,' the door opened, the ^.threshold passed, and the tirst stage of the journey accomplished. tit may be recollected that, on the return of tlie first expedition, we stated * our conviction of the existence of a communication be- jttween Baffin's Bay and the Polar Sea, and between that and the ^1 Pacific,' adding that, * so far from that conviction l)eing in the lismallest degree shaken by any thing that Captain Ross had done, it *vwas considerably strengthened by what he had omitted to do.' And though we could not take upon ourselves to declare positively, with Burleigh, that * considering Groyneland is tvell ktiozcn to be an islande, and that it is not conjoyned to America in any part'* — yet we entertained very little doubt that the whole of the western coasts of Davis's Strait and Baffin's Bay were one contiimed chain of islands; and that little was completely removed from the moment we were certified of the existence of those numerous miets which It was enough that Baffin, for want of a fitter word, named Sounds.f i * Burleigh Piipers. In the Lnnsdowti Collection, British Museum, vol. c. No, 4. This discourse ' Concerning a Straighte to he discovered towards the North-west Passing to Cathaia and the Oricntall Indians,' is in Burleigh's own hand-writing. "f" If Captain Ross's voyage did nothing 'iiore, it at least renioveii all doubts of the authenticity of BafRn's third voyage, hy the extraordinary coincidence of the chart of Baffin's Bay with the same portion of a polar chart annexed to the printed voyage of that old navigator who quaintly calls himself ' the North-West Foxe.' That Captain Lu e Foxe did trace this part of his chart from that of Baffin tliere can be little doubt, as none but Baffin could have laid down such a chart, agreeing, us H does, most re- markably, even to a few minutes of iongiludc. VVs state this with groat confidence. A map or chart may he faulty in a thousand ways, but can he correct only in one ; and as no navigator but Baffin, before Foxe's time, ever was in the bay that bears his name, none but Baffin could draw a correct chart of it. All attempts that we have seen to lay down this bay geographically from the vague journal of IBaffin, have utterly failed j some of them have made it to extend from thirty to forty degrees of longitude more than it actually does, while others, unable to trace any thing like an outline frum Batlin's description, have left it entirely open to the northward for future discovery. That Foxe was in possession of Baffin's chart, which Purchas found ' somewhat troublesome tind too costly to insert' in his collection, we >.':i m ^n Parry's Voyage of Discovery. that the mere opening of one of these sounds had been looked into and described, reprehensibly erroneous as the description was, to enable us to form a pretty correct notion of what, at least, it a?oi tiot. No extraordinary degree of scepticism was necessary tc deny the existence of mountains gratuitously asserted, or of conti nuous ice on the surface of a sea a thousand fathoms deep, and oi the temperature of 36° — no great penetration was required to rejeci alleged facts physically impossible, and to disregard assertions thai carried with them their own refutation. In truth, the opinion we had formed of ' Sir James Lancaster's Sound of Baffin' was that of every unprejudiced reader; and, accordingly, we now find, from Captain Parry's instrjctioiis, that the examination of this inlet was to be considered as the first and most particular object of his research. The result is highly flat- tering to this distinguished young officer ; and we may, perhaps, be pardoned if, on this occasion, we take some little merit to our- selves for having revived the subject of a North- West Passage; (No. XXXI.) for having kept alive the public attention to it, b) collecting and examining such reports and fncts as appeared to bear on the question, and to be favourable to its existence and practica- bility; (No. XXXV.) as well as for having first suggested (in the same Number, by way of higher encouragement) a graduated scale of rewards which, being since adopted by parliament, has conferred some little pecuniary benefit, in addition to an honourable mark ol distinction, on the commander of the expedition, and his brave and meritorious associates. On these grounds we certainly do feel some little exultation ; and most of all that the honour of the discovery of an open passage from Baffin's Bay into the Polar Sea has been reserved for the British navy ; — for that navy which, after maintaining its share of a twenty years' war with glorious success is, we trust, destined, under the auspices of George IV., to add to those brilliant geographical discoveries (for which the world was so much indebted to i^ during the reign of George III.,) that last and almost only remairning one — A North-West Passage from the Atlantic into THE Pacipic; the search for which commenced with Henry VII., I received his gracious favour wiih a map of all my predecessor's discoveries.' It may be remarlied, that in this cliart uf Fuxe three islands are laid down to the northward of Spitzbergen, called the Siiefrerde's Orca<'.es, in latitude 82"^. Baffin was the ablest and most scientific navigator of his day, and is the first on record who |>ractioally deduced the longitude from observations compared with the moon's place in the heavens at » given time and place. He was, therefore, not only n good mariner but a good mathe- matician ; and it appears from ' a briefe discourse of Master Brigges,' that he died in the practice of his favourite pursuit, at the siege of Ormuz, being ' slaine in fight with ii »bot, as he was trying his matlieinaticali projects and conclusions.' Such was the man whom a mere dabblrr in geography (Pinkertr >) has had the elFrontery to stigmatize with the name of ' impostor.' was Was wa of in s hopes, the last which i The the fori confide labours that no its autli attemp tiiarvell ignorar libitum brain ;- current impeac pie anc The ready t (now < possibl wind i same i sight < Capiai proof with M like A league On great ( the CO with t days a Several renheii great e equal I higher the ai 4(y:— ture o invari; vo Parry's Vvi/age of Discovery. 177 n looked into )lion was, to t least, it zvas, necessary tc 1, or of conti \ deep, and ol uired to rejeci issertions tha: s Lancaster's reader; and, ructiotis, that the first and is highly flat- nay, perhaps, merit to our- Jesi Passage; ition to It, b) Deared to bear and practica- gested (in the aduated scale has conferred rable mark ot his brave and cultation ; and open passage erved for tlie ; its share of a estined, under geographical :d to \y during emaihing one ANTIC INTO liHenryVH, :overies.' It may the northward of lai the ablest ami actioall^ deduced I the heavens at a ut a good inathe- hat he died In the lie in fight witli ;i such was the niiiii tcry to stigmatize was Vas warmly patronized by Elizabeth, and never wholly lost sight of in succeeding reigns. The grounds on which we build our hopes, we shall reserve urnii we have taken a short view of what the last voyage has accomplished, and of die facts and observations which it has supplied for the interests of geography and science. The narrative of this Voyage is drawn up by Captain Parry in the form of a journal ; and after a most attentive perusal we can confiiiently say, that few books, since the commencement of our labours, have afforded us more to praise or less to cens' re ; and that not one has inspired us with more respect for the character of its author. In this work we find no display of self-importaiice, no attempt to deceive, or throw dust in the eyes of the public; no marvellous stories to disgust or confound the wise, and make the ignorant stare ; no figures set down at random ; no lines drawn ad libitum ; no representations of objects, the mere fancies of the brain ; — but, on the contrary, a plain statement of facts and oc- currences, and a detail of scientific observations, made with un- impeachable accuracy, and recorded in the clearest and most sim- ple and unaffected language. The two ships, the Hecia, bomb, and Griper, gun-brig, were ready to proceed oti the 4lh of May, 1819; and as Lieutenant (now Captain) ^arry was extremely anxious to arrive as early as possible in Davi 's Strait, they were towed by a steam-boat (the wind being unfavourable) as far as Northfleet. On the 20lh of the same month they passed the Orknevs, and on the 24th came in sight of the small solitary crag called Hockai ; on which occasion Captain Parry observes, — * There is, perhaps, no more striking proof of the infinite value of chronometers at sea than the certainty with which a ship may sail directly for a single rock like this, rising like a speck out of the ocean, and at the distance of forty-seven leagues iVom any other land.' On die 15th of June they had a view of Cape Farewell at the great distance of more than forty leagues; this they attributed to the combined effects of a clear and humid atmosphere, together with the refraction md the loftiness of the Cape itself. Three days after, they fell in with the first stream of ice, in which were several icebergs, and experienced at once a reduction of 3° of Fah- renheit. The temperature of the bottom of the sea, or at certain great depths, which had hitherto been uniforndy lower than, or just equal to, that of the surface, was now, at the depth of 'IQO fathoms, higher, being 39°, whilst that of the surface was only 37°, and of the air 35^ ; the latitude at the time of these experiments was 59° AQf : — and it may here be observed, once for all, that the tempera- ture of the bottom of the sea, or at considerable depths, was found invariably to be higher than that of the surface-water, when the VOL. XXV. NO. XLix. M latter 178 Parry's I'oijoge of Discovery. latter was at or near the freezing point, during the whole voyage \ which is just the contrary of what takes place within the seas ol the temperate and torrid zones. On the '24th, in lat. 63° J4' 24", long. Gl^ 34' 28", the ships ap- proached a long chain of icebergs, intermixed with floes of ice, the former apparently aground in 120 fathoms. Here the ice, which, to the westward, presented one uniform unbroken surface, without the least appearance of water, closed upon them. The roll of the sea forced tlie heavy masses against the rudders and counters with such violence as would have endangered the safety of the best ships built in the ordinary way ; strengthened as these were, however, they escaped without the smallest injury. While thus beset, the people of the Griper killed a bear which had been attracted by the smell of some red herrings accidentally frying at the time, a practice purposely resorted to by the Greenland fishermen to entice these animals near them. It was not till the fifth day that, with every exertion, they succeeded in getting back to the eastward into clear water. Proceeding to the northward along the edge of the ice, the ships crossed the arctic circle on the 3d July, having, on that day, passed at least fifty icebergs of large dimensions ; and on the following, a inore extensive chain and of superior size, against which a heavy southerly swell, * dashing the loose ice with tremendous force, sometimes raised a white spray over them to the height of more than one hunu. d feet, and, being accompanied with a loud noise, exactly resembling the roar of distant thunder, presented a scene at once sublime and terrific' Here Captain Parry again pushed the ships into the ice, with the view of crossing over to the western shore, but it fell cahu, and they could make no way; a>id he re- marks that it invariably happened, however fresh the breeze outside the ice, that it died away on entering it, even on approaching floes of small extent, and of little height above the sea. He was, therefore, again compelled to back out and stand farther to the northward, passing several icebergs, from which streams of the purest water were pouring d the ships lores of the t, and not a To a large the name of , the earliest transformed, It and insu- had assigned ininterrupted fact, neither iry, opposed eded rapidly direction of of line, and part of the er ourselves of the most i distance of able accom- endered the ed the usual in from the r, disturbed these lliese plensitig prospects; land was scon ahead ; and though a nearer approach enabled them to ascertain that it was only a small island, tlicy had the mortification to discover that a tloe of ice extended from it to the northern shore. They had now reached long. 89° IS' 40'; and the weather being calm, the people employed themselves in endeavouring to kill one of the nmiierous white whales which were playing round the ships; the aninnds, however, were too wary to suffer themselves to l)e approached. They are described as generally about eighteen or twenty feet in length : — several times, it is stated, they were heard to emit a shrill ringing sound, not unlike that of musical glasses badly played; this soinid was most distinct when the animal was directly beneath the boat, and several feet belcw it, and ceased altogether on its coming to the surface. A large inlet on the sovithern shore, not less than ten leagues uide at its mouth, and without any land visible in the line of its direction, induced Captain Parry to stand down its eastern side along the edge of the ice, in a broad and open channel, in the bope that it might lead to a clearer passage to the westward, in a lower latitude than the parallel of Barrow's Strait, (^iir naviga- tors had observed that, from the moment they entered Sir James Lancaster's Sound, the sluggish movement of the compass-cards, and the irregularity occasioned by the attraction of the ships' iron, had imiformly and rapidly increased as they moved westward; but in descending this inlet, their power of motion became less as they proceeded ; and when they had reached lat. 73°, ' we wit- nessed,' says Captain Parry, * for the first time, th^ curious phe- nomenon of the directive power of the needle becoming so weak as to be completely overcome by the attraction of the ship; so that the needle might now be properly said to point to the north pole of the ship.' For all the purposes of navigation, therefore, the compasses were henceforth little better than useless lumber. A needle, in which the friction was almost entirely removed by a thread suspension, was observed to move round with the ship, always pointing steadily to her head in whatever direction it hap- pened to be. No magnetical observations, therefore, from this period, were attempted to be made on board, but the instrunjents were carried on shore, or (where it could be done) to an iceberg, or field of ice; and even here the directive power was so sluggish that the most delicately suspended needles required tapping with the hand to make them move. An observation, taken on shore, in lat. 7<2° 4,y l.V, lon^. 89° 41' 2'2", gave 88° 'i6' 4'i" for the dip, and 118^ 23' 37" W. for the variation. Prince Regent's Inlet (for so Captain Parry has named it) in- fieascd in width as they proceeded to the southward, and with it M :> thejr 182 I'luiy'" f'^f'J/iig*^ ^1 Discovciy. I their liope«of a passago, (.specially as the land on the western side trended more and more to the south-weslward as they advanced. * I have before observed,' Captain Parry says, * that the east and west lands which form tliis j;raiid inlet are probably islands: and, on an in- spection of'the charts, 1 think it will also appear highly probable that a communication will one day be found to exist between this inlet and Hudson's Bay, either through the broad and unexplored channel called Sir Thomas Howe's Welcome, or through Repulse Bay, which has nt.t yet been satisfactorily examined. It is also probable, that a channel will be found to exist between the western land and the northern coast of America; in which case the Hood tide which came from the south- ward may have proceeded round the southern point of the west land and out of the I'rogres9. The southern fronts sea, which was ain Parry says, e same part oi ompletely co- Fogs and light Dearances were the continuity t opening eight leagues leagues in width, in looking up which, on a beautifully clear evening, neither land nor ice could be seen from the mast head; it was named Wellington Channel. ' Tlie arrival oflthis grand cpening was an event for which we had long been looking with nuKh anxiety and impatience; for the conti- nuity of land to the northward had always been a source of uneasi- ness to us, principally from the pt)ssibility that it might take a turn to the southward and unite with the coast of America. 'I'he appearance «)l this broad opening, free from ice, and of the land on each side of it, more especially that on the west, leaving scarcely a doubt in our minds of the latter being an island, relieved us from all anxiety on that score; and every one felt that we were now finally disentangled I'rom the land which forms the western side of Tallin's Hay; and that, in fact, we had actually entered the I'olar sea.' Captiiin Parry adds, ' Thouj^h two thirds (jf the month of August had now elapsed, I had every reason to be satisfied with the progress which we had hitherto made. I calcula- ted upon the sea being still navi^;able for six weeks to come, and pro- bubly more, if the state of the ice would permit us to edge away to the southward in our progress westerly: our prospects, indeed, were truly exhih ratin<;; the ships had sutl'ered no injury; we had plenty of pro- visions; crews in high health and spirits; a sea, if not open, al least navigable; aiul a zealous and unanimous determination in boi!i officers and men to accomplish, b}' all possible means, the grand object on which we had the happiness to be employed.' — pp. 51, 52. On the 'i.'Jd, "/ little beyond the western point of Wellington Channel, the ships had to ' bore' through a narrow stream of ice. The formation of the land to the northward of them had now as- sumed a dift'erent structure, and, instead of rising precipitously from the sea, oft'ered a sloping sandy beach. It was now evident that the passage was studded with islands, and that their further progress, from the shoaling of the water, the occasional fogs, and the floes of ice, would require the greatest vigilance and circum- flpection. The islands were of moderate height and entirely clear of snow; yet it was remarked, with some degree of unpleasant feeling, that for a whole day (26th), neither sea nor land had pre- sented to their view a single living creature of any description. Still, howevir, though the sea to the southward of them was for the most part covered with a compact and undivided body of ice, it was encouraging to observe that a channel of sufficient width was open between it and the shore of a large island, named, by Cap- tain Parry, Bathurst's Island. On the eastern point of another bland beyond this (called Byam Martin's) Captain Sabine and a party landed to make observations, and to examine the natural pro- ductions. They found the remains of four Esquimaux habitations, consisting of stones rudely piled in an elliptical form, like those seen at Hare Island the preceding year. Very little snow remained »i 4 on .1-X:4^.- 184 Parry 'i Voyage of Discover!/. on the ground; and the valleys were covered with luxuriant moss and other vegetation, similar to thnt noticed at Possession Bay. Recent traces of the rein-deer and musk-ox were seen in many places. The fixed rock was sandstone, and pieces of granite and red feld-spar were strewed on the surface. Captain Sabine found that the directive power of the compasses was weaker, (at least the cards were more sluggish,) than at the place of observation in Kegent's Inlet, where the dip was nearly the same ; but that, when they had settled, they indicated the meridian with more precision. The result is highly interesting. ' The latitude of t'vj place of observation was 75°09'23", and the longitude, by chronometers, 103° 44' 3?". The dip of the magnetic needle was 88° 25' .58, and the variation was now found to have changed from 128° 58' west, in the longitude of 91° 48', where our last observa- tions on shore had been made, to l65° 50' 0^" east, at our present sta- tion; so that we had, in sailing over the space included between those two meridians, crossed immediately to the northward of the magnetic pole, and had undoubtedly passed over one of those spots upon the globe, where the needle would have been foond to vary 180°, or in other words, where its north pole would have pointed due south. This spot would, in all probability, at this time be somewhere not far from the meridian of 100° west of Greenwich. It would undoubtedly have been extremely interesting to obtain such an observation, and in any other than the very precarious navigation in which we were now en- gaged, I should have felt it my duty to devote a certain time to this particular purpose; but, under present circumstances, it was impossible for me to regret the cause which alone had prevented it, especially as the importance to science of this observation was not sufficient to com- pensate the delay which the search after such a spot would necessarily have occasioned, and which could hardly be justified at a moment when Ave were making, and for two or three days continued to make, a rapid and unobstructed progress towards the accomplishment of our principal object.' — p. 62. From this place to the farthest westerly extreme of another large island, to which Captain Parry gave the name of Melville Island, the navigation became more and more interrupted by ice, so as now to be effected onlv through a narrow channel of water between It and the shore, sometinies extended to four or five miles in width, and at others contracted to a few hundred yards. The weather too was observed to become daily worse, the sun being almost con- stantly obscured by dense fogs, a portion of the nights dark, and the frost severe. By the 4th September, however, they had suc- ceeded in passing the meridian of 1 10° west longitude in latitude 74° 44' 20", which entitled them to the first Sum in the Scale of Rewards granted by parliament, namely five thousand pounds. The ships, at diis time, being just opposite a projecting point, it was called by the men Bounty Cape. Beyond Parr}'* Voyage of Discoien/. 18.5 uriant moss session Bay. ;eii in many granite and )abine found er, (at least >servation in It that, when re precision. ' 23", and the he magnetic lave changed last observa- r present sta- •etween those the magnetic lots upon the •y 180°, or in south. This : not far from )ubtedly have I, and in any 'ere now en- I time to this /as impossible especially as cient to com- Id necessarily moment when Tiake, a rapid our principal mother large Iville Island, »y ice, so as Iter between lies in width, rhe weather almost con- its dark, and hey had snc- le in latitude the Scale of ounds. The )oint, it was Beyond Beyond this point was another cape, to which the ice was so closely attached as to oppose an apparently impenetrable barrier to all fmther progress. Nothing, therefore, remained but to bring the ships to anchor; and it most fortunately happened that an ex- cellent roadstead was at hand: to this was proleptically given the appropriate name of the Bay of the Hecla and Griper; not only as it was the first spot at which the ships had dropped anchor since leaving the coast of Norfolk, but that also to which they were doomed to return and pass a long, a wearisome and gloomy win- ter. As it appeared to mark in a very decided manner the com- pletion of one stige of the voyage, the ensigns and pendants were hoisted; * and it created in us,' says Captain Parry, * no ordinary feelings of pleasure' (words which we trust will be read with no or- dinan/ feel i tigs of pride) * to see the British flag waving, for the first time, in these regions, which had hitherto been considered be- yond the limits of the habitable part of the world.* It was now the 7lh September, and the thermometer had fallen to 23°, the sea was covered with fioes and large masses of ice, and the nights were so dark from ten till two, that it was abso- lutely necessary to make fast the ships during that interval : yet, as Captain Parry felt that the ultimate accomplishment of the grand object of the voyage njninly depended on the progress to be made in the present season, short as it was, he determined to struggle against a' I obstacles, and to extend his operations to the latest pos- sible period. The closeness of the ice to the shore, however, would only allow of moving the ships to a more sheltered situation near the beach, as a security from the pressure of the great body of ice without, which was now observed to be setting fast towards them. They fortunately succeeded in pushing within two of those vast masses, which, at the distance of three hundred yards from the beach, were aground in twelve fathoms of water, and from twenty to thirty feet above the surface. The main ice was thus prevented from coming in contact with the ships, which, in such a case, nnist inevitably have been thrown on the shore, and crushed to atoms. One floe from the westward, catching a corner of the mass within which the Hecla was secured, turned it round as on a pivot. On the 14th September, whilst vainly struggling to get to the westward, the thermometer descended as low as 9*^, a decrease in the temperature as sudden as it was unexpected; and from this day, as it afterwards appeared, may be dated the commencement of their winter Little prospect now remained of making any fmther progress, the heavy ice being close in with the shore, and the few contracted pools of water covered widi young or bay ice, through which the ships could be moved with difficulty, even with the as- sistance of u strong breeze; they were in fact at the meicy of the great 1 86 Variy's Voyage uf Discovery. great floes, which, closing in witli the shore, drove them in what- ever direction the impulse was given. Some idea may be formed of their perilous situation from what follows: — ' We now seemed to have got rather within the drift of the main body of ice, which passed us to the westward at the rate of two miles an hour; but, at length, the point of a hirge field, which had hitherto not approaclied th«i shore nearer than two or three hundred yards, was observed to be rapidly nearing us. Immediately to the westward of the spot where the Hecla's anchor had been dropped, some very heavy ice, which, for distinction's sake, we called a berg, projected from the beach to the distance of a hundred and fifty yards. I'he ships had for- tunately been forced by the ice, one on each side of this projecting point; for at eight P. M. the field came in contact with it with a tre- mendous crash, piling up the enormous fragments of ice in the most awful and terrific manner; this seemed to break, in some degree, the force with which the ice had been driving; a force which may almost be considered incalculable, as we could not see over the field in motion from our mast-he.id. We were at this time within a hundred yards of the point, and had, therefore, great reason to be thankful for having escaped being carried into a situation in which no human power or skill could have saved the ships from instant destruction.' — p. .91. The Griper was absolutely forced upon the beach; and, as her situation was one of great danger. Captain Parry sent to take out Lieutenant Liddon, then in a most debilitated state, and convey him on board the Hecia: this young oflicer, with the true spirit of an English sailor, rejected his kindness, caused himself to be brought upon deck and, seated in his chair, gave the necessary orders, de- claring that he would be the last man, instead of the first, to aban- don his ship. Soon after, happily, by the retiring of the ice, and the rise of the tide, the Griper floated. It was now, however, too evi- dent that further perseverance would be useless, and probably de- structive both of ships and people : the 20th September had ar- rived, on which day the highest point of the thermometer was only 21°, and the lowest \0\°. * The advanced period of the season, the UTipromising appearance of the ice to the westward, and the risk to the ships with which the navigation had been attended for some days past, naturally led me,' Captain Parry observes, ' to the conclusion that the time had now arrived, when it be- came absolutely necessary to look out for winler-quarters. Among the circumstances which now rendered this navigation more than usually perilous, and the hope of success proportionally less, there was none whi<-'i gave more reasonable ground for apprehension than the incredi- ble rapidity with which the young ice formed upon the surface of the sea, during the greater part of the twenty-four hours. It had become evident, indeeil, that it could only be attributed to the strong winds which had lately prevailed, that the sea was not at this time perma- nently frozen over; for, whenever the wind blew less than a gale, that formation ftnml rapi(l twenl njusfl atioii , Itl tliem in what- my be formed "ft of the main te of two miles *h had hitherto Ired yards, was ivestwardofthe very heavy ice, cted from the ^ ships had for- th is projecting 1 it with a tre- ce in the most ne degree, the b may almost it'ld in motion id red yards of 'ui for having power or skill .91. ; and, as lier t to lake our 1 convey liim spirit of an > be brought y orders, de- rst, to aban- 2 ice, and the ver, too evi- )robably de- ber had ar- ter was only aranceofthe le navigation iptain Parry when it be- Among the han usually re was none the incredi- face of the lud become rong winds me perma- 1 gale, that formation Parry's Vot/age of Discovert/. 187 ftwmation took place immediately, and went on vlth suoJi astonishing rapidity, that had tlie weather continued calm for more than four-and- twftity hours together, it seemed to me extremely probable, that we n^ust have passed the winter in our present exposed and insecure situ- ation.'— pp. 93, 94. It was most fortunate tliat Captain Parry came to this resolution when he did, as a single day later might have been fatal to the expedition; for on arriving at Winter Harbour, at ihf. head of the bay of the Hecla and Griper, the whole of its surface was found so completely covered with new ice, that they were obliged to open a canal with saws to admit the ships; an operation which occupied tbe greatest part of three days — the average thickness of the ice being seven inches, and the whole length of the cut 4082 yards, or nearly two miles and one third. On the last of these days (the 2()tU September) the mercury in the thermometer fell one degree below zero, and on the following day the sea was observed from the hills to be frozen over as far as the eye could reach ; nor was any open water seen after this period. The canal, therefore, being now con>- pleted, the ships were tracked up into their winter-quarters, and the men, savs Captain Parry, * hailed the event with three loud and hearty cheers.'"* * Having now,' he continues, * reached the station where in all probability we were destined to remain for at least eight or nine months, during three of which we were not to see the face of the sun, my attention was immediately and imperiously called to various important duties:' these consisted principally in putting into execution the best means for the security of the ships, provisions and stores, and for the maintenance of good order and cleanliness, so conducive to the health and comfort of the crews during the long, dark and dreary winter before them. The first ope- ration, after removing all tlie Ireavy stores and timber on shore, in order to have a clear deck for exercise, was to house the ships en- tirely over, and to cover the roof with a thick wadding tilt, such as is used for covering waggons; to bank up the snow as high as the main-chains; and to provide for the warmth and dryness of the births by means of an oven and stove-pipe. Here, however, he had some dithculties to overcome which could not readily have been anticipated. It was found that when the temperature of the atmos- • Willi very rlillcrent iVt-IiufZS, ami iiidfed unrlcr very difTerenl circuiiistaiiccr,, in (lie same parullcl oil the cuiist ut Nuva /cniliia, did tlic iinfortunute l>:iivnt/, and Lis com- jianioiis inter thatdismal spot, ' wlicre,' savfi the wriltT, ' we ivcie forced, in great cold, v^ povcitic, niisiric and yiiufo, to stav all that winter.' The patient resignation with which tiiese jwor men horc their siiH'i rings, the orderly conduct, good iiuruour, and even clieei fulness, occasionally displa\ing itself in the f all diseases at *^® animation in his fingers on one hand, that it was necessary to ampu- ible food and ex **^® I'lree of them a short time after, notwithstanding all the care and ^ h« i^..^^;...^ • attention paid to him by the medical gentlemen. The effect which ex- ) ue prenisposniu' ^ "^ c ^ > ■ , i- ^1 1 n .l „. . ' .5 " posure to severe irost has, ni benumbmg the mental as well as the cor- appear to be ex- ... '.....& ... •n was furnished irticl poreal faculties, was very striking in this man, as well as in two of the young gentlemen \/iio returned after dark, and of whom we were anxi- ticle ot fuel, a ous to make inquiries respecting Pearson adopted. The my cabin, they looked wild, spoke thici When I sent for them into my cabin, they looked wild, spoke thick and indistinctly, and it was which an officer impossible to draw from them a rativ. nal answer to any of our questions. ional cleanliness, After being on board for a short time, the mental faculties appeared on. The crews gradually to return with the returning circulation, and it was not till inw, and once a ^^^"^ ^^^'"^^ '^ looker-on could easily persuade himself that they had not hat if the le: i *^*'" drinking too freely.*— pp. 108, IO9. gilt at once be These excursions had afforded exercise and amusement in turns >wed to take ex- to the people; and Captain Parry, naturally desirous to fill up tlie nt, to run roiuid hours of leisure and inactivity which resulted from tiieir disconli- awn songs. piuance, proposed to the officers to get up a play, occasionaHy, on jrbour, huntnig board the Hecla, as the best and readiest means of prese"''iig, but before the through the long and dreary interval before them, that cheerfulness Melville island, and good humour which had hitherto subsisted. To this proposal onipany during they immediately assented; and in these amusements, says Captain )bserved in vast Parry, ' I gladly undertook a part myself, considering that an ex- ce to the coast ample of cheerfulness, by giving a direct countenance to every thing I. I he wolves that could contribute to it, was not the least essential part of my the winter, and duty, under the peculiar circumstances in which we were placed.* never returned, TRie tirst performance was Miss in her Teens, and it was acted 011 ing, itwas sup- the 5th of November, the day on which the sun sank below the A^^as caught in a hori/on not to rise again for three tedious months. The repi e- 311 shortly after sentii ". was received with rapturous applause, manifested in a true t as they were siilor-like manner, by three hearty cheers ; and it evidently afforded 'd. so nmch anuisement to the men as to determine Captain Parry to neglected their repeat the entertainment once a fortnight during the dark season. apprehension Even the occupation of fitting up the theatre, and taking it in pieces nig extract are agaiii; before and after each performance, was a matter of no little precisely impor- 190 Parry'* l^oj/age of Discovert/. importance ; * for I dreaded/ says Captain Parry, ' the want employment as one of the worst evils that was likely to befall iiJ As the stock of plays on board (or rather of farces, for it dol not appear that the green-room was in possession of a single piecf of five acts) was but scanty, * our authors,' says Captain ParrJ set to work, themselves, and produced, as a Christmas piece, a niij sical entertaiiiiuent, expressly adapted to our audience, and haviiij a reference to the service on which we were engaged.' Captai* Parry, we have reason to believe, was himself the author: indot. • ... ICfi U 1 this officer seems to have united in his own person a greater numbtj. ' j^^^ of qualifications ihan fall to the generality of mankind. ^^^ ^ These amusements necessarily engaged the attention of the oti^^yere cers as well as the men ; but Captain Parry conceived that somegfpuni thing more might be desirable to divert the minds of the form(tl||i sn< from dwelling too eagerly on their present situation ; and with tl)iio|| hi view he suggested, as an amusing occupation during the hours cO'^u''' constant darkness, the setting on foot of a weekly newspaper, tf»?"s, be called The North Georgia Gazette, and Winter Chronicle, o*"!! which Captain Sabine undertook the editorship; ' and I can s^fc'^w !. say,' observes Captain Parry, * that these weekly contributions ha/.-^jjj ^ the happy effect of employing the leisure hours of those who fiUn^n i nished them, and of diverting the mind from the gloomy prospccgQund which would sonietimes obtrude itself on the stoutest heart :' it dinmch more, and * employed and cfieered' not only the nunds of the coiisij^nct tributors, but of those who, from diffidence of their own talent^a^e c could not be prevailed on to add their mite to the little stock ( ti^; it which was weekly demanded ; * for even they (says Captain Parr\ 1^^' ^ were not unwilling to read, and more ready to criticize than thos^f*^ who wielded the pen; but it was that good humoured sort "^ cfi**«. ? ticism lliat could not give offence.' This Gazette, consisting »^^e twenty-one Numbers, has been printed by the officers in com|)liy|^^^.g, ance with the wishes of their friends : — and when it is considered;! «. Dj what an early period die officers of the navy are sent to sea (gent be sal rally at eleven or twelve years of age), and that the education whicitlw m they receive on board can scarcely be supposed to be on the be.bfoug or most enlarged plan, it will, we think, be admitted that many (^fi^^t^^ the papers in the North Georgia Gazette are far superior to vvIk;''M*''*^ might reasonably be expected, and such as would not discredit tli ^§^^ ' more regular scholar and practised writer. ^^^ The officers indulged themselves generally for one or two hour ^^\^. in the middle of the day, when the weather would admit of itr:' in rambling on shore, even in the darkest period, though, as niafM^l well bo imagined, there was little in Uiese walks that could interejM?"" or amuse. I'hey were however frequently, and as it were, habitua]l|"Rfo' taken Parry's Voyage of Discovert/. 191 •y, ' the want kely to befall iJ arces, for it doj of a single piec ys Captain ParrJ mas piece, a niu ience, and haviiJ gaged.' Captai* le autlior; indet. en, even when the tliermonieter was 30°, 40=, or even 50° below o, and without experiencing much inconvenience from this in- se degree of cohj, provided tt»ere was no wind ; but the lightest eze made an exposure to it intolerable, even with the thermo- ter many degrees above zero. The dull and tedious monotony ich day after day presented itself to our navigators, Captain ry thus describes : — To the southward was the sea, covered with one unbroken surt'ace of a wreater nun T'*^*' "'"'"'"'" '" '^^ dazzling whiteness, except that, in some parts, a 1 J® • few hummocks were seen thrown up somewhat above the general level. . ' - , .Nor did the land offer much greater variety, being almost entirely niion ot tiie ori^Qygj.gj ^^,ij[, snow, except here and there a brown patch of bare ceived that sonitgi^jund, in some expos*. 1 situations, where the wind had not allowed ids of the fornutlit snow to remain. When viewed from the summit of the neighbour- in ; and with thiiiw hills, on one of those calm and clear days, which not unfrequently iring the hours (O^purred during the winter, the scene was such as to induce contempla- ly newspaper |tipns, which had, perhaps, more of melancholy than of any other feel- ter Chrofiicle c'^fr ^^^ ^" object was to be seen on which the eye could long rest * and I cm safcl^'*'* pleasure, unless when directed to the spot where the shigs lay, and •ontribiitions I ■^**''^*' our little colony was planted. The smoke which there issued V .1 I r' fiwn the several fires, affording a certain indication of the presence of c wiju '"'man, gave a partial cheerfulness to this part of the prospect; and the lilo gloomy prospcjo^nd of voices, which, during the cold weather, could he heard at a est heart : it dinmch greater distance than usual, served now and then to break the nmds ot the consijpnce which reigned around us, a silence far different from that peace- heir own talentia^e composure which characterizes the landscape of a cult .ated coun- lie little stock < try; it was the death-like stillness of the most dreary desolation, and the s Captain Parr\ ^^'^^^ absence of animated existence. Such, indeed, was the want of ob- iticize than thosi*^^^ ^^ afford relief to the eye or amusement to the mind, that a stone oured sort of cri °^ '''*^'^*^ ^^^^^ usual size appearing above the snow, in the direction to tte roil 1 tin '"'Ijich we were going, immediately became a mark, on which our eyes ttj ' . o f'were unconsciously fixed, and towards which we mechanically ad- fficers m compl „.^^^, It IS considered;] '-Dreary as such a scene must necessarily be, it could not, however, ent to sea (geiKfaesaid to be wholly wanting in interest, especially when associated in education whin the mind with the peculiarity of our situation, the object which had o be on the be>bcought us hither, and the hopes which the least sanguine among us ted that many (Sometimes entertained, of spending a part of our next winter in the superior to win; ra*>re genial climate of the South-Sea Islands. Perhaps too, though not discredit tli **9"*^ "^ "* ^'^^'^ ventured to confess it, our thoughts would sometimes in- vdantarily wander homewards, and institute a comparison between the inp nr ♦ I *'**6S*^d f^it^c of nature in this desolate region, and the livelier aspect of uld admit of ii.^ . . though, as nial'^^^ Thus occupied, the shortest day, or more correctly speaking the at could intere^pl^^^'^ ^^ ^he long night, came upon them unawares. At a liule were, habituall|ii|Rfo''e and after the noon of that dav, there was so much light as taken* ^ ' would 192 Parr)** Voyage of Discovery. would enable them to read small print when held towardi southern horizon, and allow them ' to walk comfortably foil hours.* However slowly the sun was now advancing toward] horizon, the very idea of having got the turn in their favoul highly exhilarating ; and dreadfully cold and bleak as Christma'l was, they contrived to observe it by the performance of divim] vice, and a social dinner, at which their friends in England wcijj forgotten. The old year closed with mild weather; but the month of J ary was miserably cold, the thermometer never once reachi'j high as zero, and generally standing from oO° to 40° below it. I the ^3d,' says Captain Parry, ' I received the first unpleasant r'l of the scurvy having made its appearance among us.' The pi I attacked was Mr. Scallon, gunner of the Hecla, and a conside degree of uneasiness was manifested at the unequivocal symp f of the complaint. Every attention was paid to the case by the. dical gentlemen; but the disease continued for some tiiii gain ground : by a liberal use of antiscorbutics, however, it<< checked, and at length happily subdued. Nothing contril- more, perhaps, to this effect than a daily supply of fresh mii and cress, which Captain Parry contrived to raise in his cabii boxes filled with earth, and ranged along the stove-pipe : by l. means he was generally able to ensure, even in the severe • which we have just noticed, a crop on the sixth or seventh day ^ sowing the seed. Though necessarily colourless for want of \-^^ it was just as pungent and aromatic as when grown in the opcij^^ On the 1 1th January, the thermometer was at 49* below i^^j yet the weather was perfectly calm, and the ofliicers walked on i^ without experiencing any of those dreadful effects said to ^^ from exposure to intense cold, by some who have written oijj climate of Siberia — such as producing a sensation on the lungp if they w ere torn asunder. It would appear indeed that the hii, | frame is capable of resisting both heat and cold, and of endtig^ with impunity a much more rapid and violent change from the.;, to the other than the people of this voyage were subject to. (,|( tain Parry says, that in the severest weather not a single inflanKj tory complaint occurred, * though in passing from the cabins n the open air, and vice versoj the men were constantly in the liu for some months of undergoing a change of from 80° to l,i and in several instances 120° of temperature in less than one^i nute.' II On the 3d February, by the refractive power of the atiie pliere, they had a slight glimpse of the upper limb of the sun,i on the 7th he displayed his full orb above the horizon. Thist the signal for making a show, at least, of preparation forthe ensi^ campai xscovtry. 7 I Parry'* Voyage of Discovery. 19.3 t when held towardP**^"' though they well knew that many tedious moiuhs must ivalk comfortably forP*** ^^^''y hefore the ships would be loosened from their icy »w advancing toward**** '''"'' collecting of stones for ballast, to the amount of about 3 turn in their favoii'"*^ *^"^' ^^^^ *''*"' ^'*' operation, which occupied a few hours md bleak as Christnia'^* ^^ '"^" ^^'<^ weather was sufficiently mild to enable them to )erformauce of divint without the risk of frost-bites; this, however, was but sel- iendsin England wei'» ""^' '^" ''^^ whole, the month of February was by far the lost which they experienced : the spirit in the thermometer on r; but the month of ^^''^ descended to —55°, and remained for fifteen hours ivot jr never once reachi'**^ ''''*" —54"; from which, in fifteen hours more, it gradually iO° to 40° below it '^*'* ^" increasing breeze of wind to —34°; but even in the the first unpleasant V^^^*^^'^*" ^^ cold, while it remained calm, no inconvenience amono- us.' The u ^* ^'""^ exposure to the open air. * We amused ourselves,' Hecla*and'a consid ' ^P*'^'" Parry, *in freezing some mercury during the continu- le unequivocal symn® ^ ^'"^ ^"'*^ weather, and by beating it out on an anvil, pre- aid to thecasebvil ''^ reduced to the temperature of the atmosphere; it did not inued for some t" '^*f ^" ^^ ^^^y malleable when in this state, usually breaking orbutics, however,*!!"^**'? V^''^^ ^^''''' ^'?"' «r ''^"VV*^'/ , . . A M,..i.;«„ . •i»ilOrtly after their arrival at W niter Harbour, an observatory had CI. INotning contriti- "^ , , • i • i i i i • . i -^ i suDulv of fi \ " erected on snore, m which the clocks, transit, pendulum, and ♦«\.r.;„« ; u- i-'ei" instruments were deposited. On the 24th of February, to raise in his cabii .• ^ u • c mo » a^o *u- i j- the stov i • h' WPrnionititer being from — 4.> to — 44 , this house was dis- «.,«.. ; ^L ^ erfd to be on tire. All hands were instantly at work to exiin- , even in the severe rir a i u • .i < 'n » sixth ' th f^• '«^f"e names, by heaping snow upon them. * 1 he appearance, „. „i f ''/.S Cuptain Parry, * which our faces presented at the tire was a ourless for want ot • * i ^ j i i i • u . . IOM8 one, almost every nose and cheek having become quite ■t loo K^l°^*^'^** with frost-bites in five minutes after being exposed to the «. , ^^ J J ^ ^itber ; so that it was deemed necessary for the medical gentle- f 1 re ^^'^ ^V ^^ n> together with some others appointed to assist them, to go con- c s said to ^jjy |.Q,m(j^ while the men were working at the fire, and to rub ^no have written oi|, g^^^^, ^1,^ parts affected, in order to restore animation.' With •^ j*^'!i°i! "8ry precaution, however, many severe frost-bites occurred; and no r indeed that the hii, jj,,,, gi^teen were added to the sick lists of the two ships. The CO d, and of entluj^gjj sufferer, however, was Captain Sabine's servant, who, w itii lit change from the jg^nt Martin, happened to be in the house at the time the fire were subject to. (,|j^ o„t ]„ [^jy anxiety to save the dipping-needle he had run not a single infiani; ^jj^thout his gloves; in consequence of which, his fingers, in the g from the cabins n^ of half an hour, were so benumbed, and the animation so constantly m the lift^tely suspended, that, on having his hands plunged into a or from 80 to Ijufof cold water, the surface was immediately covered with a in less than one^eOff ice in consequence of the intensity of the cold thus com- inicated to it : and noiw iUistanding the humane and unremitting power of the atiiention of the medical gentlemen, it was found necessary to le- T limb of the sun,t |o the amputation of a part of four fingers on one hand, and he horizon. This ee on die other. , . ►arationforthe ensiv^i,. .\xv. no. xi.ix. N ' The cainpai re lf)4 Pari>'i f'oj/oge of Discoveri/. n e nu The month of March set in mildly, so that the solid ice, \\l^ for some time had lined the ships' sides, began to melt. It lhf|~ fore became necessary to scrape off this coating of ice ; on \\\^^ occasion Captain Parry observes, * it will perhaps be scait,^ credited, that we this day (8lh March) removed above one huii,^ buckets' full, each containing from five to six gallons, being tlu.^ cumulation which had taken place in an interval of less than l~^ weeks; and tliis immense quantity was the produce chiefly of men's breath, and of the steam of their victuals during meals.' T^^ ice formed in a peculiar manner round the heads of the iron bi ' which readily conducted the external cold, so that a sort of icer j, in miniature was accumulated at each bolt-head. The few cj of scurvy which now appeared were evidently occasionedg- the damp of the bed-places ; and so fully were the officers j^ medical men convinced of it, that many of the birth-places \^^ taken down, and the men slung in hammocks ; a plan whicli been generally adopted in the ships now engaged on discovery; jjj as a further protection against the cold, a lining of burnt corkj ^ been interposed between the ships' sides and the interior coatin^ij fir plank. .|.|, 'ITie middle of April arrived without any sensible thaw. ,^jj the 30th, however, so rapid a change took place in the temp^^] ture of the atmosphere, that the thermometer rose to the freeza . or, as it may perhaps in this climate more properly be called Jj| thawing point, being the flrst time it had risen so high for q^f, months. This increased temperature, to the feelings, was so ni^j like that of summer, that it required the authority of the Cap ^ | to prevent the men from throwing aside their wintepclotli^gf The difference in twenty days was from — J2° to 4- 32° or 64°.^j] On the 12th May, the first ptarmigan was seen^ and next-f^i the first tracks of rein-deer and musk-oxen, indicating their t^^Iq directly to the northward. Thus, it was remarked, the perio),a( their migration had occurred with the first fine weather which ig q place after the commencement of constant day-light. After |j|q the birds and quadrupeds became daily more numerous, aiidf ^, hunting excursions were resumed. The snow too began nov| ^i pidly to leave the ground, and on the 24th, they were most a^^al ably mirprized by a smart shower of rain. * We had been 50^91 accustomed,' says Captain Parry, * to see water naturally in a ig^l state at all, and much less to see it fall from the heavens, that if an occurrence became a matter of considerable curiosity, and I, bi lieve every person on board hastened on deck to witness so inteo 4 ing as well as novel a phenomenon.' j y. Captain Parry now determined on a journey into the intetice the island, and fixed on the 1st of June for his departure. '.^\q 4 lat the solid ice, w Panv'i' Voi/agc of Discover!/. 105 gaii lie soiui ice, \i,j.^ ^^^^ ^^ jI^j^ journey fifteen days, \n\\h\^ crossed the island to to melt. It Ihi uoiiin.,.,, extremity without perceiving any land I'ardier to ilie iting ot ice ; on ^vt,rtfc\vard or to the westward. 'I'ho ground being almost entirely 11 perhaps be scar(,^^^^l ^1^1^ ^^^^^^ ^j^^^ suffered much from snow-blindness; but ved above one Hu" „,ti,e ships they found the sorrel pushing forth its leaves with great X gallons, being tlitj^^^^^ j^^j ^1,^ j^.^, ^^ ^j^^ harbour covered with innumerable pools ;erva of less than I ^,1^^. Indeed so rapid now was the thaw that, by the 20tli of produce cnieHy •>' .n^^ the ground in sheltered situations * was covered with patches of als dunng meals. L handsome purple flower of the Saxifraga opposilifolia, which,' heads of the >fO|» l^'ya Captain Parry, 'gave something likie cheerfulness and aniniatioii that a sort ot icel ^ gej.,ie hitherto indescribably dreary in its appearance.' Deer t-head. ine tew cj n,uj,|j oxen, hares, ducks, and ptarmigans, were now in great idently occaMonedg^jy^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^Ijj^g indicated the approach of summer. By the • T^*^\- u I *^®" ' and nc.xt;rQ|„itY of Melville Island. There is something peculiar in the si- , indicating their r|tJo„ of this point that prevents the ice from leaving the shore, emarked, the perioijad j,] every other part of the voyage been found to be case; it ne weather which ig owing probably to the discontinuance of land, or to the pre- day-light. After ligg i^ortherly winds having driven down the main body of ice, lore numerous, aiidj wedged it in among the islands. After struggling till the Ifith, low too began no\\| i^ Griper hi.ving been once more thrown on shore, with little they were most a^b^bility of being saved, Captain Parry determined to return to * We had been so ^mtward along the edge of the ice, with the intention of availing ater naturally in a ig^^f ©f any opening that might occur to get to the southward, the heavens, that if .possible, upon the coast of America. The farUiest point )le curiosity, and I, lM|d reached in the Polar Sea was lat. 74° 26' 23", and long. k to witness so inte© 45' 43''.5. t was not till the 26th that the ships got clear of Cape Provi- ney into the inteiice, after which the channel opened out so as to allow them to his departure, along with a fair breeze, with such rapidity and so little inter- N 2 ruption. Ii>fl Parry's f^ttj^age of Dkcovery. niption, that in six days they completely cleared Sir James I „ taster's Sound; and having once more gained Baffin's Ba},i;et stood along the western shore with the view of surveying that f\ j which had been so imperfectly seen on the former expedition. '!,« found it indented with several deep bays or inlets, similar td^y^ Jionlm on the coast of Norway. In one of these, about tlu- jg tiu\c 70° 2'2', they met with a tribe of Esquimaux, of a very 8U|Hf,g race to those seen on die coast of Old Greenland in the cxpc(li,„| of 1818. Captain Parry sums up his interesting account of i^ai people, by observing, re * Upon the whole, these people may be considered in posscssiel every necessary of life, as well sw of most of the comforts and coiii^^^^ ei.ces which can be enjoyed in so rude a state ol society. In the jy ation ivnd circumstances in which the Es(}uimaux of North Grct'17^ are placed, tliere is much to excite compassion for the low state to w human nature appears to be there reduced ; a state in few respcci perior to that of the bear or the seal, which they kill for their si tence. But, with tiiese, it was impossible not to experience a l(Mt of a more pleasing kind : there was a respectful decency in their . ral behaviour, which at once struck us as very different from that i other untutored Esquimaux, and in their persons there was less 01 — intolerable fdth by which these people are so generally distingui^U liut the superiority for which they are the most remarkable is, tht feet honesty which characterized all their dealings with ns. D the two hours that the men were on board, and for four or five : that we were subsequently among them on shore, on both which *2C sions the temptation to steal from us was perhaps stronger than v well imagine, and the opportunity of doing so by no means wantin. a single instance occurred, to my knowledge, of their pilfering tin trilling article. It is pleasing to record a fact, no less singular in than honourable to these simple people.' — p. 287. On the aOlh September, Captain Parry took a final leave ( ice, and, without any occurrence requiring particular notice, ai in the Thames about the middle of November. ^^ * Such (he says) was the excellent state of health which we ; tiine continued to enjoy on board the Hecla, that, during the wL~ ^ our late navigation from Winter Harbour to the coast of Scotland,*.*' a period of thirteen weeks, not a single case had been entered (* sick-list, except from one or two accidefits of a trifling nature ;Ur« had the happiness of seeing every officer and man on board botlic (with only one exception oil of ninety-four persons) return to tlictaM tivc country. in as robust health as when they left it, after an absepti nearly eighteen months, during which time we had been living t: fy on our own resources.' — p. 309. ,_ij The interests of science have not been neglected on this vr jg, though geographical discovery was the leading object, malice aiul important observations in meteorology, and some cmioii-er] :cry. Parry'* f^oi/agc of Diuovcn/. \\)7 Icared Sir James I niliiral hibtorv, liave l>ecii recorHid. Our iiotici; of ilicsc, liow- ned Baffin » Baj, i,^^ ,„„j,t l^, lf^^,^\ of surveying inat si Tinipi'rfituie.— V\i:\mnd as our explorers were, for a viiy low rmcrexpedilion. \rgnv. of temperature durinjj; the winter montlii<, they could not r inlets, siniuar tO|y0 expected, either from previous factM, or from theory, any ihin;^ f these, about the ^g {1,^ i„tt>,ise cold which they experienced at Melville Island. maux,ofa very suptfj^ register of the thermometer was accurately kept for every two nland in the cxpe(li„in j i^^ Captain Parry has given only, at the end of each month, restmg account of ttaMe showing the maximum^ rninimnm, and mean temperature rcfery day in that month, and the following abstract at the end of insidered in posscs^i elve nmnths. he comforts ami coivv,^^^.^ ,y ^Z,^, U^^^la's Mrtiorohniait Joiiniut for Tuchc Kalchdar J ol society. In «'"■ ilfrfff///.*, ////////i,' n///c// Vcviod the uns xcUhin f/icl'ara/Ukof74'"iuiU laux of North Greci750 of North Lutitmk. for the low state to v_».>-' 1 state in few respcci they kill for their si ot to experience a [(Mont lis. ful decency in their . f different from that ( sons there was less oi"~~ o generally distinguiily^Sept ost remarkable is, tht vct. iealings with ns. D Nov. and for four or five : V^c- lore, on both whicli *20. Jan. aps stronger than w **-'"• by no means wantin. Mar. of their pilfering tlit Apr. , no less singular in M«^y» 287. J^!'.;'' took a final leave ( ^J-/ particular notice, ai °' mber. Anaual Temperature f health which we : Mean Temperature of Air in Shade. Mux. Min. Mean. + 37° - r + 22'^.54 + 17.5 -28 - 3 .46' + 0' -47 — 20 .60 + 0- -43 -21 .79 — 2 -47 — 30 .09 -17 — 50 -32 .19 + ()• -40 — 18 .10 + 32 -32 — 8 .37 + 47 — 4 + 16.66 + 31 + 28 + 36 .24 + 6'0 + 32 + 42 .41 + 45 + 22 + 32 .68 Rkmauks. During the time that we were ill Winter Harbour, it was always found that the thermometer on board stood from 2° to 5° higher than the one on shore, from the warmth created by the fires, &c. 'Ihc tiiinintuni temperature for Fe bruary was — 50" on board, but — 55° on the ice. On the ice, 14th and 15th of February, the thermometer was at —54" for se venteen hours. The mean annual temperature may be fairly considered as 1" or 2^ below zero. I'e coast of ScotlandT^^ theory of Mayer, which Leslie has adopted, and on which =• had been entered (* been constructed a formula for ascertaining the mean tempc- of a triflin" nature; ur*' <»f the globe, has now been found to assign a much less de- d man on board botlic^f cold to high latitudes than actually exists. It makes, for persons) return to tlutalke, that of the North Pole 'Yi^, and of the parallel in which / left it, after an abstp(|||n Parry passed die winter, L»6°; being, therefore, erroneous ve had been living t: f||t|y as many degiees. JJoctor Brewster came to a conclusion ich nearer the truth. The ingenious Humboldt, in his Memoir neglected on this v( isothermal Lines, had shown that, in high latitudes, the dilVe- eading object, niaiiee of temperature in die same parallels of the old and new world y, and some curiou-er^ considerable; not leSs than 13^ of Fahrenheit in the parallel N .•) at' 198 Parry's Voi/age of Discovejy. of 50°, and 17° in that of 60^ higher in Europe than in AmciitJri He has also shown that the isothermal lines decline under the En-'a ern meridians of Asia. It had indeed long been known, that duiip" the s- !son of the fishery, the temperature of the Spitzbergen st ^ in the latitude of 80*», is higher than that of 70° in Baffin's I]^nJ On these grounds, and from comparing the thermometric curve** 17° in 78° of latitude on the meridian of Spitzbergen with that elf 63° on the meridian of Melville Island, Doctor Brewster, in a[eni per of great interest and ingenuity, observes, ' unless we suppc^ro that the climate of these regions is subject to no law, we are forc'PP to conclude that the pole of the globe is not the coldest point^. ^^ the Arctic hemisphere, and that there are two points of greui^^^ coldy not many degrees from the pole, and in meridians nearlv"*^ right angles to that which passes through the west of Europe.' '^U The exact position of these poles is not ascertained ; but Doc**® Brewster thinks they are situated in about 80° N. latitude, a"*^ 95" E. and 100" W. longitudes, or the one 5° to the north of G'*''< ham Moore's Bay ; and the other 1* to the north of the Bay"*" Taimura, near the North-East Cape. The recent discoveries *^"J the connection between electricity and magnetism, and the meteo***' logical phenomena observed by Captain Parry, had suggested,"** other quarters, the probability of the two points of greatest c *^ being the two magnetic poles; and the same idea occurred to 1)****J tor Brewster, who thinks that, ' imperfect as the analogy is *P^ tween the isothermal and the magnetic centres, it is yet too imp ™ tant to be passed over without notice.'* If, then, there be ^"^ truth in the above-mentioned theory, we may conclude that J®° place where the expedition wintered, is one of the coldest spot. ** the face of the globe. ''**' The meteorological phenomena and other effects produced b) ^f / extraordinary degree of cold, we may briefly enumerate. It i* ' first be observed, that such was the extreme dryness of the atii'^ phere, that, during the winter months, no snow whatever fell, was any thing in the shape of a cloud formed ; but whatever F "^ moisture might be in the air, was seen floating about in '' * minute spicula, assuming various forms of trystallization. 'X? was frequently remarked, that these spiculae, on the clearest wi?*^ days, came down and remained on the surface of the ground,?' the ice like very light snow, which, in falling, was scarcely ' ceptible, except when interposed between the eye and a dark' ^7. ject. These spicu/a; were visible in the brightest sunshine, an their floating about in the atmosphere may unquestionabh fL ascribed the numerous and beautiful parhelia, halos, parasti ,V * I'lie suiuc idea suggested itself, luanjr years ago, to the lute Sir Cliurles Dl.^*'"'* prisii . y- l*arr)''i f'oi/ag:' of Dimovciif. lyD pe llian in Amcrit'fWhiatic arches, and other meteorological appearances, wliiih !cline under the E;i-'>pt"'i> Parr}' has described and illustrated hy figures, with niiuiitu ?n known, that duripwcisio"- the Spitzberwen st When the thermometer sunk to — 34°, it became painful to touch 70^ in Baffin's BiJ^OJ^^'iig metallic, and required the utmost caution in handling the lermometric curve **'8"ts, and other instruments, particularly the eye-pieces of the tzbert'en with that c^**copes, which, if suft'ered to touch the face, occasioned an in- or B^wster in a r^nse burning pain ; and if the instrument, after being used, was * unless we supt)('''OVght into the cabin, the vapour condensing around it had the lo law we are forc'PPf^''*"ce of smoking, and the glasses were instantly covered with t the coldest point' *^"^ coating of ice. But it was never observed that the admis- voints of arein'^^^ ^^ the external air into the warm cabins condensed the vapour in meridians nearlv"**** ** snow shower, as has been asserted to be the case in the west of Europe.* neighbourhood of Hudson's Bay; thou'^h, under such circumstances, ertained • but Doc:'*® vapour was condensed into a visiule form like a very thick 80° N. 'latitude a'*'*'^*^» which, on settling against the sides and ceiling, became a ° to the north of C'*''* ^^ ^^^' Even at a much less temperature lha»i tha* above- ' north of the Bav"®"''^"^*^' ^'^^ breath of a person, at a liltie distance, looked ex- » recent discoveries *^*^y '''^^ ^'^^ smoke of a musket just fired ; and Captain Parry tism and the meteo***** ^''^^ ^ party of men employed on the ice appeared as if rrv had suggested, "*®^°P^^ '" ^ *'"<^^ ^^'^^^^ cloud. iits'of sreatest c I^''i"g ^^ low degree of temperature, a very considerable diffi- "dea occurred to D^'^^y '^^^"'^'^^^ '" '''^ taking of lunar distances, not merely from the analo»v is ^P***"*^*^ ^^ cold, but from the circumstance of its being necessary u :„ „-,* t^^ ;.,,.> nold the breath very carefully during the time of making the ob- es, it IS yet too niif f th there he ^'''**'^*^" » ^^^ ^^ ^'^^ \Q^^i vapour was suffered to touch the instru- n' onrlude thu '®°'' *' immediately became a coat of ice, which dimmed the ^Ttl ^ coldest snot'***** ^"^ rendered the instrument unserviceable : the cold also ° ^ racked the silver on the horizon and index-glasses ; and at — 36" -v. J pp(i V,, »e mercury of the artificial horizons froze into a solid mass, pro- enec p Tt r^^y ^'^'*' ^^^ impuriiv as it ought to have remained liquid as low ( ryne When the weather was warm, and the thermometer about — 24°, now ^ /* ^ Y upwards, the smoke from the funnels was observed not to rise, ed; but whatever I , ,^ _, :„' i.. !.„„:_.. -.._.i.. -_j . : c :i ! floating about in 1 1 * * ciys a " jtieed in a meteorological journal in his possession, kept at Fort the clearest nm- _. • u „ j„, .,>„ n u... .i i >i a\a ..„» jt to skim nearly horizontally, and to continue so for miles even f r...aiatl'i7'itinn -yo"^ the ships. The same effect, Captain Parry observes, is ,011 Hie cieaicot ^^^q^^^ in Hudscn's Bay; but the phenomenon there did not occur lace ot the g»"Oiniflu J^^ thermometer was down to —36". It was also remarked ling, was sea J,atuclnring the continuance of intense cold, sounds were distinctly the eye and a dar ^^^j^ ^^ ^^^^^j^ greater distances than they possibly could be heard ightest sunshine, ai, ^ ^j . ^^. ^^^^^.^^ ^^^ temperature. lay unquestionablj r^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ absence of animated beings, during the intense ;lia, halos, parasti ^,^^ ^,j^ ^^^^ .^jj^^^^. Captain Parry to ascertain the truth of those ti 1 le Sir Cliarles i3i;^^0'''-^'"''^'7 statements made by Hearne and Ellis, respecting the prisii N 4 freezing 200 rally's Foi/agc of DUcoveri/. freezing and reviving of certain cold-blooded animals; and w many have called in qnestion. We entertain, however, no doul the fact. An experiment, indeed, was made at the Royal Ins tion in December last, in freezing a frog to death by plunging il a mixture of the temperature of 20" below zero, and shortly a wards reviving it by exposure to a gentle heat ; it so far succc as to restore the animal to life, but it3 legs remained paralj another experiment failed altogether; but it must be recolU that llie creatures were roused from a state of torpidity, and jected to excessive cold almost instantaneously, whereas, win a state of nature, they burrow under the banks of rivers and I as the winter approaches, and are gradually frozen. Leechts know, may be frozen stiff like pieces of ice, and readily icslu but a leech has no lunirt. A fact no less curious we are eim to stale on the authority of Captain Buchan of tiie Navy. the interior of Newfoundland, he fell in with a frozen laktj watery surface of which, during the powerful rays of a March' appeared one vast sheet of moving matter. lu the evening, as t as frozen over, all was calm and still; but on the followinuM when the sun had dissolved the upper surface of the ice, nil; again in a state of animation; and on a closer inspection, it observed that myriads of flies were skimming about, and di embodied in the solid ice, and that these frozen insects, as became loosened from durance, were re-animated by the r:i» the sun. A similar fact is mentioned by Ellis, who says tri large black torpid mass like coal or peat, when placed befoic lire, was dissolved into a cloud of living mosquitoes. | The Aurora Borealis. — The faint but frequent appearaiud this splendid meteor rather disappointed the expectations oi- navigators. The coruscations wjre neither so vivid nor so in nor was the phenomenon attended with such a blaze of ligli those usually seen from about the parallel of GO^ to the arctic cr IJut their frequency enabled them to make many observain some of which seemed to be at variance with opinions very geiud adopted. It was never attended with the least crackling or rii;( noise; it invariably dimmed lue lustre of the stars; and inslip Bureaiix it might more properly be named Aurora Aiisi-t appearing almost always tf)waril the southern horizon. ThetK valions made by Captain Franklin and his officers on the coiil t)f America confirm those of Captain Parry. At Cumbi'l House, in hit. about .54° N., as soon as the frost began to 1>^ up, the Aurora was visible almost every light, especially in-* weather; but a gale of wind did not appti.r to disturb it in tin i or to affect its motions. He attended particularly while the tin 1 were most vivid and the coruscations most rapid, but could iiu' over If. P? ry's Voyage of Discovery . om dcd auinmis; niul wie least noise, yet all the reeiduiits assured him ti y had frequently ain, however, no douljafid a rustling sound ; indeed we are pretty well persuaded, nu- ide at the Royal Insierbiis and respectable as the testimonies to this fact may be, that death by plunging it e opinion has arisen from mere association of the idea of sound w zero, and shortly al connection \Mtli rapidity of motion. It is somewhat curious lieat ; it so far succciat the same writers, who contend for the noise, assume the place legs remained paraljf" the Aurora beyond the limits of the atmosphere, some making it lut it must be recolLjor 70, and others 150 miles high, — distances that would render ite of torpidity, and e conveyance of sound utterly impossible, (even if an atmosphere leously, whereas, wluas not wanting,) and wholly mcompatible with the celerity of its banks of rivers and lotions, which will frequently carry a flash from the horizon to illy frozen. Leecht;e voniith in less than a second of time. ice, and readily rcslu Ctptain Parry had no doubt of the Aurora being within the 3 curious we are eiiauits of the atmosphere, though in that region of it where it is much iuchan of the Navy.tenuated: but Captain Franklin and his assistants have placed this m with a frozen lakoint beyond the possibility of question. By several observations erful rays of a March' Ae angular altitude of the luminous arch made at the same n«o- •. In the evening, asentof time, as marked by chronometers, and by two persons at jut on the follow inge distances of 20, 60, and even GO miles apart, and the Aurora surface of the ice, iil!:tween them, the result invariably gave from 6 to 7 or 8 miles a closer inspection, ii altitude from the earth's surface. Neither Franklhi nor Parry immin»'f about, and (und that the centres of the arches observed any particular rule, lese frozen insects, a^ that they were generally in the magnetic meridian, as has been e-animated by the rmted ; nor were the cylindrical beams always parallel with tlu; by Ellis, who says trection of the dipping-needle. If any general rule seemed to at, when placed befuievail, it was that of the greatest extent and most permanent light mosquitoes. pearing to cross the meridian, or to extend from east to west, It frequent appearamd the coruscations to dart from south to north. the expectations o. Atmospherical Electricity. — If, as there now seems some rea- er so vivid nor so ni to suppose, the electricity of the atmosphere be communicated such a blaze of ligl the action of the solar rays, it will not be difficult to account of GO^ to the arctic cr thd nightly sheets of tire that illumine the regions of the torrid make many observane, flie occasional thunder-storms of more temperate climates, ith opinions very geiud the almost total absence of electrical phenomena within the least cracklin*^ or riivtic circle ; if we except the Aurora, which plays only in tho f the stars- and insuper regions of the atmosphere, more faintly, as we have already named Aurora Ami'^i bnt not less frequently, as we advance towards the magnetic Ihern horizon. The ilea: for the experience of eleven months in the parallel of 75 ' is officers on the coiil proved, that in the lower parts of the atmosphere no indication Parry. At Cumboatwer was observed of the existence of electricity. Neither in .s the frost be^an to i>W or rain, or fog or wind, whether the sky was clear, or covereil ■li^ht, especially iii-*^ light fleecy clouds, generally tending to the arched form, was ,ur to disturb it in tin niost delicate gold-leaf electrometer aftected at the mast-heail ticidarly while the cli board ship, or at the summit of a pole 50 feet high on slioie^ [t vapid but could uu' was tlieic anv other indication of electricit} . Kither, thereft»ii', it 202 Pan y'a Voyage of Discovery. it did not exist, or the opposite currents, meeting in this neighbo^g^ hood of the magnetic pole, were so nearly balanced as to desii|^ each other's influence, and reduce their powers to a state of iit^y tiality. Some of the crew fancied that they saw a flash of li<^ip j ning just as the ships were hauled into Winter Harbour ; bul^JQ nothing like thunder or lightning appeared afterwards, during {\^^ long residence, it was undoubtedly a mistake. In the sumii|g ] months, when the clouds became more dense and frequent, y^ when once, or perhaps twice, a slight shower of rain fell, ^^g gold-leaf electrometer still remained quiescent. ^ff; Magnetism. — If we except the geographical discoveries n)apj on this voyage, there is perhaps no observations that may Icad^i^ more important results thau those made on the dip and variai^ g of the magnetic needle. All the observations hitherto recorded, ^j these two variable states of a suspended needle have been madt th< considerable distances from the imaginary point named the k^ netic pole ; but on the late occasion the ships passed this pi j| both in longitude and latitude, and sailed many hundred mileiji^gg one parallel of latitude, interposed the whole way between »^^ North Pole of the earth and the magnetic pole. The follow^ ^ results of observations made with great care, and either on sli* f\ or on ice, to avoid all extraneous attraction, are extracted from Cmd Am ran ry s journ ai: rth Latitude, N. Loniiitude, W. Dip. Vnrlation. Q^a 1. 73° 31' 16" 77° 22' 21" 86*» 3' 42" 108° 46' 35 ' \\tU 2. 74 25 31 80 4 30 106 58 3 -_ 118 23 37 J". 114 16 43 y°* 115 37 12 '"®1 3. 72 45 15 89 41 42 88 26 42 4. 73 12 11 89 2 8 5. 73 33 15 88 18 17 87 35 6. 74> 39 51 91 47 36 128 58 7 '^•" 7. 75 9 23 103 44 37 88 25 58 165 50 9 U^^ 8, 74 58 107 3 31 151 30 3 coi 9. 74 46 56 110 33 59 88 29 .91 126 17 18 inti 10. 75 23 25 112 29 30 88 36 .95 117 52 22 e 1 It would appear from this table to be no easy matter to deir curve lines which would intersect each other in any one piect whether on the earth's surface or beneath it,'*'' and consequentlyien pre'- ■ ' ' ■ 5 Ml • As many important discoveries are in progress with regard to magnetism.jHm some of Captain Parry's readers, and even of our own, may not understand prcc{||| what is meant hy dip and variation, we venture to add a few Mords explanatory « , subject. If a steel bar, or needle, be suspended, so as to move freely on an axis paddle through the middle, and be balanced nicely in an horizontal position, and then the nctizcd, it will retain that position, provided the magnetic virtue be communicatccndf somewhere from 10*' to i,'0" south latitude, in or near the meridian of London ; Vthe this needle thus suspended and magnetized, be then brought to London, or if iirng lanced and then magnetizi-d in London, in either case it will no longer remain hot>dfc, tal, but the north pole will dip or incline to the horizon in an angle of about 71°; ry. P.iiry*« f^oyage of Discovery. 203 ting in this neiglibo^.eQ}g0 position of the magnetic pole cannot be asceituincd from alanced as to 00811,^,^ observations ; but from the sixth and seventh observations ers to a state o» >it»y fihich it appears the variation had changed, in the course of I'l^ f saw a flash of hj;f longitude, from 128° 38' 7" West, to 16.5° 50' 9" East,) Cap- iiter Harbour; butig pji,-,-y ^^^y probably not err much in supposing the magnetic terwards, durmg tlijeridian to pass through the 100th degree of west longitude in ake. In the sumn,e latitude 74°— 73° N. In what degree of latitude the magnetic ise and frequent, SqI^^ jf ij |jg „Qt a jji^g ^r area instead of a point, may be situated, wer of ram fell, ^gg not so clearly appear : a dipping-needle, in fact, is not a very It. Effect instrument, nor can the observations made by it be entirely lical discoveries ni^p^iKlgfj q^ . ^g suspect, therefore, that there must be some error itions that may Ica^^^i^u of^s^f v^tiod 3. and observation 7'> unless, as we have hinted, the dip and variaig geturce of magnetic attraction, be it what it may, be spread over IS hitherto recordeii, extended line or surface, instead of being confined to a point ; die have been madt i\^ latter, that point may perhaps be supposed to reside about loint named the uititude 72° in longitude 100° W. ships passed this pc Ji |,ag been supposed by some, that as the dip of the needle any hundred nult^iikes e^cct at such an immense distance, this magnetic pole must bole way between > deep-seated in the earth ; and from the progressive regularity of pole. The follow e variation, that it performs a revolution round the pole or axis I, and either on sir f^ earth in a given time, that is to say in seven or eight re extracted from Cmdi-et] years. Such an hypothesis can only be supported on the rther supposition of a moveable body within that of the earth, a Variation, ece of machinery which, it must be owned, is rather incompatible 108 40 35 ^iti, j|jg general simplicity of nature; and not the less complicated lOo 58 3 jjji jjjg probability of the existence of one at least, if not two other volving poles, situated in the eastern part of our northern hemi- •here. The recent experiments of Mr. Oersted, secretary to the 'aiiish Academy of Sciences, bid fair to throw a new light on the [;ysterious subject of magnetism. It had long been suspected that connection existed between magnetism and electricity ; but this .91 126 17 18 intleman's experiments, which have been repeated and extended by ,95 117 52 22 e most eminent philosophers of Europe, go very far to prove 10 easy matter to deir identity. Vie have seen that in the parallels of 74° — 75°, no ther in any one ptectficity whatever was indicated in the lower strata of the atnios- * and consequentlvieWi and that the coruscations of the Aurora in the upper regions pre' — ~ ■ — — ; ; — — — -. Huae needle be carried northwards, towards B.iffin's Bay, this angle of tlie dip or ith regard to magnetisni,;li||g||on will be found to increase at the rate of about one degree for everj' degree of may not understand prccitnda^ till on arriving at 7U°, or a degree or two higher, it will be found to stand, as wu few words explanatory oj olHerve by the table, in a perpendicular direction nearly. Again ; if a magnetized move freely on an axis p^sdle be placed horizontally oi» a pivot, it will at the present da}' turn to the westward ontal position, and then the true north, making with our meridian an angle of about 23°| ; but about three c virtue be communicateciulred years ago, a needle so placed made no angle with our meridian, but i(s »e meridian of London ; rthera pole pointed directly to the pole of the earth. This declination from the j»ole, ught to London, or if i'ir ng very difl'erent in dill'ereut parts of the world, is usually called the variation of the will no longer remain hotrffc. an angle of about 71°; i bad 118 23 37 114 16 43 115 37 12 128 58 7 165 50 9 151 30 3 126 17 18 117 52 22 204 Parfy's Foj/nge of Discovery. iiud not the slightest ciTcct on the magnetic needle : ' it nii<;litAl supposed,' says Captain Parry, * that in these regions (Meier Island), wiiere the directive power of the needle had almost ciiliO^ ceased, it would be more easily disturbed by any adventitious caoat than in those parts of the globe where the directive energy iti greater.' The fact however was not so. At Cumberland-Hoiet in lat. f)4,^ N., Captain Franklin observed the magnetic needltS, be disturbed, not with that vibratory motion which has Ut ascribed to it, but by being drawn about a degree out of its ii4« direction when a brilliant Aurora approached the zenith ; andiu 1 quired from live to six hours after the Aurora ceased, to returfy its usual direction. The absence in the one case of electric curn'PI and their existence in the other, (or some particular direction orJ c iribulion of these currents in this particular spot,) may, on the [«!> ciple of their identity with magnetism, serve to reconcile both \in nouiena. 15ut the experiments said to be made by M. Anipti* * to explain nuicli mure than this, if it be true that, by a partic fr' position of the connecting wire in the galvanic pile, he has ■'' ceeded in giving to a needle, by the passing of electric currents,'*** direction of both dip and variation ; and that these two phenoiiSi* are capable of being explained by electrical currents passing iii^ atniosphere round the earth from east to west. The facts obst-'™^ by Captain Parry are considered as corroborating the experiiii' " now making on the identity of the magnetic and electric currt.* a subject which may in the result prove of greater importanc'** physical science than any discovery since that of the principP ' gravitation. nr jJstronomical Observations. — It would be superfluous to°' one word in this place on the utility of observations ot ""l moon's distance from the sun or fixed stars, for ascertaining ^ longitude. On the present expedition however, the advaiii'^" were so peculiar, and the otticers availed themselves of theii;^® sedulously that the number taken and the accuracy of the re'' highly deserve to be recorded : these advantages were, the str ness of the ships when fixed in the ice; icebergs aground ; an servatory on shore ; cloudless skies ; and the long duration of ;i cumvolving moon. In the examination of Captain Edward Sal-* taken on oath before the Board of Longitude, it appeared, tlia" longitude of Winter Harbour, by the mean of 68fj'2 hmar obsi^ tions, taken by himself and the other officers, was 110*^48' 29 ,;v that the rates of live chronometers, determined by a series of l.J observations during three successive months, were found, aftc i ther three months, to agree within less than three seconds of ],">' of longitude, when compared with the true time observt''^ iti Ol the Calton Hill observatory, on the ships' arrival at Leith. ^n eru. Parry's rui/agf of Discovciy. CO.j needle : ' it mi^litAftar this extraordinary degree of accuracy, and in a climate too hese regions (MelveiiB the range of Fahrenheit's thermometer was not less than die had almost ciitiO^I and for nine or ten months at a temperature so low as to any adventitious caitate a reasonable doubt whether a chronometer, with every pre- 8 directive energy Jtion, would not stop altogether, or, if it continued to go, Vt Cumberland-lioicUier the irregularity of its rate would not render it utterly use- the magnetic needit*, we need not hesitate to say, with the late Sir Joseph Banks, otion which has Ut by the excellence to which chronometers had been brought, deforce out of its whe longitude teas nctuully discovered, within the limits assigned by d the zenith ; andiu Board of Longitude which entitled to the reward for its disco- ara ceased, to returfy t»y time-keepers,' Some of them, it is true, occasionally ase of electric curn'ppid, and the rales of others were irregular, owing probably to rticular direction oi J eadlgcalment of the oil. Four of Messrs. Parkinson and Frods- spot ) may, on the in*/* it is stated, were better prepared for this peculiar service J to reconcile both iM> tHiy othel-s, not one of them being stopped by the cold ; but made by M. Anipti* aWerest trials that any time-piece was probably ever subjected ue that by a partic fr^ natural cold were undergone by two pocket chronometers vanic pile he has i^old, which were used for three or four hours together in of electric curreut.s'*«Hl^""^r distances at the low temperature of— 'JO" to — 40°, and latthesetwophenoiiQn M low as— 46°. I currents passing iw^fttural Historj/.f — From the notices of t)bjccts in this deparl- est. The facts obst***' ^^ science, contained in Captain Parry's book, and from w hat oratin*' the experiui^ b**® seen, the specimens brought home are more varied and ic and^electric currt artiore interesting description than might have been supposed to )f »reater importauc*** >•* those dreary regions in which they were collected. Among that of the principP WHmmalia are the skins of the polar bear, the wolf, the arctic X, Ihe polar hare, the ermine, the lemming, or Hudson's Bay 1 be superfluous to""*®* *'^*^ musk-bull, and the rein-deer; of these the first six are of observations oll]?®^^^ residents, the t\yo last migratory. ns for ascertainiii" ^^ birds, thirty-two different species were collected, consisting of lowever the advam"^*^ ■"*^ water- l)irds; among the first were the snowy-owl, the I themselves of theiiy®** snow-bunting, mnsquito-hawk, rock-grous, ptarmigan, plo- ; accuracy of the lo^f ^ndpiper, &c. The water-fowl consisted of several species o( nita<^es'were the sti'^'*» *''^^ ^^'■'^' **^^'^"' '^'*-'"''^*^^^'^' ducks of four or five different cebei-crs a'^round • aii"***» *^'^^'"^' guillemots and auks. he Ion"- duration of ;i^^^*'' ^'"^ ^^''^ ^^'^"^ uncommonly barren. Six kinds only ap- CaDtam Edward Sai'** *^ hiwc been caught, and of each of these not more than two ide, it appeared, thai""**] ; ~ ; \ ~~ ~ ", ,, ! ,, .. , e f'ijf'n I .1 ^fW^^ '" " ''ispiitt^ mj* '<> tl'*^ rt-'al niakiT of itipsc valiKibIc clirononictrrs ; i\Ir. Molv- I Or OoOa irnai 0"S'nj|,:^lio has Imij: been clislitiguis-hi'il for tlie exci'llciicc of his -workiiiaiiship, having rS, was 1 10*^ 48' 29 i-'Wfka, claim, which is denied Iw Parkinson and Frodshani. As far hs wc are. alile lined bv a series of 1 3**^^ ''""'''"■'' '""''"'"'''''"'•^' **'"f<-Miicnts, wc sliould s.iy the real operator was "^ ^ J . ithet of llieni, but some third person. IS, were lOUnd, aitiU ^ Bj^iiii unaecounlable driay on the part of some of those to whom tlic specimens an three seconds ot l?re delivered for the pnrpo»e of hein^ scientifically arranged, described, and i)iili- the true time ob^ervi'^*^ tnthc Appendix, the volume has appeared without any part of the Natural lli- arrival at Leitli. gp 200 Parry's Voyage of Discovery. or three individuals. Of the genus merlnngus, or coal-fisli. Xhe k caught three species ; and a small fish brought on board by u jigufaie who lost their way on Melville Island, from a lake in the ini a nor which abounded with them, was supposed to be a species of (faioui and was accordingly named Salmo Melvilliensis. 3n «d We can say little of the plants, except that the number ofoffwr < ferent species collected on Melville Island are said to havelar chi ceeded one hundred, many of them entirely new. Those iprett common were several species of grasses, a most luxuriant ntnimir sorrel (rumex digynus), very abundant, scurvy-grass (cochloatwh d saxifrage (saxifraga oppositifolia), poppy (papaver nudica'^i £i draba, ranunculus, and, somewhat in the shape of a shriib,3S^ o dwarf willow. It was quite astonishing to behold, on the refcetfe of summer, the rapidity with which the various plants of the ipftli-e pushed forth their leaves and flowers the moment the snow waf^o^^ the ground. In a few days, from one uniform scene of gls'*» ^ whiteness, several parts of the island exhibited a carpet span^» ■"< with the most lively colours, chiefly from the poppy, the pii"**J" saxifrage and the lilac draba. Whether it was the abundaiK'"'*^*^; these flowers, that tempted the musk-oxen and rein-deer to nncfcid the long journey over the ice, or whether they came to these'*" P* eluded and peaceable islands to drop their young, is not kiio|®'*y but the musk-ox in particular seemed to riot and gamble as it 1^' '" loped along and cropped the flowers. In a valley formed bvS***! stream of a ravine, between Winter Harbour and the western** f tremity of Melville Island, Captain Parry's party observed the i: ^"*' * luxuriant pasture ground that they had yet met with on Mel®" ■• Island. It consisted of about a dozen acres of short thick grassJ'**'' termingled with moss, which gave it almost the same lively app^""* ance as that of an English meadow.' A whole herd of musk-o'y* were grazing in this place, * in which there were many small pc *"• of water, and our surprize (says Captain Parry) in some des*®*^ ceased at the immense distance which these animals must tn^ . in the course of their annual visits to these dreary and desolate 4**^ gions; as such a pasture, affording undisturbed and luxuriant ft^^ ^' ing during the summer months, may, in spite of the general apir^'* ance of the island, hold out sufiicient inducement for their ani:*':^ emigration.' "*.** The rock formation of the islands presented nothing very ex ,*^ ordinary. The peaks of the high mountains which bound ^? western side of Baffin's Bay appear to be of granite ; next to [f^ in proceeding to the westward, were castellated mountains ofcij * pact limestone, then shelly limestone, and lastly sandstone, anrf which, near the beach of Melville Island, >vere collected sevi ™ specimens of a tolerably good coal. ^®'^* Parry's f'ot/age oj Discovery. CJ07 s, or coal-fisli, JThe knowledge acquired on the late expedition lias aiTorded a on board by a [tguilie hope for tlie complete solution of the interesting problem lake in the im a north-west passage. Captain Parry has recorded his opinion e a species ot (fafour of its accomplishment, and his suggestion has no doubt IS. 211 adopted on the present voyage. We have a few words the number ofoffiw on this part of the subject. By casting an eye over the re said to ha velar chart, with the recent discoveries laid down upon it, it will new. Those [protty evident that the Polar Sea is an immense circular basin, ost luxuriant nanmaiicating with the i\tlantic and Pacific oceans by channels y-grass (cochloaiivJl divide America from Asia on the one side, and America papaver nudica^m Europe on the other ; and that, by tracing the northern ape of a shrub,30ta of Europe and Asia, (about one half the circle,) we shall ehold, on the refce^ t'^^t, with the single exception of Cevero Vostoclinoi or s plants of the iprtll-east Cape, (of which nothing certain is known,) very small lent the snow wa'^^'Ms ^f either continent pass beyond the 70th parallel of lati- )rm scene of gla^^** Proceeding in the circle round the northern coast of Ame- ed a carpet spRii>>* <^<^ assuming that the two points laid down on the authority le poppy, the puHMNrnc and Mackenzie, and the Icy Cape on that of Cook, are as the abundanc''i^% placed, (at least sufficiently so for our purpose,) we may id rein-deer to n'l^^klde that much of that continent does not even reach the ley came to tliese'^^ parallel. The extent therefore of this polar sea may be con- young, is not knc'^i^ bs about 2400 geographical mile^ in diameter, or 7'200 and gamble as it !« in circumference. valley formed 1;^^"^^^ islands are known to be scattered over this extensive r and the western** '^^^ largest is undoubtedly that of Old Greenland, a part irty observed the I! ^^1) juts into it, but to what extent northerly has not yet met with on Meli®'* ascertained: the others are Nova Zembla, Spitsbergen, those f short thick grass New Siberia, or the Land of Liakhov, the North Georgian le same lively app^*'^ ^^ Parry, and those which form the western land of Baffin's le herd of musk-oV* Besides these are a number of small alluvial islands formed ere many small po ^ mouths of the several rivers of the two continents ; but arry) in some de!*^^"^ there be any more, or of what description, nearer to ! animals must tr;^ Ndrth Pole, we must of course remain ignorant till the sea reary and desolate 4*Mittion has been further explored. If, however, we suppose d and luxuriant fe*' clusters of islands continue to be scattered over it on all 3f the general apF*'* ^** *''® ^^^y P®'^ ^^ '*' vicinity, we shall in that case pro- ment for their aw^f ^°^ ^^ ^"'" *^'^""* ^^^ ^^^^ "^ concluding the whole of this ex- liiit sea to be shallow, choked up with ice, and unuavigable: d nothinv very ex'* % °" ^''® contrary, the islands should terminate to the westward IS which bound *''l^^'^''^^ Island, (and no land was visible in that direction from 'ranite- next to tli^ ^ll^^^^ ^i^^) ^^^ '^"^ should not be found, or sparingly found, d mountains of c('*^*'* '^" ^^ twelve degrees of the pole, it would not be unreason- tly sandstone aiii^* '^ presume that, in this case, the sea would be of great depth, ere collected' sevi^ much less liable to freeze and generally more free from ice than lere it is shallower. Captain Parry seems to have no doubt of an M ^i08 Parry'* Voyage of Discuvcrf/. 'apteiti ail open sea to the westward of Melville Island; as wlmlo ice, mterminable to the sight, were observed to be moving biKi* ^v-m, the westward for several days together. ioiido There are other circumstances stated by Captain Parry w^^^-i^^j we think, rather warrant the conjecture of an open sea at no .^^ ^ distance both to the northward and westward of the North ( y^^\ gian Islands. We find, for instance, that the fields and fioes j^ ^ which occupy the middle of Davis's Strait and Baffin's Bay, ">jgj^|7 as those which occurred in different parts of Barrow's Straiij^^jJi as far west as Melville Island, had all flat and comparatively sipqq]|| ^ surfaces, in most parts of which, Captain Parry tells us, a Sgj.^* might be driven without much inconvenience; but beyond Mil i^ ||j Island to the westward, where there was no visible land, tli^ij^m^ exhibited a rough irregular surface, covered with what the Sjjujy^. bergen whalers call ' hummocks,' appearing like haycocks in nt^ ^^ and the farther from the land the greater these hummocks e^ii'trani were. The same appearance is frequent, we may say coih jjj^ ^ towards the northern extremity of Spitzbergen; and it is wort'umjp- remark that the ice assumed this form also towards the ^mf^jf* westerly extremity of Prince Regent's Inlet. Now, as it "P'rcccdc to us that these hummocks could be formed only by an <>pciage in !o towards the ^i«|^|jpection, which, if found, would not, in point of distance, have Now, as It :)pi:cfliMled that of a direct westerly course. Captain Parry says — only by ^n opeii^m^UijgjQj^ channel, to the northward of us, was as open and navi- another, and «f jjil^ i© the utmost extent of our view, as any part of the Atlantic, but till wedged in I) j^ iny at right angles to our course, and there was still an opening at to infer from tlii«|t ten leagues wide to the southward of Cornwallis Island, I could can to the nortlivrtuniltely have no hesitation in deciding which of the two it was our ned on the surfaiainfM to pursue. If, however, the sea to the westward, which was onsiderable thiclif^ dfffect course, had been obstructed by ice, and the wind had been ust of wind ai#®**^''*'*» *"^^* ^'^^^ '^® tempting appearance of Wellington channel, deeo Darts of lia'"''*^^^ there was no visible impediment, that I should probably have • "pi I en induced to run through it, as a degree more or less to the north- ingion ^"«""t'' i^ nude little or no difference in the distance we had to run to Icy •ye the absence '„^ ipj^^ ^ channel to the westward did not, however, reduce me the northward <'ithi8 dilemma.' ; namely, the tola jj^^jjl^ therefore, as it may hereafter be, to look at the state which can be t'J'the Polar Sea, beyond Wellington Channel, we conclude it will ind rising abruptl„,j |,g thought advisable for the expedition now pending to eep shores of tlic^,^ jt j,, ^y^^ l^„t instance. Neither do we think that the o positions, wlnn^jljjipyg^ jj^j. unsuccessful endeavours, of the late expedition, in cannot exist '^vitb^^|||gg^gi^j. ggasons, to penetrate to the westward beyond the south- t be formed wi.^ ^ ^f Melville Island, afford any hope that the passage will ar lie effected in that particular parallel of latitude. It can general opinion \fc^ be doubted then,that the attempt is now about to be made. Mtamed of the P'reettmmended by Captain Parry, in a more southern latitude, and sea at the rsortn 1,^^ along the northern coast of America, where they may rea- ly interesting pajn^yy jj^p^ j^ ^j^ggj ^jjj, g better summer climate, and a longer the expeditioin^g^ for their operations, by at least six weeks. Cilobe, Ciii vol. XXV. NO. XLIX. There 310 l*arry*« roi/ngc of Discovery. t stro There is another reason for trying a coast navigation ; Cap Parry found by experience, that the navigation among tlu^ •^'o of the Arctic seas could only be performed with any degree oM" O' tainty, where there was a contintiity of hmd. This being the c^ciou a manifest advantage will be gained, in making the attempt alj*'*'^ the northern coast of America, as he will there be certain i',^ J continuity of land. Aware as we are, that climate dftiit'"*"** not solely on degrees of latitude, but is modified by circumstaf*? ' of locality, unconnected with geographical position, yet it can li;!**""' be doubted, that many advantages will be found in the paralli"®^ Gy" or 70°, which did not exist in that of 7.3°. Among others" i^' be mentioned, in addition to the increased length of sumnur ^^ abridgment of winter, the great probability, we might say certaj^*^**'* of obtaining fuel,* provisions, and antiscorbutic plants; tli( '^* " quent cominunicaticms with natives, and the chance of seii'"*-"* home information of their proceedings; together with the (^w^'J? rative facility with u hich the officers and men may be preserve'*** the event of any irreparable accident happening to the ships : i***H, • are undoubtedly important considerations, which strongly rtf^'^r^ mend the trial of this route. *#!, But then comes the question to be solved, as tr the besi^® V shortest route to get upon the coast of America ? From tlie'J®?'" pearanceand circumstances at the southern part of Prince Rqij* *" * Inlet, there was not a man in the late expedition, who was not J^ **' vinced that it opened out into the sea which washes the "ori® *'t coast of this continent. The only objection to this route, i'Pf?? delay which would necessarily be occasioned by proceeding \j^ to the northward as Sir James Lancaster's Sound, in order t into the Regent's Inlet. It is probable however, that either L ^ son's Strait, Cumberland Strait, Sir Thomas Roe's Welconii V! Repulse Bay, or all of them, may afford navigable passages^ #: the Polar Sea, and particularly the Welcome, down whicli; ^ cording to the testimony of all the navigators who have enter' • flows a tide of considerable velocity, being, as Captain Parrv . ■ poses, part of that flood setting easterly along the coast of Ari^ * of which the other part takes a northerly direction, as he t'"?^* it, up Prince R-^gent's Inlet. ,1 It must, however, be admitted that, probable as this miij'PjJ pear, our knowledge is not sufficiently accurate to justify iuou^Jm • By information, whicli Captain Franklin has received from the Bed-knif't Y who are to aecompany liim from Bear Lake to the sea coast, with which they a* *"?' acquainted, fir-trees of considerable size border the banks of all the rivers « ong day's journey of the sea ; aitd plenty of brushwood fit for fuel grows on r.(ij ^ the low islands off the coast. We know from Allison, who wintered round llie^i. , Qaye, in iat. '1\°\, that firs, birch, and willows, grew there to the size of a man "'^'^ V' navigation; Capi ^ Parry '.V I'oi/n^e of Discovert/, 211 ion among tlit' ■^'Ong groiind of hope tliut a passnge will be found in some or h any degree otv" of these directions; sJiuiiJH this hope on examination prove fal- This being the c^^^"' ^'^^ Ume spent in the examination may be supposed to ig the attempt ;i|'>'fc)|( the season so nearly tu a close, an to limit the progress of the lere be certaiiK''"^ y^"**'^ exertions, by die old route of Sir James Lancaster's at climate doiit'*'*"**'* ^^ some of the harbours of Prince Regent's Inlet : at the ied bv circumstai'"'''^ ^'"'^ '^ '^ ^" ^^ reniarked, that a passage through Hudson's lion yet it can Im^****^ *'"*^ '''^ upper part of the bay is practicable a month or six md in the paralli"®*'" ®''""''*^' ''''"' '^ appears to be across the central barrier of ice Amonw others'* l^'^'s Strait or Baffin's Hay. 12th of sumniir -Aflived on the coast of America, and no obstruction from land e might say certa.'*^***'''"^' ^^^ ^*^^ "° reason w hy the passage to Icy Cape, which ntic plants* tlic '****'*"' *''''^*^'^'' 1500 miles, might not easily be accomplished in e chance o'f seiii'"* "iW^on ; about fiOO of these were actually run on the last voyage ther with the cw? •f*,^^3'** Supposing the theory of Dr. Brewster to be correct, mav be oreserve"^*^ assigns the greatest degree of cold to the magnetic meri- iiff to the ships- i**^ '^® '"^^^ serious obstruV.« '00° «f W. longitude; or (setting aside that theory) bdut midway of the coast, as benig the most distant point from »d as tc the besi^® ^^ oceans; it being well known from experience that the r"' ? From tlie"'®*^*"^*y °^ ^ permanently open sea is a circumstance which, t f Prince Re"^ ^ others, in high latitudes, tends the most to temper the seve- ho was not'*y ^^ *''^ climate. On either ground, therefore, it can scarcely "' I the nori* Joubted that the climate will be found to improve, and the th's oute j.'wCliBction to become less, as the ships advance towards the Pacific. . , ,• ^ \e»U^H it is well known that the westerly coast of every continent ^ ? • . 1 ". ,nrf llirge island (even of our own) enjoys a higher temperature by 5oun , n I ^ degrees than the Eastern coast in the same parallels of latitude. '^ r' » 'w I 'ttwwestcoastof America, in 60°N.thecliniateisinfinitelymilder ^^. ^i* lail^ivk Newfoundland in 45° N.; and while in the frozen regions avigame passages^ Hudson's Bay, under the parallels of 1)0°, the ice and snow ime, own w .grc^gfy ever disappear, navigators have found, under the same de- rs v\iio nave enier.^^^ ^^ latitude on the west coast of America, a delightful climate as ^^aptain 1 arn^ ^ ^^.^jj ^.j^^jj^j country. Between 60° and 6i° of latitude, 5 the coast ot A'^pi^jn q^^^^ f^und that most delicate of all birds, the humming- direction, as he ij^gj and just at the same spot, the companions of the ill-used Ma- , , , , . spuia (whose voyage is still withheld from the public) give a .bable as this mai^HTg dc,^.riptio„ oT the comitry and climate. atetojustitymore ^^.^^^^ f^^^ granted, what scarcely admits of a doubt, that the ~ TTT'tioii of the sun's rays, so much more powerful, and radiated from it?TithlhShfp> «««ch more land along the continuous coast of America, than iks of all the rivers « OH^ the passage discovered by Parry, will produce the same ef- t for fuel grows on r-cj of opening a clear channel of water between Uie coast and the «,ho wintered round il.e,.^g ^ -^^ We find this fact indeed asserted by a gentleman e to the size ot a man; "^ . . -fcr i »mT /-i i t • i t eloUgmg to the iSorth West Company, who has resided many o 2 years «la Paiiy'* Voyage of Discovery. years upon the Mackenzie River; and it is known to be so alcai the shores of the islands of NovaZembla, Spitzbergen, Old Gregra land^and on every shore approached by the two last expeditkcoi and it is not therefore to be doubted that the same effect, tcin greater extent, will be found to take place in the low latitudtgra the northern shores of North America. mil It is not unreasonable then to hope that no very serious obstfasic tion may occur on the coast of An-.crica ; but there are those Am question the existence of a passage through Behrine's Strait, give often hear of Cook's having met with an impenetrable barrier ofwiti Cook, however, met with no such thing ; his experience had taiersi him thnt the position of the ice varied from year to year, and na p tzebue in Auf^ustiNUrney sent to Count Romanzoff, at whose expense it was imder- it as far as the eye ciken, it appears that the distance travelled, as calculated by the 68° N.* and we^chirtsky, was 200 werst. This bay then of Captain Burney, in ii 1810 in a small 'hich Behring's Strait is supposed lo leiuiioate, must not oriy be > nassed the strait o9t ft very deep but an unusually shallow one, supposing land to have nu-hood a whole rajisUid at the spot where the Tchutsky stopped. The result of this ee from ice. We tpeJIition was not, however, satisfactory to Count Romanzoff, who Ricord of the Eu*thalrized Captain Ricord, as already mentioned, to hire Grimes's [)m the'hands of tli'hooner and explore the strait to the northward. >ded in her last sue Connected wita this subject, we may take occasion to mention ' gtrait which oi*® of the most daring enterprizes of a single individual since that of Massed (with the^dyird, whose activity and intrepidity he appears to have imbibed. ' 1820 and thatiAp^fe^ Dundas Cochrane, a commander in the navy, after peram- capital in the mitIii'l*^Ng every province of Spain and Portugal and a great part of ^ "Vatkf volunteered to prepare himself as a Mahommedan for a Qw not on what piumey from the source to the termination of the Niger, but on sti- the northward by •l*^**"* that could not be complied with. He therefore travelled of Asia and Am^ ^^^^ ^^ St. Petersburg and was introduced to the Emperor, The only reason ili;W^ro ^^ proposed a journey on foot across Siberia, following o 3 the 214 Parry'* Voyage of Discovertf. the northern land which he supposed to be joined to America, ^^ finding that not to be the case, to procure a passage across Btfj^ ring's Strait, enter Kotzebue's Inlet, and prosecute his journej ^^^ foot along the northern coast of America to one of the establi; ments of the Hudson's Bay Company. The Emperor reaCgj^ acceded to his project, and he set off with a passport and an ore J^ from the Minister of the Interior to all to whom he might applvfl^^|] afford him every possible assistance. In September last, inform^fgi tion was received at Petersburg of his having reached the i\i|,gj , mountains on the confines of Chinese Tartary; and that fr||,g , Irkutsk he was bending his way to the northward to avoid ini.^yi,p, ruption from the Chinese, and with the view of reaching Kain,e g, katska as the most likely place to procure a conveyance ac\^„^\ Behring Strait. Coupling, therefore, this extraordinary expediiigo fj with one sent officially by the Russian government, under the ordfor n of lieutenant Baron Wrangel, to ascertain with certainty the ei^w^ tence and precise position of the North-East Cape of Asia,— iof « land expedition of Lieutenant, now Captain, Franklin, in Amenmicli and that of Captain Parry, we cannot but indulge a hoe thaiatid i no great lapse of time, the geography of the northern regionibave Asia and America will be accurately determined. he tl The chances of a failure must inseparably be annexed to the ] enterprizes of the nature of that on which ' aptain Parry is eJiemi ployed, and in proportion as the expet^^ho" of the public khe i been raised by the result of his last voyage, would such a failAug be felt ; indeed we have no doubt that any thing short of reaclifresb the Pacific would now be considered as a failure, and cause (at sc appointment, even if it should be discovered that no communiniak< tion exists between the Atlantic and Pacific. One thing, howeiyear we will fearlessly assert, that, if a passage is to be effected by hun B means. Captain Parry is the officer most likely to accomplisliwor Should he fail, we sincerely believe that it will be useless hereaithrei for any other to attempt it; and we are quite sure, that, whetherfore succeeds or not, his exertions will be honourable to himself amon satisfactory to his employers. neve This is a conclusion which, we think, we are fairly warranteofron draw from the work before us. No one, we are i e5 uaded,(the rise from its perusal without being impressed will > fi iiest itstan viction, that his merits as an officer and scientifl: ' /a oraiethe the highest order; that his talents are not confined i ' '.is proistan sional duties; but that the resources of his mind are equai to jiea most arduous situations, and fertile in expedients under ever) ta si cumstance however difficult, dangerous, or unexpected. WeJnal proud, and justly proud, of the name of Cook; but we ventm assertj without fear of contradiction, and without meaning tp ii<^^xc II C( Parry's Voyage of Discovery. 2 1 5 ned to America, jg ^^^^^ ^j^^l^ ^^^^ ^j^^ merits of that renowned navigator, that in lassase across Ut » r i • r j- ■ ■ i • . t • . \- • 'to part ot his career or discovery had he occasion to cai: nito ac- ecuie '^ jouine) jj^^ jjII jij^g^ personal exertions and mental energies, which were nie ot the establi ^^gH demanded in, and essential to the safety of, the late le Emperor reac^^^j^i,,^ issport and an oir J„ ^j^^ ,outhern Atlantic, Captain Cook entered the loose and m he might applvfl^,a|j^ j^.^ ^^ the 1 2th December, in lat. G'2° JO'; met with ice- ember last, intoriibgfgj on the 2 1st, in lat 0?°; and, by the end of the same month, reached the \^^ returned to lat. 38°. On the 2(jth January he w as again within ary; and that frjhg antarctic circle; and on the 30di had reached lat. 71° K/, ard to avoid inti^yli^n^ he returned to the northward th^ same day, deeming it (as ol reaching Kaaije sm) * a dangerous and rash enterprize' to struggle with icebergs a conveyance acr^uj fields of ice. * I, (he continues.) who had ambition not only to raorclinary expeniiigQ farther than any one har' been before, but as far as it was possible lent, under the ordf