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Les diagrammes suivants iliustrant ia mAthode. y errata Id to nt la palura, 9on d n 1 2 3 4 5 6 32X •t-T-r "^ .M"'* i!;:^ o' ■ ■ ■-' — » ' ■ ■ ■ atf -r- . . -. It-. 8tf >sa3t^^. •'•'^»S*/Iwiit 6^ 1 f t lUi ^1 cfth'ilfkr- -^ ■ ■' ' ■ - JOURNAL or A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY, TO THR ^vttfc 9e(es(om(> PERFORMED BETWEEN THE 4tH OF APRIL AND TUB IStH OV NOVEMBER, 1818, IN HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP ALEXANDER, WM. £DW. PARRY, Esq. Lieut, and Commander. 41' : r ^■ti^^^rs^**^****^-******^^'* BY AN OFFICER OF THE ALEXANDER. ^#i#^»#^##*^##»#'»*^»^-»»'#^^ HonHon: PRINTED FOR RICHARD PHILLIPS j HV G. SIDNBV, NOUTHUMBBRLAND-STRBBT, STRANl)* ■y'^il^' ,.V jtn* ^ . ■ \ I', 1 ''( .u 'v;, . ; * ■ .. ,1 •> x: *.. ,» . . . • *. . i^--hfi\'^ ' ..*'t?H' > i INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. It having appeared, from the reports of some of the most intelligent masters of ships employed in the Green- land and Davis* Straits Whale Fisheries, that within these two years past, the Arctic Seas have been clearer of ice than they have been for some centuries : in consequence of this favourable change in these seas, and some other national motives, the British Government resolved to send out four vessels, for the purpose of exploring the Polar Seas, and of deciding, if possible, thelong-agitated question — whether a passage exists between the North- ern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, through Behring*s Straits ? Although the principal object of the expedition was to discover the passage in question, several others, which were deemed important, were intended to be accomplished by it ; such as that of finding where the magnetic pole is situated, and observing the difference in the vibrations of the pendulum in high latitudes. The latitudes and longitudes of places hitherto but im- f>erfectly known where to be ascertained ; coasts and mrbours to be surveyed ; and various other experiments and observations to be made, with a view of enlarging our geographical knowledge of the Polar regions. Any other facts which might be in any way useful to science, were to be collected ; and, in order that these objects might be properly fulfilled, each of the ships was pro- vided with some of the best instruments that could be constructed, for the purpose of making the necessary observations. As it was expected that Natural History might also benefit by the expedition, a box, containing spirits and bottles, was supplied to each ship, from the Royal College of Surgeons, for the purpose of pre- serving any remarkable objects which might be met with in the course of the voyage. h ; ; .,,.• " -."■ / IV INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. In fittine out the ships, not any expense was spared to render them competent to the service on which they were to be eiiipWyed ; nor were any suggestions made by individuals neglected, whenever they were considered likely to contribute, in any way, to the accomplishment of the object in view. As it was supposed that mer- chant vessels would be better calculated for the service in question, than ships of war, on account of tht former being better adapted for stowage, four vessels which had formerly beeti employed as transports were hired — their names and tonnage were as follow, viz. Isabella, of 368 tons ; Dorothea, of 380 tons ; Alexander, of S52 tons; arid Trent, of 250 tons. They were fortified in the strongest manner that wood aiid iron would ftdinit, having, in the first place, the whole of their outside, frohi the keel to some distance above the water-line, covered with an extra lining of oak plank, three iriches thick : within they had a num- ber of additional transverse beams and other timbers put into the hold, in order to be able to withstand the lateral presisure of the ice, in the event of their being caught between two fields of it. Their bows were also covered with strong plates of iron, to prevent 'them from receiving any damage by striking against the float* ing ice. They were likevvise fitted up inside in such a manner 2ii to make the accommodations of both officers and tii^n as comfortable as the size of the vessels would admit. To guard as much ds possible against the rigour of the climate, we were provided with standing bed-places, which, besides being much warmer thdn cots, or ham* tnocks, posses^d another advantage ; for, in the event of its being necessary for us to take up our quarters on shbre, they might be easily removed, each bed-place consisting of a separate box. The ships Were likewise supplied with as much coal as could bestowed: they they were, indeed, ballasted with coals, so that thie f ■i i INTRODUCTaHV ftBMARKS. V quantity taken altogether, was reckoned to be sufficient to last two years ; and in order to warm tlieni more effectually than could be done by the stoves alone, wc had flues to convey hot air from the galley-fire* all round between decks. In the event of our wintering in the Arctic regions, we were provided with deals, Russian mats, and tarpaulings for housing the ships ; and in case we should be obliged to take up our quarters on shore, the same materials would answer the purpose of roofing them. A suit of warm clothes was, together with a sortof blanket made of wolves* skins, likewise furnished by government to each of the men gratis, so that we were in every respect provided with the means of with- standing the severity of the weather. . The means of preserving the health of the crews were equally M'ell attended to, for, besides the salt provisions supplied being of the best quality, and recently cured, the ships were provided with a considerable quantity of such articles as were deemed the most efBcacious to prevent scurvy, a disease which often committr ! the most dreadful ravages among the crews of our e rly navigators, particularly in their voyages to cold climates. The antiscorbutics with which we were furnished, consisted of a plentiful supply of Donkin*s preserved meats and soups, sourcrout, essence of malt and hops, and several tons of potatoes and other vegetables. And, in case we should find ourselves in need of any articles of provision or clothing, &c. which the Esqui" maux might be willing to dispose of, government supplied us with a considerable quantity of toys, and other articles of various descriptions, to barter for whatever we might want. These articles consisted of trowsers and jackets of coarse cloth, shirts, umbrellas, needles, thread, looking-glasses, cowrie-shells, gfass beads of various colours, and a variety of other articles calculated to attract the attention of people in an un- civilized state. Besides these, we were furnished with y vi INTRODUGTORY REMARKS. a number of coarse rifles to make presents of to the Esquimaux chiefs, or to exchange^ if necessary) for whatever might be wanted for the public service. And in order to facilitate any intercourse we niight have with the Esquimaux, and obtain whatever inior- mation they might be able to give, a native of one of the Danish colonies on the west-coast of Greenland, was procured to go out with us in the capacity of an interpreter. His name was John Sacheuse;* he was brought to this country about two years ago in a ship belonging to Leith. DifF^^rent reasons have been assigned for his leaving his own country. It has been said by some that he was picked up at sea in his canoe, having been blown off the coast of Greenland in a storm ; but the reason he himself assigned was, a dis- appointment he met with in a love affair ; having, by some means, quarrelled with the mother of his intended spouse, he failed in obtaining her consent to a matri- monial union with her daughter. The chagrin occa- sioned by this disappointment, affected him so much, that he resolved to banish himself for ever from his native land, and in the height of his rage set off to sea in his canoe, and was there picked up by the ship which conveyed him to this country. He was very superior in point of intellect to the generality of those who have been brought up in a rude state. He spoke English tolerably well, and could even read and write a little ; but what he seemed most anxious to learn was draw- ing, of which he had acquired a pretty good notion. His excursions on the Thames, in his canoe, while we were fitting out, excited a good deal of notice, and I think very deservedly, for his dexterity in the manage- ment of it was really admirable. Having now given a brief sketch of the different preparations made in fitting out the expedition, it re- a c * He died since we returned to England. .t INTIIODUCTORY REMARKS. VII i I tnaiiiii for me only to say ti few words respecting the probability wc had of success before we set out $ with respect to what has been done it is unnecessary to speak here, as it will be seen in the narrative. It has already been observed, that from the reports of the best informed masters of the Greenland and Davis* Straits Whalers, it appeared that the Arctic Seas had been within these two years past found to be clearer of ice than they had been known to be for some centuries i^ but before I proceed any farther, it is necessary to ob- serve, that in consequence of the main object of the four vessels being the same, I have hitherto spoken of them as forming only one expedition, (nor was there any distinction necessary indeed in describing the man- ner in which they were fitted out, as they were all fitted alike, in every respect,) but properly speaking they were two distinct expeditions, destined to take different routes, although with a view of accomplish- ing the same object. From their being thus distinct from one another I shall confine the remainder of my remarks to a review of the reasons assigned in favour of the existence of a passage in the direction the expedition I belonged to went, that is, by the way of Davis' Straits and Baffin's Bay. Of the various reasons given for supposing a com- munication to exist between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in the above direction, it appears to me that the strongest argument in favour of it is, the circum- stance of the sea having been seen by Messrs. Hearne and M'Kenzie at the mouth of the Coppermine and M*Kenzie's rivers j but from the superficial manner in which these indefatigable travellers have spoken of the sea seen by them at the mouth of these rivers, some people have been led to suppose that what they took to be sea, consisted merely of fresh lakes of water. It is a great pity indeed that they have not given a more satisfactory account of it, so as not to leave any doubt on the subject. If any doubt remained on their own Vlll INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. * / mind as to what they saw being the sea, they must have certainly been very negligent, since they might have so easily decided the matter by tasting the water, as some persons afterwards remarked. 1 have no doubt, however, in my own mind, but that they were perfectly convinced that the water which they saw was the sea, for it is not likely that men, after travelling so far, and undergoino^ so many hardships, and so much fatigue as they dicT, would abandon their object without being perfectly satisfied, when the means which would en- able them to do this were so easily attainable. If it be taken for granted then that it was the sea which was seen by Messrs. Hearneand M'Kenzie at the mouth of the rivers Coppermine and M'Kenzie, it is evident that two thirds at least of the north side of America are surrounded by sea ; for as the above rivers divide that continent nearly into three equal parts, it must necessarily follow that two of these parts are encom- passed by water. It is perhaps unnecessary to enter any farther into a detail of the various other reasons which have been advanced in favour of the existence of this passage, as it is to be hoped that the expedition now fitting out will decide the question. A list of the ofBcers' names, and number of men, employed on the two late expedi- tions, will be found in the Appendix No, 1. bla the lUSt ight Iter, ubt, ictly sea, and ;igue teing en- it be ^hich louth ident lerica livide must iicom- nto a been ge, as r out lames, xpedi- 'i / 1 VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 10 TMK arctic »fflionj^. BUTWBUN THli 4T(I OP APItIL AM|> THM 1 Sl'H 09 NOVIiMBKR, 181S. C |UR voyage may be «uid to have commenced on the 4th of April, IS 18, for on that day, between the hours of nine lind ten in the forenoon, we cast oil' from His Majesty's hulk Dddaigneuse, and, in company whh the rest of our iquadron, namely, tlie Isabella, Dorothea, and Trent, dropped down to the mouth of the City Canal, which we entered about one o'clock in the afternoon, amid the hearty acclamations of the populace who lined the shore. The Isabella and Dorothea, being the headmost ships, got through into the river; but the Trent and our ship were ob« liged to lie in the canal until the next day, the tide having ebbed so much before we reached the farther or lower end of the canal, that it became necessary to shut the gates. During the short time we lay here, we were, as usual, visited by seve- ral parties of ladies and gentlemen, who all appeared to be as much interested in the success of our undertaking, as we could possibly be ourselves ; but, by way of comfortf they frequently expressed their concern for our safety in such a hazardous enter- prise. On the following day, about one o'clock in the afternoon, we got out of the canal, and, for the first time, spread our canvass to a gentle breeze, which carried us down to Galleons-Reach, where we anchored between three and four o'clock in the afternoon. Here we lay for several days, during which we took on board our powder, small arms, and various other stores of different de-> scrlptions. Among other articles, we were supplied with forty blankets, made of wolves' skins, for the use of the officers and the ship's company. On the morning of Tuesday, the Htli of April, between th« VoYAojss and Tratbls, No. 1, Vol. /, B 2 Voyagti of Discovery iiours of five and six, we weighed, and, in company with the Isabella, worked down to Noithfleet, where we again anchored about noon. The Dorothea and Trent did not leave Galleons this morning, owing, as was understood, to the want of pilots. On the following morning, our ships again got under weigh, and worked down to Sea-reach, where we were obliged to anchor as soon as the flood tide began to make. On Thursday the ICth, between nine and ten in the morning, we again got under weigh j and, notwithstanding the wind was against us, succeeded in working down to the Nore, where we anchored about four o'clock in the afternoon. The Dorothea and Trent were still in the river, but were shortly expected down, they having been detained, at the time we parted com- pany, solely by the want of pilots. It will be unnecessary, how- ever, to speak of them in the sequel, as a part of our squadron j for, although their ultimate object was the same as ours, still, from the route they were about to take, and their being under a different commander, they are to be considered as quite distinct from us. On the morning of the lf)th, we were obliged to enter Sheerness harbour, to have our windlass repaired, in conse- quence of some damage it had sustained on the preceding day. In the afternoon of that day, aii unfortunate accident occurred, which, as it was in some measure connected with our expedition, I here insert. Mr. Stroude, superintending master afloat at Sheerness yard, having gone out to ascertain at what time we should be ready to come into the harbour, on his return, the boat in which he went out was upset, owing to some misma- nagement of the crew in paying her head round. The men saved themselves by clinging to the boat, until one of our boats picked them upj but Mr. Stroude was at the time wrapped up in a great coat and a boat cloak, which incumbered him so much, that he could not lay hold of any thing, and was unfortunately drowned. His body was found a few minutes after the men were picked up, and taken on board the Isabella, where every means were tried to restore life, but unsuccessfully. On Monday, the 20th, between twelve and one o'clock in the afternoon, we got under weigh, and ran out to the Little Nore, where we again anchored. In the course of the afternoon the ships' companies were paid their three months' advance, together with the pay due to them from the time of their joining the ships to the present day. On the 21st, at five in the morning, we weighed and worked put to the Great Nore, where we anchored between seven and eight o'clock, A. M. About one in the afternoon we again weighed, and made sail in company with the IsaU-Ua j the Do- io the Arctic Regions. 3 y with the n anchored e Galleons it of pilots, weigh, and anchor as le morning, wind was where we e Dorothea y expected arted com- issary, how- • squadron ; s ours, still, ing under a lite distinct ;d to enter in conse- } preceding te accident id with our ing master tin at what \ his return, )me misma- The men )f our boats apped up ia 1 so much, [^fortunately le men were verv means lock in the ittle Nore, ternoon the ce, together ig the ships and worked seven and we again It ; the Do- rothea and Trent, which had arrived in the interim, still re- maining at the Nore. In the evening we brought to in that part of the Swin called the Middle. Here we lay until half past one o'clock of the following day, the 22r*, when we got under weigh, and worked down as far as the Gunflcet Beacon ; but the wind being still against us, it became necessary to an- chor when the ebb tide was done, and as, from the appearance of the weather, and the unsheltered situation, this could not be effected with safety at the place where we then were, we bore up, and anchored again at the one whence we had started. Here we found the Dorothea and Trent ; but it appears that they did not consider themselves in security even at this spot, for on the following morning, the 23d, they got under weigh, and returned again to the mouth of the river. The Isabella and our ship held on, however, and on the ensuing day, the 24th, the weather becoming moderate, we got under weigh, but were obliged to bring to soon after for want of wind. During this latter day we tried the specific gravity of the sea water along side, at high water, and at low water, and found it, at the former period, to be 1026*4, and at the latter, 1026*1. This difference is easily accounted for, and indeed is nothing more than what might naturally have been expected, seeing that, at low water, the water along side is much fresher than at high water, from its vicinity to the mouth of the river. Its specific gravity is consequently less, and vice versd. As the hydrometers supplied to the Alexander was of Fahren- heit's construction, it became necessary to ascertain the weight required to adjust it in distilled water, in order to find the spe- cific gravity of any other fluid j but as we could not ©ynveniently procure any distilled water at the time, another method was necessarily resorted to, and was as follows : — The Isabella's hydrometer being a self-adjusting one, or of such a size as to displace a thousand grains when adjusted in distilled water, the adjustment of ours was obtained by the following proj rtion : as the weight of the Isabella's hydrometer and load, when adjusted in salt water, is to one thousand, or the weight it would displace when adjusted in distilled water ; so is the weight of the Alexander's hydrometer, and its load, when adjusted in salt water, to the weight it would displace when adjusted in distilled water : from which sum the weight of the hydrometer being subtracted, will leave the weight required to adjust it in distilled water. The common divisor thus obtained was 1260-7, the weight of the hydrometer being grains 845*30, and the weight required to adjust it in distilled water 415*40. On Saturday, the 2.5th, we weighed at about six in the morn- ing, and made all sail. The wind having shifted round to the southward and westward, enabled us to get as far as LowstofT I I , 4 Fayagi of Discovery lights befuro dark j and on the morning of the 26th we passed Yarmouth. It being Sunday, and the weather very fine, the greater part of the officers and men were enabled to attend divine service, which was- performed by Lieutenant Parry. From this time nothing worthy of remark occurred until the 30th, on which day we made the land a little to the northward of Cape Sombero* in Shetland, and came to anchor at noon in Lerwick harbour, commonly called Brassa sound, where we found His Majesty's ship Ister, and two or three merchant vessels. On the right hand, the coast, on approaching this anchorage, is very bold and rugged, being bound with precipitous rocks, which in some places rise perpendicularly from the sea to a considerable height. In the same line of coast were observed one or two natural arches, through which the sea flowed so as to admit of a free passage for boats from one side of the rock to the other. One of these opening?, or arches, much resem- bled, at a small distance, a piece of artificial workmanship. A few miles from Lerwick, an insulated rock, or small island, rises so close to the main land, that the chasm which divides it from the latter is crossed in a sort of basket running on a rope fastened on either side of this gulf, or opening. The general appearance of Shetland is very uninviting, as it merely presents a uniform waste of naked and barren moun- tains, in some places sloping down gradually to the sea shore, ^nd in others terminating in rugged precipices. The soil, which is of a dark mossy quality, is of a considerable depth in the vallies, and is there cut up in longitudinal pieces, and dried for fuel, they having neither wood nor coals, except such as is carried thither, the island not affording either of these useful articles. The productions of the Shetland isles are oats, barley, potatoes, and some garden vegetables. Their domestic ani- mals are such as arc common to the other British isles, unless that they are much smaller, particularly their horses, com- monly called ponies. Their horned cattle are also of a very diminutive size, as are likewise their sheep; but the fleeces of the latter are of a very fine texture, insomuch that stockings, which may be drawn through a finger ring, are made from their wool. I observed also that their fleeces possess a greater variety of colours than I had elsewhere seen ; for in a flock of two or three dozen sheep, are to be found sonie quite black, others of a beautiful brown, and a variety of other shades between black and white. The Shetlandcrs are of a middle stature, and well propor- tioned. The men arc in general of a swarthy complexion; but the women are fair, and fresh and healthy in their appearance. M we passed •y fine, the d to attend ant Parry. 1 until the northward at noon in where we ?, merchant anchoragf, tous rocks, :he sea to a :e observed lowed so as )f the rock uch rescra- lanship. A nail island, ich divides inning on a viting, as it rren nioiin- e sea shore, soil, which ipth in the id dried for such as Ia hesc useful ats, barley, nestic ani- slcs, unless )rses, conn- of a very e fleeces of ; stockings, 1 from their a greater n a flock of uite black, her shades ell propor- exion; but ppearance. io the Antk Jiegiont. 5 They are said to be extremely hospitable ; and, certainly, if what we saw of them, during our short stay here, is to be adduced in confirmation of this report, they are strictly entitled to it from us. The higher classes are not inferior, either in politeness or accom- plishments, to those who reside nearer the centre of fashion j they are generally educated in England or Scotland ; so that, in their youth, they receive the benefits of a liberal education, and a taste for the refined manners of their southern neighbours, with- out having had time to imbibe those vices which are the usual concomitants of a civilized life. Although the ideas oi the lower classes are, from their sequestered situation, necessarily confined, still they are very intelligent, shrewd, and circumspect ; and the women are very modest in their deportment. Th«ir chief employment is the knitting of stockings, &c., at which they are very expert. This extraordinary address will not be deemed surprising, when it is considered that they begin to knit in their early infancy, and that it would appear to be their sole employment, until they arrive at extreme old age ; for I have very often ob- served a band of them engaged in knitting, and standing against the wall of a house, in which were individuals from the age of ten to seventy, and 1 may venture to say upwards, the is- landers living in general to a very great age. What 1 have just related respecting the employment of the women, refers only to those belonging to the town of Lerwick ; for, in the country, their occupation is quite of a different, and of a more dis- agreeable nature. There they are literally employed as beasts of burden ; for I have seen them carrying the manure en their back, in straw baskets, to the field, and drawing the harrow, beside digging the ground with their spades. This hard usage does not proceed, however, either from laziness, or a tyrannical disposition on the part of the men, but merely from necessity ; seeing that almost every man who can pull an oar, sets out in the months of March and April to the Greenland fishery, so that the whole of the agricultural tasks is left to the old men, women, and children ; and as the former and latter of these are not able to perform the more laborious duties, they conse- quently devolve on the women. The reason they assigned to us for not employing horses to labour their fields, &c., was, that they were not able to maintain them in the winter season. Those, however, who have any thing like a considerable spot of arable ground, use horses ; if their ponies, some of which are not much larger than a good English sheep, can be said to merit that appellation. Our stay at Shetland was too short to enable us to learn much respecting the customs and manners of the inhabitants. Voyage of Discover y The prevailing language is English; but I understand that some words of Norse, or of the Norwegian tongue, are still in tise among the lower classes, which would indicate their origin, were any doubts subsisting on that subject. They dress in the English fashion ; and this I mention as a point of distinction between them and the'lnhabitants of the northern part of Scot- land, off which these islands lie. The town of Lerwick, which is the capital* of the Shetland islands, is built on the face of a little eminence near the sea- side, on the island probably called the Mainland, from its being the largest of the Shetland group. It is about a quarter of a mile in length, and about half that extent, or two furlongs, in breadth, and is very irregularly built, not any part of it deserv- ing the name of a street, as there are scarcely three houses in the town built in a line parallel with «ach other. Notwith- standing this want of symmetry, some of the houses are large and well built. On an eminence, at the north-end of the town, stands a little fortress, containing good barracks, built, like the houses, of rough stone, and covered with slate. Its present garrison consists of a serjeant and four or five private artillerymen. Considering the high latitude in which this place is situated, the mildness of the climate is deserving of remark ; for the mercury of Fahrenheit's thermometer, in the shade, seldom fell below forty-six degrees, and between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, it generally stood at fifty degrees. I have, indeed, been told that, although the winters here are long, still they are not so severe as might be expected, being, from the insular situation, much milder than the winters in places in lower latitudes on the continent. The Shetland islands are about forty in number: of these thirty are inhabited. The most considerable of them, in point of size, are Mainland, Yell, Bressa, or Brassay, and Unst. The whole population of Shetland is estimated at twenty-three thousand souls ; and of that number fifteen hundred went this season to the Greenland fishery only, besides those who were employed in other fisheries along the coast. When we, therefore, take into consideration the number of children, and of old people, in a spot where instances of longevity are so common, it will readily appear that the eflfective strength of the population is, as has already been observed, during the summer months, employed at sea, conse- quently the chief part of both field and domestic work falls to the lot of the women. • Scolloway is, properly speaking, the capita], agreeably to an old charter ; biTt tliat town consists at present of a few huiiieK only. ,>. rstand that are still in their origin, ress in the distinction irt of Scot- lie Shetland ar the sea- m its being quarter of a Furlongs, in )f it deserv- !e houses in Notwith- s are large end of the acks, built, slate. Its five private is situated, k ; for the ide, seldom iree o'clock ss. I have, e long, still from the n places in islands arc Uted. The Mainland, ^pulation of lis ; and of Greenland er fisheries )nsideration spot where appear that ready been sea, conse- falls to the \n old charter ; i to the Atretic Jiegions, 7 Having now given a brief account of Shetland, and of its inhabitants, as far as I have been able to observe them, I again resume my narrative of such facts as are more immediately Connected with our expedition. On Friday, May 1st, the day after our arrival at Shetland, Captain Sabine got on shorc^ on the island of Brassa, the portable observatory and astronomical instruments ; but un- fortunately the day was so cloudy, that the transit instrument could not be used. He found the dip, or declination of the needle, in Mr. Mouatt's garden, to be 74° 20' 10". It was at this gentleman's house that the observatory was erected. As it was intended that we should sail next day, every thing was got on board j but the wind prevented our sailing until the day following. On this day the Dorothea and Trent came in, the latter in such a leaky state that they were obliged to haul her close in to the shore, in order to try if they could find at low-water where the leak was. This was fortunately discovered ; or, at least, they found one or two places which were supposed to be capable of admitting the greater part of the water she made. As we sailed before they got her afloat again, we having left both her and the Dorothea in Brassa sound at the time of our sailing thence, we did not hear of the ultimate success of this repair ; but it is to be hoped that all went on well. On the morning of the third, at half past eight o'clock, the Isabella and Alexander got under weigh ; and, as the wind was still from the southward, we were obliged to pass through what is called Yell sound, which, to strangers, particularly in thick weather, must be a dangerous passage, as it is inter- spersed with numerous rocks, some of which are above, and others just level with the surface of the water. We were, however, favoured with a fair wind, a clear day, and a native of the place for a pilot, so that we got safely into the open sea before four o'clock in the afternoon, and soon after took our final departure from the remotest of the British isles. Just as we cleared the rocks which surround the north-coast of the Shetland islands, the sky became overcast, with every appear- ance of foul weather. On Monday, the 4th, we had a strong breeze, and a consi- derable roll of the sea from the south-east, which continued, with little variation, until two o'clock of the following morn- ing, when both gradually subsided. About one o'clock in the afternoon a quart-bottle was thrown overboard, containing half a sheet of foolscap paper, on which were written the time and situation of the place where it was committed to the deep, with a request, in si.\ different languages, to any person who might M- 8 Poj/agg of Ditcovery r i happen to pick it up, to send it to the Secretary of the Admi- ralty. It was an exact copy of printed papers supplied by the Admiralty, for the purpose of being throw^n into the sea, in order to afford data for detecting the velocity and direction of currents. The printed forms are forbidden to be used by us while in company with the Isabella, from a supposition, as I conjecture, that those she throws overboard will be sufficient so long as we are in company. In order to attract notice, after the bottle is corked and sealed, a piece of white calico is tied over its mouth, which makes it conspicuous uX a consi- derable distance. I believe it is intended to throw a bottle, with one of these papers in it, overboard every day about one o'clock in the after- noon, at which hour we shall be able to have the latitude and longitude of the ship at the time, the state of the weather, the wind then prevailing, and the temperature of the air and water, according to Fahrenheit's thermometer. Any other remarks which may be deemed useful are also to be inserted. In order to convey a perfect idea of the contents of the papers thus com- mitted to the sea, an exact copy of the one thrown overboard this day will be inserted in the Appendix, (No. 2.) During the two following days nothing worthy of notice occurred. The weather was quite moderate and fine, the temperature of both air and water being nearly the same, the thermometer in the former generally standing at fifty degrees, and in the latter at forty-nine degrees. Several land birds alighted on the rigging, apparently quite exhausted, for two of them suffered themselves to be caught with the hand. They had probably been blown off from Shetland by the strong south-east wind we had on Monday, the 4th. From this time until the 15th, thf» weather having been very fine, we were enabled to try the different new instruments, invented for, and supplied to the expedition. Captain Kater's altitude instrument appeared to answer remarkably well, the latitude having been obtained by it several times within a mile of that given by the sextant. The only objection I have heard against it, is the difficulty of observing by it when there is a rough sea, that is, when the ship has much motion j but in those seas where it is intended to be used, the water is gene- rally smooth, so that there is reason to expect that it will be then found to be a valuable instrument. Its object is to find the sun's altitude, when the horizon is so obscured by clouds or haze, that it cannot be found by the usual method. The same ingenious gentleman's azimuth compasses have also been tried, and from their light and delicate construction, it is expected that they will be found useful when we get into i to the Arctic Regions. 9 the Atlmi- plied by the the sea, in [lirection of used by us isition, as I )C sufficient ract notice, ite calico is I bt a consi- ►ne of these in the after- atitude and veather, the r and water, her remarks In order to s thus com- n overboard ly of notice id fine, the le same, the ifty degrees, ^1 land birds for two of and. They the strong g been very istruments, tain Kater's y well, the ithin a mile have heard n there is a ion; but in Iter is gene- at it will be !ct is to find d by clouds od. passes have onstruction, fvc get into i high latitudes, where we have reason to suppose that the com- njon compasses will be rather slow in their movements. All the other instruments we have are such, I believe, as have been used before, with the exception of 'J'roughton's spinning horizon, which has also been tried; but 1 think that the experi- ments, or rather trials hitherto made with it, are not sufficient to warrant an opinion being given of its merits : all that can be said is, that it has not yet been found to answer the purpose for which it was intended. Dr. Wollaston's dip sector has also been tried several times, and the results of the observations made with it prove, that under certain circumstances it may be used with advantage; but the allowance for dip, as given in the tables of different books on navigation, is what will he generally trusted to. It is satisfactory, however, to have an instrument by which an error arising from any unusual refractive power of the atmosphere may be corrected. The meteorological instru- ments, namelv, the barometer, thermometers, hygrometer, and hydrometer, have been constantly, or rather, at fixed periods, attended to, and the results regularly noted. The height of the marine barometer, and that of the attached thermometer, are taken four times every day, at regular intervals of six hours, that i9, at six o'clock in the morning, at noon, at six in the after- noon, and at midnight. The temperature of the air in the shade, and that of the sea water at the surface,, are taken every two hours, by day and by night, and, whenever an opportunity is afforded, the temperature of the sea is taken at a considerable depth, by the self-registering thermometer. The degree of moisture indicated by the hygrometer, and the specific gravity of the sea water, are generally taken once a day. Another diurnal observation is made when the weather admits of it, namely, that of the colour of the sky. This is done by the meaus of a small book having fourteen blue-colour leaves of different shades, each regularly numbered : by comparing these with the sky, the number of the leaf corresponding with it is noted as its colour at that time. Simple as this observation, or rather the instrument by which it is made, may appear, it has been dignified with as profound a name as any we -have on board, it being called cyanaineter. About five o'clock this afternoon a white substance was ob- served floating on the surface of the water, and a boat was immediately lowered to pick it up. On its being brought on board, it was found to be a piece of whale blubber weighing about ten pounds : the oily or adipose substance was entirely washed away, or picked off the outside by birds, or had probably suffered partly from cither cause ; for one of those birds which Voyages and Thavels, No. I, Vol. [. C ! I I 10 fui/age of Discover 1/ the seaiucu call malinuck (the fuhnar or proccllaiia glachilis) was Icastii);,' on it at the tiino. On an incision being made into it, I lie inside was found to be pci feetly fresh, and, agreeably to the opinion of Messrs. Allison and I'hilips, the master and mate, it c»)uld not jjave been in the water more than three weeks, or a month at the farthest. It was I)esides remarked by the latter of these gentlemen, that the whale of which it constituted a part, must have I)cen killed, as the blubber of thosc^hat die is always of a reddish colour, froni their not bleeding, while the blubber of llw.se which arc killed by the fishermen is of a whitish colour, such as was exhibited by this portion. Simple us the circum- stance of its having been found here may at first siglit appear, it ull!, on a few moments' consideration, be found to merit iituntlon, as it tends in some measure to throw a light on the foicc and d"rectii)ii of the current which brouglit it hither, if brought by that means, of which there appears to be but little doubt. In the first place it may be asked what are the other probr.blc means, besides currents, by which a piece of whale could be brought to the spot where this one was found. I know of two other means only ; first, that of the whale being killed near the place, and secondly, that it had dropped from a fishing ship homeward bound; but, from all that 1 can learn, whales are never killed to the eastward of Cape Farewell, unless in the Greenland scas^ and it is not likely that any of the whale ships should be so far homeward bound as this at such an early period of the season. We must, therefore, conclude that it was carried to this place by a current, either from Davis's Straits, or the Greenland seas. From the former, or rather from Cape Farewell, we were, jvt the time it was found, distant about two hundred leagues, and from the usual fishing ground in Green- land still farther, insomuch that it is most probable it came from Davis's Straits. l'2vcr since wc sailed from Shetland a small bag net has been towing astern of the ship, for the purpose of securing any ma- rine or other production, which might happen to be floating near the surface. Wc did not find any thing in it until Sunday, the '7th, when a species of Medusa, weighing three quarters of a pound, and quite gelatinous and semi-transparent, was taken out. On Wednesday, the 20th, we picked up a piece of fir wood, about three feet in length, and nearly the same in circumfe- rence at the thickest end. It appeared to be the root of a tree which had been torn away from the shore by some violent means, for not any ujark of an axe, or other edged tool, was to be seen on it. Its surface was, indeed, so much worn by friction against rocks or ice, that, had it been cut, the marks would have iv .— a gliciulis) inude into L'ably to the nd mate, it ivecks, or a he latter of uted a part, lie is always the blubber itish colour, the circuni- ght appear, id to merit light on the it hither, if (C but little e the other ce of whale s found. I whale being pped from a can learn, well, unless >f the whale uch a;n early ude that it vis's Straits, from Cape t about two I in Green- t came from let has been ing any ma- be floating ntil Sunday, rec quarters )arent, was of fir wood, n circumfe- )ot of a tree )me violent tool, was to n by friction would have I to the Arctic Jtigioits. 1 1- been nearly obliterated. It was in a good si;iU: >i| |*,c.soiv;i- tion, with the exception of a little of the outside, wliii.h was soft, and covered witlr slimy matter. From uliat fniartci i»t tIu- world this piece of wood came we were iinablc bt s;iy; luii, from the situation of the place where it was pickiil u|i, uainely, latitude 57'' SC N., and longitude 'MP 21' VV., wc may voason- ably conclude that it came from some part of the iionh coast of America. This day, and for two days past, the weather has heen remark- ably foggy J but, with the exception of the cljilly diuupncss which invariably accompanies foggy vvoather, it itas in other rcsju'cts been pretty mild, the temperature of both air and water liaving been, at an average, about 4G" of Fahrenheit. Friday, May 22. In addition to the reasons already assigned for supposing that the piece of whale blubber picked tip on the 16th instant, was carried by a westerly current from Davis's Straits to the place where it was found, another cireumstanc'c, tending to confirm the above supposition, lias been observed for three days jvist. The circumstance alluded to is, that tiic specific gravity of the sea water on the 20th and 21st, was con- siderably loss th;in it had been found to-day. On the aliovc days it was I027*'i; and to-day, at the same hour (6 P. M.) it is 1027*^»8. It is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that this dif- ference is owing to a westerly current setting out of Davis's Straits round Cape Farewell, which, at this time of the ye;n-, must be considerably freshened by the quantity of ice dissolved in it. That this current should affect the hydrometer equally on the 20th and 21st, is no more than what might have been expected; for, during these two days, we were almost in the same parallel of latitude, being at noon, on the 20th, in latitude 37° 50' N., and on the 21st, in 57" 52' N. Again, our parallel of latitude this day, the 22d, being 57" 08' N., may be consi- dered as being beyond the southern boundary of tlils current, as the specific gravity of the sea water has been found to f^e as great as in any part of the Atlantic where we tried it. To what longitude this current, if I may venture to speak of it so decidedly, carries its freshness, we have not been able to determine with any degree of certainty, the weather liaving been so rough for some days before the 20th that nothing like an accurate experiment could be made. Prior to tiie above date, the 16th was the last day on which the specific gravity was ob- tained in a manner that could be depended on ; and on that day it was 1027*7> we being jjcn in latitude '>(;" 58' ?>:\" N., and in longitude 25° 34' 00' VV . It is obvious, therefore, that before the current reached thus far .it lost its freshness from iinj)rrgnatioii with the ocean. That carries its freshness, however, for a ( ! i|! 12 yoyttge f>/ Durovinj consldtiahle (listaoce to the eastward of Capi- I'aicwell is evi- dent; lor on tlic 20tlj we were in longitude .Ui" 21' W., and yesterday in :J5>° iS' W., and on both days we found tlic specific gravity of the water to be the same. About this time we observed anotlier fact equally interesting, and tending likewise to corroborate the conchision drawn from the late ditterence of the specific gravity of the sea water. From the l7th to the 21st instant its temperature was invariably colder ilian that of the air, wliich is contrary to what we liad • generally found before. This change, 1 think, may also be attri- buted to the same cause as the difference of the specific gravity lately observed. The fresh, or ice water, being colder than the salt water, will necessarily aft'ect the temperature of the whole body of water with which it is blended, insomuch that the water will probably be colder than the .lir, wherever this current prevails. Yesterday and to-day several land birds have hovered about the ship, in so exhausted a state, that two of them suffered them- selves to be taken with the hand. They are of the same species as those we caught soon after leaving Shetland, namely, the Wheatear (motacilla oenanthe.) On Tuesday, the 26th, about five in the afternoon, we had a distant view, for the first time, of what ere long will probably be a very familiar sight to us, although this day it excited much curiosity. Tlie object alluded to was a large iceberg, which was seen from the mast head at the above hour, bearing N. E. of us. About seven o'clock we got within nine or ten miles of it, and at this distance it presented a magnificent spectacle, appearing like an immense rock of white marble rising out of the sea. We were too far from it to be enabled to form any thing like a correct idea of its size; but this is to be less re- gretted, as we shall in all probability have, in the course of a short time, an opportunity of ascertaining the size of some of these immense floating masses of ice by .actual measurement. This afternoon, both the thermometer and hydrometer indi- cated our approach to the ice, for the former fell to 37'* in both air and water, and the specific gravity of the sea-water, as found by the latter, was not more than 1027'5. During the afternoon the clouds near the horizon, towards the north-west, presented an unusual white appearance, in some places resem- bling snowy mountains rearing their summits out of the ocean. For this day, and for several days past, the colour of the water has been observed to be considerably changed ; for, instead of that clear blue colour it had all the distance from Shetland to the longitude of Cape Farewell, it has now a light brownish colour when the weather is clear, and, when foggy or hazy, a turbid viU 'ell is evi- l' W., and ilic specific interesting, Iruwn from sea water. i invariably hat wc had • Iso be attri- :iiic gravity ler than the the whole :h that the this current :d about the tfercd them- amc species namely, the »n, wc had a ill probably veiled uuicli jcrg, whicli !aring N. E. ten miles of ,t spectacle, ising out of to form any o be less re- course of a of some of icusurcment. imctcr indi- 37" in both 3a-water, as During the ! north-west, laces resem- f the ocean, he water has tead of that etland to the viiish colour azy, a turbid to the Arctic Regions. 18 appearance, such as 1 have generally observed at the estuary of large rivers. The specific gravity of the sea water we fnui to be diminishing daily. At six o'clock in the evening of the 27th, it Nvas only lOi'7'2, the temperature of the water at the ti(ne being -I*!". Two days before, the Isabella tried the current, and found that it set north west, at tlic rate of seven or eight miles in twenty- four hours. On Thursday, the 28th, wc passed three icebergs, tin? height of the largest of which was measured by Lieutenant Parry, by taking the angle it subtended, and its bearings, at two stiitions, the distance between being ascertained by the patent log : its height was found to be fifty-one feet. Around these bergs were a great number of birds of difierent descriptions, some of which followed the ships for a consideraele distance. During the night, and on the following morning, we passed several icebergs and smaller pieces of ice. One of those which wc passed to-day (the 2J)ih,) was the largest we had yet seen. On the top of it was an immense circular mass, resembling a tower, which appeared much whiter than any other part, probably from its being covered with snow. We had this day a good specimen of a northern summer, for it snowed and sleeted alternately during the whole of the day. This made the weather so thick, that a very vigilant look out became necessary to guard against running foul of the ice; and this danger would be still more serious at night, were it of any length. This is so far, however, from being the case, that last night, although we were then only in latitude 62° N,, the twilight was so strong during the short time the sun was under the horizon, that any object of consider- able size might be seen nearly as distinctly as in day-light, and to-night this refractive light will be stronger, and the night at the same time shorter, for at midnight we shall, if the wind continues, be as far as latitude 63* N. Saturday, May 30th. The rigour of the climate still increases. Such parts of the rigging and sails as were wet yesterday, are to-day regularly frozen, and in some places adorned with isicles. The thermometer in the shade, at noon, rose no higher than twenty-eight degrees and a half } and the temperature of the sea- water at the surface was as low as the freezing point, notwith*- standing the weather has been to-day much more agreeable than' we have found it for some days past. 1 had an opportunity, during the night, of observing the shortness, or rather the total absence, of darkness for the last twenty-four hours; for, having remained on deck until two o'clock of the morning of the 31st, for the purpose of being present at the measurement of a large iceberg which we then \«^l>' * I!) It 14 T^nynge of Dixcoreri/ ptssed, I t'uund that nt miilnight I cuuld icud the .smnllcst ))riiit; mid at liulf past one u'dovk it wan so clear, tlint 1 could rend with the greatest case tlic (livisious on the sextant which was employed for taking the angle subtended by the itel»erg. 'J'lie heigl'it of this iceberg was ascertained to be cighty-iive feet, and its length five hundred and eighteen feet around its base. In some places, at a considerable distance from it, the sea broke with great violence, owing, no doubt, to some tongues which projected from it underneath the water. For a considerable dis- tance to leeward of it there was a stream of small pieces of ice which had been detached from it. Its figure was that of an irregular scjuare, one side of which was quite perpendicular. From this side it sloped gradually towards the opposite side, where its height above the surface of the water did not exceed ten or twelve feet. I have observed this to be generally the form of the icebergs wc have hitherto seen, that is, one side high and perpendicular, the opposite side quite low, and the surface sloping gradually from one side to the other. It is not to be understood, however, that this description is applicnble to every iceberg : so far is this from being the case, that some of them do not answer in one single point to the form of those mentioned above. Several of them, indeed, have such fantastic shapes, that it would be a difficult matter to describe them correctly. On Monday, June ist, as for some days past, a great number of the whales called finners, (baleena physalus,) were seen. They derive their name from a fin on the back, not common to the black whale, (baleena mysticctus.) They are generally as long as, and sometimes longer than, the regular whale, but never so thick ; and their blubber seldom exceeds five or six inches in thickness. From this circumstance, and the difHculty of killing them, which is sometimes a hazardous enterprise, they are seldom molesti d by the fishermen ', but I understand that the natives of Greenland prefer their flesh to that of the black whale, and for that reason arc greater enemies to them than the fishermen. We observed several of them raise out of the water their enormous tails, with which they kept beating and lashing with great violence. On enquiring of those who had been employed in the Greenland fishery, what might apparently be the cause of these violent actions, we were told that they were owing to the congress or embrace of the two sexes. 1 have been informed that wherever these finners are met with in considerable num- bers, a black whale is seldom or ever to be seen. With respect to the seals it is the reverse ; for we saw them in greater numbers '^-'*^ tn thv /'Irrtit firi^ittuf!. l§ tlic .smallest :lcai', that 1 I the sextant tndcd by the e eighty-five und Its base, the sea broke ngues which iiuerabic dis- pieccs uf ice idc of which ed gradually he surface of observed this litherto seen, itc side quite to the other, escription is ing the ease, t to the form d, have such r to describe 'reat number were seen, common to generally as ', but never ' six inches difficulty of jrprise, they lerstand that >f the black m than the water their lashing with n employed he cause of )wing to the n informed arable num- ^''ith respect ter numbers i to-day than un any lurnuT (iccasloti. It is not to be ini'erred from this, however, that tin* linncrs anil souls associate to- gether. I presume, on the contrary, that tlicre la not any such alliance, allhoiigli they happened tk) be seen together. We fnod several times at the latter, but without success, us they instantly dived, wliether struck or not. We were more fortunate, however, in procuring a few specimens of the feathered tribe : the weather being very fine, a boat was sent to an iceberg, around which wc observed a ffreat number of birds. Four of these were killed, namely, a loon, (colymbus troile;) a fulmar, (proeellaria glacialis,) commonly called malleinuke, in which was found an eqg without a shell ; a kittiwake, (larus Kissa ;) and a Greenland swallow, (Sterna hirundo.) They were all excessively fat, the first two in particular, having each a layer of adipose substance, a quarter of an inch in thickness, underneath the skin. This is, as well as the thick down with which their breasts are co- vered, peculiarly well calculated to protect them against the rigour of the climate. Wc were somewhat surprised to-day on finding ourselves close to the iceberg mentioned yesterday, after beating about for the last twenty-four hours, and attempting to get to the north- ward. We passed as close to it again this day as the first time, notwithstanding we were at noon six miles to the northward of where we were yesterday, our latitude to-day being ()3° 51' OS' N. ; and on the preceding day OS" 45' N. This would appear to controvert what has' been said lately respecting a current setting to the southward and eastward round Cape Farewell. Be this as it may, I shall not fail to record facts, however irre« concileable they may appear. On the following day, June 2d, we passed through several streams and patches of ice, amid which we saw numerous flocks of the birds the seamen call rotges, the alca alle of Penant's Arctic Zoology. It is a beautiful little bird, and agrees perfectly with the description given of it by that natu- ralist. We killed one, which we found to be very good eating. It may not be improper in this place to give some explana- tion of the above terms of streams and patches of ice, together with that of such others as are usually employed in describ- ing the different forms in which the ice is met with in these regions. Those stupendous masses of ice fallen in with in Davis's Straits, and sometimes in Greenland, are called ickbbrgs, or ICE ISLANDS. When a number of pieces of ice are collected together in close 'ii I ■ 1 i ,'6' IG Voyage of Discovery contact, ill such a way as that they cannot be seen over from the mast-head, this is termed a pack. When tiic collection of pieces can be seen across, if it assume a circular or polygonal form, the name of patch is applied to it; and it is termed a stbeam, when of an oblong form, however narrow it may be, pro\rided the continuity of the pieces is preserved. A FIELD is a continued sheet of ice, so large that its bounda- ries cannot l)e seen over from the ship's mast-head. Pieces of ice of very large dimensions, but smaller than fields, are called floes. Thus a field may be compared to a pack, and a floe to a patch. Small pieces which break off from the large masses arc called ICE-BRASH, and may be collected into streams and patches. Ice is said to be loose, open, or drift, when the pieces are so separated as to allow a ship to pass through them. A HUMMOCK is a protuberance raised upon any plane of ice above the common level. A CALF is a portion of ice which has been depressed in the same manner as a hummock has been raised, namely, by pieces of ice mutually crushing each other. The above definitions are taken from Mr. Scoresby*s paper on polar ice. This gentleman also remarks, that fresh-water ice may be distinguished from salt-water ice by the black appearance of the former when floating in the sea, and its beautiful green hue when removed into the air. That such may generally be the case I am willing to allow ; but I am inclined to think, that ice may be fresh without possessing either of these remarkable appearances, for some which we brought from the iceberg we were at yesterday, was found to be perfectly fresh, although it neither looked black in the water, nor green when removed from it; but had, in both situations, rather a white or crys- talline appearance, especially in the air, at the same time that the part of the iceberg which was above the surface of the water appeared to me to incline more to a blue than to a green colour. It may, perhaps, be considered presumptuous in me thus far to differ from the authority of a man who had so many opportu- nities to make himself fully acquainted with the subject in ques- tion J but, with due deference to his superior knowledge, I must for the present beg to dissent from him with respect to the colour of fresh-water ice. Should I, however, hereafter find this instance to be only an exception to the general rule, I shall not fail to notice it as such. During the forenoon of Wednesday, Junt 3d, we were obliged to stand to the eastward, in order to keep clear of the ■m I I over from the tion of pieces >nal form, the id a STBEAM, , pro\^ded the it its bounda- er than fields, a pack, and i masses arc streams and the pieces are • ' plane of ice pressed in the ely, by pieces by*s paper on 2sh-water ice ;k appearance ;autifu1 green generally be to think, that e remarkable ; iceberg we sh, although rhen removed hite or crys- me time that face of the n to a green me thus far any opportu- )ject in ques- ge, I must for the colour of this instance all not fail to »d, we were clear of the Iv tliU .-fnl/'c Itcu'hut:^. 17 {cc, Wiiic!), Id tlio northward aiu! westward, we found scat - tciv'd iu patches and detached pieces, as far as the eye could ])C'iietrutc. The distutice, however, owing to the haziness of the weather, was not \Gvy great. Between twelve and one o'clock in the afternoon, we had the second view of the coast of Gi'eeiiland, it having been indistincily seen on Sunday last, the 31st of May, from the mast-head. On the present occa- sion, also, our distance from it was too great to alibid us a dis- tinct view of it, even at our nearest approach, whi?h was before we tacked ; for it was then estimated that we were distant from it fifty miles. How far this may have been correct 1 ciinnoi pretend to say ; but it appeared to be the prevailing opinion at the time, in both ships, the Isabella having then tele- graphed that we were at that distance iVom the land. It was not to be expected thai much would be seen at such a distance ; but we saw enough to satisfy ourselves of the barren and dreary nature of Greenland, for the eye, instead of being relieved, and the mind cheered, as they usually are on the first appearance of land, after some time having been spent at sea, were on this occasion appalled by the dismal aspect of snowy mountains, and black cliffs or precipices, on which neither snow nor ice could rest, owing to their steepness. We could neither perceive the summits nor the lower part of the moun- tains, the former being hid from us by a horizontal cl'^ud or fog, which extended over the land as far as we could see, and the latter by the sea, owing to the distance we were off. We ascertained that this part of the coast is laid down in the charts too far to the eastward; and, according to our chrono- meters, upwards of two degrees, unless, indeed, wc were far- ther from it than we supposed ourselves to be. On Thursday, the 4th, wc had a better view of the land than on the preceding day, owing to the weather being clearer; while our distance from it vais, I believe, nearly the same. The sky over the land being clear of clouds, we could plainly sec the summits of the mountains for a considerable way inland. They appeared to be nearly of an equal height, and all ter- minating in acuminated points, separated from each other by small vallies, covered, or more properly speaking, filled with snow. Indeed, the whole face of the country, as far as we could see, was clad in the same manner, with the excejition, as 1 have already observed, of the black cliffs and precipices which here and there protruded themselves to view. The anniversary of our most gracious Majesty was not for- gotten this day in our narrow circle; for his health was drank after dinner as cordially, and with as much glee, as at any table in his extensive dominions. Voyages and Travels, No. 1, Vol. I. D 18 / "oyage of Discover 1/ H fl I I M i ! During the two following days nothing occurred deserving of notice. The wind having been directly against us, we have been forced to beat about nearly in the same tract between the land and the ice. The space between the former and the latter does not, I think, exceed eighty, or, at the most, ninety miles ; for we constantly have a sight of each of them in the course of every twetjty-four hours. Our approach to the ic'e is always known for some time before we reach, or even see it, there being invariably a kind of white fog, or glare, com- monly called the ice blink, extending along the horizon in the direction in which it lies. This glare, or blink, generally assumes one particular form, which is that of a segment of a large circle, with its convex, or circular side, uppermost. The middle part is usually of the height of about five degrees. We constantly meet with small straggling pieces of ice for some miles before we reach the main body; and these continue to increase in number and size in proportion as we advance. I have observed also that, as we approach the ice, the birds, arc always more nunjcrous. From the sixth to the ninth we were engaged in working to the northward among the ice, which we found, on the latter day, to be so closely packed together, that it was impossible to'get through it in any direction to the northward and west- ward, since it extended from the land right across to the west- ward, as far as we could see. After working about among the loose ice as far as we could well proceed, we at length drew in towards the land, and made fast* to a large iceberg, which was aground about three or four miles off the shore, or rather off some islands which lay between us and the main land. We were not long here before a number of Esquimaux came along- side of us in their canoes. Some of them had a few wild fowl, eggs, and seal-skins to barter ; and others did not appear to have any other object in view beside that of gratifying their curiosity. The articles they appeared most desirous of bar- tering for, were clothes, iron, tobacco, and spirits; but, I believe, every thing was acceptable to them. They had, how- ever, so little to dispose of, that but few of their wants could be supplied, unless this had been done gratuitously. They informed us, through the medium of their countryman, Sac- heuse,t that not any of the fishing ships had as yet been able I % * Thr usual way of making fast to ice is to die anclior, to which a hawser or liue is made fust. + He is a native of this country, of SoHlh-East Bay, as I believe. He wa* takt'O to Leith about two years ago, by one of the fiiliing smacks belongin;; to jried deserving list us, we have ict between the brmer and the e most, ninety of them ill the )ach to the ice ch, or even see or glare, com- I horizon in the link, generally a segment of a permost. The e degrees. We of ice for some ese continue to we advance. I e, the birds, are i in working to , on the latter was impossible vard and west- )ss to the west- )out among the at length drew iceberg, which lore, or rather nain land. We IX came along- lad a few wild did not appear ^ratifying their esirous of bar- spirits; but, I 'hey had, how- iir wants could itously. They ntryman. Sac- yet been able , or pit, 111 a con- , coinmonly called believe. He wa» %ckit belonsin* to to the Antic Regions. 19 1 1 I I to get to the northward of this, on account of the ice. We have reason, however, to doubt this story, which is probably of their own making, with a view of detaining us here, in or- der to make their own market. The description of the Grccn- landers, and of their canoes, given by different writers, accords "so well with what we have hitherto seen of them, that any attempt of mine to describe them may, perhaps, be deemed unnecessary ; but as I do not intend to confine my observations to those .objects only which may appear to myself to be new, I shall here give a brief sketch of our visitors, and of their kajaks, or canoes. The former appeared to be rather below the ordinary stature, but well proportioned, and stoutly built. Their faces were ge- nerally, but not invariably, broad, for one or two of them were observed with high cheek bones, and a long visage. Those who were l)road-faced had always a flat nose and thick lips. Their eyes were small, and deeply seated, and their complex- ions bordered on a dirty olive colour. Some of them had long beards, and others looked rather naked about the face, as if the beard had been pulled out. Their hair was straight, coarse, and of a jet black colour. Their dress was made chiefly of seal- skins, and consisted of a sort of frock and small clothes, with the hairy side of the skin generally outermost. The head-dress of the greater part of them was a Welch wig. Those among them whom I had an opportunity of seeing out of their canoes, had boots on, made of the same materials as the rest of their clothes, with this difference in the make of them, that instead of the hairy side being outermost, it was invariably the reverse. It appeared to me that both their feet and hands were small, in proportion to the other parts of their frame ; but as I expect that we shall have yet many opportunities of seeing others in a more original state than our present visitors, some of whom I suspect to be of a mixed race of Danes and natives, I shall forbear entering into any minutiae respecting them ; and, in- deed, were I inclined to give a more ample description of them, a single visit from a few would scarcely suffice to convey any thing like a correct idea of a whole nation. Their canoes were made of seal-skins sewed tightly toge- ther on a wooden frame. They appeared to be in general be- tween sixteen and eighteen feet in length, but very narrow, their breadth seldom, if ever, exceeding two feet. Their form that port. Tiie owner of the ship which brought him to Scotland seems to have paid him con.siderabie attention, for he can now both read and write a little, and ajipears to have some idea of drawing. He speaks English tolerably well. He is with m in the capacity of an interpreter, but does not confine himself to that alone, as he works with the rest of the seamen ; and, from what I can learn, is not much iufeiior to any of them as a useful and williui; mau on every occasion. iirv'i :!! ■' i ■I 20 I'oi/iri^e of Dimoctiry is somewhat like that of a weaver's bhuttlp, with tlie excep- tion that both ends turn up a Uttle, and the after end, I think, rather more than the other. In the middle is a circular hole, in which the Greenlander is seated, apparently with as little fear of beins: upset as if he were seated in the finest barge. Around the rim of this hole is fastened the tail, or lower edge of their seal-skin jackets, by which contrivance the canoe is completely water tight, even in the roughest sea. When they wish to rest themselves, they lean a little to one side, support- ing themselves by the end of their paddie. 1 have observed some of them, however, balance themselves without this arti- lice, which is, perhaps, only necessary in rough weather. Their paddles are between five and six feet in length, small in the middle, at which part they lay hold of them, and broad at each extremity. By striking alternately on either side, they get through the water with a velocity equal to, if not exceeding, that of the suiftest row boat. Owing to their dexterity in managing their canoes, I believe the latter to be perfectly safe, notwithstanding a person unaccustomed to them would be in danger of upsetting. What we should be apt to consider as defects in these vessels in other parts of the world, are in this country essential qualities; I allude here to their lightness particularly; for whenever they are in danger of being beset by the ice, the natives have only to get upon it, and can easily carry their canoe on the shoulder, or even under the arm. Their being low in the water is another advantage, for they can approach seals and birds very closely without being perceived. All their fishing and fowling apparatus, namely, spears, har- poons, lines, and lances, are, with the exception of an inflated seal-skin, which is stationed behind, placed before them on the canoe. These, although simple, are well adapted to the re- spective purposes for which they are intended. The harpoon, which they employ for killing the seal, has the inflated seal- s^kin attached to it by a long thong. This buoy answers a double purpose, as it points out, in the first place, the course the animals take, so that they can be more readily followed, and, secondly, tends to exhaust them ; since, whenever these animals are wounded, they instantly dive, and, by this constant struggle against the buoyant skin, in a short time fall a prey to their pursuers. Having thus noted such few cursory remarks as I have been enabled to make on the skin-clad inhabitants of these dreary regions, 1 now return to other objects of more immediate con- cern. Notwithstanding we have been interrupted by the ice in the prosecution of our voyage, the time has not been use- lessly spent, for several observations were made in the course »)t' this afternoon, on the icoberg to which we arc lait. 4. ■J- '^t 13 I ^'^4*,..-- itii the cxccjj- r end, I think, circular hole, r with as little e finest barge, or lower edge 2 the eaiioe is . Wiieii they side, support- have observed hout this arti- •eather. Their , small in the broad at each ide, they get lot exceeding, ' dexterity in perfectly safe, would be in to consider as Id, are in this heir lightness f being beset and can easily nder the arm. e, for they can ing perceived. , spears, bar- of an inflated e them on the >ted to the re- The harpoon, inflated seal- lov answers a c, the course dily followed, lenever these ' this constant me fall a prey s I have been ' these dreary I mediate con- ted by the ice not been use- in the course • laiit. to the Ai'tU' Regions. 21 From these observations it would appear that this part of ihe coast is laid down in the charts nearly three degrees to the eastward of where it ought to he. ' fiongitudeaccordingtothechartsSO rA) W, Ditto. Lunar ' 53 4 2 W, 2 51 VV. Latitude by observation, at noon GS '22 15 N. Dhxo, by midnight altitude - (JS 25 43 N. Longitude by lunar - - - 5;i'I2 00VV.-x V'aiiatloii ------ 67 32 00 W. ton the iceberg, Dipof the nrcdlc - - -82 30 00W.J IJosides the convenience afforded by the iceberg for making accurate magnetic observations, inasmuch as the compasses were here free from any of that local attraction which had been latterly found to afl^ect them so materially on board, it ofl^ered likewise a subject of speculation in itself ; since, although it was not one of the largest in this vicinity, its size was such as to convey an idea, although imperfect, of the magnitude of some of the stupendous masses we daily see. Its height above the surface of the water was measured by a line, and found to be nine fathoms, (54 feet,) and the depth of water alongside was fifty-three fathoms, (318 feet,) which must have been its height under water, for it was fast aground : so that its entire height was not less than 372 feet. Its length and breadth were not measured ; but I should imagine that its shortest diameter exceeded its height very considerably. The esquimaux said that it came hither last year ; but whence they could not tell ; it must certainly have come from some distance, for the low land hereabouts is not at all calculated for the formation of the immense masses of ice which are aground otf this part of the coa«'t. That a bold coast and deep water are essential to their formation, is obvious on several accounts. In the first place, they require deeper water to float in than we have found here ; and, secondly, they have in general, as has already been observed, one side quite perpendicular, which side I conceive to have been attached, when they were forming, to the surface of some lofty rock or precipice on the coast. And although we find them to consist of a solid, or compact ice, still it is evident that they were formed of sleet and snow, which fell on, or was drifted over some rock, or steep hill, that sheltered the accumulating mass. This, in all probability, requires several years to gather before it breaks off j and there is little, if any doubt, that it is 11 I. I II' 4 I) 'I \ !'y it ^ill : ■'■,'! 1 'it 4 i i I 22 Voyage of Discovery formed in this manner, from the ice being perfectly fresh ; inso- much that we filled some tanks with it this afternoon^ in order to its being used for culinary purposes. What suggested to me the idea that these icebergs are several years in forming, is, that we found on one of the sides of the one above-mentioned, a regular stratum, or bed, of sand and gravel, a few feet only above the surface of the water, besides a great numl)er of large stones, one of which I conceive to have weighed nearly a ton, embedded in different parts. These stones, but more especially the layer of sand and gravel, 1 am inclined to think, had been carried down by a torrent of rain, in the sum- mer season, from the side of the mountain or lull where the berg was formed. How far I am correct in the above conjectures, time will periiaps enable us to prove by observation, so as to put the matter out of doubt, if any such doubt exist. A piece of ice from this berg was cut into a perfect cube, the sides of which measured thirty-six lines. On being thrown into a bucket of salt water, of the temperature of 32°, and of the specific gra- vity of 1026'.9, five lines, or nearly one-seventh part, remained above the surface of the water ; which proportion agrees pretty nearly with the portion of the iceberg above, compared with that beneath the surface of the water. During the night,* the ice began to close on the ships, so that ■we were obliged, on the following morning, June IGth, to cast off from the iceberg, and make the best of our way into clear water, if I may so call a sea every where interspersed with frag- .mcnts of ice. For the first time we descried a black whale, the sight of which cheered up the spirits of our Greenland sailors, as much as the sight of game would those of a keen sportsman : they appeared to be all on the alert, and, as it were, anxious to go in chace. On the following day we were gratified, for the first time since we left Shetland, with the sight of four ships, which, on our ap- proach, we found to belong to Hull. One of them, the Vene- rable, which was boarded, had taken seven fish. They informea us that they had been as far north as Disco, to the westward of which they had found the sea open. It would appear that the frost had been very severe at the commencement of the season ; for they Lad, to .he northward, found the sea frozen three differ- ent times. This day a large seal was shot from the Isabella. It weighed eight hundred and forty-six pounds. Its length, from the snout * It is my intention to coutinue the usual distinction of day and nigtit, not- withstanding the natural division does not at present exist here, for the sun never descends beneath the horizon. Labt night, the latitude was obtained by its alti- tudc at midnight. 4 to the Ji'tk llvgions. 2a tly fresh ; inso- oon^ in order to ergs are several :he sides of the d, of sand and ^ater, besides a conceive to have i. These stones, 1 am inclined lin, in the sum- l where the berg onjectures, time so as to put the A piece of ice sides of which to a bucket of be specific gra- 1 part, remained n agrees pretty ipared with that le ships, so that e IGth, to cast way into clear ersed with frag- ack whale, the nland sailors, as 3en sportsman : vere, anxious to ! first time since lich, on our ap- hem, the Vene- They informed the westward of appear that the of the season ; zen three diftcr- la. It weighed from the snout iiy and night, not- e, for the sun never )btaincd by its alti- ■i^3 to the tail, was eight feet, and its circumference, five feet four 'inches and a half. It was one of the species called phoca bar- bata. On examining the heart, the foramen orale was found to be entirely obliterated. I have mentioned this, on account of a diiferent opinion having been once entertained on this subject. The seal in question had eight rows of pellucid white whiskers, whence it has been named. Fore flippers eleven inches long, six inches across the metacarpus, five fingers, the second from the front a little longer than the rest, resembling the human hand, except that it had five fingers, instead of four fingers and a thumb. Hind flippers sixteen inches in length, and, when spread, two feet across at the claws. There are five fingers, in length seven inches on these flippers also. Claws strait, brown colour beneath, black above. Upper lip rounded, fleshy, thick, extending beyond the lower one, which is thin and pointed. Iris hazel, pupil elliptic perpendicular, tongue fleshy, thick, slightly divided at the tip, upper surface papillous. Hair short, thick, and coarse, darkish grey. It was a male, and so young, that the teeth were scarcely developed ; but the rudiments of six front ones, in the upper jaw, were discernible. In the lower, there was room for four only, and they were not through the gums : two canine in each jaw. Upper jaw, three grinders produced through the gums ; lower seven. No external ears : orifice two inches back from the eyes. Skin and bones of the head and feet pre- served; flesh very black. The heart was eaten, and found sweet as that of a bullock, except the fat, which was rancid as train oil. About sixteen gallons of oil were extracted from the fat on it. On Friday the \ 2th, in the forenoon, we made fast to another iceberg, being unable, for want of wind, to force our way through the ice. In a fissure, or small channel, filled with salt water, which ran for some distance across this berg, we found a number of clias, and another species of the order mollusca : one of them was of the shape, and nearly of the size, of a lady's thimble, and quite gelatinous, so that, when removed from the water, its sides collapsed. The other was nearly the size of an ordinary pea, and of a jet black colour. The clias were observed to feed on this latter species. Notwithstanding the diminutive size of these animals, they are said to constitute the food of the whale, and, for that reason, are all included, by the seamen, under the com- mon denomination of " whale food." In the afternoon, a light breeze having sprung up, we cast off from the iceberg, and began again to force our way to the north- ward through the ice. In the evening, the weather being clear and serene, both sky and water presented the most beautiful scene I ever beheld. The former, near the horizon, was interspersed with fleecy clouds, which decreased gradually in colour and den- r ■ 111 I ! :r ll!'!! ^i*F i. '^■\ I } ' k ,H!^ 1 24 I '(ti/ui^o of I. Iscovfvy llu'ir height, until, in the zenith, sity, accoidlnir to their height, until, in the zenith, they ilis.ip-' peared entirely, and there the sky appeared of the most beiiutiful cerulean blue. The vviiter, on the other hand, or, rather, the ice on its surfaec, presented a spectacle so superbly grand that I know of no other scene in nature with which to compare it. Let any one fancy himself situated in the centre of an immense, plain, extending farther than the eye can penetrate, filled with masses of ice whiter than Parian marble, and presenting a greater variety of fornjs than the most fertile imagiiiation can conceive, and as endless in size as in shape, from the stupendous icebergs which stood at least a hundred feet above the water, to those small fragments that were only discernible above the surface. I say* let a person fancy himself situated in the midst of a chaos of similar objects, and he will find it much easier to conceive thaa express the grandeur of a such scene. The sun being at the time < a few degrees only above the hoi i/on, added much to the magni- ficence of this sublime prospect. Nothing particular occurred on the following day. We were occasionally surrounded by streams and patches of ice, through which we managed, however, to force our way. It was tele- graphed to us, from the Isabella, to serve out a pound of Don- kin's preserved meat to each of the crew to-morrow, as an extra allowance. On Sunday, the 14th, we got up to the Whale Fish Islands, the Danish governor of which came oit'tothe Isabella, and remained on board some time. Between these islands, and the mainland to the eastward, were seen some of the largest icebergs we had yet passed. One of them was estimated to be upwards of two hun- dred feet above the surface of the water. On the following day we passed several of the fishing ships, some of them coming from the northward, they having been unable to penetrate farther in that direction than the north end of Waygat's Straits. Two of them which we boarded, namely, the Everthorpe and Zephyr, of Hull, had taken five fish only, the former two, and the latter three. On Tuesday, the 16th, wl passed a great number of very large icebergs, some of them at least half a mile in length ; and I should imagine little short of two hundred feet in height. We counted at onetjme not less than sixty- four from the ship's deck. In fact, the whole of the hori/on to the northward, appeared one continued wall, or barrier, of ice, in one shape or other. We met with some to day in larger pieces than usual, or that which comes under the denomination of fioes. Mr. Muirhead, the master of the Larkins of Leith, came on board of us this afternoon ) and this afforded us an op|)ortunity of sending home some letters, or, rather, of putting them in a fair to the Arct'u: Regions. 2a itii, tlifv ilisap-' most beautiful •, rather, the ice y grand that I compare it. Let of an immense rate, filled vvitli enting a greater »n can coneeivc, L«ndoiis icebergs r, to those small iiuface. I say* t of a chaos of ) conceive thau (cing at the time < ;h to the magni- day. We were of ice, through '. It was tele- pound of Don- row, as an extra P ish Islands, the a, and remained the mainland to bergs we had yet irds of two hun- thc fishing ships, ley having been the north end of ed, namely, the k'e fish only, the her of very large 1 length ; and I in height. VVe the ship's deck. d, appeared one other. We met hat which comes Leith, came on an opportunity of ig them in a fair Way of reaching home, for it is not likely that he will leave this country for some time, having as yet procured only five fish. This gentleman proceeded last year as far north in this country as 75° 3(y, and found the sea there (juite clear of ice, from which circumstance he supposed that there must have been at least a hundred miles of clear water in that direction of him. He was not certain of his longitude at the time, but conjectures that he was about three hundred miles westward of the coast of Green- land, which part of it, laying to the northward, he found to be very low. In the afternoon we hauled in towards Waygat, or Hare Island, on the north side of which we found between thirty and forty ships fast to the icebergs along shore. Such a sight, bursting suddenly on our view in these inhospitable regions, was highly gratifying, and at the same time afforded a striking proof of the * enterprising spirit of our countrymen, in that particular branch of speculative commerce in which these ships are employed. All of those near to which we passed gave us three cheers, which were heartily returned. Shortly after we made fast to an iceberg on the north-east side of the island. Here we were obliged to remain for five days, owing to the ice being so close to the northward that it was in vain to attempt getting through it. Our delay here was not, however, lost time, for several obser- vations were made on shore, which could not possibly have been made on board ; such as the transit of the sun over the meridian, and the number of oscillations made by the pendulum of the astronomical clock, in the course of twenty-four hours, or, rather, from the time of the sun passing over the meridian one day, until its crossing the same the day followitig. The dip and variation of the needle were also ascertained very correctly by Lieutenant Parry and Captain Sabine, who passed three days on shore, in order to make these observations, sleeping in the tent in which the astronomical clock was set up. It was ascertained that the tide rose and fell ten feet on the third day after the full, or the time of the highest tide. Within a few yards of the spot where thetent was pitched, were to be seen the ruins of an Esquimaux hut, which Sacheuse in- formed us was once inhabited by a very strong man, who was, on that account, much dreaded by his countrymen. Under a heap of stones, at a short distance from these ruinSj several human bones were found : with the exception of one or two skulls, they were in a very decayed state. Among the ruins themselves we found a piece of pot-stone • (lapis ollaris.) We were given to understand that the natives make all th*kir cooking utensils of this stone. The piece which was picked up by us, had been part of a jar, or pot^ was very soft. Voyages and Travkls, No, 1, Vol. /. E Ill' I 11 'IK ' '■} At 20 yoyage of Discovery and, on being scraped, gicnsy to the toiicl). Near the same spot was found a piece of bitumenizcd wood ; and on the shore, at a little distance, we met with several small pieces of wood, which appeared to have been a considerable time in the sea. What is most remarkable, they were all worm-eaten — a circumstance which would seem to prove that there are vvorms in the Fro/en Ocean, as well as in tropical climates. As I believe this to be somewhat in opposition to the opinions of several able naturalists, it will perhaps require additional proofs, to demonstrate that this wood was eaten by worms in the artic regions. On a small plam, by the sea side, about two miles to thesoutii- ward of this spot, wc came to the ruins of another hut. At what period these huts were inhabited is uncertain ; for Sacheuse's account of the strong man who dwelt near the place where the tent for the observatory was pitched, is traditional, he having been told the story by his father. It docs not appear that any part of the island is inhabited at the present time ; nor is this much to be wondered at, for it is as barren a spot as nature eve formed. Such parts of it as are not covered with snow, present scarcely any thing but a rugged surface of rocks and loose stones. On the top of the hills there are indeed some plains, wliich may be more properly said to be covered with gravel than stones. On these plains a few small shrubs were observed, here and there, beginning to shoot up, but I seldom met with any which exeeeded two inches in length. They were generally covered with a fine downy coat, which in all probability protects them against the vicissitudes of temperature that daily occur, and this to such a degree as would be apt to stagger the belief of those who have not had an opportunity of being an eye witness of them ; for at night, when the sun is low, it constantly freezes even the sea water J while, in the day time, or when the sun is high, the ther- mometer in the sun rises as high as 84°. This was observed to be the case to day at noon, on board even \ but in the vallles on shore, where the reflection fiom the mountains is strong, it must be much hotter. In such parts of these vallies as were clear of snow, there were also a few vegetable productions, beginning to revive, such as short coarse heath, some dwarfish ground or creeping willow, with small tufts of grass in the moist or swampy parts of them. The only four-footed animals which we saw on this island were two or three white hares, and a fox. The rigour of the climate did not, however, appear to stint the "growth of these creatures, the former especially, for they appeared to me to be nearly double the size of our English hares. Bears are said to frequent this island, but none, were seen during the time We were here. The track of one of them was, however, observed on the ice, or rather snow, between the island and the mainland. I i •^^tmm'-'i^-Z-,.:.-M--- !nr the snme spot 1 the sliore, at a of wood, which sea. What is -a circumstance IS in the Frozen h'evc this to he able naturalists, nstrate that this iles to the south- er hut. At what for Sacheuse's place where the , he having been that any part of s this much to be re eve formctl. present scarcely 0se stones. On wliich may be [lan stones. On here and there, J which exceeded vered with a fine lem against the d this to such a those who have of them ; for at :es even the sea is high, the ther- was observed to in the vallles on s strong, it must as were clear of is, beginning to irfish ground or moist or swampy this island were iir of the climate these creatures, be nearly double to frequent this were here. The the ice, or rather id the Arctiv Jlcgions. 27 The feathered tribe did not appear to be very numerous here. Those which we saw, were a few while (irouse, commonly called the Ptarmigan, Snow Buntings, Larks, and Snipes. It may not be improper to observe, with respect \o the Grouse, that the male or cock only is white, for the hen is spotted or variegated like the English Partridge, and rather larger. Although this island is but thinly inhabited by the animal crea- tion, and stcril with regard to vegetable productions, it abounds with a great variety of minerals : the most abundant, being that of which the fixed rocks are chicfiy composed, is a stone of a blackish colour, very hard, and rather fragile. I suspect that it contains a portion of iron. The next, in point of abundance, is a black honey-combed stone, which has some appearance of vol- canic origin. On the sides of most: of the hills, a quantity of a dull whitish sort of a mineral was found. It was very brittle, porous, and light. Some detached masses of granite were occasionally met with, but no fixed rocks of that substance. We found a great quantity of Chalcedony on different parts of the island, but always in small pieces. Several other kinds of minerals have been found here occasionally ; but the most useful mineralogical production of this island is coal, a bed or stratum of which is found near the surface, and close to the shore, on the S. £. side. This coal is of a very inferior quality, and fit only to be used mixed with other coals. The fishing ships eccasionally supply them" selves whh a little of it. Mr. Muirhead, master of the Larkins, of Leith, has taken a considerable quantity of it on board this summer. What I saw of it was of a slaty quality, and from what I can learn, this is its general nature. Having now given a brief sketch of Waygat, or Hare island, and its productions, such of them at least as I had an oppor- tunity of observing, I shall again resume my narrative of our proceedings on board. Last night the floes of ice which blocked up the passage be- tween the above island and the mainland, being observed to open a little in some places, we cast oflffrom the iceberg, and began to force our way across the Waygat, as this passage is commonly called. At this place I conceive it may be about eighteen or twenty miles in breadth. Wheri we had proceeded more than half way, we made fast, in the morning, to a floe, to give the peo- ple some rest, they having been up all night, towing and forcing the ship through. We again cast off from the ice, and, by dint of hard labour and perseverance, succeeded at length in getting across j and between seven and eight o'clock in the afternoon, made fast to an iceberg, about three quarters of a mile distant from the Green- land shore. Several of the fishing ships managed to break through I I; *,; ^ ^f ; 28 Foi/age of Discover jf at the same time, Itut the Isabella whs not quite so successful^ for the ice hnd closed round her during the night, in such a man- ner that she wns not able to get more than hair wny over. We found the land on this side to he much higher than that of Wnygat island, but its general features, as well as the materials of whicli it is composed, as far us we have yet seen, appear to be nearly the same. V/ithin view of the spot where we anchored, or rather made fast, several cascades of water fell from the rocky precipices with which this part of the coast abounds. On the beach, neaily opposite the ship, we found the spine and some other remains of the carcase of a large sea iinimal. It was sup- posed to be an Unicorn Narwhal, (Monodon Monoceros.) The greater part of it was buried under the ice ; enough of it how- ever was seen to distinguish the element to which it belonged, for we found one of its flippers, which measured fifteen inches in length, and a' foot in breadth. The size of the spine was, indeed, sufficient to prove that it was not a land animal, each of the vertebree being six inches in length, and between nine and ten in circumference. On the snow and land surrounding it, were numerous tracks of bears. A little way inland from this, we met with three other tracks, which resembled exactly those of an ox, and were about that size. We traced them for some distance along the snow. We were at a loss to conjecture what these animals could be ; but it is most probable that they are some kind of large deer. Where we saw their tracks they were going to the southward, at least as much so as the trending of the coast would allow. As we were struck with the magnitude of the print of the hoof, and the extent of the stride, we measured several, and the result is as follows :— Breadth across the hoof... 4| inches Length of the hoof 4^ inches Distance from the fore part of the one footsep, to the fore part of the fourth beyond it 8 feet, 10 inches In the course of the forenoon of Monday, the 22d, the Isabella worked her way through the impediment of ice, and got over into clear water on the Greenland shore. It is particularly de- serving of being remarked, that hitherto we have always found the sea clearer of ice near the shore, than further out nt sea, which is rather at variance with the opinion of those who suppose the vicinity of land necessary to the formation of ice. ^But it may be asked, whether the loose floes and patches of ice with which the sea in these latitudes is almost covered, were not, at the time of their formation, united to the land ? May not the -4 ?-a-»eff^srTE?«M 90 successful, 1 such a man- ly over. cr than that of lie materials of I, appear to be we anchored, rom the rocky nds. On the }ine and some It was sup- loceros.) The gh of it how- h it belonged, fteen inches in prove that it ing six inches nference. On ous tracks of 1th three other nd were about >ng the snow, nals could be ; of large deer, he southward, would allow. print of the d several, and 4J inches 4{ inches 10 inches d, the Isabella and got over irticularly de- always found >er out at sea, e who suppose of ice. _But es of ice with were not, at May not the to the Jrrtic liegiotin. 99 reflection of the sun's rays from the mountains tend, in n great nieusure, to dissolve the ice near the .shore? We got under weigh in tKe course of the forenoon, and having sailed along the coast to the Four Island point, we again made fast to an iceberg, it being impossible to |)rocetd farther, owing to the closeness of the ice. There is a small wooden hoirae at this place, belonging to (he Danes, who are at present gone to the northward to carry on the whale fishing ; and we also observed the ruins of several Esqui- maux huts in the neighbourhood of this house, or factory, as it is called ; but neither a native nor a Dane was to be seen at the spot. It is situated in latitude ^VP 40' 00" and latitude 540 4(y. In the course uf the following dxy, Tuesday, the 2:id, we got a few miles further to the northward, by towing with the boats, which is, indeed, the only means that we have had in our power, for some days past, of getting on, there having been scarcely any wind. In the afternoon we made fast, ns usual, to an iceberg aground on the shore, and remained there for the night. On Wednesday morning we again got under weigh, and towed along the land until we were interrupted i>y a floe of ice, which drifted in towards the shore with such velocity, that, had we not received timely assistance from three of the fishing ships, namely, the Thornton, Ingria, and Brothers, belonging to Hull, which for- tunately happened to be close to ns at the time, we should have been in great danger of being driven on that inhospitable shore. The good will and alacrity with which these ships sent their hosts to our assistance, did them much credit, and entitle them to our sincere thanks and warmest gratitude. Not only on this, but on several other occasions, we had much reason to cherish these sentiments towards the ships engaged in the Hshery, having uniformly experienced the most prompt and liberal disposition in them to lend us the most eiVectual aid in their power. One night, while we lay off Waygat Island, the iceberg to which we had made fust, in consequence of an unusual height of the tide, floated as it went adrift, and no sooner did they observe our situ- ation, than their boats came to render us any assistance which we'might require. But I may say with great justice, that the same friendly spirit actuated us, no less than it was our duty to assist them in return. A few minutes after we had made fast, to day, the ship Egginton, of Hull, being driven aground by a floe of ice drifting against her in the manner above described, our boats were the first to assist her, and fortunately tl v, with those of the other ships, succeeded in getting her off before she had sustained any damage. Nothing remarkable occurred on Thursday, the 25th, the 30 Vityage of Discovery W'r'l ¥^ ' weather having been, as it had been for some days past, perfectly calm, and the ice closed in all around us. A party of the officers, as no attempt could be made to move, went on shore, but dis- covered nothing new, belonging either to the vegetable or mineral kingdom. On the following day, Friday, the 2Cth, in the forenoon, a light breeze sprung up from the eastward, which soon made an opening, by driving the ice to leeward, and we immediately got under weigh, in order, if possible, to get across to the opposite side of the bay; but in the midst of the attempt we were again stopped by the ice. This bay is generally called North East Bay, and an inlet at the bottom of it, .Tacob's Bight. How far this inlet goes into the interior is not known : none of the tishermen ever saw the bottom of it, nor have heard that it has been seen. Some years ago, a ship, called the William, of Liverpool, killed several whales a great way within it ; but, at present, like all the surface of the sea in this quarter, it is covered with ice. After beating about all night in search of, or rather waiting for an opening, we found the ice so close in all directions to the Northward, that it was in vain to attempt getting through it. We therefore, on Saturday, the 27th, made fast to the land ice abreafst of an unknown island. In order to turn our delay here to as much advantage as circumstances would allow of, several good Lunars, Azimuths, and bearings of the land, were taken on the ice alongside the ship, and the result of these observations was as follows : Latitude 71° 02' 22'' N. Longitude by means of 8 Lunars, 54o 16 30" W. and by Chronometer 54o 08' 00" W. Variation by mean of four Azimuths 76" 02' W. the following bearings were taken at the same time that the above observations were made : viz. Western part of unknown Island S. 84° East. Eastern ditto S. 10' East. Centre of what appeared to be an\ ^ " ^ ht./*"^- 6-^ 30' W. compass bearings Island in the middle of Jacob's bigl Western or outer land to the southward ... N. 83" W. Ditto to the northward about Black Hook N. 22" 30' E. In the evening we cast off from the ice, and kept sailing about all night, ready to take advantage of an opening in the ice, should any such occur. On the following day, Sunday, the 28th, nothing occurred wor- thy of particular notice. Lieutenant Parry read prayers to the ship's company, as he did indeed during the whole of the passage, although I may have neglected to mention it regularly. I believe that no more than one or two Sundays passed without his per» forming divine service ; and its having been omitted on these days ■■If I '.'--i^.'^aK^affKTiSiffiffisss-ai li^ r^^ s past, perfectly of the officers, shore, but dis- table or mineral brenoon, a light ade an opening, ot under weigh, side of the bay ; pped by the ice. an inlet at the t goes into the saw the bottom »me years ago, 2veral whales a surface of the ther waiting for rections to the hrough it. We land ice abieafst jlay here to as f, several good B taken on the bscrvations was )f 8 Lunars, 54o iriation by mean iigs were taken made : viz. j^ compass bearings East. East. I'W. [)'E. pt sailing about I the ice, should g occurred wor- prayers to the f of the passage, arly. I believe ithout his per- ?d on these days s to the Arctic Itcgiims. 31 was owing either to rough weather, or j)ecausc all hands were necessarily employed, as wa^ the case on the preceding Sunday. On this day, and on the following, tlic weather was remarkably fine. With the exception of occasional light airs, a dead calm prevailed; and this was considered to be very much against us, as it was supposed that a fresh breeze for a day or two would break up the greater part of the ice with which we were surrounded, it being in that particular state which the seamen call rotten, that is, filled with cavities which had thawed away. It must certainly have been in a rapid state of dissolution, for the average temperature of the air for several days past, had been above 40*^. The tem- perature of the sea-water at the surface was seldom, indeed, more than a degree or two higher than the freezing point ; but still that ■j^ part of the ice which was immersed in the water, was invariably found to be more dissolved than that which was in the air. In evidence of this fact, it should be noticed, that all the icebergs '.^ which were aground, had that part of them which was below high water mark, excavated or washed away for a considerable depth. This observation likewise applies to the floes and loose pieces of ice, their edges being constantly undermined, or washed away, in such a manner that some precaution was necessary in getting on them, since any one, by stepping on the edge, was almost sure of breaking it otti and thus, as did not fail to happen, get a cold ducking. Notwithstanding the quantity of ice and snow which was dis- ^ solving daily on the surface of the water, and on the land, we did 5 not find the specific gravity of the salt-water to be materially af- 'm fected, it having been generally found to be about 1027, which is g nearly the same as we ascertained it to be in the Atlantic ocean. The only way in which I can account for this is, that it was to be ascribed to the low temperature of the water, and consequently # to its greater density, or, in other words, its increased specific gravity. I neglected to mention that on Saturday last, the 27th, we re- ceived from the ship Middleton, of Aberdeen, a young seal of the species named phoca barbata. Of his habits little can yet be said ; he has, however, manifested very evident signs of sagacity, considering his age. He had been but a few hours on board, when he found out the only holes in the ship's bulwark through which he could get overboard. These were two square holes, one on each side, cut for the purpose of passing through the end of the trough by which the water that was pumped was dis- charged into the sea. After these holes had been filled up with mats, he made several attempts to open them by the means of his fore flippers. He does not take any food unless forced upon him. Since he was caught, he has been fed with flour and water, 32 J 'til/age of Dlncnver^ l! 1 ! made into tlie consistence of thick gruel ; but this appears io be very inadequate to his support, as he pines away daily. He is perhaps one of the most inoffensive animals ever met with, allow- ing himself to be liandled like the tamest dog. Occasionally, when disturbed, he makes a mournful noise, somewhat similar to that of the crying of a young child. From having been so long in confinement, it being nearly three weeks since he was caught, he appears to have become quite helpless, even in his own watery element ; for on being let overboard yesterday, without having a line fastened to him, he merely swam and dived for a short time, and then came alongside the boat which followed him, with a view, as was supposed, of being taken on board. In diving he appears to make little if any use of his fore flippers ; and, when rising in the water, the hind ones seem to be equally inactive ; but in swimming both are used. In moving about on deck, he does not make any use of his hind flippers, his motion being a kind of hop or bounce, since, by bending his back, he drags up the hinder part of the body, and then throws himself forward by the means of his fore flippers. In this manner he contrives to move along for a short space with about the same speed as that of a person who walks at an ordinary pace. I sus- pect that his food, before he was caught, must have been chiefly the milk of his dam, for whenever any one of the seamen ap- proaches him, he begins to suck his trowsers. He passes the greater part of his time in a state of somnolency, sometimes lying on his back, but generally on his side. The dimensions of this animal were as follow : Feet. Length from the snout to the tip of the hind flippers 3 , Circumferende of the thickest part of the head 1 , Ditto round the neck when contracted 1 , Ditto round the body behind the fore flippers 1 . Ditto round the body before the hind flippers 1 Ditto round the body where the hind flippers com- mence , Ditto round the fore flippers close to the body. Length of the fore flippers Ditto hind flippers Circumference of the hind flippers close to the body Length of the tail Thickness of the tail close to the body .. / fi incisors. Teeth in the upper jaw... J 2 canine, one on each side, ll } Inches, 2 2| H 10 7 7 8 6 H 3i .10 molares, five on each side. Teeth in the lower jaw. f4 incisors, >^ 2 canine, I. i molmes. lis appears to be ay daily. He is met with, allow - . Occasionally, imevvhat similar 1 having been so cs since he was , even in his own sterday, without and dived for a which followed n on board. In liis fore flippers ; em to be equally moving about on )pers, his motion ng his back, he n throws himself this manner he about the same ry pace. I sus- lave been chiefly the seamen ap- He passes the sometimes lying Feet. Inches. to titt Arctic Regions. 33 )ers 3 I 1 1 1 dy 2 2% H 10 7 7 8 6 H 31 ich side, each side. Spread of the hind flippers ten inches, and of the fore flippers five inches. The ears, or rather the foramina which led to the organ of hearing, for he had not any external ears, were situated about an inch behind the eyes, and of a size capable of admitting a large goose-quill. Nostrils situated like those of a dog. Strong bristles on the upper lip. When lying still his heart pulsated at the rate of ninety strokes per minute. He weighed thirty pounds. Before I conclude my remarks on seals, it may not be inipro- per to observe that, within these few days past, several attempts have been made to get at those whicli have been seen now and then basking on the ice. From their having been observed at a great distance from the water, and having been frequently seen on the middle of floes several miles in circumference, we at first made ourselves certain of killing them before they could reach the edge of the ice. We soon learned, however, from experience, that their place of retreat was nearer to them than wc were led to suppose; for we invariably found that they lay on the edge of a circular hole which went through the ice, so that, when we succuedeu in getting within musket shot of them, they made but one hop, or bounce, and dis- appeared. This day. Lieutenant Parry, with four other officers, two from the Isabella and two from our ship, went, by order of Captain Ross, on board the ship Eagle, of Hull, to inquire into the conduct of a part of the crew of that ship, who had, in the course of the last week, committed an act of the most wanton barbarity on shore at Four Island Point. This was .nothing less than burning the house belonging to the Danish factory at that place. On enquiring into the manner in which this disgraceful out- rage was committed, it appeared, that two of the men had gone on shore without the knowledge of the master, who was in bed at the time, and, as it would appear, purposely with an intention to set fire to the house, for they had provided them- selves with a tinder-box. The only excuse they had to make, when questioned as to their motive for so shameful a conduct, was, that the house had been plundered, and partly torn down, by other persons before they went on shore, so that they thought it nothing more than a piece of amusement, or, to use their own words, a piece of frolic, to give the finishing stroke to it, which they did so eflectually, that scarcely a vestige of it was left unconsumed. The entire fabric being of wood, rendered its destruction complete. Mr. Bruce, the master of the Eagle, promised to acquaint the Danish Inspector-general, at Leifle Bay, Voyages md Travbls, No, 1, Vol. I. F ! nii"il ! \r ■•' :i Mr" 84 f-oj/age of Discoverij of the wliole transaction, in order to have the loss sastained, estimated, and paid for by those who did the mrscliief. i suspect, however, that the wages of two men will go but a little way towards defraying the damage clone,- as the value of a house in this country is much enhanced by the diiBculty of procuring the materials of which it is made, at least the wood. It is to be hoped, notwithstanding, that whatever may be the pecuniary means of those who were concerned in burning this house, the matter will not be passed over unnoticed, to the end that others may be deterred from being guilty of so unwarrantable an act on a friendly nation. On Tuesday, the 30th, Sacheuse was sent on shore to a small settlement which the Danes have on the south-side of Jacob's Bight, to inform the natives that we should be happy to see some of them on board the ships.^ In the afternoon seven canoes came off, and in one of them was a Dane belonging to the party to whom the house which was burned at Four Island point belonged. He informed us, that he was, together with his co-partners, to return in the course of a month to their wtnter habitation ; but what will their astonishment be when they find the ashes only remaining where the building stood ! At the place they now left, to visit us, they had procured three fish, and a considerable number of seals' skins. The former (the whales) belong to the Danes, who collect in the summer season, by the means of one or two sniall vessels, all the oil that is thus obtained at the dififerent factories, or settlements, along the coast^ and carry it to Leifle, their principal settlement to the northward, whence it is shipped for Denmark. The seal- skins being the raiment of the natives, and the flesh of these animals their food, these articles are resigned to them as their share of the booty. — I have said resigned, because the natives assist the Danes during the fishing season, and, in return for their services, receive from the latter their cooking utensils, fishing apparatus, and a variety of other articles, both useful and ornamental, such as knives, needles, looking glasses, beads, &c. On the following day, July 1st, we had a vrsit from four of the Esquimaux ladies, and a young girl. They were from the same part of the land with the men mentioned above, ancf came oif in a large boat, commonly called the women's boat, and, in their language, umiak. This boat was made of the same materials as their small canoes, namely, seal-skins sewed over a wooden frame, but was difierent in shape, being open above, like a common boat, and nearly of the same construction. This one was sufficiently capacious to carry ten or twelve persons to the Arctic Regions. d& le loss sustained, chief. 1 suspect, but a little way le of a house in of procuring the It is to be hoped» pecuniary means house, the matter It others may be )ie an act on a on shore to a he south-side of should be happy n the afternoon a Dane belonging burned at Four he was, together of a month to astonishment be lere the building ley had procured :als' skins. The o collect in the lall vessels, all the , or settlements, ncipal settlement [nark. The seal- he flesh of these to them as their aiise the natives id, in return for cooking utensils, cles, both useful looking glasses, sit from four of yr were from the ioned above, ancf le women's boat, (vas made of the seal-skins sewed bape, being open ime construction, or twelve persons with safety : there were, indeed, eight persons In at this time, besides as many dogs, and a sledge. The men differed but little in appearance from those who came on board our ships on the 9th and 10th of the last month, so that little can be faid of them in addition to what was noticed in the journal at that time. This being, however, the first time of our seeing any of the women, a few words respecting them may not be unacceptable. Their dress did not differ very materially from that of the men : the only dif- ference, indeed, which I observed, was in the cut of their frocks, or jackets. Those of the women had a flap both before and behind, while the men's frocks were cut straight all round. These flaps were, together with the whole of the lower border of the frock, ornamented with a row of beads. The borders and breast were also trimmed with a narrow slip of red leather. The frocks of the men were, on the other hand, quite plain. The breeches and boots worn by either sex were precisely the same. The women had not any head-dress, their hair being tied up in a neat tuft, or knot, on the top of the head. The men had caps made of dogs' skin ; but the other parts of their gar- ments, as well as of those of the w^onien, were of seal-skin. Two of the women had more the appearance of Danes than of Esquimaux ; and one of them in particular, had she been dressed in the European style, would have been considered a handsome v;oman. They were both considerably taller than the other two, who possessed all the characteristic features of the Green- landers already described, namely, a broad, square, flat face, a pug nose, and small sunken eyes, with black, coarse, lank hair. In their deportment both men and women appeared to be grave, modest, and unassuming, which justifies in some mea- sure the compliment they pay themselves when approving the behaviour of a stranger. On any such occasion they are ac- customed to say, '< he is as modest as a Greenlander." Captain Ross gave them two rifles, and several toys, in exchange for the dogs, the sledge, and some of the women's dresses. The dogs are about the size of a shepherd's, or colly * dog, with short erect ears, like those of a wolf. They are of different colours, some being black, others -of a greyish colour, &c. Their har- ness consists of small thongs, one T>f which is passed round the neck, and another round the body, a little way behind the fore legs. To these are fastened the traces, which are made of the same materials ; and by these traces the sledge is drawn. . The latter is made of firwood, very clumsily put together. It con- sists of two side pieces, the after ends of which turn upwards; across these are laid narrow slips of board, at a short distance m u Ul,' ... m 86 Voyage of Lfisivvery from each other ; and between the upright pieces behind arc a few tliongs fastened in a reticulated manner, to support the back of the person who sits on the sledge. 1 did not take the dimensions of this one, but I shoukl suppose it to have been between four and five feet ia lengtli, and three feet in breadth. In the afternoon of the 2d of July, a breeze which sprang up from the south opened a passage through the ice along the north side of the bay. The zeal with which all the ships pushed through this opening, evinced the pleasure the crews felt on being releassd from the confinement in which they had been kept for some days past by the ice; for upwards of thirty sail of us were passing through the opening so near to each other, that the space occupied by the whole did not, according to my opinion, exceed a square mile. During the night we passed an immense number of icebergs, so close together, that any attempt to reckon them would have been impracticable ; but even on the most moderate computation, they must have exceeded a thousand. Some of them were stupendous masses, and presented the most fantastic shapes. During the whole of the following day, July the Sd, we were favoured with light breezes from the southward, which, toge- ther with an open sea, enabled us to make some progress to the northward. Our latitude at noon was 71' SO' 13" N. We were, generally speaking, between twenty and thirty miles from the land, which space we found to be pretty clear of ice, a few icebergs alone being occasionally met with. To the westward, as far as the eye could penetrate, the sea was equally clear. This enabled the fishing ships to spread themselves in all direc- tions, some drawing in towards the land, while others directed their course to the westward, and a few still remained in company with us. The land we passed to-day did not appear so high as that to the southward, and the tops of the mountains had a less rugged aspect. On Saturday, the 4 th, the sea was still dear of ice, as well between us and the land, as to the westward. In the afternoon we were abreast of Hope Sanderson, or, at least, of a high hill situated in the latitude in which the place so named is laid down in the charts. At this time we could see several islands to the northward, which we conjectured to be the southernmost of the Women Islands. In the prosecution of our voyage this day we found the sea filled with what were apparently small particles of slimy matter of a yellowish colour. This was named by some of the seamen, « whales' food." :1 to the Ardk Regions. &7 eces behind nre to support the 1 did not take pose it to have id three feet in :e which sprang le ice along the the ships puslied e crews felt on they had been ds of thirty sail • to each other, iccording to my It we passed an that any attempt but even on the ;eded a thousand, ientcd the most he Sd, we were d, which, toge- progress to the 0' 13" N. We lirty miles from • of ice, a few D the westward, iS equally clear, ires in all direc- others directed ined in company high as that to d a less rugged of ice, as well n the afternoon , of a high hill aed is laid down islands to the hernmost of the ! found the sea of slimy matter ! of the seamen, i On Sunday, July 5th, in the morning, two of the nati\'cs of the Women Islands came alongside of us in their canoes. They informed us, through the medium of Sacheuse, that the sea was open to the northward. We were told still further by them, that, during the whole of the last winter, they had not had any ice on this part of the coast. It is difficult tu reconcile this information with what we were told by the Danes to the southward j since cither the weather must have been milder here than to the south- ward, or one of the parties must have misled us, either through inadvertence or design. This afternoon we received two of the Esquimaux dogs from the Isabella. Not having spoken her since we left Jacob's Bight, until the present time, we were, in the interim, under consider- able anxiety respecting the fate of Sacheuse, who happened to be on shore when we were on the eve of sailing from the above place. We were happy to find, however, that he returned to the Isabella before we sailed. His having been detained on shore so long, at the time alluded to, was occasioned by an accident which befel him, in consequence of his own folly, or, rather, of his ignorance ; for having overloaded the musket he had with him, with a view of making sure of killing his object, or, to use his own words, " more powder more kill," it fractured his collar bone. We passed, on Monday the Gth, several icebergs, one of which was aground in one hundred and twenty-three fathoms water. Its height above the surface of the water was ascertained by Lieutenant Parry, by trigonometrical measurement, to be one hundred and twenty-five and a half feet, which is nearly in the proportion of one to seven above the water, such as we found it to be by the experiment made on the cube of ice on the ninth of the last month, June. Between these ictbergs we found a considerable quantity of thin ice. In the afternoon the water had an unusual, yellowish, muddy appearance ; but neither its temperature, nor specific gra- vity, indicated any particular change, the former being 35^, and the latter, 102(>*6, which did not differ materially from what we had found it to be for some days past. Several of the fishing ships were still in company : one of them, the Royal George, of Hull, killed a whale in the evening. During the forenoon of Tuesday, the 7th, we were in some measure interrupted by large floes of ice, round which we had to sail in various directions, in order to get to the northward. In the afternoon, we got as far as a small group of rocky islands, which are not laid down in any of our charts. They cannot be considered as belonging to the Women Islands, seeing that they arc about fifty miles to the northward of that group. They were I ■^■I'^'W: i w, ; 1 m Voyage of Discovery estimated by us to be about fourteen miles oflPthe sliore. On the mainland, opposite to these islands, stands a remarkably high hill, of the form of a sugar-loaf; and, from what I can learn, it is generally called by the fishermen, Sugar- Loaf Hill. Three bears were descried this morning on one of the floes of ice we passed : they were the first of these animals we had seen in this country. At an inconsiderable distance to the northward of the group of islands above-mentioned, we had to encounter, on the following day, the 8th, a barrier of fixed ice, which extended from the land to the eastward, until it joined the main body of ice which ran up the middle of the straits, or, at least, which ran parallel with the land as far as we had yet gone. In consequence of this obstruction, we have done nothing this day but stand off and on between the mainland and the above islands. On standing close in to the coast, in the morning, we ascertained that the Sugar- Loaf Hill is situated on an island, or, rather, that it forms an island of itself. In the afternoon, a boat was sent on shore to the southernmost of the outer group of islands, for the purpose of gathering eggs ; but we found that all the nests which were accessible had been pil- laged by the fishermen. On the south-east side of the island, a steep rock overhung the sea: here we met with a great number of nests, which I suspect to have been those of the iacus glaucous, commonly called burgomaster, as we saw a great number of these birds hovering about the face of the rock. The nests were made of lichen and dry moss. We likewise saw a great number of wild ducks on this island. Their nests were on the low land along shore, and consisted chiefly of feathers, which, from their colour, I apprehend to have been part of their own plumage. On different parts of this island we met with a considerable quantity of talc ; and in several parts of the rocks along shore, numerous pieces of garnet were imbedded. At a little distance from the shore, on the west side of the island, we came to one of the largest masses of quartz I ever witnessed. The other minerals of this island, such at least as I had an opportunity of observing, did not differ in any respect from those we found on Waygat island. There were very few plants of any description to be met with : indeed, the greater part of the surface of this island consisted merely of a confused heap of loose stones. On the west side, and not far from the mass of 4^uartz above mentioned, we found a grave, which we conjectured to be that of an European, who had apparently been but recently burled. From a manuscript copy of a letter of Mr. William Baffin, to one of the owners of the ship on board of which he acted as pilot in this country, we find that he makes mention of their having shore. On the kably high hill, can learn, it is . Three bears to the Arctic Hegimis. 30 ice we in this country. }f the group of n the following nded from the y of ice which ich ran parallel ;quence of this [and off and on standing close hat the Sugar- lat it forms an e southernmost gathering eggs ; chad been pil- >f the island, a rreat number of lacus glaucous, lumber of these ests were made eat number of •n the low land ich, from their plumage. On erable quantity lore, numerous est side of the quartz I ever ch at least as I in any respect were very few he greater part confused heap )m the mass of we conjectured en but recently Ham Baffin, to 3 acted as pilot f their having passed these islands, which they called " The Three Islands," a name not strictly correct with regard to their number, there being four islands in the outer cluster, besides two or three low islands between them and the mainland. In other respects, however, Baffin was pretty correct, that is, with respect to the latitude in which they are situated ; for he places them in 7-4* 04' N., and we find the southernmost of them to be in latitude 74° OT N., which makes the others nearly in the situ- ation in which he has placed them. Of the longitude in which they are, he makes no mention in the above letter, nor does he indeed notice the longitude of any of the places they named in this country, which certainly ought not to excite any surprize, when the imperfect state of navigation at the time he was here, upwards of two centuries ago, is considered. Indeed, his accu- racy in obtaining the latitude so correctly, reflects no small degree of credit on his memory. He supposed the above islands to be only eight miles from the coast, which is very little, one mile only, more than half the distance we estimated them to be off; but as this is merely a matter of opinion, some regard is due to his judgment as well as to our own. We made some progress to the westward, on the following day, among the ice, but found that the farther we advanced, the closer it became, insomuch that it was deemed prudent to return again towards the land. On the 10th, we observed that the ice had cleared away a little to the northward of the Three Islands. On the 11th, the ofHcers of both ships were employed in trying to ascertain the deviation of the compass, with the ship's head in^ different directions. This operation was performed in the follow- ing manner. The ship's head was brought to every second point of the compass, from west to south-east, the wind not permitting it to remain steady, for a sufficient length of time, at the remain- ing twelve points ; and at each of the ten divisions, or second points, of that segment, the bearings of two fixed objects were taken by compasses placed in different parts of the ship. The fixed objects were, a certain point on the southernmost of the Three Islands, and a spot of snow on the top of the Sugar-Loaf Hill. Thus, by taking the true compass bearings of the objects on shore, the amount of deviation, with the ship's head in each of the above directions, was obtained. In order to give a better idea of this experiment than can be conveyed by words, a deli- neation of the diagram. No. I, made at the time, will be found opposite. I am not aware that the above experiment has thrown much additional light on the subject of magnetism, since it is well known that the vicinity of iron constantly affects the magnet j and as not any part of the ship is free from this local attraction, 1 I %^ M 1 >i ■iri ! ,i fi ' I'l 40 Vuyagttof Discovery it necessarily follows that the compasses will be more or ieifii affected, according as they are removed from one part oH the ship to another, or, in other words, in prop irtion as they are removed from, or towards, those places where the local influence is the greatest, from the quantity of iron collected. It is not to be expected) however, that the effects of local attraction will always be perceptible on the compass, although removed from one part to another. In the first place, there may be a local co-operation of forces, which may influence the compass in the same degree in two or more different places ; and, secondly, the effect produced by local attraction may be so slight, that, as has already been noticed, it cannot be observed. This will unquestionably be always found to be the case in low latitudes, where the magnetic Infl(;ence of the earth overcomes, in a great measure, all the power of local attraction, unless the compass be placed within the immediate sphere of action of the iron, or, to speak more pro- perly, unless it be closer to any considerable body of that metal than compasses usually are, when employed for nautical purposes. From the above experiments, Lieutenant Parry drew the fol- lowing conclusions. 1st. The magnet deviates from its natural position, that is, from the position it would assume if uninfluenced by local attrac- tion, with each alteration in the direction of the Alexander's head. 2dlyii That deviation is not equal, nor does it increase or de- crease equally, in magnets placed in different parts of the Alex- ander, though a certain degree of regularity is observable in all. 3dly. The maximum of deviation in magnets placed in different parts of the Alexander, does not take place upon the same direc- tion of the ship's head ; for Kater's compass, elevated eight feet above the deck, and placed upon the spars which go across the ship, has its maximum of easterly deviation somewhere about east and east south-east ; whereas the other Kater's compass, nine feet farther aft, upon the companion, has its maximum of easterly deviation somewhere between N. N. E. and E. N. E., making a difference of between five and six points. 4thly. The least deviation in magnets placed in different parts of the Alexander, seems also in very diflerent directions of the ship's head ; but it is worthy of remark, that the points on which the two Kater's compasses have their least deviation, arc nearly at the same distance from each other, and on the same side as those on which they have their greatest, it being north in one, and W. N. W. in the other, equal to six points. And 5thiy. The points of greatest and least deviation in the magnet, on board the Alexander, are not opposite points of the l;i* be more or leiti pnrt uf the siiip hey are removed influence is the It is not to be :tion will always :d from one part cal co-operation > same degree in ctfect produced las already been questionably be re the magnetic neasure, ail the ilaced within the ipeak more pro- f of that metal utical purposes, ry drew the fol- :)sition, that is, by local attrac- :he Alexander's : increase or dc- rts of the Alex- servable in all. aced in ditferent the same direc- vated eight feet :h go across the newhere about ater's compass, s maximum of and E. N. E., s. 1 different parts rections of the joints on which n, are nearly at (le side as those rth in one, and eviation in the points of the /•/„/, I. \ OIAOUAM. K.vhihifi/iif.at i>nf victv , t/i,' /n-an'/u/jt f>y t\%i> liiii'crt'tu (onifni.t.riw <>n fnuirit fih Ma/iwty'j/ S/ii/> ^lliwittn/vr . o/'ti t/i.s'tiutt ,'/».'<'(/ . upon rrtrt' t%vi> f'viiit.i i>f' t/it- t/itvcfton or' the A'hi/Ki Utini , ihoni Weat to S.K.thv Hi'/iii not aUotvi/tti tfn- S/tt'/v Head to remain sleai(\' ii/>on the other pouUs . 7'fie Hhutnh fimw I'.iyrr.M i.'i, ,,V/,,- tion ot' the Shipif Ht'iiU.und imder eaeh beurituf m p/iived tht' tnnt>utU oi' tlw devhUioit .at/ ixtrnpaixul with the tnie CoinpuMt fteari/uf loutut o/t Shore . . _ The true Miutnetir heun'/iij.f tbutid on Shoiv n-e/r iJ'r ." ;'.v '/,' 1B.2%« t¥^ttraF on the leti side express the Compass bearinos or the object tivm the Ship. and that to the ripht of each tine what tnuxt be applied to give the true Magnetic bearings of the same ob/ect as ob-vcryed. on .S'horv . E xample. B^ 09'E.is the hearings of the Object by thmpass on boaid when, the ATiips Mead is IforOi. and l?40 '£. is what nuist he aftpUed to t/ive the true MoMtnetic Mearmps of the Same Object : Or in o^er word* it is the deyiation of the (hni pass on that Cotinfe I'lM.Jforth It appears probable that an error was committed in the beanruts upon the MJS. counre. and that the deviation stufidd be 12 ?40 ' instead of 2?40 '. Xfelfi- Atn^smlpTtatStnnut J^^ j 4 to tilt Artie Rtglonf, A\ compass, nor at right angles to each other, and consequently are not equidistant from the magnetic meridian. During the three following days, the weather wan remarkuhly foggy, and somewhat colder than usual, the whole of the rigging having been incrusted with ice, formed from the moisture of the atmosphere, by which the ropes were rendered stiff and uncam- fortable to handle. Wednesday, July the 15th. By applying the deviation, as ascer- tained on the 11th, the variation of the compass on board the Alexander, was found to be 82" west. This day we had a strong breeze from the north-east, which we expect will soon break up the ice, so as to enable us to get to the northward. Until the weather clears up, however^ it is not likely that we shall make much further progress, for, should there even be an opening, wo have barely a chance of finding it until some alteration in the state of the weather takes place. We were informed to day, by the ship Zephyr, of Hull, that the Three Brothers, belonging to the same port^ was lost, a few days ago, in North-East Bay, by getting between two floes of ice, which closed on her with such violence, that she was cut right in two. Fortunately, however* not any lives were lost : the crew got immediately upon the ice, and were taken 'hence by some of the other whalers, which hap- pened to be close by at the time. She had six fish in ; but not any part of them, nor indeed any thing else of consequence, with the exception of some of her boats, was saved. It appears that she was an old fir-ship ; but as we have not yet learned the par* ticulars of the accident, it is impossible to say whether her loss was occasioned by the want of ordinary strength, or by the great weight of the ice. Let any one consider the violence of the shock which must ensue from the meeting of two fioes, each per* haps several miles in circumference, and three feet thick, and these moving in contrary directions, at the rate of a mile, or of a mile and a half, an hour, and he will readily conceive the h'ttle chance a ship would have of withstanding the enormous pressure which would be upon her, were she to be caught in such a situa- tion, that is, between two floes of the above dimensions, and in motion, as has been described. However incredible this descrip- tion of the ice may appear, it is not an imaginary picture drawn by me ; for we have seen floes ansvvering to the above description, as well in their size, as the rate at which they moved. On the morning of the 16th, an opening having been observed in the ice, to the northward, we immediately availed ourselves of the opportunity of getting a little farther on, and found ourselves at noon, by meridional altitude, to be in 74"^ 24' N., the farthest we have as yet been. We were detained, however, for two or three hours, by the meeting of two floes of ice, just as the Isa'« V^OYAGKs «?j(i Travels, iVo. I, Vol. /. G c Voyage of Discover}/ % $ i ■1.,' M*' bella got through, and precisely at the time when we were about to enter the lead, or opening, through which she passed. It is deserving of remark, that we are frequently obstructed in this manner ; for, whenever we have to pass through narrow openings, which is very commonly the case, the water displaced by the Isabella, causes such an indraught, that the floes often meet before we get through, although, perhaps, we are not more than a hundred yards astern of her at the time. From this circumstance, I conceive, that if two or more ships are in company, working through the ice, theone which sails hest has, in this particular, a decided advantage over the other. This day we discharged Thomas Green, a seaman, into the ship Equestris, of Hull, for a passage to England, on account of his being subject to fits of epilepsy, accompanied by mental de- rangement ; for during his last attack, he attemped to commit suicide, from which he was prevented by some of his messmates, who, fortunately, happened to be near him at the time. He suc- ceeded, however, in making with his knife a deep incision across his left wrist, making use, at the same time, of some expressions indicative of his intention, such as, that he would die happy, and other words to the same purport. He was a good willing man, but had been observed for some time past to be very despondent, on what account I have not been able to learn. In his stead, we received a volunteer, named John Gordon, from the ship on bouid of which he was sent. On Friday the 17th, in the morning, a number of officers and men from both ships, went in chase of a large white bear which was on the floe of ice to which the ships were made fast. At the time he was first seen he was not more than a mile from the ships, and was then advancing towards them ; but immediately on his observing that we were going towards hini, he took fo his heels, and, notwithstanding his unwieldy form, and awkward amhle, ma naged to travel faster than we could run. We pursued him to the further side of the floe, which was about five miles from the ships ; here he took the water, and by that means escaped, as we were not provided with a boat to follow him farther. This day we tried our ice saws for the first time, and found them to be of considerable service ; for a neck, or isthmus of ice about twenty-four yards in breadth, and four feet in thickness, was cut through in the space of half an hour. This enabled the ships to get into clear water, or, at least, so far clear that we ad- vanced several miles to the northward before we had to encounter any further interruption. It can hardly be said, however, that the sawing of the neck of ice in question was the means of enabling us to pass through ; for during the time our people were employed in sawing, the floes opened of their own accord, so as to enable :m to the Jnlic Regions. 43 we were about e passed. It is structed in this irrow openings^ spiaced by the )es often meet not more than a s circumstance, ipany, working lis particular, a iman, into the I, on account of by mental de- iped to commit his messmates, ime. He suc- incision across me expressions die happy, and )d willing man, ;ry despondent, 1 his stead, we e ship on bouid of officers and ite bear which le fast. At the mile from the immediately on ok fo his heels, ird amble, nma- ued him to the 'rom the ships ; as we were not ne, and found isthmus of ice t in thickness, his enabled the ear that we ad- id to encounter wever, that the ins of enabling were employed M) as to enable u tbe Isabella to get through ; but she had no sooner passed than they closed again, as happened yesterday, so that we had some diffi- culty in forcing our way after her. We found the ice here to be somewhat thicker than we had noticed it for some days past, being at an average about four feet in thickness. On its surface we met with numerous pools of fresh water, from whick we filled some casks, and found it to be very good. .On Saturday, the 18th, in order to determine the proportion of saline matter in the floe ice, we dissolved a piece of it, and found the specific gravity of the water obtained from it, when at i.he temperature of 35", to be 1001-27, which shows that it may be employed for any of the ordinary purposes of life, as well as that procured from the berg ice. The following is a detail of the par- ticulars of this experiment. From the floe of ice to which the ship was made fast, a piece was taken, and formed into a cube, the sides of which measured four incheSy or forty lines. When this cube, or piece of ice, was put into salt water at the temperature of 32°, and at the specific gravity of 1025*8, the thickness of the portion of it above the surface of the water was six lines, or somewhat more than one- seventh of the wliole mass. It would appear from this that the floe ice is specifically lighter than the berg ice: at least there is leason to draw such a conclusion from this single instance in which we tried jthem, on the i>th of June, and to day. May not this difference be ascribed chiefly to the difference of the specific gra- vity of the water in whidi the respective cubes were immersed ? That it was partly owing to this cause, I think there cannot be any doubt. The floe of ice from which the above cube was made, was two feet ten inches in thickness, five inches of which were above the surface of the water. From the freshness of this ice is it not reasonable to presume that, notwithstanding the floe is formed on the surface of the salt water, it still consists of what falls from the atmosphere ? As far as my own observation goes, I am very much inclined to be of this opinion. Nothing occurred on the 19th deserving of notice ; the weather being very foggy, and our ships completely hemmed in by the ice, we were obliged to remain at the place where we made fast yester- day. We found the depth of water here to be two hundred and thirty fathoms, with a soft muddy bottom. The temperature of the water, at the depth of one hundred and ninety-seven fathoms, was 29§°, and at the surface 32° ; that of the air being at the same time 37°. A whale passed us this morning going to the northward. On the morning of Monday, the 20th, an opening having been observed in the ice, we immediately got under weigh, and by the 44 Voyage of Dmuvery hii assistance of the buats tuwing, proceeded a few miles to the north* ward, when we were again obliged to make fast to a floe, through the interruption of the ice, as had been usual. We again got undef weigh on the morning of the 21st, and as the ice had opened in different places, were enabled to get a little way to the northward. In the course of the day we passed the carcase of a whale floating on the surface of the water : it pre- sented nothing but a shapeless mass, so that, even at the short distance we were from it, about half a mile, it would scarcely have been known to be an animal substance, had it not been for the disagreeable effluvia it emitted. A great number of glaucouses and fulmars were on and around it ; but very few indeed of the latter species of birds were allowed by the former to sit on it. They had, however, an abundance of food, as well in its vicinity, as at a considerable distance from it, for we passed several pieces of crang, which is the name bestowed by the fishermen on the fleshy or muscular part of the whale after the blubber is taken off, long before we saw the carcase. Notwithstanding the sea was comparatively open to the north- ward, we made but little progress on the following day, the 22d, owing to the calmtiess of the weather. The coast in this part appeared to be lined with islands, which were in general black and rugged ; while that which we supposed to be the mainland was covered with snow, and its surface apparently more regular. Our distance from the land, however, being from sixteen to twenty miles, was too great to enable us to determine whether what we supposed to be islands were so in reality. On Thursday, the 23d, the Royal George, of Hull, killed a whale close to us, while we were fast to a floe. We were thus enabled to have a good view of this enormous flsh in its entire state, and, at the same time, to witness the whole of the opera- tion of flinching. The following is an account of such remarks as I have been able to make. This was a female fish, and of that size which is called mid- dling, being neither very large, nor yet small. The length of her bone was ten feet and one inch. The bone here alluded to is the longest of the whale- bones, by the length of which they judge of the size of the fish. The longest bone yet found, I understand to liavc been fourteen feet in length. Different parts, or organs, of the wiiale struck me as being very disproportionate : her head ap- peared to be upwards of one third of her whole length. The eyes, including the tunica sclerotica, or hard fibrous case in which they are inclosed, were only three inches in diameter ; rnd the balls of the eyes did not exceed those of an ordinary-sized bullock. They ronsisted, like the human eye, of a crystalline lens, and vi- treous humour; the pupil was elliptical, and of a darkish colour. to tht Antic Regions. 45 iles to the north- 9 a floe, through the 21st, and as led to get a little ly we passed the e water : it pre- ven at the short uld scarcely have not been for the ?r of glaucouses :w indeed of the ler to sit on it. 11 in its vicinity, sd several pieces ihermen on the )ber is taken off, en to the north- ng day, the 22d, >ast in this part in general black )e the mainland y more regular, rom sixteen to termine whether Hull, killed a We were thus ish in its entire le of the opera- of such remarks is called mid- he length of her alluded to is the ch they judge of I understand to ts, or organs, of : her head ap- length. The us case in which imeter; rnd the ry-sized bullock, ine lens, and vi- darkish colour. The teats, or nipples, were two in number, and were also much smaller than might have been expected, considering the size of the fish, being only about an inch in length, and the same in dia- meter : they were situated one on each side of the parts of gene- ration. The external orifice of these parts did not appear to be above fifteen in jhes in length : they were situated near the after part of the abdomen, or where the body begins to taper suddenly towards the tail. The whale has two fins only, which are, however, of an im- mense size ; they are situated on each side of the body, a little behind the after part of the mouth, or where the jaw bones ter- minate. The tail is proportionably large, and is placed horizon- tally. It does not, any more than the fins, resemble in texture that of other fisH : it being covered, in common with them, with skin of the same "^o^^r, consistence, and thicknesses that on other parts of ,. > J. Thus both fins and tail differ internally i)ut little from tht Jabber on the other parts, being only some- what more cartilaginous. The skin of the whale which is the subject of these remarks, was in general between three quarters of an inch and an inch in thickness ; it was, with the exception of a small part of the lower lip, which was white, of a jet black colour, soft, and very easily torn, or cut. Instead of its being arranged in longitudinal layers, like the skin of most other animals, that of the whale is formed of vertical fibres, resembling a transverse section of a piece of wood. Next to the skin, is the blubber, or that part Which sub- jects this inoffensive fish to such persecution. This okaginous layer is of a different thickness on different parts of the body ; and in the present instance its thickest part was a foot. Beneath the blubber there is a thin layer of white, stringy, or fibrous sub- stance, much tougher than the former substance ; and under this is the crang, or muscular part of the fish, which is of a very dark co- lour, and so soft and tender that it may be easily torn asunder by the hand. The whale-bones are situated in two rows, in the upper jaw, occupying precisely the situation of the teeth of other animals, vni\\ this exception, however, that, instead of being fixed in each side of the jaw, they are attached to a semicircular bone, called the crown bone, which runs in a longitudinal direction along the middle of the upper jaw, or crown of the head. They are of un- equal lengths, being longest about the middle of the row, and becom^ing shorter towards either extremity. I am uncertain as to the number of them on each side ; but I should suppose there must be at least three hundred of them in each row. There is an idle story among the fishermen that there is a bone for every day of the year ; but I suspect this to be nothing more than a vague 'W I m M r ;■ ■! ■ it''. M M 46 Voyage of Discoveiy tradition handed down from the one to the otiier, fur the sake of establishing a marvellous coincidence between two things which certainly have not any relation to each other. I am, indeed, of opinion, that whales have a greater or less number of these bones according to their age, for, in this fish there were several blades of whale-bone only just protruding through the gum. They are situa- ted at the distance of about three-fourths of an inch from each other, and are fastened in a soft elastic substance, which is called the gum. The interior edge of the whale- bone is covered with hair, or a sort of fibrous substance resembling it, which prevents the tongue from being injured by friction against the edge of the bones. The tongue is an immense mass of soft substance, partly blub- ber, and partly crang, intermixed. Near the tip it consists chiefly of the former, for which reason a considerable portion of it is ta- ken in with the blubber. I should imagine that the tongue of the above fish must have weighed between four and five tons. The nostrils, or blow holes, of the whale, are two in number, situated in the crown of tbe head ; their form somewhat resembles that of an italic S, and they are situated, relatively to each other, in a manner similiar to that of the openings in the upper part of a violin. The length of this whale was estimated to be between fifty and sixty feet, and, at the thickest part, about the same in cir- cumference ; but as not only this, but every other dimension which has been given, were, with the exception of the length of the whale-bone, the thickness of the blubber, and the size of the eye, founded on a simple estimate, and not on actual mea- surement, it is not to be expected that what has been said on that head is to be relied upon as being strictly correct. It was sup- posed that the fish in question would yield between fourteen and fifteen tons of oil. The operation of flinching is nothing more than cutting the blubber off the fish in large square pieces, a broad belt of it, which they call the '^ cant," being left for the purpose of turning the fish round as they proceed with the operation. Several azimuths were taken this afternoon on the ice ; and by these the variation appears to be 89° west, which is rather unaccountable, as it was found yesterday to be only 87° west ; we have, notwithstanding, altered our situation since that time not more than a few miles. Our latitude by meridian altitude at noon, was 75" 04' 37" north, and longitude by lunar observation 60° 05' 45", and by chronometer 60' 09' 52" west. The mag- netic dip was 840 25' 06" west. If the variation found to day is to be depended on, we must be pretty near the parallel of J r, fur tlie sake of wo tilings which [ am, indeed, of er of these bones ? several blades of 1. They are situa- I inch from each e, which is called e is covered with t, which prevents t the edge of the ince, partly blub- it consists chiefly ortion of it is ta- the tongue of the 1 five tons. The number, situated resembles that of each other, in a i upper part of a be between fifty the same in cir- other dimension of the length of and the size of on actual mea- been said on that ct. It was sup- en fourteen and than cutting the )road belt of it, rpose of turning 3n the ice; and which is rather ily 87° west ; we ice that time not altitude at noon, inar observation est. The mag- ui found to day the parallel of to the Arctic Regions. 47 latitude in which the magnetic pole is situated ; but, I believe, there are some doubts existing respecting the azimuths. We discharged James Curran this afternoon into the Royal George, from which we received a volunteer in his stead ; but it having afterwards appeared that the same man had been the night before on board the Isabella, to make a tender of his ser- vices. Captain Ross ordered him to be sent on board that ship. This was accordingly done ; but we received another man, named Marshall, from the Royal George, in the place of Curran. On Friday, the 24th, we discharged two more of our indif- ferent hands, viz. Christopher Trew, and Henry Wright, into the ship Everthorpe, of Hull, from which we received two volunteers, named Thomas Snow, and Thomas Wyrell. After having pro- ceeded a few miles to the northward, we were, as usual, stopped by the ice. In this particular spot, we were surrounded, in the evening, by more whales than we had seen since we came into this country, four or five of them being often observed blowing close to each other. The Dexterity, of Leith, killed three during the night, and struck another from the ice, which, how- ever, got away. Certainly, had there been more ships in this water, a great number of fish might have been killed ; but the Dexterity, Bon-Accord, Royal George, Equestris, and Ever- thorpe, are the only ships which have as yet got so far as this to the northward. Indeed, the former is the only ship which has penetrated as far as where the fish appear to be most plentiful. One or two of the others, however, in the course of the after- noon, killed some fish. On the following day we discharged another of our men, Wil- liam Parkinson, into the Dexterity, from which we received a smart looking young lad, of the name of Bruce, in his stead. I conceive that we are now well manned, that is, if our new men should be equal to the rest. While the crews of both the ships were on the ice to day, tracking the Isabella along between two floes, one of the most ludicrous scenes occurred that I have witnessed for some time past. It may be, porhaps, considered too frivolous to be men- tioned ; bui from the laughter it excited at the time, I cannot refrain from introducing it. One of the men belonging to the Isabella, who plays the violin, was, as usual, giving the men a tune on that instrument, to cheer them along in their laborious task, when all on a sudden, in the middle of a lively air, both the fiddler and the fiddle disappeared, he having dropped through a hole in the ice. The consternation of all hands, at the first moment, on flnding the music so suddenly stopped, and the burst of laughter which ensued on discovering the cause, may be more readily conceived than described. The poor fellow got 48 Voyage of Discovery up again without sustaining any other damage beside a coIJ ducking and a wet fiddle. Several officers from both ships went In the afternoon to a small island which lay a few miles off the coast. They found on it the ruins of an Esquimaux hut, near to which they picked up a human skull, and some pieces of bone which had apparently been the heads of darts or spears. On this island they shot several birds of a species which appears to have been hitherto quite unknown, not only to naturalists, at least to Lin- neeus, Pennant, Montagu, and some others, whose works we have on board, but also to Sacheuse, who tells us that he never saw any of the kind before. They have strong charac- teristic marks : the bill, which is an inch and three-tenths in length, is black, and tipped with yellow ; the upper mandible a little hooked at the end ; the inside of the mouth red ; the head, and about an inch of the neck, of a lead colour, terminating with a black ring ; the remainder of the neck, lower part of the body, and tail, snow white ; the back and coverts of the wings o£ a pale grey ; five outer primaries, black tipped with white ; the remainder and secondaries pure white ; under part of the winga white ; legs black ; f^et webbed ; length, fifteen inches ; estent, two feet seven inches. During the whole of Sunday, the 26th, we were fast to a floe of ice. The weather was extremely mild, and perfectly calm. To the northward and westward the ice was still close. On the following day we were employed in making another series of experiments for the purpose of obtaining the deviation of the magnetic needle. They were performed, as before, by taking the bearings of a distant object with the ship's head in different directions. The result of these experiments will be seen in the engraved diagram. No. 2. On the morning of Wednesday, the 29th, the wind having sprung up from the eastward, cleared away the ice a little, so as to enable us to get on : it being, however, against us, we were not enabled to make any considerable progress. At noon we were in latitude 75° 29' north. In the forenoon we passed a remarkable looking hill, not unlike a thumb in its appearance. We cannot suppose it, however, to be what the fishermen call " the Devil's Thumb," for they seldom, I under- stand, come so far as this to the northward. It should, besides, be noticed, that on the 22d of this month, being then in latitude 75° 03', we passed a hill which also resembled a thumb, and which is most likely to be the one called, by the fishermen,* " the Devil's Thumb." There are apparently a number of islands along the coast here, as well as to the southward : they, that is, if they really are islands, for of this we are uncertain, being :;-%-'iS( .>j3»i-**A*tJb?i'> ?side a eolJ fternoon to a They found which they le which had I this island to have been least to Lin- le works we us that he ong charac- ee-tenths in er mandible th red j the terminating r part of the the wings of I white J the )f the winga les ; extent. Fast to a floe ectly calm. ing another le deviation before, by ip's head in nts will be ind having ! a little, so against us, ogress. At >renoon we umb in its >e what the n, I under- d, besides, in latitude humb, and nen. (( the of islands ey, that is, ain, being riah- //. A DIAGRAM. K^vhibitirw the Second Seriejt of E.r/H-ii'tnents on board the ^llejcander, for the purpose o/" tifulimf the dc^'uitivn or'the Moffnetic needie^uly 77^l818.Zatitutie Vi^ss'^o'u The true Muttnetie bettiinffs or'the distant ob/eet bein^ Sout/i orisot' SB. The inner di»x!le> lienotes ihA Mcupielic bearing of^t» obfeat as taken on bourA on/ that diivatian, of the, Ship^ Meiid.AnJ the. Outer Cuvle the, anumntr of tho lieviotionj . 3B. The Rhumb lines e.xp/vss the direction of the Ship's JBecui , nuirkU on the outer tXr de. The seoojul Oufie ui the iu}rrection neoessaiy to be applied to the beoMin^jt on each course ifiy order to obtain the tru» JUoffnetia bearings: The. ^urd iXrvie oontaime the Actual beajiiu/s of the distant Object upon eojchj direction of the , Chip's Mctui .by a Katers fonipass plaeed ttpon the Companion a, Jdiiiships . ye»lii Jt Son Jteufytfsti Stmntt . i a H [k tu the Arctk Regions. 49 shut OQt from the land by what is called the land ice, are in general more rugged than the main land behind them, and for the greater part clearer of snow, some being, indeed, nearly black; while that which we conceive to be the main land, is almost entirely covered with snow ; insomuch that, were it not for the black cliffs along shore, it might be taken for a solid continent of snow. In reality, for ought we know, a consider- able part of what we regard as land, may be nothing but snow and ice. It may be presumed, I think, without any risk of making a wrong estimate, that the quantity of snow and ice in this country would require several years to dissolve, allowing the temperature of the air to be never below what it is at present. At noon, the Mercury in the shade stood at 33|"'of Fahrenheit. I do not mean to say, however, that there is an annual increase of snow and ice in these regions ; for I conceive that such an idea would ultimately lead to an absurd conclusion. I shall therefore give it as my humble opinion, that in these climates, as well as in other parts of the world, there is a difference in some seasons ; so that the snow and ice which continue to accumulate for several winters, may be destroyed by one, or by several warm summers which may happen to follow in succession. The land begins to trend here considerably to the westward, its northern extreme bearing N. by E. or N. N. E. by compass, which, allowing for variation, as observed on the 23d, will make its true bearings nearly W. by N., or W. N. W. On Friday, the 31st, we got into a large sheet of clear water, in which we saw an immense number of whales. One of these was killed, in the course of the afternoon, by the Isabella's boats and ours : it was a male fish, forty-six feet in length, with a breadth of tail of fifteen feet, and length of bone, that is, of the whale-bone, nine feet six inches. It is unnecessary to enter into a lengthened detail respecting this fish, as it did not differ mate- rially, except in size and sex, from the one we saw alongside the Koyal George, and a particular description of which was given under date of the 23d iuiitant. A difference was, however, ob- rervable in the colour of the lower part of the body, which, instead of being black, like that of the female fish, was of a mottled white. The crews of both ships were, on Saturday, the 1st of August, employed for some time in flinching the fish taken yesterday. The number of whales around us this day, exceeded whatever we had seen before. It being calm, the noise of their blowing resembled, in some measure, the sound of distant artillery. They were generally about the edge of the land floe, from beneath which they appeared to come out to breathe. Sometimes a dozen of them might be seen at once, blowing so close together, that the VoYA(5BS fl»fi TUAVKLS, No. ^, Vo\. L H 50 / (tifuge of JJifcnvrri/ ipouts of water which they threw up, resembled in some measure the smoke from a small village on a calm day. Three or four of the fishing ships reached so far to the northward to day, as to be within sight of us. The Bon Accord, of Aberdeen, and Ever- thorpc, of Hull, were indeed, in tltu afternoon, within eight or nine nyles of us. As a proof of the vast number of whales by whiuh we are surrounded at present, each of these ships killed four to day ; and hud there been twenty ships here, I am per- suaded that each might have killed as many. Within this day or two we have seen a great number of ivory gulls, (larus eburneus) u dozen of which were shot by me this afternoon. This is a very handsome bird j and it appears to me that, from the whiteness of its plumage, it may more properly be called the snow gull, than the ivory gull. On the following day wc found the land to trend still more to the westward, the northern extreme bearing N. by W. by com- pass, which, allowing for variation, will make it W. by S. By Azimuths taken on the ice, the variation was found to be 90" 25' VV. It is worthy of remark that the Azimuths taken on the ice on the 23d ultimo, were, as was then expected, erroneous ; for on the 30th the variation was found to be only 87° 23' W., and we were then upwards of twenty miles to the northward of where we were on the '236. The error above mentioned is supposed to have arisen from the compasses being attracted by the Isabella at the time of observation. If such be really the case, it is one of the strongest proofs we have yet had of the efi'ect of local attraction, the Isabella being at least a hundred yards from the spot where the compasses were placed. Our latitude to day at noon was 75° 48' 36" N., and longitude 62° 35' W. The dip of the needle on the ice was 84° 44' 55". We estimated the land to be about twenty-five miles from us at the time these bearings were taken, the whole of the intervening space being covered with land ice. We had not any interruption from the ice; but throughout the whole of this day the wind was so light, that we made but little progress. The weather was ex- tremely fine, and the sky perfectly clear and serene. We saw but few whales j but the number of rotges (alca alle) by which we were surrounded, was such as in a manner to exceed all belief. I may venture to say that since the morning we have seen several millions : they were generally in immense flocks flying to the eastward, or along the edge of the land ice. We passed myriads of them also on the water, and resting on pieces of ice, some of which were literally covered with them. On Monday, the 3d, we were favoured with a light breeze from the southward and eastward, which enabled us to run a con- siderable distance along the coast to the westward ; but in the »me nieasurc se. or four oi' ay, us to be , and Ever- thin eight or >f whales by ships killed ?, I am per- )er of ivory by me this )pears to me properly be still more to W. by com- M)yS. By e .90" 25' W. ic ice on the for on the and we were lere we were sed to have abella at the is one of the al attraction, I spot where It noon was jf the needle ;s from us at intervening interruption he wind was ther was ex- We saw but y which we ed all belief, seen several ying to the 3sed myriads ice, some of light breez« run a con- J but in the lit the Antic Regions, hi afternoon our progress was stopped by the ice, to which wc made fast, in the hope uf soon finding an opening through which we might pass, as the breeze still continued. After waiting, however, until the noon of the following day, wc found that there was not any immediate prospect of the ice opening in the direction in which we were desirous to proceed, namely, along the coast. '^I'he wind being from the soutliward, instead of clearing away the ice, forced it in towards the land) which in this part was nearly East and West, (true.) If there was, indeed, any ditttrencc, tht- trending was rather to the Southward of West. Shortly after twelve o'clock, A. M., we cast off from the ice, in order to got to the Southward, where there appeared to be some lanes of clear water among the floes, which were then drifting pretty fast to the Westward, or along the coast. Before we made sail, the observations and bearings which here follow, were taken on the floe to which we were then fast. „ ^ ,, Latitude by meridian altitude at noon 7^ 00 04 N. Longitude by Chronometer 64 48 13 W. Variation by Azimuths 90 4G 00 W. Dip of the Needle. 84 52 00' W. it is necessary toobserve that the places, the bearings of which were taken as beneath, were supposed to be Baflin's Cape Dudley Digges, and the island which he describes as being situated at the entrance of sir John Wolstenholm's Sound. Although the relative situation of the places in question agrees tolerably well with the description given by this navigator, of the above men- tioned cape and island, still there is such a wide difference in the latitude, that we can hardly admit them to be the places so named by him ; for he lays down Cape Dudley Digges in latitude 76" 35' N., which is at least twenty-six, or twenty-seven miles to the Northward of that which we were led to suppose to be the same, seeing that, by making the most ample allowance for the distance betweenut and our ships, we cannot estimate its latitude higher than 76° 8' or V' N. Instead, however, of attempting to reconcile this disagreement in point of latitude, I shall give the bearings which were taken this morning. " The point, (Baflin's island) otF sir Dudley Digges* Cape, S. 17° 47' E. ; the cape itself being seen over the above point, or island. S. W. point of the island in the mid- dle of sir John Wolstenholm's Sound, N. 14° 04' W. Eastern extremity of the land, very distant, S. 5° 29' E. (compass bear- ings) variation 90" 46'. We made very little progress during the two following days, owing'to the ice having closed around us in all directions. On Thursday the 6th, in the afternoon, it began to open a little to the northward, that is, between us and the supposed Wolsten- i m $i f'ot/agv of Disrot'gri/ holm's Suund. Wi* did not lose any time in taking advantngc of these openings ; but the wind being very light, we did not get to any great distance ; Atid, indeed, the small advance we made was chiefly accomplished by towing with the boats, or tracking along the edge of the ice. We have latterly experienced much obstruction from the young, or what is commonly tailed the bay ice. It forms during the night, that is, between ten o'clock, F. M. and two in the morn- ing. We find it sometimes three- fourths of an inch in thickness, and, comparatively speaking, so tough, that it stops the ship's way, unless wc have a good bree/c of wind, with which, for some time past, we have been but seldom favoured. The number of little auks, or rotges, seen every day, is incredible. During the two days last past we have killed about two hundred and fifty of lliem, which have been served out to the ship's company, who relish them very much— this is, indeed, not surprising; since I am persuaded that, if they were to be properly dressed, they would be considered as a savoury dish at the tables of the great- est epicures. On Friday, August the 7th, both the Isabella and our ship received considerable damage, by getting jammed between two immense floes of ice, which were passing each other with a velo- city of at least two miles an hour. In the narrow lane between them, the two ships at one time came unavoidably alongside of each other ; and in this position they were, for a short time, so violently squeezed together, that little less than their total de- struction was apprehended for a few moments. Out of this perilous situation^ however, we extricated ourselves, without suffering so much as was dreaded, although not without consider- able damage ; for we not only lost our small bower anchor, the shank of which was broken off close to the stock, but three of the main, two of the fore, and one of the mizen, larboard chain plates were carried away by the stock of the Isabella's small bower anchor. Our larboard-quarter boats, davids, a spare jib- boom, cross-jack yard, and a part of the larboard bulwark, were also carried away by getting foul of the Isabella. She suffered some damage also, although I believe not quite so much as we sustained : her most material loss was that of one of her boats, which was destroyed between the two ships. Even after we had succeeded in extricating ourselves from the above floes, we were far from being clear of danger ; for the ice ran with such velocity, that, during the whole of the afternoon, and ensuing night, we were kept in a constant state of anxiety for the safety of the ships. About midnight, the crews of both the ships began to saw a dock in one of the floes } but, owing to the thickness of the ice, which was seven feet, they made so i:i«|ggp«|9!Ti'?^WWPW=J«W3' to the Arctic Jtcgions. ;»3 idvantngc of 1 not get to c made was eking along 1 the young, during the ) the niorn- n thickness, the ship's :h, for some number of During the and fifty of npany, who ng; since I essed, they f the great- id our ship letween two with a velo- ine between alongside of >rt time, so sir total de- >ut of this !S, without It consider- anchor, the three of the >oard chain ?lla's small a spare jib- Iwark, were he suffered nuch as we ' her boats, es from the for the ice afternoon, of anxiety ws of both t, owing to y made so little progress, that the undertaiiiii^; was ahundoiicd al'tur two hours' lal)0ur. independently of this, that part uf the Hue un whicli they were at work, had, by this time, drifted very close to some icebegs to leeward, insomuch that, if the duck had been cut, it would not have been safe to get the ships into it, under these particular circumstances. On the morning of Saturday, the 8th, between four and five o'clock, a considerable space of clear water was made around the ships, by the opening uf the fioes. This favourable change re- lieved our apprehensions fur the present : the ships were got under sail, and two watches of the ship's company allowed to go to rest, of which they had much need, all hands having been almost constantly on deck for upwards of twenty four hours, and exposed, during the whole of that time, to the most inclement weather we have experienced since we came into these regions ; for it blew very fresh, and snowed without intermission, during the whole of the time. In fact, it was, in every respect, what would be considered a severe winter day in England. The weather having cleared up in the course of the morning, we found ourselves abreast of the island at the entrance of the supposed Wolstenholm's Sound. In the afternoon several of the officers of the Isabella weat over the ice to this island, but did not meet with any thing to compensate them for so long a walk, it being at least five miles from the ships. Like several others on which we have landed, it appears to have been once inhabited ; for they found several graves on it, and a piece of stick similar to those which agreeably to the information of Sacheuse, are used by his countrymen for stirring the oil and lichen in their lamps. The ice being close to the westward, we made fast, in the afternoon, to the land-floe ; and this afforded us an opportunity gf procuring a few fresh meals for the ship's company, we having, in the course of two or three hours, killed three hundred rotges. To give some idea of the immense number of these birds found here, I shall mention one circumstance, which will enable the reader to judge better of the prodigious flocks of them flying about, than any description of mine could convey. It is that not less than fifty-six birds were killed by two discharges of a pair of fowling-pieces, thirty-two of them having been brought down by a single discharge. For some days past, I had observed that many of these birds had a swelling or protuberance, in the under part of the neck. On examining several of them to day with this goitre, I found it to be a small bag, or repository, beneath the tongue, and which was filled with small red shrimps. On Sunday, the 9th, in the morning, just as we were casting off from the floe, three sledges, drawn by dogs, were observed driving along the ice, towards the ships. There were four per- i t' ii 54 Phf/age of Discovery m ■'■ * i sons in them, two being in one sledge. After gazing for a little time at the ships^ they fled with as much speed as if they had been pursued. They did not approach sufficiently near to enable us to form any thing like an accurate judgment of their appear- ance ; but several on board were of opinion, that they were larger men than those we saw to the southward. In the hope of enticing them to return, provided we should be obliged to make any further stay at this place, or at any event, with a view to spread among the natives along the coast a favour- able report of us, Captain Ross put several strings of beads round the neck of one of the dogs we had procured from the Esquimaux in Jacob's Bight, and left the animal on the floe of ice from which we had cast ofl'. One of the stools on which the compasses were placed, when taking observations on the ice, was also left with strings of beads on it. As the ships sailed imme- dietely after this was done, we could not assure ourselves whether they returned to pick up these articles or not ; but it Is probable that the dog would, after a time, find out thewance is to tation, as it y said ; and ilnglish lan-f 1 the narra- is far as we if any, of a louthward of noe. From n with their arkable cir- lo procure a e ocean, as IS, and their nth canoes. !d beyond a >ut by what irprise them > the water ; seem at all hat naviga- for had they en made of 3fs, if such before, was iter feeling ' asked Sac- i belonged, of the skin their utter ced : one of lared to be heat of his It view, that rprise them it. y of whale- bone. Each of the natives was provided with a kind -nf cnlfe, made of^ small pieces, or plates of iron, which were set close together in a groove made in a piece of narwhal's horn : the end piece was rivetted, but the others were kept in their places merely by being driven tightly into the groove. Very diligent en- c|airy was set on foot as to where they found the iron of which these knives were made ; but all we could learn from them was, that they met with it near the shore, at some distance from this place. Our conjecture was, that it was native iron, and that they were afraid of giving us much information respecting it, from an apprehension of out taking it away. They promised, however, to pay us another visit on the following day, and bring some of the iron with them. I shall therefore forbear saying any thing fur- ther about them at present, as we shall probably learn a little more of them in the course of their second visit. The ice having opened a little on the morning of Tuesday, the 1 1 th, we cast o% and stood to the westward, along the edge of the land-floe. 1 was apprehensive at the time, that we should not sec any more of our late visitors ; but we had not gone far, before we were again stopped by the ice. This renders it pro- bable that we shall have another visit from them before we leav^. this place j for, from the manner in which they were treated, and the presents they received, they will no doubt be as anxious to meet us again, as we shall be to see them. These presents con- sisted of a few mils, a hammer, and a few pieces of wood, to- gether with some other trifling articles, but could hardly be deemed presents, as the natives gave us some of their spears, made of the horns of the narwhal (monodon monoceros) in ex- change for what they received. They would probably have been on board of us to-day, had they not seen the ships get under weigh. During the greater part of the following day, the 12th, it blew pretty fresh, and snowed with little intermission ; but as the wind was chiefly from the scfuthward, (by compass : variation 92* 18') it had but little effect in clearing away the ice in the direction in which we wished to proceed. We were fast all the day to the edge of the land ice, under the lee of an iceberg, from which a large piece of ice fell, on the afternoon of yesterday, and crushed into thousands of fragments a considerable portion of a floe which was near to it, raising such a sea all around it as to be sen- sibly felt on board our ship, although we were, as nearly as I can judge, about three hundred yards from it. Had we not been aware before of the danger of getting too near the perpendicular side of these bergs, this would have been an excellent lesson to us; but we have seen of late so many instances of the same kind, that we are very cautious how we approach them. \m 'li'l > Voyages anrf Travels, No, 1, Vol. I. I 58 yoyage of Discovert/ On Thursday the 13th, in the morning, wc got under weigh again, and ran a few miles to the westward, along the edge of the land floe, until we were, as usual, stopped by the ice, to which we Again made fast. As there was not an immediate prospect of getting any further for some time, a pole, with a white flag on it, was stuck in the ice, at a considerable distance from the ships. Whether this pole, or the ships themselves, attracted the notice of the natives, I cannot say, but two of them drove out to it in their sledges, drawn in the customary manner, by dogs. They were no sooner observed than Sacheusc was dispatched to meet them ; and on this occasion both parties advanced towards each other with greater boldness than on the preceding one, or, to speak more properly, Sacheuse advanced towards them with less hesitation, for tliey had already reached the pole on which the flag was flying, and remained there until he came to them. After having conversed together for a short time, they were prevailed on to come oii board. Little persuasion was indeed ne- cessary on this occasion, as they had heard of the kind reception our flrst visitors met with, they having reported us to be very good people. Those to day did not appear to be either so much amazed at what they saw, or yet so timid, or rather suspicious, as the first party, which arose, no doubt, from their being more confident of their personal safety ; a confidence founded on the reports of those who had preceded them. They evinced the same avidity for wood and iron as the former ; and, in order to gratify them, they were presented with a few pieces of each. They likewise re- ceived some other useful articles, such as needles, scissars, &c., in return for which they gave narwhals' horns, one of their sledges, and a dog. They had knives similar to those already described ', and it appears from what Sacheuse could gather from them, that they procure the iron of which they are made, from a mass of native iron, distant, agreeably to their information, about a day's journey to the eastward of thi^ place. They like- wise told him that their only object, in coming so far from their own country, which lies to the northward, is to procure some of this iix)n, which they break oflF with great difliculty by the means of stones, and then beat out into the small plates of which the knives arc made. Thus far their description agrees so well with what wc find these rude instruments to be, that 1 think there can- not beany doubt of the truth of what they have related. On being afterwards more closely questioned respecting this iron, they said that there were two insulated masses of it, the larg- est of which they described as being about the si/c of the sky- light over Captain Ross's cabin, which is about four feet across. The other mass was reported by them to be considerably smaller. under weigh e edge of the to whicli we prospect of ite flag on it, )in the ships, d the notice out to it in dogs. They shed to meet owards each f one, or, to in with less liich the flag e, they were s indeed nc- nd reception he very good luch amazed s, as the first confident of e reports of »e avidity for |r them, they likewise re- cissars, &c., >ne of their lose already gather from made, from nformation, They like- r from their ure some of f tite means F which the o well with : there can- >ect»ng this t, the larg- )f the sky> eet across. \y smaller. to the Artie Regions. 59 The place where these masses lie, is called by them Soowilik, from ^oovvik, the name of iron in the Esquimaux language. They entertained a singular notion respecting the place we are come from : it is no other than that we are from the moon. The reason they assigned for this whimsical idea is, that we are provided with so much wood, which, as they suppose, grows very abundantly there. They had several other ridiculous notions respecting our ships. On our first appearance, they fancied each of the masts to be a tall man come to destroy them ; and so strongly were they im- pressed with the idea that the ships were animated beings, that one of the first questions they asked Sacheuse was, whether they could fly as well as swim ? The ice being still close to the westward, we were necessarily obliged to pass the whole of the day of Friday, the Mth, in the same place, since the idea of pushing out among the loose or drifting floes to the southward, was, it would appear, considered to foe highly dangerous, after what w« had latterly experienced from leaving the land ice. The weather for the last two days had been in general thick, with occasional falls of snow, and a fresh breeze from the southward. We had to-day another visit from the natives, whose number was greater than on the former occasions,' there being nine in the party. They came, as usual, in their sladges, which they left, to- gether with the dogs, on the ice, at the distance of about a mile from the ships. Notwithstanding these poor animals remained at this distance without any one to watch them, still tltey never stirred from the spot ; a strong proof, if any such proof were needed, of the sagacity of these faithful companions, or to ex- press myself more properly, of these useful servants of man, in this remote part of the world. The number of them in each sledge varies, it being probably proportioned to the affluence of the owner, but is generally speaking, from five to seven. They ure usually yoked in pairs, with a leader, or single one before. They are guided by the means of reins or thongs made of the skin of the walrus : or what appeared at least to us to be such from their thickness. On each sledge was an inflated seal skin, tlie use of wliich I apprehend to be to buoy up themselves and tlie sledge, when crossing tlie water which occasionally intervenes by the separation of the flees on which they may happen to be. Such a contrivance must be at times absolutely necessary to them, as they are unprovided with canoes ; for it is not unu- sual, whenever a change of wind happens, to find the ice se- parate in places, where there had not, until then, been the least appearance of such a division. Their dread of these openings was evinced by the natives to m I ( T t: I 1 60 yoyage of Discovery ill (lay in an extraordinnry manner. After we had given them a few pieces of wood and iron, together with some other articles, and had obtained from them all the information they could supply, they were landed, or rather put on the ice : but, instead of going away, they collected alternately abreast of each ship, at the same time stretching out their hands towards us, and soliciting more wood and iron. At length their importunities became so tiresome, that we were obliged to have recourse to some means of getting rid of them ; and this was fully effected by the following expedient, which at once shows their super- stition, and their dread of the ice separating. One of the Isabella's men, having provided himself with a ship's trumpet, gave several loud blasts while they were abreast of her : they gazed at him for some time with apparent surprise ; but, on being told by Sacheuse that the trumpeter w^as an augekok who would not fail to blow away, in a little time, all the ice between them and the shore, if they did not depart very quickly, their surprise was suddenly converted into fear. This had the desired effect, as they betook themselves to their sledges without any farther delay. Having, in the above passage, introduced the word augekok^ which is not likely to be generally understood, it maybe necessary to enter into a short explanation of its meaning. It implies a sorcerer, or diviner, who pretends to work miracles, to prophesy, and to hold converse with spirits. These people, who are (he sages of the Grcenlanders, from the power and wisdom they are supposed to possess, make themselves both feared and respected. They are consulted on every great occasion ; and, among other tihings, pretend to cure all diseases by amulets and magic spells. A long account of their impostures is given in Crantz's history of Greenland.* Belonging to the party which came on board to day, was one who, according to Sacheuse, could speak like an augekok, although he did not pretend to be one of that fraternity. Our interpreter appeared to take great delight in hearing him converse with the devil, as he called it : this consisted of a low muttering quite contrary to the usual mode of speaking of the natives, which is very loud, as if conversing with a person at a distance. This Esquimaux also showed us the manner in which the seals are caught on the ice, which is done by lying down and grunting exactly like these animals, hopping along At the same time on the elbows, with a motion so perfectly resembling that of a seal, that it is by no means a matter of surprise that these stupid creatures should be deceived by it. He also gave us a song, which, however beautiful the composition may hdve been, had • Vol. l.p.«08, etseq. cei or, Di tic a to the Arctic Hegions, 01 'en them a ther articles, they could but, instead f each ship, ds us, and nportunities recourse to illy effected heir super- 3ne of the s trumpet, f her : they e ; but, on ]gekok who ce between lickly, their I the desired vithout any d augekokj e necessary t implies a 5 prophesy, ho are (he •m they are 1 respected, nong other agio spells, z's history ^ was one 1 augekok, nity. Our VI converse muttering le natives, a distance, i the seals d grunting le time on that of a lese stupid s a song, been, had certainly very little melody in it. At the end of every verse, or, at least, every now and then, his companions joined chorus. During the time he was singing, his body was in a constant mo- tion, certainly not of the most decent kind, according to our ideas, but considered, perhaps, by them, to be very graceful. Among these natives were some of those who had paid us the first visit, the one who had attempted to steal the sledge hammer being of the party. Another endeavoured to day to make off with a spy-glass, and a pair of razors, belonging to Captain Ross, thus plainly evincing their propensity to theft. With respect to their persons little is to be said, in addition to what has been already noticed. I have observed, as I had occasion to remark before, in describing the natives to the southward, that their feet and hands are exceedingly small, in proportion to the rest of the body. One of those on board had one leg shorter than the other : he was the only Esquimaux we had yet seen with any deformity. These natives were, as usual, provided with narhawls'-horns, which they disposed of for their favourite articles, wood and iron. Some of their knives, similar to those already mentioned, were also procured by us : their average length was about ten inches, and the edge, instead of forming a straight line, was serrated at the parts where the different pieces of iron were joined, forming an edge somewhat resembling that of a serpentine Malay creesse. On the following day, Saturday, the 15th, we had another visit from some of the natives, but they did not bring any thing with them beside two common stones. They were not allowed to come on board, because they had neglected to provide themselves with some of the iron they had promised yesterday. They went away shortly after apparently unsatisfied.. The number of rotges, on the water around the ship, has, if possible, increased within the last two days. As a proof of their great abundance, it will suffice to say, that, with three muskets, we killed this day, in the course of five or six hours, not less than one thousand, two hundred, and sixty-three, ninety- three of which were brought down by one discharge of the three muskets. A certain proportion of them has been regularly served out to the ship's company for some time past ; and the others have been skinned, and packed up in casks between layers of pounded ice, which, it is imagined, will preserve them as long as may be needed in this country. On the IGth, in the morning, a light breeze sprang up from the south-east. This, in the course of a few hours j drove the greater part of the loose ice off from the land floe, so that, in the afternoon, we got round the point, or promontory, to the west- ward, called by the natives Point Sichilik, which has for some time past bounded our view of the coast, as it has also been the irl f m II 60 Voyage of Ditcotfety if limit of our navigntion. In consequence of our success to-day, we feel as people always do after having surmounted a difficulty : how long our prosperity is likely to continue we are uuable to say ; but there is certainly a much fairer prospect of our getting on for some distance than we have had for some time past, the coast being clear of ice as far as we can see. The ice is certainly not far off it ; but if the wind should continue for any length of time in the direction in which it is at present, it will, no doubt, enlarge the space of clear water between the land and the ice, and enable us to proceed. The land still trends to the westward as far as we can see, the coast here is very bold, although not particularly high : it is covered entirely with snow, with the exception of the part facing the sea, which is so very steep that the snow cannot rest upon it. In the vallics, however, it is heaped up in large bodies. A considerable number of icebergs lie off this coast ; but they are not so large as others we have seen. This may be accounted for by the shallowness of the water in this part, for, having sounded between three and four miles off the shore, we found bottom in twenty-seven fathoms only. After getting round the above-mentioned point or headland^ Sichilik, which is in latitude y^** 54' 34'' north, and in longitude fi^" 53' 49" west, it fell almost calm. The ships being close in with the land an opportunity was afforded us of sending a boat on shore. We landed on a low point close to the headland, and found there the remains of several huts, which, from their appearance could not have been inhabited for some years. Ad-> jacent to the ruins of these huts were several heaps, or rather rude vaults, of loose stones, which were evidently burying places, a human skull having been seen in one of them. The space within which it was enclosed was between five and six feet long, two feet broad, and about the same in height. On the face of the Iiill, a little above the remains of the huts, we observed several small piles of stones ; on examining two or three of them, we found beneath them a number of rotges, there being in one of them at least forty of these birds. They were without doubt part of the store of the natives, probably of those who had for some days past paid us visits, they having informed us that their country lay to the northward, and that they were then merely on a hnntmg excursion, if such a term can be applied to people wan- dering about with no other arms than a narwhal's horn, and a knife formed chiefly of the same material. The artifice displayed yesterday, however, by the one who imitated the seal, makes it probable that they are not without the means of procuring such subsistence as their country affords. How long the birds above mentioned had heen killed, we could not ascertain ; but probably not more than a month, as they ap- to the Arctic Regums, 63 ess to-day, difficulty : ible to say ; getting on s past, the is certainly ylen|,'th of no doubt, 1 the ice, e westward hough not with the steep that ever, it is of iceliergs we have f the water ir miles off ly. hendlandj longitude g close in ^ng a boat dland, and from their ears. Ad-> or rather ing places, rhe space ' feet long, face of the ed several them, we in one of out doubt had for that their nerely on ople wan- rn, and a 1 displayed makes it ring such we could they ap- peared to be in a good state of preservation, although tbey seem- ed not to have undergone any process for their preservation. Their plumage was, as well as every other part, entire. How the natives contrived to kill them we could not conjecture ; but this was most likely done by throwing stones at them, for, on the face of the hill near the spot where the above repositories were situated, a great number of these birds were assembled on the rocks, and seemed so regardless of our approach, that, had we been so in- clined, we might have made great havoc among them in that way. We remarked that near each store, or place where the birds were deposited, several stones were set up on end, or two or three laid one over the other ; these we supposed to be intended for marks to direct them to their respective collections, in the case of their being covered by a fall of snow before their return. They might have been, however, marks by which each might know his own particular store. * On the surface of the snow, close to where we landed, we met with a description of a red substance, apparently of a vegetable nature. Something of the same kind is described* as having been found on the surface of the snow, on the Alps and Pyrenees. We brought some of it on board, as well as other specimens be- longing to the vegetable and mineral kingdoms. This substance, whatever it may be, is very plentiful on this part of the coast, the snow being covered with it, in diiferent places, to a considerable extent. It is soluble in water, to which it gives a deep red colour ; but, when allowed to settle a little, sinks to tae bottom, leaving the water almost colourless. It is worthy of remark that this colour- ing matter, be it what it may, does not penetrate more than an inch or two beneath the surface of the snow ; and, had it not been that a similar substance appears to have been observed on the snow, on the Alps and Pyrenees, where there could not be any of the rotges, which are so numerous here, I should have been inclined to think that the red, or colouring matter, alluded to, is the excrement of these birds. What renders this conjec- ture probable is, that we found great numbers of them seated oa the rocks, precisely over where the red snow lay. 1 have already observed that their food con'sists of small red shrimps. On the point on which we landed, we found, contrary to our expectations, several spots of thick coarse grass, in some places- eight or nine inches in length. The soil was a description of soft spungy moss, in some parts from two to three inches in thickness. Such portions of it as were not covered with grass, presented a beautiful surface of soft tufted moss, /which the natives use a& Rees's Encyclopedia. Article iiuow. 6i Voyage of Discovert/ wicks to their lamps. We brouglit a consirlciablc quantity c^i board with us. Since we came round Point Sichilik, we have seen very few rotges on the water, and only one whale, which was close in with the shore as we landed this evening. We made very little progress on the following day, the 17th, owing to the lightness of the wind. In the afternoon wc were obliged to make fast to an iceberg, to avoid being carried away by the tide, which we found to be setting S. W., at the rate of one mile an hour. During the time wc were fast to the berg, which was from two to four o'clock, the tide ebbed about twenty inches. If it be a regular tide of six hours, we may infer from this cir- cumstance that it rises and falls about Bve feet. An order was received to day from Captain Ross, respecting the manner in which any objects of Natural History which may hap- pen to fall in our way, are to be disposed of in future. A copy of this order will he found in the Appendix, No. IV. On the morning of Tuesday, the iSth, about nine o'clock, we were abreast of a small rocky island, which lay about three miles off a headland. To the westward of this the land trends N. £. by N., (by compass : variation 7^** ^G'.) Beyond this cape, we observed a remarkable difference in the appearance of the land. In the first place, it is much clearer of snow than any part of the coast we have yet seen, and, in the second place, is much lower than any land we have hitherto fallen in with in this country. It is besides quite differently shaped, its surface being more regular and even, and rising gradually from the sea side, where it is very low, towards the interior of the country. In a valley, a few miles to the westward of the above cape, or headland, an immense gla- cier extended from a considerable distance inland to the coast, and had, indeed, the appearance of stretching out for some way into the sea. Off this part of the coast, we found, by the pitching motion both of the ships and icebergs, a considerable swell. The sea was still pretty clear of ice, and we were favoured by a fine breeze of wind during the whole of the day. In the afternoon we passed a large sound, with an island at its entrance, from which circum- stance, connected with its distance from the headland, and the small island we passed in the morning, being, as nearly as we could estimate, twelve leagues, we have every reason to suppose the headland to be the Cape Dudley Digges of Baffin, and the sound, that which he named Sir John Wolstenholm's Sound. It would, indeed, be impossible, within the same compass of words, to give a more correct description of these places than the one contained in his journal ;* but he must have been egregiously out in his latitude • See Appendix, No. 3. quantity en very few use in with the 17th, on we were cd away by ate of one erg, which nty inches. »m this cir- pecting the 1 may hap- A copy of le o'clock, ibout three and trends d this cape, of the land, part of the nuch lower juntry. It ore regular e it is very I few miles Dense gla- coast, and e way into ig motion The sea Sne breeze we passed h circum- , and the t we could ppose the he sound. It would, , to give a itained in s latitude (0 the .Hviiii' lifi^iont. 63 ofC'ipc Dudley Dij^gex, I'orwc find the Imituilenf ihe headland we passed this morning to he 7(i" 05' 24' N. and its longitude f>8o 16' ."50" VV. while he places the same, viz. Cape Dudley Dij^ges, in latitude /G" S'/ N. Of tlic gcogniplucal position of WnUten- Ijolm's Sound he docs not uiiike any mention in the aljove jour- nal ; but we find, by the mean of several bearings, that the centre of Wolstenholm's Island, or, in other words, of the Island at the entrance of Wolstenholm's Sound, is in latitude JC 2!i' 89" N., and in longitude 7O" 40' 46" VV. To the northward and westward of this island there is a rcmarkal)le piece of Tal)le land, appa- rently an island ; and between this Table land and the Sound lies an insular conical rock, abreast of which we sounded this evening wi h a line of ninety fathoms, without finding bottom. On Wednesday, the lJ)th, we came to a group consisting of seven or eight i«lands, three of which were considerably large : these we su[)posed to be Haflin's Carey islands. They lay, as nearly as we conid estimate, oft* the coast, at about the distance he represents, namely, twelve or thirteen leagues. To the north- ward and eastward of them was a blank space, where not any land was discernible; and this we supposed to be the entrance of Baffin's Whale Sound.* The centre of this opening bore N. 23* E. of us at noon (true bearings.) To the westward of this open- ing we could see the land a considerable distance very distinctly ; and about one o'clock it was reported that land was seen N. W., (by compass) and from that point all round to the mainland to the eastward. A report of such importance brought us all on deck immediately ; but for my own part, without trusting more to my imagination than to the evidence of my eyes, I could not venture to pronounce that I had seen any thing more than what is com- monly called the loom of the land. It was, indeed, said that a haze had come on soon after it was first seen : but it is to be hoped that all doubts on this subject will soon be decided by ocular de- monstration, to the entire satisfaction of every person who feels the least interested in the decision of so important a point. As far as I can judge, every thing at present (midnight) seems fa- vourable to this, as we have a fresh breeze from the southward and westward, (by compass) and the sea is quite clear of ice, with the exception of a loose stream to the north west, (by compass.) Our latitude to day at noon was 7'>'' 29' 27" N., and longitude 73" 14' W. The variation, by the mean of several aziiQiiiths taken on board, was 10 1** 30' W. The magnetic dip, as observed by Captain Sabine on an iceberg, was 85' 44' 38". The Carey islands bore at noon from N. 9" W. to N. 22*> E. of us, (true) • The latitude of true Cape Dudley Digjjes is about three miles farther fro« that given by Baffin, than the latitude of the Cape we mistook for it. VoTAess and Travels, No, 1, Vol. I. K ! : » I Nil 6(1 I'liijHire of J)liit OH' !)J*. They found also at this iceberg', a tide setting E. by N. (true), nt the rate of one mile per hour : it was ebbing, but fell an iiieh or I'.voonly at the tiiiif tlu-y were there. VVe found soundings at ni^ht in ei-rhty-Hve fathoms. 'Ihere was then a remarkable diH'erence in the specifie tfravity of the sea water, it being lOi/'l (temperature 'I _") which is greater than we had found it since the fifth day of July. Jk'tween eleven and twelve o'clock, P. M. we made sail to the southward, and abandoned the search for a passage in this quarter, from a thorough conviction, I should hope, that not any such passage exists here. I am jjcrfectly satisfied myself that this is not the place to look for it, although I must confess that I did not sec the continuity of land all around the top of this bay, if it may be so termed ; and, in order to show that I am not the only person who has been unfortunate in this respect, I have in- serteo, in the A[)pendix, No. G^ an exact copy of the ship's log for this day, by which it does not appear that the land was seen all around at one time ; neither, by a comparison of the bearings of the east land, and of the west, taken at different times, do they appear to meet. On Friday, the 21st, on the west land, nearly opposite to where we were last night, before vve made sail, we saw an im- mense glacier, which extended, from a large valley, at least two or three miles into the sea, and sloped gradually from the land towards its outer edge, which was, 1 think, full three miles in breadth. I do not entertain any doubt but that the icebergs are fragments of these gi ii t' ICI .'8 ;' yoyage oj' Dim awry 70 staff planted near it, having an inscription similar to the one mentioned on the :.'i?nd instant. On the follouint^ day, tlse :.'CJth, a little after six in the morn- ing:, we cast off from the icebert^, and made sail : but the wind was so light, that our i)iOgress was very trifling. During the greater j)art of the morning the weather was thick and hazy, but cleared up a little about eleven o'clock, so that v;e had a sight of some parts of the land. At this time a remarkable, high, conical rock was seen off a headland bearing S. 40 W., four or five leagues. At the entrance of the opening, or inlet, (query, Aldernian Jones's Sound) off which we have been for some days past, we met with some of the largest icebergs we had yet seen : several of them i should take to have been upwards of a mile in length. We passed several pieces of ice to day with large stones on them. A boat having been lowered from each of the ships, for the purpose of procuring a few sj^ecimens of these, those which were brought on board the Alexander, were a species of grey granite, broken otf from a mass which must have weighed at least five or six bur ;;ed weight. We saw on the ice a considerable number of Seals. Ivory Gulls, (lurus eburneus) and Kittivvakes, have also been seen in greater numbers than usual j but it is somewhat remarkable that we have scarcely met with any rotges since we passed Point Sichilik on the 10th instant. What is slill more unaccountable is, that we have not seen a single whale since that time, unless we reckon the one we fell in with on the evening when we went on shore on the west side of that headland. During the afternoon we sounded several times, and found bottom in sixty-three, sixty-eight, and seventy-five, fathoms, mud and sand, sand and coral, and clear sand. We were surrounded by loose ice and icebergs ; but the sea was so open that we could not complain of much interruption. The weather still continued thick on Thursday, the 27th, with occasional showers of rain. We had a fresh breeze from the S. W., (by compass) which enabled us to make some pro- gress to the southward. Our latitude at noon, by account, was 76'^ ^2' 10" N., and our longitude, 77" SfJ' ,30" W. We sounded about this time, and found bottom in ninety-five fathoms, sand and small stones. it was observed this day that the compasses traversed worse than ever, at the same time that the deviation was much greater than we had hitherto found it, insomuch that the ship's head, on different tacks, lay within seven points of the compass : for, by one of the Alexander's compasses, which are esteemed the best, placed on the box fitted on the companion, her head on one tack was W. N. W., and on the other, S. W. by S., the wind remaining steady, as was evident from our observing this after wen of tura time but that cros rab tual hea pas oui .^i^tK^, to the one the morn- t the wind during the Hid fiazy, t we had a able, high, ^'i four or et, (query, some days yet seen : a mile in stones on ships, for ose which ey granite, ist five or number of lave also somewhat since we till more since that ; evening !• During ottoni in mud and unded by we could lie 27th, -ze from nie pro- uut, was sounded ns, sand d worse greiUer 's head, impass : med the lead on S., the ng this to the Arcl'ic Ht:<^iuns. 71 after going about several times. It should ho. noticed that we were now passing the parallel of latitude where we found 90'» of variation to the eastward, from which circumstance it is na- tural to suppose, that if we had had an oj)portunity at this time to observe the vaii;itioM, wc should have found it the same, but the magnetic dip much !:reatcr. This is on the supposition that the magi.etic pole is situated in th.e parallel of latitude we crossed this day ; and it certainly would have been very desi- rable to have had an opportunity of deciding this point by ac- tual observation. In the evening we were in the midst of very heavy ice, and rather closer than Vv'e have had it for some time past, but the breeze being still pretty fresh, we managed to force our way through it. The weather was still hazy on the 28th, so that we had but an indiflerent ob.>"ervation at noon ; our latitude by it was 'J^° 21' N. In the afternoon we had an indistinct view of the landt which appeared to trend S. ^ W., true bearings, Tlie tops of the hills were more rounded than those to the northward on this side ; but our distance from the land was too great to enable us to say much respecting its appearance. In the course of the afternoon we were abreast of three remarkable hills, which were seen above the haze or fog by which the rest of the land was concealed at the time; they bore about west of us (true). Iti the evening we passed through a stream of heavy ice, vvhicli was the only ice we met with throughout the day. VVe had sucli a swell from the southward as led us to suppose that there was neither land nor much ice near, us in that direction; and cer- tainly clear water was more particularly desirable at this time, as we were beginning to lose light for two or three hours about midnight, we having been obliged this night, for the first time, to have a light in the binnacles, and in the gun-room. During the forenoon of Saturday, the 29th, the weather was, as it had been in general for some time past, thick and foggy, to such a degree that we could not get a meridian altitude of the sun. Our latitude, by account, was 7'!° ^^' N., and longi- tude, also by account, 77^^ 42' VV. In the afternoon, however, the weather cleared up, so as to afford us a pretty good view of the land, the bearings of which were taken, and were as follow. At 8 o'clock, P. M. extremes of the land from N. E. by E., to N. by E. 1 E., the land trending here 3. E. by E., and N. W. by W. Another part of the land, hi^^h and rugged, VV. N. W. by ompass : the nearest part of the land distant six or seven leagues. About two hours before these bearings were taken, we sounded in one hundred and ninety-five fathoms, sand and small stones. From the latitude we are now in, we have reasot\ to suppose I M 72 P'vyage of Disroveri/ that the opcMunj^, or inlet, between N. by E. \ E., nnd the land to t!ic southward, bearing W. N. W. is the entrance of Baffin's Sir James Lancaster's Sound ; and if we may venture to question the authority of that navii];ator, respectinjj: his having seen the bottom of this inlet, or. as he calls it, 1 suspect gratui- toiisly, sound,* it certainly has more the appearance of being the entrance of the wished-for straits, than any place we have yet seen. In the first place, the sea is perfectly clear of ice ; and, secondly, the water is warmer than we have found it since the 7th instant, being 36° at the surface, and 31" at the bottom. The swell of the sea, the breadth of the opening, and the depth of the water, arc all flattering appearances, independently of which we are not at a great distance from where the sea was seen by Mr. Hearne, at the mouth of the Coppermine river. On the morning of Sunday, the .SOth, the wind being from the eastward (by compass), we stood into the inlet above-men- tioned, and the more we advanced, the more sanguine our hopes were that we had at last found what has been for ages sought in vain. Every thing, indeed, tended to confirm this our belief: at noon we tried for soundings with two hundred and thirty- five fathoms of line, without finding bottom ; and in the evening, when the sun was getting low, the weather being remarkably clear, we could see the land on both sides of the inlet for a very great distance, but not any at the bottom of it. The bear- ings taken of the extremes of the land at this time are as follow, " At 6 P. M. fresh breezes and cloudy weather. Northern land of the inlet from N. E. ^ N. to E. by N. | N. ; cape bearing N. E. \ N. having a deep notch near the extremity. Southern land of the inleit from S. W. by W. | W. Strong appearance of land S. E. by S." "At 8, moderate breezes and fine weather, with a swell from N. W. : tacked. Southern land extending from S. W. by W. \ W. to N. W. k W. The nearest part of it N. W. by W. dis- tant nine or ten miles. The whole of this land high, with many pointed hills, much covered with snow, and several large glaciers on it ; this part of the c6ast appearing to trend about N. \ E. and S. i W. the northern land, beginning with the Cape before- mentioned as having a remarkable notch in it, N. 44° E. to E» by N. ^ N. perceived the deviation o^ the compasses to be one point from one tack to the other." Alexander's log. * Indeed, although he rails it a sound, his own words do not imply that he saw the bottom of it. They are hs follow. "On the IStli day we were open of another sound, lying in the latitude of 74° 30' N., and we oalled it S>r Jamofl Lancaster's sound. ' Here our hopes of a passage began to be less, &c." .» «nd die intrance of venture to his having ect gratuj- ^ heing the have yet ice ; and, since the ■le hottom. the depth ndently of a was seen • leing from bove-men- our hopes sought in )ur belief: md thirty- le evening, remarkably inlet for a The bear- as follow. Northern ipe bearing Southern earance of swell from by W. J y W. dis- ivith many fe glaciers It N. i E. )e before- E. to E. o be one er*s log. ply that he were open Sf?ked, very much tu our surprise indeed, as we could not see any thing like land at the bottom of the inlet, nor was the weather well calculated at the time for seeing any object at a great distance, it bsing some- what hazy. When she tacked, the Isabella was about three or four miles ahead of us, so that, considering the state of the wea- ther, and a part of this additional distance, for we did not tack immediately on her tacking, but stood on towards her, some allowance is to be made for our not seeing the land all around. Ocular demonstration would certainly have been very satisfac- tory to us, on a point in which we were so much interested j but we must be content, as there cannot be any doubt but that all in the Isabella were fully convinced of the continuity of land at the bottom of this inlet, or, as I may now venture to call it, agrees Voyages rm^/ Travels, No, 1, Vol, I. h \\ '^, \>- ,■•1 i j 1 74 Voyage of Diicoverij ably to BnfRn, sound. In order to sliow the vacant space, or opening, where we did not sec any land, a correct copy of the ship's log for this day is inserted in the Appendix, No 7* In this the different bearings, as well as the other nautical remarks, are noted in the order in which they were taken. Our latitude at noon, by account, was 74* OS' 5G" N. and longitude, by chrono- meter, H0° 29' 55" W. At the time we tacked, namely, at forty minutes past three P. M., our latitude, by account, was 74° 14' 50", and our longitude, also by account, 81° 09' 50" W. This was our farthest progress west in the inlet, or sound. During the whole of the night we were running out of the inlet ; and in the morning of September 1st, were so clear of it, that the northern land was but very indistinctly seen. The sea was perfectly clear of ice, with a considerable swell, and the weather remarkably fine and clear. We continued running along the coast, which trends about N.N. W. and S.W. by S. (by com- pass : variation 108) until one o'clock, P. M., when the Isabella hove to abreast of an open bay, and between six and seven miles from the shore. Here she sounded in one thousand fathoms, soft muddy bottom ; and, when within three mites of the shore, in not less than seven hundred fathoms. The object of heaving to here was said to be that of teeing possession of this part of the coast. The Isabella sent two boats on shore, one of them pro- vided with a pole similar to those which had been planted on tJie icebergs : this was erected on the top of a round hill, cm the south side of the bay. The signal was made for two of the Alexander's boats also to be sent on shore : we landed on a fine sandy beach, on which the sea broke with considerable violence. There appeared to be at least eight or nine feet rise and fall of tide here ; for during the time we were on shore, that is, from half-past two to half-past five, the tide ebbed, as nearly as we could estimate, about four feet and a half. If we were to judge, however, of the rise and fall of the tide, from the distance from the water at which we found several whales' bon"s, it might be conjectured to be at least twelve or fourteen feet. It was supposed that the time of high-water to-day was be- tween twelve and one o'clock, the moon being ^wo days rid. The whales' bones having been found so high up on the beach is rvot to be regarded as a sufticient pro. if that the tide vi.^es so high as where they lay. It is most probable that they were thrown up there by the surf, which, when the wind blows hard into tiie bay, nust undoubtedly run high ', for tills day even, altiiough there was little, if any wind, a considorabie surf broke on the beach. Independently of this, the bone* be^ or It .s|)ace, or copy of tilt 7' In this emarlis, are latitude at by chrono- ely, at forty 74° 14' 60", This was out of the clear of it, . The sea i\ly and the ming along 5. (by com- he Isabella seven miles thorns, soft e shore, in heaving to part of the them pro- nted on tlie n the south aats also to I which the si\ to i)e at during the o half-past about four le rise and which we be at least y vw'is he- days (Id. the beach tide ii Ft. In. ... 7i ... 5| n the even- jccurrences ', although rk which I the beach, ig inquiry, erceive any it had been :en carried lis valley ? hat, had it the latter ace where \ it. This ! vegetable, the 1 7th of considered which, on that of a t the place 30 00 N. 24 09 W. 32 53 W. 1 the back nsiderable supposed 1 ** bottle p to Sun- We kept nd S. W. ig to the ies of it. to tJw Arctic lit'gions. 77 Little respecting it can therefore be said : it seemed to he in ge- neral high, and covered with snow. Where we were, on the above day, there appeared to be a tide or current setting to the southward, for at noon our latitude by observation was thirteen niiles to the southward of that given by account, the former be- ing 72° 22' N., and the hitter 72° ^5' N. In the afternoon we sounded in four hundred and three fathoms, brown, muddy bottom : the self-registering thermometer was attached to the lead in sounding j but the mercury having got above one of the indices, not any reliance could be placed in the temperature shown by it, which was 30*, the water at the surface being at the time 37°. The sea was, as it had indeed been since the 29th of the last month, perfectly clear of ice : we occasionally saw a few icebergs, but not any thing to interrupt us. The two following days were as barren of events as the pre- cediigweek. The land was seen on the 7th at a consider- able distance, but not on the day succeeding : in the forenoon, however, something like the loom of it was perceived. If we should continue the course we have been steering during the afternoon of this latter day (the 8th) it is probable that the coast of Greenland will be the first land we shall see, unless such a place as James Island exists, of which I believe there are some doubts. During the forenoon of Wednesday, the 9th, we altered our course, and steered more to the westward. At four o'clock P. M., the weather having cleared up, we saw land bear N. W. I W. of us ; it differed in appearance from that which we had lately passed, for along the coast, and for a considerable distance inland, it was low and level. Beyond, there were several round- topped hills, which we mistook at first, that is, before we ap- proached the coast, for islands. Between seven and eight o'clock in the evening we sounded in forty-five fathoms, muddy bottom. We were then about seven or eight miles from the nearest part of the coast, which bore as follows. A bold cape N. 3" E., from which the land was seen extending as far as N. 9" W. Not any land was then discernible until a point bearing N. 15' W., from which land was seen as far as N. 80^ W., where there was a remarkable pointed hill. From this the land extended as far as S. 52° W., its trending appearing to be N. E. and S. W. by compass : variation 104.) What this land is, it is impossible, I think, to say j but it is probably that laid down in the charts under the name of Cum- berland Island. In the afternoon we passed a few icebergs and pieces of loose ice ; and a whale was seen for the first time since we passed Cape Sichilik, unless, as I have already ! 73 Voyage of Discovet't/ I remarked, that which wc^saw the night \vc doubled that headland be reckoned to the westward of it. It would indeed appeav, from what we have seen, that whales arc seldom to he met with among the ice. During the whole of the 1 0th, we coasted along t!ie land, which was still low near the sea, hut rose inland to a consider- able height. It was there rugged, and, as usual, covered wiifi snow : every part of this land wau indeed covered with it ; but that on the low land was very thin, and, to all appearance, had lately fallen. About ten o'clock in the morning, a large white bear was observed swimming towards the ship from the shore ; and a boat was immediately lowered to go after him. On finding iiim- sclf pursued, he made every attempt to get away, both by swim- ming and diving.* After he had received two rifle balls, we ran our boat alongside of him ; but even then he made a furious de- fence, by laying hold, with his mouth and fore paws, of the pikes and whale lances with which we assailed him. The contest, however, was not long j for in a few minutes he was overpowered with the number and severity of his wounds, and, what was very mortifying to us, sunk just as we were in the act of throw- ing the bight of a rope round his neck, in order to secure him. We were not less surprised than disappointed, no one in the boat having the most distant idea that he would sink. It was not long, however, before we had an opportunity of availing our- selves of the experience we had gained, for between twelve and one o'clock, P. M. another bear, of the same description, was seen swimming close to the ship; Two boats were immediately dispatched after him : we fired two balls at this one also, before we closed with him, but they had so little effect, that he made a still more desperate defence than the former. He bit the head, or iron part, of one of the boarding-pikes clean off in the middle, and, when he found it impossible to escape, roared in the most hideous manner, at the same time warding off some of the thrusts which were made at him, by the means of his fore paws, and likewise attempting to get into each of the boats,t on the bcws of which he left evident marks of his claws and teeth. In conformity to the order issued on the l7th ultimo, respecting * This does not, however, constitute an amphibious animal, t This leads me to mention an accident which occurred tiiis summer to Mr. Hawkins, master of the Evcrthorpe, of Hull, who nearly lost his life in an attack on a bear. The animal laid hold of him by the thigh, dragged him out of tiic boat, and swam away with him to some distance, before he let him go. He would, without a doubt, have destroyed him, had he not been (iursued by the boat. ■ „ftW*>s;-»«;-«iW'!'~!«^-;* lit headland ;ed ;ipj>cav, )c met witli ; t!ie land, a consider- ivcred with ith it ; but ranee, had ; bear was >re ; and a iding him- h by swim- Is, we ran furious de- f the pikes le contest, irerpowered what was : of tlirow- ecure him. jne in the ik. It was ailing our- twelve and ption, was nmediately Iso, before he made a t the head, off in the roared in ff some of of his fore boatSjf on and teeth, respecting tl. imer to Mr. in an attack II out of the lim go. Ife sued by the to l/ie Arvtic He^io7n. 79 objects of natural history, ho was no sooner sofined, than we towed him alongside the haljiliu, tVoin which I have collected the following particulars of measurements, &c. and brought them into comparison with those ol the bear killeti by Captain Phipps. A comparison of the different measurements of the hear killed by Captain Phipps, in his voyage to Spitzbergen, and of the one killed by the crews of the boats of his Majesty's ship Alexander, in Davis' Straits. Phipps. Alexander, feet, inches. feet, inches. Length from snout to tail 7 1 7 S Ditto, to shoulder blade 2 2 2 10 Height of the shoulder 4 :i Circumference near the fore legs. 7 CO Ditto, of the neck 2 1 8 2 Breadth of the fore paw 7 10 Ditto of the hind paw 8^ Circumference of the hind leg I 10 Ditto, of the fore leg 1 8 Ditto, of the snout, before the eyes 1 10 Length of the head, from the tip of the snout to the occiput I '.\ Length of the fore claws 2{ Ditto, of the hind claws \^ Ditto, of the tail 5 Weight, exclusive of that of the blood he lost, esti- mated at nineteen pounds 1 131 lbs. The polar bear may almost be classed among the amphibious animals, being not only an excellent swimmer, but an expert diver, as we had a very good opportunity of witnessing to day. Their venturing so far from the land as where we found them on this occasion, is, besides, a very strong proof how much these animals trust to their swimming. The one we killed in the forenoon, was, I think, at least six miles from the shore, and there was not any ice near, on which he could rest himself. The one killed in the afternoon was about the same distance from the mainland ; but nearly half way between our ships and the coast, there was a small island. To this island the Isabella sent a boat, for the purpose of erecting on it a staff similar to the one jdanted on the top of a hill on the 1st instant. Those who landed did not meet with any inhabitants ; but there were evident marks of the island having been lately visited, for they came to a spot where a fire had been kindled, around which were several bones, probably those of a seal, which appeared to be fresh, or, in other words, ^ J IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I s ^ lie WUt. 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 < 6" ► V <^ /} ^^;^°v .> %' Photographic Sdences Corporation 4. ^^ 4 \ 1^" o ^us, divided mming him trary to our berg, at a :y feet. On everal large which he is s we did not of those we killed tiie day before ; but we found the tracks of several large ones on the berg. The entrance by which we supposed they got on it was through a kind of vault, or cavern, which led from the creek where we left the boats, to a small valley into which the sea flowed. After our fruitless chase of the bear, we proceeded to measure the iceberg, the dimensions of which, and the result of the observations made on it, are as follow. Size, weight, and solid contents of an iceberg measured on the 11th of September, 1818, in Davis* Straits, latitude 70° 36' 40" N., and longitude 67° 27' ^o" VV. Its length and breadth were obtained by actual measurement, and its thickness by com- paring its actual height above the surface of the sea with the portion of a cube* made from it above the surface of the sea water, when floating in it. Its weight was estimated by weighing a cube made from it, a solid inch having been found to weigh two hundred and forty grains. miles, yards, feet, inches. Length 2 and 641) or 12*507 Breadth, three thousand eight hundred and sixty- nine paces, estimating each pace at two feet, nine inches Thickness, allowing fifty-one feet to be the average height above the surface of the sea, as was found to be the height feet. of the place where it was measured. 3G7 Solid contents in feet 48-S63-800'913 and 6914. inches. Ditto in inches 84-436-647*978-355i Inches. , Weight in tons l'292-3f)7*673* 2cwt. 3qrs. lib. 5oz. 2dw. Vogrs. '" '■ N.B. The weight and dimensions of this iceberg, as given above, are to be considered only as an approximation to the truth. Variation on the iceberg, by azimuth, 77" W. For the sake of amusement, it was calculated what space the quantity of ice in this iceberg would cover, if reduced to the thickness of six inches, which it was presumed would miles, yds. ft. 2 and 26 1 inches, ft. inches. 9 or 10-639 and 9 inches. lines. 4 • The sides of the cube measured thirty-six lines, and in salt water, at the temperature of Sa", and of the specific gravity of 1024-9, five lines of it were above the surface of the water. The specific gravity of the water obtained by dissolving this cnbe was 1000-6, the temperature of the water at the time of the experiment, being 51°. -. Voyages and Travels, No. 1, Vol. I. M i 82 Voyage of Discovery be suflicicntly strongs for the purpose of skaitmg. From the result uf this calcuhition it would appear to be sufliclent to cover a space equal to 3,505 square miles, 31 square furlongs. On the afternoon of Sunday, the 13th, we passed an iceberg with a large white bear on it. This tends, in some measure to confirm what I remarked a few days ago, respecting the amphibious nature of these animals. It was understood on board that, at the time we passed him, we were about the middle of the Straits. Be this as it may, it is certain that he must have been at a great distance from the land, it not having been seen by us for these two days past. What is still more extra- ordinary, I have been informed by those of the seamen who have been in this country before, that they have met with bears swim- ming where neither land nor ice was to be seen. While passing through a stream of ice, on Tuesday, the 15tli, we observed two large bears lying on two small portions of it. The spray of the sea occasionally went over them ; but this they appeared not to notice. They were not so far from the land as the one seen on Sunday last, the west coast being in sight at the time. Several flocks of wild ducks were also seen on this day, together with some land birds, one of which was caught^ It appeared to be a female snow bunting. We passed through more ice than we had met with for some time past : it was not, however, in a sufficient quantity to interrupt us, being in loose streams only. Close in with the shore we saw a considerable number of small icebergs. On the following day we passed a high land, off which, at the distance of five or six miles, lay several islands. The main- land appeared to trend S. W. or S. W. by S. In the afternoon we came to a stream of loose ice, which impeded cm* progress a little. During the day we likewise passed a considerable num- ber of icebergs. On Thursday, the 17th, the land was in sight during the whole of the day, but we were at such a distance from it, that little can be said respecting it, unless that it was high, rugged, and covered with snow. The sea was perfecdy clear of ice, notwithstanding we were in what is considered the narrowest part of the Straits, in about the latitude of 62°, that is, be- tween Riscoll, on the coast of Greenland, and the south end of what is commonly called James Island. There cannot be any doubt but that the land along which we have been coasting for some days past is what the fishermen call James Island y but whether it is an island or not we have not been able to determine, as 've have often lost sight of the land during our passage. From the ent to cover 's. an iceberg le measure pecting the lerstood on the middle at he must having been more extra- n who have }ears swim- Yi the 15th, rtions of it. n; but this om the land in sight at een on this I'as caught, ied through it ^yas not, ng in loose :onsiderable which, at The main- J afternoon progress a able Qum- during the m it, that h, rugged, :ar of ice, narrowest lat is, be- south end cannot be 1 coasting s Island f n able to uring our to the Arctic Regions, 83 About eleven at night the aurora borealis shone very lumi- nously in the W. N. W. quarter (by compass) extending from the hori/on to the zenith. On the 18th we were abreast of a remarkable hill, supposed to be the one called Sanderson's Tower : in one of the views we had of it, it certainly had some resem- blance to a tower on a large scale. Its bearings, &c. were as follow. Latitude at noon, by meridian altitude Longitude, by chronometer Variation, found at 6*40 in the morning South extreme of the land S. 7° E. «7 7r> (true.) 26 47 N. 22 19 W. W. A remarkable square-topped piece of land (query, Sanderson's Tower) near the sea, S. 47° W. (true.) North extreme of the land, N. l>r W. (true.) Nearest land, S. 35" W. (true) about seventeen miles, making its latitude 67" 16' 59" N., longitude 620 00' 37" W. We passed a flock of rotges sitting on the water, the plumage of which appeared quite different from that of any of these birds we had seen before, they being white about the head and neck, whereas those parts of the others were black. The wind being light, we made very little progress on the following day, the 19th. The land was seen until half past six in the evening, its southernmost extreme, at that time, bearing N. 56° W. At half past five o'clock, P. M. we tried for soundings with a line of three hundred and ten fathoms : no bottom. On Monday, the 21st, at eleven in the morning, we saw the coast of Greenland, which then bore from S. 14° E. to S. 42** E. (by compass.) With the exception of a few icebergs, the sea was perfectly clear of ice. A short time before we made the land we observed a hawk, and a small land bird, flying about the ship. The former was shot, and found to be of the species Falco buteo (buzzard.) I neglected to mention that the aurora borealis has been seen every night for some time past. It has assumed a variety of forms, appearing in different parts of the heavens, and shining with different degrees of splendour. It has not been found to affect the compasses, although it seems to have some aflinity, not yet accounted for, with magnetism ; for, whenever it forms arches, they are observed to be at right angles with the magnetic meridian. On the following day it blew very hard from the southward and westward (by compass.) Not any land was to be seen : the weather, indeed, during the greater part of the day was thick and hazy, with occasional falls of sleet and snow in the afternoon. On Wednesday, the 23d, the weather became rnore moderate. n t 84 Voyage of Discovery and cleared up in the afternoon, so that we could see the western land, although very distant, it being by estimation about twenty leagues from us. One of the hills we descried was sup- posed to be Mount Raleigh. It was somewhat higher than any other part of the land, and terminated in a sharp conical point. At the time this land was in sight, six P. M., something like land was seen bearing south (by compass,) which was most probably the coast of Greenland ; but we had so indistinct a view of it, that we could not positively say it was land. There is little doubt, however, but that, had we been, at the time the weather cleared up, ten or fifteen miles to the eastward, both the east land and the west might have been seen at the same time, as they were by Davis, and by several others since his time. This afternoon we crossed the Arctic circle, and entered again into our native zone. The bearings as they were taken in the evening, were as follow. At 6 P. M., being in latitude G6° 2(V 12" N., and in longitude 58" I5'32"W., the variation 65° W., the following bearings were taken. South extreme of the land W. GO^ N=S. 85° W. (true.) A very remarkable high-peaked hill (query, Mount Raleigh) W. 64° N.=S. 89*' W. ftrue.) North extreme of the land, appearing like an island, W. 78° N.=N. 77" W. (true.) The whole very distant, but distinctly seen. From the mast- head, at this time, there was a very strong resemblance of land South=S. 65° E. (true.) During the two following days nothing particular occurred. The weather having been for the greater part of the time very foggy, we were prevented from seeing the land, on a supposi- tion, however, that we were within the requisite distance. On the 25th, in the afternoon, two boats were sent to an iceberg for ice, to be dissolved for culinary purposes. On the following morning, a suit of warm clothes was served out to each of the ship's company, by order of Capt. Ross. I have understood that these clothes were supplied by the go- vernment gratis. In the afternoon, I shot four rotges, the plu- mage of which differed essentially from that of any we had killed before, the head and neck being mottled black and white, but chiefly of the latter colour. One of them, indeed, had these parts entirely white, and in the others that colour prevailed in difTerent degrees. There has been, it would appear, a difference of opinion be- tween the French and English naturalists respecting the diver- sity of the colour of these birds, the former supposing those with the whitish plumage to be the young birds, and the latter that all these birds change the colour of their plumage on the we^ to tlu /4rtic Regions, s6 i western about was sup- ny other int. At ike land probably evv of it, is little weather the east time, as is time, ed again aken in >ngitude bearings 85° W. Mount e of the (true.) e mast- of land 3curred. ne very upposi- e. On iceberg served • Ross, he go- le plu- I killed :e, but > had availed )n be- diver- those latter u the approach of winter. What we have seen of ihem is, 1 think, much in favour of the latter opinion, it being probable that, bad the whitish plumage been peculiar to the young birds, we should have seen some of them last month, when so many thousands of rotges were daily in our view. It also appears to me that it would be preposterous to suppose all those we have seen lately to have been, without any exception, young birds ; and still, agreeably to my observations and enijuiries, they have not been without a greater or less proportion of white about the head and neck. On Sunday the 27th, at one o'clock in the afternoon, the weather having cleared up for a short time, we saw land, ap- parently a Cape, bearing N. 40° W. (by compass.) Our lati- tude at noon, by Cole's method, was 65" 4'A' 32" N., and our longitude, by chronometer, 61° 27' 00' W. The aurora borealis was very refulgent last night, streaming frcin the zenith in an eastern direction. It generally becomes visible about nine o'clock, and continues to be so at intervals until two in the morning. Attention is constantly paid to the compasses when- ever it is seen, but they do not appear to be in any way affected by it. On the following day the wind being very lii^ht, we made but little progress. The land was indistinctly seen now and then bearing from N. by west to N. W. of us : its general appeanmce was that of islands, but our distance from it was too great to enable us to decide on this point, the nearest land being estima- ted to be about twenty-four miles from us. It is not, however, improbable, that the whole of the land we have lately passed con- sists of a chain of islands ; such, at least, is what it appeared to be to us. It was seen again on the 23th and 30th, but still at such a dis- tance that little can be said respecting it, unless, indeed, that it appeared to be very mountainous : the iiigher parts were chiefly covered with snow, but lower down there seemed to be a great proportion of black land. Off this part of the coast we met with a considerable number of icebergs on the latter day, our lati- tude at noon being ()3° SC 37" N. ; longitude 62" 09' 36" W. ; and allowed variation 61 o W. From the size of these bergs, and the depth of the water, it was suspected that the greater part of them were aground. While passing within three hundred yards of one of them in the morning, we sounded in eighty-five fathoms, and it was estimated that we were then seven or eight leagues from the land. The aurora borealis was seen this morn- ing in two opposite points of the horizon : to the eastward it s;treamed in bright corrascations, from the horizon to the zenith ; ^1 n I 86 Voyage of Discwery and displayed itself to the westward as a luminous stationary light. It was again remarkably bright on the night of Thursday, the J St of October, streaming from different parts towards the zenith. At one time it formed an arch from W. by S. to E. by S., the centre of which was about fourteen degrees above the horizon. Some parts of the land were in sight during the whole of this day, but as usual, at a considerable distance, the nearest being about four or five leagues oft": it consisted of a group of four small islands, which, at ten in the morning, bore from W. 43° N. to W. 4})'* N. (by compass). Our latitude at noon was 62° 53' 22" N. and longitude 62° 52' 02" W. : variation 60°. The weather having been foggy, we had not, on the following day, a sight of the land. A strong ripling having been observed on the water in the afternoon, a boat was lowered to try the cur- vent, which was found to set S. W. | W. (by compass) about S. 8° W, (true) 8 -y'-g- miles in twenty-four hours. On Saturday the Isabella trade the compass signal to steer S. S. E., which is about the course to make Cape Farewell. From this it would appear that our discoveries are about to ter- minate. The weather on Sunday the 4th, having been fine and clear at noon, we were enabled to get a meridian altitude of the sun, by which we found our latitude to be 61° 06' 27" N. : by account it was 61° 53' 21" N. ; making a difference, in three days, of forty- seven miles, a proof of the existence of a southerly current in this part of the Straits. In the afternoon we saw a large shoal of finners, about which a great number of fulmars were flying : at this time they were going to the westward. During several succeeding days not any thing occurred wor- thy of notice, the weather was occasionally fine, but, gene- rally speaking, the reverse : the worst weather we had had, not only latterly, but since we left England, was nothing, however, when compared with what we experienced on Friday the 9th. The Aurora borealis had been seen in the morning, remarkably bright, and forming an arch from N.W. to S.E. by (compass). Thus, the true meridian was bisected, instead of the mag- netic, as has generally been remarked of this phenomenon. At one o'clock it began to blow a fresh gale from N. N. W., which continued to increase until noon, when it blew a heavy gale. About this time, a heavy sea stove the starboard quarter boat ', and at one o'clock another sea struck the ship, and did farther damage to the same boat. It was now deemed pru- dent to furl the topsails, and bring the ship to the wind under to the Arctic Uegiom, 87 tationary 'hursday, lards the S. toE. bove the 2 of this St being of four 43»N. 62» 53' )] lowing )bserved the cur- tbout S. to steer arewell, to ter- clear at sun, by :ount it F forty- rent in hoal of ng: at ror- d w gene- id, not wever, le 9th. rkably ipass). mag- lenon. f.W., heavy uarter id did pru- under Storm stay>sails. At 1 '20 we lost sight of the Isabella, which appeared, when we had the last view of her, to he scudding in a direction S. by E. (by compass.) About four in the after- noon, another heavy se:i struck the starboard quarter boat, and broke the bolt in her stern-post, so that she )iung shattered into pieces, by the foremost tackle, which was cut away to clear the ship of the wreck. B^ nine at night the wind had increased to a perfect hurricane, with a tremendous heavy sea ; and from this time, until five o'clock of the following morning, it conti- nued to blow with unabated fury, insomuch that it became ne- cessary for every officer and man in the ship to be on deck* during that period, in order to be ready to act as circumstances might require. The length and violence of this gale, which continued to blow without intermission for upwards of seventeen hours, exceeded any thing of the kind ever experienced before by the oldest seaman on board. During its height the aurora borealis shone with unusual splendour, varying its colour from a pale yellow, which was its usual appearance with us, to a bright red, and streaming out in vivid forked flashes towards the zenith. Little time, however, was devoted to the contemplation of this beau- tiful phenomenon ; for the attention of every person on board was attrp 'ed by the fury of the elements, which every moment seemed to threaten our destruction. And, as if it had beea intended to render our danger more obvious to our senses, the light of the moon, aided by that of the aurora, exhibited at times, in a faint manner, this awful scene, of which any description of mine is quite inadequate to convey the most distant idea. The surface of the sea was entirely covered with white foam, and the spray which arose from it completely obscured the horizon, even when the above lights shone with their greatest lustre. As a proof of the height to which the spray rose, we found, on the follt>wing day, the mast completely covered with salt, even as high as the truck ; insomuch, that the men who went aloft, when they came down, were like millers, but powdered with salt. The ship rolled so much, that we could not, with any degree of accuracy, ascertain the specific gravity of the sea water at this time; but, from the above circumstance, it would appear to have been greater than we had usually found it. Soon after day light, on Saturday morning, the 10th, our II. * In consideration of tliis an extra allowance of preserved meat was served ont to each man, and the main brace spliced, that is, a glass of s^ririts given to vach^ during the night. 88 I'oi/ugo of Discovery danger appeared equally great, if not more so than ever ; fot we found several iceber^i^s, and large fragments of ice elosc to us: fortunately, however, about this time, between Hve and six o'clock, the violence of the gale began to abate a little, and between eight and nine o'clock, we bore up under close-reefed fore-top-sail, and fore-sail. The damages we sustained from this gale, were, considering its violence, very trifling: the stui- board-qunrtcr boat was, as has been already mentioned, carried away. Another whale-boat, which was on the booms, was also stove by a seu ; and several small spars and loose stores, lying on the deck, were washed away at diiferent times. On the whole, however, it was impossi1)lc to help admiring how well tiic ship behaved during this long and tremendous storm. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 58" 42' N. and longitude 44" 07' 08" W. The weather had by this time moderated a little, but it still blew pretty fresh, with a considerably high sea running : still, after what we had recently experienced, any thing bordering on moderation was an agreeable change to us. During several succeeding days, nothing occurred deserving particular notice. It was, indeed, observed that, since the late gale, the barometer had been unusually low. At midnight, on the !>th, it was as low as 28*95 ; and for some time since it has been still lower. On the morning of the I3th, at six o'clock, it was 28*65. In the afternoon of the Hth, we passed a large square log of wood : but there was too much sea to lower a boat to pick it up. On the afternoon of the 21st, up to which time nothing oc- curred to interest us much, a strange sail was observed : on her being first seen, we conjectured that this might be the Isabella ; but on our approach, we found her to be a brig standing to the westward. I have omitted to mention that every night, since we parted company with the Isabella, a rocket has been let off at midnight, with a vievv to its being seen by her. As she sailed, however, much better than the Alexander, we now thought it probable that she was a considerable distance a head of us. On the night of the 22nd, the aurora borealis appeared more beautiful than we had as yet seen it. The description given of it in the ship's log is as follows. " At 8*40 P. M. observed the aurora borealis, a broad arch of which extended from E. by S. to W. by S. the centre being due south by compass, and its altitude 50". When this had remained stationary for about ten minutes, vivid flashes began to shoot from it, assuming numberless shapes, sometimes in right lines, sometimes like volumes of smoke, and at others ■^^ liaW in. n ever ; for ice close to en five and t little, and close-reefed ained from the stal- led, carried s> was also ores, lying" 9. On the how well storm. At 1 longitude oderatcd a ably high iperienced, change to deserving 2 the late Inight, on ince it has X o'clock, 'd a large 'er a boat )thing oc- 1 •• on her Isabella ; Jg to the rve parted midnight, however, bablu that red more iven of it oad arch re being this had ?s began times in it others A 1>1AG1IAM. JS.vhihiHn>r the thi'nf yti'tv or'Jii'penmtnt* nuulv on board the .Ihwiindtr, tor the ffiupt>*e ti^tftuUruf the devMtion of tin' Mapnetu' ncetite Xoveniln-r -i '!** /*/* . in lirajtsa Sotaul. Shetlmu/ . the true Maifnetii- hmrrruh* of the ohteet betiio 1TH ? 16' *i mWe * Jon w^*JMg AnmO. J •! V. •" H m tur I I .1-1 .' ,' •■ / ■■•V(.,A /, / / rr to the Arclk Regions, 80 foriniiig si'gmentii of large circles in and oltoiU the /eniili. Tlic colour was generally n greenish yellow, uud the light was much more vivid and beHutiful than we have ever seen it Let'ore. " The brightest part was at the eastern end of the arch. A stationary light remained about the northern part of the heavens, about 20<* high : the compasses were not affected. It lasted, in its most perfect beauty, for fifteen minutes." On Friday, the L'3d, about three in the afternoon, we made the north-westernmost of the Faroe Islands^ 1 believe the island of Vagoe; but the wind being off* the land, and the weather hazy, wc could not approach sufficiently near to be enabled to say any thing respecting them, unless it be that the land appeared to be very high, and to rise abruptly from the sea. On the following day we got round the north end of these islands, but we passed them at such a distance, that we did not see more of them than on the preceding evening. They were indistinctly seen on the morning of the 25th, but at a still greater distance. On Thursday, the 29th, soon after day light in the morning, we made the Shetland islands ; but owing to the distance we had to run, and the wind becoming rather light in the afternoon, we did not get into Brassa Sound until half past two o'clock, P. M. on the following day. In the course of the afternoon, the Isabella came in : she appeared to have suffered a little, as well as our- selves, in the gale of wind in which we parted company, having lost two of her boats. The officers of both ships were employed, on Monday, the 2d of November, in trying the deviation 6f the compass. The result of the experiments made by them is exhibited in the diagram. No. 8. On Saturday, the 7th, soon after day-light, we got under weigh, and by eight o'clock were clear of Shetland. On the following day, agreeably to the orders issued by Captain Hoss, requesting all Journals, &c. kept during the voyage to be delivered up to him, to be forwarded to the Admiralty, 1 had to close my narrative, which, however it may be in certain respects defective, I may venture to affirm possesses this merit, that whatever I have related as the rcb t of my own observatinuj \% strictly true, . . rr Voyages a>?d Tr A VKLs, No. 1, Vol. L N APPENDIX, No. 1. Isabella. J List of the Officers' Names and Qualities, together with th9 jS'umber of Men employed, on the two Expeditions to the Arctic Regions. Tkb North-wbst, or Baffin's Bay Expedition. ^lea'ander. William Edward Parry, Lieu- tenant and Commander . . 1 Mr. H. P. Hoppner, Lieutenant I I I No, 1 1 I 1 1 No. Captain John Roas, Mr. VVm. Robertson, (b) Lieut. Mr. Jolin Edwards, Surj^eon . . Mr. C. J. Beverley, Assist. Suv. Mr. Wm. Thom, Purser Mr. J. Bushnan, Clerk .... 1 Capt. E Sabine, R. A I Mr. Benjamin Lewis, Master 1 Mr. Thomas Willcocks, Mate 1 lohn Sacheuse, Interpreter 1 Seamen 33 A Serjeant and 5 Private Ma- rines 6 A Serjeant and I Private Roy- al Artillery 2 Total 58 The SpiTiiBERar.N, or Dorothea. No Captain David Buchan . . 1 Mr. J. A. Morell, Lieutenant 1 Mr. J. Duke, Surgeoa . . . . 1 Mr. W. G. Borland, Assist. Surg, l Mr. John Jermain, Purser . . 1 Mr. W. J. Dealy, ") ,-. . , . Mr. Chs. Palmed, / Midshipmen 2 Mr. C. Wakeham, Clerk . . i Mr. John Fisher, from the Uni- versity of Cambridge . . l Mr. P. Bruce, Master . . . . 1 Mr. G. Crawford, Mate . . 1 Master Buchan, (Son of Capt. Buchan) .. ,, .. i Seamen 37 A Serjeant and Five Private Marines 6 Total ii Mr, W. H. Hooper, Purser Mr. Alex. Fisher, Assist. Surg Mr. J. Nias, T ««. , , . Mr. P. Bisson, I M.dsh.pmen Mr. James Halse, Clerk Mr. John Allison, laster . . Mr. Joseph Paillips, Mate . . Seamen 23 A Corporal and Four Marines 5^ Total 37 Polar Expedition'. Trent. No. John Franklin, Lieutenant and Commander 1 Mr. F. W. Beechey, Lieutenant 1 Mr. W. Barrett, Purser .. 1 Mr. A. GilAUan, Assist. Surg. 1 Mr. A. Reid, 1 ... , , . Mr. G. Back, I Midshipmen 2 Mr. Wm. Cotsell, Clerk . . i Mr. G. Fife, Master , . . . 1 Mr. G. Kirby, Mate . . , . I Seamen ig A Corporal and Four Pri- vate Marines 5 Total 33 <:opy\ " h| in of S. with the to the No. Lieu- er . . J itenant i ser ] Surg. I men 2 .. 1 . I e .. I 23 rines 5^ 'otal 37 ind Nik. nant 1 • • 1 ••g- 1 ?n 2 • 1 • 1 • 1 • i9 • ■ 5 ( ^I ) APPENDIX, No. 2. ■Copy of the taper committed to the Sea on Monday, May the 4th, 1818. '* His Majesty's SWp Alexander, May 4 th, 1818, at one o'clock, P.M. in latitude 6o» 45' 30" N., and longitude 40« 20" W. Temperature of the air in the shade 45° ; water, at the surface 46°^. Strong wind S. E. by S. some sea." (Signed) W. E. Parry, Commander. If" Whosoever finds this paper ic requested to forward it to English/ the Secretary of the Admiralty, London, with a note of the Ltime and place at which it was found." /"' Ouiconqiie trouvera ce papier est pri6d'y marquer le tcms French < et lieu uu il I'aura trouv^, et de le faire parvenir au plutot au LSecretaire de I'AmirauK^ Britannique a Londress." f" Quienquiera hallera este papel, esta pedido de enviarlo Spanish < al Secretario del Almirantazgo a Londr^'s, con una nola del Ltiempo y del lugar in loss quales se hallo el dicho papel." (" Entwer som finder dette papierat, annodes at indsende samme unfortovet til Regjeringen i Kiobenhaven eller i Stockiiolm, eller til Secreiairen of dat Brittiske Admiravilet i London, med Bemoerking angaaende fiden naar, eg ttedet huor papieret er fundet." " Een ider iverzogt, om Dutch die dit papier magt vinden^ wordt biermede et zelve, ten Spoedingste, te willen zenden aan den Heer Minister van de Marine der Nederlanden in's Gavenhage,of wel aan den Secretaris der Britische Admirali* tait, te London, en daar by te vogen eene nota, inhoudende de tyd ende plaats alwaar dit papier is gevonden guvorden." al33 * In the printed papers this notice was likewise inserted in the Russian language. This was omitted in the MS. copies, on account of the diffi- culty of imitating with any degree of precision, the Russian characters. ( i'iJ ) APPENDIX, No. 3. €opy of a Letter, or Journal, from Mr. IFilliam Baffin, addressed cither to Mr. Sanderson, or to Sir John Wolstenholm, they having been, as is undentood, co-partners in fitting out the vessel in tvhich he came to this country. [Greenland^] " The first land we saw was in Fretum Davis, on the coast uf Green- land, in the latitude of Qi" 2l'. We prosecuting our voyage were loath to come to anchor as yet, although tlie wind was contrary, but still plyed to the northward until we came into 70" id : there we came to anchor in a fair sound, near the place Master Davis called the London Coast. At this place we stayed two days, in which time we took in fresh water and other necessaries : here we had some dislike to the passage, because ihe tides are so small, as not vising above eight or nine feet, and keep no certain course ; but the nearest time of high water on the change day is 'dta quarter of an hour past nine, and the flood cometh from the south- ward. The 22nd day, at a north sun, we set sail, and plyed to the northward, the wind being right against us as we stood off and on. Having not stood past three or four leagues north-westward, we came to the ice ; then we tacked, and stood to the shoreward : a sore storm ensued. By the 30th day in the afternoon we came fair by Hope San- derson, the farthest land Master Davis was at, lying between 72° and 73»; and that evening, by a north sun, we came to much ice, which we put into, plying all the next day to get through it. The first of June we were clear of the ice before named, and not far from the shore, the wind blowing hard at N. N. E. There we put in among divers islands : the people, seeing us, fled away, leaving behind their tents, and upon a small rock they hid two young maids, or women. This place we called Women's Island : it lyetli in the latitude of 72° 45'. Here the flood cometh from the southward : at neap tides the water riseth but six or seven feet, and S. S. E. moonmaketh a full sea." " Upon the 4th day we set sail from thence, having very fair wea- ther, although the winds were contrary, and plyed to and fro between the ice and the land, being as it were a channel of seven or eight leagues broad. Then on the gth, being in the latitude of 74° 4' N., and being much pestered w\;h ice, near into the small islands, lying eight miles from the shore, we came to anchor near them. Here the tides were very small, especially the flood, yet the ebb runneth with an indifferent stream : the cause thereof, in my opinion, is the great abundance of snow melting on the land all this part of the year." " The tenth day we sailed from thence, and stood through much ice to the westward, to try if that, further from the shore, we might pro- ceed : but this attempt was soon quelled, for the more ice we went through, the thicker it was, till wa could see no place to put the ship's head in. Seeing that as yet we could not proceed, we determined to stand in for the shore, there to abide some few days, till such time as the ice was more wasted and gone, for we plainly perceived that it con- numd x>tt il and andl thov itwl cor alm^ £a8 toal fasti wot fishi APPE^DIX. 93 ^sed cither ? f>een, as he came if Green, fere loath still plyed o anchor 'n Coast, isli water because keep no jeday is >e south- to the and on. came to e storm 3pe San- and yS"} I we put fune we he wind ids: the upon a e called e flood : six or r wea- etween leagues I being t miles were ffereut ice of ch ice pro- went ship's ed to le as con- 'sumed very fast. With this resolution we stood in, and came to anchor, off many iblands in the latitude of 73° 45'. Here we staid six days, and on the eighteenth day at night, we set sail, having very little wind ; and being at sea, made the best way we could to the northward : al- though the wind had been contrary for the most of this month, but it was strange to see the ice consumed in so little space, for now we might come to the three islands before named, and stand off to the westward almost twenty leagues, without let of ice, until we were more north, £as to 74° SCy.] Then we put among much scattered ice, and plyed to and fro all this month, still in sight of the shore, and many limes fast in the ice, yet every day we got something on our way, nothing worthy of note happening, but that at divers times we saw some of the fishes, with long horns, which we call the sea unicorn." '* And here to write of the weather, it would be superfluous, or need- loss, because it was so variable, few days without snow, and often freez- ing, insomuch that on midsummer day, our shrouds, ropes, and sails were so frozen that we could scarce handle them : yet the cold is not so extreme, but it may be well endured. The first of July we were come into an open sea, in the latitude of 75° 4(y, which anew revived our hopes of a passage ; and because the wind was contrary, we stood off twenty leagues from the shore before we met with ice : then standing in again, when we were near the land, we let fall out anchor to see what tide went, but in that we found small comfort. Shortly after the wind came to the S. £., and blew very hard, with foul weather, thick and foggy ; then we set sail, apd ran along the land : this was on the 2nd day at night." " The next morning we passed a &ir cape, or headland, which we called Sir Dudley Digges' Cape. It is in the latitude 76* 35', and hath a small island close adjoining to it. The wind still increasing, we passed by a fair sound, twelve leagues distant from the former cape, having an island in the midst, which maketh two entrances. Under this island we came to anchor, and had not rid past two hours, but our ship drove, although we had two anchors at tiie ground. Then we were forced to set sail, and stand forth. This sound we called Wolstenbolm's sound : it hath many inlets or smaller sounds in it, and it is a fit place for the killing of whales." " The 4th, at one o'clock in the morning, the storm began again at west and by south, so vehement that it blew away the fore course, and being not able to bear away, we lay adrift till about eight o'clock : then it cleared up a little, and we saw ourselves embayed in a great sound. Then we set sail, and stood over to the south-east side, where in a little cove or bay, we let fall an anchor, which we lost, cable and all j the wind blowing so extremely from the tops of the hills, that we could get no place to anchor in, but were forced to stand to and fro in the sound* the bottom being all frozen over. Towards two o'clock it began to be less wind ; then we stood forth. In this sound we saw a gi^at number of whales, therefore we called it Whale Sound, and doubtless if we had been provided for killing them, we might have struck very many. It lyeth in the latitude of 770 3(jl." " All the 5th day it was very fair weather, and we kept along by the land till eight o'clock in the evening, by which time we came to a great 94 APPENDIX. bank of ice, it being backed by the land, which we seeing, determined to stand back lome eight leagues, to an island we called Hackluits' Isle. It lyeth between two great sounds, the one Whale Sound, the other Sir Thomas Smith's Sound. This last runneth to the north of 78° ; and is admirable in one respect, because in it is the greatest variation of the compass of an part of the world known ; for by divers good observa* tions I found it to be above five points, or 56°, varied to the westward, so that a north east and by east is true north, and so on of the rest. All this sound seemetb good for the killing of wh.iles, it being the greatest and longest in all this bay. The cause whereof we were minded to stay to this island, was to see if we could find any finners, or such like on the shore: and so indeed this night we came to anchor, but with such foul weather that our boat could not land." " The next day we were forced to set sail, the sea was grown so high, and the wind came more outward. Two days we spent and could get no place to anchor in : then, on the 8th day, it cleared up, and we seeing a company of islands lye off from the shore twelve or thirteen leagues, we minded to go to them, and see if there we could get anchor. When we were something near, the wind took us short, and being loath to spend more time we took opportunity of the wind, and left the searching of these islands, which we call Carey's Islands i all of which sound and islands the map doth truly describe. So we stood to the eastward, in an open sea, with a stiff gale of wind, all the next day, and till the 10th day, at one or two o'clock in the morning, at which time is fell calm, and very foggy, and we near the land in the entrance of a fair sound, which we called Alderman Jones's Sound." ** This afternoon being fair and fine, we sent a boat to the shore, the ship being under sail, and as soon as they were on shore, the wind be- gan to blow : then they returned again, declaring that they saw many sea- horses by the shore among the ice, and, as far as they were, they saw no signs of people, nor any good place to anchor in along the shore. Then having an easy gale of wind at £. N. E., we ran along by the shore, which now trendeth much south, and beginning to shew like a bay." " On the 12th we were open of another sound lying in the latitude of 74° 20', and we called it Sir James Lancaster's Sound. Here our hopes of a passage began to be less every day of another, for from this sound to the southward we had a ledge of ice between us and the shore, and but clear to the seaward. We kept close to the ledge of ice untill the 14th in the afternoon, by which time we were in the latitude of 71° l6'i and plainly perceived the land to the southward of 70° 30'. Then we having so much ice round about us, were forced to stand more eastward, supposing it to have been more clear, and to have kept on the off side of the ice until we had come to 70° : then we stood in again. But this proved quite contrary to our expectations, for we were forced to run above three score leagues through very much ice, and many times so fast that we could get no ways, although we kept our course due east ; and when we had gotten into the open sea, we kept so near the ice that many times we had much ado to get clear, yet could not come near the land until we came to about 6S% where indeed we saw the land, but could not come io it by eight or nine leagues, for the great abundance of ic j to sel ice westl shoul and I em\ be posj shoi utn to and are by < AuJ h4 i| 3 APPENDIX. OA of ice. Thia was on the 24th of July. Then spent we three days more to see if we could come to anchor, to make trial of the tides ; but the ice led us into the latitude of 65° 40', Then we left oflf seeking to the west shore, because we were in the indraft of Cumberland's Isles, and •hould know no certainty, and hope for a passage (here could be none." APPENDIX, No. -I. Order issued ly Captain Ross relative to objects of Natural History. " General Ordeus. " It is my direction that every specimen of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, which may be found op procured by any persona employed in the ships under my command and orders, shall immediately be brought to me, that I may give such directions respecting their dis- posal as I may think 6t : and all officers going on any service to the shore, or ice, or having communication with the natives, are to use their utmost endeavour to collect and procure any thing which may contribute to the advancement of natural knowledge. And of the larger animals and other objects which cannot be removed, sketches and descriptions are to be taken ; and all such reports, descriptions, &c. are to be signed by the officer, and sent to me for his Majesty's service. " Given under my hand, on board the Isabella at sea, this 1 7th day of August, 1818. (Signed) JOHN ROSS, Captain." APPENDIX, No. V. His Majesty's Ship Alexander, Wednesday, August \g, 1818. H 1 3 S 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 It K. F. Courses. N.N.E. N. by E. North. E.8.E. N. by W. North. e N. \ w. Winds. [No. of Signals East. E.N.E. N.E. Remarks and Occurrences. A.M. Light breezes and fine weather ; ice- bergs and loose pieces of ice in all di- rections. At 4, moderate breezfa and weather ; Isabella N. 2^ miles ; a cluster of small islands N.E. 4 or 6 leagues. At 7, 30, tacked. At 8. moderate breezes and fine weather; Isabella E. ^, S. fa mile ; a lisht swell from the northward. At 9, tacked. At noon, moderate breezes and clear weather ; Isabella W. by S. 1 mile ; highest point of an island, in the middle of sound we passed yesterday (query, Wolstenholm's Sound), S. 5° W. 15 leagues. Group of islands, abont eight in number, beiug the north-land in sight, from E. 2° N. to E. S9» SO' S. the nearest distant 3 or 4 leagues. Aa open sound (query, Whale Sound), E. 30» .S. the easternmost of the above islands being just on the middle of the above Sound. E.N.E. 96 APPENDIX. H Course H. K. V 5 6 7 i 8 9 10 11 12 4 9 9 H Distance. I Latitude, j Long. | Variation. | Bcariiin» and Distance. I 76''gtf'a7". I 73" WW. I Courses. N. by E. i i: Winds. East. (Nee above at noon.) No. of Signals S.E. by E. E.N.E. E.|N. d E. by N. \ to W.N. W./ E. by S. i S. East. N.W. by W. eto. East. E. by S. i S. W.S.W. S.W. S.WbyW S B. 8. Westerly! Remarks and Occurrences. P.M. Moderate and fine weatlier ; saw laud a liCHd, trending, apparently, N. W. At 1, 30, answered latitude 76° 29' N. lonRitndi? 7S» 29' W., and variation 102" W W. from Isaliella, made latitude 76" SJf)' N. ; lonuitude 73° 14' W and varia- tion 100° VV. At .-3, tacked. At 3, 45, wind shifted ; trimmed sails. At 4, light airs and fine wcalhei^; Isabella S. \V. by W. l|mile. A cluster of islands S.E. iE.^ 4 or 5 leagues ; tried for soundings with 200 fathoms-Iinc, no bottom. At 5, 30, iiove4o, to wait for Isabella. At 6, iif ht breezes and fine weather ; Isabella W.S.W. 1 mile. At 6, 40, set maintop- gallant sail, and starboard fore-top-mast studding-sail. At 7, 15, strong breezes and thick foggy weather, the group of islands S. by. E. f E. 9 or 10 miles. At T, 41, shortened sail, and hauled to the wind on the larboard-tack, in two reefs of the top-sails, and down royal-yards. At 8, strong breezes and thick fuggy weather ; Isabella N.N.E. | a mile. At 10, weaUier more clear, 3 B 8 from Isa* bella ; lowered a boat, and sent her on board. Hovc-to ; group of islands S. by E. i E. At 10, 45, boat returned, hoisted her up, and bore up in company with th« Isabella; set the main-top-gallant sail. At midni,!<;fat, strong breezes and squally weather ; Isabella E. by S. i mile, westernmost of the group of islands south 5 or 6 leagues. To this day's Log is annexed the following Note. For many days previous to Sunday, August 16, (that is, while we conld see no land to the westward of the point which we succeeded in rounding on that tven- ing), it was generally believed, that we had already seen the Cape Dudley Digges, and also the Wolstenholm's Sound of Baffin, because the description he gives of these places, agreed tolerably with the lands we took for them in every respect, but the exact latitude. Whenever, therefore, these places are mentioned by name, previou$ to Vie \7th of August, it must be understood to mean, the parts of the land which we mistook for those so namc(d by Baffin. Of those which we afterwards came to on the ISth and 19th, there can be little doubt, for it is im- possible, in 80 few words, to describe them more accurately than Baffin has done. I have thought it right to enter this note in the Log-book to prevent confiision. (Signed) W. E. PARRY, . Lieutenant and Commander. IT K. _ ^ 1 4 t 3 ll i 1 B 9 10 11 12 „ His Distance. Jii T P.M. saw laud y, N. W. ?6" 29' N. alion 102" fitiide 76° ind varia- At3,45, ^t 4, light a.S.W. by S.E.§E. ing« with At 5, 30, APPENDIX, No. VI. 97 Majesty's Ship Alexander, Thursday, 20M August, 1818. H. K. F. Courses. Winds. Signals Remarks and Occurrences. A.M. 1 4 3 1 4 6 4 E. by 5.^8. N. by W. N.W. by W. W.S.W. S.W. S.W. S.E. East. .Strong breeics and squally weather, At 12, 50, in main-top>gHlla»t sail, and up larboard clue of the main-sail, and hauled to the wind on the larbnsird tack. Noithernmost point of the land .S.E.j^F.. Westernmost of the group of i-laudt S. by W. Eaci. of the»e lands distant from 12 to 1.5 Icaijnes. Kiiniiiii;;. occa- sionally, throH5.li streams of i(!e. 2, 30, more moderate and clear ; sit the main- sail. At 2, .^O, a thick haze. Bore up to close the Isabella. At 3, lo, hauled to the wind. At 4. moderate breezes and thick weather. Isabella N.N.E. 3 cables' length. At 7, 1.5, set the jib,, and down tore-topmast stay-sails. At 8, light breezes and thick foggy weather, Isabella north 3 cables' length, tiaw only a few small pieces of ice during the morning. At 8, SO, bore up. At 8, 40, out fir»t reef of the topsails. Set top- pallant sails. Crossed royal-yards. Set the sails and stay^sails. At 10, light variable airs ; trimmed sails occasionally. Tried for soundings with 1^0 fathoms of line, no bottom. Isabella sounded in 245 fathoms, mnddy bottom. At noon, light airs with thicli hazy weather, with clear sky over head. Isabella in com- pany. 4 5 6 7 8 {) 10 11 12 it 2 2 1 1 1 1 • •• • •• 1 • •• • •• 4 2 • •• 4 W.N.W. NWbyWiW. N.W. by W. N.WbyWiW. ••• 6 4 ••• N.E. by K. N.E. E.N.E. N.N.E. Course. | Distance. | Latitude. Long. Variation. ( Bearings and Distance. N.TS" W . 2 Miles. 76"'40'52" 74''50'W. The north-westernmost Island. N.syW. 20 miles. (Sot seen.) P.M. 1 2 3 4 .b 6 7 8 9 10 It 12 '1 ••• « tf } 2 6 • •• • •• • •t • •• • •• 4 • •• i N.N.E. N.E. by N. N. by E. North. ^.N.W. Hove to E. by N. UpN.W. off West. W.N.W. E.byS. East. N.E. N. by E. North. SB. 8. {) Light breezes and niisity weather, with a clear sky over head. At .1, heard a noise similar to that which the water makes against the ice to the eastward. At 4, ditto weather. Isabella N.N.E. 2 cables' length. At 4, 15, more clear, saw land ex- tending from N. i E. to N.E. by E. apparently trending about W.N.W. At 4, 40, saw one of the group of islands K. by W. At 5, 50, hove to. At 6, light breexes and hazy weather. Isabella S.E. | S. 2 cables' length. At 7, filled and tacked. At 8, light breezes and fine weather. Group of islands S.E. North extreme of west land, E. by N. south extreme of ditto, N, \ W. Land, apparently an island off it, N.N.W; Compasses traversed very dull. At 8, 30, tacked ; oat first reef of the topsails. Hove to, and .sounded in 85 fathoms, sand and small stones. At 10. filled. At midnight, calm and fine weather. A cape on the east land, N. by W. 6 or 7 leagues. Land, apparent? van island, N.W.byN. ( ,98 ) APPENDIX, No. VII. Hh Majt'itif's Ship Alexander, Monday, August 31 il, 1818. H. K 10. 11 12 Courses. N.E. \ N. N. by W. N. by W. Nuitli. N.byW.iW N. by W. N. by E. Head from N. toW. Winds. N.N.W. Wfst. W.S.\V. No. of Signals N.N.E. s.w. Calm. S.E. Remarks and Occurrences. . A.M. Liglit breezes and fine weather. Tlie snn rising, and the horizon very clear, ascertained the followini! bearings. Land on the northern side of the inlet from E. i N. to N.N.E. j E. ; at the southern side, from S.W. by W. | W. to N.N.W. iW. A strong appearance of land as far as N. by W. \ W. The land at the point! E. { N., and N.N.W. \ W., dif. linctly seen, though very distant. A small island (or rock) apparently a con- siderable distance from the northern land, E. by N.^N. 9 or 10 miles, trending to the northern land about S.E. \ E. and N.W. i W. of the southern south and north, the whole taken with Alexander's compass. At 7 o'clock, when sights were taken for the chronometers, the land was set to the following bearings, viz. the southern laud of the entrance, being high, full of sharp-pointed hills, and much covered with snow, from S. 560 W. (0 north 66" W., the land trend- ing here about S. i W., and N. f E.; more distant land beyond it, and ap- pearin;; to join it as far round as N. '21° W., the northern land of the en- trance being high, but not so rugged as the southern land, and not quite so much snow upon it, from N. 44P E. to N. 84° E., both these extremities forming capes, and the land being much higher towards the tirst of these two bearings. A small wedge-like island off the latter, N. 89* E. ; tlic land on this side trending about N. by W., and S. by E., a point of very distant northern land just touch< ing the small island, and appearing to join the land which has been set above at N. 84° E., the distance of the ship off the northern land 7 or 8 leagues, and from the southern ditto, 6 or 7 leagues. ^At 8, light airs inclinable to calm: Isabella N. by'lV. 1 mile. At 8, 40, trimmed sails, and set starboard studding sails, calm and Irazy weather. At 11, 30, a breeze sprung up from the S.E. ; lost sight of the land ; tried for soundings with 200 fathoms of line. At 13, moderate and hazy weather, with rain; Isabella N.N.E 7 or 8 miles. Coiirm H-K.JF ll 31 sl 3 S] 31 1 4 4—' I APPENDIX. 818. M- A.M. ther. rije .'ery clear, ings. Land inlet from c soiithero p N.N.W. >fland as Jand at (he i W., di,. •Slant. A »i'y a con- nortliern I trending • i £. and oiitli and CKander's en sigbta eters, the bearings, entrance, fed hilfg, f from S. nd trend. N.iE.; antl ap. [rf as N. •he en- "gjScd as <]iii(e go E. to N. forming •> liiglier earings. e latter, fending a point t touch. ring to i above le ship ?aguc», > or 7 ible to s. At board ather. m the d for • At with i. _t:Jo»i^e. I Diitance. I latitude, j Look. TW ' ia''on. | H tarinm andPUtlt ircZ I t I J _l; !1W: H I s 8 9 10 11 12 H Coiirsei. N.N.E.§E. N.E. by N. N.E.|E. E. by N. W.§S. eadfromW.S W. toN.N.W. West. S.W. by S. S. W. byS. S.W. Winds. No. ot Signals S.E. |sootli. N.N.E. N.E.byN Remarks and Occnrrences. Moderate breezes and hazy, with rain. At 1, the weather cleared up fo^ a short lime to the northward, flaw the appear, ance of a high hill N. by W. At 3, the Commodore larked : it) studding sails, and hauled to the wind ; weather more clear ; saw the land to the southward, and what appeared a bavt the points of which bore 8.83" W., and N. 81" W. To the westwani of this the land trends more to the eastwai'd, (by compass) and was seen as far a* N. 34° W. At 3, 40, tacked ; ut 4, hazy with rain, Isabella W, b}ir N. 1 mile. At 6, light airs and hazy, with a heavy swell from the W.S. W. and rain : wore and tried for soundings with 200 fathoms line, no bottom : lost sight of the land bearingfrom N.W. to S.W. bv W., Isabella S.S.W. ^ W. If mile. At 8, SO, saw the western extreme of the southern land of the inlet N.N.W. At 10, extremes of the northern land of the inlet from E. to E. by N. \ N. ; of the southiern from N.W. to N. by W., hori- zon dark and hazy, except at these bear, ings. At midnight, moderate and cloudy, weather, Isabella S. \ W. i cables' length : nearest hills of the southern land of the inlet (the only land in sight) N.W. APPENDIX, No. VIII. jf brief Sketch of the Quadrupeds,' Birds, and Fishes, seen by those em- ployed on the late Expedition to Davis' Straits and Baffin's Bay. QUADRUPEDS. Common Name. White Bear. Linnaean Name. Perfectly white j length from the snout Ursus Mariti- mus. Characteristics. to the tail (of one of we saw tliose which we kill- inches, and weight 1131 pounds. Remarks. We killed two of these animals swim- ming at the distance of four or five miles from the shore, and them on several of icebergs. ed) seven feet eight and pieces of ice, at a much greater distance from it ; one, indeed, was seen on an ice- berg entirely out of the sight of land. 100 APPENDIX. Common Namt*. Arctic Fox, Hare. Pine Martin. Liiina>nn Nanip, CbaracteriHici. Canis V'ulpus. Lepn« Varia- bilis. Martes Abie- turn. Rrmaiks. Several of them About the size of. were seen on Hare, the English fox, and or Wavcat Inland, of a dark brownisii and on dinerent parts colour. of the West Coast of Greenland. Several animals of tliese were seen Perfectly wl ' e and considerably m-L,3„j in DavU' ger than the English g.^; hare. and West Coast fin's Bay. on the of Baf- The only one of these animals which Length about a we saw was on the foot and a half, skin West Coast of Baf- of a dark yellow co- fin's Bay, a little to lour. the southward of the lentrance to Sir James Lancaster's Sound. Commol gidcJ BIRDS. Fulmar, or Mallemuke. Procellaria Glacialis. ' Length one foot six inches ? extent from the tips of the wings three feet? a strong billj hooked at the end} the head, neck, and the whole of the under side of the body, white j the back and coverts of the wings ash colour, and in some the en- tire plumage of that colour. These birds appear to be very widely scattered over the northern regions, for we first saw them the day after we loft Shetland, and there was scarcely a day, until we returned to these islands, on which we did not meet with some of them. They were seen in the greatest numbers in Davis' Straits, about the places where tlie whale ships were fishing. APPENDIX. tOl t«. Comtnou Name. I>^' fliem I Hare, Island, m parts [Coast of Hiese seen ^aygat Davis* Ion the ofBaf- one of which on the 3fBaf- ittle to of the James und. £idcr Duck. Linnsaii Nasie. Anas Mollissima, -r— Tern, or Sea Swallow. Charactrrittio. Rather larger than the common duck : the female is of a dusky brown colour} the forehead and cheeks of the male, or drake, are black the crown of the head, neck, and back, are white } the lower part of the body and tail arc black. Sterna Himndo. Foolish Guille- mot, or Loon. Greenland Dove. Remarks. Flocks of these birds were seen in different parts of Da- vis' Straits and Baf- fin's Bay; but we found the greatest number of them on a group of small islands off the West Coast of Greenland, in lat. 74° N. where they were breeding at the time we pass- ed these islands. Length one foot two inches; breadth two feet three inches j b'M red, slender, and We saw several straight} crown of flocks of these birds the head black ; sitting on the ice- throat and under part bergs, as we went up of the body white; back and coverts of the wings of a hoary grey ; tail forked. Davis' Straits. Colymbus TroiUe. Length se^'enteen inches, and extent from the tip of the wings two feet ; bill black, straight, and sharp pointed; the head, neck, and back part of the wings black ; the whole the under part of the body white. Colymbus Grylle. We seldom saw any of these birds until we entered Da- vis' Straits ; but after we made the ice, we found large flocks of them along the edge of of it. They are to- lerably good eating. Bill an inch and a half long, black and slender ; on each wing there is a white spot; the inner co- verts of the wings and the tips of the lesser quill • feathers are also white ; the ^ whole of the rest of the pan. the plumage is black. I do not remember having seen any of these birds until we got amongst the ice ; they were generally seen in pairs, and are very difficult to shoot, diving at the flash of 103 APPENDIX. Common Name Linnaaii Name. Cliaracteriitlct, Ember Gooie. Rotees^ or Little Auk. Colymbus Iinmer. About the size of a common Roose head and back of a dusky colour ) the breast, and under part of the hody, white. Alca Alle. The only one we saw of these birds was at Shetland. A little larger than blackbird; bill short, strong, and thick I the head, neck, and back black ; and the whole of the under side of the body white ; the feet webbed, and of greenish colour. Rcmaikd. It is incredible the number of these birds we saw in one part of Baffin's Bay > as a proof of the im- mense flocks of them that we met with, I need only mention, that in the course of five or six hours (one day), we killed, with three muskets, 1263 of them, 93 of which were killed at one discharge. Thcywere excellent eating ; we preserved them by skinning them, and then packing them in casks between layers of pounded ice ; from the num- ber of them that we thus preserved, we were enabled to give the ship's company a fresh meal of them two or three times a week, for a consider- able time, lliese birds fed on small red shrimps, and it is probable that it* was their excrement that discoloured the snow, for it was where they were so plentiful, that we found it of a red co- lour. Common In. APPENDIX. 103 Conimoii Nmiie. I one wc birds id. While Partridge. Siiuw Bunling. Ivory Gull. LiniHBan Name. Tetrseo Lagopus. Rather larger than the common par* tridee : the plumage of the male was per fectiv white, and that of tine female of a rusty brown colour. Emberiza Nivalis. Length fiveinchesj breadth eleven in ches 1 the male is chiefly white, and the plumage of the female of a duiky brown. Larus Kburiieus. Burgomaster. Kittiwake. Boatswain, or Arctic Gull. Larus Glaucous. Larus Rissa. Larus Parasiticus. Charactcrutics. The only place where we saw any of these birds, was on Hare, or Way^at Inland, Davis' Straits. Mnaarkt. We found these birds on all parts ui the Coast of Green- land where we land- ed. About the size of the common gull; the whole ot the plumage of a snowy whiteness. We saw but very few of these birds until we got as far as latitude 76" N. Length about five feet ten inches } breadth two feet five inches j the breast, neck, and the whole of the under part oi the body white j the back of the wings of a fine hoary grey. Length fourteen inches} extent three of feet; head, neck, and tail, white j back andllant wings grey ; tips ol the wings black. Length 21 inches; breadth three feet six inches ; the back, wings, and tail, dus ky ; neck, and under part of the body, white. We^met with some of these birds in all parts of Davis' Straits and Baffin's Bay ; but we found the r greatest number of them on a rocky is- land, in lat. 74^ N. where they were breeding. We met with some these birds all the way across the At- ic, as well as be- •flyond the Arctic Cir- cle. I do not remember having seen any of them until we en- tered Davis' Straits. 104 APPENDIX. Common Name. Linnsan Names Sabine Gull. Characteristirs. Laius Sabina. Length fifteen in ches J extent two feet seven inches ; head and part of the neck, of a lead colour ; the rest of the neck, un- der part of the body, and tail white ; back and coverts of the wings of a pale grey ; five outer primaries black tipped with white. Remarks. These birds were found only on one small island off the west coast of Green- land, in lat. 75"! N. It appears that they are a new species of gull ; and I under* stand that the Lin- naean Society has re- solved to call them the Sabine Gull, in honour of Captain Sabine, of the Royal Artillery, who ac- companied the late expedition. y FISHES. Common Name. Liauaean Name. Characteristics. Remarks . Common, or Greenland Whale. Balsena Mysticetus. It is distinguished from other whales by not having a fin on its back. The whale which the Isabella's boats and ours killed, was only 46 feet long. I believe their average length is 50 feet. Fin Whale. Balaena Physalus. Is distinguished from the above by having a fin on its back. The fishermen ne- ver disturb this spe- cies of whale on ac- count of its having but very little blub- ber on it. Seal. Phoca. The length of one which we killed, was eight feet, and cir- cumference five feet four inches : it weigh- ed 846lbs. We saw an im- mense number of these animals, chiefly among the ice, on which they frequent- ly basked. Sea Unicorn, or Narwhal. I Monodon Monoceros. I never saw any of this species of whale except in the water, so that I can- not describe them well : their skin was spotted (black and white), and a horn protruded from the tbrehead. These fish must be pretty numerous in Baffin's Bay ; for all the natives of that coast whom we saw had spears made of their horns. DIRKCTIONS TO THi: BINDER. Thr ('halt to t'at;« tlic Titlc-pafsr. Dia-idUi I. lo tatc |». j'J.— Diagram II. i>. 18.— Diagiatn III. p. 89