Thomas's Massachusetts Spy, Or, Worcester Gazette

MISCELLANY.

[From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine.]

Remarks on Capt. Parry's Expedition:

The expedition under the command of Capt. Ross, although very important and interesting, from the numerous nautical observations it made in Baffin's Bay, still did not satisfy the expectations of men of science and the public, in regard to the North-west Passage: The Lords of the Admiralty, as we are led to believe, from a statement, (we think a harsh one,) in the Quarterly Review, were, on the whole, somewhat dissatisfied with Capt. Ross's investigation of Sir James Lancaster's Sound, and were of opinion, that if a passage existed in Baffin's Bay, it must be somewhere in that quarter. In order to determine this important geographical problem, an expedition was fitted out last year, consisting of two strong vessels, the Hecla and Griper, which were placed under the command of Lieut. Parry.

This gentleman, whose talents and feelings are worthy of the best and most glorious days of nautical enterprize and discovery, was accompanied by a chosen band of intrepid and experienced officers; and the vessels were manned by crews full of zeal and enthusiasm, and in the highest and most perfect state of discipline. Government provided every comfort and convenience for the crews embarked in this perilous undertaking--and it was universally acknowledged, that no discovery ships ever left the shores of England in a higher state of equipment.

They left England on the 11th of May, 1819, and reached Cape Farewell, the most southern part of West Greenland, on the 14th of the succeeding June. On the 20th of June, the ships were in lat. 64, north. On the 26th of June, they were beset in the ice; and, after having endeavoured, but in vain, to urge their way, during a painful detention of four days, were, at last, glad to get back again. Having reached lat. 74, north, they determined to force a passage through the barrier of ice, which they found to be eighty miles broad. Having succeeded in this, they reached Possession Bay on the 31st July; and on the 1st of August, entered in safety Sir James Lancaster's Sound, where they found the same open sea, which has been described in the accounts of the former expedition. They advanced to long. 89, west, meeting with but little obstruction from the ice; and in long. 90, west, discovered two considerable islands, named Prince Leopold's Isles.— But, at this point, their progress westward was interrupted by a strong barrier of ice, extending quite across from these islands, to the north coast of what Capt. Parry, we understand, named Barrow Straits. Being thus arrested by the ice, and forced to alter their course, they now entered a great inlet, of 14 or 15 leagues in breadth, which they found extending to the southward. They sailed along its eastern coast; its middle part and western coast being blocked up with ice, as far as lat. 74 north, when their farther progress southward also was found to be impossible, by reason of the ice. In proceeding down this inlet, the magnetick attraction increased so powerfully, that the existence of the magnetick pole may be conjectured to be somewhere in that neighbourhood; probably in the lat. 70, N. and long. of 100, W.

On their return to Barrow's Straits, it was found that the barrier of ice, extending across from Prince Leopold's Isles to the north coast, had broken up, so that the ships were now enabled to pursue their course westward. Having reached long. 92, they found the land on the north side of the Strait, which had been continuous, from the entrance of Sir James Lancaster's Sound now discontinuous, owing to a great inlet. Land, however, was still seen to the westward--so the expedition continued its course in that direction. In doing so, the ships passed a number of great islands, all of them apparently surrounded with ice; from which circumstance partial detentions were unavoidable; and their course ran in a sort of zigzag style from lat. 73. N. to lat. 75, N.

On the 4th of September, they were in long. 110 ° W.; and here they discovered an island which appeared to be larger than any they had hitherto examined, and which, we understand, was named Melville Island, in honour of the distinguished statesman now at the head of the Admiralty. This island, we are informed, extends--from long. 106, W. to 114, W. On the 8th of September, the ships reached 112, and were enclosed for several days in the ice. Winter was now fast approaching; the ice was rapidly increasing, and violent north-westerly gales kept it in a constant and dangerous state of agitation.

These circumstances, of course, rendered the navigation very difficult, and began to endanger the safety of the ships. Our gallant countrymen, however, continued to contend with all these difficulties till the 22d of September, when it became evident, that further navigation was at an end for the season--and, therefore, prudence dictated their retreat to a secure haven for the polar winter. For this purpose, they returned eastward, and found a harbour in Melville Island. But the ice had already formed from eight to ten inches thick; and, therefore, the crews were forced to cut a passage for three miles through the ice. The 26th of September, in short, had arrived before they were fixed in their winter quarters, in five fathoms water, and within about 200 yards from the shore.

The lat. of this harbour (if we recollect rightly, named Winter Harbour,) is 74. N. and long. 111, W. Hitherto, they had never lost sight of a continuous barrier of ice to the southward, that is, from west long. 90, to the extreme of Melville Island.

Every thing was soon made snug for the formidable winter of these regions. The officers and crews formed various plans for passing the dreary days, or rather nights, of the polar regions.-- Plays were performed by the officers for their own amusement and that of the crews--and we are told that a melodrama was written, having for its object the probable success of the expedition, and their ultimate return to their friends through Behring's Straits, after having planted the British flag in countries which had eluded the bold and fearless darings of a Davis and a Baffin.

The sun disappeared entirely on the 11th of November. The Thermometer was below zero of Fahrenheit's scale when the expedition entered Winter Harbour. In the month of November the spirit of wine thermometer was 55 below zero, and in February, the coldest month of these regions, the spirit of wine pointed to the tremendous cold of 54 and 55 below zero. During these intense colds, our adventurous countrymen felt but little inconvenience so long as they remained under the housing of their Ships. A slight covering for the ears, and a shawl around the neck, were considered as sufficient protection against the most intense degree of cold; but when the atmosphere was agitated by gales of wind, then the cold became truly dreadful and insupportable, and every one was forced to seek shelter below. Nevertheless, scarcely any accident occurred from exposure to cold; while the constant and regular exercise, which formed a necessary part of the duty of the crews, kept every one lively, and active, and free from disease. One death only took place during the expedition, and that was in the case of an individual, who had contracted the disease of which he died, before he left England.

When the sun had its greatest southern declination, a twilight was perceptible at noon in the southern horizon, affording sufficient light to read a book with difficulty. The day was like the fine clear evening of winter in our climate.

The stars shone with great brilliancy: and when the moon appeared in the firmament, she shone with a beauty and splendour unknown in the more southern and temperate regions of the globe. The northern lights appear frequently, generally of a yellow colour, sometimes green, but rarely red, and most commonly towards the south-west. It was remarked, that this brilliancy was seldom so great as in our country. No noise was ever heard to proceed from them, and the magnetick needle did not appear to be affected by their presence. But we long to know if they were visible the whole day, and what were their various forms and motions, and transparency. The sun re-appeared on the 3d of February, after an absence of 83 days, and those only who have suffered the privation of "its glorious light" can feel and tell the rapture with which the crews hailed the first glimpse from the mast-head.

They had calculated the exact period of its return, and were anxiously looking for it from the main-top.

In April some partial symptoms of thaw appeared. By the end of May, pools and streams of water made their appearance, and shortly after, regular thaw commenced. Nearly about this time, Capt. Parry, with a party of his officers and men, crossed Melville Island, and reached the sea on the opposite side, in lat. 75 N. where they discovered another Island. They were fourteen days absent; and, we have heard, made many curious observations on the forms of the hills, and mountains of this Island, collecting withal, very extensively, specimens of its vegetable, animal, and mineral productions. The remains of an enormous whale, were found far inland, and a few huts, intimating the presence of man, were discovered by some of the party. Vegetation had now become active; and sorrel was found in such quantities as to remove all those symptoms of scurvy which had begun to make their appearance among the crew. The ice in Winter Harbour was also beginning to dissolve rapidly, and by the end of July, it had entirely disappeared. Yet the ships were still quite blocked up by the exterior ice. It was not till the 30th, that the outside ice began to crack. On the 31st July it moved off very gently, and released the crews from their winter prison, where they had been shut up 310 days.

On the 6th of August, they reached the western extremity of Melville Island, situated, we believe, in long. 114 W. where the ice was found to be very thick and impermeable. From this island, new land was observed to the south-west, estimated to be twenty leagues distant; so they may be said to have seen land as far west, as long. 118. Many attempts were made to reach this interesting terra incognita, but in vain. And the commander and his admirable crew, were, with feelings of the deepest regret, forced to return, owing to the vast barriers of ice.

Having failed in this attempt to reach the south-western land, and the winter again approaching, the vessels now sailed directly eastward, through the Polar Sea and Barrow's Straits, into Sir James Lancaster's Sound, thence into Baffin's Bay, and by the usual track homewards.

In their progress among the islands, the officers shot a few rein-deer, ptarmigan, partridge, and hares; and the howls of the wolf were heard frequently in Melville Island. Several musk oxen were killed and, we are informed, the crews considered it, after being properly macerated, to get rid of the musky flavour, as preferable eating to that of the rein-deer. One of the sailors, who had ventured beyond his companions in search of rein-deer, returned to the ship with his fingers frost-bitten, from carrying his musket too long. When the fingers were plunged into cold water, ice was formed on its surface, and this continued to be the case for half an hour afterwards, as often as the fingers were plunged into it. The sailor lost five of his fingers.

From Lancaster's Sound to Melville Island; the compass, we understand, was found to be totally useless, a circumstance which left to the commanders no other guides than the heavenly bodies, and the trend of the land; thus at once presenting the striking spectacle of modern navigators tracking the ocean without the compass, as was done by the mariners of old. We cannot, indeed, conceive a more striking scene than that of our discovery ships, forcing their solitary course through unknown regions, surrounded with rugged, dreary, and desolate wastes, in the midst of the most appalling dangers, and deprived of the use of the compass.