Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

CAPTAIN BUCHAN'S VOYAGE TOWARD THE NORTH POLE. 1818.

The ships forming the expedition to reach the North Pole, were the Dorothy, Captain Buchan, and the Trent, Lieutenant Franklin. The former contained 12 officers and 42 seamen; the latter 10 officers and 28 seamen and marines. On board the Trent was George Back, then Admiralty's mate, who afterwards accompanied Captain Franklin in his land expeditions, and otherwise distinguished himself in the Arctic expeditions.

The expedition left England on the 18th of April and on the 24th of May, had reached Cherie Island, in latitude 740 33'. Their instructions were to proceed to the Spitzbergen seas; pass northward between that island and Greenland, and make every effort to reach the North Pole. A few days after the ships separated, Lieutenant Franklin proceeded to Magdalena Bay in Spitzbergen, the place of rendezvous, where both soon after met. On the 7th of June they again sailed, and in a few days got beset in a floe of ice where they remained for thirteen days. Escaping from this imprisonment, they again sought a shelter in Fair Haven, and continued there until the 6th of July. Putting to sea once more with a favorable wind, they pressed forward but were soon brought up by the pack ice in latitude 80g 34' N. Soon after a violent gale came on, and to avoid inevitable shipwreck, both ships pressed forward into the broken ice. Here they were exposed to the heaving and subsiding of great masses of ice, grinding huge pieces to atoms, and threatening every moment to crush and swallow up the ships. "No language," says Captain Buchan, can convey an adequate idea of the terrific grandeur now

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

produced by the collision of the ice and the tempestuous ocean." Such was the noise occasioned by the crashing of the ice, and the roar of the wind, that it was with great difficulty the orders could be heard. Yet the crew preserved the greatest calmness. "If ever the fortitude of seamen was fairly tried," says Captain Buchan, "it was assuredly not less so, than on this occasion; and I will not conceal the pride I felt in witnessing the bold and decisive tone in which the orders were

issued by the commander of our little vessel (Franklin) and the promptitude and steadiness with which they were executed by the crew. Each person instinctively secured his own hold, and, with his eyes fixed upon the masts, awaited in breathless anxiety, the moment of concussion. It soon arrived; the brig cutting her way through the light ice, came in violent contact with the main body. In an instant we all lost our footing, the masts bent with the impetus, and the cracking timbers from below bespoke a pressure which was calculated to awaken our serious apprehensions."

Both vessels were so much injured by this concussion, that when the gale abated and the pack broke up, they made the best of their way to Fair Haven; the Dorothea in a foundering condition. Lieutenant Franklin was desirous to proceed with the Trent; but this was contrary to their instructions. Besides it would have been unsafe to risk the whole party again to the danger of these seas without any means of escape, in case an accident should befal them, in a a vessel, too, so much shattered. All further efforts to prosecute the voyage were useless, and after the necessary repairs, both ships set sail for home on the 30th of August, and on the 22d of October reached England.

CAPTAIN PARRY'S FIRST VOYAGE, 1819-20.

MUCH disappointment, as well as dissatisfaction, was manifested on the return of Captain Ross, without having accomplished the object for which he was sent; and as some of his officers, including Captain Parry, did not coincide with him in his opinion of the continuity of land around

Lancaster Sound, it was determined to send another expedition immediately to make a more thorough examination of that opening, as well those known as Jones's Sound, and Smith's Sound, farther north. This expedition was fitted out during the winter following Captain Ross's return,

"It is more easy," says Captain Parry, "to imagine, than to describe the almost breath

and placed under the command of Captain! The sea was open before them, neither ice (now Sir Edward) Parry. The ships se- nor land being visible to the west. lected were the Hecla, of 375 tons, and the Griper, of 180 tons. The latter was. commanded by Lieutenant Hoppner. On board Captain Parry's ship the Hecla were Captain (now Colonel) Sabine, Lieutenant (now Sir F. W.) Beechey, and Midshipman (now Sir James) Clarke Ross. All these gentlemen have since distinguished themselves in other Arctic expeditions, as well as in scientific researches of an important character. The whole complement of officers and men in the two ships was ninety-four. They were provisioned for two years.

On the 11th of May, 1819, they took their departure, and on the 3d of July crossed the Arctic Circle in Davis's Strait, passing on that day fifty icebergs of large dimensions. One of these huge masses was 140 feet high, and aground in 120 fathoms, making altogether a height exceeding 600 feet. On reaching the 73d degree of latitude, opposite Lancaster Sound, Captain Parry determined to make the attempt to cross the great barrier of ice which fills the middle of Baffin's Bay, instead of pursuing the usual route of the whalers, which was to follow the eastern coast to the very head of that bay, and then cross above the barrier referred to, where the sea is usually open. Seven days were spent in sailing and warping, before the ships again reached the open water, the barrier being not less than eighty miles in width.

The ship now stood for Lancaster Sound, and on the 30th of July reached its entrance, just one month earlier than Captain Ross reached it the previous year, when he took the usual course around the shores of Baffin's Bay. This was a most important gain for the expedition, as nearly the whole navigable season was before them. In approaching the magnificent channel, which lay before them, bounded by lofty cliffs, they felt an extraordinary emotion, aware that the great question, on which rested the failure or success of the expedition, would soon be settled. On the 2d of August soundings were taken, and one thousand and fifty fathoms by the line, were found. But owing to the drift, Captain Parry did not think the depth of water more than 800 or 900 fathoms.

less anxiety which was now visible in every countenance, while, as the breeze increased to a fresh gale, we ran quickly up the Sound. The mast heads were crowded by the officers and men during the whole afternoon; and an unconcerned observer, if any could have been unconcerned on such an occasion, would have been amused by the eagerness with which the ceived, all, however, hitherto favorable to our various reports from the crow's nest were remost sanguine hopes."

pro

A strong easterly wind having sprung up on the 3d, they were rapidly carried to the west. They passed several headlands and openings on both sides of the channel, up which they sailed, and to which the name of Barrow's Strait was afterwards given. The first day they sailed 150 miles; the strait was still from forty to fifty miles in breadth, and no land was visible westward. They now came to an opening ten leagues across the mouth, with no land visible to the south. As their gress westward was obstructed by the ice, Parry determined to seek a passage through this new opening, afterwards called Prince Regent's Inlet, thinking that it might lead, and be nearer to the coast of America, than to follow Barrow's Strait west. They sailed down this inlet 120 miles, when they were stopped by the ice; after which they returned to Barrow's Strait, which they reached on the 19th of August. On the 21st, the ice had moved off, and left an unobstructed passage westward. The ships now pressed on, passing islands, headlands, and a very broad opening, eight leagues across, up which neither land nor ice were to be seen. To this was given the name of Wellington Channel.

Proceeding westward, large and small islands were passed on the north, while at the south land was occasionally seen. Their compass on account of their proximity to the magnetic pole became useless, and it was with difficulty, except in clear weather, that they knew what course they steered. The needle would now have pointed to the south. The officers landed on some of the islands as they passed, and found traces of the Esquimaux reindeer,

and musk oxen. The ravines were covered with luxuriant moss, and other vegetation.

On the 4th of September the ships reached the 110th degree of W. longitude, which entitled them to the reward of £5,000, offered by Parliament to the first ship's crew that attained this longitude within the Arctic circle. They now reached the largest island they had seen, to which the name of Melville was given, and worked their way along its shores. The navigable channel had been daily growing narrower on account of the ice, which was firm and compact to the south, as far as could be seen. Their progress was now slow, and on the 20th of September they found themselves completely beset by floes of ice. From the mast-head one unbroken field of ice presented itself, which had been there during the summer. It was now evident that no further advance could be made that season. The ships accordingly returned a short distance, and entered an excellent harbor, which they had passed. Here they sawed a channel through the ice for upwards of two miles, and took up their winter quar

ters.

The ships were now dismantled, and housed over. The most improved heating apparatus was put up; every attention was paid to the food, clothing, exercise, and mental occupation of the crew. A school was opened. A newspaper called the North Georgia Gazette was published. Theatrical performances were got up by the officers, and every means adopted that would conduce to the health and comfort of the crew. In this manner the winter passed away. The sun disappeared entirely on the 4th of November, and was not again visible above the horizon until the 3d February. The animals took their departure early in the winter, and did not return until May.

To this desolate spot the expedition was frozen up for ten months. Early in May, however, parties were sent out on foot to explore in various directions, as well as to seek for game. Musk oxen, deer, hares, and ptarmigan, (a bird resembling a partridge,) ducks, and geese, became plenty. The hunters were tolerably successful, and the addition of fresh provisions was very acceptable.

The greatest cold experienced was on

the 16th of February, when the thermometer indicated 55° below zero. In March the snow began to melt in the sun, yet, as late as the last of May, the sea still presented one unbroken field of ice, from six to seven feet in thickness. Toward the end of June the ice began to move in the offing. On the 5th of July the thermometer stood at 552, and, on the 17th, at 60°. On the 1st of August the ships left their winter harbor, and stood westward, but after three or four days spent in working the ships through the floating ice, their farther progress was arrested by the compact ice, more firm than any they had seen. It did not appear to have been broken up for years, and on ascending the lofty hills which bordered the coast, from which a distant view was presented, no boundary was seen to the icy barrier. brisk gale from the eastward produced no effect upon it, which induced Captain Parry to believe that a large body of land existed westward, which held it in this fixed state. To the south a bold coast was seen which was named Banks' Sound.

A

The ships remained here till the 15th August, when seeing no prospect of advancing farther, it was determined to escape while the weather was favorable. They accordingly put them about on the 26th. Barrow's Strait being clear of ice, they reached Lancaster Sound, and entered Baffin's Bay in five days. After some brief delays the ships proceeded to England, landing their officers at Peterhead on the 30th of October. In this long voyage of 18 months, but one man died out of 94 persons; the remainder were brought home in excellent health.

Captain Parry was warmly received on his arrival, for the results of the expedition had surpassed the expectations of the most sanguine. "To have sailed upwards of thirty degrees of longitude beyond the point reached by any former navigator, to have discovered so many new lands, islands, and bays,-to have established the much-contested existence of a Polar Sea, north of America, and to bring back his crew in a sound and vigorous state, were enough to raise his name. above that of any other arctic navigator." Another expedition was immediately decided on, and the command tendered to this efficient officer.

PARRY'S SECOND VOYAGE, 1821-22-23:

The sole object of this expedition, was the discovery of a north-west passage. The ships selected for it were the Fury of 377 tons, and the Hecla of 375 tons. Captain Parry commanded the former and Captain Lyon the latter vessel. They left England on the 8th May 1821, accompanied by a transport, with stores and provisions, which were to be transhipped on reaching the ice, where their field of explorations began.

Captain Parry, it will be remembered, in his first expedition, discovered a broad channel opening from the southerly side of Barrow's Strait, since known as Prince Regent's Inlet. This he believed communicated with the American Coast, and that the lands which lay on either side of it, were islands. It was also an opinion, pretty generally believed, that Repulse Bay had not been thoroughly explored by Captain Middleton in his attempt to find a north-west passage in 1741-that he might have been deceived by the appearance of the ice and by fogs, and that an opening might still be found through this bay. Another point of discussion was a passage known as Frozen Strait. amination of these passages or inlets were therefore prominent objects of the expedition.

The ex

"After the most anxious consideration," says Captain Parry, "I came to the resolution of attempting the direct passage of the Frozen Strait, though, I confess, not without some apprehension of the risk I was incurring, and of the serious loss of time, which, in case of failure, either from the non-existence of the strait, or from the insuperable obstacles which its name implies, would thus be inevitably occasioned by the expedition." Parry was successful in getting through this Strait as well as in tracing the coast beyond, and of proving the general correctness of the statements of Middleton. Much time was lost in settling these points, after which the expedition continued its examination of several

inlets and bays to the northward, through Fox Channel to a broad opening known as the Strait of the Hecla and Fury. In some of these inlets there was an appearance of summer, such as is not common in such

high latitudes. "The vallies were richly clad with grass and moss, the birds singing, butterflies and other insects displaying the most gaudy tints, so that the sailors might have fancied themselves in some happier climate, had not the mighty piles of ice in the Frozen Strait told a different tale." Hunting parties were sent out which procured a variety of game.

To follow the narrative of this expedition, which abounds in events of the most interesting character, for a polar subject, would be quite beyond the limits of this brief sketch. Though much more was accomplished in point of distance, in the first expedition of Parry, than in this, the number and the variety of incident was greater in the latter. Esquimaux were seen at many places, with whom the most friendly intercourse was held, and the long tedium of two Arctic winters was much relieved by the contiguity of villages of these people. In fact, none of the Arctic navigators have had so favorable an opportunity to study the habits of the Esquimaux as Captain Parry did in this expedition, and the pages of his narrative are much enlivened by the interesting accounts of them. As little has been said in this paper of the natives, it may not be amiss to quote a short account of a party which established themselves near the ships and at whose request Captain Parry accompanied them to their huts:

"When it is remembered that these habitations were fully within sight of the ships, and how many eyes were constantly on the look out among us for anything that could afford variety or interest to our present situation, our surprise may be imagined at finding an establishment of five huts, with canoes, sledges, dogs, and above sixty men, women, and children, as regularly, and to all appearance as permanently fixed, as if they had occupied the same spot for a whole winter. In the construction of these houses the only material used was snow and ice. After creeping through two low passages, each having its arched doorway, we came to a small circular apartment, of which the roof was a perfectly arched dome. From this three doorways, also arched, led into as many inhabited apartments, one on each side. The interior of these presented a scene no less novel than interesting. The women were seated on the beds at the

dow of ice, neatly fitted into the roof of each apartment."

side of the huts, each having her little fire place, or lamp, with all her domestic utensils about her; the children crept behind their mothers, and the dogs, except the female ones, Exploring parties were sent out both which were indulged with a part of the beds, years which traced the coast to a considerslunk out past us in dismay. The construc-able distance in various directions, so that tion of this inhabited part of the hut was similar to that of the outer apartment, being a dome formed by separate blocks of snow, laid with great regularity aud no small art, each being cut into the shape requisite to form a substantial arch, from seven to eight feet high in the centre, and having no support whatever, but what this principle of building supplied. They were lighted by a circular win

much geographical knowledge was acquired, and the fact established that there was no passage leading to the west south of Hecla and Fury Strait. In August 1823, the ships left their winter quarters. On the 17th of September 1823 they entered Hudson's Strait, and reached England on

the 18th of November.

CAPTAIN LYON'S EXPEDITION TO REPULSE BAY, 1824.

In order to connect the Polar discoveries | age. She was so deeply laden as to destroy of Franklin eastward from Coppermine River and the late discoveries of Parry by which the whole line of coast might be made out, the Government determined to send the Griper, under the command of Captain Lyon, to Repulse Bay. The expedition left England on the 11th June 1824. The orders were to proceed to Wager River or Repulse Bay; to cross Melville Peninsula on foot; then to follow the western shore of that peninsula, and the northern shore of North America to the extreme point reached by Franklin in 1820, called Point Turnagain.

The Griper, although she had been employed by Captain Clavering in the Greenland seas proved herself unfit for this voy

her sailing qualities and render her unmanageable. She reached Repulse Bay near which she encountered successive gales of wind, and narrowly escaped foundering. She was beset with the ice, enveloped in fogs and in a severe gale lost all her anchors. Drifting at the mercy of the winds and waves she was happily carried by the current out of danger. The season having passed without effecting anything, and not thinking it prudent to continue in those boisterous regions without anchors, Captain Lyon determined very prudently to abandon the voyage, and make the best of his way to England, where he arrived in safety on the 10th of November.

CLAVERINGS AND SABINE'S VOYAGE TOWARDS THE NORTH POLE, 1823.

THIS voyage, although it was sent out for the purpose of reaching the Pole, is deserving of insertion here. This expedition consisted of the gun-brig Griper, commanded by Captain Clavering. Captain Sabine, since well known for his contributions to science, accompanied the expedition to make scientific experiments. The plan of the voyage was, to proceed to Hammerfest, near the North Cape in Norway, in the 70th degree north latitude, thence to a second station, in or near the 80th parallel, on the northern coast of Spitz

[ocr errors]

bergen; afterward to make the east coast of Greenland, in as high a latitude as the barrier of ice would permit, and having got within the barrier, to ascend the coast to the northward as far as might be compatible the same year, in order to obtain a third pendulum station for Captain Sabine's experiments at the highest degree of latitude that might be there obtained." fourth station, if desired, was to be selected in Iceland, or any other place in the same parallel, if desired.

A

Aftar visiting Hammerfest, the expedi

« ZurückWeiter »