tion sailed on the 23d June, was in sight of Spitzbergen in four days, and on the 30th, rounded Hakluyt's Headland and dropped anchor. The tents and instruments were disembarked and set upon shore. Captain Sabine, two officers, and six men, then landed, to carry on their pendulum observations. They were provided with a launch, six months' provisions and fuel, to carry them to Hammerfest in case of necessity. The Griper then left, Captain Clavering having determined to push as far northward as possible. On the second day out he reached the pack ice, but twenty-five miles from the island, extending east and west as far as the eye could reach. The latitude observed was 80o 20'. After tracing the margin of the ice for sixty miles west and finding it trending to the South, and everywhere closely packed, he deemed it useless to proceed farther, and

returned to the station, which he reached on the 11th of July.

Captain Sabine having completed his operations, and procured an abundant supply of rein deer for provisions, the ship sailed to the eastern coast of Greenland, in about the latitude of 74° the highest known point on the coast, where they landed. "Never was there a more desolate spot seen," says Clavering, "Spitzbergen was, on the whole, a paradise to it.” He then stood to the northward till stopped by the ice in lat., 75° 12', which he supposed the N. E. point of Greenland. A party of 12 Esquimaux were found here, with whom they held intercourse. The expedition remained on the coast till the 13th of September, during which time Captain Sabine, was enabled to complete his operations. They then sailed for England.

Captain Parry was placed in command of a third expedition for the discovery of a North-west passage, which sailed from England on the 19th of May, 1824. This expedition consisted of two ships, the Hecla and Fury, the same which were employed in the last expedition, the latter vessel being placed under the command of Captain Hoppner. Their instructions were to make the best of their way to Lancaster Sound, thence through Barrow's Strait to Prince Regent's Inlet, by which channel it was believed he would be able to proceed westward to Behring's Strait.

The ships entered the middle ice in Baffin's Bay on the 17th July. "From this time," says Parry, "the obstructions from the quantity, magnitude, and closeness of the ice, were such as to keep our people constantly employed in heaving, warping, or sawing through it, and yet with so little success, that at the close of July we had only penetrated seventy miles to the westward." They narrowly escaped being crushed, and it was not until the 9th of September that they succeeded in releasing themselves from this icy barrier. On the 10th of September they entered Lancaster Sound, which they

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found free from ice. They had not proceeded far, however, before their progress was obstructed by the new ice which had already begun to make across the Strait. Opposing winds and a strong current setting eastward, tended still more to check their progress, and in one night they drifted between eight and nine leagues westward. On the 26th of September an easterly wind sprang up which wafted the ships rapidly towards Prince Regent's Inlet, which they reached, and took up their winter quarters in Port Brown, on the 1st of October. The dreary winter passed off as usual, and without accident. The mercury in the thermometer did not rise above zero till the 10th of April, having remained below that point for one hundred and thirty one successive days.

As in former expeditions, parties were sent to explore the coasts in different directions before the breaking up of the ice, which took place on the 12th of July, and on the 19th the ships got clear, and stood across to the western shore of the inlet. They followed this shore southward for several days in the passage between the ice and the shore, until a change of wind brought the ice upon them, forcing them

into shallow water, and causing them to ground. They made several narrow escapes here, but the Fury was so much injured that it was necessary to take out her stores and heave her down. After making the necessary repairs, her stores were again embarked, only to be removed ashore again, three days after, when the ship again grounded, without any hope of getting her off. The summer was now rapidly passing away, and prompt measures were necessary in this dilemma. It was therefore determined to land the stores of the Fury, take her officers and crew on board the Hecla, and proceed at once to England.

It was now the 27th of August. A favorable wind enabled them to reach the western shore of Prince Regent's Inlet, whence, after a few days' preparation in getting the ship ready for her voyage, she sailed on the last of August, and entered

Barrow's Strait on the 1st September. They found Baffin's Bay still clear of ice, and meeting with no obstructions, reached England on the 12th of October.

This last attempt was the least successful of either of Parry's Voyages. No information regarding a western passage had been obtained, and the additions to our arctic geography consisted in extending the line of coast but a short distance beyond what was previously known. The contributions to natural history were equally meagre. The shores of Prince Regent's Inlet were found to be the "most barren, the most dreary and desolate, that have been seen, not excepting Melville Island d; not merely desolate of human beings, but almost deprived of animal and vegetable life." Astronomical and magnetical observations were made as in former voyages, the results of which are appended to the narrative of this voyage.

THE fourth voyage of this distinguished navigator (or rather the fifth, as his first voyage was with Captain John Ross), was totally different from the preceding. This was to reach the North Pole in the most direct manner; first by a ship as far as the ice would permit, and then by travelling with sledge-boats over the ice, availing themselves of any spaces of water that might occur.

Two boats were constructed for the expedition, "twenty feet long and seven broad, flat-floored, and as stout as wood and iron could make them; and so fitted as to contain nautical and other instruments, bags of biscuit, pemmican, clothing and other stores. A bamboo mast, a tarred duck sail, answering also the purpose of an awning, paddles, boat hooks, &c., completed each boat's complement. Two officers and twelve men, were selected for the crew of each. "Each boat, with all her furniture, tools, instruments, clothing, and provisions of every kind, weighed 3753 pounds, exclusive of four sledges."

With this expedition Captain Parry sailed in the Hecla, on the 4th of April, 1827, reached Hammerfest, in Norway,

and set off on our day's journey. After travelling five or six hours, we stopped an hour to dine, and again travelled four, five, or six hours. After this we hutted for the night,

though it was early in the morning, selecting the largest surface of ice for hauling our boats on. The boats were placed close alongside each other, and the sails, supported by the paddles, placed over them as awnings. Dry shoes and stockings were then put on and supper eaten. After this pipes were smoked and the men told their stories. This part of the twenty-four hours was often a time, and the only one, of real enjoyment to us. A regular watch was set during the resting time to look out for bears, and for the ice breaking up around us, as well as to attend to the drying of the clothes. We then concluded our day with prayers, and having put on our fur dresses, lay down to sleep with a degree of comfort, which perhaps few persons would imagine possible under such circumstances. The temperature while we slept, was usually from 36° to 45°, according to the state of the external atmosphere; but on one or two occasions it rose as high as 60° to 66°. we had slept 7 hours, we were aroused by the man appointed to boil the cocoa, when it was ready.

After

Our fuel consisted entirely of spirits of wine, of which two pints formed our daily allowance, the cocoa being cooked in an iron boiler, over a shallop lamp, with seven wicks. One pint of the spirits of wine would heat 28 pints of water, though it commenced from the temperature of 32°.

The ice was found to be entirely different from what it was expected to be. Instead of a smooth level plain, instead of compact floes, it consisted entirely of small, loose, and rugged masses, obliging them "to make three journeys and sometimes four, with the boats and baggage, and to launch several times across narrow pools of water." One day they only advanced half a mile in four hours; and another the ice was so much in motion as to make it dangerous to cross with loaded boats, the masses being so small. At other times the roughness of the ice compelled them to unload the

journeys.

But the most vexatious of all was, to discover, on taking an observation on the 30th, that they had reached no higher than 81° 23', and had consequently advanced but eight miles nearer the pole in five day's laborious travelling. They continued slowly to advance, working from 10 to 12 hours each day; and in the windings of their journeys of 10 or 15 miles, did not advance more than two-thirds that distance. On taking observations as before, they found their actual advance northward was little more than half their apparent advance. This was owing to a strong current setting to the South, carrying with it the whole body of ice. On the 23d of July they reached their highest latitude or 829 45'. They strove in vain to reach 83°. On this day the thermometer ranged from 31 to 360 in the shade.

"At the extreme point of our journey," says Parry, "our distance from the Hecla was only 172 miles. To accomplish this we had travelled by our reckoning, 292 miles, of which above one hundred were performed by water previously to our entering the ice. As we travelled the greater part of our distance on the ice three, and not unfrequently five, times over, we may safely multiply the length of the road by two and a half; so that our whole distance, on a very moderate calculation, amounted to 580 geographical, or 678 statute miles, being nearly sufficient to have reached the pole in a direct line."

On the 27th of July, they turned their faces homewards and reached the Hecla on the 21st of August, after an absence of 61 days. During their absence, the officers who remained with the ship were occupied with scientific explorations and observations.

On the return of the expedition to England, Captain Parry submitted another plan to reach the North Pole, but the Admiralty did not deem it advisable to make another attempt.

The first expedition for exploring the shores of the Arctic Sea, which had been seen by Hearne and Mackenzie, was

1819-20-21-22.

placed under the command of Lieutenant Franklin, assisted by Dr. Richardson as naturalist. They left England on the 23d

May 1820; took the usual route of the great lakes; thence by the way of Lakes Winnepeg, Athapasca, and Slave Lake, to the Coppermine River, which they followed to its entrance into the Arctic Sea, where they arrived on the 21st July.

The object of the expedition was to trace the shores of the Arctic Sea, eastward; and, if possible, to reach Repulse Bay. Embarking in canoes, they commenced their voyage under favorable auspices. The sea was clear of ice, save a small iceberg at a distance. The coast was found of moderate height, easy of access, and covered with vegetation; but the islands were rocky and barren. For the first thirty-seven miles they experienced little interruption. In passing a prominent headland, they first encountered the dangers common to the Polar Seas. Beset by ice, they encountered a violent storm, which compelled them to seek a refuge on shore. The coast soon after presented a different aspect. Hills and mountains of granite, destitute of vegetation rose abruptly from the water's edge to the height of 1400 or 1500 feet; no animals were seen except small deer and seals, and their hunters succeeded in shooting a bear, but so miserably poor was the latter as to be unfit for food. No Esquimaux were seen. The party continued their explorations along the coast, which was indented by numerous inlets, and studded with small islands, until they reached a Cape, denominated Point Turnagain. They now found that they had lost so much time in following the indentations of the coast, that it would be impossible to reach Repulse Bay that season. Beside this, their fuel was expended, and their provisions only enough for three days. The appearances of the setting in of the Arctic winter were too equivocal to be mistaken; the deer, on which they depended for fresh meat would soon disappear; aquatic birds were winging their way southward; and the men, who had up to this moment displayed the utmost courage, began to look disheartened, and to entertain serious apprehensions for their safety." The officers united with Franklin in his opinion that it was not prudent to advance farther. The expedition, therefore, after spending a few days in the examination of some of the bays, returned to the mouth of Hood's

River, from which they intended to make their way to Fort Enterprise, their destined winter quarters, about 150 miles southward. Up to this point, where their canoe voyage on the Arctic Sea terminated, they had performed a distance of 650 geographical miles.

They now proceeded up the river in their canoes, and though on a short allowance of provisions, they managed, by means of their nets and fowling pieces, to satisfy their wants for a few days. Coming to a high fall, their progress was checked; their large canoes could not be carried over them, and they were obliged to construct two smaller and more portable ones. With these, they set off on the 1st September, after divesting themselves of all unnecessary luggage, and expected to reach their spring encampment in a few days. The second day exhausted the last of their solid food, and on encamping for the night they could find nothing to make a fire with. The third day a violent snow storm came on; the party could not move forward, and for want of fire, the men remained in their beds. The snow had drifted to the height of three feet around their tents, and even within them, it lay several inches thick on their blankets. But they could not delay longer, hunger stared them in the face, and they were compelled to pack their frozen tents and push forward.

"Disaster now crowded on disaster. The wind rose so high, that those who carried the canoes were frequently blown down, and one of the canoes so much injured as to be unserviceable." The ground was covered with snow, and the swamps, though frozen ground, were not sufficiently strong to bear the men, who often fell through knee deep in water. A fire was made of the broken canoe and their last meal of portable soup and arrow root was cooked. They now resorted for food to a kind of lichen, known to the Canadians as tripe de roche, with which the rocks were covered. In cases of extremity this is boiled and eaten; but its taste is nauseous, its quality purgative, and it sometimes produces severe pain. On this the party subsisted for several days, and until a musk ox was shot which afforded them great relief. "This success," says Franklin, "infused spirit into our starving party. The contents of its stomach, were devoured on the spot; and

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the raw intestines were pronounced by the most delicate of the party to be excellent. A few willow twigs were grubbed up from beneath the snow, fires made, the tents pitched, supper cooked and devoured with avidity." The expedition rested a couple of days to recruit their strength, when they proceeded; supporting themselves by the lichen alluded to, and an occasional deer and partridge killed by the men.

Severe as these privations were, the party were, nevertheless, thankful, and felt that a merciful Providence had watched over them and provided them with a means of subsistence; but it was the will of God that their confidence should be put to a more severe test; for they now entered a level country covered with snow, where the tripe de roche was not to be found. Another distress now attacked them the intensity of the cold increased, while they became less able to endure it. Their blankets were insufficient to keep them warm, and the piercing winds reached their emaciated bodies. The reader," says Franklin, "will probably be desirous to know how we passed our time in such a comfortless situation. The first operation after encamping was to thaw our frozen shoes, if a sufficient fire could be made; dry ones were then put on. Each person then wrote his notes of the daily occurrences, and evening prayers were read. As soon as supper was prepared it was eaten, generally in the dark, and we went to bed and kept up a cheerful conversation until our blankets were thawed by the heat of our bodies, and we had gathered sufficient warmth to enable us to fall asleep. On many nights we had not even the luxury of going to bed in dry clothes; for, when the fire was sufficient to dry our shoes, we dared not venture to pull them off, lest they should freeze so hard as to be unfit to put on in the morning, and therefore inconvenient to carry.'

The next disaster that befel them was the loss of their remaining canoe. This was of the utmost importance to them, as they had no other way to pass the rivers which lay across their path. A few deer were happily killed soon after by the hunters in the party, who were kept constantly on the look out for game. The flesh, skins, and even the stomachs of these animals were equally divided among the party,

whose spirits were greatly invigorated by such a supply of food after eight days' famine. A day's rest, and the journey was pursued until they reached Coppermine River, the breadth and current of which rendered it impassable without a boat. Efforts were made to construct one with willows and the canvas of their hut without success. Retracing their steps, they next attempted to ford a river presenting less obstacles by means of a raft. In this too their efforts were foiled, for they had nothing to propel the raft and their tent poles would not reach the bottom.

"The failure of every attempt occasioned a deep despondency, which threatened to have the most fatal effects, when Dr. Richardson, with a disinterested courage that made him forgets his own weakness, threw off his upper garments, and attempted to swim with a rope to the opposite bank. Plunging in with the line around his middle he at first made some way, but the extreme cold was too much for him, and in a few moments his arms became powerless; still, being an expert swimmer, he not only kept himself afloat, but made some way on his back and using his legs, so that he had nearly reached the other side, when, to the inexpressible anguish of those who watched his progress, his limbs became benumbed, and he sank. All hands now hauled in the line, and drew him ashore almost lifeless; but, placed before a fire of willows and stripped of his wet clothes, he gradually revived enough to give directions as to the mode of treating him. His thin and emaciated limbs, which were now exposed to view, produced an invol untary exclamation of compassion and surprise. "Ah, que nous sommes maigres!" said the French Canadians; but it is probable that few of them would have presented so gaunt and attenuated an appearance as the brave and excellent man who had thus nearly fallen a sacrifice to his humanity, for it was discovered about this time that the hunters were in the practice of withholding the game which they shot and devouring it in secret."

While these efforts were making, the party lived upon tripe de roche of which a small quantity was procured. The putrid carcase of a deer which was found among the rocks where it had fallen, though so acrid as to excoriate the lips was eagerly devoured, and the antlers and bones of deer, which had been picked by the wolves and birds of prey, were made friable by burning, and converted into food.

One of the Canadians now endeavored to make a canoe by stretching the painted