Journal of a Third Voyage for the discovery of a North-West Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific; performed in the years 1824, 25, in His Majesty's ships Hecla and Fury, under the orders of ... W. E. P. ... Illustrated by plates and charts. (Appendix. Zoology ... By Lieut. J. C. Ross....

Front matter

ATLANTIC SOUVENIR FOR 1827. IN OCTOBER WILL BE PUBLISHED, BY H. C. CAREY & JL-LEA, PHILADELPHIA, AttAUTOs TOWTairims A CHRISTMAS AND NEW TEAR'S PRESENT FOR 182r. The success of the Souvenir of last year, has stimulated the publishers to greater exertions to render this little work worthy of the purpose for which it is intended, and they refer with confidence to the table of con tents to prove that they have been successful. By reference to the names of the authors, it will be seen that the whole is original, and by many of the best writers our country has produced. The plates have all been executed by the first artists, and it is believed they will be found equal, if not superior to any that have ever been published in this country. TJie number of plates has also been increased. LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS.

PRESENTATION PLATE. IMAGINATION. Engraved by Ellis, from a design by G. Stuart Newton. NEW YORK. Engraved by P. Maverick from a drawing by Wall. THE INFANT NAPOLEON. From the Statue in the Philadelphia Academy, engraved by Longacre. LEGEND OF THE GRISONS. Engraved by W. Humphrys, from a sketch by C. R. Leslie, R. A. THE LADY AND THE MERLIN. Engraved by Longacre, from a design by G. Stuart Newton. TRENTON FALLS. Engraved by Ellis, from a drawing by Doughty. HAMPTON COURT. Engraved by Childs. PASSAIC FALLS. Engraved by Ellis, from a drawing by Doughty. LAKE OF ALBANO. Engraved by Kearney. And an engraved cover. ©(©OTHiras OF THE ATLANTIC SOUVENIR FOR 1827. Atlantis. The Lady and the Merlin, by James N. Barker. Modern Chivalry, by the Author of Redwood. The History of a Ray of Light. The White Indian, by J. K. Paulding.

To the Eagle, by J. G. Percival. Sonnet, from the Italian of Guidi, by G. W. Clarke. The Infant Napoleon. Canova. Absence. To a Butterfly, by J. G. Percival. The Song of the Birds, by H. W. Longfellow. Sonnet to Fancy, by Mrs. Rebecca Hobart Smith. The Green Mountain Boy. A tale of Ticonderoga, by J. N. Barker. Winter, by A. P. L. Sonnet. The Buried Maid, by G. W. Clarke. On Passaic Falls. Written in the year 1806, by Washington Irving. Balbec, by Grenville Mellen. Stanzas, by A. P. L. The Contrast, by J. G. Percival. The Little Dutch Sentinel of the Manhadoes, by J. K. Paulding. The Dying Mother, by J. A. Jones. To Melanthe, by J. G. Percival. The Divine. From Goethe, by G. Bancroft. Genius and Joy, by J. G. Brooks. Burial of the Minnisink, by H. W. Longfellow. Albano. Moorish Lady's Song, by J. A. Jones.

Chapter I

Passage to the Whale-fish Islands, and removal of Stores from the Transport — Enter the Ice in Baffin's Bay — Difficulties of penetrating to the Westward— Quit the Ice in Baffin's Bay — Remarks on the Obstructions encountered by the Ships, and on the Severity of the Season ...... 27

Chapter II

Enter Sir James Lancaster's Sound — Land at Cape Warrender — Meet with young Ice — Ships beset and carried near the Shore — Driven back to Navy-Board Inlet — Run to the Westward, and enter Prince Regent's Inlet — Arrival at Port Bowen- . . 43

Chapter III

: Winter Arrangements— Improvements in Warming and Ventilating the Ships — Masquerades adopted as an amusement to the Men — Establishment of Schools — Magnetic and Astronomical Observations — Meteorological Phenomena . . ■ . . .55

Chapter IV

Meteorological Phenomena continued — Re-equipment of the Ships — Several Journies undertaken — Open water in the Offing — Commence sawing a Canal to liberate the Ships — Disruption of the Ice — Departure from Port Bowen * . . .79 CONTENTS. 96 112 132 165 196 210

Chapter V

Sail over towards the Western Coast of Prince Regent's Inlet — Stopped by the Ice — Reach the Shore about Cape Seppings — Favourable progress along the Land- — Fresh and repeated obstructions from Ice — Both ships driven on Shore — Fury seriously damaged — Unsuccessful Search for a Harbour, for heaving her down to repair .......

Chapter VI

Formation of a Basin for heaving the Fury down — Landing of the Fury's Stores, and other Preparations — The Ships secured within the Basin — Impediments from the Pressure of the Ice — Fury hove down — Securities of the Basin destroyed by a Gale of Wind — Preparations to tow the Fury out — Hecla re-equipped, and obliged to put to Sea — Fury again driven on Shore — Re-join the Fury ; and find it necessary finally to abandon her . .

Chapter VII

Some remarks upon the Loss of the Fury — And on the Natural History, &c. of the Coast of North Somerset — Arrive at Neill's Harbour — Death of John Page — Leave Neill's Harbour — Re-cross the Ice in Baffin's Bay — Heavy Gales — Aurora Borealis — Temperature of the Sea — Arrival in England — Concluding Remarks on some Natural Phenomena peculiar to the Polar Seas — On the Discoveries of the Old British Navigators — And on the North-West Passage

Appendix

. NATURAL HISTORY. ZOOLOGY, by Lieutenant James Clark Ross, R.N., F.L.S. BOTANY, by Professor Hooker, F.R.A. and L.S. &c. &c. GEOLOGY,, by Professor Jameson, F.R.S.E., &c. &c. including Notes on the Specimens collected during the former Voyages to the Polar Regions ......

Introduction

. Notwithstanding the want of success which had attended the efforts of the late Expedition to the Polar Seas, the encouragement held out by Captain Franklin's description of the navigable state of the sea on some parts of the northern coast of America, together with that of the Russians to the westward towards Icy Cape, induced His Majesty's Government to cause another attempt to be made for the purpose of effecting a passage by sea, between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty being pleased once more to honour me with the command, I was appointed to His Majesty's Ship the Hecla on the 17th of January, 1824; Captain Henry Parkyns Hoppner having received his commission for the Fury on the same day. The William Harris, transport, of 342 tons, Lieutenant J. W. Pritchard, agent, was appointed to carry a portion of our heavy stores across the Atlantic, and to return to England after discharging her cargo in Davis's Strait.

The equipment of this Expedition was, in most respects, so similar to the last, that it will only be necessary here to notice the few alterations and additions which experience now led us to adopt. The principal of these consisted in placing Syl vester's warming stove, before described as so effectual, in the very bottom of the ships' holds, the whole being enclosed

INTRODUCTION.

. X within a strong bulk-head. The main or direct volume of warm air escaped through a sliding brass register upon the lower-deck; while the flues which passed through the cabins of the officers into that of the commander, were made to run along the lower part or floor, and nearly close to the ship's sides, which are usually the coldest parts. By this improved method, an increased rapidity in the current of air was pro duced, and therefore an additional warmth to the cabins most distant from the stove. In the selection of provisions, our chief endeavour on this occasion was to vary as much as possible the kinds of meat, and to increase to the utmost extent our vegetables and anti scorbutics. With this view a small quantity of salt beef was substituted for a part of the pork, and a much larger supply of newly-corned beef was furnished.

The meats preserved in tin consisted of beef, mutton, and veal, some seasoned and some plain; a pound of preserved carrots or parsnips per week for each man was substituted for a pint of gravy soup, and the supply of lemon-juice was increased by one-third. For the use of the sick, some salmon and cream, preserved in tin cases by Messrs. Morrison and Company, were also furnished ; the pickles consisted of onions, beet-root, and cabbage, which are by far the best kinds. In order to make the most of our stowage, binns were built for the pease and cocoa, in the store-room passages; and with the same view sp/zl-pease were furnished, instead of whole ones. For the use of travel ling-parties, we were supplied with a small quantity of beef pemmican, made by pounding the meat with a certain portion of fat, as described by Captain Franklin. To the list of instruments before furnished, were added an invariable pendulum, and several hygrometers on Mr. Da-

INTRODUCTION.

. XI niell's ingenious construction. Six chronometers were supplied by government to the Hecla*, and four to the Fury; but several of the makers, with their accustomed emulation, sent out watches on trial, making the Hecla's whole number amount to twelve. In addition to our former establishment, Lieute nant Henry Foster was appointed to the Hecla, nominally as assistant-surveyor, but in fact to perform the duties of Astro nomer to the Expedition, for which he was fully qualified. It being customary to record the names of the officers em ployed on voyages of this nature, a Table is here annexed, showing the whole establishment on board each ship. • One of these was Mr. Murray's No. 816, which gained one of the annual prizes of 300/. at the Royal Observatory, for its superior performance.

INTRODUCTION.

. XII ON BOARD THE HECLA. ON BOARD THE FURY. RANK. Officers' name*. No. Officers' nanits. No. Commander . | Lieutenants < Surgeon . Purser Assistant-Surgeon Midshipmen < jwilliam Edward Parry John Land Wynn . Joseph Sherer . £. Henry Foster . J Samuel Neill, M. D. William Harvey Hooper William Rowland John Brunton . ~\ Francis R. M. Crozier 1 Charles Richards . s Horatio Nelson HeadJ James Harrison John Brothers . William Smith George Fiddis . John Allison . : . George Champion . 1 1 1 Henry Parkyns Hoppner S HoratioThos.Austin / J James Clark Ross f Allan M'Laren James Halse Thomas Bell (Berkley Westropp j ■< Chas. Crump Waller > I Edward Bird . I William Mogg James Moore William Wentw<)rth Charles Purser . George Crawford Thomas Donaldson 1 1 1 Clerk . Gunner . Boatswain . Carpenter Greenland Master Ditto Mate . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Cook Leading Men Quarter-Master Gunner's Mate .

INTRODUCTION.

. XIII In the course of our equipment, the ships were frequently visited by Sir Thomas Byam Martin, Comptroller of His Majesty's Navy, and subsequently by Viscount Melville, and the other Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Early in May, we were ready to proceed down the Thames, having now received, as on each former occasion, all possible assistance from the Navy and Victualling Boards, and from Captain Hill, Commissioner of the Victualling Depot at Deptford, in every arrangement which could in the slightest degree contri bute to the success of our enterprise, or to our individual health and comfort. In performing the duty which has, by their Lordship's di rections, once more devolved upon me, of drawing up an account of our proceedings, I have considered it expedient to avoid all minute and technical description of our first season's operations, which, whatever labour and vexation they may have cost ourselves, would probably have afforded little inte rest or amusement to the public.

In the circumstances attending our second seasons navigation, and particularly, those relating to the loss of the Fury, I have deemed it right to en ter more into detail; considering, on the one hand, that the loss of one of His Majesty's ships is an event too serious to be lightly disposed of; and on the other, that I could thus alone do justice to the unwearied zeal and exertions of Captain Hoppner, our officers, and men, on that occasion. The nautical, astronomical, and other observations, together with the meteorological registers, and the description of the specimens of natural history brought home in the Hecla, have

INTRODUCTION.

. XIV been thrown into an Appendix, constituting the latter half of the present volume. Our observations upon atmospheric refractions in high latitudes, and on the diurnal variation and change of intensity of the magnetic needle, together with Lieutenant Foster's experiments with an invariable pendulum, have been communicated to, and read before, the Royal Society; and as I understand it to be the intention of that learned body to honour these several papers by giving them a place in their Transactions, the general results alone have, by the kind permission of the President and Council, been mentioned in this volume. * The labours of Lieutenant Foster, in the various and mul tiplied branches of useful science to which his attention is at all times directed, and for which his talents so eminently qualify him, will in themselves best serve to do him the jus tice which he merits.

I should, however, be ill requiting Lieutenant Foster for the,assistance (and I am happy to ac knowledge the instruction) I have received from him in the course of this voyage, if I omitted to bear my testimony to the unceasing zeal and assiduity with which he devoted him self to every species of observation and experiment, which could promote the several objects of the Expedition, or con tribute to the interests of general science. To Professors Jameson and Hooker I beg leave once more to offer my warmest acknowledgments for their kindness in undertaking to examine and describe the geological and bota nical specimens now brought home. The memoir by the former gentleman in the Appendix, will be found to contain a valuable and comprehensive account of the geological char- ♦ Pages 64, 65, 67.

INTRODUCTION.

. XV acter of all the lands visited in the course of our discoveries in the Polar Regions during the last eight years. To the zeal and industry of Dr. Neill, who entirely superintended the public collection of specimens of Natural History, and has furnished a variety of important geological notices, the pub lic are very highly indebted; and the Zoological Appendix by Lieutenant Ross will furnish ample evidence of the attention paid by that gentleman to this department of science, in addi tion to the immediate duties of his station. I cannot close these introductory remarks, without once more attempting to do justice to the merits of those whom it has been my good fortune to command on this and the former occasions of a similar kind. To Captain Hoppner, who has been my constant companion from the very commencement of these enterprises, I feel every possible obligation for his steady and persevering zeal in this service, and for his advice and assistance on every occasion.

To the officers, seamen, and marines, my best acknowledgments are also once more due, for the zealous support I have at all times received from them in the course of this service; and I am happy to repeat my conviction, that, had it depended on their conduct and exertions, our most sanguine expectations would, long ere this, have been crowned with complete success.

By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. Lord Viscount Melville having communicated to the King the proceedings of the late Expedition into the Arctic Seas, and his Majesty having been graciously pleased to ex press his commands that another Expedition should be fitted out, for the purpose of pursuing the attempt to discover a pas sage by sea between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and of ascertaining the geography of the Northern boundaries of the American continent; We have thought proper to appoint you to the command of the Expedition, and you are hereby required and directed to put to sea in His Majesty's ship Hecla under your command, with His Majesty's ship Fury, whose Commander has been placed under your orders; and taking with you the William Harris transport, which the Navy Board has been directed to place at your disposal, for the purpose of carrying a proportion of your provisions and stores across the Atlantic, you are to proceed, as quickly as may be consistent with a due care* not to part company, up Davis's Strait, and, having arrived at the latitude in which you may think it advisable to cross over to the Western side of that strait, you will take the first favour able opportunity of clearing the transport of the stores and provisions with which she is charged for the use of the Expe. dition; and, having so done, you are to send the transport back to England, so as to prevent her incurring any danger from the ice, reporting, by that opportunity, your proceedings to our Secretary, for our information, and then making the -best of your way with His Majesty's ships, in the prosecution of your orders.

The experience of your former voyages seems to prove that the two channels which afford the most reasonable prospect of a passage for the ships into the sea, which bounds the north coast of America, are that round Cockburn's Island, near which your last voyage terminated, and Prince Regent's Inle% which you discovered in your former. Several considerations, but particularly the obstacles which you found in Prince Regent's Inlet in 1819, might have in duced us to give the preference to the attempt to make a pas sage round Cockburn's Island; but the strong opinion which you have conveyed to us in favour of the attempt through Prince Regent's Inlet, the confident hope which you express that the ice, which, at the period of the year in which you visited the inlet, obstructed your passage, was likely to be removed by circumstances of season and weather within the navigable part of the year; and the confidence which we are justified in placing in your judgment and experience, determine us to authorize and direct you to pursue the course which you consider the most promising, namely, through Prince Regent's Inlet.

You will, therefore, after you have despatched the trans port home, make the best of your way to Lancaster Sound, and, proceeding through Barrow Strait, endeavour to make, through Prince Regent's Inlet, your passage into the sea which bounds the continent, and thence westward to the Pacific. Should you succeed, in this first attempt of passing through Prince Regent's Inlet, it is probable, from what has been al ready discovered of these parts, that you may find different courses opening to you. The decision as to that most likely to conduce to the objects of the Expedition, must be rpferred o O to your own judgment, on a view of the existing circumstances of your own former proceedings, and of the discoveries of Cap tain Franklin (with a copy of whose account of his proceedings you are furnished), at the mouth, and to the eastward, of the Coppermine River.

If you should be so successful as to find a practicable pas sage down to the coast of America, you are to make the best of your way in accomplishing the main object of the Expedi tion, without stopping to examine that coast, or for any other A'bject not of imperious importance; but whenever the ships may be checked in their progress by ice, or unavoidable circumstances, you will take every opportunity of examining the coasts and islands in the neighbourhood, and of making all useful observations relating to them. His Majesty's government having appointed two Land Ex peditions for exploring the North Coast of America, the one under Captain Lyon, to proceed from Repulse Bay across the Isthmus towards Akkoolee, and thence along the coast to wards the Coppermine River; the other, under Captain Frank lin, to proceed from Mackenzie's River to the Icy Cape: it would be desirable, if you should reach any part of the coast, that you should mark your progress by erecting flag-staffs on a few of the most distinguishable points which you may succes sively visit, and you are to bury at the foot of each staff a bottle, containing such information as you think may be useful to the Land Expeditions, and any particulars relative to your own proceedings, which you may think proper to add.

As one of the great difficulties under which Captain Frank lin's last expedition suffered, was the want of provisions, you are also to bury at the foot of the flag-staffs such proportion and kind of provision as you may think advisable. And, as it is possible that the flag-staff may be removed by natives, you should surround it by a pile of stones, conspicuous from some point of the shore, which may guide the Land Expedi tions to the depots there left. It is unnecessary to give you any detailed directions as to the concert of signals with them, as you have informed us that you have made arrangements of that nature with Captains Lyon and Franklin, respectively ; and if you should meet with these officers, or their parties, and that they should be desirous of coming on board, you are to receive them, bearing them as supernumeraries.

Should you happily reach the Pacific, you are to proceed to Kamtschatska, for the purpose of delivering to the Russian governor duplicates of the journals and other documents which the passage may have supplied, with a request that they may be forwarded overland to St. Petersburg, to be conveyed from thence to London. From Kamtschatska you will proceed to the Sandwich Islands, or Canton, or such other place as you may think proper, to refit the ships and refresh the crews; and if, during your stay at such place, a safe opportunity should oc cur of sending papers to England, you should send duplicates by such conveyance. And, after having refitted and refreshed, you are to lose no time in returning to England by such route as you may deem most convenient. It may happen that your progress along the North Coast of the American Continent may be so slow as to render it desirable that, if you should not be able to accomplish your passage into the Pacific earlier than the autumn of 1827, you should be assured of finding a depot of provisions at that period, in the most advanced situation to which they can safely be con veyed.

In the event, then, of our not receiving from you such in telligence as may render the measure unnecessary, we shall, about the close of the year 1826, direct the Commander-in chief on the South-American station, to despatch a vessel with a supply of provisions and stores, so as to be at Behring's Straits about August or September 1827. The commander of this vessel will be directed to make the best of his way round Cape Prince of Wales4 where he may expect, as we are in formed, to find an inlet in latitude 68° 30', in which Captain Kotzebue is stated to have found anchorage a few years since. He will be directed to lie in that anchorage, or in the nearest good anchorage he may find to that latitude; and he will be ordered to erect, in the most prominent and visible situation, a flag-staff for your direction.

As it is possible that you may touch at the Sandwich Islands, this officer will be directed to call at Owyhee, in order that, if you should have passed to the southward, he may not be put to the inconvenience of going on to Cape Prince of Wales: and this affords a reason of pre ference for your touching at Owyhee. And you, on your part, if you should first reach the neighbourhood of Captain Kotzebue's anchorage, should erect a flag-staff, or a pile of stones, in some conspicuous place, and bury a bottle with a paper, which may acquaint the said officer of your having passed. This vessel will be directed to remain in that neighbourhood as long in the autumn of 1827, as the season will admit; and when she is obliged to leave it, her commander will bury, under a pile of stones, in some conspicuous place, directions where you may find a depot of provisions, of such species as he may judge likely to be most useful to you, and that he may be able to spare.

Whenever the season shall be so far advanced as to make it unsafe to navigate the ships, on account of the long nights having set in, and the sea being impassable on account of ice, you are, if you should have so far advanced as to prevent your return to England, to use your best endeavours to discover a sheltered and safe anchorage, where the ships may be placed for the winter; taking such measures for the health and com fort of the people under your command, as the materials with which you are supplied for housing-in the ships, or hutting-in the men on the shore, may enable you to do. And when you find it expedient to resort to this measure, if you should meet with any inhabitants, either Esquimaux or Indians, near the place where you winter, you are to endeavour, by every means in your power, to cultivate a friendship with them, by making them presents of such articles as you may be supplied with, and which may be useful or agreeable to them.

You will, however, take care not to suffer yourself to be surprised by any attack from them, but use every precaution, and be con stantly on your guard against any hostility. You will endeavour to prevail on them, by such reward, and to be paid in such manner as you may think best to an swer the purpose, in the event of your making progress to the westward, to carry to any of the settlements of the Hud son's Bay Company an account of your situation and proceedings; with an urgent request that it may be forwarded to England with the utmost possible despatch. If you should, on your arrival at Prince Regent's Inlet, find the passage to be impracticable, you are at liberty either to seek any other opening in that quarter, or to wait in the inlet for any change in the state of the ice which you may have reason to expect; but if your expectations in this particular should be disappointed, and if you should find yourself unable, during the favourable season, to effect a passage to the southward and westward, it is evident that nothing can be gained by wintering in a situation which may in any year be reached from England before the passage can be practicable; and we, therefore, order and direct that you do not, under such circumstances, attempt to winter out, but that if you find yourself prevented from proceeding, with some prospect of ultimate success, further in that direction than has been already explored, you are to take care to ensure your return to Eng land at the end of the present season.

We deem it right to caution you against suffering the two vessels placed under your orders to separate, except in the event of accident or unavoidable necessity; and we desire you to keep up the most unreserved communications with the commander of the Fury, placing in him every proper confi dence, and acquainting him with the general tenor of your orders, and with your views and intentions, from time to time, in the execution of them, that the service may have the full benefit of your united efforts, and that in the event of un avoidable separation, or of any accident to yourself, Captain Hoppner may have the advantage of knowing, up to the latest period, all your ideas and intentions relative to a satisfactory completion of the undertaking. We also recommend that as frequent an exchange take place as conveniently may be, of the observations made in the two ships; that any scientific discovery made by the one be, as quickly as possible, communicated for the advantage and guidance of the other, and to increase the chance of the ob servations of both being preserved.

We have caused a great variety of valuable instruments to be put on board the ships under your orders, of which you will be furnished with a list, and for the return of which you will be held responsible; and we have appointed Lieutenant Foster, as assistant surveyor, an officer well skilled in astro nomy, mathematics, and various branches of knowledge, to assist you in making such observations and experiments as may tend to the improvement of geography and navigation, and the advancement of science in general. We deem it un necessary to specify these objects, a detail of which you have already been furnished with, in our instructions for the guid ance in your late Expeditions, and to which we refer you ; not doubting from the zeal and ability with which you have conducted the former Expeditions, that you will on this be equally diligent in collecting information yourself; and you will impress on the minds of Captain Hoppner and all the offi cers under your command, the importance and necessity of each respectively using his best exertions to promote the se veral scientific objects of the Expedition.

From Captain Hoppner we have every reason to expect drawings of the land, of natives, and their various implements, and of objects of natural history, in which he will be assisted by Mr. Head, who has received an appointment as Admiralty Midshipman, principally with this view. You are to direct Lieutenant Foster to be particularly careful to keep an accu rate register of all the observations that shall be made, in the same form, and according to the same arrangement, that were followed by Captain Sabine and Mr. Fisher on the late voy ages; and you -are to place in charge of Lieutenant Foster the several chronometers with which you have been supplied for the Hecla. You are to avail yourself of every opportunity of collecting and preserving specimens of such objects of natural history as may be new, rare, or interesting; and you are to instruct Captain Hoppner, and all the other officers, to use their best diligence in increasing the collections in each ship; the whole of which must be understood to belong to the public.