A Voyage of Discovery, made under the orders of the Admiralty, in his Majesty's ships Isabella and Alexander for the purpose of exploring Baffin's Bay, and enquiring into the possibility of a North-West Passage. (Appendix, etc.)

Front matter

A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY, MADE UNDER THE ORDERS OF THE ADMIRALTY, is HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS ISABELLA AND ALEXANDER, FOR .THE PURPOSE OF EXPLORING BAFFIN'S BAY, AND ENQUIRING INTO THE PROBABILITY OF A mottb-me&t lg>a00actc. By JOHN ROSS, K. S. Captain Royal Navy. SECOND EDITION. IN TWO VOLUMES, VOL. I. LONDON: Printed by Strahan and Spottiswoode, Printers- Street; FOB. LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1819. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE VISCOUNT MELVILLE, BARON DUNEIRA, FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY, #<•.$_.#_. T_^,W.dftK. c f-. T» T\ *XA \ _.-•>_ . V WITH HIS" XORl.SHTPlf PERMISSION, is MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY HIS LORDSHIP'S MOST OBEDIENT AND VERY HUMBLE SERVANT, JOHN ROSS. a

Introduction

. The following narrative of the Voyage of Discovery made under my command, and pursuant to the orders of the Admiralty, can require little in the nature of an introduction. The causes in which it originated are as well known to the Public as they are to myself; and the discussions of different kinds to which it has given rise, are, pro bably, much more familiar to every one who may do me the honour to read this journal, than they are to the writer of it. Few voyages of this nature have excited more general interest at their outset than the present. It would not be easy for me to add any thing to the innumerable articles on this subject that have appeared in the a VI

INTRODUCTION.

. several public journals which are in the hands of all classes of readers. My habits in literary composition are such, that I could not hope to put all these circum stances in a clearer point of view ; and, as far as they partake of a controversial nature, it is not my business to enter into the dis cussion. My nautical education has taught me to act, and not to question ; to obey orders as far as possible, not to discuss probabilities, or examine philosophical or unphilosophical speculations. If it were possible to condense, within such a space as these pages would admit, the various information formerly collected respecting the Polar Seas and the objects of this voyage, I know not that my time, or my limited experience in writing, would permit it. That attempt is, at any rate, rendered unnecessary, by the works on this subject which have long been in the hands of every one, and are, doubtless, well known to all my readers. I allude to the writings of Barrington, Colonel Beaufoy,

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. VII and the more recent sketch of the Northern Voyages, published by my friend Mr. Barrow. I have here attempted nothing beyond the journal of a seaman, as it was neither in my power to give much elegance to the composition, nor to include much enter tainment in the matter of a narrative, which was not productive of much adventure. From the nature of the service we were almost always at sea, and were thus cut off from those sources of variety which are only to be found by frequent communication with unknown or interesting shores. If this voyage should be deficient in general interest, I trust, however, that the statements which it contains will still be useful, and that their accuracy will render them acceptable to geographers. I also trust, as I believe myself, that the objects of the voyage have been in every important point accomplished ; that I have proved the existence of a bay, from Disco to Cumberland Strait, and set at rest for ever the question of a north-west passage in this direction. It is nevertheless gratifying to me to reflect that, in the interval between the former and a

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. VIII the present edition, a second expedition has been "fitted out to pursue the discoveries which were the produce of the first. Should the results of that expedition confirm those here described, I shall have the pleasure of knowing that the liberality of the govern ment and the energy of the officers and crews under my command have not been wasted : should it, on the contrary, prove that a passage exists where I have supposed the land to be continuous, I shall unite with others in rejoicing at this extension of our geographical knowledge, without feeling any disappointment that there has been reserved for others that success which no one can command, but for which our best exertions were made. In re-discovering Baffin's Bay, I have derived great additional pleasure, from the reflection that I have placed in a fair light before the Public the merits of a worthv and able navigator, whose fate, like that of many others, it has not only been to have lost, by a combination of untoward cir cumstances, the opportunity of acquiring during his life-time the fame he deserved ;

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. IX but, could he have lived to this period, to have seen his discoveries expunged from the records of geography, and the bay, with which his name is so fairly associated, treated as a phantom of the imagination. The circumstances which immediately preceded this voyage may be stated in a few words, and I have . subjoined to them all those matters relating to the preparations and equipment, which are either useful or interesting. A copy of the instructions will be found in the Appendix. On the 11th of December, 1817, I received a letter, dated the 4th, from Sir George Hope, one of the Lords of the Admiralty, informing me that two ships were to be sent out, to " ascertain the ex istence or non-existence of a north-west passage;" and desiring me to let him know, by return of post, whether my health was equal to the arduous service which must be expected on such a voyage, and whether I should wish to undertake it ; at the same time informing me, that I should be accompanied by a man of science, and by Green land pilots accustomed to navigate those X

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. seas. To this I returned for answer, that I had no hesitation in undertaking the service, particularly with the promised assistance. On the 16th I received orders from Sir George, to make the best of my way from Loch Ryan to Greenock, in the Driver (which ship I commanded), and when su perseded to proceed to London ; I was also informed that, in the mean time, they would be getting on with the ships, which had been already selected. Having arrived in London on the 30th of December, and received directions, I visited the ships, and chose the Isabella, as being the most proper ship for the senior officer; I was afterwards employed in plan ning the accommodations, and directing the various alterations which were necessarv for the safety of the ships and comfort of the crews, as well as in obtaining information from the different masters of the Greenland ships, and other persons who had been accustomed to navigate the icy seas. On the 15th of January, 1818, the four ships were commissioned, viz. the Isabella, of three hundred and eighty-five tons, and

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. XI the Alexander, of two hundred and fifty two tons, for the north-west ; and the Doro thea, of three hundred and eighty-two tons, and the Trent, of two hundred and forty nine tons, for the polar expeditions ; and the following officers subsequently received their appointments. ISABELLA. No. 1. John Ross, Captain, Senior Officer, and Commander of the Expedition. 2. William Robertson, (b) Lieutenant. 3. William Thorn, Purser. 4. John Edwards, Surgeon. 5. C. J. Beverley, Assistant Surgeon. 6. A. M. Skene, Admiralty Midshipman. 7. J. C. Ross, ditto, ditto. 8. John Bushnan, Midshipman and Clerk. 9. Benjamin Lewis, Master and Greenland Pilot. 10. Thomas Wilcox, Mate, ditto, ditto.

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. ALEXANDER. No. 1. W. E. Parry, Lieutenant and Commander. 2. H. H. Hoppner, Lieutenant. 3. Ph. Bisson, Admiralty Midshipman. 4. John Nius, ditto, ditto. 5. Alex. Fisher, Assistant Surgeon. 6. W. H. Hooper, Purser. 7. John Allison, Master and Greenland Pilot. 8. Joseph Philips, Mate, ditto, ditto. 9. James Halse, Clerk. During the time the ships were in dock, they were frequently visited by the Comp troller and Commissioners of the Navy ; every suggestion which was offered for the improvement of the plans were attended to, and no pains were spared by the officers of the yards, and men employed in their dif ferent departments. Mr. Lang, Assistant Surveyor, under whose particular direction the Isabella, Dorothea, and Trent, were re-

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. XIII paired and fortified in the merchants' yards, and who made some important improve ments, has furnished me with the following plan of the Isabella's construction, with the alterations and additions, to strengthen the ship against the pressure of the ice. A Description of the Manner in which his Majesty's Ship Isabella was sited, for a Voyage of Discovery to the Arctic Seas. EXTERNALLY. One strake of plank was taken out from the bottom, all fore and aft, at the heads and heels of the timbers composing her frame, to ascertain the condition of the ship ; in lieu of which a strake of oak seven inches thick was introduced, with a rabbet on each edge, to make good the substance, and receive the doubling of the bottom, which was of oak, three inches thick ; the original bottom was then well examined, caulked, and payed with the common mix ture of pitch and tar ; after which a coat

INTRODUCTION.

. of felt (a composition of animal hair and tar, in its properties both elastic and adhesive) was laid all over the whole surface, on which the doubling oak plank was brought, and secured through the original plank timbers, and inside lining of the ship, with bolts well clenched : this doubling extended up the counter abaft, as well as to the after part of the stern-post, in which a fresh rabbet was formed, abaft the original one, within about four inches of the back, to receive the ends, or butts, of the said doubling. The bows were still more strongly and substantially fortified prior to the doubling being brought on ; pieces of timber were worked vertically next the stem, in the angle formed by that and the bow, to sharpen the form of the vessel ; underneath these pieces a coat of felt was first laid, the pieces well caulked, and another coat of felt then laid thereon, to receive the doubling, which was worked from twelve to thirteen inches thick, at the fore ends, to fashion out and make a fair line with the front or fore part of the stem ; the after ends were diminished to the thickness of the doubling

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. XV ofthe bottom. On the fore ends of these thick strakes, after they had been caulked, iron plates, of about three quarters of an inch thick, were secured round their ends over the stem, to protect them from being injured by the ice ; these plates were con tinued in close connection all the way down the bow as low as the fore foot, or gripe, and the whole doubling well caulked and payed, similar to the mode practised with the original bottom. The keel of the vessel was secured in the following manner : the original garboard strakes were taken off the bottom, and a thick strake of elm placed on each side of the keel in lieu, with a coat of felt under neath, and bolted athwartships through the said keel, and likewise up and down through the floor timbers, and the bolts well clenched within-board ; in the outer edges of the said strakes, rabbets were formed to receive the doubling of the bot tom, from which place the doubling extend ed up to within about three feet of the gunwale, terminating there in a thick strake of oak, rabbeted in like manner, and let

INTRODUCTION.

. home to the timbers of the topside, bolted through, and well clenched : the whole of the chains were secured, and guarded by thick pieces of timber, payed and bolted under the channel, covering the links, and thus protecting them from injury, or being carried away by the ice. INTERNALLY. Large shelf-pieces were introduced all fore and aft under the beam-ends at the side, and dowelled or coaked up to the under side of the beams, and bolted in and out through the ship's side, as well as in an up-and-down direction through the said beams and well clenched ; pieces of a similar kind were introduced at various other parts ofthe ship on the ceiling, and dowel ed thereto opposite the other thick strakes on the outside of the bottom as before mentioned, which made good the thickness of the doubling on the bottom ; and these strakes were well bolted through the ship's side to each other, and clenched within-

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. XVII board, thereby connecting the fabric, and supporting the ship against the strain likely to occur by her being struck at the extremities by the ice : these pieces were continued from the bow to the stern, and united by breast-hooks and crutches to strengthen those parts of the ship also : a tier of large beams was introduced about five feet below the lower deck to support the ship's sides against pressure, provided the ship should be squeezed in the event of her being caught between two fields or floes of ice. The ceiling was taken off the bow as far aft as the fore-step below, and several feet further aft at the lower deck beam in a diagonal direction ; the openings between the timbers and in wake thereof were then filled in solid, caulked. and payed, on which surface were laid sixteen large breast-hooks, (in lieu of the plank taken off,) their sides well fayed close to each other from the deck down to the fore-step all across the bows, well bolted through the outside stuff, and clenched within-board ; the ends of these hooks were likewise confined by the fbre^- vol. i. a

INTRODUCTION.

. part of the lower-deck shelf-piece, which finished with a large hook over the others, and the same confining the fore-ends of all the fore and aft thick strakes that were dowelled to the ceiling, as before men tioned ; against this large breast-hook, shores were placed and bolted under the beams, with carlings between the said beams, their under sides dowelled to the upper sides of the shores and bolted through, and clenched securely to each other. The shores were placed in a direction as square as possible from the curve of the bow, as may be perceived by the sketch of the half-breadth plan of the lower-deck : shores were placed under the fore platform beams in like manner, and the whole most substantially secured. Hooks and ekeings wereplaced in the bows above thelower-deck hook. Various other works were performed, too many to enumerate, or fully explain ; the fitting the bed-places of the officers and crew, in such a manner that they might be taken on shore with ease, and formed into a dwelling in case of shipwreck ; the galley, and other fire-places, stoves, &c. for airing

INTRODUCTION.

. XIX the ship, with every convenience requisite for the voyage ; mode of stowing the boats, davits, skids, and a roof, or covering of tilt over the ship's deck in case of her being frozen fast in the ice, and obliged to remain a winter in that situation ; spare rudder complete, stowed on board by the main mast, and apparatus complete for Captain Pakenham's rudder, in the event of both rudders being lost ; spare capstan fitted abreast the starboard side of fore hatchway, to heave the ship a-head when in contact with the ice, &c. &c. &c. The Alexander, Dorothea, and Trent, were similarly fitted. On the 22d of February the ships came out of dock, were moored alongside the receiving ships at Deptford, where they embarked the necessaries, provisions, and stores, which had been in preparation for the voyage ; a list of which, for the whole four ships, is subjoined ; and it will be seen that nothing was neglected which could be conducive to the health and comfort of a XX

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. those who volunteered to serve on this enterprise. The following Establishment of officers and men for the four vessels, while em ployed on a voyage of discovery in the Arc tic Regions, with the pay, per month, allowed to the officers and men, was finally settled. ISABELLA. £. s. d. 1 Captain - - - 46 0 0 1 Lieutenant - - 18 8 0 1 Purser - - 7 13 4 1 Surgeon - - - 39 4 0 1 Assistant Surgeon - - 18 4 0 2 Midshipmen (each) - 6 2 8 1 Clerk - - 6 18 0 1 Master (merchant) - 5 0 0 1 Mate (merchant) - 4 0 0 1 Carpenter - -600 1 Sailmaker - -400 1 Cook - - -400 13 carried forward.

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. XXI 13 Brought forward. £. s. d. 4 Leading Men (each) - 3 15 0 31 Able Seamen (each) -300 1 Serjeant of Marines (colour) 5 4 2 1 Private ditto, 2d Class - 1 18 4 1 18 4 4 Privates ditto, 3d Class - 1 14 10 54 whole complement, per Admiralty order, 3d April, 1818. SUPERNUMERARIES. 1 Captain Royal Artillery >3_?500, per Admiralty order, besides his army pay. 1 Serjeant ditto - - 5 4 2 1 Eskimaux - -300 57 total number on board. ALEXANDER. 1 Lieutenant and Commander 23 0 0 1 Lieutenant 1 Purser 18 8 0 7 13 4 18 4 0 1 Assistant Surgeon 4 carried forward. a

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. 4 Brought forward. £■ s. d. 2 Midshipmen (each) - 6 2 8 1 Clerk - - - 6 18 0 1 Master (merchant) - 5 0 0 1 Mate (merchant) - -400 1 Carpenter ■** - -600 1 Cook - - - -400 1 Sailmaker - - -400 3 Leading Men (each) - 3 15 0 17 Able Seamen (each) -300 1 Corporal Marines - - 2 10 10 4 Privates - - - 1 14 10 37 whole complement, per Admiralty order, dated 3d April, 1818. The officers were paid six and the sea men three months' pay (besides river pay) in advance. The following books were supplied for the use of the officers, and quarter-deck petty officers, of His Majesty's ship Isabella: 1 Mackenzie's Travels in America, 4to. 2 Hearne's ditto, ditto, 4to. 3 Phipp's Voyage to the North Pole, 4to.

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. XXIII 4 5 Ellis's ditto to Hudson's Bay, 8vo. Vancouver's Voyage, 3 vols. 4to., and Atlas, folio. 6 Wallis, Carteret, and Cook's Voyages, 8 vols. 4to., with Atlas, folio. Dampier's Voyages, 4 vols. 8vo. Portlock's ditto, 4to. 7 8 9 Dixon's ditto, 4to. Meare's ditto, 4to. 10 11 Coxe's Russian Discoveries, 8vo Barrington's Miscellanies, 4to. 12 13 Forster's Northern Discoveries, 2 vols. 4to. 14 Astronomical Observations of Wales and Bayley, 1772 to 1775, 4to. 15 Ditto of Cook, King, and Bayley, 1776 to 1780, 4 to. 16 Ditto Byron, Wallis, Carteret, and Cook, from 1764 to 1771, 4to. Brongniart's Mineralogy, 2 vols. 8vo. Bakewell's Geology, 8vo. 17 18 19 Turton's Linnæus, 7 vols. 8vo. Mackenzie's Iceland, 4to. Falconer's Patagonia, 4to. Cartwright's Labrador, 3 vols. 4to. Turnbull's Voyage, 4to. 20 21 22 23 a

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. 24 Crantz's History of Greenland, 2 vols. 8vo. 25 Burney's Collection of Voyages, 5 vols. 4to. Thirty Bibles and sixty Testaments were also supplied by the Naval and Military Bible Society, for the four ships, and dis tributed accordingly. A LIST OF INSTRUMENTS For the Northern Expeditions. Isabella. Seven chronometers, three the property of Government, and four of * individuals. A clock, the pendulum of which, cast in one solid mass, vibrates on a blunt knife edge, resting in longitudinal sections of hollow cylinders of agate. A transit, by Jones. A variation transit, by Dollond. * The Alexander had also three Government chronometers.

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. XXV A dipping-needle, the property of Henry Browne, Esq., made by Nairne. A Dipping-needle, by Jones. Ditto, by Troughton. Ditto, by Lockwood. A repeating circle, by Jones. Altitude instrument, invented by Captain H. Kater, by Jones. Hygrometer, ditto, ditto, Hydrometer, by Jones. Cyanometer, by ditto. Ten thermometers, ditto 1 Fahren- One self-registering ditto, ditto ) heit. One barometer, with attached thermometer, by ditto. One dip micrometer, invented by Dr. Wollaston, by ditto. One dip-sector, ditto, ditto, by ditto. One macrometer, ditto, ditto, ditto. Electrical apparatus, invented by Sir H. Davy. Apparatus for taking up sea-water from given depths above 8 fathoms. One common mountain barometer and companion. Ditto, invented by Sir H. Englefield

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. One sextant, by Dollond. One theodolite, by Jones. Two anglometers, by ditto. One beam-compass, by ditto. One brass scale, by ditto. One Gunter ditto, by ditto. One case drawing instruments, by ditto. One protractor. One artificial horizon and mercury. One sympiesometer, invented by Adie, Edinburgh. COMPASSES. Two Kater's azimuth compass. One Walker's ditto, ditto. One insulated steering compass, by Jen nings. Four Alexander of Leith's steering com pass. One Crow's ditto. One ditto boat ditto. Two Burt's patent binnacle and ditto.

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. XXVII OTHER INSTRUMENTS. Bain's patent log. Massey's ditto. Jennings' ditto and glass. Burt's buoy and knipper. Trengrouse's apparatus for saving lives. Nets for small fish and invertebrate animals.

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. An Account showing the several Articles of Warm Clothing supplied to each of the following vessels, in addition to the established quantities of Slop Clothing. One complete suit of the above warm clothing to be furnished to the seamen and marines gratis ; and the residue (if issued) to be charged, subject to the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad miralty. Ships' Names. ta id u rt Ha to 3 E * Z ,*■ u :A >» Oi M S o is I js vi ■a oa S CA »-. 3 Oi o a i •a a/a 3 fa a .1 ills Pairs _S o o - 03 oa 03 w §* 1 u e -a fi 1 sn a. es O _. 9 i __ i <2 S o O •i P. ca O _- <0 jy "u c < Isabella . . 50 50 100 100 50 100 50 50 100 50 50 50 Dorothaea . .50 50 100 100 50 100 50 50 100 50 50 50 Trent . . 35 35 70 70 35 7Q. 35 35 70 35 35 35 Alexander 35 35 70 70 35 70 35 35 70 35 35 -35 340 170 340 170 170 340 170 170 170 170 170

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. XXIX A.B. One complete suit was issued to each man on the 22d of September. Isabella. Dorothea. Trent. Alexan. Wolf-skiu blanketing - <>0 60 40 40 Russian mats - - 1000 1000 800 800 Rifles complete - - 6 G 4 4 Seven barrelled guns - 6 6 4 1 Wail-pieces - - 6 6 4 4 Ball-cartridges for the above 3G00 3600 2400 2-100 Coverings of Maberly's painted canvass to each ship, sufficient to cover the decks fore and aft. Whale lines - - 81 No. Whale boats - - 5 Ice boat . - - . - 1 Ice anchors - - 24 Ice saws - - 18 Ice axes - . - 12 Ice spurs - - 10 Pairs. Ice pole hooks - - 2 Suits of sails, extra -

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. Canvass sufficient for one new suit of sails for Isabella, with twine and needles in proportion. No. 1 956 yards. 2 - 175 4 - 669 5 - 178 6 - 330 7 - - -1,220 8 - 522 Total canvass in yards - 4,052 Ice poles - - - - - 10 No. Whale lances - - - - 24 Knives, chopping 5 Knives, blubber 5 Harpoons, plain 6 Harpoon's gun 1 Deep-sea leads. 150 pounds weight 1 Ditto, 100 ditto - 1 Ditto, 50 ditto -

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. The following stores were intended for building and repairing whale boats, in ad dition to the quantity supplied for twenty six lunar months. Board fir, one inch - - - 612 feet. - half inch - - - 528 - three-quarters ditto - 1,568 Dealwood flitches - - 10 No. Stems ----- 5 Stern ports - - - - 5 Keels, running - 100 feet. Gun wales, ditto - 310 Cants 10 No. Bollards - - - - 5 Aprons - - - 10 Futtocks 64 Knees - - - - - 60 Floors 51 Bow and after timbers - - 36 Thwart stuff running - 88 feet. Board elm, one inch - - 196 three-quarters ditto 511 Ocham, white 56 lbs. Rosin 56 Ring bolts - - - 12 No. Stem bands - - - -

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. Nails, boat, - 6 lbs. - 20,000 No. _ 8 - 10,000 . 10 - 10,000 - 4 - 4,000 - 3 - 4,000 - 2 - 4,000 - 22 oz. - 4,000 gunner's stores. The ships were provided with ordnance, as follows : — Isabella, carronades, No. 6-18 pounders. Dorothea, ditto, 6-18 ditto. Alexander, ditto, 4-12 ditto. Trent, ditto, 4-12 ditto. With powder and shot for three years, be sides an extra allowance of fine powder, of six cases to each of the larger ships, and to all a proportion of small shot of various sizes. Gunner's, stores for three years, of every description ; an armourer's forge in each of

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. the large ships, and tool chest complete for armourer and carpenter. The following were intended for presents to the natives on the West coast of Green land and coast of America, &c Brass kettles 24 No. Knives, forks, and cases - 300 Axes, felling, wedge - - 20 Butchers' knives - - 150 Flannel, red - - - 150 yards. yellow - 100 blue - - 100 Felling axes - - - 10 No. Looking-glasses - - 200 Needles, Whitechapel - 2,000 Vermilion - - - 15 lbs. Cutlasses 36 No. Gun-flints - - - 1,500 Scarlet-milled caps - - 100 Swords 14 Thread, Red - - - 20 lbs. Pistols - - - - 16 No. Scissors 30 pairs. Razors 40 No. vol. i. b

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. Coarse handkerchiefs - - 50 Awls, shoemakers' - - 100 Rifles - ... 35 Balls for ditto - - - 2,500 Snuff - - - 102 lbs. Earthen-ware - 4 cases. Soap - - - - - 150 lbs. Pikes - 250 No. Iron hoops - 200 cwt. Gin (English) •- - - 129 gal. Brand - - - - 1291 Various beads and Cowrie shells 13 cases. Umbrellas 40 No. 40 No.

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. XXXV An Account showing the Distribution of Sixty-nine Iron Provision-Tanks, furnished (for the better convenience of Stowage) to the several Vessels employed on a Voyage of Discovery in the Arctic Regions. Iron Tanks. Ft. In. Isabella, 9 of 3 8 each tank contained 1008lbs. of biscuit. 9 of 3 0 each contained from 13 to 16 cwt. of flour. 4 of 3 0 each contained 23 bushels of pease. " These tanks were directed Dorothea, 8 of 3 8 to be filled with whatever de- . 11 of 3 0 nomination of provisions the Trent 13 of 3 0 respective commanders and Alexander, 12 of 3 0 pursers might think most advantageous for stowage. Isabella and One oven, of 2 feet, furnished by Storey Dorothea 5 for baking bread with little fuel, b The following Quantities undermentioned ; beii against the Ships' Nai of PROVISIONS and VICTUALLING STORES were ig the established Allowance for Twenty-six Lunar Months. nes respectively. put on board each of the Vessels for the Number of Men expressed Ships' Names and Complement- Pounds of 3 rt O O en bla oa oa No. of CA "3 g •a'5* 5 Poundi of Bu: lelsol Gallons of '3 *-] tunds oi ha _ •50 g 3 5 to 'a. -fl 01 OL, fl) </_ o Im 0 o 15 u ■0 rt pq lat O e '33 **3 u o O 9 60 CO •aa i? *re oa s o ua .9 --a ? co e So oa 6 o en c rt O •*-* **** CO — I — Men.

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. During our 6tay at Deptford, we were jbined by John Sacheuse, an Eskimaux, native of South-east Bay, Greenland, in latitude 69° N., and longitude 50° W. It appears that he had concealed himself on board the Thomas and Ann, of Leith, in the month of May, 1816 : on being discovered, Captain Newton, who commanded that vessel, wished to land him again, but he earnestly entreated to be permitted to remain, and was accordingly brought to Leith. He returned to Greenland with the same ship in 1817, and, on his arrival at home, found that his only near relation had died in his absence. It was not ascertained, at his first outset, what were his motives for quitting his native country ; but it seemed now that the death of this relation was his reason for continuing in the ship, which he did, returning to Leith with her the same season.

I had several conversations with him on the subject ; he related many adventures and narrow escapes he had experienced in his canoe, in one of which he stated himself to have been carried to sea in a storm with five others, all of

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. XXXJX whom perished, and that he was miracu lously saved by an English ship. He also informed me that he had, through the mis sionaries, been converted to Christianity, and the strong desire he had to see the country these good men came from, had induced him to desert his own ; but that it was always his intention to return, when he had learnt the Scriptures and the art of drawing. He related several traditions cur rent in his country respecting a race of people who were supposed to inhabit the north ; adding, that it was for the purpose of communicating with them, and convert ing them to Christianity, that he had vo lunteered for our expedition. During his residence at Leith, in the winter of 1817, he had been taken notice of by Mr. Nasmyth, the artist, who intro duced him to Sir James Hall.