Journal of a third voyage for the discovery of a northwest 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 Captain William E. Parry ..

Front matter

THIRD” “VOYAGE FoR THE DIscoVERY é OR: un WEST PASSAGE.

ae THE YEARS 182425, IN HIS MAJESTY’S SHIPS

HECLA hes fea ae ‘.

Contents

PAGE

_ UnTRODUCTION : : i : x : ix

Official Instructions . : fs : S a i xvi CHAPTER I. , sd 4 2 . Passace to the Whale-fish Islands, and removal of Stores from the _ Transport—Enter the Ice in Baffin’s Bay—Difficulties of penez ty of the Season : : A his itis ;

Appendix

NATURAL HISTORY.

ZOOLOGY, by Lizutrenant James Crarx Ross, R.N., F.L.S. - 165

BOTANY, by Prorsssor Hooxen, F.R.A. and LS. &c. &c. - © 196

GEOLOGY, by Pnorzsson Jamuson, F.R.S.E., &c. &c. including

Notes on the Specimens collected during the former Voyages to the Polar Regions : F Pras Bas Ue ; wr. 210

: j

Introduction

NotwitTuHsTanpineG 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 sini after discharging her cargo im 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-

'_-yester’s warming stove, before described as so effectual, in the very bottom of the ships’ holds, the whole being enclosed 9 od seer x NTRODUCTION.

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 produced, and therefore an additional warmth to the cabins most distant from the stove.

In the selection of provisions,-our chief erideavour on this occasion was to vary as much as possible the kinds of meat, and to increase to the utmost extent our vegetables and antiscorbutics. With this view a small quantity of salt beef was

_ substituted for apart 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 split-pease were furnished, instead of whole ones. For the use of travelling-parties, we were supplied with a small quantity of beefpemmican, 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 -severak 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, Lieutenant Henry Foster was appointed to the Hecla, nominally as

» assistant-surveyor, but in fact to perform the duties of Astronomer to the Expedition, for which he was fully qualified.

It being customary to record the names of the officers employed 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.

oe il ate enti owe ee mi INTRODUCTION.

Ses

ON BOARD THE HECLA. ON BOARD THE FURY, RANK.

Officers’ names. No. Officers’ names. - |wo.

{Commander . |) William Edward Parry | 1||Henry Parkyns Hoppner| 1

John Land Wynn . : E

Lieutenants Joseph Sherer: . HoratioThos.Austin Henry Foster : James Clark Ross

Surgeon . . ||Samuel Neill, M. D. 1}/Allan M’Laren i

Purser. - |/William Harvey Hooper! 1|\James Halse . :

Assistant-Surgeon|} William Rowland . | 1||Thomas Bell : John Brunton or Ry C mg cgae as. Eat) Berkley Westropp Midshipmen ae Be r 4 2 Chas.Crump Waller nee Horatio Nelson Head_) Bewand Reo Clerk . 4 .jJames Harrison ., 1||William Mogg Gunner . . {John Brothers . - | 1/[JamesMoore . oatswain . ]William Smith , | 1}/William Wentworth Carpenter . ||George Fiddis. .. | 1||Charles Purfer . Greenland Master||John Allison ‘ .| 1||George Crawford Ditto Mate . .\|George Champian 1/|Thomas Donaldson Cook : y ‘A é 1 5 : ; Leading Men . : E 4 - : 2 ; Quarter-Master . : ° 1 ‘ : ‘ ; Gunner’s Mate : . 1 : “ A Boatswain’s Mate é . ' 1 5 d fi ' {Carpenter’s Mates : “ ; ) : . s Armourer’s Mate | : A 1 3 3 bes Sailmaker 4 ep 8 1 a if ; Captain’s Steward : 1 i i Able Seamen . ‘ A 95 i .

MARINES,

John Morrison

INTRODUCTION. Xlil

_ 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 contribute to the success of our enterprise, or to our individual! health and comfort.

- In performing the duty which has, by their Lordship’s directions, 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 interest or amusement to the public. In the circumstances attending our second season’s navigation, and particularly those relating to the loss of the Fury, I have deemed it right to enter 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 Capitan’ 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 Heela, have

XIV INTRODUCTION. — 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 multiplied 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 justice which he merits. I should, however, be ill requiting Lieutenant Foster for the assistance (and I am happy to acknowledge 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 himself to every species of observation and experiment, which cotld promote the several objects of the Expedition, or contribute 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 botanical 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-

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 publie 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 addition 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.

OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS.

By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c.

Lorp Viscount Metyitie having communicated to the King the proceedings of the late Expedition into the Arctic Seas, and his Majesty having been graciously pleased to express his commands that another Expedition should be fitted out, for the purpose of pursuing the attempt to discover a. passage 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 favourable opportunity of clearing the transport of the stores and provisions with which she is charged for the use of the Expedition; and, having so done, you are to send the transport - eels.

back: to nga 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 Inlet, which you discovered in your former.

Several considerations, but particularly the obstacles which you found in Prince Regent’s Inlet in 1819, might have induced us to give the ppeteniadé to the attempt to make a passage 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 shad a namely, through Prince Regent’s Inlet.

You willy therefore, after you have despatched the transport 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 ean of passing through Prince Regent’s Inlet, it is probable, from what has been already Mieavidrad 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 referred

Qa a a OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS.

to your own judgment, on a view of the existing circumstances of your own former proceedings, and of the discoveries of Captain Franklin (with a copy of whose account of his proceedings you are furnished), at the mouth, and to the eastward, “4 the Coppermine River.

If you shouldsbe so successful as to find a practicable passage down to the coast of America, you are to make the best of your way in accomplishing the main object of the Exxpedition, without stopping to examine that coast, or for any other object not of imperious importance; but whenever the ships may be checked in their progress by ice, or unavoidable cir-

cumstances, 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 aii sient two Land Expeditions 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 Franklin, 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-stafls on a few of the most distinguishable points which you may successively 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 Franklin’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 dlink 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 Expeditions 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 iota 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 bin Pacific, you are to orion to Seacntsohatela, 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, orsuch other placeas you may © think proper, to refit the ships and refresh the crews; and if, during your stay at such place, a safe opportunity should occur 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 ee to which they can safely be conveyed.

In the event, then, of our not receiving from.you such intelligence as may render the measure unnecessary,” we shall, about the close of the year 1826, direct the Commander-inchief 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 Wales, where he may expect, as we are informed, 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 preference 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 a 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 comfort 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 youtodo. 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 constantly on your guard against any hostility.

OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS. aa

You will endeavour to prevail on them, by such reward, and to be paid in such manner as you may think best to answer the purpose, in the event of your making progress to the westward, to carry to any of the settlements of the Hudson’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. es If you should, on your arrival. at Prince Regent’s) inlets

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 ina 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 England 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 confidence, 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 unavoidable 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 observations of both being preserved.

We have caused a great variety of valuable isiahmelicia 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 unnecessary to specify these objects, a detail of which you have already been furnished with, in our instructions for the guidance 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 officers 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 accurate 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 voyages; 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.

The knowledge which Doctor Neill, surgeon of the Hecla, has been represented to us to possess in this department of science, will be of material service to you in arranging the collections of, and making notes upon, the various subjects of natural history. In the event of any irreparable accident hap- _ pening to either of the two ships, you are to cause the officers and crew of the disabled ship to be removed into the other, and with her singly to proceed in prosecution of the voyage, or return to England, according as circumstances shall appear to require; understanding that the officers and crews of both ships are hereby authorised and required to continue to perform their duties according to their respective ranks and stations, on board either ship to which they may be so removed. Should unfortunately your own ship be the one disabled, you are, in that case, to take command of the Fury; and, in the event of any fatal accident happening to yourself, Captain Hoppner is hereby authorized to take the command of the Expedition, either on board the Hecla or Fury, as he may prefer, placing the officer of the Expedition who may then be next in seniority to him, in command of the second ship; also in the event of your own inability, by sickness or otherwise, at any period of this service, to continue to carry these

instructions into execution, you are to transfer them to Cap- - tain Hoppner, or to the surviving officer then next in command to you, who is hereby required to execute them in the best manner he can, for the attainment of the several objects in view.

In the event of England becoming involved in hostilities with any other power during your absence, you are nevertheless clearly to understand that you are not on any account to commit any hostile act whatsoever; the Expedition under your orders being only intended for the purpose of discovery and science, and it being the practice of all civilized nations to consider vessels so employed as excluded from the operations ~ of war. And, confiding in this general feeling, we should trust that you would receive every assistance from the ships or subjects of any Foreign Power, which you may fall in with; but special application to that effect has been made to the respective governments.

You are, whilst executing the service pointed out in these instructions, to take every opportunity that may offer of acquainting our secretary, for our, information, with your progress: and, on your arrival in England, you are immediately to repair to this office, in order to lay before us a full account of your proceedings in the whole course of your voyage; taking care before you leave the ship, to demand from the officers, petty officers, and all other persons on board, the logs and journals they may have kept, together with any drawings or charts they may have made, which are all to be sealed up; and you will issue similar directions to Captain Hoppner and his officers, &c.; the said logs, journals, or other documents, to be thereafter disposed of as we may think proper.

Given under our hands, the 12th of May, 1824..

MELviLLe,

G. Crierx,

~

Lo Wiiu1am Enwarp Parry, Esa., Captain of His Majesty’s Ship the Heela.

By Command of their Lordships J. W. Croxer.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS.

Admiralty Office, 12th May, 1824, “Sir, | bet: Sie tional information:—

In reference to that part of your general orders which relates to the ship intended to be sent in the autumn of 1827 to meet you, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to communicate to Me the ae addi-

It is thought advisable, winter a view of assisting the ob-

: jects of Captain Franklin’s Expedition, that the vended inso fortunate as to accomplish the passage in that year.

‘tended to meet you in 1827 should endeavour to meet him