DES THE DISCOVERY SHIPS TO THE NORTH POLE. ESIROUS, for the reasons stated in our last, to supply as much intelligence as we could obtain on the subject of this interesting Expedition, we have copied the Admiralty Chart of its course, &c. in a manner suitable to the Literary Gazette; and have to state the following particulars, on which the public may rely. It is as certain as important to notice, that there can be no doubt of the vessels having crossed the Magnetic Meridian and entered the Polar Sea. After sailing Over the Croker Mountains of Captain Ross (as we mentioned last Saturday, thus geographically unshipping a secretary to the Admiralty), Lieut. Parry gave to the continuation of Lancaster's Sound the name of Barrow's Sound. [A lithographic chart made out of the Admiralty represents the former, according to the newspapers, as about 150 miles in length and from 20 to 25 in breadth; and the same authorities mention that from the upper end the ships steered, in the first instance 100 miles to the southward, then returned to the original point and proceeded direct west.] On the north side of Barrow's Sound, the voyagers discovered a broad channel up which they could not descry any land, though the weather was clear and favourable. To the land bounded on the west by this unexplored channel, and on the south by the Sound, the name of New Devon was given. Nearly opposite the channel, i. e. on the south side of the Sound, they met with another broad inlet (nearly as broad it seemed as the Sound itself) on which the name of Regent's Inlet was bestowed. The expedition sailed up this inlet a considerable way*. The land opposite to New Devon was denominated New Somerset. Many whales and seals were seen about this part. Other places discovered, received names in honour of Major Rennel, Captain Sabine, and others. Our readers may remember Captain Scoresby's conjecture with regard to the mean temperature during twelve months at the North Pole, being from ten to twelve degrees above zero. His hypothesis was found to be erroneous; for our navigators ascertained, that even in the latitude where they wintered, the mean annual temperature was two degrees below zero! Owing to this intense cold, they endured great hardships; of which it was no small aggravation, that for the last nine months Future expeditions have thus it appears, much to explore besides sailing directly through Lancaster's Sound. 2Y ATHENEUM VOL. 8. 366 Northern Expedition-Crossing the Magnetic Meridian. they were upon short allowance of bread, and during the summer months of other necessaries, thus adding the cravings of hunger to the pinchings of frost. It affords a gratifying instance of the right feeling and characteristic perseverance of British sailors, to tell that the men (who could not be buoyed up by the same ideas of future fame which solaced their officers in suffering hardships) bore every deprivation, not merely with patience and equanimity, but with good humour. Frequently, when they had returned from a day of fatiguing and unproductive search for game, they wrapped themselves in their blankets, to try by sleep to forget their exhaustion, and that appetite which they durst not satisfy, lest they should, by encroaching on their next day's scanty allowance or on their general stock, be in the end confined to those dreary regions starving and without subsistence. Notwithstanding this, never a murmur escaped one of them; but for patience, fortitude, and firmness, they displayed a picture unsurpassed even by the noblest examples of English Seamen. The following anecdote is worth preserving...Acting plays was one of the amusements devised to while away the long night of the Polar Circle. A drama was written by Mr. Parry, solely to please the men, and called "The NorthWest Passage." The scenery was painted by Mr. Beechy, and the officers were the performers. The delight of the crews was so great that they not only clapped, but loudly cheered the actors on every favourable impression. One of the latter was so amused with this, that on making an exit he was induced to go into the house, to see how the thing looked. He happened to place himself immediately behind the Boatswain and another man, who exclaimed with rapture, Oh, it's beautiful! it's beautiful!" "Beautiful, do you call it," returned the Boatswain, Beautiful! I say by G-it's philosophy !" 66 66 A curious circumstance in natural history has been mentioned to us. It is stated that one of the she-wolves of the country where the vessels were laid [VOL. 8 up formed an intimacy with a ship dog, and almost daily visited him for some time, as if he had belonged to the same species. At last the dog a setter belonging to one of the officers of the Griper, fol owed his wild companion and was never seen more. Another dog from the Hecla' also went off, but returned, tho' with his throat all mangled. The wolves were large, and were heard nightly howling in a most disagreeable manner. The other quadrupeds found, when the summer returned, were the musk-ox, of which several were killed, the deer, the fox, and the moose; the latter remained through the winter, were numerous, and changed from brown to white. The fowls were chiefly the arctic gull, the glaucus, the ptarmigan (which has been called the partridge), and a singularly beautiful duck denominated the king-duck. The expedition arrived at the entrance of Lancaster's Sound, on the Ist of August 1819. On the 7th the ships were in the Regent's Inlet (see the Chart), and there in about 90° of long. the variation of the needle was, we understand, about 120 west. Stopped by ice, they left the inlet, which is supposed to extend to Hudson's Bay, or to trend along the northern shore of America, and resumed their progress up Barrow's Straits, leaving behind them Croker's Bay (the Croker mountains of Captain Ross.) They speedily discov ered the group of islands, where Lowther Isle is marked, nine in number, and named The New Georgia Isles. Proceeding onward, they observed, when rather more than half way to the ultimate point at which they arrived, that the variation of the needle was above 12° east: thus it appears that the magnetic meridian must lie between that degree and the degree of 90, which we observe from the chart, runs through the Inlet, where the variation was towards the west. At sea the compass had been quite useless since the 7th August, and it was only on land that the needle traversed. The greatest dip was above 88°; and our scientific readers, putting these data together, will perhaps agree with us in supposing that the magnetic pole is situated somewhere on the American continent between the longitudes we have mentioned, and below the latitude of 70°. On the 7th of September, after encountering many dangers, the vessels were anchored in Winter Harbour, Mel ville Island. In the beginning of November their night began, and it lasted till the beginning of February 1820, when the sun was seen for a few minutes above the horizon. This luminary gradually prolonged the time during which it rose, till in June it became constantly visible, circling round and making changeless day. On the 1st of August the vessels were released from the ice, nearly as suddenly as they had been overtaken by the winter; and our hardy countrymen with the blessing of Providence, were enabled to pursue a homeward, but still perilous course. Their furthest point was beyond 114° west. The ice all around them in the Polar Sea was above 40 feet thick; and no vessel could by possibility navigate farther in that direction, north, west, or south. It is probable therefore that Regent's Inlet will be more minutely explored by the next expedition sent into these parts, and that hardly any other attempt will be made to the westward of Liddon's Gulf (so named from the commander of the Griper). The ships were roofed over during the winter,and the crews did not, as reported, erect huts on shore. Melville's Island was however explored by hunting parties, and Capt. Parry crossed it, and was absent for three weeks together. It is reckoned about 150 miles long, and from 30 to 40 broad. It is also supposed that the whole Sea north of the American continent is broken into Islands. To this hasty enumeration of interesting particulars we shall not now add much. We need only notice, that natural history has not been much enriched by the objects obtained. Only one bear was seen during the stay at Melville Island: there were no fish, and no game of any kind till the summer came, when those birds and animals we have mentioned made their appearance. Grass, saxafragium, and poppies, formed the herbage, in patches and tufts, which looked green and gay at a distance, but was very thinly scattered over the marly surface of the earth. In geology, limestone, sandstone, and slate, were most prominent; coarse granite was found in round detached pieces in the ravines, and other mineral specimens were picked up. Some of the isles were amazingly precipitous, rising from 3 to 800 feet above the water. From the entrance of Lancaster's Sound to Melville Island, the land gradually declined, till from towering and pointed rocks, it became gently undulated. The distance between Winter Harbour and Copper-mine River, may be about 150 or 200 miles. The whole distance which the expedition went from the mouth of Lancaster's Sound, was about 500 miles. There were traces of old Esquimaux buts on Melville Island. We had forgotten to mention that the Owl, in full beauty of feather, seemed inhabit this inhospitable place throughout the year. to The lowest temperature was 55° below zero. These are the chief facts which we have gathered respecting this truly gratifying expedition, which not only reflects honour on all concerned in it, but on the country. Mr.Barrow's prescience is happily illustrated by its results, which have so completely accomplished all that he predicated. Nor is Captain Parry's eulogy to be lightly spoken: his whole conduct has been admirable; and we imagine that this sketch will greatly increase the public anxiety to see the precise details of a voyage which has opened a new sea to British navigation, and gone far to indicate the very seat of one of the greatest wonders in nature. Upon this subject, we have heard that Sir H. Davy has made some important discoveries by experiments with the galvanic battery at home; and we look with profound curiosity to the further developement of the principles of magnetism, electricity, and attraction, to which these circumstances will stimulate and help the scientific world. The ta |