EXPEDITIONS FOR FURTHER DISCOVERY.
Having now completed the account of the Arctic Regions, as given by
captain Scoresby, it may be interesting to the reader to have a brief
statement of some of the principal expeditions for further discovery
down to the present time.
In 1819, lieutenant Parry sailed with the Hecla and Griper. The
object of his expedition was to examine the great and open bay, known
as sir J. Lancaster’s Sound; and, in case of failure, the Sound of
alderman Jones, and that of sir T. Smith. On the 1st of August, the
ships entered the Sound of sir J. Lancaster, and ran quickly up it,
finding no land across the bottom of the inlet, but arriving at a
strait, which they named Barrow’s Strait, and a magnificent opening
into which it led, Wellington Channel. On the 4th of September, the
expedition crossed the meridian of 110° west longitude, in latitude
74° 44′, becoming entitled to a reward of £5,000. They anchored, and
put into winter-quarters at Melville Island, losing sight of the sun
from 11th November till the 3rd of February, when it became once more
visible from the Hecla’s main-top. With the greatest difficulty,
they managed to escape from the ice during the months of August and
September, arriving at the Orkneys 28th October, 1820.
The second voyage of Parry was with the Fury and Hecla. His
instructions were to proceed towards, or into, Hudson’s Strait, to
penetrate to the westward through that strait, until he should reach
some portion of the coast of the continent of America. The object was
to discover a way westward from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean.
The vessels left the Nore 8th May, 1821, and arrived at Resolution
Island, at the entrance of Hudson’s Strait, on 2nd July, attempted
the direct passage through the Frozen Strait, and passed through it
into Repulse Bay. From it no passage was found to the west, and the
ships, after beating about to no profit, were compelled to winter
near Lyon’s Inlet. Here the dreariness of the winter was relieved by
interviews with the inhabitants, who were found to be intelligent
and honest. On 2nd July, the ships left their winter-quarters, and,
after being exposed to the most fearful dangers, arrived at a strait,
called by Parry, the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, and believed by
him to be an opening into the Polar Sea. The ships again went into
winter-quarters, and were frozen in until late in the following year,
but arrived at Lerwick on October 10th, 1823.
The same ships, under the same commander, sailed on a third
expedition in May, 1824, having for its object to penetrate through
Lancaster Sound, Barrow’s Strait, and Prince Regent’s Inlet, to the
westward. Through detention by the ice, they did not arrive at
Lancaster Sound till 10th September, and went into winter-quarters on
the 27th, in Prince Regent’s Inlet, at Port Bowen. On the breaking up
of the ice, they explored, southerly, close to the westward shore;
but by the accidents to which they were exposed, they were compelled
to abandon the Fury, with her stores, and the Hecla only returned to
England.
In 1827, captain Parry proposed to reach the North Pole by means of
travelling with sledge-boats over the ice. Two boats were constructed
for the purpose, the one to be commanded by Parry, the other by
lieutenant Ross. They proceeded in the Hecla to Spitzbergen, and
there left the ship, starting in their sledge-boats with seventy-one
days’ provisions. They travelled by night rather than by day; found
the ice very rough, and in some places tender; and after experiencing
great difficulties, arrived only at latitude 82° 45′, and were
compelled to abandon the undertaking as hopeless.
Captain John Franklin received instructions to explore the northern
coast of America, from the mouth of Copper Mine River to the
eastward. He sailed on 22nd May, 1819, in a ship of the Hudson’s
Bay Company. They arrived at York Factory, in Hudson’s Bay, on 30th
August. Their route was to be by Cumberland House, and through a
chain of posts to the Great Slave Lake. At Cumberland House, it was
arranged that Franklin and others should proceed at once on to the
Athobasca department, to the northward of the Great Slave Lake, and
that the rest of the party should follow in the spring. The place of
meeting was Fort Chepewyan, eight hundred and fifty-seven miles from
Cumberland House; and, by the 20th August, they had advanced to Fort
Enterprise, five hundred and fifty miles from Chepewyan. Here they
wintered, and were exposed to awful hardships; but, on the arrival
of the spring, they prosecuted their journey down the Copper Mine
River, reaching the Polar Sea on the 18th July. They then navigated
the coast to the eastward, in their canoes, exploring Coronation
Gulf. They attempted to return by Hood’s River, and across the land
to Point Lake. After being exposed to the most dreadful sufferings,
they regained their winter-stations, at Fort Enterprise, and returned
to England.
Notwithstanding the perils and hardships which had already befallen
them, captain Franklin and his companions, Dr. Richardson and
lieutenant Back, undertook a second expedition over the same country,
and left Liverpool 16th February, 1825, arriving at Fort Chepewyan as
early as 15th July. They then descended Mackenzie River to the sea.
Dividing themselves into two parties, they explored the coast east
and west, and the expedition returned home 24th September, 1827.
Other voyages are those of Ross, of Back, first and second, and of
Dease and Simpson, two officers of the Hudson’s Bay Company, who
surveyed, in 1839, the remainder of the western coast which had been
left by Franklin. Dr. John Rae was dispatched by the Hudson’s Bay
Company in July, 1846, to survey the unexplored portion of the Arctic
coast at the north-eastern angle of the American continent, and
returned successfully in October, 1847.
An important expedition for discovery in the North Polar regions,
the termination of which is yet awaited with serious anxiety, left
England under sir John Franklin in July, 1845. The ships were
victualled for only three full years, which expired during the summer
of this year. Three expeditions have been sent in search of the lost
travellers. One departed early in February, 1848, for Behring’s
Strait; a second, which sailed in the spring, under sir J. Ross, has
been heard of as having reached Disco Island on the 2nd July; and a
third, under sir John Richardson, accompanied by Dr. Rae, left in
March to proceed overland, and arrived at Lake Superior on 29th of
April. A report has very recently come in from the Esquimaux of their
having seen “two large boats, full of white men, to the east of the
Mackenzie river;” and sir J. Ross has been spoken with by a whaler on
the east side of Baffin’s Bay, in latitude 74° 20′; but no tidings to
relieve the public anxiety have been received to the close of 1848,
concerning the fate of sir J. Franklin and his companions.
THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY: INSTITUTED 1799
Transcriber’s Note
Hyphenation has been retained as published in the original publication.
Pg 57 Changed Magdalena Bay to Magdalen Bay
Pg 76 Removed quote before: From this remarkable sea
Pg 156 Changed of La Cèpede, to Cepède
Pg 158 Changed according to Egède, to Egedé