CAPTAIN PARRY'S SECOND ARCTIC VOYAGE.

FEW Voyages of Discovery have possessed so strong a claim upon British patronage, as those for finding a North-west passage from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean. This object has, from time to time, engaged the attention of our Government for nearly 300 years. The prosecution of the attempt has employed the talents, and exercised the powers, of several of our ablest seamen: and, with means of a very inadequate description, they have overcome many difficulties, and made discoveries, which have not only established the resolution of our circumnavigators, but have added to the credit and importance of their country. The passage-if there be one -is, doubtless, either within the limits of the British Dominions, or in their immediate vicinity; so that whether its discovery is effected, or the nonexistence of it proved, there must be a considerable advance made towards perfecting the geography of this part of our widely-extended empire. It is impossible, therefore, to pursue this object without reaping many important advantages.

The difficulties attending the attempt to find this passage by sailing through Lancaster Sound, having been clearly ascertained during Captain Parry's former Voyage, the Lords of the Admiralty determined to examine whether it could not be effected by passing through some one of the numerous inlets, scattered along the Western coast of Hudson's Bay. Could such a one be found-being far south of Lancaster Sound-it seemed highly probable that it would be situated in a climate where the effects of the winter might be of shorter duration, and consequently the navigation open for a much longer period. The discovery of Prince Regent's Inlet, in the preceding Voyage, held out a strong presumption that the sea extended itself behind the Western coast of Hudson's Bay, and at no very remote distance from it; and that the land, known to exist here, might be formed of one or more islands, between which the passage could be made. This coast had been so far examined by former navigators, as to preclude any expectation of finding it to the South of, or through, Wager Bay. Captain Parry was therefore instructed to commence his examination in Repulse Bay, and if unsuccessful there, to direct his course northwards, surveying the whole line of coast as he proceeded so strictly, as to ascertain the existence of a strait leading into the Polar Sea, or to put the question completely at rest as far as related to that quarter.

The preparations with regard to the ships, their outfit, officers, crews, and instruments, were as complete as possible: the description of vessel best suited for this sort of service, and in these seas, had been ascertained by previous voyages. Experience had pointed out what had been before wanting, to protect the men from the inconveniences necessarily resulting from the extreme severity of the climate, in which it was likely they would have to spend one or more winters; and these were guarded against with a prudence, foresight, and ingenuity, highly creditable to the ability and humanity of those distinguished persons, under whose inspection and control the whole was conducted. The births were removed from the ship's sides, and the men took their rest in hammocks slung for the purpose. A Sylvester's stove was fitted up to distribute warm air through the various parts of each ship, and this was found to answer the purpose so effectually, that at the trifling expenditure of a bushel of coals in twenty-four hours,

the temperature of the internal parts of the vessels was maintained at about 60° of Fahrenheit, when that of the atmosphere was 30o below Zero. The breath no longer formed a sheet of ice on substances adjoining the sailors during their repose; but, amidst the rigours of an arctic winter, they slept in apartments warmer and more comfortable, than nine out of ten of their countrymen at home.

The officers were all men of science, and very respectable proficients in various branches of learning, not necessarily connected with their professional duties. And here occurs the only omission which can be said to have existed-the Expedition was not accompanied by a professed Naturalist, which we think it ought to have been. "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well :" this is an opinion which the Lords of the Admiralty evidently felt, and for which, in the case of this Expedition, they made every provision, with this single exception. The officers had various and important duties to attend to, which precluded their adequately performing this part of the service. They have indeed done much, and it raises our admiration of their ardour and industry to a very high pitch, when we observe how much they have done to supply this omission, without failing in attention to any of those objects more particularly connected with their respective appointments.

Every preparation being completed, the Fury and the Hecla, the ships appointed for this service, took their departure from the Nore on the 8th of May, 1821. To facilitate the object of their voyage, the Nautilus accompanied them as a store-ship, with orders to return as soon as she had transshipped the stores she carried for them, after their arrival at the ice. Passing through the Pentland Firth, and across the Atlantic, they reached the ice near the entrance of Hudson's Straits, on the 18th of June. Captain Parry immediately proceeded to clear the Nautilus of the stores intended for the ships under his command, but was not able to complete this operation until the 30th. On the following day the Nautilus commenced her voyage homewards, and the ships belonging to the Expedition pursued their course up Hudson's Straits.

It may seem remarkable that, when Captain Middleton was employed on a series of discoveries up these Straits, about the middle of the last century, the observations made and reported by him and his officers, after ocular demonstration, should have been disputed by persons at home, who had no evidence at all to guide them, but only arguments drawn from supposition and a fanciful hypothesis. Such, however, was the fact; and Captain Parry, having so great a trust devolved upon him, felt no small difficulty in determining how far he ought to depend upon information, boldly impugned at the time it was published, seeing that the safety of all under his command, as well as the final result of his labours, might be involved in his determination.

Whilst the Commander was agitated by such considerations, the Expedition was making its way up the Straits, from the north shore of which it was visited by a tribe of Esquimaux on the 21st of July. As these were the first of that race which they had seen since they entered on their present voyage, so they were by far the worst specimen of their race. Familiarized to European intercourse, they had largely imbibed the corruptions, without having acquired any of the advantages, of civilization. They were exceedingly clever in making a bargain, remarkably dexterous in thieving, and void of all shame when detected; whilst their habits were filthy and dis

gusting in the extreme. These traits do not appear to have been relieved by one redeeming quality. "Two women alongside the Hecla offered to barter their children for some article of trifling value, beginning very deliberately to strip them of their clothes, which they did not choose to consider as included in the intended bargain."

Continuing his course westward, without any remarkable occurrence, Captain Parry entered an inlet on Southampton Island, which he hoped would have brought him into the welcome passage; but to his disappointment, he found himself embayed in a magnificent harbour, of great extent and security, and which, in any more hospitable climate, would be of the first importance. Having discovered this on the birth-day of the Duke of York, he named it after his Royal Highness, and retraced his course to proceed to the westward; in doing which he entered Repulse Bay before he was fully aware of it, and decided the dispute between Captain Middleton and Secretary Dobbs, in favour of the former. Coasting all round this bay in boats, the continuity of land was ascertained; and on the following day he renewed his voyage through the frozen strait. On the Northern shore a passage seemed to open itself. Captain Lyon, who commanded the Hecla, undertook to explore it with a party in a boat, and performed the service under circumstances of great difficulty, increased by the unfavourable state of the weather. He returned on the 25th, without having found it passable. On the 27th another passage was attempted with better success through a strait which was named Hurd's Channel.

The shores were carefully surveyed by parties in boats, but without any beneficial results, and after proceeding to the North till the 6th of September, they were forced back to Southampton Island by a contrary wind, and a current full of large masses of ice. Thus a month was lost in contending with difficulties, which were found insurmountable.

But the sea was soon cleared of this ice, and they had a fine run to the northward, and entered a bay, which they called Hopper's Inlet. It proved impervious, as did a larger adjoining one, to which they gave the name of Lyon's Inlet. In surveying these and Gore's Inlet, and correcting the survey with the parts of the coast before examined, they spent the remaining portion of open weather, and on the 8th of October they entered a bay on the South side of Winter Island, where they took their station for the winter. The first summer was thus terminated, and though no success had been obtained as to the object of the undertaking, yet a great deal had been accomplished. They had carefully surveyed more than 200 leagues of coast, and ascertained that no passable strait or opening existed along the whole extent of it, and they had so far shown where the passage did not exist. They had done this under circumstances of great peril and difficulty, and proved themselves fully competent for the arduous service in which they were engaged.

Traces of Esquimaux inhabitants were observed continually, during the whole of this period, by the parties who were on shore. But the people themselves do not appear to have been met with more than once, after they had left Hudson's Straits, up to the period of their arrival at Winter Island. These last differed much from the former, being cleanly in their habits, and displaying much more intelligence and good feeling: they were also simple and honest; only one occurrence of a contrary nature took place, involving two individuals, and which compromised the character of no other. Rein-deer were frequently seen during this period, but they were in

general too shy and too fleet to be secured-other game was plentiful, and more easily obtained. The supply was sufficient to furnish the party with an agreeable and salutary change of food.

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Whilst the ships remained stationary, various methods were employed pass the time pleasantly, and to prevent that ennui, so fatal to the health, as well as comfort, of persons secluded as they were from all the common resources of society. Government had provided the dresses, scenery, and other "properties," necessary for theatrical exhibitions; and these were employed, as on a former voyage, to the evident comfort and satisfaction of all persons engaged in the Expedition. A kind-hearted and intelligent lady, anticipating the amusement which might be derived from a Phantasmagoria, had presented the party with an excellent apparatus of the kind; and, with a delicacy equal to her liberality, had concealed her name, thus "doing good by stealth." It fully answered the expectation of the benevolent donor, and we do not doubt but the effects proved really as serviceable, as the exhibition was agreeable and amusing.

A school was established on board each ship, and such of the crew as could not read or write, were taught. Captain Parry makes the pleasing report, that at the termination of his voyage, there was not a single individual belonging to either vessel that could not read his Bible.

A room was fitted up on shore for the purpose of making experiments, and an observatory was added to it; but as the latter, for obvious reasons, did not admit of being warmed, the clock was prevented going by the severity of the cold-a circumstance which must have proved very inconvenient to their astronomical observations, but which the number and excellence of their chronometers in a great measure obviated. Attention to these duties, making the requisite calculations, and taking sufficient exercise, occupied all their time tolerably well, and left them no leisure to indulge fanciful wishes or vain regrets. The shortest day arrived. In the preceding voyage this had been the subject of very general and anxious observation, connected with feelings of home, and anticipations of returning thither; but on the present occasion it passed over without exciting any particular notice.

Many useful and important discoveries have been the effect of accident— one such occurred to our countrymen, and they did not fail to take advantage of it. These seas abound with a small shrimp, (Cancer nugart.) It happened that when the meat, previous to being cooked, had been immersed in the sea, for the purpose of thawing, or extracting the salt, the sailors had fancied it to be reduced in quantity. On one occasion a goose was left under water for forty-eight hours, and when drawn up, the cook, to his great astonishment, found only the skeleton remaining, but that was left in the nicest state of preservation. After this, the bodies of those ani mals, whose skeletons were wanted for preservation, were exposed to the depredations of these insects, and thus admirably prepared, with little or no trouble to the student.

Various phenomena were observed during the winter-a double moon, the imaginary one being below the real one;-some very brilliant Auroras; -and some very singular effects of refraction, causing uncommon and interesting illusions. For these we must refer to the Journal, as the details would occupy a larger space than we can spare for the purpose.

We cannot pass on without remarking the proper sense entertained by the crew of the Hecla, of the value of religious instruction. Only one

chaplain accompanied the expedition, and of course he was on board the Fury, Captain Parry's ship. After the Expedition had gone into winter quarters, divine service was ordered to be regularly performed every Sunday. We should have expected that, under such circumstances, the crew of each vessel would have been required to attend-that was not the case; but the people belonging to the Hecla were too sensible of the value of the privilege of assembling for divine service, to suffer the opportunity to pass unimproved; they petitioned to be allowed to share in this advantage with their companions of the Fury, and the petition was immediately granted. This is only one of many instances which have come to our knowledge, of the desire felt by our seamen to receive religious instruction. It is a feeling very general among them, though very little known, or expected, by those who have not closely observed the peculiar character of that very peculiar class of our fellow-subjects. If they are generally ignorant of the doctrines of Christianity, and the practice necessarily flowing from a knowledge of, and belief in, those doctrines, it is because they are, by the nature of their calling, too frequently destitute of the means of receiving instruction. When the opportunity of being taught occurs, they uniformly avail themselves of it, with an alacrity which proves how sensible they are of the value of it; and which ought to stimulate those, who have the power of extending these advantages to them, to lose no opportunity of doing it.

In the month of February the ships were visited by another tribe of Esquimaux, whose manners, habits, and intelligence, were far superior to those of either of the parties they had before met with. We defer entering into particulars at present, as we shall have occasion to speak more fully of these people hereafter. They afforded our countrymen a great deal of amusement, which, being wholly unanticipated, was so much the more agreeable. They signified that two or three of them had before seen strangers (Kabloonas,) similar to those they were then talking with, and it was afterwards ascertained that they sometimes wandered so far to the southward, as to have seen some of the Hudson's Bay ships passing to the Factories of that Company. Captain Parry immediately conceived, that if any accident should befal the Expedition, this circumstance might be made available to convey some kind of intelligence home; and for this purpose he distributed amongst them pieces of copper, bearing the inscription, "Hecla and Fury-All Well-1822." The measure was wise, but, happily, it became unnecessary.

During the time they were frozen up in Winter Island, several expeditions were undertaken overland, to investigate the probability of finding an opening to the westward, on the borders of the coast in that direction. These were attended with great hardships, and with no ultimate success. In one they proceeded so far North, as to Point Elizabeth, when they fancied they had reached the farthest point to the eastward; and this being passed, they expected to find the opening, which was to lead to the successful termination of their labours. Their supplies, however, were too far exhausted to allow them to pursue the examination farther at that time; but the expectation cheered their spirits, and therefore was not without its benefit.

We were surprised to find an attempt made to raise vegetables on shore, by the application of means used for forcing them. It failed, as might have been expected.