PARRY'S POLAR VOYAGE. 177 



the Admiralty the plan of an expedition over the* polar 

 ice. Their lordships, having referred this proposal to 

 the council and committee of the Royal Society, and 

 received a favorable report as to the advantages which 

 science might derive from such a journey, aoplied them- 

 selves with their usual alacrity to supply the captain 

 with everything which could assist him in this bold 

 undertaking. 



The Hecla was employed to carry him to the northern 

 coast of Spitzbergen, where she was to be secured in a 

 safe harbor or cove ; and with her were sent two boats, 

 to be dragged or navigated, according to circumstances, 

 from that island to the pole. These boats being framed 

 of ash and hickory, covered with water-proof canvas, 

 over which were successive planks of fir and oak, with 

 a sheet of stout felt interposed, united the greatest pos- 

 sible degree of strength and elasticity. The interior 

 was made capacious, and flat-floored, somewhat as in 

 troop-boats ; and a runner, attached to each side of the 

 keel, fitted them to be drawn along the ice like a sledge. 

 Wheels were also taken on board, in case their use 

 should be found practicable. 



The adventurers started on the 27th of March, 1827, 

 and on the 19th of April entered the fine harbor of 

 Hammerfest, in Norway, where they remained two or 

 three weeks, and took on board eight reindeer, with a 

 quantity of picked moss for their provender. Departing 

 on the llth of May, they soon found themselves among 

 the ice, and met a number of whale-ships. On the 13th 

 they were in view of Hakluyt's Headland, when the 

 captain endeavored to push his way to the north-east, 

 in the track of Phipps. The vessel, however, was SOOD 

 completely beset, and even enclosed in a large floe, which 

 carried her slowly along with it. 



As every day was now an irretrievable loss, Parry 

 12 



