388 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



trate the Arctic seas. Three distinct expeditions in search of that 

 ignis fatuus, a north-west passage to India, are on record in times 

 past, but all anterior to the war of the revolution. Two of these 

 were fitted out at the port of Philadelphia, and the third in Virginia. 

 We believe that no account of these voyages has been handed down- 

 certainly these events have not been incorporated in the histories of 

 the country. The Express gives the following account of these expe- 

 ditions : 



" The name of the vessel in the first expedition, was the Argo, a 

 small schooner of 150 or 200 tons. She was commanded by Capt. 

 Charles Swaine. She sailed from Philadelphia in the spring of the 

 year 1752, and returned on the 15th of November, in the year 

 ensuing. The result of this adventure profitted neither science nor 

 those who embarked in it. The vessel was unable to get beyond 

 Davis's Straits, the weather being so terribly cold as to defeat all 

 attempts to reach a higher latitude than 65 degrees north. The crew 

 of the Argo all returned well, and the vessel with but little or no 

 damage from ice. But, nothing dispirited by the unprofitable fruits 

 of his first voyage, Captain Swaine determined to make another 

 eifort to discover the north-west passage. And so he set out again, in 

 the same vessel, early in the following spring. This was in the year 

 1754. The only record we can find of his voyage is contained in the 

 Pennsylvania Journal, October 24th, of that year} the whole history 

 being embraced in the following meagre paragraph : ' On Thursday 

 last,' it runs, ' arrived here the schooner Argo, Capt. Swaine, who 

 was fitted out in the spring on a discovery of a north-west passage, 

 but having three of his men killed by the Indians on the Labrador 

 coast, returned without success.' ' 



Eighteen years subsequent to the arrival of the Argo, the Virginia 

 expedition was started. The name of the vessel was the Dilligence, 

 a brig of about the same tonnage as the Argo, under command of 

 Capt. Wilder. Few particulars relative to this voyage have been 

 preserved. All we know is, that on his return the Captain of the 

 Dilligence reported that "he reached a large bay in latitude 69 11', 

 which he supposed hitherto unknown ; that from the course of the 

 tides, he thought it probable there might be a passage through it ; but 

 as the bay was seldom free from ice, the passsge could seldom, if ever, 

 be practicable." It is surmised that Capt. Wilder, in this attempt, 

 succeeded in sailing through Davis's Strait into Baffin's Bay. 



DISCOVERIES IN THE CATACOMBS OF ROME. 



A FRENCH centlemcn of the name of Pcrret has been engaged 



<j cr o> 



for six years in exploring the catacombs under Rome, and copying, 

 with the most minute and scrupulous fidelity, the remains of ancient 

 art which are hidden in those extraordinary chambers, Under the 

 authority of the papal government, M. Perret has explored the whole 

 of the sixty catacombs together with the connecting galleries. Bury- 

 ing himself in this subterranean city, he has thoroughly examined 



