ilAY 26, 1856.] OBITUARY. 129 



ledge resulted from it, and considerable information as to the Esqui- 

 maux tribes of that region was obtained. On returning to England 

 Tarry was promoted to the rank of Captain, and in another year 

 found himself once more on his way to the frozen North, in order, if 

 possible, to co-operate with an overland expedition under Franklin. 

 This was the last of Parry's North- Western voyages. The subject of 

 our memoir was now confirmed in the office of Hydrographer to the 

 Admiralty, which had before been temporarily held by him ; still, 

 however, directing his attention to Arctic research, he offered to 

 carry out a scheme, which had been proposed in 1818 by Franklin 

 and myself: namely, to attempt reaching a high northern latitude by 

 travelling over the Spitzbergen ice. He accordingly sailed in 1827 

 for Hammerfest, and doubtless would have succeeded in his object, 

 but that an unexpected impediment presented itself; for the ice 

 over which he travelled was found to move southward at almost 

 the same rate he advanced northward, and he was most unwillingly 

 compelled to retrace his journey, having proceeded to 82° 45' N. 

 lat. — farther towards the Pole than any of his predecessors. 



In 1829, Parry was appointed Commissioner for the management of 

 the affairs of the Australian Agricultural Company, and, in pursuance 

 of the duties of the office, took up his residence at Port Stephen, 

 GO miles to the north of Sydney. Before leaving England, he re- 

 ceived the order of knighthood, and was created D.C.L. of Oxford. 



Eeturning once more to England, after an absence of five years, he 

 was made Poor Law Commissioner in the county of Norfolk, but did 

 not long hold an appointment which was uncongenial to lits tastes. 

 Soon after this. Sir E. Parry was selected to organize and conduct a 

 newly-created department of the Admiralty, under the title of Comp- 

 troller of Steam Machinery, and it was during the time that ho 

 remained in this office, that the screw-propeller, now indispensable 

 to our fleets, was introduced into the navy. 



In 1847, in consequence of failing health from over- work, he re- 

 signed this also, and became Captain-Superintendent of Haslar 

 HoS|)ital ; and, in 1853, the Lieutenant-Go vemorship of Greenwich 

 Hospital falling vacant, he accepted it. 



Disease, however, had begun its ravages, and, under the direction 

 of his medical advisers, he determined to try the waters of Ems. 

 On his way to these baths he was detained by exhaustion at Coblentz, 

 and only reached Ems to die. 



Thus ended the career of one of the most distinguished officers of 

 his age, who had spent his days in active usefulness, and whose life 



n2 



