364 Narrative of Captain Parry^s Attempt 



he left the ship, with two boats, which he named the Enterprize 

 and Endeavour, Mr Beverly being attached to Captain Parry's, 

 and Lieutenant Ross, accompanied by Mr Bird, to the other. 

 " Besides these,*" says Captain Parry," I took Lieutenant Crozier, 

 for the purpose of carrying some of our weight as far as Walden 

 Island, and also a third store of provisions, to be deposited on 

 Low Island, as an intermediate station between Walden Island 

 and the ship. As it was still necessary not to delay our return 

 l)eyond the end of August, the time originally intended, I took 

 with me only 71 days' provisions, which, including the boats, 

 and every other article, made up a weight of 200 lb. per man ; 

 and, as it appeared highly improbable^ from what we had seen 

 of the very rugged nature of the ice we should first have to en- 

 counter, that either the rein-deer, or the snow-shoes, or the 

 wheels, would l>e of any service for some time to come, I gave 

 up the idea of taking them. Having received the usual saluta- 

 tion of three cheers from those we left behind, we paddled 

 through a quantity of loose ice at the entrance of the bay, and 

 we steered, in a perfectly open sea, and with calm and beautiful 

 weather, for Low Island, which we reached at half past two in the 

 morning of the 22d June. Having deposited the pi-ovisions, we 

 set off for Walden Island, which was soon reached, and another 

 deposit of provisions made.'' Lieutenant Crozier now parted from 

 them, and the boats pursued their course north waids. The 

 following is Captain Parry's account of their mode of travelling*: 



"• Our plan of travelling," he says, speaking of the journey over the ice af- 

 ter leaving the Hecla, " being nearly the same throughout this excursion, af- 

 ter we first entered upon the ice, I may at once give some account of our 

 usual mode of proceeding. It was my intention to travel wholly at night, and 

 to rest by day, there being, of course, constant daylight in these regions du- 

 ring the summer season. The advantages of this plan, which was occasional- 

 ly deranged by circumstances, consisted, first, in our avoiding the intense and 

 oppressive glare from the snow during the time of the sun's gi-eatest altitude, 

 so as to prevent, in some degree, the painful inflammation in the eyes called 

 * snow-blindness,' which is common in all snowy countries. We also thus 

 enjoyed greater warmth during the hours of rest, and had a better chance of 

 drying our clothes ; besides which, no small advantage was derived from the 

 snow being harder at night for travelling. The only disadvantage of this plan 

 was, that the fogs were somewhat more frequent and more thick by night 

 than by day, though, even in this respect, there was less ditference than might 

 have been supposed ; the temperature during the twenty ^four hours under- 

 * Narrative, p. 55. 



