149 



CHAPTER VI. 



ON THE EFFECTING OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



Since these pages were commenced, I have been in- 

 formed by the newspapers, that ships are fitting out by 

 orders of the Admiralty to explore a passage to the Pacific 

 Ocean through the arctic seas. The reader will excuse the 

 insertion here of an article that appeared to that effect. I 

 do not wish to load my page with quotations; but this 

 seems of some importance, as it refers to the first authority 

 on this subject. 



" We learn that a vessel is to be fitted out by Govern- 

 ment for the purpose of attempting again the north-west 

 passage, the season being considered as peculiarly favour- 

 able to such an expedition. Our readers need not be in- 

 formed that larger masses of ice than ever were before 

 known have this year been seen floating in the Atlantic, and 

 that from their magnitude and sohdity, they reached even 

 the fortieth latitude before they were melted into a fluid 

 state. From an examination of the Greenland captains, 



