A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 151 



proceeds thither. They are to be accompanied by four 

 heutenants, one attached to each of the captains, and the 

 others to command the two vessels to act as tenders. Two 

 of the ships, as we before stated, proceed up Davis's 

 Strait, the extent or termination of which is utterly un- 

 known, and the other two direct, if possible, to the pole, 

 between Iceland and Greenland. The ships are to be 

 ready for sea by the first week in March." 



Now if these notifications convey the infoiination on 

 which the intended expeditions are directed, as some doubt 

 possesses my mind on the accuracy of that information, I 

 shall submit to public consideration a few remarks on this 

 head, and shall afterwards briefly set before the reader an 

 accurate journal of some months' traversino- of Davis's 

 Strait noted faithfully by myself. 



Every information coming by newspaper account carries, 

 from the abuse of some such publications, strong features 

 of want of authenticity ; but, in the present instance, where 

 the names of captains in the navy, of most reputable 

 character, are introduced, no doubt can exist as to the fact 

 of the expeditions being in preparation. These notifica- 

 tions, however, would imply that the direction is fixed 

 towards the north pole : such a project cannot be grounded 

 on what has been found from an examination of the 

 Greenland captains, who are reported to assert that, " owing 

 to some convulsions of nature, the sea was more open and 



