PREMIUMS FOR POLAR DISCOVERIES. 53 



have been published in the London Gazette accord- 

 ingly *. They are to the following effect : 



" 1. To the first ship belonging to any of his Ma- 

 jesty's subjects, or to his JMajesty, that shall pro- 

 ceed to the longitude of 110° west, or the mouth of 

 Hearne's or Coppermine River, by sailing within 

 the Arctic circle, 5000/. ; to 130' west, or the Whale 

 Island of ^Mackenzie, 10,000 /.; to 150' west, by sail- 

 ing westward, within the Arctic circle, 15,000 /. ; to 

 the Pacific Ocean, by a north-west passage, as before 

 allotted, the full reward of 20,000 /. 



" 2. To the first ship, as aforesaid, that shall sail 

 to 83° of north latitude, 1000 /, ; to 85% 2000 /. ; to 

 87°, 3000 /. ; to 88°, 4000 /. ; and to 89', as before 

 allotted, the full reward of 5000 Z." 



As this scale for discoveries towards the North Pole, 

 commences with a latitude which there may be at 

 least a hope of attaining, there will be no doubt of 

 attempts being made to penetrate to the farthest 

 navigable point, and of that extreme accessible point 

 being soon ascertained. 



* The memorial of the commissioners, presented to the 

 Prince Regent, includes the remark, " That the progress of 

 discovery has (it appears) already advanced on the eastern 

 coast of America, and within the Arctic circle, as far as 90® 

 west longitude, or thereabouts, from Greenwich ;" but 'that 

 " northwards it has not yet arrived, according to any well 

 authenticated accounts, so far as 81° of north latitude."— 

 C London Gazette, 23d March 1819). This corresponds with 

 what has been advanced in the foregoing pages, respecting 

 the instances of high navigations, given in Harrington's Mis* 

 cellanies. 



