NATURAL HISTORY. 



661 



which may tend to mar the pro- 

 gress of the beat regulated expedi- 

 tion. Therefore, it may not be 

 improper to confiim and strength- 

 en the whole, by directing the at- 

 tention to what has been done, in 

 journeying under difficulties which 

 may bear a comparison with the 

 undertaking here alluded to, and 

 occasionally under circumstances 

 the most unfavourable for success. 

 1st. When treating of icebergs, 

 I alluded to the joiuney of Alexei 

 MarkofF, in which it appears, that 

 he performed near eight hundred 

 miles across a surface of packed 

 ice, in the spring of 1715, in a 

 sledge drawn by dogs ; and con- 

 sequently, that he might be sup- 

 posed to have encountered the 

 principal difficulties that could be 

 expected in the proposed scheme, 

 whilst we have the advantage of 

 improving by his experience. 



2d. Speaking of the south- 

 western tendency of the ice, I have 



I also noticed the loss of several of 

 the Dutch Greenland fleet in 1777j 

 from which we learn, that part of 

 the unfortunate suffering crews, 

 under every privation of provision 

 and clothing, and exposed to the 



I severity of an arctic winter, ac- 

 complished a journey on foot, 

 along the coasts of Old Greenland, 

 from the east side near Staten- 

 Hook to the Danish settlements 

 on the west, a distance of near a 

 hundred leagues. 



3d. On contrasting the project- 

 ed polar journey with the cata- 

 logue of marvellous occurrences, 

 ajid wonderful preservations which 

 are exhibUed in the records of 

 maritime disasters, the difficulties 

 of the undertaking in a great 

 measure vanish, and its dangers 

 are eclipsed, by the wonderful re- 

 Vot. LIX. 



suits which necessity has in various 

 instances accomplished. 



PERSIAN GULF. 



Discovery of Eight Islands, 

 (From the Asiatic Journal.) 



We publish for general infor- 

 mation, the following observations 

 received from the Hon. James 

 Ashley Maude, Captain of His 

 Majesty's ship Favourite, in regard 

 to the situation and appetuance of 

 eight islands discovered by him on 

 the 13th, 14th, and 15th of July, 

 1S16, in the Persian Gulph, during 

 a cruize for general protection of 

 the trade. 



" The situation and appearance 

 of eight islands on the Arab ianside 

 in the Gulph of Persia, not laid 

 down in any of the charts; the 

 names of which are Arabic, and 

 the latitudes and longitudes of 

 each taken from cross bearings, 

 the latter by chi'onometer 3 seen 

 by his Majesty's ship Favourite, 

 the Hon. James Ashley Maude, 

 captain, during a cruize for the 

 general protection of trade in the 

 Gulph, on the 13th, 14th, and 15th 

 of July, 1S16.— 



Dauss.^ln latitude 25° lo' N. 

 longitude per chronometer 52° 45 

 E. bearing SE. distance 4 leagues, 

 appears of a moderate height with 

 a few small hummocks, and south 

 western extremity a low sandy 

 point six or seven miles in length, 

 no trees, and soil a metallic ap- 

 pearance; in passing it, distance 

 off shore fom- or five leagues, we 

 had from 13 to 18 fathoms, coarse 

 sand with a few overfalls. 



Jarnain Island. — South easterly 

 direction found Dauss is in lati- 

 tude 25* 8' N. longitude, per chro- 

 nometer, 52° 55' E. beariag SE. 



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