INTRODUCTION. ix 
an object of interesting inquiry ; but the ques- 
tion respecting it has already been so much 
agitated, that it is unnecessary to say any 
thing on the subject, farther than that one of 
the principal objects of the Expedition was 
to explore it. 
The vessels appointed for this service were 
His Majesty’s ships Hecla and Griper, the 
former a vessel of nearly four hundred tons, 
and from her construction, (having been built 
for a bomb,) well adapted for stowage,—an 
object of the first importance where we were 
obliged to carry fuel, provisions, stores, and 
indeed every article that we were furnished 
with for the voyage. The Griper was a 
much smaller vessel than the Hecla, having 
been formerly a twelve-gun brig. Her ac- 
commodations. however. were considerably 
improved by her having been rose upon ; 
but she was notwithstanding very much in- 
ferior to the other ship in every respect, as she 
neither sailed so well, nor did she carry her 
own supply of provisions, &c. ; for, although 
the Expedition was furnished with stores and 
provisions for two years, yet, in less than half 
that time, the Griper required to be supplied 
from the Hecla with different articles. In 
other respects, however, their equipment was 
ray 
