150 . Northern Expedition. 



The Isabella and Alexander are intended to proceed in a N.W. 

 direction to Davis's Straits, and explore there for a passage 

 through into tlie great Pacific Ocean, l)v tlie American Continent. 



The Dorothea and Trent, proceeding to the eastward of Green- 

 land, will lake a northerly direction, in the hopes of reaching the 

 Pole, and from thence to Behring's btraits. 



The Isahella is of 382 tons, and has a complement of 47 men : 

 Captain John Ross, commander. 



The Alexander is of 250 tons, complement 33 men : Lieute- 

 nant W. Edw. Parrv, commander. 



The Dorothea is of 369 tons, complement 47 men : Captain 

 David Buchan, commander. 



The Trent is of 250 tons, complement 33 men: Lieutenant 

 J, Franklin, commander. 



An ample supply of warm clothing will he provided, and three 

 months advance of pay given to the men. The officers will 

 have their pav doubled, and six months in advance. — A compen- 

 sation will be granted the purser in lieu of balance bills ; indeed, 

 the whole arrangements appear on a scale of liberality that will 

 do justice to the projectors of the expedition. 



If unsuccessful, it is expected to terminate about September 

 IS19. If it be successful, and the navigators return by the In- 

 dian Seas, a reward of 20,000'. will be distributed amongst the 

 crews. Notwithstanding this, and an allowance of 3Z. per month, 

 a difficulty is found in obtaining suitable hands for the voyage, 

 and the vessels are to complete their crews at the Orkneys, the 

 great rendezvous of seamen for the Greenland service. 



" If an open navigation should be discovered across the Polar 

 Basin, the passage over the Pole, or close to it, will be one of the 

 most interesting events to science that ever occurred. It will be 

 the first time that the problem was practically solved, with which 

 the learners of geography are sometimes puzzled — that of going 

 the shortest way between two places lying east and west of each 

 other, by taking a direction of north and south. The passage of 

 the Pole will require the undivided attention of the navigator. 

 On approaching this point, from which the northern coasts of Eu- 

 rope, Asia, and America, and every part of them, will bear south 

 of him, nothing can possibly assist him in determining his course, 

 and keeping on the right meridian of his destined place, but a 

 correct knowledge of the time, and yet no means of ascertaining 

 that time will be afforded him. The only tione he can have, with 

 any degree of certainty, as long as he remains on or near the Pole, 

 must be that of Greenwich, and this he can know only from good 

 chronometers; for from the general hazy state of the atmosphere, 

 and particularly about the horizon, and the sameness in the alti- 

 tude of the sun, at every hour in the four and twenty, he must tiot 



expect 



