384 Return of the Discovery Ships. 



We were now as far as 90 deg. nothing to stop us but ice, wliicli 

 delayed us some time ; but, after repeated trials, we at length 

 succeeded in getting through a passage into the long-looked-for 

 Polar Sea ; our course was as much to the west as the ice would 

 admit of. By the first week of September we had reached as 

 far west as 1 13 deg. W. when we were completely stopped by 

 ice. Wmter set in about the middle of September. A harbour 

 was then most anxiously looked for, which we were fortunate 

 enough to put the ships into by the 26th of September. It was 

 a close shave as to time. The sea, or the lanes of water amongst 

 the ice, which we had hitherto navigated, were now entirely 

 frozen over. The ships were housed over, and all things pre- 

 pared for the winter, which, thank God, we passed pretty com- 

 fortably, though cold. We lived on board the ships. Our greatest 

 degree of cold was in January, 52 degrees below zero. Our 

 mean temperature for twelve months was one degree and a half 

 above zero, Fahrenheit. On the 1st of August we got out of 

 the harbour, and resumed our exertions to get to westward : 

 reached 1 14 deg. W. in the latitude of 74 N. : but all our expec- 

 tations ended on the 23d of September 1820, when winter re- 

 appeared, and no hopes left. We turned our heads to the east- 

 ward, and have got thus far on our passage home. Our disco- 

 veries are many, in geography — magnet — birds. — beasts — fishes, 

 &c. &c. but no inhabitants in the Polar regions. The latitude 

 we wintered at is 74 deg. 47 niiu. N. 1 10 deg. 49 min. W. — de- 

 signated Melville Island." 



In addition to the above private letter, we have procured from 

 an authentic source the following particulars, which are highly 

 interesting, as they obviously show that the navigators were in 

 the sea seen by Ilearne, and give almost the certain prospect 

 of their being enabled, in a future attempt, to penetrate into the 

 Pacific Ocean through Behring's Straits : 



" The Discovery Ships, under Captain Parry, sailed up Lan- 

 caster Sound. After passing through it, in an open sea, they 

 reachedl {■> deg. W. long, and 73 deg. N. lat., which is obviously 

 the sea seen by Mr. Hearne. ^I'hey returned to W. long. 110. 

 being unable to proceed, owing to the teinpestuous weather. 

 In long. 110 they put the vessels into a creek, where the ice 

 was MO feet thick. Here they remained during the winter for 

 84 days. The darkness was such, that at noon they could 

 scarcely see the letters of a book printed with large t}pes, 



" During the prevalence of the winds tlie thermometer fell so 

 low as 57^ deg. below zero, at which periods they could not ven- 

 ture into the open air; but when the winds fell, they foutid the 

 air quite supportable, aud amused themselves in shooting par- 

 tridges and ptarmigans, whicli they found in great quantities. 



Captain 



1 



