Reltirv of the Discovery Ships, 385 



Captain Parry met with no inhabitants, but he frequently saw 

 deserted huts on the shore. Only two of the crew had a slight 

 touch of scurvy. 



" The Magnetic Pole appeared to be about 100 deg. of west 

 longitude, as the needle indicated a peculiarity of condition when 

 they were in that meridian. The dij), however, did not exceed 

 86 deg. so that they were not above tlie Magnetic Pole.'' 



Another account says — 



" We understand that Lieutenant Parry entered by Lancaster 

 Sound, proceeded over Captain Ross's special chart of land, and 

 reached in the parallel of 74 or 75. — 114. or 1 15. W. — about 

 550 miles further than Cajjtain Ross asserted the Polar Sea to be 

 navigable. In 90. the ships fell in with islands which contiimed 

 successively till they reached the extreme westerly point of one 

 in 115. where winter overtook them. — They wintered in a snug 

 bay in Lancaster Sound ; and did not get clear of the ice till 

 the 5th of August this year. From October till February, or 

 for about 100 days, they were in darkness ; but with abundance 

 of wholesome provisions, and other requisite comforts, tliey passed 

 the time very agreeably. The crew were amused with games of 

 every kind ; and occasionally they acted plays for mutual enter- 

 tainment. On the breaking up of the ice this season, attempts 

 were made to proceed westerly; but immense l)arriers of ice from 

 the PoUr Sea to the northward, shutout all hope of succeeding 

 in the parallel of 74 ; and before they could return to the east- 

 ward and renew the attenqot in a lower latitude, the navigaide 

 season, which is confined to August and a few days in September, 

 offered no reasonable chance of succeeding this year ; indepen- 

 dent of which, the provisions would not have held out, in so pre- 

 carious and dangerous a navigation, for the winter, and the time 

 thev would certainly have been frozen up. The existence of a 

 polar sea to the westward of Hearne's river, is incontestably 

 esta!)lished ; and experience has taught those hardy navigators, 

 that in the month of August such a jjowerful radiation from the 

 land takes place, as to render a channel sufficient to demonstrate 

 the certainty of the existence of a north-west passage, and that 

 a practicable one, but not open to any possible commercial pur- 

 poses. — In 90. the compasses were useless on-!)oard ; the attrac- 

 tion of the needle was extreme. The crews of the vessels have 

 conducted themselves as became men in such a momentous ex- 

 pedition, where the breath of every one in his sleeping place 

 formed a sheet of ice over his head in the mor<iing. The ships 

 have been out for about eighteen months, having saiied from 

 Sheerness on the 18th May 1819." 



Vol. r>6 . No. 27 1 . Nov. 1 8^.0. 3 C Fro w 



