SSO Notices respecthig New Books. 



thence, through the Russian governor, a duplicate of his journals 

 to London. From Kamtschatka he was to proceed to the Sand- 

 wich Islands or Canton, or any other place he might tliink pro- 

 per, to refit the ships and refresh tlie crews, and then to return 

 to England by such route as he might deem most convenient. 

 Captain Parrv was also allowed to winter in the Arctic regions, if 

 he deemed it necessary. He was directed to make such obser- 

 vations as might tend to the improvement of astronomy, geo- 

 graphv, and navigation ; and to collect and preserve such speci- 

 mens of the animal, mineral and vegetable kingdoms as he might 

 meet with. The Lords of the Admiralty, relying with a just and 

 liberal confidence on the well-known zeal and talents of Captain 

 Parrv, left much to his discretion and judgement. 



The Hecla was commanded by Captain (then Lieut.) Parry ; 

 the Griper bv Lieut. Liddon, Both had been prepared with great 

 attention for the voyage, and supplied with every requisite that 

 could be anticipated as likely to prove useful. The number of 

 persons on board both was ninety-four ; the greater part of the 

 seamen had been employed in Captain Ross's voyage ; and every 

 individual was allowed doui)le the ordinary pay of His Majesty's 

 Navy. 



The two vessels sailed from the Nore on the 10th of May 1819; 

 and on the ISth of June, when about lat. 58° 52' and long. 48" 12', 

 they fell in with the first ' stream' of ice, and soon afterwards 

 they saw several icebergs. On the evening of the 24th, some 

 curious effects of atmospheric refraction were observed, the low 

 ice being at times considerably raised in the horizon, and con- 

 stantlv altering its appearance. The next day, the ice through 

 which thev had been towing, closed together so rapidly, that the 

 crews had scarcely time to hoist up the boats before the ships 

 were immoveably beset. ' It is impossible,^ says Captain Parry, 

 ' to conceive a more helpless situation than that of a ship thus 

 beset, when all tiie ])ower that can be applied will not alter the 

 direction of her head a single degree of the compass.' Some of 

 the gentlemen walked a mile or two from the ships, and imagined 

 they saw marks of a sledge on the ice; but in this, Captain Parry 

 thinks, they were mistaken. The ships remained locked in the 

 ice until the 30th, when thev were able to move them a little. 

 * A southerly swell dashing the loose ice with tremendous force 

 against the bergs, sometimes raised a white spray over the lat- 

 ter, to the height of more than one hundred feet, and l)eing ac- 

 companied with a loud noise, exactly resembling the roar of di- 

 stant thunder, presented a scene at once sublime and terrific' 

 On the 4th of Julv, the Hecla attempting to push through the 

 ice, was for some time at the mercy of a swell of the ocean, which 

 drifted her fast towards the bergs; but she was, fortunatelv, brought 



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