Northern Expedition. 385 



that die wind had shifted off' the land, as the water deepened, 

 a sight of the sun, and subsequently of the other celestial 

 bodies, was obtained (of which they had had no view for some 

 days), and the ship was found to have been drifted out of the 

 Welcome, after having attained lat. 65. 30. There was at 

 this moment no anchor left in the ship. Notwithstanding, it 

 was determined, if possible, to winter about Chesterfield Inlet, 

 or even to the southward of that spot. The persevering efforts 

 of all on board were accordingly directed to gain the Ameri- 

 can shore; but finding that the ship got into the shallows of Hud- 

 son's Bay, they were reluctantly compelled to edge away for 

 Salisbury Island, still hoping that a few fine and favourable 

 days would restore to them their lost ground. The bad 

 weather, however, still continued, and there was much diffi- 

 culty in watering the ship at these places, from a stream of 

 ice. A number of natives came off to them in their canoes, and 

 trafficked their clothes for iron and spears. At length the hope- 

 less continuance of bad weather, the wretched condition of the 

 ship (fi'om her incapacities), the officers and crew having suf- 

 fered more hardships than on any previous voyage, the ad- 

 vanced stage of the season, with numerous other concomitant 

 miseries, compelled Captain Lyon to consent that the ship 

 should be got out of Hudson's Straits (an extent of 800 miles of 

 dangerous navigation); which place they had scarcely cleai'ed, 

 when a southerly gale drove them up Davis's Straits, 150 

 miles to the southward of Resolution Island. Providentially, 

 a change of wind enabled them soon after to proceed on a 

 southern passage homeward, and the Griper arrived here in 

 six weeks, in the state we have described. 



Though little has been effected towards solving the geo- 

 graphical problem of a north-west passage by this voyage, yet 

 some most interesting elucidations of the deviation of the com- 

 pass have been brought to light. The compasses began to 

 waver and contradict each other when abreast of the Savage 

 Islands ; and, as the ship got to the westward, the compasses 



fot unsteady and useless. While the ship was in Sir Thomas 

 Lowe's Welcome, they frequently would not traverse at all, 

 but stood in whatever position the card was placed. Should 

 a passage be discovered by Captain Parry through the Prince 

 Regent s Inlet, it is considered more than probable, from the 

 irregular movement of the ice, that it may never be entered 

 again. 



The Griper spoke several whalers, all of which had been 



unsuccessful in the fishery; no ship had more than two fish, 



and many none whatever. From the captain of the Phoenix 



whaler, Captain Lyon heard that Captain Parry's expedition 



Vol.64-. No. 319. Nov. 1824. 3 C had 



