to the Arctic Regions in 1824 and 1825. 149 



ties of discovery were sent out under Captain Hoppner, Lieu- 

 tenant Sherer, and Lieutenant Ross. The party under Cap- 

 tain Hoppner, penetrated into the interior to the eastward; that 

 under Lieutenant Sherer, went along the coast to the south, 

 and succeeded in reaching Fitzgerald Bay, in lat. 72° 30' ; 

 while Lieutenant Ross advanced to the uorthward and pro- 

 ceeded beyond Cape York in 73° 30'. 



The summer was ushered in with a shower of rain, so 

 early as the 6th of June 1825. The thaw advanced with great 

 rapidity, and the weather became agreeable and mild. Pre- 

 parations were made for quitting their winter-quarters ; and, 

 on the 20th of July, when the ice was fairly broken up, the 

 Fury and Hecla quitted Port Bowen, after a residence of ten 

 months. On the 22d, they were driven back again nearly to 

 Prince Leopolds Islands in Lancaster Sound. On the 23d 

 they reached North Somerset ; and, on the 24th, Cape Sep- 

 pings, on the western entrance of Prince Regent's Inlet. Here 

 the danger to which the ships were exposed now commenced. 

 They worked down to the southward, along the west shore of 

 the Regent's Inlet, till the morning of the 1st of August, 

 when unfortunately the Fury was forced on shore by masses 

 of ice. By great exertions she was got off, and she bore 

 down a little farther to the southward, in order to be repair- 

 ed. The severity of the weather, however, increased ; and, 

 notwithstanding that the greatest efforts were made to save 

 her, she was abandoned on the 23d of August. All her crew 

 were removed on board the Hecla, which had herself been in 

 imminent danger. 



Every hope of prosecuting the objects of the expedition now 

 vanished, and it was the opinion of all the officers that they 

 should return to England. The Hecla accordingly stood to 

 the northward ; and, on the 27th August, she anchored in 

 Nidi's Harbour, a little to the southward of Port Bowen. 

 After two or three days, which were spent in refitting the 

 vessel, the Hecla quitted Prince Regent's Inlet on the 1st of 

 September. By the 17th they had got through the ice, and 

 passed the Arctic circle ; and, on the 1st October, they reached 

 the Orkney Islands. On the 16th October Captain Parry ar- 



