POLAR REGIONS. 



Pol.ii- fine run of 50 milea on the llth of July. 



lYnrliyn thi-y <h-r..vi-rr<l a w.iUifall in Harrow'* Kivcr. 

 - of cjo'fi-rt liJuh all(l 40 y artl8 witle< Captain Parry 

 considered his visit to this cascade as the most pictur- 

 esque and gratifying that he hud ever paid to the shores 

 in these regions. 



On the Kith of July they reached Igloolik, the scene 

 of another year's adventures, and nearly the limit that 

 they were destined to reach on their present voyage. 

 Here they landed, and again found Esquimaux, who 

 saluted them with the word limn, the expression we 

 have formerly stated as used by the Esquimaux, on 

 the west side of Baffin's Bay. This exclamation is 

 supposed to be equivalent to our " what cheer !" 



From the latitude of 68 2' to Igloolik, in (>o, 2(X, 

 the ice along the coast abounded with sea-horses ; in 

 some places in astonishing numbers. Some of them 

 were killed by the crew of the ships, and the flesh, 

 dark and disgusting as its appearance is, was eaten, and 

 being found not in the slightest degree unpalatable, 

 - was eagerly sought after by those who could overcome 

 the prejudice arising from the dark colour of the flesh. 

 On the arrival of the ships at Igloolik, their researches 

 towards the north and west, the promising direction in 

 which the sea now lay, were suspended, in consequence 

 of a firm sheet of ice, apparently of the preceding win- 

 ter's formation, stretching directly across their track. 

 Agreeably to information previously received from the 

 Esquimaux, they found a channel, lying between Mel- 

 ville Peninsula and a large tract of land to the north- 

 ward that was named Cockburn Island, stretching to 

 the westward, and apparently communicating with the 

 Polar Sea. This strait, which they called the Strait of 

 the Fury and Hecla, was explored in various directions 

 by party travelling after party, on ice or land, through 

 the greater part of its extent. Cape North East of the 

 continent of America, was found to lie about nine 

 leagues to the north-westward of Igloolik, near which 

 cape the channel was reduced by islands to the width 

 of about two miles, and this contracted place was firm- 

 ly and unceasingly, during the stay of the ship, block- 

 ed up with ice. This effect appeared to be owing to a 

 strong current constantly setting to the eastward through 

 it, which brought the ice out of the Polar Sea, and 

 wedged it up in this place. That this was really an 

 outlet into the Polar Sea no reasonable doubt could be 

 entertained, because the shores of the strait were traced 

 to the westward, until two concluding capes appeared 

 to terminate the strait, and because the water which was 

 constantly passing through the narrows was found to 

 be quite salt ; and because the Esquimaux, whose ac- 

 count of the geography of these lands had invariably 

 proved to be remarkably correct, described the strait as 

 opening into a wide western sea. Some of the icy bar- 

 rier broke away in the course of the months of August 

 and September, and the ships were enabled to pene- 

 trate seven or eight leagues to the westward of Cape 

 North East, beyond which it was found impossible to 

 make any way. This, which was the most western posi- 

 tion attained by the ships in the strait, was in longi- 

 tude 83 35' W. latitude 69 47'. But their travelling 

 parties proceeded farther. Captain Parry had in per- 

 son first got a view of the interior of the strait from 

 Cape North East, on the 18th August ; and a walking 

 party under Lieutenant Reid, proceeded to longitude 

 84 53' W. latitude 70 12', which was the extreme 

 north-westerly position they attained in this way. 



The summer was indeed occupied principally in ex- 

 plorations over ice and land ; sometimes walking, and 

 at others assisted by sledges and dogs purchased from 



ffj 



the natives, until the continuity of the southern land 

 was completely dftc-n, lined, the reality of the strait sa- 

 tisfactorily made out, and every chance of farther pro- 

 gress for the ships in this direction, awl under existing 

 circumstances, fully demonstrated. 



The thermometer fell to zero on the 6th of October, 

 and the winter made such rapid advances, that the 

 ships were securely frozen up in winter quarters to- 

 wards the end of the month. 



Here the presence of the natives (among whom were 

 several of their former acquaintances, who had travel. 

 U'l during the summer from Winter Island,) again 

 served to diminish the tedium of the winter, and to 

 give some relief to the otherwise monotonous period of 

 their detention. 



The number of these people at Igloolik was 155. 

 Among them, in the course of the winter, a consi- 

 derable mortality prevailed. Eighteen deaths occur- 

 red within the knowledge of Captain Parry. To 

 the honour of our voyagers, the greatest and most 

 humane attention was paid to the sick ; several were 

 taken on board the ships, and lodged in the offi- 

 cer's cabins ; and for others an hospital was built upon 

 the ice, contiguous to the ships, where every possible 

 assistance and relief were afforded them. In conse- 

 quence of this attention, under Providence, the lives of 

 some of the sick were preserved ; but several fell vic- 

 tims to the fatal disease, among whom were some of 

 the finest of the youth of the tribe. The residents- 

 here lived in huts built of snow or blocks of flat ice ; 

 and some in old huts or tents framed with bones. 



On the 23d of November, the thermometer fell to 



38, and on the 8th of December to 4S, which was 

 the lowest during the winter. The sun set, calculating 

 the refraction at its ordinary quantity, on the 26'th of 

 November ; but it was seen by the influence of extra- 

 ordinary refraction six days afterwards. On the 19th 

 of January, 1823, the sun again appeared above the 

 horizon at mid-day. 



Though the winter was cold, the thermometer rose 

 early in January as high as -f-22. The month of Ja- 

 nuary proved indeed 10 warmer than December ; but 

 the succeeding months were proportionally cold. 



Different from what happened at the former wintering 

 stations, hard and well-defined clouds occurred here oc- 

 casionally in the depth of winter ; but these were in 

 an eastern direction, where, no land being within sight, 

 there was supposed to be some open water. 



The mean temperature of the six winter months, 

 from October to March inclusive, at this station, was 



18.3; at Winter Island m 1821-2, latitude 66$% it 

 was 11.7 and at Melville Island in 1819-20, lati- 

 tude 74-2, it was 24. 



Mr. Elder, Greenland mate of the Hecla, died of a 

 dropsy on the 15th of April. This was the fourth death 

 that had occurred in the expedition. 



Ducks were seen on the iGth, and on the 2pth of 

 April, the moderation of the frost was further indicated 

 by the snow falling soft, and melting on the decks. 



During the detention of the expedition at Igloolik, the 

 dogs and sledges of the natives were often, as we have 

 before intimated, employed to advantage. The power 

 of these dogs in drawing heavy weights is worthy of 

 notice. Captain Parry had designed to winter again 

 in these regions, and for extending his resources, 

 intended to send the Hecla to England, and pursue the 

 discovery alone ; a plan which, however honourable to 

 his hardihood and perseverance, was wisely given up 

 on the appearance of the scurvy among, his crew in 

 the spring. With this object in view, he caused a 



