NORTH POLAR EXPEDITIONS. 



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wolves, white and black hares, white foxes, ermines, 

 a single squirrel, many kinds of ducks, ptarmigans, 

 snow-oirds, single ravens, also a swan's nest, and 

 some stunted Alpine plants, rumex digynus, &c. , were 

 discovered in these barren regions. See the Journal 

 of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West 

 Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, 1821 1823, 

 under the orders of Captain Parry (London, 1824, 4to). 

 Jamieson, Hooker, and Richardson, described, in a 

 separate volume, the objects of natural history col- 

 lected by the expedition. See likewise Journal of a 

 Voyage of Discovery to the Arctic Regions, 1819 and 

 1820, by Alexander Fisher, physician to the Hecla 

 (London, 4to, 1824). 



Captain Sabine returned to Britain in the Griper, 

 from Spitzbergen, soon after Parry, December, 1823. 

 The object of his voyage had been to make observa- 

 tions on the pendulum. In August, 1823, he ad- 

 vanced as far as 81 lat., in 25 20' E. Ion. In 

 Spitzbergen he found the bodies of the Russians buried 

 eighty-five years before, in so perfect a state of pre- 

 servation, that the cheeks t had the freshness of life. 

 His experiments with the pendulum confirmed the 

 theory of the flattening of the earth towards the 

 poles. The results of his astronomical observations, 

 made in June, on the island of Hammerfast, on the 

 coast of Norwegian Lapland, were communicated to 

 the royal academy of science. 



Captain Scoresby, the celebrated Greenland voy- 

 ager, who had first, in his voyages in 1817 and 1820, 

 approached the eastern coast of Greenland, became 

 more accurately acquainted with it in 1822, when he 

 explored it to 75 lat. ; the field of ice, which had 

 formerly prevented any approach to it, having been 

 very much diminished in extent. But it is still doubt- 

 ful whether it will be possible to obtain any informa- 

 tion concerning the old Norse colonies on this coast. 

 See Scoresby's Journal of a Voyage to the Northern 

 fVhale Fishery, including Researches and Discover- 

 ies on the Eastern Coast of West Greenland. (Edin- 

 burgh, 1823.) 



At the same time that captains Parry and Ross 

 were seeking for a north-west passage into the Polar 

 sea, captain Franklin was sent by the British govern- 

 ment to penetrate to the northern coast of America 

 by land, along Hudson's bay and Coppermine river. 

 With three companions, among whom was the natu- 

 ralist, doctor Richardson, he reached (August 30, 

 1819) the factory of York, on Hudson's bay, and, fol- 

 lowing the course of the rivers, passed through a 

 barren wilderness of great extent, which was inhabited 

 by, at the most, 120 families of hospitable Crees. 

 From Providence the most northern post of the fur- 

 traders (62 17' 19" lat.) Franklin, accompanied by 

 Canadians as interpreters, continued his route through 

 unexplored deserts, but was compelled to winter there 

 for ten months from September, 1820. In the sum- 

 mer of 1821 he reached the Coppermine river, and, 

 in the last of July, sailed along the coasts of the 

 Northern sea. Want of provisions compelled him to 

 return, and he reached, December 17, a post of the 

 Hudson's bay company, on Moose-deer island, in a 

 state of great exhaustion. July 14, 1822, he arrived 

 at the factory of York, after having travelled, alto- 

 gether, 5550 English miles. His narrative of a Jour- 

 ney to the Shores of the Polar sea (London, 1823, 

 4to,) contains the results of his expedition. 



In May, 1824, the British government fitted out a 

 third polar expedition for the discovery of a north- 

 west passage through Prince Regent's inlet, under 

 Parry and Lyon. The former, with the Hecla and 

 Fury, arrived, July 13, 1824, at Whale island, in 

 Baffin's bay, the limits of ice (71 N. lat.) ; Septem- 

 ber 13, proceeded through Barrow's straits to Ad- 

 miralty bay, and, September 27, arrived at Port 



Bowen, in Prince Regent's bay, where the ships 

 wintered. Thence Parry sailed southwardly, July 

 20, 1825. Storms and icebergs drove the ships 

 ashore, and, on the 25th, it became necessary to 

 abandon the shattered Fury. The Hecla was conse- 

 quently compelled to return, and, with the crew of 

 the Fury on board, arrived in England October 11, 

 1825. See the Journal of a Voyage, &c. (London, 

 1828). 



Captain Lyon, in the Griper, accompanied by 

 naturalists and astronomers, also sailed for Baffin's 

 bay, whence it was intended that he should proceed 

 by land to the polar regions, to meet captain Parry 

 on these coasts, in the summer of 1825. But, Au- 

 gust, 1824, he became entangled among the icebergs, 

 on the coast of Labrador, and, after encountering 

 great dangers, reached Southampton island in Sep- 

 tember. In lat. 66, the Griper lost her anchors in a 

 most violent snow storm, and was obliged to return 

 to England. The disturbances of the magnetic 

 needle, observed by captain Lyon, were remarkable. 

 Near Savage islands, the needles fluctuated, and did 

 not agree with one another; further westward, they 

 became still more unsteady, and entirely useless. 

 At length, in Rowe's Welcome, the needles showed, 

 indeed, no variation, but remained in any direction in 

 which they were placed. See Narrative of an unsuc- 

 cessful Attempt to reach Repulse Bay, through the 

 Welcome, in H. M. Ship Griper, &c. 



In 1825, captain Franklin undertook a new jour- 

 ney over land, with the intention of sailing westerly 

 from Mackenzie's river along the coast to Beering's 

 straits, while doctor Richardson should examine the 

 country, with a view to complete its natural history, 

 from the mouth of that river to the Coppermine 

 river. At the same time, captain Beechey sailed in 

 H. B. M. ship Blossom, by the way of cape Horn, 

 to discover an easterly passage round the Icy cape, 

 or in Kotzebue sound. In six months, Franklin 

 reached the Northern ocean, near Garry's island (69 

 30' lat.), and returned upon the Mackenzie to his 

 winter quarters at fort Franklin, on Great Bear lake. 

 Both parties left their winter quarters June 21, 1826, 

 and, July 2, separated, in 67 C 38' lat. and 133 52' 

 W. Ion. Franklin followed down the western arm 

 of the Mackenzie, which runs along the foot of the 

 Rocky mountains. He had thus examined the coasts 

 of the Polar sea a barren wall of rocks, from 113 

 to 149 38' Ion. Floating ice and fogs compelled 

 him to return; but he was fully convinced that a 

 north-west passage was open. The other division, 

 under Richardson and Kendall, explored the coast 

 from the eastern branch of the Mackenzie to the 

 Coppermine river, whose mouth they reached August 

 8, and returned, after seventy-one days' absence, to 

 fort Franklin, upon the Great Bear lake. They 

 found much drift wood upon the coast. According 

 to these observations, there is an open passage for 

 ships along the northern coast of America, from 108 

 to 149 W. Ion., towards the end of August, and to 

 the east of Mackenzie's river are several convenient 

 harbours. The two divisions of the expedition exa- 

 mined the coast throughout an extent of 36. Be- 

 tween the extreme point reached by Franklin and 

 Icy cape only 11 of this coast are unknown. Mean 

 time, captain Beechey, in the Blossom, had sailed 

 north from Kotzebue's sound, and had penetrated 

 over 120 miles beyond Icy cape. Here he waited in 

 vain for captain Franklin's arrival in 154 W. Ion., 

 and in a latitude where the length of a degree is 

 only about twenty miles ; but he was obliged to 

 return October 14. Captain Franklin had ap- 

 proached to within a short distance of the Icy cape, 

 which is iii 160 W. Ion., when, out of regard to the 

 safety of his men, he was obliged to give up his plan 



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