176 THE SEA. 



were borne burst upwards, unable to resist its force. The ship righted, and, a small slack 

 opening in the water, drove several miles to the southward before she could be again 

 secured to get the rudder hung; circumstances much to be regretted at the moment, as 

 our people had been employed, with but little intermission, for three days and nights 

 attending to the safety of the ship in this dangerous tideway/' 



The Fury experienced nearly the same dangers, and for days the situation of both 

 vessels was most precarious. Later, the ice having cleared to some extent, they were 

 enabled to make good headway, and on July 16th they discovered a great deal of high 

 land to the northward and eastward. This, from the inspection of a rude chart which 

 had been constructed by an intelligent Esquimaux, was decided to be that island between 

 which and the mainland lay a strait leading into the Polar Sea, of which they had heard 

 much from the natives. Several land journeys were made, and one attempt at taking the 

 ships through, but though it was abundantly determined to be a passage, they were obliged 

 again to go into winter quarters before they had succeeded. They were not extricated 

 till nearly one year afterwards, and then not until a broad canal, 1,100 yards in length, 

 had been cut through the ice to the sea. The scurvy had made its appearance among the 

 crew, and Parry, after consultation with his officers, reluctantly turned the vessels' bows 

 in a homeward direction. 



Parry made a third voyage in 1824-5, passing his fourth winter in the Arctic regions. 

 The same vessels were employed; and at the end of winter the Fury was so terribly damaged 

 by the ice that she had to be abandoned. But Parry, however disappointed with the results 

 of this voyage, once more, as we shall see hereafter, braved the perils of the Arctic; but 

 we must first record the circumstances connected with a northern expedition which in 

 chronological order comes properly before it. 



In 1824 Captain George F. Lyon was despatched, in the Griper, to complete surveys 

 of north-east America, but not specially to attempt discovery. The Griper was an old 

 tub of a vessel, utterly unfitted for its work, and it is rather of the voyage itself, as dis- 

 playing the advantages of perfect naval discipline under great disadvantages, than for any 

 other reason, this unfortunate expedition is recorded. The vessel was a bad sailer, and 

 constantly shipped seas which threatened to sweep everything from the decks. In Sir 

 Thomas Howe's Welcome the passage between Southampton Island and the mainland 

 fogs and heavy seas were encountered, while no trust could be placed in the compasses, 

 and the water was fast shallowing. Lyon was obliged to bring the vessel " up with three 

 bowers and a stream anchor in succession/' but not before the water had shoaled to five 

 and a half fathoms, the ship all the while pitching bows under. So perilous was their 

 position that the boats were stored with arms, ammunition, and provisions; the officers 

 drew lots for their respective boats, although two of the smaller ones would have inevitably 

 been swamped the moment they were lowered. Heavy seas continued to sweep the decks, 

 and when the fog lifted a little a low beach was discovered astern of the ship, on which 

 the surf was running to an awful height, and where, says Lyon, "no human power 

 could save us if driven upon it." Immediately afterwards the ship, lifted by a tremendous 

 sea, struck with great violence the whole length of the keel, and her total wreck was 

 momentarily expected. In the midst of all their misery the crew remained twenty-four 



