MOSS'S FIVE YEARS' VOYAGE. 293 



CHAPTER II. 



Ross's VOYAGE, 1829-33 — DISCOVERY OF A NORTH MAGNETIC POLE — FIVE 



YEARS AMONG THE ICE. 



After the return of Captain Parry from his attempt to reach the North 

 Pole, in which, though he failed in his main object, -he succeeded in reaching 

 the highest latitude ever attained, Captain John Eoss— of whose first Arctic 

 voyage in 1818, in the "Isabella" and "Alexander," a narrative has been 

 given — submitted to the Admiralty the plan of a voyage for the discovery of 

 the North- West Passage by way of Prince Eegent Inlet, to be undertaken 

 in a steam vessel. The proposals of the gallant captain, though urged upon 

 Government on three successive occasions, were not received with approval, 

 and it was not till 1829 that, through the munificence of his friend Mr Felix 

 Booth, he was enabled to purchase and fit out the "Victory," formerly a 

 steam-packet running between Liverpool and the Isle of Man, and to equip 

 her for the projected voyage. The "Victory" was a paddle-steamer, and 

 however absurd it may appear to us to have selected a vessel of such 

 construction for a voyage in^frozen seas, it must be remembered that at the 

 time referred to, steam-engineering was as yet in its infancy, that no 

 steamers had previously been tried in the ice, and that, as by an ingenious 

 contrivance the paddles could be lifted out of the water " in a minute," no 

 apprehensions due to the form of the vessel were felt by its commander or 

 officers. ■ The tonnage of the steamer was originally no more than eighty 

 tons, but after five feet and a half had been raised on her, she became 

 capable of carrying a hundred and fifty tons, including the engine, with the 

 necessary complement of provisions. 



No sooner were the preparations for the voyage well begun, than Captain 

 Ross received generous and disinterested offers of service from many dis- 

 tinguished naval officers. The following letter from Lieutenant Hoppner, 

 who had sailed with Parry in all his voyages, except the last, is worthy to 

 be remembered as evidence of the gallantry and generous enthusiasm of the 

 writer : " As I feel so much interested in your noble enterprise," writes 

 Hoppner to Ross, " I cannot help expressing myself more explicitly on the 



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