346 MM. C. Borgen and R. Copeland's Short Account of the 



Here Sabine commenced his pendulum-experiments for the 

 determination of the figure of the earth, which have since been 

 continued with so much success and completeness ; he also de- 

 termined the magnetic constants of various points by very ex- 

 tensive observations. To the meteorology of the arctic regions 

 the expedition devoted a series of observations continued unin- 

 terruptedly for twelve months between the parallels of 74° and 

 75° N. lat. The geographical position of Winter Harbour was 

 established by the enormous number of 6862 moon-distances 

 and 39 meridian altitudes. Tidal observations were regularly 

 made; and, further, no fewer than fifteen chronometers, partly 

 taken for the purpose of being tested, were examined as to the 

 uniformity of their rates. Zoology and botany found in Dr. Ed- 

 wards a zealous representative, who, with the assistance of Sabine, 

 Parry, and James Ross,brought back a rich collection of specimens 

 belonging to the animal and vegetable kingdoms, among which 

 were several previously unknown species. At the same time he 

 fulfilled his important duties as surgeon with the greatest zeal and 

 care ; and to his exertions and ceaseless watching of the sanitary 

 condition the small number of cases of illness and death during the 

 winter is mainly to be ascribed. This voyage, which laid down the 

 rules for all subsequent wintering expeditions, was also scienti- 

 fically the richest of all in results. It was followed by two other 

 voyages of Parry's, one of them in the years 1821-23, in which 

 two winters were passed in the arctic regions with equally fa- 

 vourable results with regard to health as in the first case*. 

 The two winterings were performed exactly in the same fashion 

 as in the preceding voyage ; it would therefore lead only to un- 

 necessary and tedious repetitions if we were to describe the ship 

 in its winter harbour &c. In fact Parry himself says that we 

 cannot easily imagine two things possessing more resemblance 

 to each other than two winters in the higher latitudes of the 

 arctic regions. 



The first of the two winters was passed by Parry in Lyon's Inlet. 

 Heproved in it thatMelvillePeninsulais united to the mainland of 

 North America, whereas it had previously been supposed that there 

 was in this region a passage to Prince-Regent Inlet. Inter- 

 course with the Eskimos during the winter furnished him with 

 much important information as to the configuration of the land, 

 and the existence of a great extent of open water in the north- 

 west. Subsequent investigations showed the correctness of this 

 and of many other geographical statements of the aborigines. In 



* Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discoverv of a North-west Pas- 

 sage, performed in the years 1821, 1822, 1823 in H.M.SS. 'Hecla' and 

 'Fury,' under the orders of W. E. Parry, R.N., F.R.S. London, 1824 : 

 Murray, 



