OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



463 



amongst us but officers should have been in the slightest degree affected by 

 it, a circumstance directly contrary to former experience* To whatever 

 causes this might be attributed, it could not however but be highly gratify- 

 ing to be thus assured, that the various means employed to preserve the 

 health of the seamen and marines had proved even beyond expectation 

 efficacious. 



That a ship's company should begin to evince symptoms of scurvy after 

 twenty-seven months' entire dependence upon the resources contained within 

 their ship, (an experiment hitherto unknown, perhaps, in the annals of naviga- 

 tion, even for one-fourth part of that period,) could scarcely indeed be a sub ject 

 of wonder, though it was at this particular time a matter of very sincere regret. 

 From the health enjoyed by our people during two successive winters, unas- 

 sisted as we had been by any supply of fresh anti-scorbutic plants or other 

 vegetables, I had begun to indulge a hope that with a continued attention to 

 their comforts, cleanliness, and exercise, the same degree of vigour might, 

 humanly speaking, be ensured at least as long as our present liberal resour- 

 ces should last. Present appearances however seemed to indicate differently ; 

 for though our sick-list had scarcely a name upon it, and almost every indi- 

 vidual was performing his accustomed duty, yet we had at length been im- 

 pressed with the unpleasant conviction that a strong predisposition to disease 

 existed among us, and that no very powerful exciting cause was wanting 

 to render it more seriously apparent. Such a conviction at the present 

 crisis was peculiarly disagreeable ; for I could not but lament any cir- 

 cumstance tending to weaken the confidence in our strength and re- 

 sources at a time when more than ordinary exertion was about to be required 

 at our hands. 



In the afternoon of the 30th, Lieutenant Hoppner and his party returned 

 on board, having discovered that the inlet in question communicated with a 

 considerable river, which we jointly named after our mutual and highly- 

 esteemed friend Mr. Gifford. Lieutenant Hoppner's account of his journey 

 is here subjoined. 



" At a quarter past four we left the Hecla, and having reached the head of 21. 

 the bay at half-past six, the party who were there in readiness carried the 

 sledge across the isthmus ; after which service they returned to the ship. 

 The fog was now so thick that it was impossible to proceed towards Neerlo- 

 nakto, we therefore kept along the land-ice of Igloolik, when supposing 



