CH. XIX] 
Phipps 
173 
Constantine John Phipps, the eldest son of Lord Mulgrave, 
a scientific officer and a good seaman, received the 
command of the expedition on board the Racehorse, and 
Captain Lutwidge was appointed to the Carcass. The Board 
of Longitude appointed Mr Israel Lyons as astronomer. 
Great pains were taken with the outfit, but the ships were 
not intended to winter. The surgeon, Dr Irving, had 
invented an apparatus for distilling fresh from salt water, 
which was very simple, but answered its purpose ad- 
mirably. Lord Sandwich visited the ships on the 22nd 
April, and on June 4th, 1773, the expedition left the 
Nore. 
Phipps's expedition was well conducted throughout, 
A latitude of 8o° 50' N. was reached, and the edge of the 
ice was examined along all the meridians north of 
Spitsbergen, without a sign of any opening. Near the 
Seven Islands the ships were closely beset, the ice piling 
up to a great height, and there seemed little hope of 
extricating them without a strong north-east wind. 
A party was sent to an island about 12 miles off, under 
a midshipman, named Walden, to see if any open water 
was in sight from its summit. He reported that there 
was water to the westward. The island received the 
name of Walden. Boats were also sent to see if a passage 
could be found into open water. One of the boats of 
the Racehorse was attacked by a herd of walrus, and was 
in danger of being swamped when she was rescued by 
one of the boats of the Carcass under the command of 
Horatio Nelson, a young midshipman not quite 15 
years old. 
The same young midshipman was keeping the middle 
watch on board the Carcass, when a bear came in sight, 
and he started off after it with a musket and one com- 
panion. A fog came down over the ice, and when it 
rose young Nelson and his friend were seen at a con- 
siderable distance, attacking the bear. A gun was fired 
which frightened their intended quarry, and the boys 
returned. Nelson's excuse to his Captain was that he 
wanted the bear's skin for his father. 
The danger to the ships appeared to be so imminent 
that preparations were made to abandon them, and all 
the boats were got ready. At the same time all sail was 
