200 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part i 
While the ships were beset a party was sent to reach 
the shore. A dense fog came down, and the men could 
not find their way back, being on the verge of perishing 
before they could be rescued, after 18 hours' exposure. 
Meanwhile the ships were pushed southward, and at length 
reached open water. Great efforts had been made to attain 
a high latitude, and they advanced to 8o° 34' N., but the 
ships were exposed to great pressure, the Trent being 
raised four feet out of the water and some of the Dorothea 's 
beams were sprung. After the ships were released, Captain 
Buchan gave up all idea of trying the state of the ice by 
the Seven Islands to the eastward, and determined to 
examine the prospect in the direction of Greenland. 
When the two ships were sailing along in sight of the 
main pack on the 30th of July a furious gale sprang up 
and the Dorothea bore up to seek shelter within the ice. 
The Trent could find no opening. Huge masses were 
broken up and tossed up and down on the waves, the 
ship being in such violent motion that the bell tolled 
incessantly until it was muffled. It was as if they were 
surrounded by battering rams. When the wind went 
down it was found that the Dorothea was very seriously 
injured, beams being sprung and timbers broken. The 
two ships took refuge in Fairhaven. By the end of 
August the repairs were finished so far as was possible, 
but it was considered necessary that the Dorothea should 
return, and that the Trent should keep with her. The two 
vessels arrived in the Thames on the 22nd October, 1818; 
all on board eager to volunteer again for Arctic service. 
Buchan's expedition was doomed to failure, for it was 
an impossible route, as Phipps and Scoresby had already 
shown. It is hopeless to struggle against the great 
Arctic drift with no land floe to hold on by. Still there 
was gain. The experience of ice navigation at its worst, 
acquired by several zealous naval officers, was a gain. 
Beechey's excellent narrative, illustrated by his own 
graphic pencil, is one of the very best Arctic books 1 . 
We must now turn to the story of the companion 
1 Commander Buchan again served on the Newfoundland coast in 
the Grasshopper from 1820 to 1823. Fifteen years afterwards he was 
lost in the Upton Castle coming home from India, that Indiaman being 
heard of for the last time on December 8th, 1838. 
