CH. XXIII] 
Parry and his School 
21 I 
ducks, and brent geese were seen. The ravine of the 
broken cart was called ° Bushnan's Cove." Parry de- 
scribed it as " one of the pleasantest and most habitable 
spots we have seen in the Arctic regions/' Mosses, 
dwarf willows, saxifrages, and ranunculi were found 
growing. Owing to the breakdqwn of the cart, the 
loads that each man had to carry on the return march 
to the ships were from 60 to 70 lb. On the 15th of June 
the ships were reached after an absence of a fortnight. 
The details of this journey are specially interesting 
because it was the first naval Arctic travelling of modern 
times. 
Until the ships could be got out of their winter prison, 
shooting parties were sent in various directions for fresh 
food, and 3766 lb. were obtained, consisting of 3 musk 
oxen, 24 deer, 68 hares, 53 brent geese, 59 ducks, and 
144 ptarmigan. An inscription was carved on a huge 
block of sandstone 12 feet high and 22 feet long by 
Dr Fisher. It will for centuries commemorate the win- 
tering of Parry's Arctic expedition in Melville Island. 
When the ships got free of the ice, Parry again shaped 
a course to the west as far as Cape Dundas, meeting with 
large, heavy, and extensive fields of ice, which were 
quite impenetrable. This was the heavy ice-flow from 
the polar ocean which finally impinges on the north-west 
coast of King William Island. Nothing more could be 
done, and Parry resolved to return home, surveying the 
west coast of Baffin's Bay to 68° 15'. The exploring 
ships arrived at Peterhead on the 29th of October, and 
were paid off at Deptford on December 21st, 1820, all in 
excellent health. 
This is one of the most memorable of all the Arctic 
voyages. It practically settled the question of a connection 
between the two oceans. Great discoveries were made, 
and important scientific observations were recorded. An 
Arctic winter was faced with preservation of health and 
Arctic travelling was commenced . Men of science as 
well as sailors received excellent training- This was the 
only expedition which has produced a President of the 
Royal Society and a President of the Royal Geographical 
Society. Besides the training of Arctic officers who 
continued in that branch of the service, Parry's first 
