1B9 Captain Parry and Mr Fisher’s Journals of a 
wibingly exposes, and cheerfully surrenders life for the good of 
our native land; — but, in the estimate of unbiassed judgment, 
this instinctive passion sinks to the lowest point of the scale of 
intellectual heroism. The honours which it receives during life, 
and the reputation which it secures at its surrender, give it the 
character of a speculation in which few aspiring minds would 
be unwilling to embark. But how few are there, who, in the 
pursuit of some useful object, would expose themselves to the 
horrors of a polar winter, where Providence has not allowed 
the germ of human life to spring, where the sun withdraws his 
presence for three months, and where the contingencies of cli- 
mate might throw round them an icy barrier, and shut them out 
for ever from the rest of their species ! The officers and crew of the 
Hecla and the Griper have certainly exhibited this species of true 
courage ; and we should have been disposed to give it the prece- 
dence of all others, had we been unacquainted with the endu- 
rances of Sir Charles Giesecke, who, animated by the love of 
science, spent about seven years in Greenland, navigating its 
dangerous friths, climbing its precipitous cliffs, and inhabiting 
the huts, and subsisting on the fare, of its wretched inhabitants. 
The arrangements made by Captain Parry, to provide 
amusements and occupations for the winter, were of the most 
judicious description. He ordered the crew to be mustered in 
divisions at nine o’clock in the morning, and six o’clock in the 
evening of every day, in order to see that they were all clean and 
sober, and to afford an opportunity of examining the state of 
their bed-places. He established a weekly newspaper, called the 
North Georgia Gazette and Winter Chronicle*, and every fort- 
night the crew were amused with plays, acted by the officers, some 
of which were written for the occasion, with the view of inspir- 
ing a zeal and ardour for accomplishing the objects of the expe- 
dition. Frequent hunting parties were arranged, for the double 
purpose of amusement, and of supplying the crew with fresh 
provisions ; and every thing was done to beguile the tedium of 
* This Gazette, of which Captain Sabine was the Editor, consisted of twenty- 
one numbers, the first of which appeared on the 1st November 1819, and the 
last on the 20th March 1820. It has just been published, chiefly in order to 
gratify the desire which has been so universally expressed, of seeing the manu- 
script ; and it does great credit to the good humour and intelligence of its authors. 
