388 
Letter Mr Merricks to Professor Jameson, 
XXL 
Mr Merricks to Professor Jameson. 
£In a former Number of the Journal, we gave an account of Mr 
Merricks’ plan for blowing up ice, which promised to be useful 
in many situations, particularly in the Arctic and Antarctic Seas,. 
From the following letter sent to us by Mr Merricks, it would 
appear that Captain Parry, if occasion offers, will carry it into 
effect in the Arctic Sea.] 
Roslin Gunpowder Mills , 
Sir, \0th August 18 24. 
The letter I received this morning, through your goodness,, 
was from Captain Parry, and dated from u Davis’ Straits, 1st 
J uly.” 
I had written him before he left England, with an account of 
some experiments I had made in blowing up ice with gunpow- 
der, giving him a description of my apparatus, &c., and men- 
tioned at the same time to him, that I thought it might be of 
use in the event of his having to cut his way at any time through 
the ice, and might probably supersede the use of saws and axes. 
He thanks me for my commnnieation, and says, u I now beg 
leave to offer you my very best acknowledgments for your kind- 
ness, and to assure you, that I shall be very glad to avail my- 
self of your suggestion,” &c. &c. I sincerely wish he may find 
it of service, should he stand in need of it ; at any rate he 
means to give it a fair trial. I remain, sir, yours respectfully, 
John Merricks. 
IV. 
Extract of a Letter from Capt. Parry to Professor Jameson. 
Hecla , Davis' 1 Straits , Lat. 69? 
My Dear Sir, July 1. 1824. 
As you were kind enough to give me permission to trouble 
you with a few lines by the transport, I gladly avail myself of 
that opportunity, which is shortly about to occur, to acquaint 
you with our welfare thus far on our voyage, if indeed our 
voyage may be said to have commenced. The advantages we 
derive from the plan of having a transport with us are very 
great, for our own ships could not, with safety, cross the At- 
