N ORT II P O L E." 
p&ffed in the 18th of Geprge II. a fum of 20,cool, was 
provided for the owners of any (hip that (hould firft find 
on f, and fail through, a north- weft pajfage from theHudfon’s 
Strait to the Weftern and'Southern Oceans of America; 
and in the i6th of the prefent king, the reward was ex¬ 
tended to the difcovery of a northern pojjhge by fea be¬ 
tween the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and for the firft 
approach by fea within one degree of the North Pole. 
Thefe a<Sls are now repealed ; and, by a new aht of laft 
feiTion, 58 Geo. III. c. 20. (1818.) the reward of 20,000!. 
is given for difeovering a palfage by fea between the At¬ 
lantic and Pacific Ocean, and to thole that (hall firft ap¬ 
proach within one degree of the Pole a reward of 5000I. 
and, to encourage attempts which may not be accom- 
pliftied, a proportionate reward may be awarded by the 
commifiioners for the difcovery of the longitude, who are 
to be guarded in their judgment by the infpeftion of the 
(hip's papers; and the privy-council are to diredft the pro¬ 
portions of the reward. The regulations of the com- 
miffioners’ meetings are under the direction of the coun¬ 
cil. Lord Colchefter, Davies Gilbert, efq. Col. William 
Mudge, Dr. Wollafton, Dr. Young, and Capt. Kater, 
were appointed commifiioners until Jan. 1, 1820. The 
ftat. 26 Geo. III. for the encouragement of the fiflieries in 
the Greenland Seas and Davis’s Straits, was alfo amended 
in the fame feiTion, “ fo far as-relates to the oaths thereby 
required to be taken.” Thefe oaths, it feems, precluded 
them from going out of their track for purpofes of dif¬ 
covery, or from proceeding beyond a certain latitude. 
From thefe difficulties they were now relieved, in order 
that all his majefty’s fubjedls might be enabled and en¬ 
couraged to concur in the prefent undertaking. 
Both expeditions failed together on the 6th of April, 
1818. Both have returned without accomplifhing their 
object. The veffeis fent directly north firft made the ice 
about the 27th of May, near Cherry Ifland, which is 
(mall, and of remarkable appearance, being compofed of 
many high and pointed rocks or cliffs, and, in one bear¬ 
ing, looksas if rent afunder by fome convulfion of nature; 
it lies on the fouth-eaft part of Spitzbergen, from which 
it is diftant about 150 miles. During a few days previous 
to making the ice, they experienced a great change of 
weather, the thermometer having fallen very confiderably, 
and now continued below 32°. They had al(o frequent and 
heavy falls of (now ; and, for feveral days in the latter 
part of May, the thermometer fell to 18 0 , or 14 below the 
freezing-point. They loon delcried the lofty and (now- 
capped precipices which compofe Spitzbergen ; thecheer- 
lefs, bleak, and fterile, afpebi of which it is impoflible to 
deferibe. Running along the weftern fide of the ifland, 
their progrefs was flopped by immenfe barriers of ice, 
which extended in every direction as far as the eye could 
reach, and, joining the land to the northward, blocked 
up all the harbours. They fucceeded, however, in gain¬ 
ing a northern latitude of about 80. but, as the Dorothea 
had parted from her confort a few days*before, in a heavy 
gale of wind, (he returned in quell of her, and was for¬ 
tunate enough to fall in with her on the fubfequent day. 
They now put into Magdalena Bay, in I at. 79. 33. N. Ion. 
11. E. The upper and inner part of this bay was found 
fo choked up with ice, which was now beginning to 
break up, that their fituation became very critical. Hav¬ 
ing furveyed it, however, they again put to fea, and ran 
along the edge of the ice to the weftvvard, which every 
where prefented the appearance of a folid body. On the 
10th of June they fell in with fdveral fail of Greenland- 
men, who told them that no hope exifted of getting to 
the northward by (tretching to the weftvvard ; and it was 
the unanimous opinion of the mailers of thole (hips, that 
to gain a high northern latitude they muff penetrate to 
the northward ; that is to fay, that they mult (land in with, 
or nearto, the land of Spitzbergen. In confequence of this 
information, as well as the obfervations they had already 
made, and the decifive opinion of their pilots, they fleered 
to the northward, and were (bon completely befe.t in the 
190 
ice. It is not eafy to form a conception of the truly pic- 
turefque and often folemn grandeur of fuel) a feene* 
Conceive two veffeis hemmed in, jammed and' completely 
furrounded by immenfe mafles of ice, of the rudelt and 
often mod fantaftic forms ; the two (hips appearing, as it 
were, like fpecks in the midft of a vaft extended plain, of 
alabafter whitenefs, and to which the eye can affign no 
limits. When the fun (hone bright, whether at mid-day 
or mid-night, but particularly at the latter period, its 
beams affumed a lofter hue, and (lied a mellower tint on 
the immenfe (heet of furrounding ice, while the deep 
and towering fummit of Spitzbergen, forming the back¬ 
ground, combined to render the whole truly grand and 
interefting. In this fituation they remained ten or twelve 
days, nearly fixed bodies, except when the different cur¬ 
rents changed their fituation, which was indicated to 
them only by altering the bearings of the land, from 
which they were diftant eight or ten leagues. At length 
they were extricated from their perilous fituation by the 
ice partially opening, fo as to enable them to force their 
way out. They then ranged along the edge of the ice, 
endeavouring, if poflible, to difeover fome vacancy by 
which they might penetrate northward ; but in vain. On 
the 26th of June they again came to anchor in Fair 
Haven, which is lituated between two iflands called Vagel 
Sang and Clover Clift'. On thole and the neighbouring 
iflands they difeovered numerous herds of rein-deer; and 
in running in for the anchorage, immenfe numbers of 
fea-horfes were feen lying on the ice, huddled together. 
They killed feveral, fome of which were of prodigious 
lize; for inftance, one which they cut up was found to 
weigh twenty hundred-weight. Their tulks are of the 
pureft ivory, and, when they have attained their full 
growth, are of conliderable value. Their hides are very 
thick, and of the tougheff texture; but they are coarfe, 
and fit only for placing on the rigging of (hips to prevent 
chafing. When brought on-board, their bodies emitted 
a mod intolerable ftench ; to get rid of which, as foon as 
they were (kinned the carcafe was thrown overboard. 
They continued at anchor in Fair Haven about (even 
or eight days, during which time they fucceeded in kill¬ 
ing about fifty deer, the weight of which averaged at lead 
120 pounds. They again put to fea, hoping that, as the 
feafon was now more advanced, they (liould be able to pe¬ 
netrate towards the north. Having difeovered fome partial 
openings in the ice, they forced their way in ; and on 
this occafion they gained the higheft northern latitude 
they were deftined to reach, viz. 80. 32. Here they were 
again completely furrounded and blocked up, in which 
date they remained during a period of three weeks. At 
length, on the 29th of j'uly, after immenfe labour and 
fatigue, they fucceeded once more in getting into open 
water, little aware of the cataftrophe which was, to befal 
them on the approaching morn. The Dorothea had gained 
an offing of eight or ten miles from the packed ice, when, 
about four o’clock A.M. on the 30th of July, a dreadful 
gale of wind came on, blowifig diredlly on the ice.’ In 
a few hours (lie found herfeif in an awful fituation, unable 
to weather the ice on either tack, and drifting fad upon 
the ml in body of it, which the wind and (well had now 
rendered to every appearance a folid mafs. There was no 
time for deliberation ; and, to prevent the (hip from 
driving broadfide-on, the only alternative was to put the 
helm up, and, if poflible, to force her head into the ice. 
A little after nine o’clock the word was given to-put the 
helm up; an awful paufe fucceeded; and every indivi¬ 
dual, with the mod dreadful anxiety, watched the mo¬ 
ment when the (hip (liould receive the firft (hock. The 
concuflion was tremendous. The fea was running aw¬ 
fully high ; and, at the inftant of coming in contact with 
the ice, it threatened every moment to (wallow them up. 
The (hip continued to receive mod dreadful (hocks-;, but 
in the courfeof half an hourhad forced herfeif in, probably 
about two or three times her own length. The immenfe 
mafles of ice which now furrounded them in every diree- 
tioa 
