The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-04-01 00:00:00

JOURNAL
Of • SICONO VOYAGE TOR THE ',worm or •
NORTH-WEST PASVAGE
FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC:
Performed In the rears 1821424% in the Fury mid Heds,
Under the Command of
CAPTAIN WILLIAM EDWARD PARRY, R.N. T.R.I.

(Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty.]

(Continued from our Papa of Tuesday.)

Our readers cannot fail to peruse with extreme interest
the following erstract :
On the 13th and 14th the weather was extremely mild, the ther-
mometer getting an high as + ; and as this tOO% lace with a
north-west wind, which was usually the coldest, we began to flatter
ourselves, that the spring was now indeed advancing by rapid
strides. lln the evening of the 14th, though the thermometer was
no higher than 4", the atmosphere hail a degree of softness in it
an pleasant to our sensations, that, as one of the quarter-masters not .
unnaturally, however unphilomphically, remarked, " it felt ciactly
as if it was going to rain"—a phenomesson, however, that war nos I
so near as we then expected. This apparent turn in the season in-
duced me to allow Captain Lyon to put in execution a plan he had
proposed, of going out with los intended party fur one day, for the
double purpose of affording them a little practice, and of ascertaining
the breadth and nature of the channel which he would have to cross
on the ice, in order to reach the main land. As the plan of the
journey partly depended upon this, I agreed to his proposed of set-
ting out for tads purpose on the following day, taking with him a
tent, blankets, and provisions, for three days, in ease of accidents.
At seven a.m. on the 13th, Captain Lyon and his party left the
ships, the thermometer being as high as :try, and a moderate
breeze blowing from the northward, though accompanied by con-
siderable snow-drift, an annoyance which it now requiml much
less strength of wind to create than at the CollllMe4Ceillent of the
winter, owing to the snow having become more minute. From the
very hour of Captain Lyon's departure, the thermometer to
fall rapidly, and the wind to increase, till at midnight dieb7=ies
had readied and a hard gale blew from the north-west;
upon the whole it proved one of the moat inclement nisbal fir
people to be exposed to, that we bad experienced in our resent
quarters, and therefore created in our minds the most alarming np-
pretensions for the safety of our travellers. It is scarce's less,
difficult to imagine than to describe the contrast between exposure
to all the horrors cf such tremendous inclemency, and the lire-ode
comforts we on hoard were enjoying. In this climate, more fre-
quently than in any other, dues the mind turn to the
Poor :laded wretches, whereene'er they be,
'filet bide the pelting of the pitiless storm.
But now that some of our companions were thus exposed, the
idea came more forcibly home to our recollecions, together with
the utter helplessness, not to say hopelessness, of their situation.
The wind and drift continued inceasahtly on the lSth, and as the
thermometer rose no higher than —2O" during the day. our appre-
hensions for Captain Lyon's party were by no means diniiniahed.
To send in quest of them would have been only. to incur the cer-
tainty of other own being equally exposed. Indeed this is one of
the eases in which no assistance can be offered ; for any person sent
out with that hope most inevitably become helpless in a short time,
while the snow.drift. would render it impossible to trace those
whom they were intended to assist. We had, however, prepared a
party tinder Lieutenant Reid, to be despatched the instant it mode-
rated; when, to our infinite surprise and joy. at one e.m. Captain
Lyon arrived on board, having with great ditficulty succeeded in
conducting his party safely to the ships.
If I have nuereeded in imparting to the reader any idea of that
apprehension for the safety of our absentees, which we ourselves
experienced, he will not be sorry at once to be prevented with
Captain Lvon's account of this perilous though short excursion:—
"At seven A. m., on the 1:lth, we proceeded towards the hills
to the northward of our winter-quarters. A strong wind arose soon
after our starting, and blew directly in our facts, bringing thick
clouds of drift snow with it. (In ascending the sloping ground we
found the sledge too much for us, and it was with great difficulty
dragged through the Rat snow in which we waded knee deep. The
wind had now increased to a heavy gale, our utmost view was
bounded to twenty yards, and ever; time of resting to take breath
we all received severe frost-bites. The sun having risen above the
thickest part of the drift snow, enabled us to steers direct northerly
course, for we expected in that direction to arrive at a small bay,
which had been observed by Captain Parry and myself on our fist
arrival. At ten we were continued in our conjecture by descending
suddenly and arriving at a quantity of grounded ice, directed by
which we made our way round the head of the bay, and arrived on
the side of a small hill • little after eleven. The extreme severity of
the weather determined me on pitching our tent, and waiting until,
in better weather, we could, from the rising ground, command a view
of our future route. _ .

" hen the tent had been pitched an hour, and our party were
all smoking to promote warmth, the temperance at our feet was I"
below zero, and over head, amongst the awoke, a-74; in the outer
air it was 54, which, although of itself suMciently cold. was ren-
dered doubly piercing by the strength of the wind. John bee war.
soon seized with a fit of shivering and severe pains in the loins, to
check which we put him into his blanket and covered him with
clothes which could ill be spared. A deep hole being dug in the
snow, a fire was made with the greatest difficulty, and we were made
comfortable for a time with a warm mess of soup. I afterwards
found that ihwould be po,sible, by extending our excavation, to
make a cavern in which we might pass the night, for it would have
been next to impossible to continue in the tent. Some of the men
were therefore set to work, and had thus so good an oportunity of
warming themselves, that our oily shovel was lint from cute to the
other as a partictear favour. At'. P.M. the outer zit 'was —l5", and
zero was the temperature of the tent, 'rhea Arnold's pocket cheer°.
meter stopped from the effects of the cold. By ham r. x. the
cavern was finished, and of sufficient size to contain us all in a sit.
ting posture. After taking some hot Poop, Lee was removed to the
wannest place we could select, and making a fire, we managed, by
its smoke, which had no vent, to raise the temperature to +2r,
while outside ft had fallen to —250. ire now cleaned our clothes
as well as possible from the thick coating of snow-drift, and closing
the entrance of the cave with blocks of snow, we crept into our
blanket bap, and huddled close together, to endeavour to procure
a little sleep. Oar small dwelling had a very close feel, which was
perhaps not a little augmenttal by the refiection, that a spade nlone
could liberate us again after a night's drift of snow ; and our roof
being two feet thick, and not of the most secure description, there
was tin small probability of its breaking down on us, in which case,
confined as we were in our bags, and lying almost upon each other,
we should have but little chance of extricating ourselves.
" At daylight en tile Ifith we found the temperature at + 21r,
until we (fug out the entrance, when it fell to +ls°, while outside
it was -25". IVe again lighted our fit:, and after sitting two hour;
in such thick black smoke that we could not see our feet, succeeded
in making some tea, which answered a double purpose, as it served
to thaw sonic meat which was frozen in the canisters. At nine A.M.
the gale was unabated, and the drift as severe as ever. The tent
was half buried in the snow, and I act all hands to work at digging
omit the sledge, but it was so deeply sunk that our efrorts were un.
succesaful, and in the attempt our faces and extremities were tort
painfully frost-bitten. With all these ditficultica before us, Mr. ,
Palmer and myself consulted together as to whether it would be
most prudent to endeavour to pass another night in our present
precarious situation, or while we were yet able to walk, male
attempt to reach the shim which we supposed were about six
miles from 14L We could not see a yard of our way. yet to remain
appeared worse thin to go forward, which last plan was decided on.
At thirty minutes past nine, having placed ell our luggage in the
tent, and erected a small flag over it, we set out, carrying a few
pounds of bread, a little , and a spade. The wind being now
in our backs, we walled very briskly, and having an occasional
gliniene of a very faint win through the drift, managed to steer a
tolerable course. James ('art, having loitered a little behind us,
was suddenly missed, and by the most liirturtate chance we saw him
running across our path in avant% of us, for had he born ten yards
farther off, lie might have been lost. After walking sever-1 miles
we came to grounded ice, and saw the tracks of Esquimau: men
and dogs, but these were so confused, that we knew not which
marks to follow.

" Not knowing on which side of the shim we hail arrived, we
feared to go to the southward or eastward, and accordingly we went
as nearly west as possible, in which direction we again crowed
tracks. We now wandered amongst the heavy hnmmocks of ice
without knowing which track to pursue, and suffering from cold,
fatigue, and anxiety, were soon completely bewildered. Several of
our party began to exhibit aymproms of that horrid kind of insensi-
bility which is the prelude to shier. They all professed caffeine
willingness to do what they were told in order to keep in exercise.
but none obeyed: on the contrary they reeled about like drunken
men. The faces of several were severely frost-bitten, and some kad
for a considerable time lost sensation in their fingers and toes; yet
they made not the slightest exertion to rub the parts affected, and
discontinued their gencraicustom of warming each other on observ-
ing a discrliwatioo of the skin. We continued for wine time to
employ them in building a snow-wall, ostensibly as a shelter from
the wood, hut in reality to give them exercise, for standing still
mum have proved fatal to men in our circumstancea. My attention
was particularly directed to Serjeant fpackrnan, who having been re-
heatedly warned that his nose was frozen. hsd paid no attention to it,
owing to the state ofstupefaction into which he had fallen. The frost.
bite had now extended over one side of his face, which was (town
as hard as a matsk, the eye-lids were stiff, and one comer of the
upger lip so drawn up as to expose the teeth and gums. :kly hands
being still warm I was enabled to restore the circulation, after
which I used all my endeavours to keep him in motion, but he corn -
plained sadly of gddinesa and dimness of sight, and was so weak
as to be unable to walk of hintself. Ili% case was indeed so alarm-
ing, that I expected every moment he would tie down never to rise
again. Our prospect now became every moment more gloomy, and
it was but too evident that four of our party could not survive an-
other hour. Mr Pittner, however, endeavoured with myself to
cheer the people, but it wax a faint attempt, as we had not a single'
hope to give them. We had lion reason to fear immediate danger
to ourselves, in conseiyucnce of having fur coats instead of woollen
ones. Every piece of ice, or even small wick or atone, was now
taken fur the slips ; and we had great difficulty in preventing the
Comm run
ning to the different objects which attracted them,
and losing thenwelves in the drift. In Washer, while Mr. Palmer
was running round us to warns himself, he suddenly pitched on a
new beaten track, and as exercise was indispensible, we determined
no following it wherever it might lead us. !laving taken the ser-
jeant under my coat, he recovered a little and we moved onwards,
when, only those who have been in a similar state of distress can
imagine our joy at finding. the path that led to the ships, at which
we arrived in about ten minutes.

" John Lee had two of his finger; m badly frost-bitter as to loge
a good deal of the flet.h of the upper ends, and we were for many
days In frar he would be °Mired m hare them amp:noted. ('arr.
who had been she most *only while in the air, quirked twice on
coming below ; acd till hail smite frost-bites in 4Am:it rem