The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-27 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH *7, 1818.

they conceive that no one is more interested' about
these matters third they are themselves. Many of
the Greenland masters are likewise directed to re-
turn after the early thrisery,it over, provided they
have tolemble success; solhat they have no oppor-
tunity of task's% discoveries to the northward,
I', these reasoris it may be added; that no ships
were perhaps ever sent before last sown*/ with ex-
press instroctiosis to reach tilt Pole, if larssilale, as
roost other attempts have been to discover a north-
east or north-weal passage. whieh were rams defeat-
ed by falling iu wish laud, or oilier accident.
Hoenig thus eadekvoured to sliew -that the in-
stawes of ships reachirog_high 'straiten' latitudes
must necessarily be rate, 1 shall now proceed to
lay before the Society such as I have been able to
bear of 'nice the voyage tblvards the Nurtb Pule was
undertaken during last **steer.
Whets this was de:emitted &ten. snit mentioned
iu the trawspopera, it boix. rise lltatterof commo-
tion amongst the crews of the guard ships; mill
Andrew Leckie. au intelligent scanners 011 hoard the
Albion (their stationed at Plymouth). informed
some of the officers that he had beers as far wadi
as 84i degrees.
%Vireo he was naked farther on this head, he said,
that lie was 011 hoard the Reading, Capt. 'l'lroiniss
Robinson; in 1766, mad that, wink he was shaving
the Captain. Mr. Robinson told hint, that he had
probably never been so far to the storthward before,
as they had 111110 reached the above-ineutioned de-
gree of latitude.
Daring happened to hear this account of Leekie's,
on my return to Losidusa this winter, I found out
Capt. Itubiuson. who remembered his having hail
this commotion with Leckie; but said. Out he
was mistaken in supposing :that day had reached
841 deg. north latitude, as they were only in
811 deg.
Captain Robinson then explained himself that
he had at this • e computed his latitude by the
roil back to Ilakluyeir Headland in twenty-four
hours; from winch, and other circumstances men-
tioned iii.my presence before two eta officers, they
told me afterwards, that they had little or no doubt
of the accuracy of his reckoning. Mr. Robinson
likewise remembers that the sea sra. their open. an
that he bath no doubt of being able to reach 83
deg. but how much farther he will soot pretend to
say.
This same Captain, in the ship St. George, was
on the 15th of Julie. 1773, in north latitude 81
deg. 16 ruin. by a very accurate observation with
an approved Hadley's quadrant, in which he also
made the proper allowance fur the refraction in
high northern latitudes ; at which time seeing some
whales spouting to the northward he pursued them
for five hours, so that he must hate reached 813
deg. when the see was open to the westward and
east worth east as far as he timid distinguish from
the mast-head. His longitude was theu 8 deg. east
from the meridian of London.

Captain Robinson is a very intelligent seaman,
and loath iisviguted the Greenland Seas these twenty
years, except during the interval that he was etu-
ployed by the Hudson's Bay Company (4).
I could add some other, perhaps intereiding,
patticulars, which I have received front Captain
Robinson, with regard to Spitsbergen and the
Polar Seas ; I will only mention, however, that he
thinks he could spend a winter not uncomfortably in
the must northern parts we are acquainted with (ft),
as there Are three o► (Mir swell settlements of Rus-
sians in this country, for the sake of ilia skins of
quadrupeds, which are then snore valuable than if
the animal is taken in summer.

The swat instance I shall sneutiou of a navigator,
who Will proceeded far northward, is that of Cap-
taiss Cheyile, who gave asowera to certain ►lurrirs
drawn up Isy Mr. Dalrymple. F.R.S. in rrlwttu►► to
the Polar Sras, laud which were cuuru►uuicated last
year to the Society.

Captain Clfeynt states, in this paper, that he hob
been as far us north latitude 82 deg.; but Burs snit
specify whether by observation or his reckoning,
though from many other answe►s to the isiterropto-
ries proposed, it should seem that he speak• of the
labtusle by observation. Unfortunately Capt 4iii
Cheyne is at present on the coast of Africa, su that
further information on this head cannot be now pm-
cured from him.

Whilst the ships destined for the North Pole
were preparing, a most ingenious and able sea offi-
cer, Lieutenant John Cartwright, told me. that
twelve years ago lie had been informed of u very
remarkable voyage made by Captain Mac-Callain
as far nearly as $4 deg. north latitude.
Tins account Mr. Cartwright had received from
• brother officer, Mr. James Watt, now a Master
and Commander in the Royal Navy, who was on
board Captain Mac-Callaor's ship.
I thought it my duty to acquaint the Admiralty
with tins intelligent., who would have sent for
Mr. Watt, but he was then employed on the coast
of America.

On his return from thence, within the last
month, Mr. Cartwright introduced a couversati
with regard to Captain Mac-Callam's voyage. when
Mr. %Van relieated all the Circumstances which he
bad iiiriiiioned to him twelve years ago; *her
which Mr. Cartwright, thinking that I should be
glad to hear use particulars from Mr. Watt himself,
was so good as to thing Inns to my chambers. when
1 received from him the following information.
to the year 1751. Mr. Watt, then not quite
seventeen )ears of age, wrist on board the Camp-
.- • .•

(4) He lived during this winter in Iliteen.etreet, near
Greenland-duck, Rditierbithe i be Lath sailed, probably, by
this tante au the Greenland &herr. Will regard to his
having been in north latitude S 1 ding. SO ns, Is June, 1773,
be can prove it by his Journal, ii that evidence should be
required.
. •
(3) See the narrative or eight milors, who wintered in
Greenland A. Q. le3o, and who also retioned in health to
England the *awing sughiner.—Cturaliate repave, rel. iv.
p. hI I.
They did not see the arm from the 14th or Ociblter till the
3d or February By the lint day of January, Moriever, they
had iliy-lighe or eight hours. They wintered lu mirth lati-
tude 77-4 deg.-.-Ibid.