The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-12 00:00:00

This party witnessed a very natural, and at the
same time an easy mode of descent from a height of
about 700 feet. A bear squatted himself down on his
hams, slid from top to bottom at railway speed,
steadying himself with great judgment by his paws
in his rapid descent.
Lieutenant Barnard fixed a beacon and notices at
Cape Hurd, and then tried to push up a short distance
to the westward, aloug the shore ; but as the weather
was very bad, the wind blowing very strong, and
having only a week's provisions, they were compelled
to return at the end of six days.
A fourth party, consisting of four men under Lieut.
Brown (Enterprise) and a fatigue party, composed
of Mr. Court (second master) and four seamen, ac-
companying them about 10 miles—set off in an
easterly direction, across the ice, from the eastern
nameless shore of Prince Regent's Inlet. They were
absent 7 days, and had exhausted all their provisions
when they returned. They had very bad weather, so
thick that no observations could be taken, and were
obliged to steer by compass (Capt. Cators). The sun
was only visible twice, just befor'e midnight andjust
before morning. They went across to a place called
the Peak, a remarkable peaked hill in Parry's chart.
Here they erected a cairn as conspicuously, as pospible,
and made the usual deposits. On the east they found
a remarkable difference as compared with the west
coast. On lifting the stones on the former coast they
found small quantities of water. Half way across
the inlet the ice was perfectly smooth ; but towards
the eastern shore the ice gist so exceedingly rough and
hummocky" that Mr. Brown was obliged to leave
the sledges about seven miles off shore, and picked
them up again on his return, after they erected the
cairn, &c. In the passage back they suffered from
the snow drift, and the temperature was down to 12
below zero. They saw a flock of gulls, and several
bear tracks, during their expedition. During one
night, or day rather, a bear must have passed close to
their resting place, as his track was fresh on the snow
round the tent when the party awoke.
Sir James Ross returned to the ship on the 23d of
June in the middle of the night, with only one day's
provisions left. They were most glad to see him safe
again, and all hands cheered heartily from both ships
as ha neared them. Captain Bird was beginning to
be anxious about his worthy chief, and a party was
ordered to be got ready to proceed to meet hint the
day following, had he not returned. As it was a de-
tachment was sent out to his relief on his appearing
in sight. The gallant officer returned the same way
he went.

A little time was now devoted to rest, relaxation,
and doctoring, and as soon as the parties had suffi-
ciently recovered the cutting of the canal was
commenced, the ships having in the meantime been
caulked and refitted.

The process of cutting through the ice was a most
arduous one. The line having been marked out by
the officers, fifteen feet and eighteen feet ice saws
were set to work with triangles, and cut on an average
200 feet a day ; four saws, and sometimes six saws
being employed at once, the ice being from three feet to
five feet thick.

The ships first moved a little down the canal about
the 6th August, and then, watching and seizing every
opportunity, they gradually got down to the entrance ;
the ice in the inlet having receded considerably from
the harbour, created a little motion, which assisted in
some degree in breaking up the ice at the entrance of
the harbour. On the 28th the ships got in open
water, and stood out to the northward with the inten-
tion of going to Melville Island (as we have before
stated) till the Ist of September, when on the morning
watch of that day, thick weather prevailing, and the
wind blowing hard, the ice gradually filled in all round,
and finally encircled both ships—first the Enterprise,
then the Investigator, in spite of all her efforts to
keep out. She at last took up a berth as near as she
could to her consort, at about a mile. All commu-
nication was here cut off, except by signal, and from
this time the ships drifted perfectly helpless, until
the 25th September, when they cleared the pack of
Pond's Bay, having drifted about 240 miles. The
aspect was indeed cheerless as they gradually ap•
proached the western shore of Baffin's Bay, a coast
which has proved fatal to so many whalers. On the
24th they had a strong breeze, and on the 25th open
water was observed at a distance of about five or six
miles, and as soon as the ice split up sail was made
upon both ships, and on the forenoon of the 25th, after
crashing through the ice for about 36 hours, they suc-
ceeded in getting quite clear. The ships now stood
right across to the eastern shore of Baffin's Bay for
the purpose of clearing the middle ice, and first saw
the land October 3, which was the coast of Greenland,
called Sanderson's Hope, near Uppernavick. With
baffling winds and thick weather, the ships now made
the best of their way southward, passiug an immense
multitude of gigantic icebergs, varying from 100 to
300 feet high, and from a quarter to half a mile in
length.
•T These tremendous bergs often came between and
threatened the ships with destruction, and were a
source of perpetual harass, often exciting much appre-
hension from their colour, or rather their colourless
appearance. It was, indeed, a task of no ordinary
skill and ability sometimes to steer clear of them.
On the 25th the two ships first communicated
since they began to drift, and now joyfully ex-
changed cheers of congratulation at their narrow
escape. On the 18th they rounded Cape Farewell,
and from thence had a good passage with strong
westerly gales, till they made the Orkneys on the
29th ult., and Scarborough on the 3d of November.
On Sunday, the 4th, they got a pilot, fresh beef,
and vegetables—a great treat to all on board—and
picked up the steamer off Lowestoffe on Thursday
night, when from that time to Saturday they were
employed in dragging (they cannot tow) the Enter-
prise to Purfleet and the Investigator to Woolwich,
the latter reaching Woolwich ill the afternoon, and
the former having been towed up yesterday morning.
In (he course or the voyage there were him three
bears, two or three seals, many swans, geese, and
' ducks, and more than 3,000 looms,
The vessels will be inspected this day by Commo-
' dore Eden.

APOTHECARIES' HALL.—The following are the
names of gentlemen who passed their examination in
the science and practice of medicine, and received certi.
ficates to practise, on Thursday, the Bth of November,
1849 :—David Henry Monckton, Brenchley, Kent ;
Alfred Scotchburn, Driffield, Yorkshire; Thos. Thlland
Powell, Knaresborough; Edward Rutley Ray,
near Sittingbourn; Robert Smith, Mamley-ctun-ChaPelt
Lincolnshire; Frederick John Dyer.