Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-05-09
From the Quarterly Review.

The following extract from the above
work we presume would be interesting
to our readers at any period, but part
cularIv so when every exertion is making
10 ascertain whether North West pas
sage does really exist or not.
Ral!far paper.
Destitute as we consider the Relation
Of Maldonado, found in the Ambrosian
Library of Milan, to be both Of veracity
and autheaticity.' we are by 10 means
inclined to suppose that such a voyage as
il describes is impracticable. we firm'
" believe on the contrary, that nayiga
Die passage from the Atlantic to the rac'-
ic round the northern coast OF America
does exist, and may be Of no difficult ex-
ecution. Why, then, it may be sskeo'
have ali the attempts made at dihefent
times, from both sides the continent OF
america, failedS Because not one OF
them was ever made near that part oil t'e
coast of America, round which it is most
likely the passage would lead into the
frozen or northern ocean. To prove This
we must take 4 glance at what has oeen
done and If our readers should feel that
prid, and pleasure, which we do IN re.
viewing the daring enterprises and the
perilous and persevering efforts, OF our
early navigators in the frozen regions al
the north, they will not deem br'et
survey Of them tedious or misplaced.
Rrsolute, gallant, glorious attempts:
exclaims that quaint but delightful old
writer Of the Pilgrimage
" How" continues he, shall admire
your heroic courage, We marine wor'hies,
beyond all names If worthless, and that
neyther dread 50 long ey ther presence or
absence Of the sunne nor those ioggy
mists, tempestuous winds, cold blasts,
snowes and hayle in the ayre: nor the
unequal seas which might amaze the
heare, and amate the beholder, where 'he
Tnton's aud Neptuns's settle would
quake with chilling feare, 10 behold such
monstrous ,cie islands, rending hem
selves with terrour OF their owne mas
sines, and Ii-dayning otherwise both the
seas s0vereigntie, and the sunne's hot
test violence, mastering themselves IN
tn Sc watery PLANES where the, hold
continual civil var e, and rushing one
upon ahOthe make windes and waves
give backe. seeming to rent the cares Of
others. While they rent themselves with
crashing aud splitting their CONCEALED az
,mours."
The flourishing commerce Of the Pcr-
tuguese and Spaniards in the Indiao
. seas stimulated The merchants OF England
tc a participation in that great source OF
wealth, b, the dis overy of passage
thai would shorten the voyage t" India
and China t. less than half the distance
of that rou.d the Cape Of Good Hope or
Cape Horn. Such passage was, IN tact,
supposed t. have been made BY Caspar
de Cortereal, Pc tugue>e of 'ome rank,
in the year 1900 He touched at New
foundiand, passed over ferre Verde, at
forwards called Terra de Cortercal, and
gave 70 the southern part Of 1t, which
was fit for culliyatinn, the name OF Ter
"a de Labrador Then coasting to the
M Inward and opening out wide pas
sage, nov called Rudson's Strait, he
coRclued he had discovered the so much
de-. ed passage round America which
he is SAID to have named the strait OF
Anian; not however, as we conceive,
" in honor Of two brothers who acc"mpa
MED him." bot because he deemed it to
be the eastern extremity 1T st ant,
whose western end opening into the Pa.
ciic, had already received that name.-
He FASTENED back to Portugal to commu-
nicate the agreeable Intelligence, ard
was seat the following year to complete
the discovery, but was never heard of
more and his brother Michael de Corte
real, who afterwards went in search OF
him, shared the same fate.
The FIRST Englishman who undertook
the discovery of north west passage to
China was M. afterwards Sir MARTINI
Frobisher. He left England in the mid.
die .. Jsly, 1876, with two small vessels
and pinnace, the largest only IS tons;
and proceeding to the entrance OF sup
posed strait in lat. IS, 10 N. he return
ed to Harwieh on the Cd October, bring
ing back from an isla un the coast OF
Greenland one of the sayages and some
brigar stones The wife OF one OF the
adventures threw one Of these stone ac-
cidsntally into the fire, and having
quenched it with vinegar, :" it glistened
with bright marqui,sst Of gold" The
following year Frsb.her anchored on the
west coast of Greenland where the
"stoue, be a'tcgether sparkled, and gus
ten in he sun like gold" One OF his
people isunj the horn Of a sea unicorn,