Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-01-10

barriers Of ice from the po'ar sea TO the
nerthward. shut out all hope of snr-
ceeding in The parallel Of ~; and te-
fore tlfey could return to the eastward
and renew the attempt in lower lati-
tudc, the navigable season. which is
confined to August and a few days in
September. offered no reasonable chance
of succeeding this year: independent OF
which, provisions would not have held
out in so precarious and dangerous a
navigation for the winter, and the time
they would certainly have been frozen
up. The c1istence of a polar sea to
the westward Of " Hearne's River" is
incontestably established. Mackenzie
saw it still further to the westward, and
by reference to the map. you will per-
ceive Icy Cape, which most clearly de-
monstratrs the American line of coast.
Experience has taught these hardy ia.
vigators, that in the month Of August,
such a powerful radiation from the
land takrs place, as to render chan
mel sufficient to demonstrate the GER
tainty of the existence of northwest
passage, and that practicable one,
but not open to any possible CONNER.
cial purposes. In 90 the compasses
were useless on board, the attraction Of
the needle was extreme; in Que case, a.
bout l66. Lieut.. Parry is represent.
ed to possess all the peculiar talent and
prowess for proceeding in this arduous
undertaking, which will undoubtedly
be accomplished by the shores of Anne
RIGA, a continuity of land established,
and from the radiation before MENTION
ed, the passage is certain.
Tire crews Of the vessels have con.
Quoted themselves az became men in
such a momentous expedition. They
have been particularly healthy, and re-
turned to England with the loss Of on
ly one man, and that from casualty
what powerful tribute to the discipline
and care of the officers commanding,
with the thermometer of Fair. IS deg.
below zero, where the breath of every
one in his sleeping place formed sheet
Of ice over his head in the morning.
The London Gazette of the goth OF
March. 1919, announces, "To the first
ship belonging to any of his Maj"sty's
sub jects, or his Majesty. thar shall
reach the Longitude of 40 degrees
west from Greenwich, or the mouth Of
Hearne's IF Coppermine River, by sail
ing within the Artic Circle, 5OGOL."
The ertremity Of Lancaster Sound,
in the N. W. corner thereof, is laid
down by Captain Ross in lat. "a deg.
10 min. N. and in long. SO deg. so min.
w. From this it would appear, if the
accounts which We have received con.
corning the Dicovery Ships arc correct.
that Commodore Parry has Mintered
4sa geographical miles (si deg. 10
min. long west of the extreme boun-
dairy of that Sound, as supposed by
Capt. Ross; namely, in lis deg. W.
long. and IS deg. N. lat. This place
is $50 geographical miles to the west
ward of n Orth, from the mouth Of Cop
perminc River. Whether it is on an
island or the Continent, we have not
yet learned, but it is most probably the
former; and if SO, there appears no rea-
son to doubt but that the sea surrounds
North America, as the Russian naviga-
tors from the;wostward have penetrated
through inland seas, between Behring's
Straits ard Icy Cape, to about l55 deg.
w. long. where they learned that a
Straight, ten days rowing in length. &
lying in N. E. direction, Icommunicat.
cd with the Great Ocean. The land
where Icy Cape stands, will thus be
found to be on an island and there is
therefore, little reason to doubt the
continuity of sea from tile Strait men,
toned to Baffin's Bay, through the
channel by which the Discovery Ships
have penetrated tn the westward from
that Bay. Whether that channel, how
ever, is open and free from ice, and
consequently fit for navigation, we know
not; but Com. Parry's account, will,
perhaps, afford us some certain data on
which to ground our opinion. His &C
count of his voyage will be anxiously
eIpected, and cannot fail to be extreme.
ly Interesting. Whether he has been
farther to the westward than where he
is said to have winterea, we know not
as yet; but that is fully 500 geographi-
cal miles from Icy Cape, the extreme
point Of Cuoke's navigation north.
ward.