Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-01-06

yer, were not neglected the .trysails
were got on her, though it was so dark
that no object could be discerhed, and
they did not know so much which way
the ships head lay, from the compasses
having ceased to act, the ship being as
it is supposed, directly over ornear the
magnet pole.
Whilst presuming, in this distress
in dilemma, that the wind had shifted
off the land, the waterdeepened, a sight
of the sun, and subsequently, OF the
other celestial bodies, was obtained,
(of which they had no view for some
days. and the ship was found to have
been drifted out Of the Welcome, after
having attained lat. IS, so. There was
at this moment no anchor left in the
ship. Notwithstanding, it was deter
mined, if possible, to winter about
Chesterfield Inlet, or even to the South
ward of that spot. The persevering
efforts of all on board were according
ly directed to gain the American shore,
but finding that the ship got into the
Shadows Of Hudson's Bay, they were
reluctantly compelled to edge away for
Salisbury Island, still hoping that a
few fine and favorable days would re-
store to them their lost ground. The
bad weather, however, still continued,
and there was much difficulty in water
ing the ship at these places, from
stream of ice. A number of natives
came off to them in their canoes, and
trafficked their clothes for iron and
spears. At length, the hopeless con-
tinuance of bad weather, the wretched
condition of the ship, (from her inca
pacities) the officers and crews having
suffered more hardships than on any
previous voyage, the advanced stage OF
the season, with numerous other con-
comitant miseries, compelled capt Ly-
on to consent that the ship should be
got out of Hudson's Straits an extent
of 800 miles of dangerous navigation
which place they had scarcely cleared,
when a southerly gale drove them up
to Davis Straits, so miles to the south
ward of Resolution Island. Providen-
tally, change of wind enabled them
soon afterto proceed on southern pas
sage homeward, and the Griper arrived
here in six weeks, in the state we have
described.
Though little has been effected to-
wards solving the geographical prob
lem Of Northwest passage by this
voyage, yet some most interesting eln-
citations of the deviation Of the COM
pass have been brought to light. The
compasses began to waver and contra
dict each other when abreast of the Sa-
wage islands; and, as the ship got to
the westward, the compasses got un-
steady and useless. Whilst the ship
was in Sir Thomas Rowe's Welcome,
they frequently would not traverse at
all, but stood in whatever position the
card was placed. Should a passage be
discovered by capt. Parry through the
Prince Regents Inlet, it is considered
more than probable, from the irregular
movements of the ice, that it may never
be entered again. The Griper spoke
several whalers, all of which had been
unsuccessful in the fishery; no ship
had more than two fish, and many none
whatever. From the captain of the
Phenix whaler, captain Lyon heard that
captain Parry's expedition had been
seen in the middle Of August, in lat.
II, beset with ice.
On the whole, the season has been
more boisterous, and, consequently, the
sea less clear than it has been known
for thirty years. 1t was very question
able if captain Parry would be able to
reach Lancastcr's Sound. Had the
Griper effected wintering either in
Relapse Bay or Wager River, or Ches-
terfield Inlet, capt. Lyon, with strong
party, would have made land Journey
to Point Turn-again, near the Copper
Mine River, a distance Of 700 miles;
for which expedition they were fully
equipped. Captain Parry; if he sue
ceeded in passing Lancaster Sound and
getting to the southwark down the
Prince Regents Inlet (by which capt.
Lyon was next year to communicate
with him, he will send land expedi-
ton, if possible, in the same direction,
as well as to Repulse Bay, in the hope
Of communicating with the Griper.
The Griper communicated with the
Esquimaux natives of the Upper Sa-
wage Islands, and of Salisbury and Not
tingham Islands, all of whom had fre-
quently seen Europeans. They were
less savage in their habits and manners
than their more northern brethren, but
they showed a strong thievish dispo-
sition; they endeavored to steal the
oars and iron works from the boats
The Griper also communicated with
the natives of various parts of South
ampton Island, who had never seen
shin before. They, however, express