Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-12-13
CAPTAIN pARRY's EXPEDITION.

The following interesting particulars rela>
tive to Captain Parry's late unsuccessful tx
Ded,ion, are stated on the authority of the
LITERARY Gn-eiie, the editor of @hIch paper has
taken some pains 10 collect hem.
The hipht st latitude 10 which the Hecla
reached was 81 deg min. which is believed 10
be the fartnest north that ever ship made
her way; SO that all tina, was made in the boats
was deg. SO min. Lord Mulgrave got to 30
deg. and some minutes 1--WE do no, remember
exactly, but think about 2o). Al the farhesl
point north, no barrier Of icewas seen, as IN
the case of that noble lord, and elier voyagers,
so that the idea OF such barrier always exist
ing NAV now be dismissed. The Ice found by
the present expedition was OF a very chaotic
form For about a mile. perhaps, it might be
tolcrably smooth; but al every interval hugh
ridges were crushed up by the action OF tides
and currents, and presented the most tormi-
dabe obstacles to the progress Of the enter
prise. No sooner was one oil these rugged q
prec'pitous masses overcome, than another APP
peared; and difficulty after difficulty seemed
ienethenine as the parry advanced There was
plenty offresh water on The surface, bu, towards
the end of the attempt, when the rains fell, the
ridges we have described separated, and be-
tween them the sal, sea flowed in divisions like
so many channels.
Owing 10 the condition Of the Ice over which
they had 70 travel, il was found impossible to
make any use Of the rindecr in dragging the
boa,s aud as :here were no means OF feeding
dogs Gas one proposed) the whole work was
performed by personal labor Officers and men
28 in number, were alike harnesscd to the tao
kle, and wrought in common at the eXhausting
toll Their time for starting in the morning
(thcir morning being The beginning OF the
mighty was chosen when the light was less IN
furious TO the eyes: Tor though the sun shone
upon them during the whole period, aud there
was no darkness. yet when that luminary was
lowest in the horizon, the reflection from the
| bright white surface of snow was more endur-
BILE On setting cut, pint Of cocoa. with
| some biscuit powder to mix with il, was serv-
| ed to every individual for breakfast, which be-
! ing finished, The whole plumber yoked to the
boats About seven hours of constant exei ton
brought then to the hour Of their spare din-
ner meal; which consisted Of pemecans about the
! size of an orange, and few ounces of biscuit
powder. These ingredients, scraprd into cold
water made cold soup, and miserable sus.
tenance Tor men whose strengths were so Sc
verely taskcd. In fact they could not bear up
under the fatigue. During their whole marc
they were soaked wet 10 the knees, and beDumb-
cd by a temperature always at or near the frcez-
ing point. At the close oftwelve or fourteen
hours thus occupied, when they came to seek
rest by living down, the change of thei, wet for
their dry stockings and fur boots caused such
a recreation, that the tingling and smart were
insufftrable, and the comparative comfort was
more difficult'to be endured than the preced-
ing old.
When Captain Parry found that the men
would not support their tolls on the allowance,
(of about nineteen ounces per twcnty-fou hours,
OF pemecaH and buiscuit powders) he added by
way ofluxury pint Of hot water at night
This was found 10 be very restorative, warming
the system; and il little Of The dinner food had
been saved, it made broth of great relish and
value. Spirits were not drank: and the reason
why even hot water was scarce, was, that i,
took SO large stock CT their spirits OF wine 10
boil il and the cocoa, that the quantity consum.
ed could not safely be increased.
The consequences Of the hard life we have
just family pictured were seen obvious. The
men became weakened, their limbs sweIled and
disease began TO thin the number Of active
| workers. There needed no other obstacle 10
stop their progress; but observation at last de-
monstraled that all their strenuous efforts were
vain. The ice itself was drifting faster TO the
south than they could make their way over i,
to the north; thus, during The last three days Of
their struggle, instead Of gaining higher Iati.
tude, they were actually two miles farther south
than when they set out. This put AN end TO an
expedition where every thing wnich human en-
ergy snd perseverance could do, was done so
fru,less; but the nature OF the ice, so differen,
from what had been anticipated, rendered the
accomplishment Of the objecI utterly imprac.
licable.,
While the boats were away, the Hecla was
not exempt from danger. She had Been wrought
into srug birth near the shore, in one of the
few places which afforded this shelter. A head
there was about three miles Of ice; and heavy
gale coming on, detached this prodigious mass,
and drove 1t with great violence against The
ship The cables were cut asunder, the anchors
lost, and poor Hecla forced high and dry upon
the coast, by the irresistible pressure. To GET
her again 10 the water occupied considerable
time, which was, Of course, lost to the survey
ing party. Having effected tins they pro.
ceeded to Weyg.u Straits; and considering
the shor. period they had TO employ, made, we