The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-06-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
TRAVELLING ON THE ICE.


Capt Parry's mode of travelling on the ice.
taken from an account of his late voyage to-
wards the North Pole, written by himself
sour plan of travelling (he says, speak
ing of the journey over the ice after leaving
the Hecla,) being nearly the same through
out the excursion, after we first entered
upon the ice, may at once give some ac-
count of our usual mode of proceeding. 1t
was my intention to travel wholly at night
and rest by day, there being, of course, con-
slant daylight in these regions during the
summer season. The advantages of this
plan, which was occasionally deranged by
circumstances, consisted first, in our avoid
ing the intense and oppressive glare from
the snow during the time of the suns great
est altitude, so as to prevent, in some de-
gree, the painful inflammation in the eyes
called snow-b blindness" which is common
in all snowy countries. We also thus en-
loyed greater warmth during the hours of
rest, and had better chance of drying cur
clothes besides which, no small advan-
tage was derived from the snow being hard
er at night for travelling. The only disad-
vantage of this plan was, that the fogs were
somewhat more frequent and more thick by
night than by day, though even in this res
pect there was less difference than might
have been supposed; the temperature in
the twenty-four hours undergoing but little
variation. This travelling by night, and
sleeping by day, so completely inverted the
natural order of things, that it was difficult
to persuade ourselves of the reality. Even
the officers end myself, who were all fur
nished with pocket-chronometers could not
always bear in mind at what part of the
twenty-four hours we had arrived; and
there were several Of the men who declared
and believe truly, that they never knew
night from day during the whole excursion.
When we rose in the evening, we common
ced our day by prayers, after which we took
off our sleeping dresses, and put on those
for travelling the former being made Of
camblet, lined with raccoon-skin, and the
latter of strong blue box-cloth. We made
point of always putting on the same stock
ings and boots for travelling in, whether
they had dried during the day OF not anC
believe it was only in five or six instances
at the most, that they were not either still
wet or hard-frozen. This, indeed, was o
no consequence, beyond the discomfort O
first putting them on in this state, as they
were sure to be thoroughly wet in quarter
Of an hour after commencing our journey
while, on the other hand it was of vital i'm
portance to keep dry things for sleeping in
Being rugged for travelling, we breakfastet
upon warm cocoa and biscuit, and after
slowing the things in the boats and on th'
sledges, SO as to secure them as much al
possible from wet, we set off on our day.
journey, and usually travelled from FIVE tt
five and a half hours, then stopped an hou
to dine, and again travelled four, five, ant
even six hours, according to circumstances
After this, we halted for the night, as W,
called it, though it was usually early in Thu
morning, selecting the largest surface 0
ice we happened to be near for hauling tn,
boats on, in order to avoid the danger Of it
breaking up by coming in contact with 9th
or masses, and also to prevent drift as mucl
as possible. The boats were placed close
alongside each other, with their sterns t.
the wind, the snow or wet cleared out o
them, and the sails, supported by bamboo
masts and three paddles placed over then
as awnings, an entrance being left at the