Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-12-17
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE.
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION OF CAPT.


ROSS
The following letter. addressed by the gallant
navigator to the Admiralty. will put our readers
in possession OF alI the adventures and disco.
yerles Of this memorable expedition:
On board the Isabella of Hull.
B,rFIN's BAY. Sent, 1888.
SIR: knowing how deeply nv Lords Commits
sioners of the Admiralty are interested IN the ad
vancemeut OF nautical knowledge, and partIcu.
larly IN the Improvement OF geography. nave
"a arouaint you, for the information OF their Lord
ships. that the expedition, the main object OF
which is to solve, if possible, the question OF
a northwest passage from the Pac,hc to the Az
lant,c Ocean. part uariy by Prince Regents In
let. and which sailed from England in May,
1920, -notw Outstanding the loss OF the foremast.
aud other unroward circumstances, which oolised
,he vessel 70 re.fit in Greenland, reached the
beach on which his MaJesty's late ship Fury's
stores we're landed on the 18th OF August.
We found the boats, provisions. &c. IN excel
lent condition, but no vestise OF the wreck. Al
Ter completing IN fuel and other necessar'es. we
sailed on tina l4th, and on the following morning
rounded Cape Garry, where our new discoveries
commenced, and keeping the western shore close
On h,,rd. ran down The coast in s W. and w
course, IN from 10 tn 30 fathOms, until we pass
ed the latitude Of - north in longitude 81 west;
here we found con siderable inlet leading to the
westward. the examination OF which occupied
txo DAYS; at this place we were first seriously
obstrueteL bv ice, which was now seen TO extend
from the south cape of the inlet, in solid mass
round by S. and +. to E N f; owing to this
Circumstance, the shallOwnes Of the water, the
rapidlty Of the tides, the tempestuous weather,
the irregularity OF the coast, and the numerous
iulets aud rocks, for which il is remarkable. our
progress was no less dangerous than tedious, yer
we succeeded in penetrating below the latitude OF
20 north, in longitude % vest, where the land,
after having carried US as far east as go. took
decidedly western direction, while land, at the
distance Of &C miles To- the southwark, was seen
extending east and west. At this extreme point
our pro.ress was arrested on the lst OF October
by an lmpenetrable barrier OF Ice. We, howe
YER. found an excellent wintering port, which
We named Felix Harbor.
Early IN January, 1880, We had the good tor
tune to establish friendly intercourse with
most interesting CONSIDERATION Of natives, Who,
being insulated by nature, had never before com
munic ated with strangers: from them we gradu.
ally obtained the important information that we
had already seen the continent Of America; that
about 40 miles to the S. w there were two great
seas one To the west which was divided from
that TO the east by narrow strait or neck Il land
The ver,fcation Of this intelligence either way.
ON which our future operations Sc materially de
pende,i, devolved on Commander Ross. who 40.
luntrred this service early in April, and accom-
named by one Of the mates, and guided by two
Of tue natives, proceeded to the sp"t. and found
that the nnrth land VAS connected 10 the south
by Two ridges Of high land. ID miles IN breadth.
hat taking iuto account chain Of fresh water
lakes, which occupies the valleys between the
dry land which actually separates the two oceans,
Is only Eve miles. THIS extraordinary isthmus
WAS subsequently, visited by myself. when Com
rnander Russ proceeded minuteiy TO survey the
sea coast to the southwark of the isthmus lead
in. to the westward. which he succeeded IN trac.
ing 10 the 90 II degree, nr TO $50 miles OF Cape
Turnacain III Franklin, to which point the land.
after leading him into the 7rh degree Of north la.
u,ude, tended directly; during the same journey
he also SURVEYED Sp miles Of the al jacent coast,
or that to the norIh of the isthmus, which. by
also taking westerly direction, formed the ter
mina,ion Of the western sea INTO gulf.
The rest Of this seasoa was employed IN ira.
cina the sea coast south Us the isthumus leading
10 the eastward. which was done so as To leave
10 doubt that it jo,ned, as the natives had pre-.
viouslv informed US, TO Ockullee, and the land
forming RepuIse Bay. IL was also determined
that there vas no passage to the westward for
so mlTes to the no,hward Of our position.
THIS ,umu,er, like that Of 1918, was beautiful
ly 6ne, but extremely unfavorable for naviga
,ion, and our object being now to try more
northern latitude, We waited with anxiety for
the disruption of the ice, but in vain. and our
urmost endeavors did not succeed in retracing
our steps more thaN -four miles, aud IL was not
until the middle of November that we succeed.
ed in cutting the vessel into place OF security.
which We named :. Sheriff's harbor." l may
here mention that we named the newly discover.
ed continent To the sorth~ard Boothia," as
also the isihumus, the peninsula to the north,
and the eastern sea, after my worthy friend,
Felix Booth ESQ, the truly patriotic citizen OF
London. who, in the most disinterested manner,
enabled me to equip this expedition in superb
or style.
The last winter was in temperature nearly
eeual to the means Of what had been experienced
on the four preceding voyages, but the winters Of
l83O-Sl set in with degree OF violence hith-
erto beyond record-the thermometer sunk TO
90 degree. below the freeZiuu point, and the ay.