Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1850-05-18

len, commanding the Herald's 80 foot PIN
nance, fitted on board with the greatest care,
thoroughly decked. schooner rugged, and
called the Owen, furnished with pumps, spare
rudder, and strengthening piece Of two
inch plank above her water line
Two % feet whale boats, new boats,
brought out by Her Majesty's ship Asia,
from England, covered in abalt as far as the
blackboard, but without either boxes or cases,
the provisions being slowed, the bread in
tween tarpaulings. The mems clothes were
in haversacks, capable of removal in mo-
ment
Plover' pinnance, half-decked boat, with
eases for her provisions, &C., so placed as to
resist pressure from the ice.
There were placed in the boats 20 days
preserved meats for the whole party, all the
other articles of provision except bread to
the same extent, being soldered up in tins.
In addition to this, the Owen had on board
eight mems allowance of the regular ships
provisions. After she was stow ed with this
proportion, every corner that would hold a
case Of preserved meats was filled The two
larger boats carried in lack of them five
cases pemmcan for the special use of Sir
John Franslin's party.
The ships weighed in company with the
boats and ran along the land within about 3
miles, with moderate off shore wind.
July 26.-At a. m the ice could be seen
in heavy masses, extending from the shore
near the Sea Horse Islands. AT 6 we were
obliged to sheave to in consequence Of a
dense fog. This cleared off at ii 30. The
Plover was close to, but neither the boats
nor thesy acht were in sight.
We both made sail steering true north,
and were at l p. m. in lat. 7la s. where we
made the heavily packed ice extending near
ly as far as the eye could reach from N. W.
by w. to NJ E. At this time we had sound
ings in 40 fathoms mud-the deepest water
we have had since leaving the Island Of st
Laurence. We continued running along the
pack until 8 p. IN. when thick fog coming
on, we ran two or three miles south and hove
to, wind blowing from N. N. E. and directly
off the ice We had run along it 30 miles.
The pack was composed of dirty color,
ed ice, not more than five or six feet high
except some pinnacles deeply seated IN tho
pack, which had no doubt been thrown up by
the foes coming in contact Every, few mile:
the ice streamed off from the pc 1ks> through
which the Plover sailed.
July 29.-At ] 80 the fog cleared off: the
pack from N w. to N. N. E. distant abou
six miles Made sail during the forenoon
running through streams of loose ice. A
10 passed some large and heavy foes
| Commander Moore considered them suffi-
ciently heavy and extensive to obtain a suite
of magnetical observations, dropped the Flo
yer through between some OF them, ant
made fast with ice anchors under the lee O
| the largest in most seamanlike manner.
| landed on the foe with Lieut.. TrOllope
The latitude, time, and variations were OBJ
tanned on it Qat II lo 30' N; long. l62
s. WY; but the other observations were VI
tiated by its motion in azmuth, and by it:
constant breaking away the level would not
stand We had % fathoms mud alongside il
and no current.
found the ice driving slowly to the south
ward, with the N. NJ E. wind then blowing
fresh. Very few walrus and but single di
yer seen. The general height of this hot
was about FIVE feet, and about l mile IN ex
tent; on it were found pebbles and mud
which led Commander Moore to suppose i
| had been in contact with the land. | sup
posed the mud and pebbles to have been fe
cal remains dropped thereby some walrus
] At midnight the latitude was obtained b.
the inferior passage of the sun. AT 5: a. m
the temperature Of the water has fallen t.
&C. and almost al the same instant the Ic'
was reDorted from the masthead. Betwee'
this time and 7 a. m. (when we hove to with
in half mile of the pack) we ran lO.5, 81
that consider eleven miles to be about 1h'
distance that packed ice can be seen IN TN
mart of the world in clear weather from ;
ships masthead. -
i The pack was dirty colored ice, showing
an outline without break in IT flve or 81!
feet high, with columns and pinnacles mucl
RI higher some distance in. Although the wine
was off the pack, there was not Particie
loose or drift ice from it; our sonndings ha'
gradually increased to 30 fathoms, soft blu'
mud. The only living thing seen were
nair of small divers, black with white bal
in the back, and two very remarkable bird
4 very like the tropical man-of-war bird
4 diney black color, with excessively lon!
wings. and the same flight when soaring =
i We could not succeed in shooting any OF ei
ther species. We remained hove of tn
pack for an hour In the dredge we got mus
Il ccies and few bivalves common to those seas
i This was our most northern POSITION 'a'
! rs 5i'N., II9e w. The ice, as lar
II could be seen from the masthead 'reuu
ed away w. S. w. (compass) Commanoe
Moore and the icemaster reporting a wafer
Nv 10 the north of the pack, and stron'
. ,s,r t.Ink to the S. W.
i, was impossible to gain this rePorte
omen water as the pack was perfectly I'M
nenetrable. The pack we had Just trace
, for 40 leagues, made IN series OF I s.ep
westerly and northerly-the westerly be,n!
ahout 10 or IL miles, and the northerly ~
/, We made sail at O'Clock a. m. steering 10
!, IA coast little to the west of our track Up
Wind N. E. gradually decreasing as we 20
/ southerly. D..a;, .hor
, July SO, g o'clock a. m.-Paeked s IN snor !
in eight fathoms. close to toS nS5"w Moors cam
:" hoard and proposed that, during the tim
7" Gas surveying Wainwright's Inlet b
...,,id no along the coast during the mn