Authentic and highly interesting narrative of the perilous voyage of Capt. Ross, to discover a North-West passage, giving a heart-rending account of the unparalleled hardships & privations of Capt. Ross and his intrepid crew, while suffering all the horro

An Authentic and highly Interesting Narrative
OF THE PERILOUS
VOYA«E OF CAPT. ROSS,
TO DISCOVER A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE,
OF
Capt. ROSS and his Intrepid CREW,
WHILE SUFFERING ALL THE
MOMMOMM OjF TMM
DETAILING, AMONG (OTHER INTERESTING EVENTS,
The Discovery of a Continent, larger than Great Britain, on which were Natives who had never before communicated with
Strangers—Loss of the ship Victory, which was obliged to be left in the Ice.—Travelling of the Crew nearly 300 Miles over the Ice,
completely exhausted by Hunger and Fatigue.—Their being one Winter enveloped in Ice, in want of Bedding, Clothing, and Animal
Food—With Particulars of Capt. Ross and his Crew going to Sea in open Boats, when they wrere saved by the Isabella, of Hull.
IN the year 1818, the British government fitted
out two Expeditions to the North Pole. Cap¬
tain Buchan, commanding the Trent and the
Dorothy, was directed to attempt a passage be¬
tween Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla, over the Pole,
into the Pacific j and Captain Ross commanding the
Isabella and the Alexander, to attempt the north*
tvest passage from Davis’ Straights and Baffin’s Bay,
into the Frozen Ocean, and thence into the Pacific.
Ross reached 77 deg. 40 min. latitude, and more
accurately determined the situation of Baffin’s Bay,
which until then was believed to extend 10 degrees
further to the east than it actually does. Lieutenant
Parry, who accompanied Capt. Ross, was sent, in
conjunction with Capt. Lyon, in the year 1819, on a
second voyage into Baffin’s Bay, and having penetra¬
ted so far as to gain the first prize offered by Parlia¬
ment (5000/.) and having made the most western
point ever reached in the Polar seas, he was en¬
trusted with the direction of the Hecla and Fury, on
a similar expedition in 1821. These ships returned
in October, 1823, without achieving the principal
object for which they were dispatched. In 1824,
Parry and Lyon were again sent out for the discovery
of a north-west passage in the Hecla and Fury ; and
in consequence of storms and icebergs, it became
necessary to abandon the Fury. Captain Parry re¬
turned to England in October, 1825. The Admiralty
again Bent Parry, in the Hecla, in 1827, to reach, if
possible, the North Pole.—So far the exertions of
the British Government.
Piqued, as We understand, by the real, or sup¬
posed, neglect of Government, Captain Ross, in the
spring of 1829, undertook an expedition, on his own
resources, with a view of effecting a passage into the
Polar Sea, and to reach Behring’s Straits, along the
northern coast of the American continent. The pro¬
gress and result is thus described by Capt. Ross, in
his Letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty :—
11 On board the Isabella, of Hull, Baffin’s Bay, Sept. 1833.
" Sir,—Knowing how deeply my Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty are interested in the advancement of nautical
knowledge, I have to acquaint you for the information of their
lordships, that the expedition, the main object of which is to
solve, if possible, the question of a north-west passage from the
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, particularly, by Prince Regent’s
Inlet, and which sailed from England in May, 1829, notwith¬
standing the loss of the foremast and other untoward circum¬
stances,. which obliged the vessel to refit in Greenland, reached
the beach on which his Majesty’s late ship Fury’s stores were
landed on the 13th of August. We found the boat, provisions,
&c. in excellent condition, but no vestige of the wreck. After
completing in fuel and other necessaries, we sailed on the 14th
and on the following morning rounded Cape Garry, where
^ur new discoveries commenced, and keeping the western shore
close on board, ran down the coast in a S. W. and W. course,
in from 10 to 20 fathoms, until we had passed the latitude of
72 North in longitude 94 West: here we found a considerable
inlet leading to the Westward, the examination of which occu¬
pied two days: at this place we were first seriously obstructed
by ice, which was now seen to extend from the south cape of
the inlet, in a solid mass, round by S. and E. to E.N.E; ow¬
ing to this circumstance, the shallowness of the water, the
rapidity of the tides, the tempestuous weather; the irregularity
of the coast, and the numerous inlets and rocks for whiih it is
remarkable, our progress was no less dangerous than tedious,
yet we succeeded in penetrating below the latitude of 70 North
in longitude 92 West, where the land, after having carried us
as far east as 90, took a decided westerly direction, while land
at the distance of 40 miles to southward was seen extending
east and west/ At this extreme point our progress was arrested
by an impenetrable barrier of ice. We, however, found au
excellent wintering port, which we named Felix Harbour.
Early in January 1830, we had the good fortune to establish a
friendly intercourse with a most interesting consociation of na¬
tives, who, being insulated by nature, had never before com¬
municated with strangers; from whom we gradually obtained
the important information that we had already seen the conti¬
nent of America, that about 40 miles to the S. W. there we
two great seas, one to the west, which was divided from * i
to the east by a narrow strait or neck of land. The verific; :nn
of this intelligence either way, on which our future ope ions
so materially depended, devolved on Commander Ross, who
volunteered this service early in April, and accompanied by
one of the mates, and guided by two of the natives, proceeded
to the spot, and found that the north land was connected to
the south by two ridges of high land. 15 miles in breadth, but,
taking into account a chain of fresh-water lakes, which occu¬
pied the valleys between, the dry land which actually sepa¬
rates the two oceans is only five miles. This extraordinary
isthmus was subsequently visited by myself, when Commander
Ross proceeded minutely to survey the sea-coast to the south¬
ward of the isthmus leading to the westward, which he suc¬
ceeded in tracing to the Q9th degree, or to 150 miles of Cape
Turnagain of Franklin, to which point the land, after leading
him into the 70th degree of north latitude, trended directly:
during the same journey, he also surveyed 30 miles of the ad¬
jacent coast, or that to the north of the isthmus, which, by
also taking a westerly direction, formed the termination of the
western sea into a. gulf. The r,est of the season was employed
in tracing the sea-coast south of the isthmus leading to the east¬
ward, which was done so as to leave no doubt that it joined, as
the natives had previously informed us, to Ockullee, and the
land forming Repulse Bay. It was also determined there was
no passage to the westward for 30 miles to the northward of
our position.
This summer, like that of 1818, was beautifully fine, but
extremely unfavourable for navigation, and our object being
now to try a more northern latitude, we waited with anxiety
for the disruption of th *ce, but in vain, and our utmost en¬
deavours did not succeed in retracing our steps more than four
miles, and it was not until the beginning of November that
we succeeded in cutting the vessel into a place of security,
which we named “ Sheriffs’ Harbour.”
I may here mention, that we named the newly-discovered
continent, to the southward, “ Boothia,” as also the isthmus,
the peninsula to the north, and the eastern sea, after my wor¬
thy friend Felix Booth, Esq. the truly patriotic citizen of
London, who, in the most disinterested manner, enabled me
to equip this expedition in a superior style.
The last winter was in temperature nearly equal to the aver¬
age of what had been experienced on the four preceding voy¬
ages, but the winters of 1830 and 1831, set in with a degree of
violence hitherto beyond record, the thermometer sunk to
92 degrees below the freezing point, and the average of the
year was 10 degrees below the preceding ; but, notwithstand¬
ing the severity of the summer, we travelled across the country
to the west sea by a chain of lakes, 30 miles north of the isth¬
mus, when Commander Ross succeeded in surveying 50 miles
more of the coast leading to the N.W., and by tracing the
shore to the northward of our position, it was also fully proved
that there could be no passage below the 71st degree.
This autumn we succeeded in getting the vessel only 14 miles
to the northward, and as we had not doubled the Eastern Cape
all hope of saving the ship was at an end, and put quite be¬
yond possibility by another very severe winter; and having
only provisions to last us to the 1st of June, 1833, dispositions
were accordingly made to leave the ship in her present port
which (after her) was named Victory Harbour. Provisions
and fuel being carried forward in the spring, we left the ship
on the 29th of May, 1832, for Fury Beach, being the only
chance left of saving our lives: owing to the very rugged na¬
ture of the ice, we were obliged to keep either upon or close
to the land, making the circuit of every bay, thus increasing
our distance of 200 miles by nearly one half; and it was not
until the 1st of July that we reached the beach, completely
exhausted by hunger and fatigue. A hut was speedily con~
structed, and the boats, three of which had been washed off
the beach, but providentially driven on shore again, were re¬
paired during this month; but the unusual heavy appearance
of the ice afforded us no cheering prospect until the 1st of
August, when in three boats we reached the ill-fated spot
where the Fury was first driven on shore, and it was not until
the 1st of September we reached Leopold South Island, now
established to be the N.E. point of America, in latitude 73. 56,
and longitude 90. West. From the summit of the lofty mount¬
ain on the promontory we could see Prince Regent’s Inlet,
Barrow’s Strait, and Lancaster Sound, which presented one
impenetrable mass of ice, just as I had seen it in 1818. Here
we remained in a state of anxiety and suspence which may be
easier imagined than described. All our attempts to push
through were in vain ; at length being forced by want of pro¬
visions, and the approach of a very severe winter, to return to
Fury Beach, where alone there remained wherewith to sustain
life; there we arrived on the 7th of October, after a most
fatiguing and laborious march, having been obliged to leave
our boats at Batty Bay, Our habitation, which consisted of a
frame of spars, 32 feet by 16 feet, covered with canvas, was
during the month of November enclosed, and the roof covered
with snow, from 4 feet to 7 feet thick, which being saturated
with water, when the temperature was 15 degrees below zero,
immediately took the consistency of ice, and thus we actually
became the inhabitants of an icq berg during one of the most
severe winters hitherto recorded ; our sufferings, aggravated by
want of bedding, clothing, and animal food, need not be dwelt
upon. Mr. C. Thomas, the carpenter, was the only man that
perished at this beach, but three others, besides one who had
lost his foot, were reduced to the last stage of debility, and only
13 of our number were able to carry provisions in seven jour-
nies of 62 miles each to Batty Bay. We left Fury Beach on
the 8th of July, carrying with us three sick men, who were
unable to walk, and in six days we reached the boats, where
the sick daily recovered. Although the spring was mild, it
was not until the 15th of August that we had any cheering
prospect. A gale from the westward having suddenly opened
a lane of water along shore, in two days we reached our former
position, and from the mountain we had the satisfaction of
seeing clear water almost directly across Prince Regent’s Inlet,
which we crossed on the 17th, and took shelter from a storm
12 miles to the eastward of Cape York. The next day, when
the gale abated, we crossed Admiralty Inlet, and were de¬
tained six days on the coast by a stt-ng north-east wind. On
the 25th, we crossed Navy Board Inlet, and on the following
morning, to our inexpressible joy, we descried a ship in the
offing, becalmed, which proved to be the Isabella, of Hull,
the same ship which I commanded in 1818. At noon, we
reached her, when the enterprising commander, who had in
vain searched for us in Prince Regent’s Inlet, after giving us
three cheers, received us with every demonstration of kindness
and hospitality, which humanity could dictate. The Captain
concludes by bestowing high encomiums on his officers, and
adds—
Commander Ross, Mr. Thom, and myseif, have indeed been
serving without pay; but, in common with the crew, have lost
our all, which I regret the more, because it puts it totally out
of my power adequately to remunerate my fellow sufferers,
whose case I cannot but recommend for their lordship’s consi¬
deration. We have, however, the consolation that the results
of this expedition have been conclusive, and to science highly
important, and may be briefly comprehended in the following
words:—The Discovery of the Gulf of Boothia, the continent
and isthmus of Boothia, Felix, and a vast number of islands
rivers, and lakes ; the undeniable establishment that the north
east point of America extends to the 74tb degree of north lati¬
tude; valuable observations of every kind, but particularly
on the magnet; and to crown all, have had the honour of plac¬
ing,the illustrious name of our most gracious Sovereign Wil¬
liam IV. on the true position of the magnetic pole.”
On Capt. Ross’s arrival in England, every respect
was paid him ; and a subscription has been set on
foot in Loudon and Liverpool, to indemnify and
reward the gallant captain and his intrepid crew for
their great loss, and for their praise-worthy exertions.’
SMEETON, PRINTER, 74, TOOX.EY STREET
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