The lands of silence : $b A history of Arctic and Antarctic explorationMarkham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
History
The lands of silence : $b A history of Arctic and Antarctic exploration
Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
Polar regions -- Discovery and exploration
During the three summer seasons it had never been possible to get the
_Victory_ clear of the ice. She left Felix Harbour only to be driven
into another hard by, which was named Victory Harbour. A third winter
was approaching, and it thus became evident that it would be absolutely
necessary to abandon the ship and retreat to Fury Beach in the ensuing
summer. After the third winter preparations were accordingly made for a
retreat, and on May 29th, 1832, the ship was abandoned. They travelled
on, going round every bay and inlet owing to the roughness of the ice
outside. James Ross with a sledge crew of the strongest men, Abernethy
and Park, pushed on to Fury Beach, and returned with supplies of food
for the sick and weak. On July 1st they all arrived at Fury Beach,
and a house was built for the winter. There were plenty of birds, 50
dovekies being shot on the 7th, and 100 on the 17th.
At Fury Beach they found three of the _Fury’s_ boats, and Captain Ross
and his nephew, with selected crews, proceeded in them to see the state
of the ice in Lancaster Sound. They got as far as Leopold Harbour, and
on September 2nd Captain Ross climbed the hill on the south side, about
600 feet high, but could see nothing but closely-packed ice. Returning,
they left the boats in Batty Bay, and journeyed on to Fury Beach,
where they passed a wretched winter--their fourth. The fifth summer
found them weak and desponding. Their only hope was to meet a whaler
in Lancaster Sound, and for this they set out. First there was a long
journey to the boats in Batty Bay, the sick being dragged on sledges.
Only two men had died, a man who had consumption when he shipped, and
Mr Thomas, the carpenter. Fortunately the boats met with the _Isabella_
whaler in Lancaster Sound, the same vessel in which Captain Ross had
re-discovered Baffin’s Bay in 1818. They were hospitably received, and
reached England in the following October.
Never before had explorers passed four consecutive winters in the
Arctic regions. The results were commensurate with their perseverance.
Upwards of 260 miles of coast line were discovered in the ship,
and the sledge journeys of James Ross covered another 500 miles of
newly-discovered land. The position of the magnetic pole was fixed, and
a large collection of natural history specimens was made.
The gallant explorers were very cordially welcomed in England. Captain
Ross was knighted and all he had expended was refunded to him. James
Ross was made a Post-Captain, and many of the crew received recognition
of their services. A Committee of the House of Commons refunded to
Felix Booth the £18,000 he had expended on the expedition, and he was
created a Baronet. Sir John Ross was appointed Consul at Stockholm in
1838.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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