The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 278, Supplementary Number (1828) — John Shaqi
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 278, Supplementary Number (1828)Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 278, Supplementary Number (1828)
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
The sum of the intelligence which has transpired is, that the Hecla
having arrived at Hamerfest, took in the rein-deer for dragging the
boats, snow-shoes, &c. for the journey over the ice. Having reached
the coast of Spitzbergen, a heavy gale drove the ship among packed
ice, where she was entangled for several weeks, to the 6th of June.
Here the first effort to proceed in the manner projected was tried on
two boats commanded by Captain Parry and Lieut. Ross; but the ice
broke up, and it was speedily relinquished. The Hecla then wrought to
the north as far as Seven Islands, where finding no harbour, she put
back. By the 19th of June, however, having cut through a formidable
barrier, to the Wratskel of Van Henloopen, a second attempt to get
forward in the ice-boats was strenuously made. Unfortunately the ice
was what is called rotten, and so irregular as to render success
impossible. Nothing could exceed the fatigues and difficulties of
transport; the boats had to be loaded and unloaded many times in the
course of a few hours; and no field-ice was met with, to any extent,
over which they might glide on their way. The party at last attained
the latitude of 82 deg., and three quarters N.; or to between four and
five hundred miles of the Pole. Heavy rains prevailed, and the ice
over which they were travelling so laboriously towards the north, was
itself drifting more rapidly to the south than the distances which
they could accomplish. Thus, the last three days having been spent in
this disheartening and fruitless toil,--half the provisions being
exhausted,--some of the men falling sick, and being reported unfit for
exertion,--the scurvy threatening them,--and no hope of any favourable
change remaining--our brave countrymen were compelled to abandon their
impracticable design. They accordingly returned to the Hecla, and on
the 24th of September put into Longhope, in the Orkneys, without
having experienced any loss by death. The whole period occupied in
these exertions on the ice is stated to have been sixty-one days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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