Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 1Parry, William Edward, Sir
History
Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 1
Parry, William Edward, Sir
Arctic regions; Northwest Passage; Parry, William Edward, Sir, 1790-1855
As soon as it was light enough on the 18th to make out the
situation of the ice, which had now drifted considerably to the
southward, we left the bay with a fresh and favourable breeze, and
at a quarter past eight A.M., after a quick run through "sailing
ice," landed to breakfast on the southeast point of this shore,
which afterward received the name CAPE MARTINEAU. Proceeding from
hence with a strong breeze and a considerable sea ahead, but the
flood tide still running slowly with us to the N.W., we rowed
several miles close along the shore, and entered at dusk a little
cove, where the tents were pitched and the boats moored for the
night.
The night being cold, clear, and nearly calm, a quantity of
"bay-ice," half an inch in thickness, had, on the morning of the
19th, formed in the cove, and for some distance outside of it,
which again cut the boats' planks very much, besides occasioning
great loss of time in getting through it. This symptom of
approaching winter, which had now for the first time occurred to
us, rendered it expedient in future to select the most open
beaches for our resting-places at night. After tracing every bend
of the shore which here occurred, we landed at the point called by
Captain Lyon POINT FARHILL, and, ascending the hill to take
angles, obtained a view of Gore Bay, easily recognising every
other feature of the lands discovered by Captain Lyon. A mile or
two of coast was now all that remained to be examined, in order to
determine the connexion of Gore Bay with the rest of the land
recently explored. Proceeding, therefore, as soon as our
observations were finished, we soon after entered the bay, and in
the course of an hour had satisfied ourselves on this point.
The ice remained closely packed on the 21st, as far as we could
see along shore, so that we were still detained in the same place.
Some snow which fell in the course of the preceding night, lightly
powdering the land, had entirely disappeared before evening,
except in places having a northern aspect, where it now
permanently remained for the winter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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