rowed away from the spot. The mineralogical character of the land in this neighbourhood continued the same as that last described."

When they returned from this excursion, they found a southerly breeze had cleared the sea of all the floating ice, and they pursued their course northward, with an unusual facility, and had the additional pleasure of finding the land turned a point or two to the W. of W. As they advanced, the walrusses became very numerous, and afforded our mariners excellent sport: they were collected in flocks of from twelve to thirty each, on pieces of floating ice; when fired at, they shewed little disposition to move, and when attacked more closely, they manifested a strong inclination to repel force by force. Three were harpooned whilst in the water, and killed. When first struck, they became furious; one made an attack on Captain Lyon's boat, and injured several of the planks with its enormous tusks. They also united their strength to defend each other, as the sperm whales in the South Seas are often found to do. The largest walrus killed by the Fury's boats weighed nearly fifteen hundred weight and a half, and was by no means remarkable for its dimensions: being thin, and in bad condition, they produced very little oil, but the lean part of the flesh was much relished by all who felt no repugnance to it on account of its dark colour. We presume these would be very few in number: the general opinion is reported to have coincided with that of Captain Cook, who considered the flesh of the walrus as excellent marine beef."

On the 17th they had the mortification to find their farther progress to the North completely stopped, by a barrier of ice, which had not yet been broken up they put into the island Igloolik, where they found another tribe of Esquimaux, one which they had not previously met with, but whose dispositions and intentions were as kind and friendly as those of any of the former. On the 20th Captain Lyon undertook an excursion over the ice, to examine the country beyond it, from which he returned on the 31st. It contributed to extend their knowledge of the natives, and promote the good understanding already subsisting between them, but yielded no discovery of importance.

Two instances of remarkable magnetic attraction occurred during their stay at this island. On the 6th they succeeded in killing a black whale, which afforded them a seasonable supply of oil; white whales afterwards showed themselves in abundance, but they were so wary, that every attempt to catch them proved fruitless. Partial disruptions of ice continued to take place, but not sufficient to open a passage. Several excursions were made overland during the interval, to examine the coast, and at length they reached a point which appeared so decidedly to suit their wishes, that Captain Parry named it Cape North East, in confident expectation that it would prove the extreme point of continental land in that direction. The inlet adjoining evidently led to the westward, and the tide came through it so full and strong, that he had no doubt remaining on his mind, of this being a passage through to the Western, or Polar Sea; and to perpetuate the memory of the ships by which it was first entered, he called it the Strait of the Fury and the Hecla. They passed this on the 26th, but had not gone far before they had the mortification of finding it completely blocked up by a fixed barrier of ice. After repeated attempts to find another passage, and waiting in hopes of a disruption of this barrier, which never took place, they returned to look out for a station where they might lay up the ships in apparent safety for the winter. The

officers were unanimously of opinion, that it would be attended with great danger to pass that season in the Straits, and that there was no promise of any advantage from attempting it, that could counterbalance the risks. They therefore returned to Igloolik, as the place offering the greatest conveniences for that purpose.

The events of the second summer had therefore accomplished the intent of the Expedition: they had found a passage; but attendant circumstances forbade their going through it. They had pursued their survey of it by excursions on the shore and ice so far, as to ascertain the existence of a sea beyond it, at the distance of about sixty miles from the Eastern entrance: they had surveyed all the intermediate coast, from the point where the labours of the preceding summer terminated, to the shores at some distance to the North of the Straits; and though they did not actually sail to the mouth of Barrow's Straits, yet the communication by sea from Fox's Channel to Baffin's Bay, cannot be doubted; and they continued active operations until the season had set in with such severity, that they had to cut through the ice for the extent of four thousand three hundred and fortythree feet, before they could lay up the ships in a situation of security.

The well-being of the ships and men was attended to with the same diligence and solicitude as during the preceding winter, but not exactly upon the same plan. The situation of the vessels rendered the exhibition of theatrical pieces less convenient; they were therefore discontinued; but the constant intercourse with a tribe of the natives afforded so much amusement, as to prevent any feeling of the want of them, and the season passed with as much comfort and pleasure as could reasonably be expected. The utility of snow, as a non-conductor of heat, was so well ascertained, that the ships were inclosed in a body of it three or four feet in thickness, and a covering of eight inches deep was applied to the decks. A space round each vessel was inclosed by a snow wall of about twelve feet high, which furnished space for walking and exercise, sheltered from the blasts of the wind: the schools were revived, and diligently attended.

On the 1st of December another very singular instance of para selenæ occurred: a false moon appeared on each side of the true one, and at the distance of 23o from it. Parhelia were frequent, and usually at the same angular distance of 23° from the sun. One of these occurred on the 23d of January, 1823, and was very confidently predicted by several Esquimaux, who were at the ship some hours before sun-rise. It is surprising that a race so little civilized should take more than a superstitious notice of such events, much less could we expect them to have observed any signs preceding their appearance; and which had escaped the notice of scientific persons, and even professed meteorologists. Nor does it appear that any enquiry was made, or any information obtained, of the symptoms from which they deduced their expectation.

About this period Captain Parry came to a resolution to remove from the Hecla to the Fury, such stores as the latter might be in need of for the further prosecution of the enterprize, and send the former home. He was induced to adopt this course, by the desire of prosecuting the undertaking without the loss of another season, which must necessarily have taken place, if both ships had returned; and by the urgency of communicating to the Admiralty correct information of all that had been accomplished; more particularly, as he had been informed, that if no news arrived before the close of that year, it would be presumed that he had penetrated the Polar Sea, and was making his way by Icy Cape into the Pacific Ocean VOL. I. 19.

U

in which case a store-ship would be sent round Cape Horn, to arrive early in the spring of 1824, at a place named to him, there to wait his arrival. Some of the stores were removed for this purpose, when symptoms of scurvy appeared amongst the crews, and the effects of such a complaint, during such a length of voyage as must have been anticipated, and amongst a company who had already spent two years in those severe climates, induced Captain Parry to give up that part of his plan, and adopt the more prudent one, of returning home with both ships, which he effected without meeting with any event which calls for present observation.

The time spent at Winter Island was not altogether lost to the object of the Expedition amongst the natives, who were in the habit of frequenting the ships, there were some whose superior intelligence marked them as persons very likely to furnish information which might be useful in the further prosecution of the voyage. A woman named Iligliuk was decidedly pre-eminent, and she seems to have possessed a mind of such powers, that we cannot help feeling a regret that she had not been born in a country, and amongst a society, where they could have been employed to some valuable purpose.

Captain Parry conceived that she might be made to understand the nature of a chart; he therefore endeavoured to interest her mind in the formation of one, not by scale, but by drawing the coast by hand, with all its sinuosities; and having made her comprehend the business in which he was engaged, he prevailed on her to carry it forward-she did so; and as she proceeded to fill one sheet, another and another were added, until she had run over twelve or thirteen sheets of paper. The chart thus obtained was manifestly incorrect, yet it gave information which, if it could have been depended on, would have been extremely valuable. Captain Parry thought that probably the large scale upon which it was drawn, and the operation of adding sheet to sheet, might have been the cause of those deviations from the truth, of which he was already sensible; he therefore explained to her that he wished to have the same drawn on a much smaller compass, and supplied her with the requisite materials. Accordingly she began, and to his great astonishment and gratification, corrected the errors which she had committed in the former, and drew a chart surprisingly accurate. By this they were taught to expect where the passage into the Polar Sea might be effected, and they found it, as described. Her drawing, as well as that of another of the natives, named Ewenal, made the coast, after passing this Strait, run Southward, and at no very great distance. Captain Parry recollected that, from the top of a hill near Repulse Bay, he had noticed a peculiar appearance of the heavens, very much resembling the ice blink; and Messrs. Ross and Bushnan, from the summit of another hill, clearly saw an expanse of water to the westward, with capes and islands; but the sun setting almost as soon as they had gained this view of it, and lakes being numerous in this country, they concluded that it was only a large piece of water of that kind. We are not surprised that they drew this conclusion-they could hardly have expected to have found themselves within thirty or forty miles of the Polar Sea, for the interval does not appear to be greater.

We shall now relate a few particulars descriptive of the inhabitants of these regions, and in doing this we shall often employ Captain Parry's own words; the descriptions given by an eye-witness being not only the most correct, but also the most lively and impressive: therefore, except where we abridge the Captain's account, we shall use his own words.

These tribes are wanderers in the fullest sense of the word; they have no settled abode, but traverse the country, as a supply of food, or convenience, influences them. They are but few in number, yet probably as many as the country is capable of supporting, with the existing means of exercising their powers. They are divided into distinct bodies, consisting of a few families each; and when these meet, it does not appear as if they ever united into larger bodies. Indeed, as they have a perfect horror of war, there is no motive for a union, which would only render more difficult the means of subsistence. Many individuals must perish for want every winter, and the urgent necessities which were endured by those in the neighbourhood of the ships, notwithstanding the bounty of Captain Parry and his associates, leaves no doubt of the miserable lot which must have befallen them, had they not received this assistance. Inured to no labour but that of hunting and fishing, they seem to have no idea of accumulating the fruits of their exertions. The only circumstance that offered itself in opposition to this assertion, being, of their having, on one or two occasions, preserved a small quantity of rein-deer's flesh under some stones; but to prepare a stock of oil for the use of winter, on which both the light and warmth of their habitations depend-to dry or preserve the surplus of food obtained either by the chace or fishing, seems beyond their knowledge or capacity-they live literally from hand to mouth, wallowing in luxury whilst they have plenty, and pining in want when all is devoured yet not neglecting to pursue their game whilst they still have plenty, and exercising much patient perseverance in their endeavours to catch it.

No form of government can be said to exist, in the slightest degree, amongst this simple people, nor does any one possess any other authority or influence, than what he may derive from his own personal superiority→→→ a species of distinction that must exist every where, though it is most powerfully felt in a state of society like theirs. Iligliuk, before mentioned, came in for her full share of confidence; she seems, moreover, to have been actuated by a sense of honour, which could scarcely have been expected to subsist among a people so rude and ignorant. She had been charged by Captain Parry with not having fulfilled an engagement, but the Captain's own account will best state the case.

On the 28th, Okotook and Iligliuk coming on board, an occurrence took place, which, as it shews the disposition of the Esquimaux, and especially of one of the most intelligent and interesting among them, I may here relate:Some time before, Iligliuk, who, from the superior neatness and cleanliness with which she performed her work, was by this time in great request as a sempstress, had promised to cover for me a little model of a canoe, and had in fact sent it to me by the serjeant of marines, though I had not rightly understood from the latter from which of the women it came. Believing that she had failed in her promise, I now taxed her with it, when she immediately defended herself with considerable warmth and seriousness, but without making me comprehend her meaning. Finding that she was wasting her words upon me, she said no more till an hour afterwards, when the serjeant accidentally coming into the cabin, she, with the utmost composure, but with a decision of manner peculiar to herself, took hold of his arm to engage his attention, and then looking him steadfastly in the face, accused him of not having faithfully executed her commission to me. The mistake was thus instantly explained, and I

thanked Iligliuk for her canoe; but it is impossible for me to describe the quiet, yet proud satisfaction displayed in her countenance, at having thus cleared herself from the imputation of a breach of promise."

That such a woman should receive marked attention and great indulgence from our navigators, follows of course. It was necessary that they should avail themselves of every incident which could be improved to their own convenience, or the advantage of the Expedition; many such arose, from the shrewdness and ability of this female; and had they been fewer and less obvious, the mere meeting with one so superior to those around her, would naturally enough excite an attention which could not fail of creating those vain and self-important feelings, which an untutored mind like her's can never be expected to subdue.

“I am, however, compelled to acknowledge that, in proportion as the superior understanding of this extraordinary woman became more and more developed, her head (for what female head is indifferent to praise?) began to be turned with the general attention and numberless presents she received. The superior decency, and even modesty of her behaviour, had combined, with her intellectual qualities, to raise her in our estimation far above her companions; and I often heard others express what I could not but agree in, that for Iligliuk alone, of all the Esquimaux women, that kind of respect could be entertained, which modesty in a female never fails to command in our sex. Thus regarded, she had always been freely admitted into the ships, the quarter-masters at the gang-way never thinking of refusing entrance to "the wise woman," as they called her. Whenever any explanation was necessary between the Esquimaux and us, Iligliuk was sent for quite as an interpreter; information was chiefly obtained through her, and she thus found herself rising to a degree of consequence; to which, but for us, she could never have attained. Notwithstanding a more than ordinary share of good sense on her part, it will not therefore be wondered at, if she became giddy with her exaltation; assuming certain airs which, though infinitely diversified in their operation, according to circumstances, perhaps universally attend a too sudden accession of good fortune in every child of Adam, from the equator to the poles. The consequence was, that Iligliuk was soon spoiled; considering her admission to the ships, and most of the cabins, no longer as an indulgence, but as a right, ceased to return the slightest acknowledgment for any kindness or present; became listless and inattentive in unravelling the meaning of our questions, and careless whether her answers conveyed the information we desired. In short, Iligliuk in February, and Iligliuk in April, were confessedly very different persons; and it was at last amusing to recollect, though not very easy to persuade one's self, that a woman, who now sat demurely in a chair, so confidently expecting the notice of those around her, and she who had at first, with eager and wild delight, assisted in cutting snow for the building of a hut, and with the hope of obtaining a single needle, were actually one and the same individual."

Two of the great sources of human misery, war and fermented liquors, are quite unknown to them; this happy ignorance accounts for a great portion of the peace and quiet which prevails through their tribes. Void of all religious knowledge, and of the noblest feelings of humanity; the perfection of all law, the divine rule of "doing to others, as we would they should do unto us," is unknown amongst them. Like other uncivilized people, they have no notion of supporting those who cannot support themselves; and the aged, the widow, and the orphan, have little chance of