Three Voyages for the Discovery of a North-West Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1835 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER X. Departure from Winter Island--Meet with some Esquimaux travelling to the Northward--Obstructions and Danger from the Ice and Tides--Discovery of the Barrow River and its Fall--Favourable Passage to the Northward--Arrival off the Strait of the Fury and Hecla--Progress opposed by a fixed Barrier of Ice--Communicate with the Natives of Igloolik--Unsuccessful Attempts to get between the Ice and the Land--Land upon the Calthorpe Islands--the Fury drifted by the Ice between two Islands--Account of a Journey performed in Sledges up an Inlet to the Westward. The gale, which had for some time been blowing from the northward, veered to the N.W. b. W., and increased in strength on the 1st of July, which soon began to produce the effect of drifting the ice off the land. In the course of the day, a wide lane of water was thus opened to the eastward of the island, but the weather was too inclement to think of moving the ships. The wind continued to blow very hard during the night, with snow and sleet, but began to moderate about four A. M. on the 2nd. At six o'clock, the report from the hill being favourable, and the wind and weather now also sufficiently so, we moved out of our winter's dock, which was indeed in part broken to pieces by the swell that had lately set into the bay. At seven we made sail, with a fresh breeze from W.N.W., and having cleared the rocks at the entrance of the bay, ran quickly to the northward and eastward. At noon we had Adderley's Bluff due north of us, distant eight miles, and from Captain Lyon's chart and description easily recognised Point Elizabeth beyond it. We now found that the land was completely lined with ice, extending, in most places, from two to five miles to seaward, and apparently attached to the shores as firmly as a..