Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Sir William Edward Parry

Jan 1824 · London : J. Murray

About this ebook

After having made two trips to the Arctic in search of a Northwest Passage (one with Ross and one under his own charge), Parry was still convinced that a route existed out of Hudson's Bay. He set out on another expedition in the spring of 1821, this time with the ships Fury and Hecla. His instructions also included the possibility of meeting up with, and offering assistance to, John Franklin's overland expedition in the Coronation Gulf region. Parry sailed though Hudson Strait and Foxe Channel and into Frozen Strait, westward into Repulse Bay and then northward into Lyon Inlet. The expedition spent the winter at Winter Island, and thanks to Parry, the crew enjoyed much improved living conditions over what was typically known. Parry had modified the heating systems in the ships to reduce humidity, and replaced the sailor's cots with hammocks to allow for better air circulation. Parry organized entertainment for the men through the Royal Arctic Theatre, with plays every two weeks, and classes were organized for the men to learn to read and write. While at Winter Island, they were visited by a group of Inuit. The crew readily took an interest in the friendly visitors, and as a result, a considerable amount of information was collected and compiled on their nature and way of life. Captain Lyon's skilful drawings, depicting the Inuit in their traditional clothing, at work, on the hunt, and at play, became the basis for the illustrations used in Parry's published journal. When Parry was able to set sail again the next year, he resumed his voyage northward to discover and explore Fury and Hecla Strait, but owing to heavy ice, proceeded only to Igloolik Island off the northwest coast of Melville Peninsula where they spent the second winter. The following summer, Parry put an end to the expedition and headed back to England, arriving in October, 1823. The voyage, although not achieving its goal, shed light on a little-known region of the Arctic.