such ship must be continually depending for support, upon its connection with the midship part!

Adopt the suggestions here given, and I have no doubt that turning cubits into feet, a steamer may be built of the relative dimensions given of Noah's ark, and of sufficient strength to bear the trial I have proposed to subject her to, if undertaken by a shipwright that would apply such mechanical art to the construction, as common sense would suggest. I can indeed see no difficulty in forming a specification and drawing that should effect such end.

I offer these observations to you, Gentlemen, because I am thoroughly convinced that the subject is misunderstood, and because I am certain much disappointment will be caused by the ships you have adopted for the Royal Mail Packet Service. I am an enthusiastic admirer of the great ends to be effected by steam navigation, and am, therefore, anxious to see it properly considered; and which I am quite sure it has not hitherto been; and for this end I have addressed this letter to you, feeling convinced, that if it fails in drawing immediate attention, and thus to effect the good I should wish to see, yet that I shall have the satisfaction of putting upon record opinions, which may have their effects sooner or later.

London, April 1840.

I am, Gentlemen, your most obedient servant,
MERCATOR.

Erratum.-In p. 430, line 3, for "always" read "almost.”

Nabal Chronicle.

ARCTIC LAND EXPEDITION.

THE following despatch was received on Saturday the 18th April, at the Hudson Bay House:

Port Simpson, October 16, 1839. "HONORABLE SIRS,-We have the honor to report the completion of all the primary objects of the expedition-the entire fulfilment of Governor Simpson's original instructions, under which it has been our good fortune to act, and something more, though as we plainly told your Honors last winter, it was quite out of the question to think of reaching the strait of the Fury and Hecla from the Coppermine River.

"On the 22d of June, we descended that impetuous stream to the Bloody Fall, where we remained until the 28th. This interval was employed by Mr. Simpson in exploring Richardson River, discovered in 1838, which discharges itself, as we then supposed, into the bottom Back's Inlet, in latitude 67° 53' 57" N., longitude 115° 56′ W. A party of about thirty Esquimaux were encamped there, all of whom fled precipitately to the hills, except one family, whose tent was placed

on an island in the stream. With these last, a communication was opened, through our interpreter Ooligbuck, but the circle of their little lives being confined to Beren Isles and Richardson River, they had no information to impart of any value.

"On the 3d of July, the first slight opening occurred in the sea ice, of which we took instant advantage; but our first week's journey did not exceed twenty miles, and it was the 18th, after sad work, before we could attain Cape Barrow. From its rocky heights we beheld with equal surprise and delight the wide extent of Coronation Gulf partially open, whereas long after the same date in 1838 the whole party might have crossed it on foot. At midnight on the 20th, we landed at Cape Franklin, just one month earlier than Mr. Simpson's arrival there, on his pedestrian journey of the year before. A violent easterly gale arrested our progress for the next four days, and on the 27th and 28th we encountered great peril in doubling Cape Alexander amidst very heavy driving ice.

From Cape Alexander, situate in latitude €8° 56′ N., longitude 106° 40′ W., to another remarkable point in latitude 68° 33′ N., longitude 98° 10′ W., the Arctic coast may be comprised in one spacious bay, stretching as far south as latitude 67° 40′, before it turns off abruptly northward to the last-mentioned position. This vast sweep, of which but an inconsiderable portion was seen by Mr. Simpson last year, is indented by an endless succession of minor bays, separated from one another by long narrow projecting points of land, enclosing an incalculable number of islands.

"From this description it will be evident that our route was an extremely intricate one, and the duties of the survey most harassing; but, whilst perplexed beyond measure in finding our way through these labyrinths, we derived great advantage from the protection afforded by the islands from the crushing force of the seaward ice, and the weather was generally clear. In fact, the most serious detention caused by ice on this part of the voyage was from the 1st to the 5th of August, on a point that jutted out beyond the insular chain. White Bear Point, as it was called, lies in latitude 68° 7′ 8′′ N., longitude 103° 36′ 45′′ W., variation 54° 45′ E. These bays and masses of islands present a distinct succession of geological features, which can be best illustrated by our series of specimens of the rocks that compose this wild and barren coast. Vestiges of Esquimaux, mostly old, were met with wherever we landed. They appear to subsist in single families, or very small parties, and to travel inland for the deer hunt in the month of June, not returning to their sealing islands till the ice sets fast in October. A river twice the size of the Coppermine, which falls into the sea at latitude 68° 2′ N., longitude 104° 15′ W., is much resorted by the reindeer and musk oxen in the summer season.

Finding the coast, as already remarked, trending northwardly from the bottom of the great bay, we expected nothing less than to be carried round Cape Felix of Captain James Ross, contrary to the conjecture hazarded by Mr. Simpson in his narrative of last year's journey. On the evening of the 10th of August, however, (at the point already given,) we suddenly opened a strait running in to the southward of east, where the rapid rush of the tide scarcely left a doubt of the existence of an open sea leading to the mouth of Back's Great Fish River.

This strait is ten miles wide at either extremity, but contracts to three in the centre. Even that narrow channel is much encroached upon by high shingle islands, but there is deep water in the middle throughout.

"The 12th of August was signalized by the most terrific thunder storm we have ever witnessed in these regions. Next day it blew roughly from the westward, with a very dense cold fog, but we ran rapidly south-east, passed Point Richardson and Point Ogle of Sir George Back, and continued on till the darkness of night and the increasing gale drove us ashore beyond Point Pechell. The storm shifted to the north-east and lasted till the 16th, when we directed our course, with flags flying, to the Montreal Island. On its northern side our. people, guided by Mackay, soon found a deposit made among the rocks by some of Sir George Back's party, but, as Mackay seemed to think, without that officer's knowledge. It contained two bags of pemican, and a quantity of cocoa and chocolate, all perfectly rotten, besides an old tin vasculum, and two or three other trivial articles, of which we took possession, as memorials of our having breakfasted on the identical spot where the tent of our gallant, though less successful precursor stood on his return from Point Ogle to the Great Fish river that very day five years before.

"The arduous duty we had, in 1836, undertaken to perform, was thus fully accomplished; and the length and difficulty of the ronte back to the Coppermine would have amply justified our immediate return. We had all suffered more or less from the want of fuel, and the deprivation of warm food, and the prospects grew more cheerless as the cold fall weather stole on apace; but having already ascertained the separation of Boothia from the American continent, on the western side of the Great Fish river, we determined not to desist till we had settled its relation thereto on the eastern side also. A fog which had come on dispersed towards evening, and unfolded a full view of the picturesque shores of the estuary. Far to the southward Victoria headland stood forth so clearly defined, that we instantly recognized it by Sir George Back's exquisite drawing. Cape Beaufort we almost seemed to touch; and with the telescope we were able to discern a continuous line of high land, as far round as north-east, about two points more northerly than Cape Hay, the extreme eastern point seen by Sir George Back.

"The traverse to the farthest visible land occupied six hours' unremitting labour at the oar, and the sun was rising on the 17th when we scaled the bluff and singularly shaped Rocky Cape, to which our course had been directed. It stands in latitude 68° 3′ 56′′ N., longitude 94° 35′ W. The azimuth compass, by Jones, settled exactly in the true meridian, and agreed with two others, by the same maker, placed on the ground. From our proximity to the magnetic pole, the compass had latterly been of little or no use; but this was of the less consequence as the astronomical observations were very frequent. The dip of the needle, which at Thunder Cove (12th of August) was 89° 29′ 35′′, had here decreased to 89° 16' 40" N. This bold promontory, where we lay wind-bound till the 19th, was named Cape Britannia, in remembrance of our glorious country. On the beetling rock that sheltered our encampment from the sea, and forms the most conspicuous object on ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 6.-VOL. FOR 1840.

3 L

all this part of the coast, we erected a conical pile of ponderous stones, fourteen feet high, that if not pulled down by the natives, may defy the rage of a thousand storms. In it was placed a sealed bottle, containing a sketch of our proceedings, and possession was taken of our extensive discoveries in the name of Victoria the First, amidst the firing of guns and the enthusiastic cheers of the whole party.

"On the 19th the gale shifted from N.E. to E.S.E., and after crossing a fine bay, due east, with no small toil and danger, the coast bent away N.E., which enabled us to effect a run of 40 miles. Next day the wind resumed its former direction, and after pulling against it all the morning among the shoals and breakers, and gaining only three miles, we were obliged to take refuge in the mouth of a small river.

"From a limestone ridge, about a league inland, we obtained a view of some very remote blue land in the N.E. quarter, in all probability one of the southern promontories of Boothia. Two considerable islands lay far in the offing, and others, high and distant, stretched from E. to E.N.E.

"Our view of the low main shore was confined to five miles in an easterly direction, after which it appeared to turn off greatly to the right. We could, therefore, scarcely doubt our having arrived at that large gulf uniformly described by the Esquimaux as containing many islands, and with numerous indentations stretching down to the southward, till it approaches within 40 miles of Repulse and Wager Bays. The exploration of such a gulf, which was the main object of the Terror's ill-starred voyage, would necessarily demand the whole time and energies of another expedition, having a starting or retreating point much nearer to the scene of operations than Great Bear Lake; and it was quite evident to us that any further foolhardy perseverance could only lead to the loss of the great object already attained, together with that of the whole party. We must here be allowed to express our admiration of Sir John Ross's extraordinary escape from this neighbourhood, after the protracted endurance of hardships, unparalleled in Arctic story. The mouth of the stream which bounded the last career of our admirable little boats, and received their name, lies in latitude 68° 28′ 27′′′ N., longitude 93° 7′ W.; variation of the compass, 16° 20′ W. The strong wind that had forbidden our advance, gave wings to our retreat. The same night, the 20th of August, we landed once more at Cape Britannia, and next morning we crossed the inland direct to Point Pechell, with a heavy sea. On the 22nd we explored a long narrow bay on the west side of Point Ogle, which extends to the sixty-eighth parallel of latitude. The north wind blew roughly, with sharp frost, and next day we got no farther than Point Richardson. Thence we crossed over on the 24th, to what had from the continent appeared like two islands, but which we rightly conjectured to form part of the southern shore of Boothia, or, to speak with greater precision, of that land on which stands Cape Felix, of Captain James Ross. This shore we had the satisfaction of tracing for about 60 miles, till it turned up to the north, in latitude 68° 41′ 16′′ N., longitude 98° 22′ W. Only 57 miles from Ross Pillar the dip of the needle was 89° 28′ 45′′ N.; the magnetic pole, bearing N.N.E., distant ninety miles. The variation, as shown by both the azimuth compass and the horizontal bar needle was 45° E. The objects seen on this coast are easily enumerated—a

low, uninteresting limestone tract, abounding, nevertheless, in reindeer, musk oxen, and old native encampments. To the westward a good deal of ice appeared, and vast numbers of snow geese passed high overhead in long triangular flights, bound for milder skies.

"Whilst engaged in taking observations, our men constructed another durable memorial of our discoveries, which was saluted in the usual manner. Then recrossing the strait on the 25th, we resumed for some time our outward route, only keeping more along the seaward verge of the islands, so as to shape a straighter course.

"The weather, from being threatening and unsettled, soon became unequivocally severe. On the 29th of August, a snow storm began, that lasted for seven days, during four days of which, we were fixed to a single spot, by the violence of the N.W. gales, while the frost was so keen that the pools among the rocks on which we lay, became solid enough to bear up a man. A more moderate interval succeeded this fierce outbreak. Quitting the continent again, at the large river already mentioned, we struck N.N.W. for an extensive island, 22 miles off, which we coasted N. W. for 20 miles; and shortly before sunset, on the 6th of September, stood out from thence due north for the nearest point of Victoria Land, which proved equally distant. We have never seen anything more brilliant than the phosphoric gleaming of the waves when darkness set in. The boats seemed to cleave a flood of molten silver, and the spray dashed from their bows before the fresh breeze, fell back like showers of diamonds into the deep. It was a cold night, and when we at last made the land, cliffs, faced with eternal ice, obliged us to run on for a couple of leagues, before we could take the shore with safety. The coast of Victoria Land, which we explored for upwards 150 miles, is incomparably the boldest we have met with in those seas. Often near the shore no bottom could be found with thirty-five fathoms of line, and the cerulean blue colour of the water everywhere indicated a profound depth. There are several noble bays, the largest of which, N.W. of Cape Alexander, is 20 miles wide, and equally deep, backed by snow-clad mountains. It attains to 69° 40′ N., the highest latitude of this voyage. At length we reached the extreme point seen by Mr. Simpson, from Cape Franklin, in 1838, where the coast of this large country begins again to trend northward of west, Cape Barrow being by computation S.S.W. distant 50 miles. On the 10th of September, we crossed this magnificent strait with a strong E.S.E. or side wind, and a rough sea, in which our gallant boats, old and worn out as they were, acquitted themselves beyond our most sanguine hopes. Our return from Cape Barrow was miserably retarded by furious N.W. winds, and severe stress of weather. Winter permanently set in on the 15th of September, and next day, to the undisguised joy of the whole party, we re-entered the Coppermine River, after by far the longest voyage ever performed in boats on the Polar sea. Leaving one of our little craft, together with the remains of the pemican, (which through age and long exposure, was become quite mouldy,) and various other articles as a prize to the first Esquimaux who may visit the Bloody Fall, we ascended the river with our double crew in four days, abandoned our tents, and everything but absolute necessaries; crossed the barren grounds up to the knees in snow, having unluckily left out snow-shoes on the coast, and safely reached Fort Confidence, at dusk, on the 24th.