The fisheries had failed sooner than ever, and we had good reason to congratulate ourselves on not being doomed to pass a third winter within the Arctic Circle.

"After settling with the Indians, liberally rewarding the most deserving, and supplying all with ammunition gratuitously, we took our departure on the evening of the 26th, in two inland batteaux; one belonging to the expedition, the other came from Fort Simpson, sixteen days before our arrival.

"Our passage of Great Bear Lake was most boisterous, and inclement in crossing the body of the lake, and other considerable traveises; our boats, with every thing in them, and even the very clothes on our backs, became converted into shapeless masses and concretions of ice. It was high time for us to escape from Great Bear Lake, for the temperature, which was at 4° below zero when we landed at the head of the river, on the evening of the 4th of October, fell 10° lower in the course of the night, and next day we descended the rapid stream, in the very midst of the driving ice. On entering the Mackenzie, we experienced a temporary mitigation of this excessive cold; but we should most assuredly have stuck fast above Fort Norman, had not the northern gales again arose in their strength, and, while they shattered and dispersed the rapidly forming ice, enabled us to stem the current under close-reefed sails. At noon, on the 14th of October, after forcing our way with no small risk through the torrent of ice, forced out by the rivers of the mountains, we reached this place, and were cordially welcomed by our valuable friend Chief Trader M'Pherson, who had for some time given up all hopes of our arrival.

"Most of our people are still afflicted with acute pains and swellings in the limbs, caused by cold and exposure, and we are assured by Mr. M'Pherson that he has never known or heard of so early or vigorous commencement of winter in Mackenzie river; on the other hand, so fine a spring as that of 1839, seldom visits these frozen regions, and to this favouring circumstance, under Providence, ought our signal success to be partly ascribed.

"October 19.-The state of the ice at length enables us to despatch couriers to Slave Lake. In the meantime, Governor Simpson's highly valued letter of the 17th of June, which unfortunately missed us in our way hither, has cast up overland. We rejoice in having anticipated the Russian expedition, and secured to our country and the company, the indisputable honour of discovering the north-west passage, which has been an object of search to all maritime nations, for three centuries. When our expedition was planned at Norway House, in 1836, it was confidently expected that Sir George Back would have achieved the survey of the Gulf of Boothia with the Terror's boats, and that our meeting at the mouth of the Great Fish River, would have left no blank in the geography of Northern America. That officer's failure, the exhaustion of our men and means, and the necessity of a new wintering ground, render a fresh expedition indispensable for the examination of the Gulf of Boothia, the circuit of which, to the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, according to the Esquimaux accounts, cannot be less than 400 or 500 miles. It only remains for us to recommend to your approbation the plan proposed by Mr. Simpson, to perfect this interesting service, which, as he had no wish to avail himself of the leave of absence

granted, he is prepared to follow up whenever the limited means required are placed at his disposal. We have the honor, &c.

"PETER W. DEASE.
"THOMAS SIMPSON."

"To the Governor, &c., Hudson's Bay Company, London.”

SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.

WITH the plan of these docks accompanying our present number, we shall lay before our readers for the present, the following outline from a Southampton paper, of the intended routes of the steam vessels, which will carry the mails to the West Indies, intending to return to some account of the docks in a future number.

The contract of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, with government has been taken for ten years, at no less a sum than 240,000l. per annum. They are bound to provide no less than fourteen large class steamers for the performance of their contract, together with six schooners for the passage between the intermediate islands. These steamers are to be 240 feet long, 1300 tons, and 400-horse power engines. The accommodation and comforts of the interior are to rival, and, if possible, to exceed the style of the British Queen and Great Western so that, in fact, a voyage to New York will frequently be made via the West India route, as by extending the voyage, for but a short time, Barbados, Jamaica, the Havana, &c. may be visited, and two days stoppage being allowed at each place, the tour may yery shortly be rendered one of pleasure and fashion; even a trip to the Gulf of Mexico will be afforded by these steamers with the regularity of the mail coach. Every place within the arrangement will have, in fact, two mails each month.

"Fourteen steamers are contracted for, one of which is to be laid down by the Messrs. T. and J. White, the celebrated builders, of Cowes, and the others among the builders on the coast. Eight of them will start together from Southampton on their first voyage in the early part of next year, their details of service being nearly as follows:

England to Barbados sixteen days, stop there ten hours. Deliver mails, &c., for Tobago, British Guiana, and Surinam. Afterwards, proceed to Grenada, 140 miles, twelve hours, together twenty-four hours. At Grenada, stop twelve hours to land the mails, passengers, &c., for all the wind-bound ports, Laguayra, &c. The same steamer will proceed from Grenada to the Havana, by St. Thomas, Porto Rico, Cape Nicola Mole, St. Jago de Cuba, and Jamaica, with the outward mails, and will return from the Havana to Samana (Hayti) by the same route with the inward European and inter-colonial mails from these several places, the gulf of Mexico, the Havana, and South America, and at Samana take in the mails collected from the several windward ports, and thence proceed with all the European mails to England.

"The steamer for British Guiana, &c., having taken in coals for her voyage at Grenada, the general depôt (on account of the superiority of the port, and its complete security from hurricanes,) will proceed thence to Barbados (one day,) in order to be ready when the next packet arrives from England, and will on her arrival proceed thence to To

bago, Demerara, &c. This steamer will carry up from Grenada to Barbados all the passengers and inter-colonial mails, &c., collected at the former island by the steamers from all the places in that route. The return mail from Bardados to Europe will always be carried forward to Samana by the steamer which takes the mails from Europe, brought by the subsequent packet.

"A steamer will proceed from Grenada to Curaçoa, land the outward European and colonial mails, and from Curaçoa to Grenada, by Samana, &c. land and take in inter-colonial mails. The return European mails from all the places between Grenada and Samana southward, will be carried forward by the next steamer which brings the mails by the following packet from Europe.

"The chief Haytian mail will be landed at Cape Nicola Mole. At that place also a sailing schooner will take in and proceed with the outward mails from Crooked Island and Nassau, and return with inward mails from both these places to Cape Nicola Mole.

"From Grenada to Samana northwards, (St. Thomas and Porto Rico excepted,) land the outward European and inter-colonial mails, and from Samana to Grenada southwards, take in the inter-colonial mails for all the islands eastward, northward and westward. The return European mails from the former places will be carried forward from Grenada to Samana by the next steamer, with the mails from the following packet from Europe. All the islands and places here alluded to will consequently have fifteen days to reply to their letters. Curaçoa to Carthagena, by Santa Martha is 420 miles. A sailing vessel will carry forward from Curaçoa the outward mails for the two latter places, by which means they will get these one or two days earlier than by way of Jamaica, and having delivered these will return immediately to Curaçoa with the coast return and inter-colonial mails. The return mails from Carthagena and Santa Martha for Europe, will be taken by the steamer returning from Chagres to Jamaica. The course and time of the sailing vessel may be, outwards four days; inwards eight days. If it is back within fifteen days, it will be in time for the next outward steamer from Barbados, &c.

"At Chagres, land the outward mails, for the Pacific, and take in the return mails from thence, and proceed to Jamaica, by Carthagena and Santa Martha, as above stated. It is desirable, that as much time as possible should be given at Chagres, in order to secure the reception of the mails from Panama. The distance from Chagres to Panama direct is 33 miles, (the route is 10 by water and 28 by land.) From Savana-la-Mar, a sailing vessel will carry forward the outward mails twice every month to Trinidad-de-Cuba, (230,) and thence to Honduras, (570 miles,) together 800 miles, say six days. Stop there two days, then beat back by the same route in eleven days, altogether twenty days. If back at Savana-la-Mar within twenty three days, she will always be in time for the return steamer with the mail of the following packet. The best and safest course for the Honduras mail, however, will be from and to the Havana.

"At Mobile, or Belize land the outward European, Colonial, and North American mails; and at Tampico and Vera Cruz, take in the return mails from these places, for Europe, North America, and the colonies. Another steamer will proceed from Havana to Vera Cruz, &c.

"The steamer at Vera Cruz and Tampico, will land the outward European, North American, and colonial mails; and at Belize and Mobile will take in the return European, North American, and Colonial mails.

"Steamers, twice each month, will be so regulated that they will reach Havana from New York, before the outward steamer arrives from Jamaica, and will leave Havana, for New York, &c., immediately after her arrival. The stoppages either at Halifax or New York may be as above stated; because if the steamers perform the work from the Havana, to the Havana again, within thirty days, they will always meet the arrival at, and departure from the Havana, of the packets with the mails to and from Europe, and the Colonies, and South America. They can take in their coals for the voyage at Halifax.

"The steamers employed, will all be built for the express purpose, and be of the same tonnage and power, (say 400-horse power each,) in order that they may all in rotation fall into the great line and make the voyage to Europe. Besides their regular course of post, fiftyseven days, Barbados, Grenada, St. Thomas, and Porto Rico, will have the opportunity of replying to European letters, so as to make the course of post between these places and London only 43 days. At Samana the mails will be removed from steamer to steamer, without any stoppage of moment; consequently they will always be under the protection of the British flag. Every place within the arrangement will have two mails each month."

ROGERS' ANCHOR.-We noticed in our last, the launch of the Peru, one of the vessels destined for the navigation of the Pacific, on Mr. Wheelwright's plan, which we gave an account of long since, but we little expected then that the circumstance would afford a test of the excellent qualities of Rogers' Anchor; such as we have received from her commander. However, the fact as he relates, it is as follows:

MY DEAR SIR,

Pacific Steam Navigation Company's Office,

5, Barge Yard, Bucklersbury, May 15th, 1840.

Having lately subjected "Lieut. Rogers' Patent Kedge," to a most extraordinary trial, I feel it would not be doing justice to that gentleman, or my nautical brethren, not already acquainted with the peculiar merits of this paradoxical Anchor, where I not to give the circumstance as much publicity as possible.

I have therefore to ask the favor of your inserting the following in your invaluable little work, and remain,

Yours, &c.

GEO. PEACOCK.

To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine. On the 18th ult. when the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's ship Peru," of 700 tons, was launched, one of Lieut. Rogers' Patent Kedges, of only two cwt. was let go, when the ship had ran about her own length clear of the ways with the stream chain eleven-sixteenths, bent to it, the Anchor bit so suddenly that it was found impossible to check the cable, altho' with three turns round the body of the windlass; it therefore ran out to the end, and brought up with a sudden jerk and most tremendous strain. I thought at the moment the chain would have

parted, but so firmly did the Anchor hold; that before if yielded the Buke straightened out, and the shank bent, assuming the form shewn in the diagram, which is a faithful sketch from actual measurement taken on landing the Anchor.

LIEUT. ROGERS' PATENT KEDGE WITHOUT PALMS.

Fig. 1.-A side view of the kedge with the stock in section; the dotted lines representing the original form.

Fig. 2.-A front view of the arms.

Fig 1.

Fig 2.

The tide was running about three knots, the impetus of the ship of course very considerable, and augmented by a fresh head wind; in short, so incredible did the holding power of this comparative pickaxe appear, that had I not been assured of the nature of the ground, (mud and sand) where it was let go, by Messrs. Curling and Young's, laborers and by the pilot's man, who weighed it afterwards, I should have imagined it had been hooked to some immovable substance. In order to prove further the fallacy of the opinion which was entertained by many, an Anchor of the same size and description was tried on the Monday following, when the "Chile," another of the Company's steamers, of 700 tons, was launched: it was let go a little further out in the stream, the tide was running strong, but the chain being checked gradually by stoppers, it effectually brought the ship up with thirty fathoms only; and on recovering this anchor, the fluke was also found partially straightened. The broadest part of the arms of these Anchors (which have no palms) measures only three inches and a quarter.

What an invaluable Anchor would this be in our vessels of war, to carry out in cases of getting ashore; it may be hove by a landsman, without danger of capsizing the boat, or tearing out the gunwale, an occurrence frequently happening, and the "stream" Anchor made on this plan, would, in my opinion, hold where the "bower" on the old plan would come home.*

GEO. PEACOCK Captain Superintendent of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's Steam Vessels.

STEAM BOAT RACE,

Between the "Ruby "Gravesend steamer, and the "Orwell” and “ Sons of the Thames," Iron steamers miscalled the fastest boats in the kingdom.

SIR. As there has been of late so much swaggering and boasting of the superiority of Iron Steam Boats, over those of Wood, and as one of Qy. Provided you had the means of laying it out, for very few of our men-ofwar's largest boats will carry a bower anchor.