Friday, November 1, 1833

1833

November

Friday 1

8 1/2

12 10/..

Captain Ross’s narrative.

Rainy morning, Fahrenheit 57 1/2° at 9 35/.. a.m. –

Breakfast at 9 50/.. in 1/2 hour – Read thro’ the Hamburg Reporter of the 29th, published every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday evening – Quarterly subscription 6$ dollars 2₻ marks –Advertisements 4β (4 pence) a line  – Interesting Letter from Captain Ross to the admiralty, dated on board the Isabella of Hull, Baffin’s Bay September 1833 –

The expedition sailed from England in May 1829 in search of a N.W. passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, particularly by Prince Regent’s Inlet –

The winter of 1829 (from October) and 1830 passed about north latitude 70° and longitude 90 west – Here in January 1830 ‘a most interesting consociation of natives who, being insulated by nature, had never before communicated with strangers’ Told them they (Captain Ross etc.) had ‘seen the continent of America, that about 40 miles to S.W. there were 2 great seas, one to the west, which was divided from that to the East by a narrow strait or neck of land’ – Commander Ross, with one of the mates and guided by 2 of the natives, proceeded to the spot ‘and found that the north land was connected to the south by 2 ridges of high land, 15 miles in breadth, but taking into account a chain of freshwater lakes, which occupied the valleys between; the dry land which actually separates the 2 oceans is only five miles’ –

Traced the sea coast to the southward of the isthmus, leading to the westward – Traced this seacoast to the ‘99th degree or to 150 miles of Cape Tumagain of Franklin, to which point the land, after leading him into the 70th degree of  north latitude, trended directly’ –

Surveyed also 30 miles of the adjacent ‘coast or that to the north of the isthmus, which, by also taking a westerly direction, formed the termination of the western sea into a gulf.  The rest of this season was employed in tracing the sea coast south of the isthmus leading to the Eastward, which was done so as to leave no doubt that it joined, as the natives had previously informed us, to Ockullee [Ackullee], and the land forming Repulse Bay. 

It was also determined that there was no passage to the westward for 30 miles to the northward of our position’ – ‘named the newly discovered continent, to the southward, ‘Boothia,’ as also the isthmus, the peninsula to the north, and the Eastern Sea, after my worthy friend Felix Booth Esquire’ the citizen of London who enabled him (Captain R-) to equip the expedition in a superior style –

In the winters of 1830 and 1831 the thermometer Fahrenheit sunk to 92° below the freezing point’ and the  average of the year was 10° below that of the preceding’ – but not with

standing the severity of the summer they ‘Traveled across the country to the west Sea by a chain of lakes, 30 miles north of the isthmus, when Commander R- succeeded in surveying 50 miles more of the  coast leading to the N.W., and by tracing the shore to the northward of our position it was also fully proved  that there could be no passage below the 71st degree – They left the ship in Victory harbour 29 May 1832 and not till 1 July reached Fury Beach 200 miles increased by 1/2 (= 300) because obliged to keep close to land and make the circuit of every bay on account of the ice –

1 August in 3 boats reached the spot where the Fury was 1st driven on shore – 1 September reached Leopold South Island, now established to be the N. E. northeast point of America in latitude 73.56, and longitude 90 west. From the summit of the lofty mountain on the promontory, they saw Prince Regent’s Inlet, Barrow’s Strait, and Lancaster Sound, one impenetrable mass of ice as in 1818 seen by Captain R- –

Obliged to return to Fury Beach and arrived there 7 October 1832 – Wintered in a hut 32 feet by 26 feet covered with canvass and that with snow 74 to 7 feet thick ‘which being saturated with water when the temperature was 15° below zero,’ immediately became ice – so they wintered in an iceberg, wanting bedding, clothing and animal food!

Left Fury Beach 8 July 1833 only 13 of them (carried 3 sick that could not walk) able to carry the provisions in 7 journies of 62! miles each to Batty Bay! reached the boats in 6 days, and then the sick daily recovered –

No cheering prospect till 15 August – ‘A gale from the westward having suddenly opened a lane of water along shore, in 2 days we reached our former position and from the mountain’ saw clear water almost directly across Prince Regent’s Inlet, which we crossed on the 17th –

Next day crossed Admiralty Inlet – 25th crossed Navy Board Inlet and on the following morning descried the Isabella of Hull becalmed in the Offing, the same ship Captain R- commanded in 1818 – Reached her at noon – Her commander had sought them in vain in Prince Regents Inlet – 

Captain R- sums up the results of the expedition in ‘the discovery of the Gulph of Boothia, the Continent and isthmus of Boothia Felix, and a vast no. number of islands rivers and lakes; the undeniable establishment that the North-East point of America extends to the 74th degree of north latitude; valuable observations of every kind, but particularly on the magnet; and to crown all, have had the honor of placing the illustrious name of our most gracious sovereign William IV on the true position of the magnetic pole’ –

Hamburg Reporter of Tuesday 29 October 1833, no. 724. page 2. columns 1-3. –

Very civil note this morning early from Madame Hage to ask me to drink tea with her this evening as she was always unlucky when she called and wished much to see me – Wrote civil note back to say I should have great pleasure in drinking tea with her at 8 –

Then wrote note to Lady Harriet to say so bad a day, could not even take my walk – If not inconvenient to M. de H- Hagemann, would go to see the apartment at 2 tomorrow unless he thought we had better go today, and then I would call for him at 1 1/2 in the carriage – But Mrs. Hage had asked me to tea this afternoon and might possibly have something to say about the apartment in question – Had we not better wait and see? – Kind note back to say yes! better wait – but M. de H- Hagemann would be ready to go at 2 tomorrow unless some message to the contrary from me in the mean time –

The Bluchers will go to the theater on Saturday with me, if we can get a box –

Till 2 25/.., writing all the above of today – an hour making out Lady Stuart’s letter received on Wednesday – From 3 35/.. to 5 writing to Lady S- – Then dinner in 3/4 hour – Then till seven and a quarter writing copy of more to write to old Lady S.  Only two and one third pages note paper before dinner.  Stupid and slow about it today –

At 7 20/.. dressed – Off to Mrs. Hage at 8 – Monsieur and Madame Pauli and la baronne and Mademoiselle (Livingstone?) there – Tea – Looked at Greek costumes – Madame Pauli the chief organ of conversation – A clever person with a very clever and sufficiently agreeable countenance – Quizzed the Duchess de Montebello’s English accent in speaking French and imitated it well, say such was Madame de Hagemann’s and the duchess de M-’s (Spoke very highly of her – says she is timid and ashamed of being so tall and of very delicate health – Then said I had very little of the English accent –

Madame Pauli is a clever, sharp person when she pleases – Calls Madame Hage ma bonne, and Madame Hage calls Mr. Pauli tout bonnement by his surname – I find more talent tonight, and less high breeding – Madame Hage is under the finger and thumb of the Paulis – Madame Pauli wondered a little at my traveling alone – Would rather stay at home – I coolly said I had yet to try traveling alone, having never done it, but I fancied it must be agreeable never to be gêné –

Mentioned Dr. Stuvens as being in my hotel and very pleasant and say if I ought to make his acquaintance but I expressed no wish to do so – I wonder if it could possibly be he who spoke to me the morning I went to Roskilde!  

Home at 10 1/4 – Mrs. Hage thought my carriage ordered early – Just mentioned Miss Galt’s apartment – Mentioned a nice little work of Travels in Russia –

Very rainy, windy, stormy day and evening as I came home – F 57 1/2 now at 11 20/.. – At German till 11 50/.. --

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/16/0130