NARRATIVE

[INTRODUCTION.]

In April, 1826, I proposed to the Right Honourable Viscount Melville, first lord commissioner of the Admiralty, to attempt to reach the North Pole by means of travelling with sledge-boats over the ice, or through any spaces of open water that might occur. My proposal was soon afterward referred to the president and council of the Royal Society, who strongly recommended its adoption; and an expedition being accordingly directed to be equipped for this purpose, I had the honour of being appointed to the command of it; and my commission for his majesty's ship the Hecla, which was intended to carry us to Spitzbergen, was dated the 11th of November, 1826.

Two boats were constructed at Woolwich, under my superintendence, after an excellent model suggested by Mr. Peake, and nearly resembling what are called "troop-boats," having great flatness of floor, with the extreme breadth carried well forward and aft, and possessing the utmost buoyancy, as well as capacity for stowage. Their length was twenty feet, and their extreme breadth seven feet. The timbers were made of tough ash and hickory, one inch by half an inch square, and a foot apart, with a "half-timber" of smaller size between each two. On the outside of the frame thus formed was laid a covering of Macintosh's water-proof canvass, the outer part being covered with tar. Over this was placed a plank of fir, only three sixteenths of an inch thick; then a sheet of stout felt; and, over all, an oak plank of the same thickness as the fir; the whole of these being firmly and closely secured to the timbers by iron screws applied from without. The following narrative will show how admirably the elasticity of this mode of construction was adapted to withstand the constant twisting and concussion to which the boats were subject.[[013]] On each side of the keel, and projecting considerably below it, was attached a strong "runner," shod with smooth steel, in the manner of a sledge, upon which the boat entirely rested while upon the ice; and, to afford some additional chance of making progress on hard and level fields, we also applied to each boat two wheels, of five feet diameter, and a small one abaft, having a swivel for steering by, like that of a Bath chair; but these, owing to the irregularities of the ice, did not prove of any service, and were subsequently relinquished. A "span" of hide-rope was attached to the forepart of the runners, and to this were affixed two strong ropes of horse-hair, for dragging the boat: each individual being furnished with a broad leathern shoulder-belt, which could readily be fastened to or detached from the drag-ropes. The interior arrangement consisted only of two thwarts; a locker at each end for the nautical and other instruments, and for the smaller stores; and a very slight framework along the sides for containing the bags of biscuit and our spare clothes. A bamboo mast nineteen feet long, a tanned duck sail, answering also the purpose of an awning, a spreat, one boat-hook, fourteen paddles, and a steer-oar, completed each boat's equipment.

Two officers and twelve men (ten of the latter being seamen, and two marines) were selected for each boat's crew. It was proposed to take with us resources for ninety days; to set out from Spitzbergen, if possible, about the beginning of June; and to occupy the months of June, July, and August in attempting to reach the Pole and returning to the ship; making an average journey of thirteen miles and a half per day. Our provisions consisted of biscuit of the best wheaten flour; beef pemmican;[[014]] sweetened cocoa-powder, and a small proportion of rum, the latter concentrated to fifty-five per cent. above proof, in order to save weight and stowage. The proper instruments were provided, both by the Admiralty and the Board of Longitude, for making such observations as might be interesting in the higher latitudes, and as the nature of the enterprise would permit. Six pocket chronometers, the property of the public, were furnished for this service; and Messrs. Parkinson and Frodsham, with their usual liberality, intrusted to our care several other excellent watches, on trial, at their own expense.

Annexed is a list of the different articles composing the equipment of the boats, together with the actual weight of each.

Enter- Endeav-
prise our
lbs. lbs.
Boat . . . . . . . . . 1539 1542
Bamboo mast, 1 spreat, 1 boat-hook, 1 steer-oar. . 46-1/2 46-1/2
Fourteen paddles . . . . . . . 41 41
Sail (or awning) . . . . . . . 22 22
Spare rope and line . . . . . . 6 6
Small sounding line (750 fathoms in all) . . . 8 10
Carpenters' tools, screws, nails, &c. . . . 10 10
Copper and felt for repairs . . . . . 19 19
Four fowling pieces,with 2 bayonets. . . . 15 15
Small articles for guns. . . . . . -- 4
Ammunition . . . . . . . . 17-1/2 17-1/2
Instruments. . . . . . . . 29 29
Books. . . . . . . . . 7 5-1/2
S { .
p {Fur Suits for sleeping in (14 in each boat) . . 162 162
a {Thick-nailed boots (14 in each boat) . . . 47 47
r {Esquimaux do., with spare soles (14 in each .
e { boat . . . . . . . . 33 33
C {Flannel shirts (7 in each boat) . . . . 8-3/4 8-3/4
l {Guernsey frocks (do. do.) . . . . . 11-1/2 11-1/2
o {Thick drawers (do. do.) . . . . 14 14
t {Mittens (28 in each boat) . . . . . 5 5
h {Comforters (14 in each boat) . . . . 1 1
e {Scotch caps (do. do.) . . . . . 4 4
s {
A bag of small articles for the officers, .
including soap, &c., &c. . . . . . 4 4
Do. do. for the men do. . . . . . 12 12
Biscuit . . . . . . . . 628 628
Pemmican . . . . . . . . 564 564
Rum . . . . . . . . 180 180
Cocoa powder, sweetened. . . . . . 63 63
Salt . . . . . . . . . 14 14
Spirits of Wine . . . . . . . 72 72
Cooking apparatus. . . . . . . -- 20
Tobacco . . . . . . . . 20 20
Medicine chest . 19 --
Pannikins, knife, fork, and spoon (14 in each boat) . 5 5
Weighing-dials and measures . 2 2
Various small articles for repairs, &c., not mentioned
above 14 --
Packages for provisions, clothes, &c 110 116
---- ----
14)3753 1/4 3753 3/4
Weight, per man 268 lbs.
Exclusive of four sledges, weighing 26 lbs. each.

I have not thought it necessary, in the course of this volume, to enter into any examination of the question respecting the approaches to the North Pole which had already been effected previous to our late attempt. I shall, therefore, only add that, after carefully weighing the various authorities, from which every individual interested in this matter is at liberty to form his own conclusions, my own impartial conviction, at the time of our setting out on this enterprise, coincided (with a single exception) with the opinion expressed by the Commissioners of Longitude in their memorial to the king, that "the progress of discovery had not arrived northward, according to any well-authenticated accounts, so far as eighty-one degrees of north latitude." The exception to which I allude is in favour of Mr. Scoresby, who states his having, in the year 1806, reached the latitude of 81° 12' 42" by actual observation, and 81° 30' by dead reckoning. I therefore consider the latter parallel as, in all probability, the highest which had ever been attained prior to the attempt recorded in the following pages.