by John Marshall

“ A few whales were seen in the afternoon, and it is remarkable that this should be the first time of meeting with them, and also that we should not have seen either a narwhal or a bear, although we had passed through so great a quantity of ice in Hudson’s Strait. At 4 p.m., while steering N.E., 5 knots, before a heavy sea, Mr. Harding saw a white space on the water, having all the appearance of a sandy shoal; he instantly kept away, and running on deck, I saw it within half a cable’s length of our quarter, while at the same moment a cast of the lead gave no bottom with 40 fathoms. ”

“ I am thus particular in stating our soundings on this day, as they are the commencement of constant labour at the leads, and also as a proof of the careless manner in which the old charts of the coast of Southampton Island have hitherto been marked; for it is in them laid down as a bold precipitous shore, having from 90 to 130 fathoms off it, while on almost every part which we coasted, our hand-leads were going at from four to ten miles from the beach, which in no one place could be appoached within a mile by any ship. On the 27th, the wind failing, we anchored in 20 fathoms. ”

“ Never, perhaps, was witnessed a finer scene than on the deck of my little ship, when all hope of life had left us. Noble as the character of the British sailor is always allowed to be in cases of danger, yet I did not believe it to be possible, that amongst forty-one persons, not one repining word should have been uttered. ”

“ In the afternoon, on the weather clearing a little, we discovered a low beach all around astern of us, on which the surf was running to an awful height, and it appeared evident that no human powers could save us. At 3 p.m. the tide had fallen to 22 feet (only six more than we drew) , and the ship, having been lifted by a tremendous sea, struck with great violence the whole length of her keel. This we naturally conceived was the forerunner of her total wreck, and we stood in readiness to take the boats, and endeavour to hang under her lee. ”

“ Having found a heavier piece of ice than that to which we were fast, we warped to it, and our people were enabled to wash their clothes in its numerous pools, and amuse themselves on it for the day. In driving with the N.W. wind, we experienced considerable anxiety by being repeatedly swept past bergs, and frequently almost upon them. These dangerous bodies were extremely numerous here, and indeed, with the exception of the entrance of the strait, we had seen more ice than during our outward passage on the last voyage. ”

“ The wind blew with such violence as to cover the sea with one continued foam; but we succeeded in nearing the land, and brought up with two bower-anchors and 70 fathoms of chain, in 15 fathoms water, at four miles from the shore, off which the heavy gale blew down to us. Our position by observation, on the 8th, accorded so well with Middleton’s chart, that it was evident we had anchored between Whale Point and Cape Fullerton. ”

“ Having stood in for the shore, a strong tide assisted us until evening, when having run W.S.W. about 20 miles since noon, we anchored, at two miles from the shore, in 13 fathoms.
“At 4 a.m., on the 29th, the wind being light and contrary, with continued rain, I landed to procure water, abreast of the ship. Near our landing-place were the remains of a large Esquimaux establishment, and at a short distance from the shore was a large mound, which contained a dead person, sewed up in a skin, and apparently long buried. ”

“ The long-boat having been filled full of stores which could not be put below, it became requisite to throw them overboard, as there was no room for them on our very small and crowded deck, over which heavy seas were constantly sweeping. In making these preparations for taking to the boats, it was evident to all, that the long, boat was the only one which had the slightest chance of living under the lee of the ship, should she be wrecked; but every officer and man drew his lot with the greatest composure, although two of our boats would have been swamped the instant they were lowered. ”

“ We got but slowly off; for being so much below her bearings, the ship would not stand up under much sail, and towards noon saw Southampton Island, to the eastward, about 18 miles. I was, for a time, in hopes of getting under its lee; but the wind soon increased to a gale, with cutting showers of sleet, and a sea began to arise. At such a moment as this, we had fresh cause to deplore the extreme dulness of the Griper’s sailing ”

“ Throughout the night we worked in the centre of the ‘Welcome,’ guided by our leads, and never having less than 30 or above 50 fathoms. On the 10th, as the weather moderated, we made sail N.W.b.N.; but an uneasy sea prevented our keeping headway. At 3 p.m., some part of Southampton Island, possibly the mountains on its eastern shore, was visible to the N.E., from aloft, and the apparent termination of the American coast at Cape Dobbs, bore north, distant about 30 miles. On the 11th, at noon, we stood into 33 fathoms, at about 8 miles from Southampton Island ”

“ Ritchie, influenced, as we had reason to think, by the advice and suggestions of some of his supposed friends. The petty intrigues which were carried on in order to detract from the merits of the mission, and eventually to obstruct its progress, were most disgraceful. Such was the inauspicious state of our affairs, when we entered on our hazardous journey, determined at all events, that, however unpromising in its commencement, its failure should not be attributed to our want of zeal in the service we had undertaken. ”

“ Two young men, brothers, whom we had treated with great kindness, and whom we had engaged to attend on us, so far from communicating our forlorn situation, forsook us in our distress, and even carried off our little store of rice and cusscussoo [4] , laughing at our complaints,, and well knowing that our poverty prevented the redress which we should otherwise have sought and obtained. ”

“ Being entirely free from pain, he flattered himself that he should, in a day or two, recover, particularly as he was not at all emaciated, but rather stouter than he had been for some months previous to his illness. ”

“ In this month, about twenty Tripoli merchants died from the effects of climate, bad water, and the want of nourishing food; even many of the natives were very ill, and it was quite rare to sec a healthy looking person. I remained a week in bed, and arose from it quite a skeleton; Belford was still in a very dangerous state.
“On the 8th of November, Mr. Ritchie being again attacked by illness, I much wished him to allow of my selling some of our powder to procure him a few comforts; but to this he would not assent. On the 9th I again fell ill, and was confined to my bed ”

“ We wore, and stood off on the starboard tack; and now, having no weather shore to afford us either shelter or anchorage, we found ourselves obliged to continue under sail all night, in this narrow and extremely dangerous channel, to the great anxiety of all hands, and sad fatigue of the men, who were employed unceasingly with deep-sea and hand-leads, at a temperature of 28°; the hands of many were in so very sore a state, that I caused canvass mittens to be made for the use of the watch on deck ”

“ At night-fall, a light breeze sprung up from the southward, and for the first time in many days the ship lay her course unimpeded by ice. We were off Cape Wolstenholm by the morning of the 20th, and in the afternoon abreast of Digg’s Islands, where we found the sea very full of ice. At day-light of the 24 th, we found ourselves near a heavy pack of ice, which lay against a yellow shoal beach at about four miles distant. Having stood along the coast with a light air, I landed with Mr. ”

“ Mr. Newland said, “extremely happy to meet him, and to congratulate him on again visiting his native city, after the perils he had escaped, as well during his travels in Africa, as in the late expedition under Captain Parry. With respect to the former, ho knew not which most to admire – the zeal and perseverance with which, under circumstances the most discouraging that could well he imagined, he had prosecuted the enterprise ”

“ Mr. Lyon’s next ship was the Caledonia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Pellew (now Viscount Exmouth) , who soon appointed him acting lieutenant of the Berwick 74, Captain Edward Brace, under whom he served at the reduction of Genoa, in April, 1814 [1] . On the 8th of the same month, he was wounded in an attack made by the boats of the Berwick and Rainbow, in conjunction with two Sicilian gun-vessels, upon the enemy’s posts near the pass of Rona, with a view to favor the advance of the British army, under Lord William Bentinck. ”

“ In half an hour, our visitors amounted to about 60 persons, in eight kayaks, or mens’, and three oominks, or womens’ boats, which latter had stood out to us under one lug sail composed of the transparent intestines of the walrus. Our trading had continued some time before we discovered four small puppies, and they were, of course, immediately purchased, as an incipient team for future operations. As a lane of water was seen in shore at noon, we were under the necessity of bidding our visitors adieu ”

“ On the 23d, the Griper sounded in 40 fathoms, on the tail of that extensive shoal running out from Carey’s Swan’s Nest [6] . On the 25th, the boats brought on board, from a stream of ice lying off Nottingham and Salisbury Islands, sufficient blocks to thaw into three tons of water; and the ship was visited by a number of Esquimaux, in thirteen excellent canoes, with well-finished iron-headed weapons and good clothing. ”

“ The tour is divided into two parts; the first comprises a journey over the Gharian mountains to Benioleed, and the subsequent progress of the mission from Tripoli to Mourzouk,the capital of Fezzan, (lat. 25° 54' N. long. 15° 62' E.) where Mr. Ritchie died on the 20th Nov. 1819; the second embraces Mr. Lyon’s proceedings between that period and Mar. 25th, 1820, when he returned to Tripoli, after an absence of exactly one year, – “it being deemed too hazardous to attempt advancing any further into the interior, without fresh authority and additional pecuniary supplies from Government.” ”

“ The masts would have followed this, for we were all so exhausted, and the ship was so coated with ice, that nothing could have been dune to save them.
“We all lay down at times during the night, for to have remained constantly on deck would have quite overpowered us ”