about three miles of ice; and a heavy gale coming on, detached this
prodigious mass, and drove it with terrible violence against the ship.
The cables were cut asunder, the anchors lost, and the poor Hecla
forced high and dry upon the coast, by the irresistible pressure.
Having got her again to the water, however, they proceeded to Weygatt
Straits.

It is vexatious to be forced to the conviction that any attempt to
reach the North Pole is but too likely to end in disappointment; but
every fresh enterprise seems to lead to this conclusion.

Hudson, whose name is perpetuated in the bay, reached lat. 82 (as is
laid down) in the year 1606; and a Scottish journal states, that the
Neptune whaler, in 1816, got as high as 83 deg. 20 min.; but of the
accuracy of this statement we have great doubts.

_The Land Arctic Expedition._--About the end of June, 1826, Captain
Franklin arrived at the last of the Hudson Bay company's posts, named
Fort Good Hope, in lat. 67 deg. 28 min. N., long. 130 deg. 53 min. W.;
with the expedition under his command in excellent health and spirits.

Three days' journey from thence, on the 4th of July, he despatched a
party to the eastward, under the command of Dr. Richardson, and
proceeded himself, in command of another party, by the western channel
of Mackenzie's river, which flows at the foot of the Rocky Mountains,
and completed a survey of the coast from long. 113 deg. W. to 149 deg.
38 min. W. He was much impeded in his progress by the constant
obstruction of ice, unbroken from the shore, in many parts, until the
4th of August--by the prevalence of fogs--and by the nature of the sea
coast, which to the westward of the 140th degree is so extremely low