During The Remainder Of The Season Of 1819, Which However Contained Only
Twenty More Days, In Which Any Thing Could
Be done, Captain Parry
prosecuted with much perseverance, and in the midst of infinite
difficulties and obstacles, a plan which
Had suggested itself to him some
time before; this was to conduct the ships close to the shore, within the
main body of the ice; but their progress was so extremely slow, that,
during the remainder of the year they did not advance more than forty
miles. On the 21st Captain Parry abandoned the undertaking, and returned to
the bay which was called after the two ships. Here they lay ten months; and
the arrangements made by Captain Parry for the safety of the vessels, and
for the health, comfort, and even the amusement of the crew, were planned
and effected with such admirable good sense, that listlessness and fatigue
were strangers, even among sailors, a class of men who, above all others,
it would have been apprehended, would have soon wearied of such a
monotonous life. The commencement of winter was justly dated from the 14th
of September, when the thermometer suddenly fell to 9 deg.. On the 4th of
November the sun descended below the horizon, and did not appear again till
the 8th of February. A little before and after what in other places is
called the shortest day, but which to them was the middle of their long
night, there was as much light as enabled them to read small print, when
held towards the south, and to walk comfortably for two hours.
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