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VOL. 4.]

Barrow's History of Polar Voyages.

the women were marked with black streaks. They seemed to worship the sun, pointing constantly to it and stroking their breasts, and calling out at the same time Ilyout! The men and dogs are buried in the same manner, each having a heap of stones piled over them.

"Departing from hence they stood away to the northward, between the ice and the land, being in a channel as it were of seven or eight leagues wide, till they came to the latitude 74° 4', when they found themselves much pestered with the ice; and here they dropped anchor near three small islands, which appeared to be occasionally visited by the people of the neighbouring coast. They then tried to make their way to the westward, but the ice was too firm to let them pass: and therefore they returned to some islands in latitude 73° 45' to wait till the ice (which they observed to consume very fast) should disappear. During their stay at this place, some forty of the natives came in their boats and exchanged seals' skins, sea-morse feeth, and unicorn's horns, for small pieces of iron, glass beads, and such like. To this place they gave the name of Horn Sound.

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"On the 18th, on perceiving that much of the ice had already wasted, they proceeded northerly; but the weather was extremely cold with much snow, and Baffin says, it froze so hard, 'that on Midsummer day our shrowds roapes, and sailes, were so frozen that we could scarce handle them.' By the 1st July, being then in latitude 75° 40′, they had got into and open sea, which,' says Baltin, anew revived the hope of of a passage.' On the second they found a fair cape or headland, which they named Sir Dudley Digges's Cape, in latitude 76° 35, and twelve leagues beyond this a air sound, having an island in the midst, making two entrances. To this sound they gave the name of Wolstenholme Sound; it is described as having many inlets or smaller sounds in it, and as a fit place for the killing of whales.

"On the 4th, the weather being stormy, they found themselves embayed

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in a large sound, in which they saw so many whales that they named it Whale Sound: it lies in latitude 77° 30′. Between two great sounds was an island, which they called Hakluyt's Island, and the latter sound Sir Thomas Smith's Sound, which runneth to the north of 78°, and is admirable in one respect, because in it is the greatest variation in the compasse of any part of the world known; for, by divers good observations, I found it to be above points or fifty-six degrees varied to the westward.' To a cluster of islands Baffin gave the name of Carey's Islands, but he does not give their position.

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"The wind being favourable, they stood to the south-westward, in an open sea, and with a stiff gale of wind, till the 10th, when it became calm and foggy; they were then near the land, in the entrance of a fair sound, which they named Alderman Jones's Sound. The boat was sent on shore, but it soon returned on account of the bad weather; no sign of people were seen, but abundance of sea morses among the ice. Standing on to the westward, they opened out, on the 12th, another great sound in 74° 20', which they named Sir James Lancaster's Sound. Here," says Baffin, our hope of passage began to be lesse every day than other, for from this sound to the southward wee had a ledge of ice betweene the shoare and us, but cleare to the seaward; wee kept close by this ledge of ice till the 14th day in the afternoone, by which time wee were in the latitude of 71° 16′ and plainely perceived the land to the southward of 70° 30′; then wee, having so much ice round about us, were forced to stand more eastward ;' and in this direction they ran amongst the ice threescore leagues, nor could they approach the land till they came to about 68°, and being then unable to get to the shore on account of the ice, they drifted down to 65° 40'. Then,' says Baffin, 'wee left off seeking to the west shoare, because wee were in the indraft of Cumberland's Isles, and should know no certaintie and hope of passage could be none.'

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Barrow's History of Polar Voyages.

"This voyage (adds Mr. Barrow), which ought to have been, and indeed may still be, considered as the most ininteresting and important either before or since,is the most vague,indefinite,and unsatisfactory of all others, and the account of it most unlike the writing of William Baffin. In all his other journals, we have not only the latitude and longitude noted down, but the observations of the heavenly bodies from which they were deduced, and the arithmetical operation inserted; the longitude, the variation and declination of the magnetic needle, the courses steered, and a variety of particulars entered on the proper day; but in this most important voyage, purporting to have reached many degrees of latitude beyond any preceding voyage, and to have skirted the coast and islands of America, where the passage must have been found, if it has any existence, we have neither course, nor distance, nor variation of the compass, except once, and no one longitude whatever; so vague and indefinite, indeed, is every information left, which could be useful, that each succeeding geographer has drawn "Baffin's Bay" on his chart as best accorded with his fancy."

It may be observed, that this result was in great measure owing to the circumstance of Baffin's map of reference never having been printed; for it is now clear that he not only reached, nearly if not quite as high a latitude, but correctly described the objects there presented to view, as Captain Ross with all his advantages has been able to do, excepting the discovery of a new race of people, certainly under the shade of a little romance if we rely on the Newspaper statements which have appeared concerning them. We presume that they are Esquimaux driven north by Indian outrage, for it is not easy to conceive that they have either originated in the latitudes where they are planted or been derived from higher, But it is premature to inquire into this matter; and we shall proceed to quote two or three other curious passages, relating to various epochs,as specimens of

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the work before us. In mentioning the navigation of the Portuguese family of Cortereal and their entrance of the St. Lawrence, it is said,

"As to the name of Canada, which was given to the country on the right of the entrance, it was by many geographers confined to a village situated at the confluence of the Seguenai, and, according to most writers, originated in the following circumstance: When the Portuguese first ascended the river, under the idea that it was a strait, thro' which a passage to the Indies might be discovered--on arriving at the point where they ascertained that it was not a strait, but a river, they, with all the emphasis of disappointed hopes, exclaimed repeatedly, Cà, nada!-(Here, nothing!) which words caught the attention of the natives,and were remembered and repeated by them on seeing other Europeans, under Jacques Cartier, arrive in 1534-but Cartier mistakes the object of the Portuguese to have been gold mines, not a passage to India; and if the Portuguese account be true, he also mistook the exclamation of Cà nada for the name of the country."

Our readers are aware that there have been some attempts made by land as well as by water to reach the Polar basin.

Of these the most prominent were the journies of Mr.Samuel Harne in 1772, and of Mr. Alexander Mackenzie in 1789. By a glance at the map it will be seen that they have severally affixed their names to points of the North American continent, about the 70th degree of latitude, the former in 110, and the latter near 133 of west longitude. But it seems more than problematical that either ever reached

the sea.

We shall therefore abstain

from noticing their narratives or pointing out thesr inconsistencies, and conclude with a brief account of Captain Buchan's expedition into the interior of Newfoundland, of which it is astonishing how little is really known at this day.

"Since the first establishment of the fishery on the banks of Newfoundland,

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Barrow's History of Polar Voyages.

very little communication has at any time been had with the natives of this large island, and for more than half a century past none at all; indeed, it was considered by many as doubtful whether there were on the island any permanent inhabitants, or whether the Indians, sometimes seen on the western coast, did not come in their canoes across the Strait of Belleisle merely for the purpose of fishing and killing deer. A settler, however, reported that, in the autumn of 1810, he had discovered a storehouse on the banks of the River of Exploits. Upon this report, Sir John Duckworth sent Lieutenant (now Captain) BUCHAN, commander of the schooner Adonis, to the Bay of Exploits, for the purpose of undertaking an expedition into the interior, with a view of opening a communication with the native Indians, if any such were to be found. His vessel was soon frozen up in the bay; and on the 12th January, 1811, Mr. Buchan began his march into the interior, along the banks of the river, accompanied by twenty-four of his crew, and three guides; and, having penetrated about one hundred and thirty miles, discovered some wigwams of the natives. He surprised them; and their inhabitants, in number about sev enty-five persons, became in his power. He succeeded in overcoming their extreme terror, and soon established a good understanding with them. Four of the men, among whom was their chief, accepted his invitation to accompany them back to the place where, as he explained to them by signs, he had left some presents which he designed for them.

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go on with Mr. Buchan. They did so till they came near the place to which they were to be conducted, when one of them became panic-struck and fled. But the tempers of the two men were different. The latter remained unshaken in his determination, and with a cheerful countenance and an air of perfect confidence in the good faith of his new allies, motioned to them with his hand to proceed; disregarding his companion, and seeming to treat with scorn Mr. Buchan's invitation, to depart freely if he chose to do so. Soon afterwards the party reached their rendezvous; slept there one night; loaded themselves with the presents,and returned again to the wigwams. The behaviour of the Indian remained always the same. He continued to shew a generous confidence, and the whole tenor of his conduct was such as Mr. Buchan could not witness without a feeling of esteem for him. On arriving at the wigwams they were found deserted, and the Indian became exceedingly alarmed. Many circumstances determined Mr. Buchan to let him be at perfect liberty; and this treatment revived his spirits. The party spent the night at the wigwams, and continued their route in the morning. They had proceeded about a mile, when, being a little in advance before the rest of the party, the Indian was seen to start suddenly backward. He screamed loudly and fled with a swiftness that rendered pursuit in vain."

The cause of his flight is thus told in Mr. Buchan's Journal :

"We observed that for an instant he stopped to look at something lying on the ice; but in another instant we lost sight of him in the haze. On coming up we recognized with horror the bod

"The confidence by this time existing was mutual, and so great, that two of Mr. Buchan's people requested to remain with the Indians till his return with the presents. They were permities of our two unfortunate companions ted to do so; and Mr.Buchan set out on his return to his depôt, with the remainder of the party and the four Indians. They continued together for about six miles (to the resting place of the night before,) when the chief declined going any farther, and with one of his men took leave, directing the other two to 3 G

ATHENEUM VOL. 4.

lying about a hundred yards apart; that of the corporal was pierced by an arrow in the back; and three arrows had entered the other; they were laid out strait with their feet towards the river, and backs upwards, their heads were off, and no vestige of garments left; several broken arrows were lying

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THE

BURCKHARD THE TRAVELLER.
From the Literary Gazette.

HE English African Association, which has so laudably exerted itself for the discovery of the interior of Africa, is now on the point of publishing, through its secretary, Mr. Hamilton, (the under secretary of state, author of the Egyptiaca, and other valuable works,) authentic accounts of the incomparable Sheik Ibrahim, the highspirited traveller Burckhard.

Burckhard, a Swiss by birth, belongs, however, as a sage, such as Cicero paints, "qui omnem orbem terrarum unam urbem esse ducunt," to the whole human race. He was a younger son of the ancient and most respectable family of that name, and born at Zurich. Full of generous indignation at the idea of becoming, under the banners of Napoleon, an instrument of oppression, he came at the end of the year 1808 to England, where he was introduced by the venerable Sir Joseph Banks to the African Association. He considered the death of Mungo Park as doubtful; and the fate of Houghton, Hornemann, and Ledyard, did not deter him. His moral character, his robust constitution, his rare quickness of understanding, which facilitated the acquisition of every species of knowledge, made his eagaging in the service of the African Association desirable to all parties, and he received from every quarter encouragement and assistance, He departed from England on the 2d of May, 1809, and arrived at Aleppo (by way of Malta) in the beginning of July. He passed the whole of the three following years in acquiring so thorough an acquaintance with the language, manners,

&c. of the country, as to assimilate himself entirely with the native Arabs. At one time he made excursions to the Lesgians and Houran, at another visited the ruins of Palmyra and Balbeck, at another resided for whole months in the most northerly Provinces of Syria, among the Turcomans. His journals and observations during these years, which he called his apprenticeship, are all in the possession of the African Association. On the 18th June, 1812, he began his first journey to Cahira, from Damascus. Avoiding the beaten track from El-Arish, to the frontiers of Egypt, he went, disguised as a poor Bedouin, by Palestine, to the East of the Jordan, by way of Szalte, through Arabia Petræa, and the desert of El Ty. When he arrived at Cahira, on the 4th of September, he was fully determined to penetrate into the interior with the first caravan to Fezzan or Darfour. This plan could not be executed at that time. Instead of this he undertook two highly dangerous journies into the ancient Ethiopia. The first was from Assouan to the frontiers of Dongola. It was here that he found, in the months of February and March 1813, many ancient Egyptian and Nubian ruins, with Greek inscriptions like those at Philæ. He undertook the second journey in the summer of 1814, through Nubia to Suakem and Djedda. His detailed accounts, which are in England, contain the most extensive information that ever has been given of the present state of civilization in this country, which was once the cradle of all the knowledge of

VOL. 4.]

Literary Character of Mr. Coleridge.

the Egyptian priests. He then, in the character of a Mahomedan pilgrim, visited Mecca and Medina, saw and observed every thing with perfect security, as he was now not to be distinguished in any respect from the natives. The African Association received the most particular information on subjects, such as no European before him was ever able to give, and a complete history of the Wechabites, from the first origin of that sect, 60 years ago, to their last treaty of peace with Mahomet Ali, Pacha of Egypt, in 1815. His last excursion was from Cahira, which now remained his permanent abode, to Mount Sinai, and to the Eastern point of the Red Sea. To his uncommonly valuable journal of this journey, is added a memoir on the March of the Israelites through the Desert.

Our Traveller collected also for the Association, Glossaries of African Languages, which he obtained by questioning the natives who visited Egypt, during his forced stay in that country, also 999 Arabian Proverbs, with an English Commentary; and made a translation of a burlesque Epic Poem, in the popular language of Cahira, the subject of which is a contest between Wine and Bast, (this is the name of all intoxicating preparations of hemp seed and opium, in that country.) Even these collections are highly valuable, and shew that if his life had been prolonged, he would have become one of the most instructive travellers that ever visited these countries. Burckhard's last writing was composed in May, 1817. From that time he made all preparations for penetrating into the interior of Africa, with a Caravan, which was destined for Murzuck. But on

THE

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the 5th of October, 1817, after he had been walking, full of health and spirits, with the British Consul general, Mr. Salt, in his garden, he was seized with so dreadful a dysentery, that, notwithstanding all the exertions of Dr. Richardson, travelling physician to Lord Belmore, who happened to be on the spot, he died on the 15th of the same month. According to his last will, he was buried as Sheik Ibrahim, with Mahometan ceremonies. To his friend Osman, an Englishman, whom Mr. Salt had prevailed on the Pacha to release from slavery, he bequeathed 1000 piastres, and remembered his faithful servant and all his other friends. When dying, he dictated, "let Mr. Hamilton acquaint my mother with my death, and say that my last thoughts were always with her." He left his library to the University of Cambridge, and confided the care of it to the well known traveller, Dr. Clarke. Whoever knew him, could not but consider him as peculiarly qualified to execute a plan never yet accomplished. Free from all petty selfishness, he had only the grand object before his view, to which he sa crificed every thing. Fire sparkled in his eyes. His conversation, in every language, was uncommonly interesting. All Europeans travelling in Egypt, were readily assisted with his advice in the frankest manner. A week before his fatal sickness, he bought books for Lord Belmore, and for another Englishman-the popular oriental novel, 66 Life and Adventures of Asilar and his beloved Ibla," in 40 parts, of which there is a copy at Vienna, and another has just been translated into English, and prepared for the press by a secretary of the British Embassy at Constantinople.

MR. COLERIDGE.
From the Monthly Magazine.

HE man of genius, struggling with a delicate and ingenuous child, moved adverse circumstances, is one of to sorrow by the slightest chiding, and the most affecting subjects which can pining over the recollection of the most be presented to the imagination. We trivial neglect; beloved, however, by see him first in remote and humble life, his parents with a degree of solicitude

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