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ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. The ordinary meeting was held on Monday evening, W. R. Hamilton, Esq., president, in the chair. The room was well attended on account of the interest of the subject to be brought forward—the completion of Arctic discovery : a geographical problem which has so long excited the at tention of all civilized Europe. Captain Wasaineron, the secretary, read the official reports of Messrs. Dease and Simpson, the gentlemen who commanded the late expedition, as well as the instruc tions of the Hudson's Bay Company, the full details of which have already been made public. The President observed that the accomplishment of this enterprise was a great era in geographical knowledge, and called upon any gentleman to make observations on the subject, Sir Jon Barrow said, it was now twenty years since he first ventured on the problem of a north-west passage. He had previously acquired as much knowledge as possi ble by reading both foreign and English works, which led him to the conclusion that there was much open water in the quarter traversed. He argued that from the existence of a current there must be an outlet. This theory was at that time deemed visionary by an intelligent officer, the late Admiral Burney, who wrote a paper to prove that Behring’s Straits was an inlet of the ocean, and that the high land was a sort of bridge connected with the opposite continent. He would designate this water the Polar Basin, and it must be of great extent. He concluded by proposing a vote of thanks to the Governor and Company, for their generous and enterprising conduct in fitting out and superintending the expedition. Mr. Pauly, the Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, returned thanks on behalf of himself and the company. He stated they were willing to do all in their power for the promotion of geographical discovery. In framing the instructions, he was wholly indebted to his worthy friend the resident director, Mr. Simpson, who was then present in the room. The Secretary next read a letter from Dr. Richardson, containing some observations on this expedition. He had proposed this mode of accomplishing it some time since, but the objection assigned against it was the supposed hostility of the Esquimaux; it had, however, turned out that they were easily conciliated, and desirous of social intercourse. No enterprise could have been attended with such important results, for the only part now remaining to be surveyed was from point Turn again to the extreme point which Captain James Ross reached. He bore testimony to the zeal and activity of Messrs. Dease and Simpson, the former of whom he compared, in his manner of conducting the expedition, to Sir A. Mackenzie, whose name as a discoverer will ever be associated with these regions. Too much praise could not be bestowed upon the Hudson's Bay Company, who had taken up the subject when the Government had dropped it. ‘A note was read from Cepta in Back, expressive of re egret that from vndiposition he was unable to attend. He remarked, that the construction of the boats used on this occasion, which, being fist bottomed, were well adapted for the shallow water along those shores. The sharp and deep built boats used by Captain Franklin were not equally serviceable for that purpose. The Prastdent announced that a special meeting would be held on the 14th of May to present the royal premium for 1837, graciously given by her Majesty for the promotion of geographical science and discovery.
Newspaper Details
Patriot
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Apr 26, 1838
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 25 Jul 2026
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