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NORTH-WEST PASSAGE, _ Letters from Captain Back were received yesterday: ing at the office of the Royal Geographical Society as date -being the 29th of April last, when the intelligence just reached him of Captain Ross’s returns, 0 ° Theiré-contents are. of. a. mixed. character. H. © party‘were all well,with the exception of ,A ‘Esquimiaux interpreter,y_wha hea accompanied ae pve both his, jJournies, and .was now geusd by the Hudcon’s-bay Company,to join this thing but perished by the way. ‘The winter had indeed, not, traordinarily severe.’ “* We have had, ” says “a most distressing winter in this more than g ‘solitude, where desolation reigns in unbroken a ‘the ‘animals have fled from us, as it were by ingys Many, very many, of the unhappy natives have victims to famine in situations the most revolting 45 nature. The fish also, on which I in “somes relied, left us; in places which we were: told before failed we have not caught a fish; and as a whole seasqs scarcely a living creature has except on one occasion a raven, which, in wheeling a house, startled me with his croak, so uniform wag qe around us. I ran out, but when it saw me it serge again made off to the western mountains, in the d, of which it was speedily lost. My party has been too dispersed in quest of food, and every message has bing tidings of their encountering severe privations, or 3% (ond of the Hudson’s Bay Company, attachegx! party) and his young family are at this mouengy! where on the lake fishing; and you may imagine yy costs me toe see them also, exposed to the ungoun@ severest of all winters, for the mean of three. there has been far below the lowest we ever registered i former expeditions. After this narrative you may: ig that, in spite of all my care and economy, some the provision laid up for our voyage has been ‘no consumed.. The most experienced man in the could not have foreseen this; Dor was ‘this possibility of avoiding it. My anxiety is immed on account of it; but I still hope that the Ing be enabled to procure us dry food, or in short ex¢ that may afford sustenance, so that the fondest wishing heart may not be frustrated. Of that, however sense, there is no danger, for come the worst. Loyal reduce my men, and go in one boat. Do not, there this affect you, for I feel confident of overcome Another misfortune is, that pinched as we are for pr. We must drag our boats and luggage almost 100 mig rock and ice before we can reach open water. The ascert dined through the winter, but determingy shall be done, and it will be a new feature to discouss our former expeditions we had none of these. E structions to contend with, though ‘we had ‘to take ¢ canoes some distance in sledges. But I have pert idence in my men, and they, good fellows, think thy' not err.” “ The above was written before the arrival of the ent nouncing Captain Ross’s return; and, pressed’ f only a few lines are added subsequent to that event, are, however, so characteristic of the gallants they ought not to be omitted :—“ I have this momy ceived your despatch, with an account of Ross's te am all gratitude and happiness. My heart is I write; but I shall pay attention to all that is reco; to me, of this assure the committee. What a tr this return of Ross’s to us all who * hoped again? And what do the croakers say ? Will they acknow Jesson afforded by it of the power of stubborn ‘pa ance 2” c. From a private‘ letter which we have seen, it , interesting to some to add the following scrap 24 day is chiefly spent thus—before breakfast in portion of Scripture, and afterwards attend to my rations, study, draw (I have plenty of pencil, sket work up my survey, take notes on Aurora, e,’ | same time I keep my eye upon whatever duty a e have an evening school twice a week, and read the for French and English every Sunday. My guitarig:¢ and jars abominably, but you will not be surprised ¢ when I add, that I have been obliged to grease my daily to prevent their cracking also, for such is the of the atmosphere that nothing can stand it.”’ a It may also allay the anxiety of friends and add, that Hearne found abundance of game along thy of the Thlew-ee-cho, so that as the season advances, Back’s hunters may reasonably be expected to be equ imate. His prudence, based on a long experieng, she be relied on as well as his enterprise. His buoyancy, per, and the confidence reposed in him by his money will support all their spirits. In a word, his task is ous, more arduous than had been imagined prevalg receipt of these letters; but it could not be in me whe n. And it is very satisfactory to know, from ob ceived by the committee of the Hudson’s Bay Cas ample supplies have been since forwarded to kgt will support him during the ensuing winter. Vniy spring he and his whole party will set forward ty turn, _
Newspaper Details
London St James Chronicle and General Evening Post
London, Middlesex, GB
Tue, Oct 21, 1834
Page 2
Full Page
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Anonymous
CA 25 Jul 2026
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