And his tears brake forth, at last, like rain.- For his face was seen by his warrior-train, He look'd upon the Dead, He stoop'd-and kiss'd the frozen cheek, Till bursting words-yet all too weak-- "Oh, Father! is it vain, Were but this work undone, "Speak to me!--mighty grief When was it thus?-Wo, wo for all Thy silver hairs I see, So still, so sadly bright! And, Father, Father! but for me, They had not been so white! I bore thee down, high heart! at last, "Thou wert the noblest King, And thou didst wear, in knightly ring, Of all, the stateliest mien; And thou didst prove, where spears are proved, Oh! ever the renown'd and loved Thou wert-and there thou art! "Thou that my boyhood's guide The times I bave sported at thy side, How will that sad still face of thine [New Monthly Mag VOL. VI. No. 33.-Museum. 2 M SELECTED FOR THE MUSEUM. Geographical Expeditions.-1. Captain Franklin and Dr. Richardson's Arctic Expedition. 2. African Expedition under Denham and Clapperton. 3. Antarctic Voyage of Captain Weddel. 4. Russian Voyage along the Northern Shores of Siberia. 5. Captain Lyon's Voyage. 1.-Captain Franklin and Dr. Richardson's Arctic Expedition. CAPTAIN Franklin, we are informed, has received most satisfactory letters from the wintering chief factors and traders at Hudson's Bay, expressing their earnest desire to forward his enterprise to the utmost of their power. Part of his expedition, consisting of three canoes with stores from Canada, under direction of a chief trader, was seen in good order, and far advanced on the way to Great Bear Lake, to build a house and lay in stores, and make other arrangements for his reception. Another part of his expedition, consisting of three light boats, manned by English seamen and Highlanders from the island of Isla, landed at York Factory, and proceeded into the interior, under the conduct of experienced guides, furnished by the Hudson's Bay Company. The crews of these boats will be employed, during the winter, in laying up provisions on Captain Franklin's line of route. They will move on in the spring; but the quicker movements of the commander of the expedition, and the more early opening of the navigation to the southward, will enable him to overtake them before they reach Great Slave Lake. The Fur Company has lately sent exploring parties into the northern ranges of the Rocky Mountains, and opened communications with the Nohanny Indians, of whom little was previously known; and the Esquimaux that frequent the mouth of Mackenzie's River, have intimated through a neighbouring tribe, their desire of opening a trade with the company, who, on their part, have pushed their advanced posts to within three days' march of the sea. These circumstances, combined with good accounts from the various districts, of the supply of provisions, augur well for the success of Captain Franklin's undertaking. The novel display of good feeling on the part of the Esquimaux of those quarters towards the white people, (so different from what is recorded in a former number of this Journal,)* may, perhaps, have originated in intelligence of Captain Parry's or Captain Franklin's visits having spread along the coast. We hope, that the influence of the European visiters in these quarters, will forever terminate the exterminating warfare betwixt the Esquimaux and Indians. Captain Franklin and Dr. Richardson leave England in February next, to proceed by the way of New York to Mackenzie's River. Their course from New York, will be by Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior to Fort-William; and thence by the usual river navigation pursued by the fur traders through the Lake of the * Vol. viii. pages 78, and 79. Woods, Lake Winnipeg, Athapescou Lake, and Great Slave Lake to Mackenzie's River, which they hope to reach about the end of September, and to winter upon a tributary branch, which discharges the waters of Great Bear Lake. Much, we are confident, will be accomplished by these enterprising and distinguished travellers. We are also informed, that Captain Beechy has commissioned the Blossom, for the purpose of going out to meet Captains Parry and Franklin in Behring's Straits. 2. African Expedition under Denham and Clapperton. It is asserted in the public journals, that Dr. Oudney's papers had reached London. This statement, we regret to say, is incorrect, as we are informed that not a single paper has as yet been received, but instructions have been sent to our Consul at Tripoli, to make every possible exertion to obtain them, and Lord Bathurst has ordered him to despatch a courier to Bornou for the express purpose. Major Denham, with a carpenter from Malta dock-yard, an extremely useful man, proceeds to the eastward, along the lake which they discovered; and which, by the way, making allowance for the uncertainty of English spelling and pronunciation of African names, is, most likely, the Wangara of Major Rennell. Lieutenant Clapperton goes to the westward, to satisfy himself that the river which flows into the lake is actually the Niger, its diminished size having caused him to doubt. The information at present gained, tends to confirm Major Rennell's opinion of the waters of the Niger being expended by evaporation from the lakes into which they flow. The story told of the party having suffered from great cold, and from which the inference was drawn, that the country they had reached was greatly elevated, appears to be quite unfounded. If any cold was experienced, it probably originated in evaporation during the night, which often produces a great difference between the day and night, in the sandy deserts of tropical climates. It is incidently mentioned in Major Denham's communication, that the body of water which lay before them, was a great "fresh-water lake." 3.-Captain Weddel's Voyage towards the South Pole. An important and interesting voyage of investigation, to a high southern latitude, has been performed, during the years 1822, 1823, and 1824, by Mr. James Weddel, master in the Royal Navy. An account of this voyage is now in the press, and will soon appear. Captain Weddel has had the goodness to favour us with a notice of his work, from which the following particulars are taken. The vessels in which this voyage was performed, were the brig Jane, and cutter Beaufoy, of Leith and London; both under the orders of Captain Weddel, by whom the voyage was projected. He sailed from England on the 17th of September, 1822, and reached Bonavista, one of the Cape de Verdes, on the 15th of October following. In a few days, he proceeded thence to the southward; and on the 11th December, both vessels anchored at Port St. Elena, on the east side of Patagonia. During the time that Captain Weddel remained at this anchorage, he made several useful observations, chiefly with regard to the harbour, of which he intends to give a plan. Leaving Port St. Elena on the 27th, he proceeded southward; and, on the 12th of January, 1823, arrived in sight of a group of islands, to which Captain Weddel gave the name of South Orkney, in latitude 60° 45′ S., and 45° W. The vessels remained eleven days under sail, examining these islands, which Captain Weddel first fell in with when in search of land, during a former voyage, in the year 1821. This group he thoroughly investigated, and denominated the eastern extremity Cape Dundas, in honour of the Noble Family of that name. Captain Weddel describes this country as the most sterile and uninviting of any southern land yet discovered. The tops of the islands, for the most part, terminate in craggy towering peaks, and look not unlike the mountain-tops of a sunken land. Professor Jameson has received specimens of the principal strata of which these islands are composed, which he has presented to the Museum of the University of Edinburgh*. On the 23d of January, Captain Weddel proceeded southward, amongst innumerable ice-islands, till he reached the latitude of 65°. Perceiving no land in this direction, he returned to the latitude 58°; from which he again went south, into the latitude of 61° and then ran eastward, till within 100 miles of Sandwich Land. On the 7th of February he steered to the southward, in expectation of still finding a range of land; which, since the discovery of South Shetland, has been supposed to lie behind these islands, a little within the Antarctic Circle. After passing through an extensive barrier of ice-islands, about fifty miles broad, commencing in the latitude of 68°; on the 20th of February, he actually reached the high latitude of seventy-four degrees fifteen minutes South. Here, with very clear weather, he was astonished to find, that not a single piece of field-ice, and only four ice-islands, were in sight, even as far as the eye could reach from the mast-head. The state of the sea in this high southern latitude, must excite considerable wonder in the minds of men of geographical inquiry; who, since the unsuccessful attempt of Captain Cook, to advance beyond the 71st degree, have considered these regions as impenetrable. As this part of the ocean is not known to have been before visited, and has been considered hitherto as unnavigable, Captain Weddel judged proper to confer upon it the name of The Sea of George the Fourth, in honour of our Gracious Sovereign. The variation of the compass, Captain Weddel states to have fluctuated a great deal in these high latitudes; which he can account for only by that inactivity which the compass is found to exhibit in corresponding northern latitudes. The lateness of the season, *These rocks, as will be described in Captain Weddel's Narrative, belong to the primitive and volcanic classes. and many concurrent circumstances, compelled Captain Weddel to take advantage of a strong southerly wind to return homewards. On the 15th, he arrived at the island of South Georgia, after a perilous navigation of 1200 miles, amongst ice-islands. While lying at Georgia, he observed a tremulous motion in a mountain situated on the south side of the island. He discovered this by remarking, that the surface of the quicksilver in an artificial horizon was much agitated; although not the least breath of wind, nor any other ostensible cause of the phenomenon existed. After calling at the Falkland Islands, in October following, the vessel visited the coast of South Shetland, and found its harbours unapproachable, on account of ice. On their way homewards they made a stay of nearly two months among the islands of Terra del Fuego; during which Captain Weddel had many opportunities of acquiring accurate information regarding the character of the natives, as well as of ascertaining the conveniency which this coast affords for shipping. They arrived in England on the 7th of July 1824, after a hazardous voyage of nearly two years. 4.-Russian Expedition along the Northern Shores of Siberia. The Russian Government had long formed the project of exploring the north coast of Siberia. M. de S. was sent out for this purpose; but his researches were extremely limited, and he only described a part of the coast, to a distance of about a hundred versts beyond the eastern part of the Kolyma. Toward the year 1822, it was resolved to send out a new expedition for exploring these countries. Three young officers, MM. Wrangel, Anjou, and Matuchkin, were charged with it: they were occupied four years in it, and justified the confidence of the Government, by the courage, prudence, and zeal, which they evinced in the discharge of this duty. They succeeded in making a description of the whole north coast of Siberia, in despite of numerous obstacles, the extreme rigour of the climate, and the dangers to which they were exposed; for the Tchouktchis had already destroyed two detachments sent out for the same purpose. M. Anjou has described the coast from the Uralian Chain, or from the river Ob to the Kolyma, the other two gentlemen from the Kolyma to the promontory to the Tchouktchis. Not content with exploring the coast, these travellers made an excursion also toward the north, over an extent of continuous ice, to the place where the sca is open, which forms nearly five hundred versts, of the coast of Behring's Straits. It was in this place, which faces the eastern part of the north coast, and is inhabited by the reindeer Tchouktchis, that they perceived mountains at a distance of about a hundred versts. M. Wrangel conceived the project of getting to them. He was already pretty near, when the piece of ice on which he was placed became detached from the mass, and he was tossed about by the waves for five days in succession, with seven other persons, his |