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[The Personal Diary of Dr. Clawbonny] May 20th 1860

From: Harry Hayfield <harryhayfield~at~googlemail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:55:47 -0700 (PDT)
To: jvf~at~gilead.org.il

Now that we have our captain on board (all right, revealed captain) the
mood on board has become deadly serious. None more so than when the
Captain gathered Shandon, Wall, Johnson and myself in his quarters and
(as I believe the Americans call it "laid it on the line")
"Gentlemen, you are aware that I intend to go as far as the Pole. I wish
to know your opinion about this enterprise" and then asked our opinions.
Shandon said that whilst most trips to the North Pole had ended in
failure, he hoped that this one would not. A view I echoed saying "I
consider your plan practicable, as it is certain that some day
navigators will attain the boreal Pole. I don't see why the honour
should not fall to our lot!". Wall and Johnson also agreed and so he
told us what he wanted to do.
"Now, gentlemen, it is well you should learn upon what undeniable facts
my pretension to arrive at the Pole is founded. In 1817 the Neptune got
up to the north of Spitzbergen, as far as the eighty-second degree. In
1826 the celebrated Parry, after his third voyage to the Polar Seas,
started also from Spitzbergen Point, and by the aid of sledge-boats went
a hundred and fifty miles northward. In 1852 Captain Inglefield
penetrated into Smith's Inlet as far as seventy-eight degrees
thirty-five minutes latitude. All these vessels were English, and
Englishmen, our countrymen, commanded them. I ought to add that, in
1854, Kane, the American, commanding the brig Advance, went still
higher, and that his lieutenant, Morton, going across the ice-fields,
hoisted the United States standard on the other side of the
eighty-second degree. This said, I shall not return to the subject. Now
what remains to be known is this, that the captains of the Neptune, the
Enterprise, the Isabel, and the Advance ascertained that proceeding from
the highest latitudes there existed a Polar basin entirely free from
ice."
"But that's impossible" exclaimed Shandon
"You will notice, Shandon," quietly replied Hatteras, whose eye shone
for an instant, "that I quote names and facts as a proof. I may even add
that during Captain Parry's station on the border of Wellington Channel,
in 1851, his lieutenant, Stewart, also found himself in the presence of
open sea, and this peculiarity was confirmed during Sir Edward Beecher's
wintering in 1853, in Northumberland Bay, in 76 degrees 52 minutes N.
latitude, and 99 degrees 20 minutes longitude. The reports are
incontestable, and it would be most unjust not to admit them."
Shandon was still less than convinced and I begged permission from the
Captain to explain. He consented and as I spoke this "laptop" started to
wobble. I opened it up and there in front of me was a map showing the
Northern Polar regions. I showed the map to Hatteras, Shandon, Wall and
Johnson and started to explain.
"Well, listen, Shandon; it evidently follows from geographical facts,
and from the study of isotherm lines, that the coldest point of the
globe is not at the Pole itself; like the magnetic point, it deviates
several degrees from the Pole. The calculations of Brewster, Bergham,
and several other natural philosophers show us that in our hemisphere
there are two cold Poles; one is situated in Asia at 79 degrees 30
minutes N. latitude, and by 120 degrees E. longitude, and the other in
America at 78 degrees N. latitude, and 97 degrees W. longitude. It is
with the latter that we have to do, and you see, Shandon, we have met
with it at more than twelve degrees below the Pole. Well, why should not
the Polar Sea be as equally disengaged from ice as the sixty-sixth
parallel is in summer — that is to say, the south of Baffin's Bay?" and
as I spoke dots appeared on the map indicating the areas I was talking
about.
Johnson and Wall were most impressed by my explanation but Shandon was
still not entirely convinced but I reminded him that a Cossack had
travelled along the coast of Northern Russia (a distance of 800 miles)
in twenty four days. "Do you hear that, Shandon?" said Hatteras; "can't
Englishmen do as much as a Cossack?". I agreed wholeheartedly (getting a
little carried away again) and although outvoted four to one, Shandon
shrugged his shoulders and consented to follow whatever route the
Captain laid out. Asking me to move my map, the Captain then unfolded a
massive map of the Northern Polar Ocean published in 1859 by the British
Admiralty.
"Be kind enough to follow me. If Smith's Strait is closed up from us,
Lancaster Strait, on the west coast of Baffin's Sea, is not. I think we
ought to ascend that strait as far as Barrow Strait, and from there sail
to Beechey Island; the same track has been gone over a hundred times by
sailing vessels; consequently with a screw we can do it easily. Once at
Beechey Island we will go north as far as possible, by Wellington
Channel, up to the outlet of the creek which joins Wellington's and
Queen's Channels, at the very point where the open sea was perceived. It
is now only the 20th of May; in a month, if circumstances favour us, we
shall have attained that point, and from there we'll drive forward
towards the Pole. What do you think about it, gentlemen?"
Having agreed on the route, Shandon was dismissed to lead a service of
worship and Johnson and Wall left the Captain's quarters as well. Just
as I was about to, the Captain pulled me back and said "there's a man
whose pride is wounded; I can no longer rely upon him". A comment that
left me wondering what the Captain was planning.

--
Posted By Harry Hayfield to The Personal Diary of Dr. Clawbonny on
3/30/2011 04:06:00 PM

Received on Wed 30 Mar 2011 - 18:55:57 IST

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