III.]

NEGLECT OF THE SABBATH.

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invariably found vent, through their pens, in expressions of gratitude to the Almighty.

We fail to find this good example followed in the written accounts of the expedition despatched in 1773; nor, from the journals and logs, does it appear that divine service was ever performed, even on Sundays.

Of course we know that Sunday to a ship navigating the ice-bound regions of the north, can never be regarded as essentially a day of rest, for the safety of the ship must be as much taken into consideration then as on any day in the week; but we read that out of two Sundays that the Racehorse and Carcass passed at anchor in harbour, the ships' companies were employed, on one of them in "scrubbing ship between wind and water," and on the other, in "tarring the tops and mastheads, and paying the lower masts with varnish of pine!"

These were duties which, though necessary, might well have been deferred until some future occasion.

Although the expedition of Captain Phipps

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IMPORTANT RESULT OF VOYAGE. [CH. III.

cannot be regarded in the light of a great geographical success, still he succeeded in making a very valuable examination of the edge of the Polar pack in a high latitude, a full report of which will be found in the interesting work he published on his return. It was generally supposed that the season he attempted to push north was a particularly unfavourable one.

For the narration of this cruise I will now refer my readers to Mr. Floyd's highly interesting and amusing account, without which this little work would never have been published.

CHAPTER IV.

A MIDSHIPMAN'S NARRATIVE OF A POLAR

VOYAGE.-1773.

MR. FLOYD'S PREFACE AND DEDICATION.

"IN presenting the subjoined narrative of a memorable expedition to the attention of my readers, I must confess to a no small feeling of trepidation and diffidence, that I, so young and inexperienced an author, should be possessed of so much confidence, and ambition, as to attempt an undertaking of so great a magnitude.

However, in submitting this almost unintelligible account to the censure and criticism of those who may read it, I am conscious of feeling and knowing that it is consistent with the strictest truth, and that it does not, in the

G

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APOLOGY FOR WRITING.

[CHAP.

least, exaggerate the dangers and difficulties that we were called upon to undergo and which

we overcame.

"I am the more inclined to believe that I shall escape adverse criticism, particularly as I have reason to conjecture that none but my friends will peruse this my faint effort; or, indeed, if it should be otherwise, and it should be thought · necessary to make more public the truths I have collected from my voyage, I hope, as it must, and will, be acknowledged, that I do it without any other view than that of being instrumental, in how small a degree so ever, to the welfare of the naval military,1 and particularly those who may hereafter be concerned in an expedition of the like nature, and to whom this is dedicated.

"I say I hope these excuses will have their due weight (and be, in some measure, a prevention to those who would otherwise, perhaps wantonly, condemn the whole, many no

1 By the "naval military," is meant the executive, or combatant, line of the navy, as distinguished from the officers of the civil, or non-combatant, branch.

Iv.]

FOR WHOM INTENDED.

83

doubt there will be without even reading it), and cause them to give their opinions candidly and impartially.

"As my capacity will not permit me to write in a manner pleasing to landsmen, it is by no means my intention to study to do so; as to make the language good would, in all probability, take up the time I should otherwise have employed in collecting the facts that are to make up my narrative.

"I shall also take the less pains respecting my mode of expression, for the reason that my writing is calculated for the easy comprehension of the inferior naval officers, the greatest part of whom, I have the happiness, nevertheless, to reflect, have had the best education, and, I have no doubt, that they have made the best use of it.

NARRATIVE.

"I had returned about five months from serving under the command of Sir George Rodney at Jamaica, when I first heard that an