from working; nor did any of them recover until after the commencement of the warm weather.
From the elevated parts of the land, the open water was first seen on the 19th of June. Four days afterwards the provisions and other articles that were on shore, were carried on board. A cross was next erected. the king's and queen's pictures were tied to the top of it; and the island was named Charlton Island. The rigging of the ship was now set. On the 13th, the sea was clear of ice; and on the 2d of July, after the captain and his crew had all devoutly paid thanksgiving to the Almighty for their providential deliverance, they weighed anchor, and proceeded on their voyage.
Still, however, though in the open sea, they suffered great inconvenience from the beating of the floating ice against the ship. On the 22d of July, they again passed Cape Henrietta Maria. The ship had now become so leaky, that, for some time, it was found difficult to keep her clear of water by the pumps. After almost incredible exertions, they made their way northward, according to their estimate, as far as 69 deg. 35 min., when at length they came to an impenetrable mass of ice. It was the opinion of the whole crew, that in the present condition of the ship, the autumn now fast approaching, it would not only be imprudent, but wholly impracticable, to make any further attempt to discover the hoped-for passage of the sea to the north-west. The captain, therefore, with a sorrowful heart, consented to relinquish his object; and, on the 26th of August, determined on returing to England. In his passage homeward, the vessel encountered many difficulties from contrary winds and stormy weather; but, at length, safely arrived at the mouth of the Severn, October 22, 1632.
DAMPIER.
William Dampier was born in Somersetshire, England, in the year
1652. He lost both his parents when very young, and was bound apprentice
to the master of a ship at Weymouth, with whom he made a voyage to
France and another to New England. In 1673, he served in the Dutch
war, and was afterwards an overseer to a plantation in Jamaica. He next
visited the bay of Campeachy as a logwood cutter, and, after once more
visiting England, engaged in a band of Buccaneers, as they called themselves,
although in reality pirates, with whom he roved on the Peruvian
coasts. He next visited Virginia, and engaged in an expedition against
the Spanish settlements in the South Seas. They accordingly sailed in
August, 1683, and, after taking several prizes on the coasts of Peru and
Chili, the party experienced various fortune but no very signal success.
Dampier, wishing to obtain some knowledge of the northern coast of Mexico,
joined the crew of a captain Swan, who cruised in the hopes of meeting
the annual royal Mannilla ship, which, however, escaped them. Swan and
Dampier were resolved to steer for the East Indies, and they accordingly
sailed to the Piscadores, to Bouton island, to New Holland and to Nicobar,
where Dampier and others were left ashore to recover their health. Their
numbers gave them hopes of being able to navigate a canoe to Achin, in
which they succeeded, after encountering a tremendous storm, which
threatened them with unavoidable destruction. After making several
trading voyages with a Captain Weldon, Dampier entered, as a gunner, the
