|
DOROTHEA
|
Hired ship
|
No details. |
|
|
- 1818 David BUCHAN.
(see ADONIS) He was appointed on 14 January 1818 to take advantage of the disappearance of ice from much of the Arctic seas to sail north between Spitzbergen (Svalbard) and Greenland and, if the they found open water, to head for the Bering Strait.
At the same time Capt. John ROSS was to attempt to find a passage across the north of America to the Pacific from Baffin's Strait.
DOROTHEA was accompanied by the TRENT hired brig, Lieut. John FRANKLIN.
(Later Sir John) - They sailed from Deptford early in May 1818 and reached Spitzbergen on the 26th.
To the north of the island they found a barrier of ice which sail could not penetrate.
They tried dragging the ships with ropes to force a way in and this resulted in their being beset for 13 days within two miles of land in shoaling water.
During a second attempt they were in the ice for four weeks and reached 80deg 40min N. On 29 July, being once more in open water, they were hit by a sudden gale which drove them at the ice.
They hung fenders over the bows and put on more sail in hope that the they would enter the pack for protection.
The greater part of their timbers were either broken or sprung and DOROTHEA was stove in several places.
When the gale abated early the next morning TRENT forced her way out but DOROTHEA was too badly damaged to try.
However within a few hours they were both clear of the ice and made for the harbour of Dane's Gat where they remained until the end of August making repairs.
|
|
|
