standing, it was determined, if possible, to winter about Chesterfield Inlet, or even to the southward of that spot. The persevering efforts of all on board were accordingly directed to gain the American shore, but finding that the ship got into the shallows of Hudson's Bay, they were reluctantly compelled to edge away for Salisbury Island, still hoping that a few fine and favourable days would restore to them their lost ground. The bad weather, however, still continued, and there was much difficulty in watering the ship at these places, from a stream of ice. A number of natives came off to them in their canoes, and trafficked their clothes for iron and spears. At length the hopeless continuance of bad weather, the wretched condition of the ship, (from her incapacities,) the officers and crew having suffered more hardships than on any previous voyage, the advanced stage of the season, with numerous other concomitant miseries, compelled Captain Lyon to consent that the ship should be got out of Hudson's Straits, (an extent of 800 miles of dangerous navigation ;) which place they had scarcely cleared, when a southerly gale drove them up Davis's Straits, 150 miles to the southward of Resolution Island. Providentially, a change of wind enabled them soon after to proceed on a southern passage homeward, and the Griper arrived here in six weeks, in the state we have described.

Though little has been effected towards solving the geographical problem of a north-west passage by this voyage, yet some most interesting elucidations of the deviation of the compass have been brought to light. The compasses began to waver and contradict each other when abreast of the Savage Islands; and, as the ship got to the westward, the compasses got unsteady and useless. While the ship was in Sir Thomas Rowe's Welcome,

they frequently would not traverse at all, but stood in whatever position the card was placed. Should a passage be discovered by Captain Parry through the Prince Regent's Inlet, it is considered more than probable, from the irregular movements of the ice, that it may never be entered again.

The Griper spoke several whalers, all of which had been unsuccessful in the fishery; no ship had more than two fish, and many none whatever. From the Captain of the Phœnix whaler, Captain Lyon heard that Captain Parry's expedition had been seen in the middle of August, in lat. 71. beset with ice. On the whole, the season has been more boisterous, and, consequently, the sea less clear than it has been known for thirty years. It was very questionable if Captain Parry would be able to reach Lancaster Sound. Had the Griper effected a wintering either in Repulse Bay or Wager River, or Chesterfield Inlet, Captain Lyon, with a strong party, would have made a land journey to Point Turn-again, near the CopperMine River, a distance of nearly 700 miles, for which expedition they were fully equipped. Captain Parry, if he succeed in passing Lancaster Sound, and getting to the southward, down Prince Regent's Inlet, (by which Captain Lyon was next year to communicate with him,) he will send a land expedition, if possible, in the same direction, as well as to Repulse Bay, in the hope of communicating with the Griper.

The Griper communicated with the Esquimaux natives of the Upper Savage Islands, and of Salisbury and Nottingham Islands, all of whom had frequently seen Europeans. They were less savage in their habits and manners than their more northern brethren, but they showed a strong thievish disposition; they endeavoured to steal the oars and iron work from the

boats. The Griper also communicated with the natives of Southampton Island, who had never seen a ship before. They, however, expressed very little surprise; they evinced more gentleness in their manners than any other of the Esquimaux tribes, and were much better-looking and cleaner in their persons; the women were rather pretty. All those people reside in the Walrus-hide huts, which are described in Captain Lyon's last voyage.

The Griper is ordered to be paid off, and sold out of the navy. A vessel better adapted to the peculiarities of the service will no doubt be provided for Captain Lyon and his meritorious officers and crew, on the opening of the season for a further investigation. Captain Franklin, we understand, is to leave England, on his land expedition, in February next.

FIRE IN FLEET-STREET.

15. At about three o'clock yesterday morning, the most indescribable alarm and confusion prevailed amongst the inhabitants of Fleet-street, occasioned by one of the largest and most destructive fires that have occurred for some years back. The watchman of St Bride's parish, whose station is on the south side of the street, near Bride's-passage, opposite almost to Shoe-lane, observed some smoke issuing from under the shop door, and through the joints of the shutters of the premises of Mr Bond, the linendraper, No. 87. Some other watchmen came up, and set about alarming the inmates of that and the adjoining houses, by knocking at the doors, springing their rattles, and calling aloud, "Fire! fire!" whilst others hastened for the engines. The first engine that made its appearance was that belonging to the parish, which was brought by George Smith, the

engineer, to the spot before the fire burst through. Smith, with a deal of activity, forced open the door, by applying a pole-axe to the lock, and in an instant a vast body of flames burst through the shutters, and ascended with terrific fury. At this time not more than seven persons were present, all of whom exerted themselves by pulling up the pavement to procure water from the main, but their object, we regret to say, failed, and it was full twenty-five minutes before any turncock was to be found, when two made their appearance, and the water was then put in requisition in very great quantities. During this delay, the devouring element had gained such an alarming ascendancy, that all attempts to rescue any of the stock in trade were found to be impracti cable, as the flames had entered the first floor. The agony of the persons assembled may be better imagined than we can describe, as none of the inmates were to be seen; and, strange to say, the occupiers of the adjoining houses were also invisible, although the uproar caused by the watchmen alarmed those of the opposite houses. The house of Mr Bond, in less than twenty minutes from the first alarm, presented one mass of fire, which, bursting through the roof, and the wind blowing a heavy gale from the S.W., spread in one huge sheet, and the houses of Mr Hill, the chemist and druggist, and Mr Mattress, the hairdresser, were included in the destructive scene. The flames spread over to Carlile's house, at the corner of Bride-passage, the attics of which, and the floor underneath, were discovered to have caught fire. The Alliance, Norwich Union, Guardian, West of England, Union, Beacon, Hand-in-Hand, and the Sun fire-engines, by this time arrived, and being stationed in front of the burning buildings, were soon put in motion; but, notwithstanding the combined efforts of

the firemen to check the devouring element, the adjoining house to the left, Messrs Pitman and Ashfield, oilmen, at about a quarter before four, was numbered in the conflagration, as was also Mr Marriott's, the furnishing ironmonger. The spectacle was now awfully grand, the flames illuminating the horizon for a considerable extent, and spreading their devastation with in: credible velocity. Several attempts were made to save part of the stock and furniture of the houses, but all proved ineffectual, such were the disastrous effects of the flames. It was thought that some of the families had perished and were burned in the ruins, but some persons in a state of nudity were seen running along the tops of the adjoining houses, and were rescued from their impending danger. A lady was taken from an attic window of one of the houses in the rear, and in a few moments after, the roof fell in with a tremendous crash. She was conveyed into the church, where she was promptly attended, and soon recovered from the fright she had experienced. Such was the intense heat of the ground and church-yard, that the persons engaged in saving what part of their property they could, and depositing it in the church, were obliged to make circuitous routes to get to it. At half past four, Mr Marriot's extensive premises, which run back into Bride's Passage, were entirely in flames, and communicated to the houses of Mr Smith, a tailor, and Mr Mercer, the printer of the British Traveller, evening pa1 per, which in a few seconds were on fire from top to bottom. It was now thought expedient by the firemen to turn their attention to the adjoining houses, and torrents of water were thrown upon them to check the farther extension of the fire. Fortunately, a strong party-wall of the house of Mr Phene, the confectioner, saved his premises, and the court on the extensive

other side had a similar effect, as regards Messrs Davenport and Co.'s china warehouse. The confusion in the court was dreadful, as it was imagined, from the glare, that half Fleet Street was on fire, and persons were seen running about in their night-clothes in the greatest despair, and depositing their little property in the church. A curious circumstance in the course of the confusion took place. Some of Carlile's family took refuge in the church, and placed also there for security a quantity of his deistical publications; The Age of Reason was one of them. At five o'clock, the entire fronts of the houses of Mr Bond and Mr Hill fell suddenly with a tremendous crash ; indeed, so sudden was the fall, that had the ruins fallen into the street, a number of persons would have been buried underneath. The flames were now partially damped, but still wore a fearful aspect, and the firemen were obliged to continue most unceasingly to exert themselves until nine o'clock, when the fire was subdued, but the houses still were in several places on fire, and the engines, during the whole of yesterday, were in active requisition. No lives were lost.

The above fire was said to have been

occasioned by the incautious dropping of a spark from a candle in the closing of Mr Bond's shop, behind the counter, which, communicating with the gas, which it is thought was not properly turned off, produced a destruction of property to nearly the amount of L.100,000. The family of Mr Bond were out of town, and only two persons slept in the house, who escaped when the alarm was given.

16. The Fleet Street conflagration had not ceased to agitate the public mind by its smouldering steam, when another fire, of very considerable magnitude, burst forth within two or three hundred yards of the former.

At about half past seven o'clock, last night, the fire we now speak of burst forth at the rear of Mr Wilkinson and Son's premises, No. 14, Ludgate Street, cabinet-makers and upholsterers. The extreme dryness of the timber accelerated the progress of the destructive element, and it mounted with astonishing rapidity to the upper floor, where a great quantity of manufactured goods were placed, before any intimation could be given of the occurrence. The roof soon after went in, and the flames shot up in one strong column, at least forty feet above the tops of the surrounding houses, and shed a brilliant illumination through the various streets and alleys, insomuch that the clock of St Paul's was quite as discernible as at noon-day.

The wind blowing pretty freshly from the S.W., a vast sheet of fire was carried to the roofs of the adjacent houses on the right. Nos. 15, 16, and 17, are a joint concern, (the Gloucester warehouse,) occupied by Mr Harvey, and No. 18, occupied by Mr Randall, print publisher, both of which were at one period considered in imminent danger. The proprietors of these, and all the adjoining tenements at the back, (many of which are inhabited by the poorer classes,) commenced the removal of their goods, under the impression that their own premises would speedily be devoted to the flames; and having to carry them through an immense throng of active and idle spectators, (thieves and lookers-on,) considerable loss was of course sustained.

The narrowness of the avenues leading to the theatre of conflagration served to increase the difficulties of its extinction, because the engines could not be brought into close play, and the discharge of water (having to pass through four lengths of hose) was materially weakened. However, several engines were planted in Lud

gate Street, and the tubes being introduced through various houses, a copious discharge of water allayed the fury of the flames much sooner than was at first expected.

Various rumours were afloat as to the origin of the fire, but in a scene of absolute tumult, it was impossible to arrive at certainty. The most satisfactory points that remain for us to add are, that no lives are lost, and that the property, generally speaking, was insured.

The following are the names of the parties who are at present ascertained to be sufferers by the above calamitous event:-Messrs Wilkinson and Son, the upholsterers, have experien ced damages to an enormous extent; Mr Harvey, the linen-draper, the back of whose premises are considerably damaged; Messrs Barlow and Blake, the wine-merchants, have sustained a great loss; Mr Blades, the glass-manufacturer, is also a great sufferer; James, the foreman to the Hand-inHand fire-office, had his house entirely destroyed, besides most of his household furniture; the houses of Mr Larkin, a glass-cutter; Smith, a rocking-horse maker; Gregory, Jones, and Holland, in Evangelist Court, were extensively injured. All these houses were mostly let out in tenements to poor labouring artisans, who, from the fright occasioned by the alarm, in endeavouring to save their property, either lost it or it was destroyed. As yet, it is not precisely ascertained how the disaster originated. At one o'clock the walls of the burning pile fell down with a tremendous crash, and smothered the fire, but still an immense column continued to ascend. Although the flames were thus subdued, it was still found necessary to continue pouring in immense bodies of water. During the period of the fire, the bridges presented a peculiar appearance, being

thronged with persons, and the reflection of the element had a most beautiful effect upon the Thames and the craft. The light-fingered gentle men were, as usual, on the alert, and made a successful harvest upon the property of the persons assembled, and that of the unfortunate sufferers. DREADFUL FIRES IN EDINBURgh.

19.-Edinburgh has been visited by one of the most awful calamities recorded in its history. On Monday night a fire originated in a flat at the head of the Old Assembly Close, on the south side of the High Street, occupied as a copper-plate printinghouse, by Kirkwood and Son, engravers. It communicated by the roof with other houses, and, from the height of the buildings, and the very great difficulty of access in rear, no effectual exertions could be made to check the progress of the flames. At eleven o'clock, the three adjoining tenements fronting the High Street were in a blaze. Seeing it impossible to save these houses, the firemen directed their efforts to the preservation of those on each side. By this means they were able to prevent the flames from injuring the house on the east side, but the building in the opposite direction was less fortunate, and, like its neighbours, soon became a mass of fire. About five in the morning, the pinnacle of the gable fell inwards, and soon after, another large fragment was hurled down. The fire was happily prevented, by a thick lofty gable, from extending farther to the westward.

Such was the scene from the High Street during Monday night. In the rear of these buildings, however, the devastating progress of the flames was not so easily interrupted. Crowded masses of old buildings, full of pannelling, afforded abundant aliment to

the devouring element. The houses extending from the Old Assembly Close to the Old Fishmarket Close, were successively consumed. From the Old Assembly Close, it extended backward to the Old Assembly Hall, occupied by Messrs Bell and Bradfute, who were lately burned out in the Parliament Square, as a warehouse, and who have again been obliged to remove their property. In the line of houses dividing Borthwick's Close from the Old Fishmarket Close, and in the rear of the Courant office, the houses occupied by Mrs Maxton, tavern keeper, Mr Hunter, and other spirit-dealers, have been consumed. The adjoining house, occupied by Mr A. Thomson, bookbinder, (lately destroyed by fire and rebuilt,) was crushed by the falling of a gable. By mid-day on Tuesday, the conflagration seemed nearly subdued. The ruins continued to smoke and send forth flames occasionally, but no apprehensions were entertained of further danger. Happily the night was serene, otherwise the burning embers must have spread destruction over greater part of the Old Town.

BURNING OF THE TRON CHURCH STEEPLE.

Scarcely had the agitation excited by the conflagration described above begun to subside, when a new alarm was given; and about twelve o'clock on the forenoon of Tuesday, it was discovered that the steeple of the Tron Church, distant 200 yards from the buildings recently consumed, was in flames. Some flying brand had lodged on the wooden balustrade, near its summit, and the wind, which had unfortunately risen to a hurricane, soon fanned it into a blaze. The engines instantly repaired to the spot, and by means of long ladders, the firemen reached the roof of the church.