Ross was encouraged to attempt this early expedition searching for the Northwest Passage, but severely criticized by John Barrow for failing in that search. He had some significant accomplishments but this trip effectively ended his career with the Admiralty.
Volume I:
p. xxii-iv: The following books were supplied for the use of the officers, and quarter-deck officers, of His Majesty’s Ship Isabella:
1 Mackenzie’s Travels in America, 4to.
2 Hearne’s ditto, ditto, 4to.
3 Phipps Voyage to the North Pole, 4to. [1774]
4 Ellis’s ditto to Hudson’s Bay, 8vo. [1748]
5 Vancouver’s Voyage, 3 vols. 4o., and Atlas, folio. [1798]
6 Wallis, Carteret, and Cook’s Voyages,
8 vols. 4to., with Atlas, folio.
7 Dampier’s Voyages, 4 vols. 8vo.
8 Portlock’s ditto, 4to
9 Dixon’s ditto, 4to.
10 Meares’s ditto, 4to.
11 Coxe’s Russian Discoveries, 8vo.
12 Barringtons Miscellanies, 4to.
13 Forster’s Northern Discoveries, 2 vols. 4to.
14 Astronomical Observations of Wales and Bayley, 1774 to 1775, 4to.
15 Ditto of Cook, King, and Bayley, 1776 to 1780, 4to.
16 Ditto Byron, Wallis, Carteret, and Cook, From 1764 to 1777, 4to.
17 Brongviart’s Mineralogy, 2 vols. 8vo.
18 Bakewell’s Geology, 8vo.
19 Turton’s Linnæus, 7 vols. 8vo.
20 Mackenzie’s Iceland, 4to.
21 Falconer’s Patagonia, 4to.
22 Cartwright’s Labrador, 3 vols. 4to.
23 Turnbull’s Voyage, 4to.
24 Crantz’s History of Greenland, 2 vols. 8vo.
25 Burney’s Collection of Voyages, 5 vols. 4to.
Thirty Bibles and sixty Testaments were also supplied by the Naval and Military Bible Society, for the four ships, and distributed accordingly. [In addition to the Isabella, the ships were the Alexander, commanded by Lt. Parry, the Dorothea, and the Trent.]
p. 3 April 26 1818: The next day being Sunday, the signal was made for Divine service, which was answered by the Alexander… and prayers were read according to the forms established in His Majesty’s navy. The solemnity with which this service is always attended on board of a ship, was here more than usually conspicuous and impressive, from the prospect that was opening before us, and the uncertainty of the event with which a voyage of this nature was likely to be accomplished. The articles of war were afterwards read, as is usual at the outset of every voyage….
p. 85 July 26: …a sermon, as usual, read to the ship’s company.
p. 125, native Eskimaux look at prints in Cooks’ voyages. Sacheuse was also with them, drawing some scenes.