Mr. Blanky was born at Whitby, in the year 1800; is five feet seven inches high, stout made, has a fair complexion, with light hair; went to sea at eleven years of age, and served an apprenticeship of six years in a collier, between Shields and Loudon, on board two vessels, called the Liberty and the Property, after which he was one year in the coasting trade, and two years in the Greenland fishery, on board the Volunteer, of Whitby, where he filled the situation of line manager. He was twelve month in the Swan, revenue cutter, from which he went second mate of the Latona, for one voyage in the timber trade; after making a voyage as second mate of the Lord Wellington to Dantzic [Danzig], he went two voyages first mate of a collier. In the year 1824 he volunteered to serve on board his Majesty’s discovery ship, the Griper, Captain Lyon, and was on board her on that disastrous voyage to Cumberland strait. On her return he entered on board the Navigator, as second mate, and made a voyage to Alexandria; and then as first mate of the Sprightly, to Riga, and two voyages in the coal trade. In 1827 Sir E. Parry’s attempt to reach the North Pole was undertaken, and he volunteered on board the Hecla as a leading man; but this attempt being also unsuccessful, he returned to the merchant service, making a voyage to Quebec, and another to St. Petersburg, as first mate of the Almira; after which he joined an uncle as mate, who was master and owner of a schooner, but was wrecked soon after on Flamborough Head. When he joined the Victory as first mate, he had been eighteen years at sea, and had become an excellent seaman, of which he gave several remarkable proofs. I may mention that on the morning of the 12th of August, when his presence of mind and decision saved the ship from being thrown into the breakers of a heavy pack of ice. His education having been neglected in his youth, he attended very diligently to instructions given him on the voyage, and became an excellent navigator. Having been before a shipmate of Commander Ross, he naturally attached himself to him, and from whom he received much instruction. Although he was the spokesman on most of the occasions of discontent particularly on the march from Victoria harbour to Fury beach, I do not blame him so much as those at whose instigation he committed the act of insubordination, and I had no hesitation in giving him my strongest recommendation to A. Chapman, Esq., M. P., who appointed him mate of one of his ships, which led to his obtaining the command of a merchant ship, and which all along seemed to be the sole object of his ambition. (J. Ross, Reference Ross1835a, pp. cxxxi–cxxxii.)