case, Sir John Franklin should resolve upon taking to his boats, he would prefer attempting a boat navigation through Sir James Ross's Strait, and up Regent Inlet, to a long land journey across the continent, to the Hudson's Bay Settlements, to which the greater part of his crew would be wholly unequal."

Sir John Richardson remarks upon the above suggestions, on the 5th of May, 1847,-" With respect to a party to be sent down Back's River to the bottom of Regent Inlet, its size and outfit would require to be equal with that of the one now preparing to descend the Mackenzie River, and it could scarcely with the utmost exertions be organized so as to start this summer. The present scarcity of provisions in the Hudson's Bay country precludes the hope of assistance from the Company's southern posts, and it is now too late to provide the means of transport through the interior of supplies from this country, which require to be embarked on board the Hudson's Bay ships by the 2d of June at the latest.

"Moreover there is no Company's post on the line of Back's River nearer than the junction of Slave River with Great Slave Lake, and I do not think that under any circumstances Sir John Franklin would attempt that route.

"In the summer of 1849, if the resources of the party I am to conduct remain unimpaired, as I have every reason to believe they will, much of what Capt. Beechey suggests in regard to exploring Victoria Land may be done by it, and indeed forms part of the original scheme. The extent of the examination of any part of the coast in 1848 depends, as I formerly stated, very much on the seasons of this autumn and next spring, which influence the advance of the boats through a long course of river navigation. As Governor Simpson will most likely succeed in procuring an Esquimaux to accompany my party, I hope by his means to obtain such information from parties of that nation as may greatly facilitate our finding the ships, should they be detained in that quarter.

"Were Sir John Franklin thrown upon the north coast of the continent with his boats, and all his crew, I do not think he would attempt the ascent of any river, except the Mackenzie. It is navigable for boats of large draught, without a portage, for 1300 miles from the sea, or within forty miles of Fort Chipewyan, one of the Company's principal depots, and there are five other posts in that distance. Though these posts could not furnish provisions to such a party, they could, by providing them with nets, and distributing the men to various fishing stations, do much toward procuring food for them.

"I concur generally in what Captain Beechey has said with regard to Behring's Straits, a locality with which he is so intimately acquainted, but beg leave to add one remark, viz: that in high northern latitudes the ordinary allowance of animal food is insufficient in the winter season to maintain a laboring man in health ; and as Sir John Franklin would deem it prudent when detained a second winter to shorten the allowance, symptoms of scurvy may show themselves among the men, as was the case when Sir Edward Parry wintered two years in Fox's Channel.

"A vessel, therefore, meeting the Erebus and Terror this season in Behring's Straits, might render great service." *

The late Sir John Barrow, Bart., in a memorandum dated July, 1847, says :

"The anxiety that prevails regarding Sir John Franklin, and the brave fellows who compose the crews of the two ships, is very natural, but somewhat premature; it arises chiefly from nothing having been received from them since fixed in the ice of Baffin's Bay, where the last whaling ship of the season of 1845 left them, opposite to the opening into Lancaster Sound. Hitherto no difficulty has been found to the entrance into that Sound. If disappointed, rather than return to the southward, with the view of wintering at or about Disco, I

*Parl. Paper, No. 264, Session 1848.

should be inclined to think that they would endeavor to enter Smith's Sound, so highly spoken of by Baifin, and which just now that gallant and adventurous Russian, Admiral Count Wrangel, has pointed out in a paper addressed to the Geographical Society as the starting place for an attempt to reach the North Pole; it would appear to be an inlet that runs up high to the northward, as an officer in one of Parry's ships states that he saw in the line of direction along that inlet, the sun at midnight skimming the horizon.

"From Lancaster Sound Franklin's instructions directed him to proceed through Barrow's Strait, as far as the islands on its southern side extended, which is short of Melville Island, which was to be avoided, not only on account of its dangerous coast, but also as being out of the direction of the course to the intended object. Having, therefore, reached the last known land on the southern side of Barrow's Strait, they were to shape a direct course to Behring's Strait, without any deviation, except what obstruction might be met with from ice, or from islands, in the midst of the Polar Sea, of which no knowledge had at that time been procured; but if any such existed, it would of course be left to their judgment, on the spot, how to get rid of such obstructions, by taking a northerly or a southerly course.

"The only chance of bringing them upon this (the American) coast is the possibility of some obstruction having tempted them to explore an immense inlet on the northern shore of Barrow's Strait, (short of Mel ville Island,) called Wellington Channel, which Parry felt an inclination to explore, and more than one of the present party betrayed to me a similar inclination, which I discouraged, no one venturing to conjecture even to what extent it might go, or into what difficulties it might lead.

"Under all these circumstances, it would be an act of folly to pronounce any opinion of the state, condition, or position of those two ships; they are well suited

for their purpose, and the only doubt I have is that of their being hampered by the screws among the ice."

Sir James C. Ross, in his outline of a plan for affording relief, submitted to the Admiralty in December, 1847, suggested that two ships should be sent out to examine Wellington Channel, alluded to in the foregoing memorandum of Sir John Barrow, and the coast between Capes Clarence and Walker. A convenient winter harbor might be found for one of the ships near Garnier Bay or Cape Rennell. From this position the coast line could be explored as far as it extended to the westward, by detached parties, early in the spring, as well as the western coast of Boothia, a considerable distance to the southward; and at a more advanced. period of the season the whole distance to Cape Nicolai might be completed.

The other ship should then proceed alone to the westward, endeavoring to reach Winter Harbor, in Melville Island, or some convenient port in Banks' Land, in which to pass the winter.

From these points parties might be sent out early in the spring.

The first party should be directed to trace the western coast of Banks' Land, and proceed direct to Cape Bathurst or Cape Parry, on each of which Sir John Richardson proposes to leave depots of provisions for its use, and then to reach the Hudson's Bay Company's settlement at Fort Good Hope, on the Mackenzie, whence they might travel by the usual route of the traders to the principal settlement, and thence to England.

The second party should explore the eastern shore of Banks' Land, and make for Cape Krusenstern, where, or at Cape Hearne, they will find a cache of provision left by Sir John Richardson, with whom this party may communicate, and whom it may assist in completing the examination of Wollaston and Victoria Lands, or return to England by the route he shall deem most advisable.

Sir James Ross was intrusted with the carrying out

of this search, in the Enterprise and Investigator, and an account of the voyage and proceedings of these vessels will be found recorded in its chronological order.

The following letter from Dr. Richard King to the Lords of the Admiralty contains some useful suggestions, although it is mixed up with a good deal of egotistical remark:

"17, Saville Row, February, 1848.

"The old route of Parry, through Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Strait, as far as to the last land on its southern shore, and thence in a direct line to Behring's Straits, is the route ordered to be pursued by Franklin.'*

"The gallant officer has thus been dispatched to push his adventurous way between Melville Island and Banks' Land, which Sir E. Parry attempted for two years unsuccessfully. After much toil and hardship, and the best consideration that great man could give to the subject, he recorded, at the moment of retreat, in indelible characters, these impressive thoughts: 'We have been lying near our present station, with an easterly wind blowing fresh, for thirty-six hours together, and although this was considerably off the land, the ice had not during the whole of that time moved a single yard from the shore, affording a proof that there was no space in which the ice was at liberty to move to the westward. The navigation of this part of the Polar Sea is only to be performed by watching the occasional opening between the ice and the shore, and therefore, a continuity of land is essential for this purpose; such a continuity of land, which was here about to fail, as must necessarily be furnished by the northern coast of America, in whatsoever latitude it may be found.' Assuming, therefore, Sir John Franklin has been arrested between Melville Island and Banks' Land, where Sir E. Parry was arrested by dif ficulties which he considered insurmountable, and h has followed the advice of that gallant officer, and

* Barrow's Arctic Voyages, p. 11.