ported over the snow on dog-sledges, to a navigable part of the Kendall River, and left there under the charge of two men. As soon as the Dease broke up in June, Mr. Rae would follow with the boat, the rest of the crew and a party of Indian hunters, and would descend the Coppermine River about the middle of July, at which time the sea generally begins to break up. He would then, as soon as possible, cross from Cape Krusenstern to Wollaston Land, and endeavour to penetrate to the northward, erecting signal columns and making deposits on conspicuous headlands, and especially on the north shore of Banks' Land, should he be fortunate enough to attain that coast. He was further instructed not to hazard the safety of his party by remaining too long on the north side of Dolphin and Union Strait, and to be guided in his movements by the season, the state of the ice, and such intelligence as he might obtain from the Eskimaux. He was, moreover, directed to report his proceedings to their Lordships immediately on his return, and should his despatches experience no delay on the route, they may be expected in England in April or May next. He was also requested to engage one or more families of Indian hunters to pass the summer of 1850 on the banks of the Coppermine River, to be ready to assist any party that may direct their course that way.

"With respect to the recommendation of additional measures in furtherance of the humane views of their Lordships, it is necessary to take into account the time for which the discovery ships were provisioned. Deer migrate over the ice in the spring from the main shore to Victoria and Wollaston Lands in large herds, and return in the autumn. These lands are also the breeding places of vast flocks of snow geese; so that, with ordinary skill in hunting, a large supply of food might be procured on their shores in the months of June, July, and August. Seals are also numerous in

those seas and are easily shot, their curiosity rendering them a ready prey to a boat party. In these ways, and by fishing, the stock of provisions might be greatly augmented. And we have the recent example of Mr. Rae, who passed a severe winter on the very barren shores of Repulse Bay, with no other fuel than the withered tufts of a herbaceous andromeda, and maintained a numerous party on the spoils of the chase alone for a whole year. Such instances forbid us to lose hope. I would therefore beg leave to suggest that the Hudson's Bay Company be authorised and requested to promise liberal rewards to Indians and Eskimaux who may relieve white men entering their lands. Some parties of Eskimaux frequenting the coast to the westward of the Mackenzie are in the habit of passing the winter in the vicinity of the Hudson's Bay Company's posts on the Rat River (a tributary of the Peel), and might be interested in the cause by judicious promises. The Russian Fur Company have a post on the Yucon or Colville, which falls into the Arctic Sea about midway between the Mackenzie and Behring Straits, and through their offices similar offers might be made to the western Eskimaux. We know from the narrative of Sir John Franklin's discovery of that coast, and also from the subsequent voyage of Messrs. Dease and Simpson, that the Eskimaux who frequent the estuary of the Mackenzie, meet those from Point Barrow, at an intermediate point, for the purposes of barter; and in this way intelligence of any interesting occurrence is conveyed along the coast. The Russian post on the Colville receives its supplies from a post in Norton Sound, where it would be easy for any vessel bound to Behring Straits to land a communication. Mr. Rae, having been appointed to the charge of the Mackenzie River fur district, will give a proper direction to the efforts of Indian hunters in that quarter.

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Having thus, Sir, in a more diffuse manner than is usual in an official letter, but in accordance with my sense of the deep interest felt on the subject, not only by my Lords Commissioners, but by the nation at large, and I may add by the whole civilized world, recapitulated the proceedings of the expedition, and detailed my opinions, I have only to add that, after the return of Mr. Rae and myself from the coast in September, 1848, we devoted our leisure during the winter to observations on the magnetic intensity and force, with the uniplar magnetometer, and Dr. Lloyd's inclinometer, and kept hourly registers for fourteen hours each day of the declinometer, barometer, thermometer, and wind vane.

"In the beginning of May, 1849, Mr. Bell and I, taking with us all the Europeans of the party then remaining at the fort, and such of the Canadians as were not to be employed with Mr. Rae on his summer expedition, crossed Great Bear Lake on the ice, and, when the navigation opened in June, ascended the Mackenzie, and retraced my outward route. We were stopped by ice on Great Slave Lake till the 11th July, On reaching Methy Portage, Mr. Bell resumed his duties in the Company's service, and I proceeded with a party to Norway House, where I discharged the Canadians, and sent the seamen and sappers and miners to York Factory, there to embark in the Company's ship bound for England. I then continued my voyage to Canada in a canoe, and, after passing two days at Montreal with Sir George Simpson in exexamining the charges for supplies furnished to the expedition, proceeded to Boston for embarkation in the mail steamer.

"I have, &c.,

"JOHN RICHARDSON, Med. Insp. "Commanding the Arctic Searching Expedition. "To the Secretary of the Admiralty, &c., &c., &c."

CHAPTER XXVI.

Proceedings of Herald, Captain Kellett, and Plover, Commander Moore-Arrival in Kotzebue's Sound-Joined by the Pleasure Yacht of R. Shedden, Esq., who Volunteers in the Search-Captain Kellett's Journal-Death of the Philanthropic Shedden-Disappointment and Failure of Expedition, and Augmentation of Public Anxiety for the Fate of Sir John Franklin-Enterprise and Investigator sent out, under Captain Collinson and Commander M'Clure-Ingenious Devices -Sailing Orders from the Admiralty, and Departure of the Expedition, January, 1850.

It only now remains to give the details of the search via Behring's Straits, by the Herald and Plover.

The Plover, being a most miserable sailer, did not reach Oahu, in the Sandwich Islands, until the 22nd of August, 1848, too late in the season, of course, for any research in Behring's Straits. She wintered at Noovel, on the 'coast of Kamtchatka, whence she sailed on the 30th of June, and on the 14th of July anchored at Chamisso Island, at the bottom of Kotzebue's Sound, the appointed rendezvous. The next day she was joined by the Herald, and a yacht called the Nancy Dawson, the property of Robert Shedden, Esq., a gentleman of large fortune, who, hearing in China of the objects of the expedition to Behring's Straits, nobly resolved to turn aside from his pleasure

voyage round the globe, and to aid in the search for his imperilled countrymen. The following are the heads of the admirable report of Captain Kellett dated the 22nd November, 1849, (received 22nd January, 1850), which embraces everything known of the exploits of the Herald and Plover down to the present time.

"15th July. Shortly after eight A.M. we made out a vessel at anchor under Chamisso Island, and at ten exchanged numbers with H.M.S. Plover. Commander Moore came on board, from whom I was glad to learn that the officers and crew were all healthy and in good spirits. He had only arrived at six A.M. the day previous, having passed the winter in a harbour on the Asiatic shore, close to the south of Cape Tchukotsky. Before my arrival two boats had been despatched for the Mackenzie River; but fortunately the Herald hove in sight before it was too late to signalize them; the boats saw the recal, and returned. We commenced immediately on our arrival to coal and provision the Plover, and by nine A.M. she had on board all the bread she could stow, half her coals, and a proportion of other provisions.

"The 16th and 17th were occupied in stowing provisions and coal, and examining the different bays on the east side of Choris Peninsula for a wintering station for the Plover. We found very shoal water in all of them, shoaling gradually northerly towards the sandy peninsula. We were of opinion that if a vessel did winter there she would be greatly exposed, and probably, on the breaking up of the ice, be either carried into the straits or shoved up on to the beach. On each day of our stay we were visited by two baidars, carrying twelve men each, belonging to Spafareif Inlet; all of them were particularly tall, well built, well armed, and without either women or dogs. Commander Moore, whilst on a visit to these friendly