practicable, and as to a land journey, of which Captain Back cherished the notion, that was completely frustrated, by the impossibility of carrying any weight on a soil in which, at every step, they sunk half leg deep, destitute of shrubs or moss for fuel, and almost without water, over which they must have travelled for days and days to have made even a few miles of longitude; and where, finally, if sickness had overtaken any one of the party, his fate would have been inevitable.

Thus circumstanced, Captain Back had no choice but to abandon the further prosecution of the attempt, and accordingly, after assembling the men and unfurling the British flag, which was saluted with three hearty cheers, they set out on their return. The latitude of the place was 68° 13′ 57′′ N., longitude 94° 58' 1" W., and the variation, as well as the sluggishness of the instrument would allow of determination, 1o 46' W.

It would be of little use to enumerate the dangers of Captain Back's return voyage, suffice it to say, that on the 17th September, he met his friend Mr. M'Leod and a party, who, faithful to their promise, were awaiting him on the shores of Musk-ox Lake. On the 24th they reached the Ah-hel-dessy. The descent of this small, but rapid river, was a succession of running rapids, making portages, and lowering down cascades, and at length one deep perpendicular fall, named after Captain Anderson, R. A., rushing between mountainous rocks into a vast chasm, stopped all further progress, and the boat was obliged to be abandoned.

On the 27th September they reached Fort Reliance, after an absence of nearly four months, tired, indeed, but well in health, and truly grateful for the manifold mercies they had experienced in the course of their long and perilous journey. Arrangements

were immediately made for passing the winter as comfortably as possible; Captain Back had, indeed, some idea of trying if there was any communication between Lake Beechey and Back's River, at the bottom of Bathurst Inlet; but with sincere reluctance, after anxious deliberation, he relinquished it as hopeless.

Back set out on his return in the ensuing March, and on the 8th September arrived at Liverpool, after an absence of nearly two years and six months. The remainder of the party returned to England in the Hudson's Bay Company's ship in October.

CHAPTER XXII.

Royal Geographical Society recommend new Expedition-Command entrusted to Captain Back-Embarkation in the Terror -Ice bound off Cape Comfort-Breaking up of Ice-Successive Storms-Liberation of Vessel-Damage-Return to EnglandCompletion of the Survey of the Arctic Shore of American Continent, by Messrs. Dease and Simpson, of the Hudson's Bay Company, with the particulars of their three successive Expeditions.

In the year 1836 the Royal Geographical Society of London recommended to the Colonial Secretary, that an attempt should be made to reach the shores of Prince Regent's Inlet, by a land journey from Wager River, or Repulse Bay, and otherwise, for the purpose of geographical research in this quarter. The project was referred to the Admiralty, who accordingly ordered H. M. S. Terror to be fitted for the voyage, and Captain Back, who had just returned from his exploits on the Thlew-ee-choh, was appointed to the command. The plan of operations, as pointed out to Captain Back by the Geographical Society, was, to proceed to Salisbury Island, when he was left to his own discretion, whether to pursue the course successfully chosen by Parry, up the Frozen Strait, or to try the more circuitous route by the Welcome, in which Captain Lyon had so signally failed. On reaching either Wager River, or Repulse Bay, Captain Back was to leave the ship in charge of an officer, and to proceed, with a large party, across the land, to examine the

bottom of Prince Regent's Inlet, sending a detachment to the north, as far as the strait of the Fury and Hecla, and another to the west, to endeavour to reach Point Turnagain.

The Terror left the Thames on the 14th June, 1836, and on the 14th August, made Salisbury Island. Captain Back, as may be supposed, did not long hesitate which course he should While Cappursue. tain Lyon, in the Griper, had only been providentially delivered from the dangers of the Welcome, Parry had made the passage of the Frozen Strait, with comparative ease; and the Terror, therefore, stood to the northward, to follow that example. But it was not long before they were stopped in their adventurous career; after some days "boring" through the floes, on the 13th September, they were firmly fixed off Cape Comfort. "Not a pool of water was visible in any direction: to the mercy of Providence alone, could we look for rescue from our perilous situation. None but those who have experienced it, can judge of the weariness of heart, the blank of feeling, the feverish sickliness of taste, which gets the better of the whole man, under circumstances such as these."

Captain Back describes his situation thus, for days, weeks, and months, as being "held within sight of the same land, as if it were in the grasp of a giant." Most inappropriate was the name of "Comfort" applied to the black, frowning mass of inaccessible cliff, off which they were whirled about powerless. Any idea of reaching Repulse Bay under such circumstances, would have been preposterous: indeed the wonder is, how the ship ever stood the enormous pressure to which she was subjected, and which left on the ice as perfect an impression of her form, as if struck in a mould.

An attempt was being made to cut out a dock in apparently one of the most secure floes, when the

whole mass, by one of those extraordinary convulsions, which is the last hope of the beset Arctic Voyager, broke up, and drove with great violence right up the Frozen Strait, grinding large heaps that opposed its progress to powder. The poor ship was often carried within a short distance of secure shelter, but her "icy cradle " again bore her away on its bosom, and kept her commander in a state of the most anxious fear.

Towards the end of November, however, their floating prison became a little more settled, and they began to build snow walls around her, to protect her from the weather, and give employment to the men. On the 22nd December, a storm arose, and raged like a hurricane for some days, which mortal man could not stand against. As the gale was off the land, the greatest apprehension was felt, lest the floe should break up, when instant destruction would have been their doom; but when it abated on the 24th, so great had been its force, that they found they had actually been driven twelve or fourteen miles east of Cape Comfort.

In February, another frightful convulsion took place, and they were carried within view of Sea-horse Point. To find themselves at freedom to move, would, two months later, have been the summit of their wishes, but now they saw it with reluctance, as it only mocked them with a hope which could not be realized, while it involved them in immediate peril.

On the 16th March, another rush drove the ship up under ice, and she careened fully four streaks. Scarcely were they recovered from their astonishment, that anything of human build could outlive such assaults, when again the ice drove on her, and threw up a wave thirty feet high, crowned by a blue square mass of many tons, resembling the entire side of a house, which, almost by a miracle, fell astern of the poor trembling ship. But the floe on which she