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All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimis sont film6s en commenqant par le premier plat et en terminant s»' "•"• -IWti'f- 36 North' West Passage. I i \ water communication between the Atlantic and Pacific admit of a navigable passage for ships ? And, if so, how happens it that so little progress has been made towards its completion V " I shall in the first place endeavour to explain the failure. Of the first voyage little need be said — it confirmed the existence of a large opening to the westward, seen and recorded by Baffin, and let the second in command see that there was no visible obstruc- tion, but the most encouraging circumstances for proceeding farther to the westward. Having satisfied the Board of Admiralty of such being the fact, he was accordingly appointed to the command of a second expedition, and proceeded without the least interruption as far as Melville Island, where he wintered; but here the ice that set in was so thick and compact — such masses were thrown on the coast, that he nearly lost one of his vessels; and found \i impossible the following season to make farther progress to the westward. In a third voyage the attempt was made down Prince Regent's Inlet, where, by keeping close in with the shore, the ships were beset by the heavy ice, and one of them destroyed. " It is clear that all these attempts were experimental — the route to be pursued was untried and consequently unknown — the preparation for passing the winter in the icy sea was equally new. Thus circum- stanced, it was natural enough to cling to some shore — the very worst plan, as experience has proved, that could have been adopted. We need only look at what happened to Ross in Regent's Inlet ; by clinging to the coast, he moved about 300 yards in a whole season, and in the next abandoned his ship. Parry also discovered, when it was too late, that while he was shut up by ice for nine months out of the twelve, there was abundance of open water and floating masses of ice at a distance from the shore, in which he might have moved along in one direction or another. •' Now we know, and I can speak from some little experience, having once been shut up three days in interminable ice, that very little danger need be apprehended for a ship so situated. Indeed, it is but the other day that one of the whaling ships, the Granville Bay, was inclosed in the ice, with which she drifted 600 miles, whilst four others, supposed to be fast by the shore, have very little prospect of being relieved before the month of June or July next. There cannot, therefore, be any fear of a man-of-war, by being shut up in the ice — doubled and strengthened as she would be for the occasion — suffering much damage. Besides, the shores of the Arctic Seas aff'ord little or no assistance to the navigators — while they are fatal to any expedition, by the detention they occasion, till it becomes too late to make pro- gress. The plan then should be, to keep in the open sea, whether covered with ice or not — covered, I believe, it never is — the ice may move about \n fields or separate masses, according to the direction and strength of the wind, but there will always be open water. " But then comes the main question, ' Where is this open sea to be found?' In my view of the case, it has been already found, and I will briefly point it out. North-West Passage. S7 of a lat so Of Istence Haffiii, )struc- farther such of a ion as :e that n the ossible In a where, heavy •5 i *' We know, from the observations of Franklin and Richardson, that from the several points they visited along the northern coast of America no land was visible to the northward, and that they found the sea mostly free from ice, except in two or three places, where there were small detached masses, offering no obstruc',ion to the navigation even of the Eskimaux canoes. We further know that, in the year 1822, two Russian corvettes passed thirty or forty miles beyond Icy Cape, found an open sea with no ice to obstruct navigation, and a current setting to the eastward. Since then Captain Beechey's master doubled Icy Cape in the ship's longboat, and proceeded seven degrees of longitude to the eastward without any obstruction ; no land was seen by him to the northward. There is another important point to be mentioned. Captain James Ross, in his progress on the western coast of the land which has been called Boothia, saw no land whatever to the westward ; and his idea is, that the same coast trended up northerly to Cape Walker in Barrow's Strait, where Parry describes a large opening. " We may therefore, I think, safely infer that between the coast of America and the northern islands (that of Melville and others) there is a broad open sea — open enough for a ship of war to make her way through it. The result of four voyages has shown that no difficulty exists in the navigation of Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Strait ; that out of the latter are several large openings on the southern side, through one of which, perhaps the nearest or that about Cape Walker, a ship would easily pass into that part of the Arctic Sea which I have pointed out ; and in such case, I do not think it would be presuming too much to express a hope, that the passage would be accomplished — and perhaps in one year. " The Committee will be aware that expeditions of the magnitude of those now under discussion can only be attempted under the sanc- tion of government and at the public expense. *' John Barrow." (From Dr. Richardson, R.N., addressed to Captain Beaufort, R.N.) " Dkar Sir, — The very remarkable drift of the whalers that have recently escaped from the ice of Davis's Straits, (showing in a most unequivocal manner the strength of the steady current which flows out of Baffin's Bay,) having, in conjunction with other circumstances, invested the question of a North-west Passage with a new interest, and excited the attention not only of the scientific circles, but of the public in general, it seems desirable that the officers who have been employed on the northern expeditions of discovery should record their opinions, and I therefore commit to paper the substance of the con- versation that I had with you two days ago on the subject. *' The search after a North-west Passage, though often relin- quished when the want of success has depressed the public hope, has been as often resumed, after a greater or smaller interval, with fresh 38 North-West Passage. Hi \\\ ardour ; and as every one who carefully and dispassionately ex- amines the records of past voyages, and duly considers the current which successive navigators have observed to set into Behring's Straits, along the Arctic coast, and out of the Fury and Hecla Strait, must be convinced that a water communication between the two oceans does exist to the north of America, so it is no presumption to affirm that the search will not be finally relinquished until it is crowned with success. The lead which England has taken in this enterprize has furnished her with one of the brightest gems in her naval crown ; and to those who meet every generous under- taking with the question of " Cui bono?" it may be replied that the Hudson's Bay fur-trade, the Newfoundland cod-fishery, the Davis's Straits whale-fishery, admirable nurseries for seamen, and the disco- very of the continent of North America itself, pregnant with conse- quences beyond human calculation, are the direct results of expeditions that sailed in quest of a North-west Passage. But it is not on the existence of this passage that my argument for new expeditions of discovery rests ; for were it even proved that, contrary to the opinions of the ablest oflScers who have sailed the Polar Seas, no practicable channel for ships can be found, still I hold it to be the duty of those who direct the councils of the British empire to provide for the ei>:- ploring of every part of His Majesty's dominions. This would, in the first place, be merely an act of justice to the various tribes that have acquired a claim on England for protection. The deadly feuds between the Esquimaux and the neighbouring Indians* can be terminated only by the extinction of one of the parties or by European interference ; and should our repeated visits to those remote coasts be the means of carrying thither the blessings of peace and of shedding the light of Christianity on the benighted inhabitants, it would in my opinion be an ample recompense for all the exertion that Engiand has made and all the expense she has incurred. ** Even on the score of expense, however, it may be easily shown that an exact determination of the geographical position of places often proves of unforeseen importance. How many thousands of pounds, and what an extent of territory, would have been saved to England, and what costly commissions and lengthened conferences avoided, if, previously to the treaty of 178.3, an astronomer had been sent out to ascertain the true position of the sources of the St. John, the Lake o. he Woods, and other points of the disputed boundary line between the United States and British America ! At the period alluded to, the Lake of the Woods was supposed to be nearly due west of Lake Superior, and to be so remote from civiliza- tion, that centuries might be expected to elapse before the right to the territory that its assumed position involved could become a matter of discussion. But far to the north as that lake has been ascertained to be, there is now a prosperous British settlement, containing upwards of ^1 II * A battle between the Loucheux Indians and the Esquimaux, attended by con- siderable loss of life, took place two years ago. Norlh-West Passage. 39 opinions icticable of those the ex- ould, in hat have between Lted only ference ; neans of light of inion be lade and Y shown f places lands of saved to ferences ^er had 3 of the disputed :a! At ed to be civiliza- it to the atter of ained to vards of d by con- nine thousand souls, still farther to the north. The government of the United States, fully aware of the practical advantages to be gained by obtaining a correct knowledge of their extensive territory, have year after year sent out exploring expeditions, for the double purpose of topographical delineation and of impressing the Indian population more strongly with an opinion of their power and good intentions than could be derived from the conduct of small bodies of men wandering through the country, and engaged solely in com- mercial pursuits. The Russians too have recently, by a series of expe- ditions, re-surveyed Nova Zembla, the shores of the White Sea, with great part of their northern Asiatic coasts ; and they carefully pre- serve and extend their influence in the north-west parts of America by the presence there of one of their most distinguished naval officers*, having constantly one or more ships of war under his command. It is not too much to expect that England will not long lag behind her rivals in matters which so nearly concern her interests, since she has already gone far beyond them and all other nations in the equipment of expeditions having for their end the extension of geographical knowledge at large, and the general advancement of science. I may also briefly allude to the immediate benefits which navigation as an art has received from expeditions of discovery. The voyage of Co- lumbus, which gave a new world to Europe, made us acquainted with the variation of the magnetic needle ; that of Captain Flinders shewed the deviation of the compass from local attraction on ship-board; and the late Arctic expeditions may be considered as the cause of the suc- cessful issue of the investigation of the subject, resulting in the beauti- ful theory of Professor Barlow and his admirable practical contrivance. The problem of the tides, so important to seamen, on which Mr. Whewell and other eminent mathematicians are now labouring, may also receive illustration from an examination of the Polar Sea ; and when meteorology, of so much consequence both to seamen and lands- men, but at present in its infancy, shall have made the progress that it may be expei?ted to do, considering what has been done in other branches of science, the observations recorded by former voyagers in high latitudes, and those that shall hereafter be made, may be of great use. Lastly, as Captain Cook shewed the method of expelling the scurvy from the British navy, so Sir Edward Parry was the first that practi- cally proved the safety with which seamen can winter in the coldest climate. It is therefore under a Naval King especially that such enterprises should be undertaken, and I hope that to the present reign will belong the glory of completing the one so far advanced, which can be most easily done while officers trained up to such services are still in the vigour of life. " The countries traversed by the expeditions of Sir John Franklin and Capt. Back are rich in minerals : inexhaustible coal-fields skirt the Rocky Mountains through twelve degrees of latitude ; beds of coal crop to the surface on various parts of the Arctic coast ; veins of lead ore * Baron Wrangel. 40 North- West Passage. traverse the rocks of Coronation Gulf; whales abound off Cape Ba- thurst; and, in short, even a cursory perusal of Sir John Franklin's narrative will convince the reader that, in the above brief enumera- tion, I have not exaggerated the natural advantages of the country whose boundaries are to be explored. To render these advantages available to England, it is not necessary that a ship should be able to perform the North- West Passage in one year. The discovery of a strait in the unknown space to the southward of the alleged peninsula of Boothia (including only about 22 miles between the seas crossed by Captains James lloss and Back), or one leading from Cape Walker down to Coronation Gulf, would be all that is requisite. The true channel once ascertained, the obstruction caused by the casual packing of ice, in one or two narrow passages, would be easily obviated by a proper adaptation of the powers of steam to that kind of navi- gation ; and a steam-vessel, having gained the open sea known to exist to the eastward of the 107th meridian, would find access to the heart of the country by the Mackenzie River, which flows through a well-wooded tract skirted by metalliferous ranges of mountains, and offers no obstruction to steam navigation for upwards of 1200 miles. Having advanced these very general arguments for the completion of the survey of North America, — and I am fully conscious that I have by no means done justice to the cause, — I proceed to the main subject of this letter, namely, a detail of a plan for the execution of the project. *' A reference to the Admiralty circumpola;' ohart will show at once what has been effected by preceding expeditions, and what remains to be done breadth of the American continent, between the entrance to Hudsoi jtraits and Cape Prince of Wales, comprises in round numbers one hundred and three degrees of longitude, of which ten re- main unknown between Captain James Ross's farthest point and Sir John Franklin's Cape Turnagain ; there are about six more between the latter officer's most westerly point and Captain Beechey's greatest advance from Behring's Straits ; and the unexplored space between the Strait of James Ross and Back's Sea, being 22 miles, is rather more than one degree of longitude in that parallel. The extent of coast remaining unexplored is therefore small when compared with that which has been already delineated. In one season, Sir Edward Parry sailed through 31 degrees of longitude due west from the entrance of Lancaster Sound ; and on Sir John Franklin's second ex- pedition, the coast was laid down for 36 degrees on a more southerly parallel, in less than six weeks of boat navigation. " To complete the survey of the Gulf of Boothia, and establish its connection or separation, as the case may be, with the Strait of James Ross, no better plan can be proposed than the one suggested by Sir John Franklin, of sending a vessel to Wager River, and carrying on the survey from thence in boats ; but I leave it to that distinguished officer to give the details of his own project. The one I am about to propose embraces a different part of the coast, and has very greatly the advantage, in point of economy, of any expedition requiring the fitting out of a ship or ships. North- IVest Passage. 41 C( I wou.d propose, then, to complete, in the first place, the survey of the coast to the westward of the Mackenzie; and, secondly, that to the eastward of Point Turnagain ; — both which services could be effec- tually performed by an expedition having its winter- quarters at the north-eastern end of Great Bear Lake. The party ought to consist of not more than two officers and sixteen marines, or sappers and miners, accustomed to the oar, and who have been brought up as joiners, sawyers, boat-builders, wheelwrights, or blacksmiths. I know that men having these qualifications belong to the corps I have mentioned, and would at once volunteer for such a service. It would be necessary also to engage, for the inland navigation, bowmen and steersmen acquainted with the northern rivers, and two Canadian or Orkney fisliermen. Previous notice having been dispatched from England, in March, to the Fur Countries, to provide a certain supply of pemmi- can and other necessaries on the route, and to make arrangements Avith Indian hunters, the expedition sliould sail in the annual Hud- son's Bay ship, which leaves the Thames in the beginning of June, being provided with two boats constructed of white cedar for light- ness, and drawing as little water as is consistent with the requisite capacity for carrying a cargo. It would reach York Factory in August, and, if early in that month, would experience no great difficulty in ar- riving at the Athabascow, or, under almost any circumstances, at Isle a la Crosse, before the rivers are closed. The latter post would be con- venient for the employment of the men during the winter, in conveying pemmican across from the prairies ; and from that place, and still more easily from Athabascow, the two boats, containing the officers and fourteen men, loaded merely with the necessary provisions and arms for the voyage, could proceed down the Mackenzie River to the sea, so as to reach it quite as early as it would be desirable to do, and time enough to complete the survey to the westward*. " In the mean while, the fishermen and the remainder of the party should bring up the stores in one of the Company's barges to Great Bear Lake, where they would erect the winter residence and store up fish, rein-deer, and musk-ox meat, until the return of the exploring party, which would be before the end of September ; there would still be a sufficient space of time for the boats being sent up Dease's river, and down a small stream which falls into the Copper- mine, laden with pemmican for the next year's voyage, properly secured from wet in tin cases. These should be laid up in a convenient place out of the reach of the spring floods, and the remainder of the stores ought to be transported to the same place early in the spring on the snow. As the distance is small when compared with the portages made on the other expeditions, the whole equipment might indeed be left at the wintering post until the general movement of the party in the spring ; but it is better that the men should be spared from fatigue as much as possible in the outset of the voyage. The expedition should be on * It would be possible to save the officers one winter in the country by taking the route through Canada, but this would greatly increase the exper.se, and also require the transport of the boats and stores to the Athabascow in the previous season. 42 North- ff^est Passage. the banks of the Coppermine in June, so as to descend that river when it is swelled by the floods of melting snow; the rapids could be passed «afely at that time, and the sea be reached in a single day. The distance between the Coppermine River and Captain James Ross's farthest point is not so great by one quarter as that between the Macken- zie and Coppermine, which tract was surveyed in one month. A shorter period may therefore he fairly allotted to the delineation of the former, the more especially as nearly one-half of it has been already laid down by Sir John Franklin, so that a straight course can be steered from cape to cape ; and if the south end of Boothia shall not have been determined by another expedition, it may form, without hazard, one of the objects of this one ; or any time that may remain between the completion of the survey and the end of August may be devoted to the examination of the eastern side of Wollaston Land, so as to ascertain whether or not there be an open sea between it and Barrow's Straits. " In the foregoing sketch, the peculiar fitness of the east end of Great Bear Lake for a wintering place, as being a central posi- tion between the unexplored parts to the east and west, has been made apparent. Its nearness to the sea-coast is very greatly in its favour, not only as rendering it easily attainable should any accident happen to the boats, but also as allowing the expedition to remain longer at sea. It is also no small recommendation, that the route from the sea, having been twice travelled over, is well known, so that all the obstacles it offers can be provided against. It is also better adapted than any other situation in the country north of Great Slave Lake for the support of a large party ; and, indeed, on Sir John Franklin's first journey, Mr. Dease mentioned it as being in his opinion the best spot that could be chosen for a wintering post, though circumstances that could not be controlled prevented his suggestion from being acted upon. Dease River flows through the best hunting-grounds of the Dog-rib and Copper Indians : it was from that vicinity we obtained our supplies of dried meat at Fort Franklin in 1825-2G ; and Great Bear Lake yields fish enough for the sup- port of a much larger party than it is proposed to employ. In men- tioning the principal points to be attended to, I have not said that it is necessary to obtain the concurrence and cordial co-operation of the Hudson's Bay Company, since that enlightened body has never failed to lend its powerful and indispensable assistance to an expedition patronized by government, and having science for its aim. " No time can be more auspicious than the present for this under- taking ; and I trust that the learned Secretary of the Admiralty will exert his influence in procuring the adoption either of this plan, or of a more eflScient one, and thus provide for the completion of an enter- prise, which, under his fostering care, has made greater progress in a few years than it had done for previous centuries. " 1 have the honour to be, dear Sir, yours. Sec. " Melville Hospital, Chatham, " John Richardson.'* ''February 6, 1836." I North- Wed Passaye. 4S I'er when )e passed ly. The !s Ross's Macken- V shorter former, lid down red from ive been 1, one of between may be Land, so n it and east end ;ral posi- las been ;ly in its accident i remain that the known, 't is also of Great Sir John g in his "g post, nted his )ugh the vas from Frankh'n he sup- In men- that it is 1 of the er failed pedition s under- alty will in, or of n enter- 'ess in a &c. aDSON. >> (From Captain Str John FRANKLm, li.N,, addressed to Captain Beaufort, R.N.) "21, Bedford Place, Feb. 10, 1836. *' Dear Sir, — The arguments set forth in Dr, Richardson's letter for the completion of the survey of the Northern Coast of America are so forcibly put, that I was quite prepared for their being most favourably received by the Geograjjliical Society. The plans which he suggests for the completion of the survey of that portion of the coast west of the Mackenzie, u id of the parts east of Point Turnagain,are full of research and interest, and deserve all the consi- deration and encouragement which I truly rejoice to perceive they are likely to meet with from the Society. The Doctor alludes in his letter to some propositions which he knew 1 had made in the year 18'28, at the command of his present Majesty, then Lord High Admiral, on the same subject, and particularly to the suggestion as to proceeding from Repulse or Wager Bay. On this pjint, I remember to have had several conversations with you at the time, and since ; I trust, there- fore, you will now give me leave to offer my v^pinion to you somewhat more in detail. A recent careful reading of all the narratives connected with the surveys of the Wager and Repulse Bays, a? id of Sir E. Parry's voyage — together with the information obtained fron; the Estpiimaux by Sir E. Parry, Sir J. Ross, and Captain Back — confirm me in the opinion that a successful delineation of the coast east of Point Turn- again, to the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, would be best attained by an expedition proceeding from Wager Bay, the northern parts of which cannot, I think, be farther distant than forty miles from the sea, if the information received by the above-mentioned officers can at ail be depended upon; and that the information received from the Esquimaux was particularly correct in three instances, Parry, in his second voyage, pointedly remarks. " The plan, therefore, that I recommend, is to send two vessels to Wager Bay, provided with two boats, each constructed as lightly as possible, for the purpose of being transported over the land, yet of a capacity sufficient to carry eight persons, with two months' provisions and a few presents for the natives. The provisions for the coast voyage should be entirely pemniican, and flour or other farinaceous sub- stance. Two of the largest Dock-yard lighters would, I think, answer the purpose, if ships were thought to be too expensive \ and would, I conceive, conveniently accommodate from twenty- five to thirty per- sons each, with the necessary stores, provision, and boats. These vessels should sail with the Hudson's Bay Company's ships at the latter end of May; which ships would, I am sure, readily be allowed to carry a part of these provisions, in case receiving the whole on board in the Thames should bring the lighters too deep for making an expeditious passage across the Atlantic. They should separate from the Hudson's Bay ships after passing through the narrowest part of Hud- son's Straits off the Mill or Salisbury Islands, and, keeping outside of Southampton Island, make the best of their way through the 44 North- West Passage. i H^ 1' Frozen Strait to Wager Bay. If the season were favourable, they might perhaps reach their anchorage in Wager Bay by the middle oi August, and every preparation having been previously made, the crews should immediately be employed in transporting the boats' provisions and requisites for the coast voyage across the portage. The narrowest part of the isthmui. appears to be from Savage Sound, though it will probably be found not much broader from Douglas Harbour, where the vessels would be more secure. The relative breadth, however, would be ascertained by a light party in two or three days, and in the most eligible place, thus ascertained, the portage should be made. If the boats and stores could be got across the isthmus by the last week in August, the parties appointed to survey the coasts should embark at once, as the experience of all the voyages has shown that the most open water may be expected for three weeks after that time ; and this time will enable the parties to accomplish the greater part, if not the whole, of their respective objects. I would propose sending two parties from the point on which the embarkation can be effected ; the one to trace the coast westward towards the part Captain Back reached, and onwards to Point Turnagain if practicable ; and the other to follow the east sh(jre of Prince Regent Inlet up to the Strait of Hecla and Fury, and farther if necessary, to settle the geographical question as to the north-east termination of the land. It would be most prudent to send two boats on each of these services, with a crew of two officers and six sea- men : though as nothing is to be feared from the hostility of the Esqui- maux in that quarter, one boat, I think, might safely proceed. A boat of 22 feet in length and 4 feet 10 inches in breadth would be of a good size, and if built of thin mahogany could be easily lifted clear of ice by the crew ; and for their transport across the portage more men might be employed. The provision, I have said, should consist of pemmican and flour ; the latter should be inclosed in several wrappers of water-proof cloth or flannel. The pemmican could easily be made in England, and at no very great expense ; it should be packed in tin cases containing fifty pounds each, and hermetically sealed. It could, when thus secured, be left on the sea-coast side of the portage, covered over with stones, without the fear of its being de- stroyed by the wolves or other animals, in case it should be found that the party reached the sea-coast too late for embarkation the same season. I should recommend, indeed, in such case, that the boats and stores having been carried over be all left on the north side. " There is little doubt in my mind of the western party reach- ing the mouth of Back's River without more tlian the ordinary in- terruptions of such a coasting voyage ; but here a doubt presents itself occasionally to my mind, grounded on the Esquimaux autho- rity, which it is fair to state: viz. whether the supposed strait between the farthest land seen by Capt. Back and that reached by Capt. James Ross does exist. If it fortunately do, then the tracing of the coast as far as Point Turnagain could be continued by the same course of proceeding; if it do not, then a portage would have to be made to effect that object, the extent of which is not at present known, North' West Passage. 45 ible, they middle ol the crews provisions narrowest gh it will where the however, ind in the made. If last week id embark ; the most ; and this if not the ivo parties he one to ched, and follow the and Fury, I as to the J send two id six sea- he Esqui- d. A boat of a good ?ar of ice Tiore men Id consist n several mid easily be packed ly sealed, de of the being de- be found L the same boats and rty reach - dinary in- t presents ux autho- it between by Capt. tracing of r the same have to be nt known, and which might require more time to accomplish than one season would allow. This doubt causes me to look with particular pleasure on the suggestion of Dr. Richardson as to completing the survey eastward of Point Turnagain from t]>e Coppermine River. If the land be con- tinuous from the most northern point seen by Captain Back to that visited by Capt. James Ross, and no strait should intervene, then unquestionably the boats would be best placed on the Wv^^tern side of that land for the survey of its coast, which might perhaps be continued up to Cape Walker, and thereby gain Avell-grounded information for the guidance of the ships which I trust will be sent in search of the N.W. passage. Should the strait in question be found to exist, then the expedition proceeding eastward from the Coppermine River, and that tracing the coast westward from Regent's Inlet, would in all probability meet, if they should set forward on their respective enter- prises the same season, which might be done. The party from the Coppermine River would at any rate proceed with more confidence, having the assurance of finding vessels in Wager Bay ready to re- ceive them, and being spared the risk of returning very late in the season to their winter quarters. " I have not dwelt on the strengthening or fitting of the vessels, nor on the situation in which I should place them for the winter, though these are points which you will imagine have engaged my deepest consideration ; but it does not seem necessary now to state these in detail. I may briefly say that the vessels must be secured to withstand the contact of ice, and stored with provision for two years, if they will carry so much : if not, a supply should I be sent for them by the Hudson's Bay ships to Churchill Fort, which in the summer months could be fetched by one of the vessels. If the vessels were dock-yard lighters and could berth twenty-five seamen each besides officers, which I think they could do, I conceive, when ,| safely moored in some snug place, they might be left with eight men and two officers in each while the boats were absent, a number which could be so left even if two boats were required on each service. *' I had at first hoped that under peculiarly favourable circum- stances the vessels might have reached Wager Bay by the close of July, in which case I should have expected the surveys might be accomplished in time for the vessel to get through Hudson's Strait the same season and return to England ; but on reference to the pre- ceding voyages to this quarter, I fear this expectation would be somewhat too sanguine. Parry arrived in Repulse Bay on 21st August; Lyons off Wager Inlet 13th Sept. } Ellis, after wintering in Hayes River, >;9th July ; Middleton in Repulse Bay 12th July, after wintering in the south. And in our first voyage we were only off Cape Digges, Hudson's Strait, on the 19th of August. " In the observations which I offered at the meeting of the Geo- graphical Society on Monday last, at the request of the President, I concluded by stating that Capt. James Ross and Capt. Back might be considered to have an acknowledged claim for employment on these services, the former if an expedition by ships "to uiiicover the N.W. 46 North-West Passage, I 1 1 I Passage be sent, and the latter in the command of any party sent to complete the survey of the coast east of the point of his last expedi- tion. This opinion 1 still hold ; but I hope that I shall not be consi- dered as wishing in the least to interfere with the claims of these zealous and active officers if I add, that in case of either of them not being at hand when the expedition ought to sail, I should feel the greatest pleasure in filling his place. You know, I am sure, that no service is nearer to my heart than the completion of the survey of the North coast of America, and the accomplishment of a N. W. Passage. " Very faithfully yours, " To Capt. Beaufort, R. N." " John Franklin." i f i' [l^s. i fiiSi (F/'om Captain Beaufort, R.N.) " Every year seems to bring forward some accession of interest to the great questions of the North-west passage and of the northern configuration of America ; and the Resolution of our Society at the meeting of the 8th inst., that Government should be petitioned to dispatch a fresh expedition to that quarter, having led to the appoint- ment of this Committee, I have ventured to state my sentiments on the three plans which have been suggested. " One of these plans boldly urges the direct accomplishment of the North-west passage by sea; the other two confine themselves to the completion of the coast, either by an inland line of communi- cation, or by the transport of boats from Hudson's Bay ; and all three are from such high authorities, so strongly recommended, and so ably argued, that I hope, whatever may be the result, the Coun- cil will print them in our Journal. " That there is an open, and, at times, a navigable sea passage between the Straits of Davis and Behring there can be no doubt in the mind of any person who has duly weighed the evidence ; and it is equally certain, that it would be an intolerable disgrace to this coun- try were the flag of any other nation to be borne through it before our own. *' Whenever the wisdom of Government shall think fit to solve this great problem, I am satisfied that the mode proposed by Sir John Barrow is the most prudent that could be adopted. By trying one of the eastern openings which he mentions, the vessels would proceed from home fresh and unexhausted ; and if met by insuperable obsta- cles, or arrested by unusual severity of weather, they would be carried back by the prevalent current to the eastward, or they would winter there with security. Whereas, if, already harassed by a long voyage round Cape Horn, they were to plunge from the westward into those unknown regions, and if from any cause they were unable to pens- trate them, they could neither return against the joint pressure of ice and current, nor communicate their situation to any settlement, nor ever hope for ;iSsistaij(j^. To seize the proper moment for effecting this ambitious .'otj^d: js solely the duty of Government— and the North- West Passage. 47 y sent to expedi- )e corisi- e zealous being at greatest service le North e. resulting credit, both at home and throughout the world, will be isolely theirs. be no less the duty of the Geo- KLIN. i> iterest to northern ety at the tioned to ! appoint- Iments on hment of lemselves communi- ; and all nded, and he Coun- 1 passage doubt in ; and it is ;his coun- i it before solve this Sir John ng one of d proceed ble obsta- be carried lid winter ig voyage into those to penp- ure of ice nent, nor effecting -and the " In the meantime, it appears graphical Society to recommend a humble and more temporary field of action — more appropriate to the nature of our Institution, more easy and economical in its execution, and more certain and rapid in its result. " Under this impression I would entreat the Council to take every means they possess of persuading Government to fit out a small expe- dition this summer for Wager Bay, according to the general plan set forth by Sir John Franklin ; and I beg- leave here to observe, that completing the coast line would necessarily throw much valuable light on the direction and facilities of the passage, while even the accom- plishment of the passage (as supposed to exist) could scarcely con- tribute any thing to the determination of the coast line. Further, an expedition, aiming at the passage and failing, would do almost nothing for geographical science ; whereas an expedition along the coast, however incomplete, must add something to our existing stock of positive knowledge. " If this proposition should be adopted by government, I shall find other opportunities of entering into the details and arrangements ; but as the principal feature of the plan, I would now suggest that the ex- pedition should consist of two small vessels, that they should sail in iMay for Wager Strait, where a full reconnoissance of the isthmus being made, and the opposite gulf being probably gained, one vessel should be comfortably secured for the winter, and the other should return home to impart the progress and prospects of her consort. "The object of the above process is, that by gradually uniting the known parts of the coast we should vanquish all difficulties by quiet and moderate efforts, attended by little expense and less risk — and like a skilful general, basing our operations on points already in pos- session, we should secure every step of our advance, as well as pre- serve every facility for our retreat. "F. Beaufort." " Admiralty, " February 20, 1 836." {From Captain Sir John Ross, R.N., addressed to Captain Maconochie, R.N.) " London, 5th March, 1836. " Sir — At a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, held on Monday the 22d ultimo, I was gratified to find that the question of the North- West Passage was again to be seriously taken into con- sideration, and it was with pleasure that I listened to the papers which were read on that interesting subject. Actuated by the same motives which induced me to employ my time and sacrifice my private fortune, namely, that my country should gain the glory of deciding a 11 i 1^ 4d North- West Passage. question to which so much importance has been attached, I cannot but be desirous to afford my mite towards its completion ; and my anxiety that such an expedition should depart from the shores of Great Britain in a state the most likely to obtain the great but difti- cult object, has induced me now to take up the pen. " With regard to Sir John Franklin's plan for finishing the late survey made by Captain Back, I have only to express my unqualified approval, and offer my strenuous support ; and it is almost super- fluous to add, that Captain Back, whose abilities, intelligence, zeal, and perseverance, have been so manifest on every occasion, ought to be the officer selected to command, and to whom a caite blanche should be given. Observing, however, that much stress has been laid on the easterly current, it may be proper to remark, that this cur- rent can be fully accounted for, in the summer by the melting of snow, which produces rivers equal in size to the Thames, and in the winter by the continual north winds, which keep the ice in constant motion in Prince Regent's Inlet, and which we often observed to raise the sea near our hut many feet. This would produce the effect mentioned, and the easterly current in Hecla and Fury Strait is, therefore, no proof of a passage at the bottom of the Gulf of Boothia. " \Viih respect to the expedition which has been recommended to pursue the route of Sir Edward Parry, although decidedly in favour of the expediency of such an expedition, I confess that I cannot sub- scribe to the manner or the plans proposed for carrying it into effect, it being understood that two bomb-ships, such as were commanded by Sir Edward Parry, are to be employed. And having been, though accidentally, present when the plans were read at the last public meeting, I feel myself called upon to state my reasons for opposing that part of the proposition, lest my silence should be construed into approbation, and more especially, because I am fully convinced that it would prove fatal to every one employed. " It is on the probability that a passage exists about due south of Melville Island, that is, between it and Cape Walker, that this ex- pedition has been proposed ; and although all the indications which were originally held out, as imperative and inseparable from its exist- ence, have been over and over again disproved by every expedition, I am not now disposed to dispute the question, especially as a proof of its non-existence would be almost equally important, since it never can be of use to commerce, nor could the discovery of a passage in that direction in the least affect those made by the Victory. I admit, therefore, that it is still a national question. " The first inquiry that presents itself is — Why did not Sir Edward Parry, whose zeal, ability, and perseverance, cannot be surpassed, attempt, with his ships of the same description, the method now pro- posed — namely, to push among the ice into the vortex of the sup- posed passage, trusting the rest to Providence ? The answer is briefly this : no man in his senses would commit such an act of imprudence, with bomb-ships, such as now proposed, drawing eighteen feet, and with a complement of sixty men. No one can declare with more jus- North' West Passage. 49 I cannot and my shores of but difti- f the late inqualified lost super- nce, zeal, ought to te blanche been laid this cur- nelting of and in the 1 constant )served to the effect Strait is, f Boothia. mended to in favour innot sub- into effect, manded by in, though last public r opposing strued into inced that due south at this ex- ons Avhich 1 its exist- ixpedition, as a proof ;e it never passage in I admit, r Edward surpassed, now pro- the sup- • is briefly iprudence, feet, and more jus- tice than myself, — * That if we make the best use of what Providence has put within our power, we may safely trust in Providence ; ' but we are not therefore justified in tempting Providence by running wilfully into such a situation. I shall point out why such an act would be imprudent. The ice which Sir Edward Parry met at the west end of Melville Island did not drift to the southward with a northerly wind, but stopped, and when the pressure increased, took an easterly direc- tion, an undeniable proof that it must have met with some obstruc- tion in going south, otherwise it would have drifted towards the coast of America, no less than 250 miles distant, by the impulse of the wind, for there was no current ; it must, therefore, have met with either land, shoal water, or islands, probably the two latter, over or among which the ships must necessarily pass, to reach the said coast. I, therefore, maintain it to be absolutely necessary that ships destined to try this experiment, and drift through by the impulse of the winds acting on the ice which besets them, should draw less water than the surrounding ice, which has been ascertained to be not more than nine feet thick. Yet, notwithstanding the example of the Fury, and the many instances we had on board the Victory, in which we owed our preservation entirely to her light draft of water (only seven and a half feet), ships drawing eighteen feet are now proposed! Again, in the event of wreck, twenty men might find subsistence where sixty could not. It has been said that the weight of a large ship is of advantage in forcing the ice; but that, which only holds good in a gale with plenty of room, cannot be put into comparison with the advantages in warping which a small vessel has over a large one : a single man will move a vessel of 50 tons faster than sixty could a vessel of 300 ; and a small vessel is much more able to sustain pressure than a large one fortified in the same proportion, while the expenses of every description are less. Moreover, in the event of damage sustained in the bottom, a large ship, or one drawing more than eight feet (which is the rise and fall of the tide), must be discharged and hove down, while a small vessel, or one drawing less than eight feet, may be laid on the ground with safety, and repaired in a tide. With respect to provisions, I have by my last voyage proved that a small ship will carry much more, in proportion to her crew, than a large one. In short, if ships such as the Terror and Erebus are sent on this service, with the intention of ♦ trying their lij'-if ' either by keeping the south shore of Barrow's Strait, or by takmg the ice, the probability is, that they and their crews will never be heard of. " It now remains to be described what would be the most advisable and efficacious plan for such an enterprise. *' I say at once — let proper ships be constructed by government, ships that would only draw from seven to eight feet water when loaded, whose capacity to carry stores and provisions is extended by an increase of length and breadth^ and whose form, between a foot above the loaded mark and the bilge, is conical, so that they would rise to a pressure. Let one such be fitted with water-tight bulk-heads, VOL, VI. E }ll 50 Narth-Wesi Passage. with every kind of solidity given to her timbers, and to this let a small steam-boat be added, with the most approved engine, boats, and provisions for two depots, and then there will be some chance of suc- cess. The vessels, all drr 'ng less water than the ice, will be secure from rocks and shoals ; md if damaged, they will be speedily and easily repaired. Finally, in the event of total wreck, the crews being less numerous, may be saved in the same manner as myself and my devoted companions. " With respect to the mode of navigation, that practised by Sir Edward Parry and myself having been alluded to, I must, in the first place, state, that the comparison between the ice in Baffin's Bay, and that in Prince Regent's Inlet and Barrow's Strait, is fallacious : the ice in which the whalers were lately beset in the former having been large fields of plain ice, steadily drifting down Davis' Straits, without meeting with any obstruction, into an open sea ; while the latter, consisting of huge amorphous pieces, were meeting resistance in every direction, and laere being no outlet, the pressure in a gale became tremendous. The Fury was, indeed, wrecked near the shore, because she drew much more water than the besetting ice ; but it is not the fact that the Victory met with any damage ; and when we left her she was in as perfect a state as when she sailed from England. Both Sir Edward Parry and myself have been of opinion that the best chance of making progress is between the shore and the ice ; I am still of the same opinion ; and I think, that if the question is ever decided, it must be by keeping close to the shore, from Cape Walker, westward. •' In concluding, T must observe, that unless the winter preceding the season in which the expedition sails is found to have been mild in North America, Russia, and Lapland, there is no chance of suc- cess. It was in consequence of the reports which I obtained from thence, at considerable expense, that T determined to persevere after the mutiny of the John, and other untoward circumstances. In short, let the ships be ready to take advantage of a favourable season. I regret that my remarks, which J now request you to lay before the Society, do not accord with the opinions of sqme of its most influen- tial members ; but trusting that justice will be done to my motives, I have to assure you, that no one can be more desirous for the pro- motion of an object so worthy of the nation, and no on would be more rejoiced than myself to hear of the complete success of the enterprise. *' Captain Maconochie, R.N. " I am, Sir, '* Your most obedient Servant, " John Ross, " Captain of the Royal Navy. i m SPECIAL SALE OWING TO REBUILDING OF PREMISES. June 1909. ) this let a boats, and ice of suc- be secure eedily and revvs being If and my sed by Sir in the first s Bay, and icious : the ner having vis' Straits, ; wliile the r resistance re in a gale r the shore, ;e ; but it is ^hen we left tn England. on that the i the ice ; I ition is ever ape Walker, 3r preceding e been mild nee of suc- itained from severe after i. In short, able season. y before the noat influen- my motives, for the pro- n would be L'cess of the Jervant, )yal Navy. I THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE Zoological Sodetp or Condon FROM ITS FIRST PUBLICATION TO THE PRESENT TIME. ®ffere& at exceptionally low prices. A limited number of copies only for sale. Early application is desirable. Customers are invited to complete their sets. Duplicates exchanged or purchased. Special quotations for sections or periods. FRANCIS EDWARDS, IBookseller, 83, HIGH STREET, MARYLEBONE, LONDON, W. Telephone: 803 Mavfair. Telegrams: " Finality, London." 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Mollusca— Natural History of Ecuador (many papers), etc. INDEX VOLUME. 1 848-1 860 2/6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 1861-1870. 1861i Letterpress only, 2/- Letterpress and 44 plates, 4/6 Entozoa — Australian Birds and Mammals — Pacific Coast Fishes — Rare Eggs — Land Shells — The Ophidians of Bahia [Brazil], etc. 1 862i Lettebpress and 46 plates 3/6 Lyre Birds from Port Philip — Formosa Birds — Butterflies — Corals — Austrt»lian Snakes — West African Natural History— Marine Shells — Rare Birds of New Guinea — Birds of the Sulu Islands, etc. 1 863a Letterpress and 42 plates 3/6 Shells of Australia — Shells ;from Vancouver Islands— Butterflies of Panama — East African Birds — Birds of Borneo and Central America, etc. 1864i Letterpress and 41 plates 3/6 Seals and Tortoises — Australian Natural History — Central American Fishes — Zoology of Spitzbergen — Birds from Costa Rica and Panama — East African Insects— Parrots of the Malayan Region, etc. 1 865i Letterpress only, 2/- Letterpress and 47 plates, 3/6 Marine Molluscan Fauna — Indian Ornithological Notes — Fishes of Cochin — Australian Birds— Birds of the Malayan Archipelago, etc. 83, High Street, Marylebone, London, W. y 1866. Letterpress only, 2/- Letterpress and 46 plates, 3/6 Shells from the Amazons; Central Africa, Formosa, ctc.-Coleoptera of Formosa-Duvinal Lepidopfera-The Sperm Whale-Avifauna of Australia, etc. 1867. I letterpress and 47 plates 4/6 Japanese Shells-Australian Marine Mollusca-Fishes of India -Birds of Australia, Zanzibar, Indian Archipelago, etc.-Mammals nnd flirds of Cape York— Snakes— Peruvian Birds, etc. 1868. Letterpress and 45 Plates 4/. Seals of the Fa.kland Islands -Indian Raptores-Mammalian Fauna of Green- land-OrnitholoRv of the Agentine-Fishes of India-Australian Birds- Salmon Breeding, etc. 1869. Letterpress and 50 Plates 4/. Natural History Notes from Burmah-Shells of the Pacific Islands-Siliceo fibrous Sponges-Spiders and Scorpions-Tonga Is. Birds-Ichthyology of Tasmania— Australian Snakes, etc. 1870. Letterpress and 53 Plates 3/e South Sea Island Sea Shells-Diurnal Lepidoptera-Ornithology of Buenos Ayres— Mammals and Birds of China, etc. INDEX. 1861-1870 2/6 INDEX. 1871-1880 2/6 A long series of the Proceedings from 1832 to 1888, with all th( coloured and other plates, also Indexes, 62 vols J^" The plates of the separate volumes are uncoloured, but the complete sets are as issued by the Zoological Society, with the coloured plates. FRANCIS EDWARDS, 83, High Street, Marylebone, London, W. GOULD'S ORNITHOLOGICAL BOOKS. Imperial Folio Size. BIRDS OF GREAT BRITAIN, 367 coloured plates, 5 vols, half morocco. 1873 £^0 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA, with Supplement, about 700 coloured PLATES, 8 vols, half morocco. 1848-69 .^160 New Copies at Reduced Prices. HORN (W. A.) Expedition to Central Australia, edited by Baldwin Spencer, illustrated with numerous coloured and other plates^ photo- graphs^ 7voodcutSy etc, complete m 4 volumes, 4to, cloth. Melbourne, 1896-7, issued in paper wrappers at ;^4 los, and now offered in cloth for ;^1 15s Comprising :— Vol. I.— Tlirougrh Larapinta Land, with a summary of the Zool(^ical, Botanical, and Geological results by Prof. Spencer ; Hvmenoptera by W. F. Kirby ; additions to the Fauna, etc. Vol. II. — Zoology, including Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibia, Fishes, Insects, etc., by Prof. Spencer and others. Vol. III.— Physical Geography, Geology and Botany, by Prof. Tate, J. A. Watt, W. F. Smeeth, and J. H. Maiden. Vol. IV.— Anthropology, by E. c. Stirling, and notes on the Manners and Customs of the Aborigines of the McDonnell Range, by T. j. Gillen. One of t1 e most important works on the Anthropology and Natural History of Australia. BALDV/IN (W. c.) African Hunting from Natal to the Zambesi (including Lake Ngami, the Kalahari Desert, etc.), 46 illust., 8vo, cloth. 1894 (pub. 1 8s) 6s 6d SAVILLE-KENT (w.) The Great Barrier Reef of Australia, 16 coloured and 48 other plates, folio, cloth. 1892 (pub. £,\ 4s) 28s Corals and Coral Reefs, Peat I, Marine Fauna, etc. DIXON (C.) Our Rarer Birds, many wood engravings by Whymper. Bentley, 1888 (pub. 14s) 3S Studies in Ornithology and Oology. The book makes a very good introduction to a study of bird life. LIBRARIES PURCHASED AND VALUED FOR PROBATE. Francis Edwards is always pleased to purchase large or small Collections of Books, Engravings and Autographs, and pre- pared to pay a P'air Cash Price for the same. Distance from town immaterial. No charge is made if within 30 miles of London. Prompt cash settlements. Books removed without trouble or expense to the Vendor. PLEASE NOTE. £,\ Orders are "^ent free in the British Isles. Books can now he mailed to all parts of the world at 4d. per lb. Post Office Orders should be made payable at Devonshire Street, and cheques crossed National Provincial Bank of England. Catalogues of books on special subjects are continually being issued, and can be sent post free on receipt of address. Printed for Pruncis Edwards, Bookseller, 8S, High Street, Marylebone, London, W. by G. R. Floiosr, " Ye Bartholomew Prease," 12—14, Verulam Street, E.O. vv. half ^RED >160 dwin hoto- loth. and 15s )gical, W. F. ishes, Tate, land itralia. ibesi 1894 >s 6{1 loured ;)28s '.ntley, \s) 3s n to a ATE. small pre- n 30 heques e sent •», W.