1853.] REPORT OF DEPOT DIVISION. 235 



miles from the ship. I was glad to find them all in 

 health, high spirits, and free from casualty ; but I could 

 read clearly that this trip and return had proved of great 

 importance, and rejoiced I was that they were prevented 

 from proceeding until they had refreshed themselves and 

 remedied deficiencies discovered on this first brush. It 

 had proved a work of labour, but the difficulty was now 

 diminished. 



In condensing the able report of Commander Richards 

 I shall use his own words, omitting only passages of de- 

 tail, which will probably be printed in another form. 

 The date of starting, etc., has been already stated as the. 

 22nd of March, at seven A.M., temperature 22; the 

 sledges being commanded as under : 



The 'Sir Edward' "Loyal au Mort" . . Comm* Richards. 



The ' John Barrow ' Lieutenant Osborn. 



The 'Reliance' Lieutenant May . 



The ' Enterprise ' Mr, Allard. 



The ' Sir F. Baring' Mr. Ricards. 



The ' Perseverance' Mr. Pym, Mate. 



57 men and officers; depot, 1200 rations; provision, 570. 



" The wind fresh from south-east, and weather hazy, 

 we started under sail, steering for Spit Island west ex- 

 treme, and accompanied for a short distance by the Cap- 

 tain, officers, and remainder of the crew. At ten A.M. 

 we got amongst hummocky ice, and the sledge ' Enter- 

 prise' capsized with the boat, damaging herself so much 

 that she was sent back to the ship to refit. 



" About two we encamped on the low western extreme 

 of Spit Island, to await the return of the ' Enterprise.' 

 At five the ' Enterprise' rejoined with her boat : George 



