ls,")3.] M'CLURE REACHES THE 'RESOLUTE.' 337 



GEORGE BOINSELL, Ab, 



JOHN DAVIS, Ab. 



PETER THOMPSON, Captain Forelop. 



Whoever finds this, it is requested it may be forwarded to the Secre- 

 tary of the Admiralty. 



Dated on loard Her Britannic Majesty's Ship 

 liin-stii/ator,' frozen in in the ai/ of 

 MI;;J, lat. 74 D V .V., long. 117 51' //".-' 

 April^, 1352. 



(Signed) ROBERT M'CLURE, Commander. 



Unless there is a vessel now at Melville Island, it is not my intention 

 to revisit it, but make the best of ray way down the Strait. 



(Signed) ROBERT M'CLURE, Commander. 



'Resolute,' Dealy Island, April 27, 1853. 



Found ' Investigator' at Bay of Mercy (having lost one man since 

 entering the ice), by a travelling party from 'Resolute,' that left the 

 ship on March 10, 1853. Captain M'Clure arrived on board this ship 

 on April 19. Detailed accounts will be sent to Beechey Island. She 

 lias not met with any traces of missing Expedition. 



H. KELLETT. 



Commander Richards continues: "I also learned 

 from Lieutenant Hamilton that Commander M'Clintock 

 had left the Hecla and Griper Gulf early in April, to 

 carry out the search to the westward. 



" It would therefore have been worse than useless for 

 me, under these circumstances, to follow out my original 

 intentions. And considering that it would be for the bene- 

 fit of the service that I communicated with Captain Kel- 

 lett, inasmuch as it would enable me to bring you his de- 

 spatches, the latest intelligence of what had been effected 

 by his parties, as well as the determination which had 

 been come to as to the abandonment of the ' luvestiga- 



o 



tor,' I resolved at once on this step, and to return by 

 VOL. i. / 



