2 RETURN OF LIEUTENANT osBORN. [September t 



with the ice-boat before rejected. I had not quite de- 

 termined I would not take her myself, and, if I had not 

 lent my own crew for the service, most certainly would 

 have done so. This left me very uneasy and unhappy, 

 all confidence at an end ; not at all satisfied that if the 

 ice should part from the shore, a sledge can get along 

 the land ; Mr. M'Cormick says not, decidedly. This dif- 

 ficulty of abstracting eighteen men from our force is 

 really alarming ; better not undertake such service until 

 we have a lower temperature ! 



September 21. Mr. Allard reports this evening that 

 he had proceeded so far in advance, that Mr. Cheyne's 

 sledge was beneath him, but not within sound of his 

 voice ; that he commanded the range southerly, but no 

 traces for six miles at least. 



September 22. Under this impression I felt it un- 

 necessary to push my advance officer to a lengthened 

 march today. Preparation was made to forward the ice- 

 boat, commanded probably by Commander Richards; 

 but about 3.30, much to the astonishment of every one, 

 Mr. Herbert's signal, at the advance look-out, intimated 

 the approach of the party, and in a short time the sledges 

 were in sight from the ship : opinions varied, some 

 deemed the period short. The time however warranted 

 the journey having been made ; the distance done was 

 trifling. Telescopes tell strange tales, and it was soon evi- 

 dent that despatches had arrived, part of which the lead- 

 ing officers, Lieutenant Osborn and Mr. Herbert, carried. 



Shortly after, Lieutenant Osborn announced three im- 

 portant events: the arrival of Her Majesty's steamer 

 ' Phoenix,' Commander Inglefield ; the total loss of the 



