1854.] ESTABLISHMENT OF CACHES. 135 



pretended, of his not experiencing a navigable season ; 

 indeed, the choke of the Wellington Channel and Barrow 

 Strait, by the quantity of ice forced into Lancaster Sound, 

 rendered any navigation on the western line impossible. 

 I had hoped that the ' Resolute' would have been found 

 secure at Melville Island, that she would have wintered 

 there, and thus have been left in a condition to succour 

 Captain Collinson's party, should they march in that di- 

 rection. In furtherance of a continued chain of posts, 

 where caches would be established, a fleet of sledges were 

 now engaged carrying forward the necessary supplies, so 

 that independent of any aid to Captain Kellett's crews, 

 sufficient would remain for others who might arrive after 

 he had abandoned or withdrawn his crews, to sustain 

 them along the same route. 



In addition to these measures Commander Pullen was 

 despatched to examine and make caches at Capes Walker 

 and Bunny, at the entrance to Peel's Channel, and to 

 leave notices at the projecting points on the route to Port 

 Leopold, which would acquaint travellers that relief 

 should be sought at Beechey Island. He was further 

 strictly to examine and report upon the stores left at Port 

 Leopold, where he would leave complete documents for 

 the guidance of Captain Collinson, should he adopt the 

 course up the western side of Prince Regent's Inlet, and 

 also inform him that a vessel was expected from England 

 in August at Beechey Island. 



This matter therefore, of the present position of the 

 ' Resolute,' as deduced from the correspondence of Cap- 

 tain Kellett, did not at all cause any change in my 

 opinion or determination, for to my comprehension her 



