222 NO SOUTHERN DRIFT. 



as well as to the crews under my command (for none 

 volunteered to remain out), by withdrawing them, and 

 proceeding to the 'North Star.' Confident I am that 

 those vessels would cease to float before the autumn 

 gales conclude ; and from what I saw, and with the habit 

 of judging on all such matters, as this narrative will 

 evince, much more sanguinely than those associated with 

 me, no hope of their southern drift can be entertained, 

 and for these reasons : we know of no southern drift ; 

 we have never experienced northern gales ; we do possess 

 facts to prove the reverse ; portions of the ' Breadalbane' 

 reached our Winter Quarters, and that without a gale : 

 that disaster, bearing date the 21st of August, occurring 

 three days after the gale which disturbed the ice of this 

 Channel. 



By those only who have devoted their time and in- 

 terest even to the merest tub that swims, and has been 

 constituted a home, can our feelings be appreciated. It 

 becomes the child of our adoption, the only object in 

 these remote regions on which we lavish all our affec- 

 tions ! After the excited hopes formed by our puny ex- 

 perience at Beechey Island of the then deemed certain 

 rescue of the craft that would carry us home in compara- 

 tive luxury, how dreadfully were we disappointed ! and 

 prepared as we were by months of anticipation, the pre- 

 paration for parting was not effected so rapidly as ima- 

 gined. Indeed, when the order issued " to prepare to 

 flit," the efforts to save property only then appeared to 

 have awakened us to the reality of the losses we were 

 doomed to suffer. Notwithstanding the repeated sledge 

 journeys, mainly, it is true, laden with instruments and 



