258 OPINION ON NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



pursued the same course as Captain M'Clure, through 

 Prince of Wales' Strait, and that one of his officers 

 landed on Melville Island, being thus the second, by 

 sledge travel, in effecting the discovery of an ice-covered 

 sea, preventing the complete navigation to where Parry 

 had already proved it to be navigable. 



He had prosecuted successfully his researches, until he 

 also crossed those of Dr. Rae, and at length, having ex- 

 tricated the ' Plover' and his own ship, reached Hong- 

 kong and England, without leaving a living soul behind 

 to distract the feelings of our countrymen. 



On the question of the " North-west Passage," which 

 was totally excluded by all the Instructions to those en- 

 gaged on this Arctic search, I may be permitted, as one 

 totally unconnected with those contending for the credit 

 of its execution, to express my opinion. 



The original Act was to reward any persons who by 

 sailing from sea to sea proved America to be an island ; 

 and at the period the reward was offered, it was consi- 

 dered (I speak subject to correction), by the wording of 

 applications to the Treasury, with the assertion, " that 

 great benefit would arise to commerce!' Now, when Sir 

 Edward Parry made good his claim, it was for the com- 

 pletion of a portion between the meridians undiscovered. 

 The Act then, by the powers vested, I believe, in the 

 Board of Longitude, divided the undiscovered spaces 

 into divisional rewards. But inasmuch as Sir John 

 Eranklin, Sir John Richardson, Dease and Simpson did 

 not sail through, the rewards to which they were most 

 justly entitled were denied. But to my mind, and to 



