40 DEPARTURE OF COMMANDER PULLEN. [October, 



been received relative to Captain Collinson, fairly provide 

 for his retreat upon Beechey Island, where a house, pos- 

 sibly a ship and provisions, would sustain him until fur- 

 ther relief would be forwarded. In all these operations 

 I felt quite assured, from the tenor of my late despatches, 

 that further assistance would reach Beechey Island before 

 the end of July next, and by those vessels I fully expect 

 either intelligence of the safety of Captain Collinson, or 

 full instructions for my guidance, with reference to his 

 ultimate safety. 



All these matters had been fully discussed, committed 

 to paper, and read over to Commanders Richards and 

 Pullen ; the most important papers and journals were 

 forwarded, and should accident occur to us, Commander 

 Pullen was fully instructed as to his duties. 



October 17. About two P.M., accompanied by Mr. 

 Loney in the ' Hamilton/ to aid him in his journey 

 round the water-washed points, who would also escort 

 back our own sledge, he took his departure under a tem- 

 perature of 22; the ice still very tender, occasionally 

 breaking, but admitting of repeated journeys with light 

 loads only to the shore. As our depot at Cape Bowden, 

 near to the position where poor Bellot met his fate, was 

 supposed to be stale or injured by open weather, ten 

 days' additional provision was forwarded to make good 

 that station. 



This event, nearly the closing act of the season, caused 

 no little excitement, for to some of the gloomy anticipa- 

 tors of disaster, " the last letters" seemed to indicate a 

 belief that our next purpose would be to seek relief at the 

 ' North Star.' Under such feelings, jauntily as the 'Stars' 



