158 MONSIEUR DE BRAY. \Marclt, 



Fortunately, I found that arrangements had already 

 been made for the movement of eighty-three officers and 

 men of the ' Investigator' and ' Resolute,' so as to reach 

 Beechey Island by the 1st of May. This Division will 

 probably be in readiness to start by the time Com- 

 mander Richards reaches the ' Resolute ;' they wiU again 

 be met by our entire Division of nine sledges, instructed 

 to afford them every assistance, or, not being required, 

 to push on supplies for Captain Collinson to Cape Cock- 

 burn. 



It is with feelings of great satisfaction that Captain 

 Kellett affords me the opportunity of publicly stating his 

 opinion with regard to the second French officer who 

 has so gallantly associated himself with this Expedition. 

 Speaking of him, he observes : " Monsieur de Bray 

 leaves me with the goodwill and good wishes of all, 

 officers and men ; he has done his service much credit, 

 which I shall take an opportunity of stating in a separate 

 letter." 



With regard to the decease of Samuel Hood and 

 James Wilkie, he observes : " The deaths of these two 

 men, no doubt, have been hastened by the severity of the 

 climate and the trying nature of the labour in travelling 

 they had to perform, acting on already diseased organs 

 and shaken constitutions." 



I understand that these two men served in the ' In- 

 vestigator,' under Captain Bird ; in this ship, under 

 Captain Ommanney ; and latterly in the ' Intrepid' (four 

 winters). This strengthens my view that every man 

 who has volunteered afresh, from the last or former Ex- 

 peditions, is materially injured in constitution, which 



