SIB EDWARD BELCHER'S EXPEDITION. 391 



the North Star, and two steamers, the Pioneer and 

 Intrepid, These set sail in April for Baffin's Bay, pur- 

 posing to make Beechey Island their head-quarters, 

 whence the various vessels were to set out, separately 

 or together, as might be thought best, to search the 

 neighboring coasts. The Assistance and Pioneer were 

 directed to sail up Wellington Channel, under the com- 

 mand of Sir Edward Belcher. The other two were to 

 proceed, under Captain Kellett, to Melville Island, there 

 to deposit provisions for the use of Captain Collinson 

 and Commander M'Clure, should these gentlemen be 

 successful in making the passage from Behring's Strait, 

 for which they had set sail, it will be remembered, in 

 January, 1850. The North Star was to remain at 

 Beechey Island, as a depot store-ship. 



The squadron sailed from England on the 28th April, 

 1852. On the 6th of July it was making its way through 

 the ice in Baffin's Bay, in company with a fleet of 

 whalers, which were there beset. Caught at the head 

 of a bight in the ice, with the Assistance and the Pio- 

 neer, the Resolute was, for the emergency, docked 

 there ; and, by the ice closing behind her, was for a 

 while detained. Meanwhile the rest of the fleet, 

 whalers and discovery ships, passed on by a little lane 

 of water, the American whaler McLellan leading. 



The North Star, of the English squadron, followed the 

 McLellan. A long train stretched out behind, whalers 

 and government ships, as they happened to fall into line, 

 a long three quarters of a mile. It was lovely weather, 

 and, though the long lane closed up so that they 

 could neither go back nor forward, nobody appre- 

 hended injury, till it was announced, on the morning of 

 the 7th, that the McLellan was nipped in the ice, and 

 her crew were deserting her. Sir Edward Belcher sent 

 his carpenters to examine her, put a few charges of 



