TIDINGS OF M'CLURE. 397 



of Baffin's Baj into the unknown ocean around the 

 pole. 



In the autumn ">f 1853 the deep interest of the British 

 nation was arouse 1 by the return of Captain Inglcfield, 

 in the Phoenix, with despatches conveying the intelli- 

 gence that the north-west passage had at length been 

 discovered by Captain M'Clure, of the Investigator, who 

 had passed through Behring's Strait, and sailed to 

 within a few miles of the mo^t westerly discoveries 

 made from the eastern side of America, at which point 

 he had been frozen up for more than two years, and 

 where his ship still lay, unable to advance or to retreat. 

 No vessel had yet made the entire passage ; but, from 

 the two extreme points of discovery, on either side, 

 parties from the Investigator had walked over the frozen 

 ocean ; and one gentleman namely, Lieut. Cresswell, 

 the bearer of despatches from Captain M'Clure had 

 sailed from England, entered Behring's Strait, and 

 returned again to England by the Atlantic Ocean, hav- 

 ing thus passed through the long-sought north-west 

 passage. 



This interesting intelligence, coupled with the an- 

 nouncement of M'Clure's safety, concerning which much 

 anxiety had begun to be felt, was joyfully received ; 

 and Lieut. Cresswell, the bearer of the good news, was 

 treated with marked attention in England. At a public 

 dinner, given him in his native town of Lynn, Sir Edward 

 Parry, who was present, made some remarks on the 

 probable fate of Sir John Franklin, which will be read 

 with interest in this connection : 



" While we are rejoicing over the return of cur friend, 

 and the probable return of his shipmates, we cannot but 

 turn to that which is not a matter of rejoicing, but rather 

 a matter of sorrow and regret that there has not been 

 found a single token of our dear long-lost Franklin and 



