214 ABCTIG SEAS. 



smile upon our more humble, yet more arduous, pedestritE 

 explorations ' Hope on, hope ever 1 ' 



We hurry over the details of the winter months, the 

 monotonous and dreary solitude of which was endured 

 with a cheerfulness which speaks volumes for the crew 

 and their officers ; and look in again upon the little 

 band as on the 17th of February, 1859, the sledge 

 parties left the ship for the first time on their several 

 journeys. 



From the western extremity of Bellot's Strait, the 

 coast of Boothia, and the whole coast of King William's 

 Island, to the mouth of the Great Fish River, was to be 

 thoroughly explored ; while to the north, the coast of 

 Prince of Wales' Island was to be traced to the point in 

 latitude 72 50', reached by Sherard Osborn in 1851. 



Captain Young, of the mercantile marine, whose enthu- 

 siasm in the cause had not only induced him to abandon 

 lucrative appointments in command, and accept of y a 

 subordinate post on board the Fox, but to subscribe 

 JB500 in aid of her outfit, was now, with a few men, 

 about to start for the purpose of depositing provisions in 

 the last - mentioned direction, in view of the more 

 extended search in the spring, and Captain M'Clintock, 

 with Petersen and another, to leave for the south, for a 

 similar purpose, and to. communicate with the Eskimos 

 of Boothia. Both parties returned in safety in the follow- 

 ing month, and M'Clintock with important intelligence, 

 bearing on the main object of the expedition. 



H< had encountered, in the immediate vicinity of the 



