﻿22 beering's straits expedition. 



souo^ht for the " Plover " within the Straits, to 

 which that vessel was to be conducted ; and two 

 whale-boats were to go on to the eastward in 

 search of the missing voyagers, and to commu- 

 nicate, if possible, with the Mackenzie River party. 

 The " Plover " was fitted out in the Thames in 

 December, 1847 ; but having been found to leak 

 when she went to sea, was compelled to put into 

 Plymouth for repair, and did not finally leave 

 England until February, 1848. This tardy de- 

 parture, conjoined with her dull sailing, prevented 

 her from passing Beering's Straits at all in 1848 ; 

 but she wintered near Cape Tschukotskoi, on the 

 Asiatic coast, just outside of the Straits. 



The " Herald " visited Kotzebue Sound, repassed 

 the Straits before the arrival of the " Plover," and 

 returned to winter in South America, with the 

 intention of going northwards again next season. 



The main object of the searching party en- 

 trusted to my charge was to trace the coast 

 between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers, 

 and the shores of Victoria and Wollaston Lands 

 lying opposite to Cape Krusenstern. In a pre- 

 ceding page I have adduced reasons for believing 

 that there is a passage to the northwards between 

 these lands ; and if so, its position makes it the 

 most direct route from the continent to the un- 



