﻿1848. INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE ADMIRALTY. 29 



Hope, for the use of a party wliich he purjDOses sending 

 thither in the spring of 1849, you are to make the neces- 

 sary arrangements with Sir George Simpson for that 

 purpose, as his directions to that effect must be sent early 

 enough to meet the Company's brigade of Mackenzie 

 River boats at Methy Portage, in July 1848. 



" Should it appear necessary to continue the search a 

 second summer (1849), and should the boats have been 

 housed on the Coppermine, you are to descend that river 

 on the breaking up of the ice in June 1849, and to 

 examine the passages between Wollaston and Banks's and 

 Victoria Lands, so as to cross the routes of some of Sir 

 James C. Ross's detached parties, and to return to Great 

 Bear Lake in September 1849, and withdraw the whole 

 party from thence to winter on Great Slave Lake, which 

 would be as far south as you will have a prospect of 

 travelling before the close of the river navigation. 



" Should you have found it necessary to return to the 

 Mackenzie (September 1848), instead of pushing on to 

 the Coppermine, the search in the summer of 1849 would, 

 of course, have to be commenced from the former river 

 again ; but should circumstances render it practicable and 

 desirable to send some of the party down the Coppermine 

 with one or two boats, you are at liberty to do so. 



" A passage for yourself and Mr. Rae will be provided 

 in the ' America,' British and North American mail- 

 steamer, which sails from Liverpool on the 25th of March, 

 and you will receive a letter of credit on Her INIajesty's 

 Consul at New York for the amount of the expense of 

 your journey from New York to Saut Ste. Marie, and the 

 carriage of the instruments, &c. 



'* And in the event of intelligence of the * Erebus ' and 

 ' Terror ' reaching England after your departure, a com- 



