﻿1847. VARIOUS OPINIONS. 17 



The opinions here quoted are contingent on the 

 supposition, that Sir John Franklin found the 

 state of the ice to be such that he could take the 

 routes in question ; but the several officers quoted 

 admit that, in the event of no opening through the 

 ice in a westerly or south-westerly direction being 

 found, Sir John would attempt Wellington Sound, 

 or any other northern opening that was acces- 

 sible. Commander Fitzjames, in a letter dated 

 January, 1845, says; "The north-west passage is 

 certainly to be gone through by Barrow's Straits, 

 but whether south or north of Parry's Group 

 remains to be proved. I am for going far north, 

 edging north-west till in longitude 140° AV., if 

 possible." Mr. John Barrow, to whom this letter 

 was addressed, appends to it the foUoAving me- 

 morandum: "Captain Fitzjames was much in- 

 clined to try the passage to the northward of 

 Parry's Islands, and he would no doubt endea- 

 vour to persuade Sir John Franklin to pursue 

 that course, if they failed to get to the south- 

 ward." 



]\Iy own opinion, submitted to the Admiralty in 

 compliance with their commands, was substantially 

 the same with that of Sir James Clark Ross, though 

 formed independently ; and I further suggested 

 that, in the event of accident to the ships, or their 

 abandonment in the ice, the members of the ex- 



