June 23, 1856.] NOTES ON THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. 107 



travelling had before been attempted. The skill and kind consideration of 

 our gallant leader Captain Richards preserved us, by the aid of a good Provi- 

 dence, from any serious accidents at that inclement season of the year. We 

 returned again, having accomplished that duty most successfully, and were 

 not again allowed to leave until the 10th of April, 1853. 



We found the coast-line very tortuous and indented, the weather thick and 

 boisterous, and it was the end of April before we reached Byam Martin 

 Channel. One glimpse of some distant hills, over a frozen sea of ice, showed 

 at once that we were at the head of a strait, in about 107° W., up which 

 Lieutenant Aldrich and Dr. Bradford had travelled in 1837. Now reduced 

 to three sledges we struck across, W.S.W., for the opposite shore. 



Several days' dense fogs and strong gales gave us the idea of being alto- 

 gether adrift ; and having erroneously struck off for what sailors call a cape-fly- 

 away, when we joyfully struck the land, Capt. Richards and I now trudged on, 

 the coast trending very precisely alternately N. and S., until on the 17th May the 

 state of our commissariat rendered it necessary to leave him to proceed alone 

 for the remaining 42 days for which he was victualled. We were now, you 

 will observe, 37 days out from our ship, or a distance of about 300 miles, 

 Captain Richards's retreat, as well as his advance, having been secured by the 

 assisting sledges ; and he could add to that 300 miles a farther distance of 

 200, making a total of 500 miles out, or 1000 in all. I was trudging back, . 

 when Lieutenant Hamilton, of the ' Resolute,' who came up, via Hecla and 

 Fury Gulf, overtook me, and from him I learned that the ' Resolute ' and 

 * Intrepid ' had, after most strenuous exertions and no small risk, reached 

 Melville Island in 1852. They wintered in Bridport Inlet, ascertained 

 Captain M'Clure's position, and his discovery of the North-West Passage ; 

 and, just before he left, the communication with the ' Investigator ' had been 

 established, and they might be considered rescued, although M'Clure was still 

 determined and hopeful of accomplishing the whole journey in his own vessel. 

 On the 7th of April the searching parties of the ' Resolute ' and ' Intrepid * 

 had started, under Commander M'Clintock and Lieutenant Mecham, to ex- 

 plore W. and N.W., and the route they had taken, in consequence of a pre- 

 arrangement with our division before leaving Beechey Island, entirely clashed 

 with our western work. Rather than come back empty-handed, Captain 

 Richards went on to the ' Resolute,' though, as you may suppose, keeping up 

 an Arctic postal arrangement was hardly worth all the labour and expense of 

 such an expedition as ours had been. I returned to Cape Lady Franklin, 

 sent an officer to Sir E. Belcher, with all the news I had obtained possession 

 of, and then went on working down the west side of Queen Channel. 



When I left the ship, this latter part of our work was not contemplated ; 

 but Captain Richards and I, on thinking it over, thought it best to provide for 

 the search of so important a strip of coast-line. The ice began to break up 

 just as I reached Cape Lady Franklin — indeed in Queen Channel large patches 

 of water had been seen as early as May 12th. A heavy mahogany gig was, 

 however, available ; and, rather than leave the work unfinished, I determined 

 with five men to risk a cruise over the pack. Scurvy had weakened my crew 

 of two. Without tents, or indeed anything but what we stood up in, we 

 started on June 25th from our Cache, and continued leading an amphibious 

 life, alternately upon ice and water, until July 6th, when lack of provisions 

 and the lateness of the season obliged me to turn back. I was then going to 

 the eastward of Dr. Goodsir's position, but not having any chart except my 

 track one with me, did not know how close I was to the limits of MacDougall 

 Bay. Otherwise I might have set another geographical question at rest — 

 although it is my belief that the range of vision down that channel carried me 

 right through and into it. 



I came back to find that Captain Richards had arrived at the Cache in 

 safety, and been recalled as well as myself, as the ships were going to Beechey 



