96 Rev. Mr Scoresby on Circumstances connected with the 



ter were suggested as matters of interest, meteorology, including 

 observations on atmospherical electricity ; hydrography or natu- 

 ral history of the sea, comprising experiments and observations 

 on its depth, currents, saltness, and temperature both at the sur- 

 face and at considerable depths ; zoology ; botany ; geology ; 

 magnetism, including observations on the variations of the com- 

 pass, on the magnetic anomaly (or deviation) on ship-board, and 

 on the magnetic intensity. 



Just before this letter was forwarded, my father, who was 

 then in London, and had several conversations with Sir Joseph 

 Banks, and other gentlemen, who were anxious for the success of 

 the intended expeditions, was advised by them, and particularly 

 by Sir Joseph Banks, to send for me, with the view of my being 

 employed in this interesting service. Accordingly I left Whitby 

 on the 11th of December, and proceeded direct to London, where 

 I had an interview with Sir Joseph Banks, who, after a kind ex- 

 pression of his regret that he had not been able to obtain for me, 

 as his anxious wish was, a command in one or other of the pro- 

 jected expeditions, referred me to Mr Barrow for the plan on 

 which they were to be appointed. In the course of a brief con- 

 versation with the latter gentleman, I was told, that, if I wished 

 to accompany either of the expeditions, I must give in my pro- 

 posals to the Navy Board. Finding, however, it was a fixed 

 point that the command of all the vessels then designed for dis- 

 covery, should be given to officers of the Royal Navy, I at once 

 decided, not being disposed to engage in a subordinate capacity, 

 on foregoing the satisfaction I had in some degree anticipated. 



Whatever may have been the bearing of any suggestions of 

 mine on the origination of the recent series of Arctic explorations^ 

 so much at least is certain, that the Quarterly Review is not cor- 

 rect in asserting that Mr Scoresby did not write in his letter to 

 Sir Joseph Banks " about a north-east or north-west passage,"" 

 but " merely acquainted him with the fact of the disappearance 

 of the ice from the coast of Greenland :" And, being mistaken 

 in this important particular, on which Sir John Ross founds his 

 claim on my behalf for some share in the origination of the re- 

 cent expeditions, from the censure heaped upon him of putting 

 forth " a misrepresentation," and " a statement wholly incor- 

 rect,"' the public will, I doubt not, feel it but just to release him. 



