296 VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAP, appointed place in Kotzebue Sound without finding 

 ' J the anticipated relief. 

 Oct. The enterprising voyage of Captain Franklin down 



^^^^' the Mackenzie, and along the northern shores of the 

 continent of America, is now familiar to us all, and, 

 considering that the distance between the extremities 

 of our discoveries was less than fifty leagues, and that 

 giving him ten days to perform it in, he would have 

 arrived at Point Barrow at the precise period with our 

 boat, we must ever regret that he could not have been 

 made acquainted with our advanced situation, as in 

 that case he would have been justified in incurring a 

 risk which would have been unwarrantable under any 

 other circumstances. Let me not for a moment be 

 supposed by this to detract one leaf from the laurels 

 that have been gained by Captain Franklin and his 

 enterprising associates, who, through obstacles which 

 would have been insurmountable by persons of less 

 daring and persevering minds, have brought us ac- 

 quainted with an extent of country which, added to 

 the discovery it was our good fortune to push so far 

 along the shore to the westward of them, has left a 

 very small portion of the coast unknown. 



The extent of land thus left unexplored between 

 Point Turnagain and Icy Cape is comparatively so 

 insignificant that, as regards the question of the north- 

 west passage, it may be considered to be known ; and 

 in this point of view both expeditions, though they 

 did not meet, may be said to have been fully successful. 

 From the nature and similarity of the coast at Return 

 Reef and Point Barrow, it is very probable that the 

 land from Franklin Extreme trends gradually to the 

 eastward to Return Reef, leaving Point Barrow in 

 latitude 7P 23' 30" N. the northern limit of the con- 

 tinent of America. 



