PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. 1 1 



to cross the Fury and Hecla Strait, provided any 

 very serious difficulty should present itself. 



" Secondly, The determination, in a similar 

 manner, of the continental coast line from the 

 point of arrival on Prince Regent's Inlet, to the 

 mouth of the River Back, and after passing Mac- 

 onochie island, the continuation of the main 

 shore as far as the Point Turnagain of Franklin ; 

 to cross the strait which is supposed to separate 

 the continent of America from the islands to 

 the northern end of it, tracing the shore to the 

 farthest point of Captain James Ross's discovery, 

 and, if time will allow, to proceed from thence 

 to the spot where he determined, by observations, 

 the position of the northern magnetic pole. 



" You will instruct the officers in command of 

 the two foregoing parties to note down as they 

 proceed, on each day, the state of the sea with 

 regard to ice, the one party in a northern 

 direction, the other to the westward ; and also, if 

 any land should appear in these directions, to 

 like its bearings and probable distance, it being 

 of great importance to ascertain whether the 

 Arctic Sea, to the northward of the north coast 

 of America, be from appearance navigable by 

 ships of considerable burden. 



" In the event, however, of rinding that these 

 positions of Captain James Ross are actually on 

 the continent of America, the party may return 



