20 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. II. 



When looking out for proper persons to command 

 the intended expedition, Sir George Hope, who 

 had been flag-captain to Sir James Saumarez, and 

 then a Lord of the Admiralty, recommended Com- 

 mander Ross as an active arid zealous officer, and 

 well practised in the ordinary duties of the seaman's 

 profession. The ordinary duties of a good seaman 

 are well known ; that he can hand, reef, steer, and 

 heave the lead, keep the dead reckoning, and take and 

 work an observation for the latitude ; how much be- 

 yond this Sir George does not appear to have pledged 

 himself. Indeed, Ross states somewhat modestly, in 

 his introduction, — " My nautical education has 

 taught me to act, and not to question ; to obey orders 

 as far as possible, not to discuss probabilities, or exa- 

 mine philosophical or unphilosophical speculations. 

 I have here attempted nothing beyond the journal 

 of a seaman ; if I had done more I might have 

 done worse." 



Now something beyond the general character 

 given by Sir George Hope was required from an 

 officer, who ventured to accept the command of an 

 expedition for the purposes of enlarging the wide 

 field of science and discovery, and moreover for that 

 of a peculiar discovery ; one that had baffled the 

 skill of the most able and persevering navigators 

 for a period at intervals of more than three hundred 

 years. It has been truly observed, that " this is a 

 service for which all officers, however brave and 



