202 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VI. 



made in the discovery of a North-West passage, 

 which was the main object of the voyage. The mea- 

 sure he contemplated appears to have been a bold 

 one, and one which, situated as the ships were, could 

 not possibly have been attended with any advantage 

 to that object, and would to a certainty have been 

 productive of fatal results to himself and the whole 

 crew ; but let him speak for himself : — 



" Flattering as our prospects appeared at the commence- 

 ment of the past summer, our efforts had certainly not been 

 attended with a proportionate degree of success ; and little 

 satisfaction remained to us at the close of the season, but 

 the consciousness of having left no means within our reach 

 untried, that could in any way promote our object. It re- 

 quired indeed but a single glance at the chart to perceive 

 that whatever the last summer's navigation had added to 

 our geographical knowledge of the eastern coast of Ame- 

 rica and its adjacent lands, very little had in reality been 

 effected in furtherance of the North-west Passage. Even 

 the actual discovery of the desired opening into the Polar 

 Sea had been of no practical benefit in the prosecution of 

 our enterprise ; for we had only discovered this channel 

 to find it impassable, and to see the barriers of nature 

 impenetrably closed against us, to the utmost limit of the 

 navigable season. 



" Viewing the matter in this light, it appeared to resolve 

 itself into the single question, by what means the resources 

 of the expedition could possibly be extended beyond the 

 period to which they were at present calculated to last, 

 namely, the close of the year 1824. Only one expedient 

 suggested itself by which that object could be attained ; and 

 this I determined to adopt, should no unforeseen occurrence 

 arise to prevent it.— It was to send the Hecla to England 

 in the following season, taking from her a twelvemonth's 



