Chap. XIV. MISCELLANEOUS. 519 



Commander James Ross — 



" What was your experience in former voyages ? 



" I had been in five former expeditions, and had been en- 

 gaged about ten years in those seas. 



" Did you, in fact, accompany all the preceding Arctic 

 expeditions sent to those seas on discovery ? 



" I accompanied all the recent expeditions sent to those 

 seas on discovery. 



" On how many of them had Captain Ross been ? 



" Only on the first. 



" How many summers have you passed on those seas ? 



" Fourteen summers, and eight winters. 



" You do not think the voyage has furnished any conclu- 

 sion against the existence of a north-west passage ? 



" No ; it has made it still more certain than it was before 

 that a north-west passage must exist. 



" Upon what observations made in the last voyage do you 

 ground that opinion ? 



" From the additional portion of the outline of the conti- 

 nent of America explored on this occasion, on the eastern 

 coast of America, and the western coast of Boothia. 



" Do you believe that it would be practicable to go through 

 that north-western passage ? 



" There is no question that it would be much more easy 

 now that we are acquainted with the nature of the formation 

 of the continent of America." 



Captain Francis Beaufort examined : — 



11 Has the voyage undertaken by Captain Ross, in your 

 opinion, been equal in importance, with respect to the ques- 

 tion of the north-west passage, with previous voyages under- 

 taken for the purpose of ascertaining it ? 



" I do not know how to shape an answer to that question, 

 unless by measuring the number of miles discovered in each 

 voyage. 



