PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. 1Q 



immediately procured, in consequence of his 

 absence from town), you are hereby directed to 

 turn your whole attention to your second object, 

 viz. completing the coast line of the north- 

 eastern extremity of America. You will observe, 

 from the enclosed abstract of Captain Ross's pro- 

 ceedings, that this, also, is become an object of 

 comparatively easy acquisition. By proceeding 

 first to Point Turnagain, and thence eastward to 

 an obelisk in about C9° 37' N. and 98° 40'W., 

 which marks the termination of Captain Ross's 

 progress, — or, vice versa, by proceeding first to 

 this obelisk, and thence westward, — it is believed 

 that you may accomplish all that is now wanting 

 in one season. But even should this prove im- 

 possible, and you find that a second season on 

 the coast is desirable, I believe that I may confi- 

 dently assure you that the means will be ob- 

 tained for that purpose. 



" Your choice of routes will of course depend 

 on the point where the Thlew-ee-choh joins the 

 sea ; on which head, therefore, the Committee 

 has few or no observations to offer. If, as 

 Governor Simpson imagines, it falls into Ba- 

 thurst's Inlet, and is identical with Back's River 

 there, you will of course proceed thence to the 

 eastward; or if any branch of it, or any other 

 river you may meet with, turn decidedly to the 

 westward or eastward, the Committee would 



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