NARRATIVE 



OF A 



JOURNEY 



TO THE 



SHORES OF THE ARCTIC SEA 



PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. 



Early in the year 1832 the protracted absence 

 of Captain (now Sir John) Ross, who had sailed 

 in 1829 to the Polar regions, and had not after- 

 wards been heard of, became the subject of 

 general and anxious conversation. A report 

 even reached Italy, where I happened to be, 

 that he and his adventurous companions had 

 perished ; but, having ascertained that there 

 was no other ground for this rumour than the 

 uncertainty of their fate, I shortly afterwards 

 hastened to England, with the intention of offer- 

 ing to Government my services to conduct an 

 expedition in search of them. 



On my arrival, in June 1832, I was informed 



B 



