DETERMINED UPON. 25 



ditioned, and with crews so inadequate to the 

 undertaking, might be overcome by powerful 

 ships properly manned and equipped. And, as 

 there was also an opinion that this body of ice 

 was merely a belt, which, if it could be broken 

 through, the sea beyond would be found clear 

 and navigable, vessels of the last-mentioned 

 description were more likely to reach it than 

 any that had hitherto made the attempt, with 

 the exception of those under Captain Phipps, 

 which were thought to have gone out in a 

 peculiarly unfavourable season. 



At all events, whatever arguments might have 

 been founded upon the subject, and there were 

 many, it was generally acknowledged that the 

 time had arrived when the matter should be 

 decided, or, at least, that the attempt should 

 receive the benefit of that advancement of 

 science and art which had been bestowed upon 

 other experiments, and it was evident that it 

 required only some little impetus to set the 

 machine in motion for this attempt to become 

 a great national undertaking. 



It most opportunely occurred in the year 1817, 

 that accounts of a change in the Polar ice, par- 

 ticularly favourable to the undertaking, were 

 brought to England by our whale ships ; and, as 

 it has generally happened in this country that 



