54 NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



position in which the North Star passed the winter. Shortly after I 

 left Beechey Island in my yacht, the Isabel, in 1852, a violent gale 

 which I encountered in the Straits drove the North Star on shore, 

 where she remained during the whole winter, and was only got off 

 this spring, with much difficulty. 



I omitted to mention that on our return south through Baffin's Bav, 

 we tried for soundings at a spot marked in the track chart, with 2,870 

 fathoms, without getting bottom. The line was upwards of three hours 

 and a half in running out, and the lead employed more than a half 

 hundred weight. — (This despatch is signed " E. A. Inglefi eld. 

 Commander.''^) 



The following letter, from Rear-Admiral W. E. Parry, copied from 

 the Times of Novem.ber 9th, gives an interesting sketch of the proceed- 

 ings of Lieutenant Cresswell, of the Investigator, the bearer of Captain 

 M'Clure's despatches, from the time he left his ship in Mercy Bay 

 until he arrived in England : — 



Before Captain M'Clure left the Investigator for Melville Island, he 

 arranged for Lieutenant Gurney Cresswell to follow with the more 

 sickly part of the crew. The party consisted of Mr. Wynniett (mate, 

 now lieutenant, invalided home), Mr. Piera (assistant- surgeon), Mr. 

 Miertsching (Esquimaux interpreter), and 24 petty officers, marines, 

 and seamen. 



April loth, at 5.30 a.m. — They left the ship, the remaining part of 

 the officers and ship's company giving them three hearty cheers. There 

 was one sick man on the sledge from the time they left the ship until 

 their arrival at the Resolute. The wind blew strong from the west- 

 ward, with snowdrift ; but, as all the requisite arrangements had been 

 made for their start. Lieutenant Cresswell did not postpone it. At 

 6 p.m. they sighted the eastern land of the bay, and fouud by it that 

 they had made a good course. Shortly after leaving the ship, Corporal 

 Farquharson and Joseph Tacey broke down, and were obliged to fall 

 out of the drag ropes — the former having pains in the chest, the latter 

 suffering from a fall shortly before leaving the Investigator. They 

 encamped on Point Back, about ten miles from the ship. On the 16th 

 they started at 6 a.m., but travelling proved very heavy, and the men 

 already showed signs of weakness. The l/th they rounded Cape 

 Hamilton. The ice had been thrown up by tremendous external pres- 

 sure, between which and the land they had to drag the sledges. To 

 accomplish this they were obliged to double-man the sledges — taking 

 two over at a time. As soon as they found a chance of pushing their 

 way through the hummocky barrier that lined the shore, they struck 

 off on to the sea-ice, and encamped about two miles from the land. 



April 22nd. — They sighted Melville Island. Their daily journeys 

 varied ; sometimes the sun gave them a look to cheer them on their 

 way, but, generally speaking, the weather was gloomy ; the men suffer- 

 ing from weakness and fatigue, and the difficulty of drawing the sledges 

 increasing from day to day. The ice was extremely rough and hum- 

 mocky. One day they came upon a large field of ice, from which the 

 wind had blown away the snow, and the weight of the sledges appeared 

 comparatively nothing. They were passing rapidly along, when one 

 man was found to be missing. It was a poor fellow who liad showed 

 symptoms of mental imbecility, but until then had travelled with the 



