NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 49 



a ship to meet him at Port Leopold in 1854. The thirty men are on 

 their way over to me now. I shall, if possible, send them on to Beechey 

 Island, with about ten men of my own crew ; to be taken home the 

 first opportunity. 



"The seven remain by the ship. Livestiffator will now h.a\e ihirtj-^Ye 

 men, officers, and all. I must stay here myself another winter, if Li- 

 vestigator does not break out this year. But Intrepid will go, please 

 God, direct to England, with half Investigator's crew, and the portion 

 of mine sent to Beechey Island." 



*' 2nd May. Investigator s second party, consisting of Lieutenant 

 Cresswell, Wvnniatt, Mr. Piers, and Mr. Miertschins:, arrived, brinsino" 

 two men on their sledge. They made an extraordinary passage across 

 for men in their state. The greater part of them are affected with 

 scurvy, but are rapidly improving. 



" I have given M'Clure, who has been with me for fourteen days, 

 orders to desert his ship if the medical officers are of opinion they 

 cannot stand another winter, or if there are not twenty volunteers to 

 remain. M'Clure is in capital health. I cannot explain to you my 

 feelings on shaking hands with him. You will find from his despatch, 

 his, on Pirn's meeting him on the floe. I thought I had the best officers 

 the navy could produce in the Herald. My present are certainly their 

 equals. Nothing can exceed their zeal. My only duty has been to 

 restrain within proper limits, and to direct it." 



Her Majesty'' s Steamship Phoenix, off Thurso, October 4. 



Sir, — I have the honour to report to you, for the information of my 

 Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, my arrival from the Arctic 

 regions, bringing with me the important intelligence of the safety of 

 the Investigator, and the discovery of the North-West Passage, though, 

 unhappily, without finding the slightest traces of the missing expe- 

 dition, either by this route, or on the field of search occupied by the 

 squadron under Sir Edward Belcher's command. 



I am the bearer of despatches from that officer and Captain Kellett ; 

 and Lieut. Cresswell, of the Investigator, whom I appointed from the 

 North Star as supernumerary to this ship, is charged with the letters 

 and journals of Commander M'Clure. 



By the Biligence their lordships will have been informed of my 

 proceedings up to the time of my arrival at Disco.* I will, therefore, 

 now briefly state what we have since done, and then, in obedience to 

 the fifth clause of their lordships' orders, relate what information I have 

 obtained with reference to the expedition, and the discoveries which 

 have been made. 



On leaving Disco I proceeded, with the Breadalbane in tow, to 

 Upernavik, there to obtain dogs, and to communicate with the Inspec- 

 tor of North Greenland concerning the disposal of the Rose of Hull. 

 On the afternoon of the 14th of July we reached this place, and the 

 ships heading off while I landed, in two hours we proceeded up the 

 coast. 



The following day, passing Cape Shakleton in a calm, I took advan- 



* Disco Island is ofFtiie coast of Greenland, just beyond the limit of the accom- 

 panying map. 



P 



