2*0 CAPTAIN M'CLURE's DESPATCHES. 



These were soon launched ; only getting them through the pancake ice, 

 which was by this time an inch thick, was attended with great difficulty. 

 The sea ice also rapidly setting to the northward, the boats after each 

 transit had to be carried south before being launched, so as to insure 

 their reaching the only spot from which the party to be relieved could 

 embark. This operation commenced at 10.30. p.m., and by midnight 

 we were all over, and reached the ship at 2.30 a.m., all parties meeting 

 with heavy falls, but receiving no accident of consequence. I cannot 

 refrain from noticing the excellence of Halkett's boats, or speak in too 

 hio-h terms of the ingenuity of their inventor. These admirable little 

 articles were inflated on board, and with the greatest facility carried 

 upon a man's shoulders over ice which, from its excessive roughness, 

 no other boat could by any possibility have been got across without 

 being smashed. By their means a large party were relieved, who were 

 without tents, clothing, fuel, provisions, or in any way provided to 

 withstand the severities of a polar night, with the thermometer 8 degrees 

 minus. The consequences to them might have been very serious ; as it 

 was, however, the annexation of Prince iVlbert's Land to the British 

 Crown was considered to have terminated so favourably, that I directed 

 an extra supper and allowance of grog to be issued to my energetic crew 

 as a reward for their eight hours' vigorous exertions. 



Being dissatisfied with the view obtained from Prince Albert's Land 

 respecting the waters we were now in as to their connexion with 

 Barrow's Strait, which would settle the question of a north-west passage, 

 I determined to proceed in that direction with a traveUing party, al- 

 though rather late in the season, as soon as I felt that the vessel might 

 be safely quitted, which I judged would occur after the ensuing spring 

 tides, if at that period there was no commotion among the ice. Accord- 

 ingly, upon the 21st, everything being favourable, I started with Mr. 

 Court, second master, and the following men, — Robert Calder, captain 

 of the forecastle ; Robert Tiffeney, captain of the maintop ; JNlichael 

 Flynn, quartermaster ; George Brown, A.B. ; Peter Thomson, captain 

 of the foretop ; and James Saunders, private, Royal Marines. The 

 ice, for two miles from the ship, was so rough that Lieutenant Haswell 

 and the whole of the ship's company were occuiped in carrying the 

 sledge and different articles of lading. At 8 am. the sledge was finally 

 packed, when, with the fatigue party, in charge of Mr. Wynniatt (mate), 

 accompanied by Dr. Armstrong, as an amateur, we set off towards the 

 north-east at noon ; the fatigue party having taken us eight miles, were 

 directed to return. Soon after they quitted us we got among very 

 difficult ice. The sledge was broken, but, quickly fishing it, we pro- 

 ceeded. Unfortunately, scarcely an hour had elapsed, when in crossing 

 a floe, the inequalities of which were imperceptible, it came down with 

 such a crash that it broke into pieces. This was unlucky, but, pitching 

 our tent, Mr. Court and Peter Thomson (captain of the foretop) started 

 for the ship, where they arrived at 7.30 p.m., and rejoined the next day 

 at 2 p.m., with a fresh and larger sledge, and a fatigue party, with Mr. 

 Wynniatt, to carry the damaged one back. (This party, upon iny 

 return, I found did not get on board until the following day, being 

 stopped by a heavy snow drift, but, having a tent and provisions, did 

 not suffer.) As soon as the new coiners were refreshed, the sledge was 

 packed, and by 3 p.m. we were again off, continuing our course, with- 

 out any further disaster, until 3.45 p.m. of the 2Gth, when we had the 



