CAPTAIN M'CLUKE's DESPATCHES. 25 



completed their 19 days, returned from their search towards the S.W., 

 to lat. 71" 10' N., long. 123° 4' W., making, in the aggregate, 50° under 

 the tent, during which he had coasted three sides of Baring's Island, 

 from the north shore of which he looked upon the Polar Sea, and upon 

 the south walked 24 miles on it ; both presenting the same smooth 

 surface, which I consider to be attributable to the long prevalence of 

 north-easterly winds, at the termination of the navigable season setting 

 the heavy ice, which we encountered, and saw resting upon the western 

 side of the island, over to the American and Asiatic shores, which may 

 cause the great difficulty in rounding Point Barrow late in the season. 

 Unfortunately the weather became overcast, which limited his view to 

 the northward, onlv allowing him to observe that the coast was high 

 and bold. Upon this excursion he met with four partitions of the ice, 

 varving in breadth from 10 to 20 feet, apf)arently running across tlie 

 strait ; but, being provided with one of Halkett's valuable little boats, 

 this obstacle, which would otherwise have caused a detour of many 

 miles, was easily overcome. It is impossible to recommend these boats 

 too highly upon a service of this description, where every article of 

 weight is objectionable. Their whole fitting is but 2.ilbs. When not 

 required they form a platform on the sledge to stow the baggage, and 

 when in use they are carried inflated upon the top. Thus, on two 

 occasions, they have been of essential service, without the smallest 

 inconvenience. Lieutenant Cresswell erected a cairn, and deposited a 

 cylinder within it, upon a low beach near Cape Lambton ; he also 

 remarked the vestiges of Esquimaux encampments upon almost every 

 part of the coast upon which he pitched his tent for the night, many of 

 them thickly strewn with the heads of musk oxen, which denotes no 

 paucity of those animals upon these lands: indeed, at the present 

 time both shores of the strait are covered with wild fowl of every 

 description, musk oxen, deer, hares, ptarmigan, and golden plover. 

 This is certainly the most fertile part of the Polar regions, and must 

 be the breeding-place of those animals, which find rich pasturage 

 among its alluvial plains and valleys, unmolested by the Esquimaux, 

 the traces of whose remains, being overgrown with moss, and rotten, 

 have reference to a time long anterior. This party, with much spirit 

 and zeal, performed their return journey of upwards of 160 miles in 

 nine days and a-half, under circumstances reflecting much credit upon 

 them, the lateness of the season being unfavourable to so rapid an 

 advance. All being now on board and in excellent health, with the 

 exception of three of the travellers suffering from frost- nips, our 

 season's travelling operations may be considered to have terminated 

 fortunately ; and, from the close examination which has been made 

 over a vast extent of coast, the direct distance of which, by observa- 

 tion, embraces 800 miles, to which a third may be added for the 

 devious windings of the coast-line, without observing the slightest 

 vestiges of any spar, or other indication of civilized man having 

 reached these shores, I am fully confident that the missing expedi- 

 tion under Sir John Franklin, has never penetrated towards the Polar 

 Sea in this direction, as some portion of the immense mass of stores, 

 spars, or fitments, with which those ships were provided must have 

 been picked up, when driftwood of very inconsiderable dimensions 

 did not escape observation. (A chart, showing the extent of discovery 

 and course of each searching- party, accompanies this letter.) 



