PREFACE. 



The narrative of my late voyage in search of a north-west 

 passage, having been increased in its length far beyond my 

 expectations, it became necessary to reserve for the Appendix 

 every thing which did not actually belong to the work itself. 

 I have to regret, therefore, that matter of much importance to 

 myself has consequently been postponed; among which I may 

 mention the two following letters, which having been already 

 published in the newspapers, for the purpose of showing to the 

 public that I was not ungrateful for the sympathy so universally 

 manifested towards me and my companions. 



I had, indeed, deemed them an unnecessary addition to the 

 narrative itself, but certainly not without the intention of again 

 gratifying my feelings by publishing them, and some others, 

 a second time, in justice to myself and to those whose humane 

 endeavours cannot be too often or too fully acknowledged. 



