EXPECTED RETURN OF SIR JOHN ROSS. 157 



landing his stores on Melville Island*, we may 

 expect that he at least will bring further intelli- 

 gence in October or November next. 



* Sir John Ross took with him four carrier pigeons belong- 

 ing to a lady residing in Ayrshire,, intending to liberate two 

 of them when the state of the ice rendered it necessary for him 

 to lay his vessel up for the winter, and the other two when he 

 discovered Sir John Franklin. A pigeon made its appearance 

 at the dovecot in Ayrshire on the 13th of October, which the 

 lady recognised by marks and circumstances that left no doubt 

 on her mind of its being one of the younger pair presented by her 

 to Sir John. It carried no billet ; but there were indications, in 

 the loss of feathers on the breast, of one having been torn from 

 under its wing. Though it is known that the speed of pigeons 

 is equal to one hundred miles an hour, the distance from Mel- 

 ville Island to Ayrshire being in a direct line about 2,400 miles, 

 is so great, that evidence of the bird having been sent off about 

 the 10th of October must be had, before that we can well believe 

 that no mistake was made in the identification of the individual 

 that came to the dovecot. Sir John's letters from Lancaster 

 Sound mention that when he wrote he had the pigeons on 

 board. 



