166 Mr. Edmomton on the Situation and Prospects [March, 



while exploring Prince Regent's Inlet. In the second place, it 

 assumes the passage to be almost straight, and free, which 

 assumption has little to countenance it. Thirdly, the new and 

 more circuitous route ; and although this may be compensated in 

 some degree by a longer season in a lower latitude, and fewer 

 obstructions than in Lancaster Sound, yet the compensation 

 appears scarcely adequate to the purpose. We cannot make 

 out from any satisfactory data the length of the working season 

 under the parallels in question. In lat. 51°, at the south corner 

 of Hudson's Bay, Capt. James found his movements impeded by 

 ice so early as October, and was obliged to lay up for the 

 winter by the end of November ; it was June before he could 

 stir, and August before the ship was disentangled, making little 

 more than four clear months, and even during the whole sum- 

 mer, the bay was infested with ice. The entire working period 

 in Lancaster Sound, at least in the meridian of Melville Island, 

 which is exactly that of the Copper Mine River, did not exceed 

 49 days, according to Capt. Parry. Now the parallels under 

 which we have placed the expedition are upwards of 15° north of 

 Charlton Island, where James wintered, and certainly not more 

 than 7° south of Lancaster Sound. If then we give three com- 

 plete months for the open working season, it may be all that 

 can well be allowed. If Capt. Franklin was able to survey 500 

 miles of coast, it would argue to be sure a pretty long season for 

 active operations, though, on the other hand, the winter appears 

 to have set in upon him so early as the end of August. But here 

 we are all in the dark, not long to continue so we trust. 

 Fourthly, if they kept hold of the American coast, which Capt. 

 Parry deems essential to success, they might have been seen or 

 heard of by Capt. Franklin, had they penetrated to within even 

 200 miles of the longitude of the Copper Mine River. Yet this 

 of itself is not much ; the natives may have destroyed their 

 signals and beacons ; besides, they might easily pass unseen by 

 Capt. Franklin. Fifthly, admitting that they did get beyond the 

 Copper Mine River the first season, still there is an unexplored 

 way of equal or greater length lying between them and the lon- 

 gitude of Behring's Straits, which, would occupy fully as much, 

 if not more time in exploring. At least so we must conceive of 

 it, especially if we keep in mind that the forward advance of one 

 season is no absolute criterion by which we can judge of the 

 advance made in another. Capt. Parry, not having, during the 

 whole summer of 1820, pushed westward 10 miles beyond the 

 spot to which he reached in 1819. Sixthly, there is a fact stated 

 by this able commander, that the quantity of ice kept increasing 

 as they advanced westward ; and although he accounts for this 

 with his usual penetration, by the increasing distance from the 

 coast of the ocean, and expects it not to happen after reaching 

 midway, but, on the contrary, that it would decrease as they 

 approached the western sea coast of America, from the well- 



