172 Mr. Edmonstori on the Situation and Prospects, fyc. [Ma rch, 



two or three small ships of war on different routes ; one 

 to make for Sir Thomas Rowe's Welcome, or Repulse Bay ; 

 another for Fox's Farthest ; and a third to look into every creek 

 and corner on the coast of Baffin's Bay, as far even as Lancaster 

 Sound or further ; though there be no great likelihood of the 

 entrance being made this time so much to the northward. 



Why also might not the Davis's Straits' Whalers be encou- 

 raged by a bounty to sail a few weeks earlier than usual, and to 

 employ the time in exploring the coast all the way to the fishing 

 ground ? In a word, suppose any thing and every thing to be 

 done most likely to promote the great objects in view ; namely, 

 the preservation of our dear countrymen and the character of our 

 country. 



Should the apprehensions set forth in this memoir be treated 

 as chimerical, I can only express my hearty prayers that the 

 event may prove them to have been so ; or should it be objected 

 that the proposed measures would be premature, the time not 

 having yet arrived when they may be called for, I reply, that 

 ■it is not the time to send help when it is needed. Months must 

 elapse before it- can by possibility reach them, and months or 

 weeks, nay days, are too precious when the time of their trouble 

 comes. Every one will allow, at least, that the aid had better 

 come too soon than too late ; and that hundreds of thousands of 

 pounds had better be expended in superfluous precautions than 

 that a single man should perish by neglect or delay. 



I trust that the department of the public service to which 

 the management of all this affair has been exclusively confided, 

 is fully and feelingly alive to the duty which it has to discharge 

 on this occasion. Nay it is by no means improbable, that the 

 measures now suggested have long been in contemplation. 

 Most unfeignedly shall I rejoice should this prove true. But 

 public boards cannot find leisure to attend to every thing ; and 

 1 am so unreasonable as to think, that on such an occasion, 

 we ought, if possible, to be prepared for all chances. We can- 

 not forget that La Perouse might have been saved or heard of 

 had ships been timely sent out in search, instead of waiting 

 years beyond the extreme period allowed for the fulfilment of 

 his instructions. But France was then in her political agony. 

 For her, therefore, there was the appearance of excuse or pallia- 

 tion. For us there can be none. But even as it is, the name of 

 Perouse can never be uttered or thought of without feelings of 

 the deepest sympathy, regret, and indignation. Besides, nothing- 

 satisfactory could be anticipated from the labours of those sent 

 out under Entrecasteaux ; for they were evidently move engrossed 

 by their party squabbles, than with the noble object of their 

 search ; and, in fact, when the commander died, they actually 

 quarrelled on these paltry grounds, and separated. Again, the 

 very character and mode of conducting the expedition were 



