108 BEPORTS OF VESSELS HAVING BEEN SEEN. 



that old fellow ; and withal so utterly unconscious of 

 the troublesome nature of his interference, that he 

 was the more provoking. 



It can scarcely be imagined how much time, 

 ingenuity, and perseverance were required to obtain 

 anything like definite information ; and although the 

 employment could not be otherwise than interesting 

 and instructive, one felt at its close weary beyond 

 belief. How many schemes were resorted to in 

 order to gain our ends ! The whole army of signs 

 brought into the field, with reinforcements of sketches, 

 models, and every possible aid by expression of 

 countenance and inflection of voice. Such great and 

 long-continued endeavours could not be wholly 

 unfruitful; and I think, indeed, we had very good 

 reason to be satisfied with the information acquired, 

 as it set at rest any doubts which had been raised 

 respecting the fact of ships having been seen. 



We elicited unmistakeably that four vessels had 

 been observed in the Straits lately, all going south- 

 ward ; two of these were represented to have had 

 three masts, and the others only two. One had 

 been seen six months ; two, five ; and one, four 

 months ago ; but from their descriptions none 

 answered at all to either the " Erebus," " TeiTor," or 

 " Herald." There can now, however, be little doubt 



