xxx-N-iii Preliminary Chapter. 



4. J>ir John Eoss : the w hale-flslieiy of the North, aud northwest of Bafiiu's 

 Bay.* 



5. Captain Parry : Avhak- fishery of Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, and 



Prince Ee^rent's Inlet. 



(i. Admiral Beechey : whale-fishery of Bering's Straits, in which in the 

 space of two years the whalers of Nantucket and New Bedford obtained cargoes 

 from which it is said they have realized eight millions of dollars. 



To these statements of results may be added with interest the fact 

 that the h^ss of Hfe has been remarkably small. The number of deaths 

 occurring on board of all the ships of all the public and private expedi- 

 tions sent for tlie relief of Franklin and on those engaged in later Arctic 

 explorations up to tlie year 1873 has not exceeded one and seven-tenths 

 l)er cent, of the officers and men employed. At the meeting of the 

 Roval Geographical Society in 1865, Lieutenant Maury remarked that 

 tlie wreck-charts of the British Isles for the previous year showed greater 

 loss tluui did the forty years of Arctic exploration, 1819-59. 



The accompanying map. No. II, shows the unexplored regions at 

 the date of 1818, geographical discoveries subsequent to that date 

 being inclosed within the red lines. Circumpolar Map No. I (to be 

 tMuiid ill tlic })ock('t of the volume) has been prepared to show the chief 

 li.calitics \isit('(l by the officers named in the preceding tables. A few 



On the map accompanyiug Hon. Daines Barrington's "Possibility of Api)roaching the 

 Nortli role," imMislicd in London In 181ri, " BalKin's Bay" will bo found to bavc upon it the words 

 '•a<-c«»rding In the r<-latioii of W. Badin in IfiKI, bnt nol now hclievcd." The facts of this case aro 

 that I'urchaH nn]iar(h>nably oniittt-d pnblishing the map bionght back by the truthful old uav- 

 i;^ator, baying that " tlie Tables of liis .Journal and sayling were too costly to insert." As the con- 

 wfpienre iif thus dis(T<<lit ing Bailin, no wluilerever visited the "North Water "of his bay for two 

 hundred years. Tlie Dutch ojiened a whale-lishery in Davis Strait in 1719, making net prolita 

 during th<' jxTiixl of 17111-1778 of nearly £'J00,0()O. 



In If'l- Capl. .John Jioss found IJaflin's relations to be accurate aud his skeleton chart the 

 hafe guide of a worthy .and able navigator. Ross found the whales large, numerous, aud easily 

 approached. He reportc.l that the libherles might be jiursned with great success. This was the 

 fruit of the litHt expedition for the Northwest Passage. 



