THE POLAR SEAS. 47 



In the month of May, 1829, Sir John Eoss, accompanied by his 

 nephew, James Clark Eoss, again turned towards the Polar Seas. He 

 entered Prince Eegent's Channel, and there he found the Fury, which 

 had been dismantled and abandoned by Parry, in these regions, eight 

 years before. The provisions, which the old ship still contained, 

 were quite a providential resource to Eoss's crews. The distinguished 

 navigator explored the Boothian Peninsula, and passed four years con- 

 secutively in Port Felix, without being able to disengage his vessel, 

 the Victory. This gave him ample leisure to become familiar 

 with the Esquimaux. Sir John Eoss, in his account of this long 

 sojourn in polar countries, has recorded many conversations with the 

 natives, which our space does not permit us to quote. From this 

 terrible position he was extricated, and emerged with his crew from 

 this icy prison, when all hope of his return had been abandoned. 

 After being exposed to a thousand dangers, Eoss and his crew were 

 at last observed by a whaling ship, which received them on board, 

 after many efforts to attract attention. On learning that the ship 

 which had saved them was the Isabella, formerly commanded by 

 Captain Eoss, he made himself known. " But Captain Eoss has been 

 dead two years," was the reply. 



We need not repeat here the enthusiastic reception Captain Eoss 

 and his companions met with on their arrival in London. 



During an excursion made by the nephew of the Commander (after- 

 wards Sir James Clark Eoss), he very closely approached the North 

 Magnetic Pole. This was at eight o'clock on the morning of the 

 1st of June, 1831, on the west coast of Boothia. The dip of the 

 magnetic needle was nearly vertical, being eighty-nine degrees fifty- 

 nine seconds one minute short of ninety degrees. The site was a 

 low flat shore, rising into ridges from fifty to sixty feet high, and 

 about a mile inland. 



Contrary to the judgment of many officers of experience in polar 

 explorations, the last and most fatal of all the expeditions was under- 

 taken by Sir John Franklin, with one hundred and thirty-seven picked 

 officers and men, in the ships Erebus and Terror. The adventurers left 

 Sheerness on the 26th of May, 1846, the ships having been strength- 

 ened in every conceivable way, and found in everything calculated 

 to secure the safety of the expedition. On the 22nd of July the 



