Negative Evidence of the Maps. 81 



chart number 260 of the hydrographic office of the royal navy 

 was the standard map of the polar regions. So far as I have 

 learned, there were but two such charts between 1835 and 1886, 

 one being that of 1835, the other bearing date of December 24, 

 1855. The chart of 1835 had no such land upon it, nor did the 

 first edition (see Scoresby's " Search for Franklin," London, 1852), 

 Avhich bore the note, " corrected to 1849," and such land dis- 

 appeared from the corrected chart of 1855. It appears that cor- 

 rections were constantly made on this chart of 1849, some, even 

 of the most important character, without additional foot-notes. 

 This is strikingly illustrated by a copy of the chart published in 

 the Parliamentary Blue Book referred to by Mr Baker (folio, 

 London, 1852, plate 15). Although the chart has the engraved 

 note, " corrected to 1849," yet there appear thereon the impor- 

 tant discoveries of Admiral Inglefield made in Smith sound 

 during the summer of 1852, which were not known in Great 

 • Britain until his return in November of that year. It is probable 

 that these discoveries were adde I to the chart in the final revise, 

 just as the report was going to press. Sir John Barrow, the great 

 authority on Arctic discoveries, in his polar chart of 1846 

 (" Voyages to 'the Arctic Regions," London, 1847) enters no 

 note regarding the new land. The land referred to, so far as I 

 know, first appeared on the polar map in Richardson's "Arctic 

 Searching Expedition : A Boat Voj^age through Ruperts Land," 

 Longman, London, 1851, this probably being the Longman 

 undated chart of Mr Baker. Later, in chronologic order, it ap- 

 peared in Osborn's " Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal," 

 London, 1852 ; "Additional Papers Relative to the Arctic Expe- 

 dition," etc, London, 1852 (evidently printed after November 1, 

 1852), both quoted by Baker. 



In the Revue Britanique of December, 1853, (Paris,) was pub- 

 lished a map of the polar regions, with the legend " land seen " 

 in 72° 30' N. 161° W. To the southAvest of this land is a dotted 

 line marking the limits of the polar ice in 1849. This evidently 

 is the line of ice charted by the Plover in 1849. Then follows 

 the Russian hydrographic chart number 1495, 1854, quoted by 

 Bake?, with the note, " Indications of land according to the 

 report of the English sloop Plover in 1849." With Mr Baker I 

 have searched in vain for corroboration of this entry. 



The Herald was in company witli the Plover, and the i)arlia- 

 mentary report finds confirmation in Seeman's " Voyage of the 

 Herald,'''' London, 1853, vol. ii, page 106: 



