MAMMALS OF NOETHEEN CANADA 233 



On the question of the " North-west Passage " Admiral Sir 

 Edward Belcher, in volume 2, page 258, of his " Last of the Arctic 

 Voyages," writes: "The original act was to reward any persons 

 who, by sailing from sea to sea, proved America to be an island, 

 and at the period the reward was offered it was considered (I 

 speak subject to correction), by the wording of applications to the 

 Treasury, with the assertion ' that great benefit would arise to 

 commerce.' Now, when Sir Edward Parry made good his claim, it 

 was for the completion of a portion between the meridians undis- 

 covered. The act then, . . . divided the undiscovered spaces 

 into divisional rewards. But inasmuch as Sir John Franklin, Sir 

 John Richardson, Dease and Simpson did not sail through, the 

 rewards to which they were most justly entitled were denied. But 

 to my mind, and to those who are deemed to possess the clearest 

 views in such matters, it has been deemed that the solution of the 

 question (or really that America is sea-washed on its Arctic bounds) 

 would have been incontestably proved had any person passed down 

 Peel's Strait in open water and arrived at the positions visited 

 either by Captain Back in former times, or by Doctor Rae on his 

 late journey (1853-54). 



" It has therefore been assumed by the friends of Sir John 

 Franklin that his ship did so pass down Peel's Strait, and was 

 wrecked in a position which would entitle him, if living, to contest 

 this matter. And my own opinion goes to favor those who have, 

 by much more hazardous voyages than those made by Parry or his 

 successors, determined the commercial interests which may, in con- 

 sequence of their discoveries, and probably will, be pursued at 

 some future period along that sea-washed shore. 



" In this connection I would point out that the time has surely 

 arrived for action in respect to these remote and distant shores, 

 as well as to our immense possessions situated to the north of the 

 American Continent. We already know that there are copper 

 deposits of much value up there. Coal has been met with, and no 

 doubt Iron and other minerals are also present in some sections. 

 The reindeer and musk ox have numerous representatives. Wolves, 

 foxes, and polar bears are not scarce, while many of the rivers 

 abound in salmon and other fish. In the straits, inlets, and larger 

 bays whales, seals and walruses are still in abundance, and call for 

 some attention from Canadian fishermen. Nor should it be for- 

 gotten that there are many portions of the Canada of to-day fertile 

 and of great metallic wealth, which, but a few decades ago, were 

 considered almost worthless; it would therefore be very unwise 

 to assume and continue to hold similar opinions regarding the 



