862 



travelled eastward from Melville Island without falling in with Sir 

 James Ross's expedition. If however Sir John Franklin should aban- 

 don his ships and take an easterly course, it is most satisfactory to 

 know that he will find at Port Leopold a store of provisions for twelve 

 months, with fuel and other necessaries, together with the steam 

 launch of the Investigator, which has been lengthened and made 

 available for the transport of Sir John Franklin and his party to 

 meet the whaling ships in Lancaster Sound. 



The great attention which the important subject of terrestrial mag- 

 netism has received from your Foreign Secretary, Colonel Sabine, 

 and other members of the Society, leads me to mention that Lieu- 

 tenant M*Clintoch, under the instructions of Sir James Ross, availed 

 himself of his proximity to the magnetic pole to make several mag- 

 netical observations which are of very great value. 



Sir John Richardson, with his companion Mr. Rae, examined the 

 coast-line of North America, between the Mackenzie and Copper- 

 mine rivers, without finding any traces of the missing ships, or hear- 

 ing any tidings of them from the numerous bodies of Esquimaux 

 with whom they had interviews, Mr. Rae w^as instructed to resume 

 the search in the summer of this year, and to direct his course north- 

 wards, between Victoria and Wollaston lands, and to penetrate, if 

 possible, to the northern shores of Banks's land. The results of this 

 attempt will be known in England in May next. 



During the wanter of 1848-49, Sir John Richardson and Mr. Rae 

 were occupied in making experiments on the magnetic force and 

 intensity with Lloyd's declinometer, and they kept meteorological 

 journals, including the record of the movements of a Delcros baro- 

 meter, which was carried without injury through the interior, and 

 brought back in safety to England. 



It is scarcely necessary to assure you that your Council have 

 w^atched with very great solicitude, the efforts made by these emi- 

 nent and able officers to relieve Sir John Franklin and his party ; and 

 although those endeavours have not produced the desired results, 

 3'-et your Council is most unwilling to abandon hope, and they have 

 felt it their duty to request the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty 

 to call a meeting of those naval officers who have served in the Arctic 

 expeditions, in order that they may deliberate and report to their 

 Lordships respecting the best measures to be taken under existing 

 circumstances, to continue and bring to a successful issue the search 

 for the missing expedition ; and feeling confident that every means 

 will be tried which the vast resources and energies of this great na- 

 tion command, I do sincerel}^ trust that it will be my pleasing task, 

 when addressing you again from this chair at our next Anniversary, 

 to report, that under the blessing of Almighty Providence, the en- 

 durance and skill of British seamen have triumphed over all those 

 formidable difficulties which make the Arctic PvCgions a scene of trial 

 and danger. 



During the past year, or even for a longer period, the progress of 

 scientific discovery abroad appears to have been less striking than 

 usual. The gentle excitement of science is too feeble to hold pos- 



