XX 



INTRODUCTION. 



ceived an idea that perhaps the British government would lend, 

 for a new American expedition, the arctic ship " Kesolute," which, 

 having been abandoned in the ice, had drifted out, and was pick- 

 ed up in 1855 by Captain James Budington, of New London, 

 who brought her to the States, where she was completely refit- 

 ted at our national expense, and returned as a generous gift, in 

 amity and good will, to England. 1 I had heard that she was after- 

 ward dismantled and laid up as a hulk in the Eiver Medway, and 

 I thought it possible she might now be loaned to us for another 

 attempt to be made under the American flag. A printed petition 

 to the British authorities was gotten up and signed by S. P. Chase 

 (then Governor of Ohio), IT. S. Senator George Pugh, and Maj^or 

 Bishop, of Cincinnati ; but, before other names were attached to 

 send it to England, M'Clintock returned with news of what he 

 had discovered. What this was the civilized world is well ac- 

 quainted with. He had obtained a few facts, but still left the 

 matter very mysterious ! That it could have been otherwise was 

 almost impossible by such a hurried and cursory examination of 

 the ground as he made in spring, when the land is clothed in 

 its winter's dress. Nor could he obtain much knowledge of the 

 truth by a few casual interviews with detached parties of Esqui- 

 maux, through an interpreter who he himself says "did not well 

 understand them." No ; neither M'Clintock nor any other civ- 

 ilized person has yet been able to ascertain the facts. But, 

 though no civilized persons knew the truth, it was clear to me 

 that the Esquimaux were aware of it, only it required peculiar 

 tact and much time to induce them to make it known. More- 

 over, I felt convinced that survivors might yet be found ; and 

 again I said to myself, Since England has abandoned the field (I 

 did not then know there were any fresh efforts in that country 

 to renew the search), let me, an humble citizen of the United 

 States, try to give to the Stars and Stripes the glory of still con- 

 tinuing it, and perchance succeed in accomplishing the work. 

 Accordingly, after mature consideration, I determined to make 

 the effort. But how ? what were my means ? what the facilities 

 for reaching the coveted goal of my ambition ? Cincinnati, where 

 I then resided, was in a highly civilized part of the world, where 

 ready transit from one place to another could be obtained ; King 

 William's Land, where I wanted to go, was in the uncivilized and 

 distant regions of the frozen North ! What was I to do ? give it 

 up? Perhaps many would say, as some did say, Yes, what have 



