240 Arctic and A nt arctic Exploration [part i 
Erebus was Graham Gore, who was at the battle of 
Navarino, and with Sir George Back in the Terror. He 
served in the China war under Nias, who had been 
Parry's midshipman in his first two voyages and was " a 
man of great stability of character, a very good officer, 
and the sweetest of tempers " wrote Fitzjames. The second 
Lieutenant was Le Vescomte, who was First Lieutenant 
with Fitzjames in the Clio ; the third, Fairholme, had been 
through trying adventures in Africa. When in command 
of a prize slaver he was wrecked on the African coast and 
captured by the Moors, who carried him off as a prisoner, 
but he was ultimately rescued by some French negroes on 
the Senegal. He next served with Fitzjames in the Ganges 
in the Mediterranean, afterwards volunteering for Trotter's 
Niger expedition. He went up the river as far as 
Egga, but was invalided. Afterwards he was in the 
Excellent and Superb until he joined the Erebus. He was 
a zealous, smart young officer, as also was Des Voeux, 
who was with Fitzjames in the Cornwallis. He was then 
"a most unexceptionable, light-hearted, obliging young 
fellow." Of the two youngest officers, Sargent and 
Crouch, many good things were said. In the Terror were 
Hodgson, who was with Fitzjames in the Cornwallis, and 
Irving, a relation of Sir George Clerk of Penicuick 1 , who 
had had experience of roughing it in the Australian bush. 
Hornby- — a good officer and messmate but a little disap- 
pointed at having so long to wait for his promotion — and 
young Thomas, were the mates in the Terror. Dr Goodsir, 
a man of considerable scientific attainments, was the 
naturalist in the Erebus, and Macdonald, the Assistant 
Surgeon of the Terror, had been for a cruise in a whaler, 
and had some knowledge of the Eskimo language. 
Sir Edward Parry was often down at Woolwich when 
the ships were fitting out, giving Fitzjames the benefit of 
his experience. The Erebus was an old bomb vessel of 
370 tons, very strongly built, and with a capacious hold. 
The Terror was also a bomb vessel, rather smaller, of 
340 tons, repaired after Back's voyage, and specially 
strengthened. Fitzjames was very anxious to have steam 
power. There was little time, but it was arranged that 
1 The Civil Lord of the Admiralty who signed Parry's instructions. 
