CAPTAIN NAPES LEA VES FOB ENGLAND. 245 
removed from the head of our expedition, which had 
hitherto worked so well, and produced such valuable 
practical results, under his direction. Still we could 
not help recognising the importance of having one 
of his experience in command of the Arctic Expedi- 
tion, which will have the best possible chance of 
coming to a successful issue under his guidance. 
On the 10th December he left (accompanied by 
Lieut. Aldrich *) in the mail-steamer for England, 
taking all our hearty good wishes ; “ and may God 
bless him and his endeavours,” we all fervently echo. 
Captain F. T. Thomson, who was on the station in 
command of the Modeste , is appointed to take Captain 
Nares’ place, and all we have to hope is that the 
remainder of the cruise will go on as successfully as 
it has hitherto done. 
Jan . 6*A, 1875. — At length the seven weeks have 
passed ; the mail is in, after some grumbling at it 
being a few days late ; for now if the gun announcing 
its arrival does not fire within the forty-two days, 
everybody begins to complain — fewer days nearly 
than a century ago it required weeks. 
* Who was succeeded by Lieut. A. Carpenter. 
