PREPARING TO RB-ASCEND. 
211 
herbaceous plant, either a Plumbago or Salvador a, to 
produce blisters, and it acts with rapidity and vio- 
lence ; nothing is, however, considered so efficacious as 
the mediation of the priest. 
As it was desirable to be ready for any emergency, 
whether for going up the river or for returning to 
England, should orders arrive from Government for 
the abandonment of the enterprize; and they were 
most anxiously looked for, — every heavy and bulky 
article which coxdd be spared was landed,, with the 
view of lightening the vessels, and enabling them to 
take in as much coal as possible; and the' Wilberforce’ 
was laid on the beach for the purpose of clearing the 
bottom, which was found to be very foul. 
The arrival of Lieutenant Littlehales in the ‘ Dolphin’ 
gave an opportunity of showing our gratitude to that 
kind officer for his great humanity to our sick 
men. 
'Wednesday, April l^th. — H.M. steam-vessel 'Driver,’ 
on her way to China, arrived, bringing no instructions 
from Government. Some newspapers, however, con- 
tained a speech made by Lord Stanley on the 5th 
March in the House of Commons, in which he stated, 
that “ Her Majesty’s Government did not feel them- 
selves justified, even for the important purposes for 
which it was thought right to dispatch the last Expe- 
dition, to run the risk of sacrificing the health and 
lives of more of Her Majesty’s subjects by repeating 
the attempt. So far then as white men were con- 
p 2 
