278 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP. I could not in justice remove him; more especially at a moment when 
the service to be performed was inseparable from risk. Mr. Smyth, the 
^ 826 ^’ senior mate of the ship, who executed the greater part of the drawings 
which illustrate this work, was placed with Mr. Elson, who had besides 
under his command a crew of six seamen, and two marines. 
My instructions to Mr. Elson were to trace the shore to the north- 
eastward as far as it was possible for a boat to navigate, with a view to 
render the earliest possible assistance to Captain Frankhn ; and to ob- 
tain what information he could of the trending of the coast, and of the 
position of the ice. He was also directed to possess himself of facts 
which, in the event of the failure of the other expedition, would enable 
us to form a judgment of the probable success which might attend an 
attempt to effect a north-eastern passage in this quarter : and further, 
he was to avoid being beset in the ice, by returning immediately the 
wind should get to the north-west or westward, and not to prolong his 
absence from the ship beyond the first week in September. He was at 
the same time ordered to place landmarks and directions in conspicuous 
places for Captain F ranklin’s guidance ; and if possible, on his return, to 
examine the shoals off* Icy Cape. 
We steered together to the northward with foggy weather until 
midnight on the 17 th, when I made Mr. Elson’s signal to part company, 
and he commenced his interesting expedition with the good wishes of all 
on board. We continued our course to the northward until four o’clock 
in the morning of the 18th, when the fog, as is usual in the neighbour- 
hood of the ice, cleared away, and we saw the main body in latitude 
71 ° 07' N. nearly in the same position we had left it some days before. 
It was loose at the edge, but close within, and consisted of heavy floes. 
We tacked near it, and found it trending from E. to S. W. (mag.) There 
were no living things near it, except a few tern and kittiwakes ; which 
was rather remarkable, as the edge of the ice is usually frequented by 
herds of amphibious animals. As we receded from the ice, the fog again 
thickened, and latterly turned to small snow. The temperature was 
about the freezing point. At noon the sun broke through, and we 
found ourselves in latitude 70 ° 18' N., and by the soundings about twelve 
miles from the land, which was not seen. By this we discovered that 
