<i^Trrpy~^ ----- 
-9Jin extract from, my answer i* Mr, £w 
ford's letter . * 
“The calculation yosi recommend, ns a y -• 
think, he estimated for the route along the ean 
©oast of America* at aeout one hundred thous¬ 
and dollars,—only two or three 
strong' whaling 1 vessels of between tv/o and three 
Siuudred tons each, were (\b they -could be) 
made to answer.. In ©a3e the party were ulti¬ 
mately obliged to proceed on the ice, one hun¬ 
dred men, well-armed, and provided with hand 
sledges and snow shoes would he necessary, 
besides the sailors necessary to remain with 
the ships. But the probability is that by pro¬ 
ceeding towards the mid-day sun, after being 
certainly beyond the verge, a passage by water 
could be found along the east coast of ourcon* 
frneivt. By reducing the number of men, the 
cost would 'be proportionably lessened. The 
west coast of America would do as well as the 
east, except, that such route would require 
mere men, money and time. 
If a eufhciency of game should not he found, 
’in case of journeying on the ice) in one direc¬ 
tion, before the provisions or? the sledges get 
too k>w, we must return to -the ships and try 
another course; however,there is strong ground 
to believe, that such sudden return would 
he necessary^ but that a v/ .rm country and 
plenty of game wotdd soon be found in the di¬ 
rection 1 propose. Thetime to leave the ships 
-and start on the ice, is early in October, and 
-we-ir.ust return to the vessels again, at least be¬ 
fore the succeeding August, so as to sail back 
thro* the icy region in all August and Septem 
Iber, while the absence of the ice v/ill admit. 
The vessels should leave our shoves in time 
to reach the icy barrier, early in August. 
If the passage, be sought in the southern re- 
jpens* 20*0.00 dollars would serve, as there is] 
reason to expect that a free passage by water ’ 
to the interior', exists any where in a southerly 
direction from JTerco Holland, hence a small par¬ 
ty would answers %rA a whaling voyage could 
the'o&ade on the rotite&osne, and the sailors fee 
bg.sh&seB o£ the proceeds” 
J. 0. S. j 
** Mrs. S. is no further opposed to my un¬ 
dertaking than this : she thinks I am losing my 
time, believing as she does that I will never be 
supplied with an outfit, and that I shall not be 
rewarded for my trouble. Born and educated 
on the Indian borders, (Detroit) eighteen years 
with her two successive husbands in the army, 
accustomed to consider the honor of a military 
man far more dear than his life, she cannot, 
without changing, but wish, as she does, to see 
nse well embarked on such an enterprise. 
