106 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
able a nature, as to make it next to an impossibility to render it 
a general channel of navigation. 
There were not indeed those wanting, who saw in the conduct, 
which the agents of the Hudson’s Bay Company, as well as of 
the North West Company, observed towards Capt. Franklin a 
latent disposition rather to frustrate him in his attempt, than to 
contribute to its success, and thence they argued, that there 
might be some ground of truth in the report, which was circu¬ 
lated relative to the conduct of those companies towards Capt. 
Ross. Now in the first place it should be observed that in no 
part of Capt. Ross's voyage, did he come into collision with any 
of the factors or agents of the Hudson’s Bay, or the North West 
Companies, nor in his intercourse with the natives did he obtain 
any information, which could authorise him to conclude that their 
excursions had ever extended within the range of the hunters of 
the companies, or of those, who trafficked with them. It should 
also be considered that if any lukewarmness or neglect existed 
on the part of the agents or factors of the two companies, to ren¬ 
der to Capt. Franklin the assistance that was required, and for 
which they were to be remunerated by the government of this 
country, it arose more from the unextinguishable, and in some 
instances rancorous spirit of jealousy, which existed between the 
two companies, than from any distrust or alarm which they might 
have entertained as to the injury which their commerce would 
sustain, were the north west passage to be discovered. 
The foregoing subject has been slightly touched upon in the full¬ 
est spirit of impartiality, in order to exonerate Capt. Ross from some 
of those insiduous and malicious charges which were brought 
against him, and which, as is generally the case, were attended 
with all those exaggerations and amplifications, which the most 
fertile invention could supply, or the most degenerate malignity 
could circulate. To exempt Capt. Ross from all blame is how¬ 
ever a task, which we will not undertake. Had he been sup¬ 
ported in his opinion relative to the existence of the mountains, 
which presented such an insuperable barrier to his further progress, 
had he even made the attempt to convince himself that the moun- 
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