LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
109 
mountains, was to carry the flag’ of Britain into the Pacific. 
This individual was Felix Booth, Esq., late one of the sheriffs of 
London, who possessing a generous confidence in the ability of 
Capt. Ross, and a sincere sympathy for the poignancy of his 
feelings, deserted him not in the extremity of his distress, and 
nobly stepped forward with the true spirit of patriotism and dis¬ 
interestedness, to replace on the brow of his gallant friend, the 
laurels, which envy and malignity had so unjustly and unde¬ 
servedly torn from them. It must however, not be omitted to 
state, that a portion of the expence was defrayed by Capt. Ross 
himself, independently of which he had to engage the crew at 
his own risk; government not even guaranteeing the compara¬ 
tively trivial expense of wages. 
After inspecting several vessels, Capt. Ross finally purchased 
the Victory, which was originally a Liverpool trader, but in the 
opinion of many nautical men, who examined her, she did not 
present that promising appearance which ought to accompany a 
vessel, destined for the service in which she was to be engaged. 
In March 1829, she was taken into Mr. Fletcher's dock, at Lime- 
house, for the purpose of being fitted out for the expedition, it 
being the determination of Capt. Ross, that she should combine 
the advantages of steam power with the perfect capability of a 
sailing vessel. It however became a problem insoluble by many 
accustomed to the navigation of the Arctic seas, as to the manner 
in which a steam engine could be rendered of any use, when 
navigating among fields and floes of ice ; on the contrary, whe¬ 
ther it would not prove rather an incumbrance, and an appen¬ 
dage more to be deprecated than coveted. Originality is one 
of the characteristics of genius, and as no decided proof of the 
possession of that great virtue, had been as yet given by Capt, 
Ross, it was perhaps, most advisable and politic in him to at¬ 
tempt something, which had never been attempted before, and 
which, in the plenitude of their natural dulness, not one of his 
predecessors had ever thought of. Great, original, and glorious 
indeed was the idea of ploughing the Arctic fields of ice, by 
means of steam, and if need required, by the same power of 
towing an iceberg from its position, where it might appear to 
