LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
231 
discover the passage, and it would look very much as though 
I had an object in view. I think it was a twelvemonth after 
that he came to me and said, now it is all over, the reward of 
£20,000 is done away with, and there is no chance of an expe¬ 
dition going out again. I then said to him, I am glad of it, 
and that if he wanted me to assist him I was willing to do so ; 
he was amazingly delighted; on which I told him, I will assist 
you, but remember it must be in the utmost confidence, and I 
will not do anything that is inimical to government. I asked 
him, how we could find out whether that would meet their 
approbation, unless he were to mention the whole circum¬ 
stance, and I said I shall not do anything unless it is kept a 
profound secret. He then informed me that Lord Melville 
was his friend, and he thought he could mention it to him in 
confidence, and ask him if there would be any objection to a 
private individual fitting out such an expedition, Lord Melville’s 
answer was, that he could not see any objection, and that if 
there were any small things lying at Woolwich from the former 
expedition, that would be of service to him, he should like very 
much to forward his views. It was suggested there should be 
two ships and a second was fitted out, (the John,) but the crew 
of that vessel mutinied in consequence of the great delay that 
had occurred, and they proceeded on without her ; the proceeds 
from the sale of this vessel were £1800, therefore my advance 
now rests between £17,000 and £18,000. During the absence 
of the expedition I maintained the men’s wives, expended about 
£380, which has been since stopped from the men out of the 
payment, which has been made to them by government. 
A member of the committee here asked Mr. Booth, To whom 
did you give the command of the expedition ? To Captain Ross. 
Captain Ross was the sole commander ? Yes, he was the sole 
commander, with liberty to appoint whom he pleased under him; 
I only said, let them be men who will be of great service. I 
left the command entirely to him. 
Did you make any stipulation that Commander Ross should 
accompany him? No, it was the wish of his uncle, which I 
thought a very natural one; his uncle said, he was not doing any 
