LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
299 
circumnavigated it. The opinion was strongly impressed upon 
the mind of Commander Ross that the Victory was in a very 
critical situation, and he hesitated not to express that opinion 
to Capt. Ross in the most unqualified terms. His arguments were 
however always met by a counter opinion, that no substantial 
grounds existed for such discouraging notions, and that as no 
responsibility whatever rested upon his shoulders, it would be¬ 
come him better to attend more immediately to the departments 
specially entrusted to his care, and leave the management of the 
expedition to those to whom it was entrusted. In fact the evi¬ 
dence before the committee of the House of Commons distinctly 
shows that a difference of opinion existed between Capt. Ross 
and Commander Ross on some very essential points, and in which 
the former was not competent to give his opinion at all. The 
following is one of the many proofs that can be adduced. 
The 170th question to Capt. Ross is, Do you conceive you have 
ascertained the fact, that there is no practical communication 
between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean? Positively to the 
southward of the seventy-fourth degree. 
You do not mean to express an opinion decidedly that it is 
impossible there should be a communication discovered further 
north ? Certainly not. 
You still think it is possible there may be a practical commu¬ 
nication? I think it possible, hut not very probable. 
On this subject Commander Ross is asked, You do not think 
the voyage has furnished any conclusion against the existence 
of a north west passage? No, it has made it still more certain 
than it was before , that a North West Passage ?nust exist. 
Upon what observations made in the last voyage, do you 
ground that opinion? From the additional portion of the out¬ 
line of the continent of America explored upon this occasion on 
the northern coast of America, and the western coast of Boothia. 
Do you believe that it would be practicable to go through 
that North Western Passage? There is no question, that it 
would be much more easy, now that we are acquainted with the 
nature of the formation of the continent of America. 
The following' difference of opinion is however still more 
