438 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
these voyages of discovery, as to leading to the conclusion, that 
a passage might be found, have totally failed ?— They have been 
totally disproved. 
Commander Ross being examined on the foregoing subjects, 
and having stated his firm belief of the existence of a North 
West Passage; the question is put to him, supposing the North 
Western Passage to be accomplished, would it be at all bene¬ 
ficial to commerce ?— It is quite uncertain , he answers, what 
benefits may result from it—in favorable seasons it may be 
possible to get through it, with very little difficulty ; for instance, 
on our last voyage we sailed in an open sea, where it is usually 
covered with ice; but it was a remarkably favourable season; 
such seasons may occur periodically, if so, there would be no 
difficulty , on those occasions, in getting from Baffin’s Bay to 
Behring's Straits. 
Do you believe that any attempt to penetrate, would be at¬ 
tended with danger?— Nothing more than the ordinary danger 
of navigating the northern seas. 
Any more than in a common whaling expedition?— None, 
except a little more perhaps from being unnecessarily close in 
with the land , but nothing to deter the attempt . 
Thus, in the first place, we have the exhibition of Capt. Ross’ 
not only collecting specimens himself in natural history, but pre¬ 
venting every one under him from collecting any ; at the same time, 
that we have the statement from the mouth of his nephew, that his 
uncle does not understand any thing about natural history, or 
any of the sciences, which so particularly engaged his own 
immediate attention during the voyage ; and we have a right, 
therefore, to draw the inference, that whatever scientific dis¬ 
coveries were made, or which may be laid before the public, 
in the work to be published under the immediate inspection 
and sanction of Capt. Ross, are in no ways to be attributed to him¬ 
self, but to his more accomplished nephew, on whom the whole 
burthen of the undertaking seems to have rested. In fact, it is 
impossible to peruse the evidence of the committee of the House 
of Commons, without being forcibly struck with the disposition, 
which appears to have actuated some of the members of it, 
