LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
447 
cessitv of the incessant labor actually existed, it by no means 
followed, in their opinion, that they were in necessity bound to 
comply with it;—and jespecting the second great and impor¬ 
tant point, it might be true, that the discovery of the North 
West Passage was before them, but it could not be beaten into 
their obdurate and obstinate comprehensions, that the commander 
of the expedition had any legal or professional right to promote 
the accomplishment of it, at the sacrifice of their health, and, 
perhaps, eventually of their lives. Then, it became a serious 
question, whether the excursions on land were to be discontinued, 
or the risk run, of not having the ship in a proper state of equip¬ 
ment, on the breaking up of the ice, to prosecute the voyage. 
Commander Ross was firm and strenuous in his opinion, that it 
was idle to talk of prosecuting the voyage in the quarter, in 
which they then lay, without first ascertaining, whether, from 
the geographical situation of the country, it was possible to 
make any progress at all; or whether they were not, in reality, 
at the utmost extent of their voyage, as far as their direction 
westerly was to be considered. Capt. Ross argued contra, that 
the most infallible way to solve the knotty problem, of their 
having reached the boundary of their voyage, would be to dash 
forward with the Victory, until her jib-boom came in actual 
contact with the land, which was to constitute the barrier to 
their further progress. 
Prudence and Foresight had something to do in the begetting 
of the opinion of Commander Ross, and something very nearly 
akin to foolhardiness was the parent of the opinion of Capt 
Ross ; the sequel will perhaps show to whom the meed of the 
most correct judgment ought to be awarded; at all events, we 
look forward with some feelings of anxious curiosity to ascertain 
the manner, in which Capt. Ross will himself describe the pro¬ 
ceedings of the voyage, from the first to the second winter 
harbour, and whether he will have the candour to attach what¬ 
ever blame existed in those proceedings to that individual, 
who is the most richly deserving of it. 
During the temporary absence of Capt. Ross from the ship, 
not an evening passed over, without some of the men leaving 
