LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT, ROSS. 
509 
exhibited an instance of great ingenuity, in constructing a 
sledge out of a solid piece of ice, which travelled uncommonly 
well, and, in some respects, was greatly to be preferred to the 
sledges in common use. It was made in the shape of a large 
wooden bowl; and although it was not a very comfortable con¬ 
veyance for the person, yet it answered excellently for the 
conveyance of the provisions and other parts of the materiel con¬ 
nected with the expedition. It must, however, be observed, that 
in these expeditions, they never travelled with sledges over land, 
if they could possibly avoid it. 
It was soon after this expedition was planned, that the good 
understanding which had for a short time subsisted between Capt. 
Ross and his nephew, was again interrupted; and it was a cir¬ 
cumstance, which threatened to defeat not only the immediate 
objects, which they had in view, but in reality to endanger the 
actual success of the expedition. It was w'ell known to all the 
crew, that Commander Ross was the very life and soul of all the 
schemes and plans, that were brought forward, by which any 
progress could be made towards the final accomplishment of the 
end, which they had in view; whilst, on the other hand, Capt. 
Ross was himself a passive subject; he was the oldest man on 
board, and very ill calculated, on account of his age, and his 
corporeal infirmity, arising partly from the wounds, which he had 
received in different actions in which he had been engaged, and 
partly from an absence of that energy of character, which declines 
with the growth of years, to take upon himself the performance 
of those active duties, which became indispensable on account 
of the peculiar situation, in which the Victory was placed. 
It has been seen, by the admission of Commander Ross, that 
he did not consider himself as acting under, or being subject to 
the immediate orders of Capt. Ross, and, therefore, as he was, 
in some certain points of view, an independent officer, acting 
upon his own judgment, although with no responsibility attached 
to him, it became doubly unfortunate that the two officers did 
not act in concord with each other, but were continually at vari¬ 
ance, during which time, neither of them knew nor seemed to 
