LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS, 
513 
performed', and therefore the postponement became a matter ot 
necessity. 
The return of Capt. Ross was not looked for, for some days, 
but, to the great surprise of the crew, he suddenly made his 
appearance amongst them, leaving his party nearly a day’s 
journey behind him. From the well known repugnance of 
Capt. Ross, to expose himself, without the most urgent necessity, 
to any inclemency of the weather, his arrival could not have 
been looked for on this day, as the wind was excessively high, 
with the snow drifting so heavily, that it was difficult to discern 
a hundred yards in advance. His motive for leaving his party, 
and travelling to the ship by himself never transpired; nor, 
perhaps, was there any foundation for the rumour, which was 
current on board, as to the cause which impelled him to an act, 
so contrary to his general mode of action $. for as to any benefit 
of a geographical or scientific character, resulting from his ex¬ 
pedition, it was the general opinion, that he might just as well 
have remained comfortably in his cabin. 
At half past one in the morning, Capt. Ross’ party arrived at 
the ship, completely exhausted with fatigue, and one of the crew 
with his foot frost-bitten, which happened to him on the day 
of his starting from the ship; but it was not judged by Capt. 
Ross, to be a case of such urgency, as to call upon him to send 
the man back to the ship; but it was generally considered, that, 
if necessity had nothing to do in the business, humanity had a 
great deal, but it appeared at the time, that it was not convenient 
to pay any attention to its call. The whole of the party returned 
in a very precarious state of health, which was attributed, in a 
great degree, to their being put upon an allowance of fish, to the 
total exclusion of meat; at the same time, that their weekly 
allowance of bread was not sufficient to last them three days. 
It was impossible to decide on what principle Capt. Ross 
could suppose, that his men could sustain the continual fatigue 
and labor, to which they were exposed, on such a weak and 
watery aliment as fish, which, as an article of human food, is 
known to possess proportionably the least quantity of nutritive 
matter, of any kind of sustenance which is adapted to the sup- 
2%. 3u 
