-LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
517 
part of tlie country; they were called by the sailors Tommy Cod ; 
but they were in reality the fish known by the name of the Coal 
fish. It ; s a fish of very low estimation as a table fish, a d is 
seldom seen in our markets, although they have their habitation 
as near to our shores as the Dogger Bank. But the value of 
things depends, in a great measure, upon the circumstances in 
which the thing itself is found: a bowl of water, in the desert, 
would carry in value its weight in gold; and to the famished tra¬ 
veller, the food, that would be rejected and despised in the hour 
of plenty, becomes in the time of want, an estimable dainty. 
Capt. Ross having returned by himself, on his arrival at the 
ship, he despatched Mr. Mc’Diarmid and five men, to the assistance 
of his party, whom he had left about ten miles to the southward. 
Either from the vagueness of the directions given to Mr. Mc’Diar¬ 
mid, or that he took a course contrary to those directions, it un¬ 
fortunately happened, that he missed Capt. Ross’ party, who 
arrived at the ship without him, worn down with fatigue, at 
2 o’clock in the morning, having been nearly 12 hours in travel¬ 
ling 10 miles. Mr. Mc'Diarmid and his party returned about five 
hours afterwards, having fallen in with the track of Capt. Ross’ 
party, by which it was clear to them, that all further search was 
unnecessary, as their course was in a straight direction for the 
ship, and, therefore, their arrival before them, was a matter 
of very little doubt. 
On the llth, three Esquimaux with their wives, each having* 
three children, came to the ship, and brought eighty pounds of 
salmon and cod-fish; seme of the former were dried and some 
fresh; the weight of the latter was from 6 to 14 oz. On the 
following day, another party of natives arrived, bringing 36fbs. 
of salmon ; and SJlbs. were served out immediately to each man, 
in lieu of preserved meats. In this unpardonable manner did 
Capt, Ross persevere in forcing upon bis men a kind of food, 
which, as a general one, was injurious to their health, and to¬ 
tally unfit to support the physical strength, which they were 
daily and hourly called upon to exercise. 
On the 13th, Commander Ross and his party arrived, after an 
absence of 29 days He had penetrated a great deal further 
