580 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
clear of ice, there would have been a great probability of find¬ 
ing a passage ?”•—‘ To which Capt. Beaufort replies, undoubtedly 
The circumstance of discovering a sea clear of ice, in a lati¬ 
tude of 70 north, and longitude 90 west, must have been a 
phenomenon, which could only have presented itself to the 
imagination of one of the erudite members of Capt. Ross' com¬ 
mittee ; at all events, the whole evidence of Capt. Beaufort 
went to prove, that the quantum of merit to be awarded to 
Capt. Ross, which waste be an equipoise to the sum of £5000, 
was very small indeed ; in fact, he strips from his brow some 
of the very laurels, which Capt. Ross had, in his own evidence, 
so strenuously labored to attach exclusively to himself. We 
allude particularly to the great advantages, which the whale 
fisheries are supposed to have derived from the discoveries of 
Capt. Ross, and which, one of the members estimates at 
£2,000,000 annually, although we strongly suspect, that the 
information on that subject, was obtained from Capt. Ross him¬ 
self. Capt. Beaufort is asked, “ To whom do you attribute the 
discovery of the whale fishery on the west side of Baffin’s bay f’ 
The gallant captain must at this moment have been laboring 
under the greatest stupidity, not to discern the drift of the 
question ; for it was expected, that, considering the object for 
which the committee were assembled, his complaisance would 
have carried him so far as to announce, that he considered Capt. 
Ross as the discoverer, although it must have appeared rather 
singular to him, that any discovery, which Capt. Ross might 
have made in the year 1818, should be then brought forward 
to bolster up his claim for the grant of £5090, for the great 
talent, which he evinced, and the services, which he had ren¬ 
dered to his country in the year 1830-3. The answer, however, 
which Capt. Beaufort gave, was directly contrary to the one, 
that was desired, for he replied, “ To the several voyages that had 
been made there, but to none in particular It was, however, 
necessary, that Capt. Ross should be made to have something 
to do with those discoveries, although, if the members had been 
guided by any prudence, or if they had been in any degree 
acquainted with the great extent of the discoveries made by 
