594 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
and on the Sunday after my arrival, I received his majesty's per¬ 
mission to change the name to that of King William.’’ 
The committee were perfectly satisfied with the answer, 
although not the slightest information was given to them, of 
the individual, who affixed the name, nor the time, when 
the ceremony was performed. On this subject we can only say, 
that an opportunity was here afforded to Capt. Ross, of doing 
that justice to a meritorious and highly-talented individual, 
which he richly deserved from him, and without whose services 
his expedition would scarcely have one redeeming feature to 
save it from contempt and oblivion. We hesitate not to affirm, 
that throughout the whole of the evidence, as brought before 
the committee, there was a decided disposition to thrust Capt. 
Ross forward as the grand mover, the primum mobile of all the 
most important transactions, which distinguished the expedi¬ 
tion ; and keeping the individual in the back ground, to whom 
the merit of every discovery was due, and who alone was de¬ 
serving of the favor and gratitude of his country. That the 
evasive answers, which Capt. Ross gave, in many instances, 
could not have been satisfactory to the committee, must be ad¬ 
mitted by every individual, who has perused the report of the 
evidence ; but not in a single instance, did any member of the 
committee, on receiving an evasive answer to his question, 
from which, if correctly answered, some information might 
have been derived, ever repeat his question, or call upon Capt. 
Ross to give some further explanation on the subject then under 
his immediate examination. 
As elucidatory of the foregoing remarks, we will take the ex¬ 
amination of Capt. Beaufort, hydrographer to the Admiralty, 
in regard to the discovery of the position of the magnetic pole, 
and in which the questions are so couched, as if Commander 
Ross had had no concern whatever in the discovery 
“ Have you any reason to believe that Ca/pt, Ross discovered , 
or that he approached the temporary position of the magnetic 
pole, during the last voyage? 1 ’—“ From what he says, he seems 
to have been very near it ; and his observations very nearly 
agree with those of Capt. Franklin and Capt. Parry, in their 
