622 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
which was his bed, and eat his biscuits so that none should see 
or hear him. 
The crew were about five days in reaching 1 the place where 
the boats had been left; no time was then lost in proceeding 
with them, and they succeeded in dragging them eight miles 
further; but the travelling became here so difficult, the ice 
forming almost a complete barrier, that it was determined 
to leave the boats, and proceed with the sledges, three in 
l umber, to Fury Beach. The place where the boats were left, 
was called Good Harbour, and a considerable quantity of pro¬ 
visions was buried under them, in case they should have to 
return to them in the following August or September; for it 
was running considerable hazard to proceed to Fury Beach, with 
the great uncertainty existing, that any provisions, or any thing 
else were to be found there, it being then three years since the 
Victory visited it last. 
It was here that Capt. Ross mentioned a circumstance to his 
men, which set them all in a state of wonder, as not the slightest 
whisper of it had ever been heard before, nor could they for 
a moment believe, that there was any truth in the strange report 
which he made, but that it was done to answer some purpose, 
which they could not at that time discover. It may be remem¬ 
bered, that Capt. Ross declared, before the committee of the 
House of Commons, that he would not have considered himself 
warranted in undertaking the expedition, if he had not known 
that the Fury’s stores were in good preservation, and only 
waited his arrival to be formally taken possession of, not in 
the name of his Britannic majesty, but of Capt. John Ross, who 
had every reason to look upon them as a far greater godsend, than 
England once received from Austria, in the shape of £500,000, 
one half of which was immediately voted away, to support the 
reckless extravagance of George IV., in his soi-disant improve¬ 
ments of Windsor castle. 
By what power of divination or of witchcraft, Capt. Ross 
had arrived at the knowledge of the stores of the Fury being 
still on the beach and in good condition he totally omitted to 
impart the necessary information ; nW did any of the members 
