LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
629 
for it took place in Capt. Ross’ tent ; but we may be allowed to 
express our doubt of Commander Ross being ignorant of the 
circumstances, when they were well known to the whole of the 
crew: but we shall perhaps be able to show, that the circum¬ 
stances, which gave rise to the solitary exercise of Capt. Ross’ 
controlling power, were not greatly to his credit, and therefore 
the professed ignorance of Commander Ross was perhaps ex¬ 
cusable in him. 
To return to the narrative. Commander Ross had been ab¬ 
sent 11 days from the main body, and the greatest anxiety now 
began to be felt for his return. The stock of provisions was 
nearly exhausted, and if no good tidings were received from 
Commander Ross, in a few days, the greatest fear w r as enter¬ 
tained, that they wmuld be obliged to retrace their steps to the 
place where they had left the boats, if it were only to take 
advantage of the provisions, which were buried under them. 
Often were the men tantalized with the sight of ducks and other 
aquatic fowls, which came within gun-shot of them; but had 
they killed them, no use could be made of them as an article of 
food, from the want of fuel to dress them. At the latter end 
of the journey, however, a few were killed, and carried to Fury 
Beach, where they formed a most dainty meal for the officers. 
It was on the 24th June, whilst the main body were travelling 
on the ice, about a mile and a half from the land, that, on casting 
their eyes a little to the north-west, they espied Commander 
Ross, and his sledge, drawn by his two companions, with the 
silk union jack flying on a boarding pike, denoting thereby 
that the stores were safe on Fury Beach. It would be a difficult 
task to describe the joy and exultation, which pervaded the 
whole of the crew, on the receipt of this glorious intelligence, 
for the two parties immediately proceeded towards each other, 
when Commander Ross imparted the additional pleasing intel¬ 
ligence, that the boats of the Fury were still on the beach, 
although they had been washed off, but had been fortunately 
washed on shore again. The distance to Fury Beach, from 
where Commander Ross fell in with the main body, was only 
four days journey; and on the following day he reported, that 
