LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT, ROSS. 
075 
by enlarging the boundaries of the habitable and inhabited 
world ; Capt. Ross has established his fame, by the discovery of 
the continent of Boothia, and the monuments, which he there 
erected, to celebrate the great achievement. Whether the 
future wanderer in those climes, will discover those monuments, 
is one of the secrets, which it must be left to futurity to dis¬ 
close; but it was natural to suppose, that during the temporary 
sojourn of Capt. Ross in the vicinity of Batty Bay, other subjects 
of a nature more momentous and important, than monument 
building, would have engrossed his active and comprehensive 
mind. 
But a reverse of fortune, as is generally the case, had not 
with him effected any change in his ruling passions ; for, during 
the leisure hours of the men, when a considerate commander 
would have embraced the opportunity, which presented itself 
of enabling them to recover their strength, by rest and relaxation, 
he, on the contrary, despatched them to the hills, on which to 
erect his monuments, and thereon to affix his name, which the 
winds of heaven will blow upon, and the storms of heaven beat 
against, until, in the lapse of time, not a vestige will be left to 
tell to after ages, the name of him by whose command they were 
erected. As objects, which might in a certain degree be ne¬ 
cessary for the prosecution of the surveys, which Commander 
Ross instituted in their winter harbours, the monuments, which 
were there erected, might be considered as not wholly use¬ 
less ; but to employ his men in the building of monuments, 
when they were literally worn down with fatigue, and the 
inclemency of the climate, betokens such a want of all consider¬ 
ation and common feeling, that no wonder need be excited at 
the disrespectful terms, in which the crew speak of him, nor 
the culpable charges, which they have brought against him. 
Whilst the men were employed building the monuments, 
Capt. Ross had set the engineer to work to cut out a tin 
weather-cock, which was fixed on the top of a boat’s oar ; giving 
directions to the steward to ascend one of the highest hills, 
and to stick it on the top, building a heap of stones around it, 
to prevent its being blown away. The avowed purpose of this 
