696 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
poor man, for the reason, that he brought his blindness upon 
himself. Capt. Ross was not ignorant, that the cause of the 
fits, with which Buck w r as afflicted, as well as several others of 
the crew, was, by Mr. Mc’Diarmid attributed solely to the fish 
being cooked in copper vessels, without the customary precau¬ 
tion of having them previously tinned ; and, the fore, that the 
complaints of the men were not groundless; nor the effects of 
a captious or a discontented disposition. 
John Wood, David Wood, and Robert Lhreeve were all pro¬ 
mised by Capt. Ross, to be provided with a situation under go¬ 
vernment, but in these cases as in all the rest, the promise was 
not fulfilled. 
Richard Wall applied to be received into the police at Wool¬ 
wich, and obtained the situation. 
Barney Lacfiey made an application for the preventive ser¬ 
vice, and succeeded. 
John Pack and Joseph Curtis applied for gunners’ warrants, 
and are now on board H. M. ship Excellent, under instructions. 
From the foregoing statement, it is evident that the com¬ 
mittee of the House of Commons were in an error when they 
reported, that “ the men had received double full pay until they 
finally abandoned their ship, and full pay after that until their 
arrival in England; and that they have besides been employed 
in eligible situations in the dock yards , or placed in others, that 
will lead to promotion .” 
In regard to the reward bestowed upon the officers, a refer¬ 
ence to the report of the committee of the House of Commons, 
contained in the Appendix, will show its extent; and to Com¬ 
mander now Capt. Ross, there is no reward too great, which 
(he country can bestow upon him, for whatever discoveries in 
geography or nautical science were made during the voyage, 
to him and to him only is the merit due. 
To Felix Booth, esq. the munificent patron of the expedition, 
the King lias been pleased to grant the dignity of a baronet ; 
and his name will for ever stand enrolled as one of the most 
noble and disinterested supporters of the glory of his country, 
and the advancement of nautical science. 
