72 
KE VIEWS. 
All the vessels hopelessly abandoned during the recent search were 
left at the head of the Atlantic Tide, viz., the “ Investigator,” in Banks’ 
Strait; the “Assistance” and “Pioneer” in "Wellington Channel; and 
Dr. Kane’s vessel in Smith’s Sound. The “ Besolute,” we know, floated 
out into the Atlantic, and probably others also, which, like her, were 
abandoned merely in the ice-floe, but not at the head of the tides. The 
Grinnel Expedition also floated freely out into Baffin’s Bay, not having 
been caught along the dangerous line. 
Is it too much to assert that the “Erebus” and “Terror” also lie, 
deserted by their crews, at some point of that fatal circle, either south 
of Peel’s Sound, or at the bottom of Melville Sound, in some hitherto 
unknown channel, where, as in the Prince of Wales Strait, the Atlantic 
and Pacific Tidal Currents are destined for ever to counteract each others 
movements, and form a barrier of fixed ice-floe along their line of junc¬ 
tion, presenting a gate always locked against the traffic in ships between 
the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans? 
While we write, it is likely that the sledges of M‘Clintock are being 
rapidly prepared to solve this question, and although we do not claim 
the power of foresight, yet we believe that the theory of the meeting of 
the Atlantic and Polar Pacific Tides, which we have propounded in the 
foregoing pages, affords a rational and scientific ground for the confident 
hope we entertain that M‘Clintock and his companions in the “Eox” 
will solve the mystery of Eranklin’s and Crozier’s fate, by finding their 
abandoned ships (and, we trust, papers) locked in the ice of some ill- 
omened bay, like that of Mercy, within ten or fifteen miles of the junc¬ 
tion of the Atlantic and Pacific Tides, in a channel south of Prince of 
Wales’ Land. 
Some competent authorities, including Captain M‘Clintock himself, 
are of opinion that if a vessel could pass from Begent’s Inlet through 
Bellot’s Strait, she might easily make her way down toPelly Point (160 
miles) the farthest north-eastern limit of Collinson’s remarkable voyage 
in the “ Enterprise;” and the same reasoning would of course apply to 
Peel Sound, or a sound further west, between Osborn’s and Wynniatt’s 
farthests. Those who hold this opinion look with some confidence to 
the chance of the “Eox” accomplishing the North-West Passage by this 
route, and coming home through Behring’s Strait along the north shore 
of the American Continent. To us, however, such a chance appears 
hopeless, for the following reasons: firstly , we do not think a vessel in 
such a narrow channel as this must be, could hope to pass the junction 
of the Atlantic and Pacific tides ; secondly , the chances against effecting 
such a passage of the head of the tide are greatly increased in the ill- 
omened longitude 95° W., as we have shown in our former article; and 
thirdly , we believe that Eranklin and Crozier attempted this very pas¬ 
sage, and paid the heavy penalty of loss of lives and ships for the at¬ 
tempt; nor do we believe that the “ Eox’s” screw power could force her 
through. 
We turn now to a highly interesting subject, brought under our no¬ 
tice by Captain M-'Clure and Dr. Armstrong, and which would seem to 
prove that the set of the tides and oceanic currents must have been 
