'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎6] (17/258)

VI
PREFACE.
of. To preserve these from oblivion, a selection of them
has been published in the form of an Appendix—on the
plan pursued by many of the scientific periodicals at
home, and this is in future intended to be carried out.
Since the earlier of these pages passed through the
press, the discovery of the Ship Resolute, adverted to as
abandoned in the paper on Arctic Discovery, p. 44, has
been recovered under the following singular circum
stances :—
“ Her Majesty’s ship Resolute has been picked up in Davis’ Straits.
The drifting of the Resolute is the most extraordinary instance of drifting on
record. Loosened by nature from its icy prison in the pack ice otf Cock'urn
island, the island next akin to Melville island, the land on which the cache
called Parry Sandstone, the post-office of the North Pole, exists, the
Resolute makes its own way into Davis’ Straits. By what passage 1 This
must ever remain a mystery. The most likely route is that of Barrow Strait,
but Sir E. Parry has placed it on record, and it remains uncontradicted, that
there is no current in that strait. Has the Resolute, then, drifted into
the Atlantic through Jones’ Sound or Smith’s Sound 1 Has it passed
through that magnificent sea of 3,000 square miles, just discovered by Dr.
Kane, the American ! What an interesting tale the Resolute could tell us
if a single human being had been on board It was from the Parry Sandstone
help was sent to the discoverer of the North-west passage, he himself having
given up all hope, not only of reward for his great discovery, but of his own
natural existence. It was from this well known cache—Aye, and from this
very ship, that Lieut. Bedford Pim sallied forth on his arduous journey un
paralleled in arctic travelling, at the low temperature it was undertaken ’ and
thus saved the gallant discoverer of the North-west passage from the death
that awaited him.”
Captain McClure about this time received the honour
of Knighthood, and no man ever better deserved it.
The American expedition under Lieut. Kane, which
lad not been heard of when the narrative was prepared,
returned in safety to New York in December 1855.
ihey had heard no tidings, and met with no traces of