'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎46] (157/258)

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46
DR. G. BITIST
extricated, and Captain Kellet with the Resolute and Intrepid had returned
from Melville Island, further search was to be given up, and the whole of
the expeditions were to return home ; if Captain Kellet was found unable to
move, then his ships were to be abandoned, and he and his crews to return.
The Phoenix reached Disco on the 4th July. Though the accounts received
from Upernavick of the return of a whaler unable to force a passage through
Melville Bay, Captain Inglefield resolved to make the attempt. He was for
tunate in the course of his progress. On the 29th they reached the seam
of coal discovered by themselves the previous year, and took seventy tons on
board. They were driven to sea by a storm. Failing to penetrate the ice
in this direction after many fruitless attempts, they returned to Livelez
in Greenland, where they coaled in full. Leaving on the 7th August,
they took the pack abreast of Upernavick, 72° 30’ N. For ten days
they pushed their tedious way, blasting and boring through the ice,
especially retarded by the freezing of the sea around them over night. By
the 19th they had reached the nearest water. Near Cape Castlereigh they
found the remains of the stores deposited by the Norh Star in 1850—the
bulk of the provisions had been carried away by the Esquimaux, and whole of
the cases burst and casks stove in. Part of the flour was serviceable,
and so much of it as could be made use of was taken on board. In six
horn’s from the time of anchoring they stood out to sea. Captain Inglefiekl
landing at Cape Warrender to inspect a cairn he had constructed the pre
vious year. Soon after this both vessels grounded, and remained fast for
twelve hours, but on their stores being placed in the boats were got off with
out injury. They reached Beechy Island on the 26th, having as they neared
observed the North Star looming through the fog. The crews of all the ves
sels were immediately taken on board, and sailed for England next day, where
they arrived on the 6th October : nothing worthy of notice occurring during
the voyage. The Commanders were, according to the rules of the service, tried
on their arrival for the loss of their ships. They were all fully and honorably
acquitted save Sir E. Belcher, who was acquitted fully but not honorably,
though it is by no means obvious why he should have been made an exception.
The Plover, which since 1848 had remained stationed at Port Barrow r , 600
miles north of Bhering’s Straits, as a provision ship, and had received sup
plies from the Herald the following year, now stood in need of further assist
ance ; and the Rattlesnake, Captain Trollope, was ordered to get in readi
ness. She sailed in February, and was to be attended by a steamer to Cape
Horn, and towed through Magellan Straits. This amount of assistance
having been considered altogether inadequate, Lady Franklin, who had just
received a donation of LI,600 from Van Dieman’s Land and from the Colo-