The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

SATURDAY,

Baffin's Bay, and were there lost, nor did they
sink with all on board in any part of Lancaster
Sound, or Barrow's Straits. Somewhere in the
Arctic seas they mato have been, but where ?
The question call only be answered by study
of thy-Arctic man.
Had the ships gone up Wellington Channel,
the voyagers, on deserting them, would have
made for Melville Island, or the entrance of
Lancaster Sound ; and the same may be said
had the• ships been lust or deserted in any
part et the sea connecting Melville Strait with
Baffin's Bay. We conceive that the ships,
after leaving Beechey Island, must have taken
some channel or other to the south-weat. as on
this supposition alone can we account for the
appearance of the party on the north shore of
King Williams Island. No supposition is so
probable as that the vessels feund open water
leading to the south after passing Cape
Walker, and got inextricably involved in the
ice, between the furthest land explored in
that direction and the sea known as Victoria
Strait.
To our mind, the sledge party under Captain
OMMANEY and Lieutenant OSBORN was the
most unsatisfactory result of the Austen Expe-
dition (1851). It determined nothing, when
it might have determined everything. Lieute-
nant OSBORN could not, we think, have been
far from falling on some traces of the missing
ships when he began to retrace his steps. It
was in that direction, if anywhere, that FRANK-
LIN was to be found, and though the search,
as we now know, would have been too late at
that time, yet its neglect was inexcusable. If
earlier made, how different might have been
the result from that which Dr. RAE has ascer-
tained. It was that south-west sea which
FRANKLIN was most expressly ordered to
explore ; and it was that course which he
repeatedly and decidedly expressed his inten-
tion of taking. One of the latest notices we
have of him in FITZJAMES'S journal relates how
he gave an account of his expectation of
" being able to get through the ice on the
" coast of America." He obeyed his instruc-
tions and fulfilled his word, and might suppose
that aid would seek him where he was most
likely to be found.
The Admiralty should not hesitate to send out
Dr. RAE to collect authentic particulars of the
catastrophe on the spot where it occurred.
The journals of the expedition may yet be
recovered, or, at least, some record of what
ham been achieved and suffered may be pre-
served. Another duty yet more urgent must
not be lost sight of. Captain COLLINSON is
left, by the inconsiderate return of Sir E.
BELCHER, to struggle with the intricate navi•
gation of what may now be fairly termed " the
" North-West Passage," without the succour
which may be essential to his safety. It is
Nearly five years since he left England, and
nearly four years since he entered Behring s
Strait ; the strength of his crew must be
impaired ; and, if prompt measures be not
taken for his relief, the Franklin tragedy may
be repeated in his case. We know with
tolerable certainty where he is to be found,
but this knowledge will surely avail him
nothing if it does not contribute to his relief.
It is unlikely he will be able to extricate his
ship ; and our Administration will be guilty of
neglect, equally cruel and culpable, if it fails to
send an expedition in search of him.
THE "EDINBURGH REVIEW" AND THE
COALITION.
THE current number of the Edisburgli con-
tains a remarkable article on the " New
Ministry of War," some of the statements
in which are not likely to be read with much
pleasure by certain members of the present
motley Ministry. The propriety of uniting
the several military departments under one
head has already been discussed, and, per-
haps, exhausted in interest, by the public
press. It was evident, during the last sessions
that it was not right views upon unity of the
War-office, so much as the presence of s
resolute will and a leading mind, that
Ras
required in the Cabinet. With able men
vuii,
the War-office, the old system might ha