The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-14 00:00:00

ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

The following instructions have been addressed to
Captain Maguire, of the Plover, now engaged in the
Arctic Regions in the search for Sir John Franklin's
expedition :

" Admiralty, Jan. 11,1854.
" Sir,—My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
by their instructions to you, dated the 15th of February,
1853, and transmitted to Behring's Strait by her Ma-
jesty's ship Amphitrite, directed the return of her Ma-
jesty's ship Plover, under your command, from the
winter quarters at Point Barrow to Grantley Harbour
so soon as the season of 1854 would permit. lam now
commanded by their lordships to acquaint you that
Captain Maclure, in her Majesty's ship Investigator,
arrived at a harbiinr on the north-east shore of Banks'
Land, on the 24th of September, 1851, and subsequently
communicated with Melville Island, thereby insuring
the safety of the crew of that ship.
" By your letter of the 21st of August last it appears
that her Majesty's ship Enterprise had been seen by the
natives of the northern shore of America, near the Col-
ville River, in August, 1851. If • Captain Collinson
should have found the same extent of open water along
that shore as was experienced by Captain Maclure, and
if he pursued the same tract, their lordships have rea-
son to expect that he may have been enabled to r each a
thence,
by to the eastward of Cape Bathurst, and
by means of travelling parties, to have obtained, from
the records left by the officers of the Investibat, ,r
,
in-
formation of the proceedings of that ship as a guide to
his future plans.
"In whatever position the Enterprise may at this
time be placed, it, is obvious thathtem the enstnitagecl
ksotpefmr: his
znai spring
reduced
(1854) Captain Collinson,
onlabindon his ship,
:eastward of the Mackenzie
supplies, will be compelled
be presumed that, if: W, z
River, and having found the records of Captain M'Clure,
he will push on with his crew to the north-eastward,
with the view of reaching Melville Island, or he may
divide his ship's company, and send one portion by the
Mackenzie .River, with the intention of reachin the
Hudson's-bay. posts.. g
"If, however, by any unfortunate accident the En-
terprise has been lost, it is by no means improbable
that Captain Collinson may have returned to the Plover.
If such should have been the case, there will 'exist no
further necessity for the detention. of •ths Plover and
Rattlesnake at Behring's Strait, and
.my Lords desire
you will accordingly proceed to San Francisco and Val-
paraiso to wait their further orders. - - . ---
.-
-
"But should no further information have reached you
respecting the Enterprise since she was reported off the
Colville, it will be necessary for you to consider the
expediency of remaining -..for another 'season at Point
Barrow, with the view of affording assistance to Cap-
tain Collinson and his crew, should he still be com-
pelled to fall back on the Plover. On this point we
are unable, from want of information relative to your
proceedin€o since August last, and the further sidings
you may have gained respecting the Enterprise, to give
ymi any definite instructions ; their Lordships en-
tirely rely on your judgment as to the necessity of
your remaining another year. They desire me to ac-
quaint you that the Plover and Rattlesnake are now
detained solely on account of and to afford assistance to
Captain Collinson and the crew of the Enterprise.. If
you feel.- certain that the crew of that ship is safe, you
are hereby directed to discontinue your present service
and to return to Valparaiso.. If you should; however,
after full deliberation, deem it to be essentially necessarY:,
to extend this rservices of the Plover to another winter,
it is tlapin lordships' directions that you should exchange
any of your officers or men, revictual the ship, and again
proceed to Point Barrow, provided the ship and your
crew are efficient; but so soon as the season of 1855
i will admit, that you proceed to Greatly Harbour, wad