Year: 1875

DOCTOR HAYES THE ARCTIC ExpLoRER's,


OPINION OF CAPTAIN ALLEN YoUNG's VOYAGE


AND RETUBE-wHAr HE ACCOMPLISHED AND


WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AccoMPLIsHED-A


GRAND OPPORTUNITY LosT-THE REASONS


WHY.


New YORK, Nov. q, 1875
To EDITOR or THE HERALD


have read in the HERALD Of the 18th inst letter
from Sir Leopold McCntock concerning the cruise of
the Pandora without wishing to be at all critical or
in any way TO reAectupon enterprise in which you
took so great an interest, would like to make few
observations upon the general of that cruise
and the subject which its failure naturally suggests


Sir Leopold McClintock Of the most renowned
OF Arctic explorers. His that direction began
almost the very first days Of the search for SirJohn
Franklin and he has been TO the Arctic perhaps
frequently, has on the whole occupied more
important commands, made longer sedge journeys
over the while searching for cew to the fate
OF the crews OF the Erebus and Terror and acquired
more credit for his and less criticism for his
failures than any other officer who has figured this
matter His last attempt all who inter-
ested in the subject know, was made in the
steamer Fox which, under his command and
with Captain Allen Young date commander Of the
Pandora) as his principal officer sailed from England





OF Franklin in quarter where, as Dr. Rae had beyond
question proved, he had gone With all his expe
rience however and all his knowledge Of ice naviga
tion be allowed himself to get ia the perilous
coast IN Melville Bay, and on the 26th Of August was
there Aozen fast for the winter and but for the
rent ne would have remained there. Fortunately the
current carried his ship south through the winter and
on the Goth OF April after Imprisonment the ice
OF eight months and drift Of some eight
hundred miles, the Fox finally liberated
His being caught this trap simply
tile result Of cnging too closely to the land
Had he held to the westward be would doubtless have
passet Melville Bay without difficulty, everybody
else has done who has pursued tnat course. II is no
argument therefore, Of exceptionally open
that the Alert and Discovery, under Captain Mares ex
perenced little difficulty in crossing Melville Bay
and, II the report OF their having done IS the
best thing the Pandora has done, as Sir Leopold
appears to think then / should say the Pandora had
performed very needless task; for under ordinary
circumstances reach the Carey Islands, where Cap
tain Mares left his dispatches which the Pandora
brought home, is not difficult or dangerous than
to 20 IRON here to Liverpool.


But think she did


SOMETHING IMPORTANT


than that which 10 point out the exact course
or Franklinis expedition and 70 show that be on
the right road 10 the Northwest Passage For there is
no doubt that Franklin went down Peel Strait and
near the end Of caught among the ice fields and
hopolessly bcset His ships we're then abandoned
and McClntock found the only record yet discovered
pointing to the fate OF the or his ships. why
the Pandora did not perseycre her course has been
a frequent subject of comment, and Sir Leopold
points to the fact that Captain Young eek
ercised the soundest judgment and discretion
in efIecting his escape With all Difference
for SO eminent authority ! do not think So and
since the Pandora in . position which no ship
since the time ffranklin had succeeded in reaching
think it pity that full advantage taken Of the
opportunity. The summer hardly be said
10 have ended the Pandora left Peel Strait for
home. She was not beset; the leo 'paekn ahead was
Of uncertain width and the only untoward to be
anticipated with seriousness the possible necessity
Of wnerng in the ice for which the Pandora
seems to have been abundanty prepared and which
il was believe, generally expected she would do.


Now, fully believe that the


NORTHWEST PASSAGE


can be accomplished in this direction and proba-
by the only direction in which passage will ever be
made; for we can hardly consider the journey per-
formed by Sir Robert Mcclure in 1853 a passage IN
the true meaning OF the word, nasmuch as hls ship,
the Investigator, was abandoned In the ice and Nc.
Clure with his party, travelled 500 miles OF
ice before being picked up by ship which had come in
through Lancaster Sound from the eastward, while
Mcclure had gone in from the Pacific by way Of Behr-
ing strait following the coast line Of the main land Of
North America until the meridian OF Banks
Land was reached, whom he sailed north, and,
rounding the north coast Of Banks Land tried to sail
east on the parallel Of "A deg 80 This route sr
Edward Parry had long before proved 10 be mpractb
cable, owing to tho heavy ice always crowded into
Melville Sound. Captain Collnson, who command dec
the Enterprise, companion ship 70 The Investigator
became separated In thick weather from her and
holding on 10 the eastward part Of Banks Land saicc
through Dolphin and Union straits which separate
the main land from Victoria Land, and which, in ii
continuation, bears the names Of Coronation Gulf
4 Deaso Strait and Simpson strait


NORTH FROM THESE,


and to the eastward ofyctora Land, s Victoria Strait
! into which Franklin was making bis way from tn
north through Peel Strait in 1s46 when nc became be
et Colhnson reached nearly TO this strait Ia ls5
with his shiD IA sailing vesseu- and actually wnteTe