th's Island to Cape
Martyr, we will leave the Naval expedition secured, whilst we briefly
recount the most striking points in connection with the American
expedition that had now left us on its voyage home.

In 1849, Mr. Henry Grinnell, a merchant of the United States, actuated
by the purest philanthropy that ever influenced the heart of man,
determined to devote a portion of his well-deserved wealth to the noble
purpose of relieving Sir John Franklin, who, it was much to be feared,
from the desponding tone of a portion of the English press on Sir James
Ross's failure, was likely to be left unsought for in 1850. He
therefore, at his sole expense, purchased two vessels, one of 140 tons,
the "Advance," the other 90 tons, the "Rescue," and, having
strengthened, provisioned, and equipped them, Mr. Grinnell then placed
them under the control of his Government, in order that they might be
commanded by naval officers and sail under naval discipline. The
American Congress passed the necessary acts, and Lieutenant E. De
Haven, who had seen service in the Antarctic seas, took command of the
"Advance," as the leader of the expedition, and another distinguished
officer, Mr. Griffin, hoisted his pendant in the "Rescue." On the 23d
May, 1850, the two vessels sailed from New York, touching at Disco,
where I am sorry to say they found my worthy friend "Herr Agar" to have
died shortly after my visit; they reached the pack of Melville Bay on
the 7th July, and, tightly beset until the 23d, they did not reach Cape
York until early in August.

The 7th August they reached Cape Dudley Digges! (at that time we were
still beset off Cape Walker in Melville Bay), thence they stood to the
south-west, until they reached the West Water.

On the 18th August, when we had a thick fog and almost a calm off
Possession Bay, the American squadron was in a severe gale in Lancaster
Sound; and on the 25th August, after visiting Leopold Island, the
gallant Americans reached Cape Riley close on the heels of the
"Assistance" and "Intrepid."

From that time we have shown that they lost no opportunity of pushing
ahead; and if progress depended alone upon skill and intrepidity, our
go-ahead friends would have given us a hard tussle for the laurels to
be won in the Arctic regions.

As a proof of the disinterestedness of their motives, men as well as
officers, I was charmed to hear that before sailing from America they
had signed a bond not to claim, under any