to contend with the rigours of a further stay in those latitudes, you will call for volunteers from that ship, and from the Herald if in company, sufficient to form a crew for the Plover; taking care that the men to be selected are men of good character, and that they do not exceed in number what is actually required for the care of the ship, and for the defence and security against any treacherous attack on the part of the natives of Norton Sound.

9. The Petty Officers' ratings that may be vacated by men invalided, are to be filled up by men volunteering to remain; such volunteers are to be subjected to a strict and careful survey by the medical officers of the several ships; and those only are to be retained who would seem to be in all respects fit to encounter this extended service; and the remainder necessary to complete the crew is to be made up from the Enterprize and Investigator.

10. Such crew having been formed, (to continue under the command of Commander Moore, and with the officers now in the Plover, or with those who may volunteer for the service,) the Plover, if the Herald should be in company, is to be filled up by Captain Kellett with all the provisions, fuel, and stores, that can possibly be spared by Captain Kellett, who will bear in mind, not only what may be required for the use of the Plover's crew until the autumn of 1853, and the contingency of parties arriving on board from Sir John Franklin's expedition, but also the possibility of any party from the Enterprize or Investigator, having to fall back upon the Plover.

11. In providing for this necessary equipment for the Plover, attention will be paid to the numbers left in the Herald, and the supplies necessary to carry that vessel to Woahoo; and having received from Captain Kellett any baidars, or light boats, that he may be able to spare, and which may be likely to form a useful addition to your own boats, or those of the Investigator, when searching parties may be detached from the ships in the spring, the Herald will return to the Sandwich Islands, there to fill up provisions, and from thence proceed to Hong Kong on her way to England, in pursuance of Our Orders of the 14th December last.

12. On detaching the Plover to take up her winter quarters, you will direct Commander Moore to remain there until you join him, or, failing your return to him, until the end of the summer of 1853; when, but not until it is absolutely necessary for securing the Plover's passage through the Aleutian Group of Islands, he is to quit Bhering Straits, and make the best of his way to Valparaiso, (touching at the Sandwich Islands for refreshment) where he will receive further instructions relative to his return to England, from the Commander-in-Chief.

13. If the Herald and Plover should be fallen in with to the northward and eastward of Bhering Straits, or in the Polar Sea, Captain Kellett, on detaching himself from your company, should consort with the Plover as far as her winter quarters, and if time and circumstances admitted of it, he should assist in securing her there.

14. In the event of your having to winter your ships on the continent or Esquimaux shores, you will probably meet with some of the wandering tribes, or with Indians. With these you will cultivate a friendly feeling, by making them presents of those articles to which they are apt to attach a value: but you will take care not to suffer yourself to be surprised by them, but use every precaution, and be constantly on your guard against any treacherous attack. You will also, by offering rewards, to be paid in such manner as you may be able to arrange, endeavour to prevail on them to carry to any of the settlements of the Hudson's Bay Company an account of your situation and proceedings, with an urgent request that it may be forwarded to England with the utmost possible dispatch.

15. In whatever place you may have to establish your winter quarters, you

will devote every resource in your power to the preservation of the health, the comfort, and the cheerfulness of the people committed to your care.

16. We leave it to your judgment and discretion, as to the course to be pursued after passing Point Borrow, and on entering the ice; and you will be materially assisted in this respect by what you will learn from Captain Kellett, if he should be fallen in with at the Sandwich Islands, as well as from the observations of Sir E. Parry, and Captain Beechey, contained in the Memoranda of which we send you copies.

17. We have desired that you shall be furnished, not only with a copy of the Orders under which Commander Moore is now acting, but also with copies of all the Orders which from time to time have been given to Captain Kellett, as well as with those under which an attempt was made to relieve the Erebus and Terror by Captain Sir James Ross, on the eastern side through Baffin Bay. You will further be supplied with all the printed voyages or travels in those northern regions; and the Memoranda and Instructions drawn up by Sir John Richardson, as to the manners and habits of the Esquimaux, and the best mode of dealing with that people, (a copy of which is also sent,) will afford a valuable addition to the information now supplied to you.

18. We deem it right to caution you against suffering the two vessels placed under your orders to separate, except in the event of accident or unavoidable necessity; and We desire that you will keep up the most unreserved communication with the commander of the Investigator, placing in him every proper confidence, and acquainting him with the general tenor of your Orders, and with your views and intentions from time to time; so that the service may have the full benefit of your united efforts in the prosecution of such a service; and, that in the event of any unavoidable separation, or of any accident to yourself, Commander McClure may have the advantage of knowing, up to the latest period, all your ideas and designs relative to the satisfactory completion of this undertaking.

19. We also recommend that as frequent an exchange may take place as conveniently may be, of the observations made in the two ships; that any information obtained by the one, be as quickly as possible communicated for the advantage and guidance of the other.

20. In case of any irreparable accident happening to the Enterprise, you are hereby authorized to take command of the Investigator, and to make such arrangements for the officers and crews as may be the most consonant to the Rules of the service, and most conducive to the objects of the Expedition.

21. In the event of Great Britain being involved in hostilities with any Foreign Power during your absence, you are to abstain from the smallest act of aggression towards any vessel belonging to such nation, it being the practice of all civilized countries to consider vessels engaged in service of this kind, as exempt from the rules and operations of war.

22. In carrying out the foregoing Orders, you will avail yourself of every practicable occasion of acquainting Our Secretary with every step of your progress, as well as with your future intentions; and occasionally during your voyage, you will throw overboard one of the tin cylinders with which you have been supplied, (headed up in any cask or barrel that you could manufacture or apare), containing an account of the date, position, &c. On your reaching England, you will call on every person, in both vessels, to deliver up their logs, journals, charts, and drawings, but which, they may be informed, shall be returned to them in due time.

23. With respect to your search proving fruitless, and your finally quitting the Polar Seas, as well as your securing your winter quarters towards the close of any one season, We cannot too strongly impress upon you the necessity of the utmost precaution and care being exercised in withdrawing in

time, so as in no case to hazard the safety of the ships, and the lives of those intrusted to your care, by your being shut up in a position which might render a failure of provisions possible.

We feel it unnecessary to give you more detailed instructions, which might possibly embarrass you in a service of this description; and We have therefore only to repeat Our perfect reliance on your judgment and resolution, both in doing all that is possible to relieve the missing ships, and in withdrawing in time, when you come to the painful conclusion that your efforts are unavailing.

24. You will bear in mind that the object of the Expedition is to obtain intelligence, and to render assistance to Sir John Franklin and his companions, and not for the purposes of geographical or scientific research; and We conclude these Orders with an earnest hope that Providence may crown your efforts with success, and that they may be the means of dispelling the gloom and uncertainty which now prevail respecting the missing Expedition. Given under Our hands, this 15th day of January, 1850. (Signed) F. T. BARING,

By Command of their Lordships,

Richard Collinson, Esq,, C.B.,

Captain of H.M.S. Enterprize, at Devonport.

J. W. D. DUNDAS.

(Signed)

J. PARKER.

We must not however, omit to note here, the departure of that enterprizing gallant young officer, Lieut. Bedford Pim, R.N., who left this country on the 20th of November, for the purpose of exploring the shores of Siberia in the expectation of finding traces of Sir John Franklin's ships. That Lieut. Pim will gain to himself honor and credit we have no doubt in whatever he undertakes, and that he will do "as much as man can do," we have no doubt; as seamen say, he is "cut out for it." Still we are not of opinion that he will return by the Wellington Channel! If he should do so, he will certainly come laden with information for the Geographical Society, if not with intelligence of the missing ships! But by whichever route he does return he cannot fail to bring honor. His outward course lies through Petersburgh, Moscow, Tobolsk, Irkoutsk, Yakoutsk, and thence by the Lena to the Arctic Sea, where his search is to commence along its ice-girt shore, eastward and westward.

EDWARDS' PATENT PRESERVED POTATO.

This valuable prepared vegetable having long been adopted in the various scales of victualling in Her Majesty's Navy as well as other Services, a large quantity was supplied to H.M. Ships in the late Expedition under the command of Captain Horatio T. Austin, C.B. The reports state that this preserved vegetable afforded universal satisfaction to all engaged in the Expedition, and that it was infinitely preferred to rice; and the medical officers certify that this preserved potato was found to be a valuable antiscorbutic, as well as a most agreeable vegetable diet. We add for our readers information the subjoined extracts of some of the reports from the Arctic Expedition, and others recently received by Her Majesty's Government from the Cape of Good Hope, showing the high estimation in which the preserved potato is held by His Excellency Sir Harry Smith, and officers NO. 12.-VOL. XX. 4 R

at Head Quarters, which has led to a large supply (being despatched per last mail steamer) for the Army service, we believe at a cost not exceeding the common potato.

Her Majesty's Ships Resolute and Assistance, Pioneer and Intrepid, SteamTenders, in search of Sir John Franklin, &c., 1850 and 1851.

We the Commanders and Officers employed in the Arctic Expedition under Captain Horatio Thomas Austin, C.B., feel bound to record our favourable testimony of the excellent properties of Edwards' Patent Preserved Potato. In fact we can scarcely speak too highly of it as a vegetable: being able to use it in various ways, it retained all the virtue, and much of the flavour of fresh mashed potato, during the whole voyage out and home, a period of eighteen months; and that remaining is as good and serviceable as ever. The men having been perfectly free from scurvy, we are induced to entertain a high opinion of its antiscorbutic properties. The whole of the people appeared to relish the Preserved Potato more with their salt meat than with anything else, and infinitely to prefer it to rice, or the mixed vegetable or carrots, with which these ships were supplied.

Signed by the Officers and Surgeons of H.M.S. RESOLUTE,

ASSISTANCE,
PIONEER,
INTREPID.

Extract from Captain Horatio T. Austin, C.B., H.M.S., Resolute.

I feel it incumbent upon me to express the value I set upon this production (Edwards' preserved potato), for the use of the table during sea voyages. In my own case as well as in that of the ship's company of the Resolute, it was prized beyond rice, and as a substitute it is difficult to express its importance with salt provisions.

(Signed)

HORATIO T. AUSTIN.

From Admiral Sir John Ross.

I have much satisfaction in joining with other officers employed in the late Arctic Expedition, in the expression of the most unqualified and universal opinion of the excellent properties of Edwards' preserved potato, especially as an antiscorbutic, which has been fully established in the different ships and vessels lately employed in that trying climate, and I can have no hesitation in giving my strongest recommendation, that it should be liberally supplied to every ship employed on Foreign service.

(Signed) JOHN ROSS.

Extracts from Special Reports made to H.M Government upon Edwards' Patent Preserved Potato.-From Dr. Hull, Dy. Inspector General of Hospitals, dated 13th August.

Dr. Murtagh's Report of the eligibility of this article for Hospital use, I have the honour to enclose, and I beg to add that from my own daily observation of its use in the Hospitals, I perfectly concur in what he has stated. I had an opportunity of testing the article at His Excellency Sir Harry Smith's table, and was much pleased with its sweetness and perfect resemblance to the fresh vegetable, as, indeed, was every one else who was present at the Governor's table on that occasion. There happened to be a dish of fresh potatoes at dinner the same day, and all gave a preference to the preserved over the fresh vegetable. I am of opinion the virtues of the recent potato are well preserved in the Patent Preparation, and I think it would be of the greatest importance as an article of diet, both for sick and well, at such posts as Fort Cox and Fort White, &c., where the garrisons have been

kept for many months isolated, and almost in a state of siege, and when fresh vegetables cannot be procured.

I beg therefore, most strongly to recommend that a supply be sent out with as little delay as possible, with ample instructions for its use pasted on each package. Scurvy has invariably followed war on this frontier on all former occasions.

(Signed) JOHN HALL, M.D.

King William's Town, Cape of Good Hope.

Report from Dr. Murtagh, addressed to Dr. J. Hall.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated 10th June, 1851, requesting my opinion respecting the eligibility of Edwards' Preserved Potato as an article of diet, either for the sick in Hospital or for men in the Field. In reply, I have great pleasure in bearing testimony of its importance as an article of diet, both for men in hospital and in barracks -the fact is, that the men infinitely preferred it to the Potatoes procurable here. It appears to me to possess all the nutritious qualities and flavour of the fresh potato, and to be perfectly free from any irritating effects on the stomach and bowels.

King William's Town, 24th June, 1851.

(Signed)

J. MURTAGH, M.D. Surgeon, 6th Regiment.

Extract from Report on Edwards' Patent Preserved Potato and Rice, by Dr. Pereira, author of the celebrated Treatise on Food, &c.

Having been requested to give my opinion of the relative merits of Edwards' Preserved Potato and of rice as antiscorbutic articles of food, I beg to say that I consider potatoes to possess valuable antiscorbutic properties, and rice to be devoid them.

A few years ago when in consequence of the potato disease, the potato and other antiscorbutic vegetables became scarce and dear, Rice, Indian corn, and other kinds of grain, were substituted by the poorer classes, and in pauper establishments for the potato; the consequence was, the appearance of scurvy in a very aggravated form in many parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

The facts that were at that time brought to light, satisfied me that rice is incapable of preventing the appearance of scurvy, and that the potato is a most useful and valuable antiscorbutic.

I further believe Edwards' Patent Preserved Potato is a wholesome and nutritious food, and is especially adapted for general use as an antiscorbutic at sea.

London, July 30th, 1851.

(Signed) JNO. PEREIRA, M.D., F.R.S., Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, &c.

CHRONOMETERS USED IN THE GRINNELL EXPEDITION.

National Observatory, Oct. 14th, 1851. SIR. The chronometers sent in the Grinnell Expedition, Lieut.Commanding E. I. De Haven, in search of Sir John Franklin and his companions, have been returned into the hands of Arthur Stewart, Chronometer Maker, New York, the agent of this office.