the ice, or along the coast of America to Behring's Strait. river to provide food for the party on the route to Fort Confidence, and thus spare you any further consumption of pemmican, reserved for the following summer. No restrictions are placed on Commodore Moore with respect to time, and he is allowed to use the best means in his power to afford the desired re-val on the coast, or subsequent unexpected detenAs it may happen, however, from your late arrilief to Sir John Franklin's expedition. It is im- tions, that you cannot with safety attempt to reach portant to state, that the Russian government the Coppermine, you have our full permission in have undertaken to instruct the authorities at Sitka such a case to return to Fort Good Hope, on the (Norfolk Sound) to give all assistance in their Mackenzie, there to deposit two of the boats, with power to the Plover. Captain Beechey, who has all the sea stores, and to proceed with the other had much experience in Arctic navigation, and two boats, and the whole of the crews, to winter quarters on Great Bear Lake. who, it will be remembered, commanded the Blossom in the expedition sent to Behring's Strait to cooperate with Franklin, who proceeded westerly from the mouth of the Mackenzie, has supplied Commander Moore with valuable suggestions; and the Hudson's Bay Company have instructed their officers to give all the accommodation at their disposal to the boating party of the Plover, should they proceed as far eastward as to ascend the Mackenzie. We have now to consider the overland expedition, under the command of Sir John Richardson, upon which great reliance is placed by competent authorities, who entertain strong hopes that it may be the agent to relieve Franklin. This expedition was suggested by Sir John Richardson as early as February, 1847. It consists of four boats, built in England, thirty feet long and six feet wide, of as light materials as is consistent with the necessary strength, manned by twenty men in all, and each capable of carrying nearly three tons in addition to their complement of men. These boats with their crews left England with the Hudson's Bay ships in the summer of 1847, and made great progress on the route to the Mackenzie before the close of the season. And you have also our permission to deviate from the line of route along the coast, should you receive accounts from the Esquimaux, which may appear credible, of the crews of the Erebus and Terror, or some part of them, being in some other direction. For the purpose of more widely extending your party of volunteers to winter on the coast, if by the search, you are at liberty to leave Mr. Rae and a establishment of a sufficient fishery, or by killing a number of deer or musk oxen, you may be able to lay up provisions enough for them until you can rejoin them next summer. a Should it appear necessary to continue the search second summer, (1849,) and should the boats have that river on the breaking up of the ice in June, been housed on the Coppermine, you are to descend 1849, and to examine the passages between Wollaston and Banks and Victoria Lands, so as to cross the routes of some of Sir James C. Ross' detached parties, and to return to Great Bear Lake in September, 1849, and withdraw the whole party from would be as far south as you will have a prospect thence to winter on Great Slave Lake, which of travelling before the close of the river navigation. The admiralty extend to Sir John Richardson the same latitude in his operations as they grant On the 25th of March, 1848, Sir John Richard-to Sir James Ross and Commander Moore; they son, accompanied by Mr. Rae, whose recent Arc-are only anxious that the search so laudably untic explorations will be in the recollection of our readers, left England for Halifax and New York by the mail-steamer, and lost no time in pushing on northwards. A letter received from Sir John Richardson, dated from Methay Portage, July 4, 1848, states that Mr. Rae and himself had joined the boat party on that portage. He adds, "We hope to leave this on the 7th; but the men are much fatigued, and we shall go to the sea much less fresh and fit for the voyage than would have been the case had we had the help of horses in making this very laborious portage." Sir John Richardson expected to reach the mouth of the Mackenzie about the 1st of August. His further probable proceedings will be gathered from the following extract from his instructions: - dertaken by Sir John Richardson should not be unnecessarily or hazardously prolonged; and to guard against this, they order his search to cease after the winter of 1849, which is to be passed on the Great Slave Lake, and that, at the earliest practical moment in the spring of 1850, he is to take steps to return to England. We need scarcely observe, that the Hudson's Bay Company are powerful auxiliaries in this expedition. By their coöperation, the boats destined for the coast navigation were carried through Northern America, under the management of Mr. Bell; and their officers have received the necessary instructions to have supplies of provisions at the winter quarters. Some idea of the quantity necessary to support active physical life in the Arctic regions will be gathered by the following extract of a letter from Sir John Richardson to the admiralty. If you reach the sea in the first week of August, it is hoped you will be able to make the complete voyage to the Coppermine river, and also to The rations during the voyage out, which will coast a considerable part of the western and south-be such as the crews of the Hudson's Bay ships ern shores of Wollaston Land, and to ascend the receive, are to be paid for to the company by the Coppermine to some convenient point, where Mr. admiralty, and are of excellent quality, and suffiBell and a party can be left with the provisions cient in quantity. During the boat voyage the raready for the next year's voyage; and you will in- tions will vary with circumstances. A quantity of struct him to send two hunters to the banks of the excellent dried bacon, biscuit, flour, and cocoa, has 296 rouse ship. Lady Franklin, with a munificence more in accordance with the importance of the subject, has offered the reward of 2000l. in the following notice, copies of which have been sent to the captains of all the whalers :-- been provided, to last up to the first wintering | Dillon for having discovered the fate of La Pé place, allowing each man to consume about 3lbs. of solid food daily. For the first winter the diet will consist almost wholly of fish, the ordinary allowance being 10lbs. per man daily; but when the fishery is very productive, no restriction is usually placed on the quantity consumed. When the water-fowl pass in the spring, one goose or two large ducks are substituted for 10lbs. of fish. The sec- ships which resort to Davis' Strait and Baffin's With the view of inducing any of the whaling ond winter will be passed at a post where rein-deer Bay, to make efforts in search of the expedition or musk-ox meat will form a part of the rations; under the command of Sir John Franklin, in those and of the meat, 8lbs. is the usual daily allowance. parts which are not within the scope of the expeDuring the summer voyages pemmican will consti-ditions about to be sent out by government, I heretute the main article of diet, and will be issued at by offer one thousand pounds, (10002.,) to be divided the rate of 2lbs. per diem for each man, which is as follows: to the owner, captain, officers, and crew as much as the average consumption on unlimited of any ship which shall depart so far from the usual allowance. I calculate upon carrying seven tons fishing grounds as to explore Prince Regent Inlet, of permican to the Mackenzie for the ulterior pro- Admiralty Inlet. Jones Sound, or Smith Sound, gress of the party. provided such ship, finding the above expedition in distress, shall communicate with, and afford it effectual relief: captain, one tenth, or 66 66 chief mate, one twentieth, or 66 next two officers, one fortieth, or The remaining six tenths, or to be divided amongst the rest of the £200 100 50 50 600 And, further, I hereby offer an additional sum in the same proportions to the owner, officers, and of one thousand pounds, (1000Z.,) to be distributed the season, make extraordinary exertions for the crew of any ship which shall, at an early period of above object, and, if required, bring Sir John Frank Admiral von Wrangel, in his Narrative of an Expedition to the Polar Sea, dwells with great force on the vast quantity of meat eaten by his To the owner, two tenths, or party; and this unfortunate necessity for so extraordinary a supply of food, forms, unodubtedly, one of the great difficulties in Arctic expeditions, for it is manifestly a hard task to carry provisions to meet so rapid a consumption as is stated above. We must not forget to notice the offer of rewards to whaleships, on the part of the admiralty and Lady Franklin, for rescuing the missing ships, or bringing intelligence of them. We do so, however, in the case of the admiralty, with unwillingness and regret, because the offer is, we conceive, totally unworthy the cause and the British nation.lin and his party to England. The Lords of the Admiralty offered one hunThe whole or part of this last 10007. will be dred guineas to the crew of any whale-ship that granted according to the decision of Sir John Frankmight bring accurate information of the Erebus in, or the commanding officer of the expedition and Terror; but apprehending, probably, that this lowing gentlemen, who have kindly consented to relieved. In other respects the decision of the folsmall reward would be regarded with indifference act as referees in awarding the 20007., is to be final, by the captains of whalers, they state, in a letter viz. Admiral Beaufort, Captain Sir W. Edward to the commissioners of customs, dated March 13, | Parry, R. N., Thomas Ward, Esq., Hull. 1848, that Conceiving there might possibly be misconception on the part of masters of whalers as to their lordships' intentions with respect to the reward to be paid for information as to the position of Captain Sir John Franklin's ships, my lords are desirous it should distinctly be understood by the masters and crews of the whaleships, that a higher reward than the 100 guineas mentioned in that letter will be given to any ship bringing positive and exact informnation of the discovery ships, more particularly if it should appear to their lordships that every exertion had been made in order to convey the information to this country with all possible expedition and despatch. (Signed) JANE FRANKLIN. The admiralty may be of opinion that the extensive and costly machinery which they have organized in the form of three distinct expeditions, having for their main purpose the relief of Sir John Franklin, renders it unnecessary to stimulate the captains of whalers by high rewards to go out of their course to search for the Erebus and Terror; but if this be the case, we cannot help feeling that it would have been better, under existing circumstances, to have left this subject untouched. Although the search for Sir John Franklin forms the great purpose of the expeditions, yet in We cannot forget, that when the case of the mander Moore, the admiralty have supplied the the case of those under Sir James Ross and Comunfortunate Lilloise, French brig of war, which vessels with instruments for making geographic, was sent to explore part of the coast of Greenland, hydrographic, magnetic, and atmospheric observain 1833, was uncertain, independently of despatch- tions. In their instructions, they say,— ing an expedition in search of her, the munificent reward of 4000l. was offered by the French government, two years after her departure, to the crew of any vessel rescuing her; and a pension of 4000 francs, with the cross of the legion of honor, were conferred by the same government on Captain Whilst we estimate any such observations as of inferior importance to the one leading object of the expedition, you will, nevertheless, omit no opporacquisition as to the performance of the great duties tunity of rendering it as contributive to scientific of national humanity. Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise, Nor will Franklin abandon the struggle with mighty ice-bergs and thick-ribbed ice, as long as the smallest chance of obtaining the much-desired prize remains. It is recorded, that when attempts We have now endeavored to give our readers a | English flag on polar snows, are alike based on clear idea of the measures in operation for the the acquisition of fame. relief of Sir John Franklin and the party under his command, and it must be admitted that they are of a nature worthy of the greatest maritime country in the world. It would be idle, and apart from the object of this article, to speculate on the position and circumstances of Franklin and his party. We may, however, state, that it is the opinion of eminent Arctic voyagers, that until the autumn of 1849 no apprehensions need exist respecting the fate of the party from starvation. In a letter from Sir James Ross to Sir Edward Parry, written in the course of last year, Sir James says, alluding to Franklin and Crozier :— Their last letters to me from Whalefish Islands, the day previous to their departure from them, inform me that they had taken on board provisions for three years on full allowance, which they could extend to four years without any serious inconvenience; so that we may feel assured they cannot want from that cause until after the middle of July, 1849; it, therefore, does not appear to me at all desirable to send after them until the spring of next year. It is a remarkable fact, and one particularly cheering at this moment, that the polar expeditions have been attended with a singularly slight loss of life. Out of nine despatched to the Arctic regions, which employed six hundred and nine officers and men, only seven persons died from causes directly or indirectly connected with the expeditions, although these were absent from England an average period of three years. There is, probably, more danger to be apprehended from the well-known energy and zeal of the parties, than from any other cause. Franklin left our shores feeling that the eyes of the civilized world were on him, and that it was hoped and expected he would accomplish what our most learned hydrographers regard as feasible, although failure has characterized so many attempts to pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean round the north coast of America. Captain Fitzjames, in the last letter received from him, expresses a hope that he may be sent home through Siberia from Bhering's Strait and adds, "Get through, I firmly believe we shall;" nor, as we well remember, was he the only one of the party who indulged in this expectation. To compare great things with small, the position of Franklin and his party is much like that of an Alpine traveller who aspires to surmount some peak untrodden by the foot of man, that lifts its rocky crest from out of pathless snows and glaciers many thousands of feet above the vale. His track is eagerly and anxiously followed by aching eyes, longing to see the intrepid adventurer's flag wave on the dizzy point. He knows this, and is well aware that if he succeeds his fame will be heralded abroad. Will he abandon his enterprise as long as strength remains? Not so; for to surmount a stupendous Alpine peak, or plant the were made to dissuade Sir Martin Frobisher from he answered, "It is the only thing in the world engaging in the discovery of a North-west Passage, that is left yet undone, whereby a notable mind might be made famous and fortunate." Let us hope, however, that the effort may not instead of veterans grown old and wise, we might be rashly prolonged. If the leaders were youths, almost say in the icy regions of the polar seas, we should tremble for the fate of the long absent party, but the case is otherwise; and we are warranted therefore, in hoping, nay, more, in expecting, that the autumn of 1849 will restore the gallant band, headed by Sir John Franklin, to their native country. The Great Chief, as the Indians fondly called him, who was with Nelson amidst the thunders of Trafalgar, and withal is so gentle as not to crush a stinging fly-an act of forbearance remembered for years by the Indiansf—is too dear to Englishmen to be suffered to perish amidst frozen seas; and when we contemplate the helping and willing hands now stretched forth to relieve him, we have no fears for the result. THE ARBITRATION MOVEMENT.-Public meetthe principal towns in Lancashire, for the purpose ings have been held during the past two weeks in of exciting the public interest in favor of a motion which Mr. Cobden has undertaken to bring forward early in the ensuing session, having for its object to secure the adoption of treaties for arbitration between Great Britain and other countries for the settlement of international disputes. A deputation consisting of the Rev. Richard and Mr. Burritt, from the peace congress committee of London, have attended these meetings, and have been received with great enthusiasm. The meetings have been crowded to excess; and from the attention and applause elicited by the speakers, it was evident that they carried the sympathy of their audiences thoroughly with them. Petitions were unanimousof opinion from the most influential part of the ly resolved upon, and with so decided an expression care and economy to the preparation of his next From the Spectator. MACAULAY'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. * French Revolution, or for a century and a quarter to the Treaty of Vienna? The Revolution of 1688, and the causes which led to it, is, no doubt, an important subject; it is desirable to exhibit at large the character and conduct of James-to strip him of the rep sesses with many, (and which Mr. Macaulay does exceedingly well,) and to show, what is less needed, his violations of the constitution, as well as to exhibit in detail the political proceedings of the Revolution itself. These things, however, do not much contribute to the extension we speak of; and the succeeding half century is as fertile in constitutional and political questions more fertile in foreign politics, remarkable characters, and stirring events. The accession of George the Third introduces the rise and progress of our Indian empire, with its great men, the singular race of Nabobs it created, and the social changes it worked. The same era begins the struggle between the crown and the domination of those great whig families who looked upon king and people as a sort of patrimony of their own. Before this contest had It is difficult, and after a time perhaps impossible, to change habits which originated in some natural bias and have been confirmed by the "sec-utation for sincerity and honest bigotry he still posond nature" of use. The plan, the treatment, the matter, the style, which have been cultivated for a quarter of a century, cannot be thrown aside by a mere exercise of will, if the will really exists to alter them. In turning from the Historical Article to the History of England, Mr. Macaulay might not think it necessary to change the elaborate display of remarkable details, the argumentative discussion, the copious illustration of argument, the half conventional style of the Edinburgh Reviewer, and the full exhibition of picturesque narrative, for the more essential matter and more dignified style that are considered appropriate to history. At any rate, he has not done it. Except in a soberer manner, his History of James the Second, and the elaborate survey of our annals from before the invasion of Cæsar, which introduces it, differ little from the "Historical Essays contributed to the Edinburgh Review," on which Mr. Macaulay's fame has mainly rested. In fact, these volumes might have appeared as a periodical series, but for the inconvenience of such a mode of publication. The introductory survey might be divided into two parts, the first of which should end with the termination of the Tudor dynasty, the other with the death of Charles the Second. The topographical, economical, financial, and social exhibition of England on the accession of James the Second-not the least interesting and original section of the book-would exceedingly well stand alone; and so might the different subjects of James the Second's reign the insurrections of Argyle and Monmouth, for instance, with the Bloody Assizes that followed the latter. Slight formal peculiarities might occur, more appropriate to a continuous narrative than to a successive exhibition of parts; but the general character would be analogous to that history by epochs with which the world is already familiar in Mr. Macaulay's essays. ceased, the American war began; and although from the accession of the house of Brunswick to the latter part of the last century no very great constitutional question was raised, (except the Septennial Act and the Middlesex Election,) that period witnessed the steady growth of the moneyed and middle classes, the great inventions of Arkwright and Watt, the origin of parliamentary reporting, the establishment of the monthly periodical press, and the birth of newspapers as they now exist. Should Mr. Macaulay enter into 1789, he can hardly stop till he has exhausted a subject more extensive and striking than the expulsion of the Stuarts, if really less influential upon the true destinies of the world-the French Revolution, with its varied and remarkable characters, its strange and startling occurrences, its wild visions of human perfectibility, its actual realization of human misery and bloodshed, the gigantic wars to which it led, with the fortunes and fate of Napoleon. Upon the present scale and mode, these things can hardly be managed under thirty or forty volumes at the most moderate computation; Mr. Alison takes twenty for the Revolutionary period alone. But no matter, if life and time be spared to read them. The details may be overdone; but they are curious, and do not diminish the breadth of the Critical objections may be urged against the plan. By looking as much to picturesque details, subordinate but singular persons respecting whom many curiosities of literature and politics can be presented, and describing at large any remarkable event for which materials exist, the author some-execution or impede the reader. We may not find times loses sight of that which is essentially his- in the book that philosophical acumen which, pierctory, and is tempted to make his subject dependent ing even through the substance of men and actions, upon his own manner and the materials he may discovers the fundamental laws, analogous to gravhave accumulated. Another and perhaps a graver objection is, the length to which the work will extend. The two volumes before us are beyond the usual bulk of octavos, containing above 1,300 pages; so that the three-years' reign of James alone fills the space of two large books. tent of the whole is a question of arithmetic: if three years require two volumes, what will be required for a hundred to the commencement of the The ex itation in physics, that nations and societies obey; still, Mr. Macaulay frequently rectifies a general prejudice, by bringing to his task a calmer and more searching consideration, if not a larger mind, than has yet been brought to the subject. Absolute novelty in the main facts will not be found, although they will often have a novel appearance from the fulness of the details; but in the character of inferior actors, or those traits that mark the manners of the time and the state of the coun try, the general reader will be introduced to almost | vice and virtue, freedom and tyranny, is never fora new world; for Mr. Macaulay's rescarch has gotten. to say that in this, or in any part, every conclusion is safe from challenge; or that some may not object in limine to a principle of fate, or "all is for the best," which pervades the work. Even when the truth is evident, the author's mode of statement sometimes induces exaggeration. But a largeness and a toleration of view animate the whole, and tend more than any research or even any peculiarity of treatment to impart originality to the work. extended into all quarters-almanacs, old maps, The same philosophical spirit which judges the the fugitive literature and journals of the age, as past with the experience of the present, is visible well as those scattered papers in later periodicals in the introductory portion; where the author which in preserving a fact or expounding a special traces the formation of the British people, from subject often contain historical materials. The the Celts, the Romans, the Saxons, the Danes, treatment, as we have already said, is fuller and the Normans, and the growth of the English conmore detailed than squares with the accustomed stitution (a little after Hallam.) We do not mean "history" of classical writers-Livy, Sallust, Hume, Voltaire, for instance; nor is the style free from an analogous objection. Although more subdued than is usual with Mr. Macaulay, it still is too artificial. Force or effect is evidently the writer's object, and how to say a thing as important in his mind as what is to be said. To readers of the present day this is rather a critical than a practical effect; and whatever faults may be found with Macaulay's style, it is at least attractivethere is no slumbering over his page. This style, too, is the fashion of the age, the ornate having gradually passed into the rhetorical from the time of Gibbon; and of this rhetorical school Macaulay is undoubtedly the head. He has more variety, more nature, more richness, and more substance, than any other graduate of the school. He may sometimes exaggerate the truth for the sake of the expression, sometimes perhaps sacrifice it; but he never degenerates into mere phrasemongery. There are always images or ideas beneath his words; and, what is more, the images or ideas are commensurate with the diction. That the Church of Rome was beneficial to mankind in the darker ages, is not a new idea, and much of the force of the early part of the following passage is owing to its manner; but the judgment on pilgrimages and the Crusades possesses freshness as well as force. rupted both by that superstition and by that philosIt is true that the church had been deeply corophy against which she had long contended, and over which she had at last triumphed. She had given a too easy admission to doctrines borrowed from the ancient schools, and to rites borrowed from the ancient temples. Roman policy and Gothic ignorance, Grecian ingenuity and Syrian asceticism As a history considered apart from its literary enough of the sublime theology and benevolent had contributed to deprave her. Yet she retained character, the great merit of the work is its impar- morality of her earlier days to elevate many inteltial justice. Mr. Macaulay is a man of progress lects and to purify many hearts. Some things also -what is rightfully called a "Liberal," had not which at a later period were justly regarded as party cant and self-seeking sunk the word into a among her chief blemishes, were in the seventh term of contempt. He does not suffer personal century, and long afterwards, among her chief merqualities or personal misfortunes to blind him to its. That the sacerdotal order should encroach on the functions of the civil magistrate, would in our the general bad character or the tyrannical objects time be a great evil. But that which in an age of of the Stuarts, or to the mischief their principles, good government is an evil, may in an age of grossly if successful, would have brought upon the world. bad government be a blessing. It is better that But he is no partisan; he has raised himself above mankind should be governed by wise laws well adthe mists of faction. With a toleration so rare ministered, and by an enlightened public opinion, that it is hardly to be found, and a thoughtful than by priestcraft; but it is better that men should learning without which the toleration would have be governed by priesteraft than by brute violencebeen of little use, Mr. Macaulay considers the ac-rior as Penda. A society sunk in ignorance, and by such a prelate as Dunstan than by such a wartors of the past, not only as men actuated by the ruled by mere physical force, has great reason to passions and temptations of their race, but moved rejoice when a class of which the influence is intelby the peculiar prejudices and feelings of the time.lectual and moral rises to ascendency. Such a class The faults and the persecuting spirit of the Puritans will doubtless abuse its power; but mental power, are as freely exhibited as those of the High Church-even when abused, is still a nobler and better power men; the party crimes of the whigs, especially than that which consists merely in corporeal strength. We read in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles of tyrants under the second Charles, are as freely noted as who, when at the height of greatness, were smitten those of the tories; he even contents himself with with remorse, who abhorred the pleasures and diga faint denial of the legal treason of Russell- nities which they had purchased by guilt, who abdi"Russell, who appears to have been guilty of no cated their crowns, and who sought to atone for offence falling within the definition of high trea- their offences by cruel penances and incessant These stories have drawn forth bitter son." This impartiality and elevation do not, how- prayers. ever, induce dryness, or that indifference which expressions of contempt from some writers, who, touches upon falsehood by leaving a false impres-narrow-minded as any monk of the dark ages, and while they boasted of liberality, were in truth as The man is never lost sight of; but, while whose habit was to apply to all events in the histhe weaknesses and faults of his nature or position tory of the world the standard received in the Parisare fully allowed for, the broad distinction between [ian society of the eighteenth century. Yet surely sion. |