The following appeared in the “Times,” and other papers, at the period the “Prince Albert” was fitting out; and, as it affords an explanation of the particular object of her voyage, I give it here at length, having referred to it at page 6.

“Search for Sir John Franklin, by Regent Inlet and the Passages connecting it with the Western Arctic Sea.—The necessity of this supplementary expedition in aid of the liberal measures adopted by the Government, for the rescue of our missing countrymen, is founded upon the conviction which exists in the minds of its originators, that Sir John Franklin would earnestly endeavour to follow his instructions, and would, therefore, in the first instance, after attaining the longitude of Cape Walker, or 98° W. in the parallel of about 74° N., diverge to the South and West, sparing no efforts to advance in that direction; also, upon the probability that in the event of his meeting with insuperable impediments in this unexplored part of the Arctic Sea, he might, even for successive seasons of great severity, be unable to extricate his ships, and would at last be compelled to abandon them. In such a case, it is presumed that the course he would take in order to get back to Lancaster Sound, from which quarter he would naturally look for assistance, would be mainly influenced by the means he could anticipate of supporting life during a long and painful passage, and during the unknown period of delay which might succeed it.