Note by Arctonauts: the year is taken from comparing Sunday, April 18th with the possible years this letter could have been written in.

H.M.S.Intrepid
Greenhithe 18^th April
Sunday

My dear Sir,

Here we are ready for Sea, tomorrow the Admiralty inspect us & on Tuesday the advance will be paid. 

There is scarcely any alteration in the Ships the “lengthening their bows” dwindled down to an additional cutwater about 18 inches in extent, & having its ^sides^ filled up by short planking on each side; in the Assistance almost the whole of it is above water. larger trysails have been given them and the shore anchor, hemp Cable, & life boat have been left behind. internally they work better from having been fitted by the dockyard. Voltaic batteries & a few miles of copper wire covered with gutta percha are taken, to explode charges of powder under the ice. Ice blasting was very useful last time, for splitting off the interlocked points of floes w^h blocked the passage, but I donot think Sir Ed^d Belcher will be able to realize his gigantic schemes for clearing Wellington Channel.

Powder is a valuable auxiliary wherever ice requires to be removed quickly, as for docking the ships to get out of the way of danger. We have harpoon guns for narwhals & Minié rifles, & Balloons. The greatest improvement I think will have to be in the provisions. Sir Ed^d has taken great pains to obtain the very best sorts. Hogarth is the favourite contractor at present, but Gamble supplies a large portion of them. Sir Edw^d gave me the [control] of the travelling equipment, I have carried it out almost as recommended by me to the Committee. we have not got the sealskin boots but have permission from the Danish Government to obtain them at Greenland. Murray, Green, Giddy, & Salmon are with me, Organ is in the Pioneer, & our Steward Gore is with Sir Ed Belcher. Sir Ed will have orders to detach the Resolute & Intrepid to the Westward, to place provisions on Melville Island, & to attempt the Byam Martin Channel. We shall lay out provisions in the Autumn for our spring parties, & as we are in duty bound to do more than has hitherto been done, we must work hard indeed. I think under favorable circumstances some of our parties ought to travel 1100 or even 1200 miles.

Sir Ed^d has had 4 light boats built for transporting over the ice. they are of fur rather more than 1/8^th in thickness, covered on the inside with waterproof duck, they were built by Searle, Clinker fashion, 20ft long, 5^ft 3ⁱⁿ wide, sharp forward, & the weight under 3 cwt. I think they are neither large enough or strong enough for anything approaching to open water; I have not had anything to do with their construction. we calculate on two winters. I like my vessel very well, she sails well & is handy for her length (150 feet.) If she was 50 feet shorter & with a midship section more resembling the Symondite form, she would be very near the mark; I am doubtful of her rising to a pressure amidships.

Captain Austin has placed your name on the new chart just where I wished it to be, to the westward of Cape Dundas, and immediately opposite it on the continuation of Melville Island he has placed the name of Capt W^m Smyth, who wrote to ask you to take me into the Enterprize.

I hope we shall examine the head of Baffins Bay from Whale Sound around to Jones’s Sound before we return; & if all this fails & other attempts are made I hope it will be the North-East.

M^r Beatson has not yet sailed and I think it is very doubtful whether he goes at all. If he was known to the Country, people would subscribe; if he gives it up & a naval officer takes command of the little Expedition for the NE instead of Bherings Straits, something might be done this season.

Sir Ed intends making use of the Steam launch you left at Port Leopold & of the provisions also. The Northstar winters near Wellington Strait. I think I have now told you all that will be interesting to you & remain
yours most sincerely 
F. L. M:Clintock