Owing to the poor sailing qualities of the _Plover_ and _Herald_, the ships were unable to reach high latitudes in time to penetrate to the northward that season, and not until the following July, in company with the _Nancy Dawson_, a pleasure yacht belonging to Robert Sheldon, Esq., did they pursue the main object of their expedition. July 18, 1849, they left Chamisso, and on the 20th they were off Cape Lisburn; five days later they passed Icy Point. Here they despatched the _Herald’s_ pinnace and three other boats, with a party of twenty-five men with three months’ provisions, under command of Lieutenant Pullen, whose instructions were to connect with the Richardson party, one division in two whale-boats to extend the search to the Mackenzie River, ascend that river, and return homeward by Fort Hope and York Factory; the remaining division to return to the rendezvous of the ships at Chamisso Island. The _Herald_ and _Plover_ cruised northward as far as the ice would permit, then explored the coast-line in detail. On the 7th of August, the _Herald_ sighted new territory. Running close to the island, they found it barren, and for the most part of inaccessible granite cliffs. The _Nancy Dawson_ and the return boats under Lieutenant Pullen rejoined the _Herald_ by the 24th of August. They had parted company with the two whale-boats at Dease Inlet. They had found no traces of the Franklin expedition, but had left deposits of provisions at intervals along the route. The following months were spent in winter quarters, and, as soon as the weather permitted, in careful examination of the inlets and coast from Icy Cape to Point Barrow in the hope of finding traces of the missing party. Disappointed at a fruitless voyage, the ships returned to England in October, 1850. [Sidenote: _RICHARDSON’S REPORT_] In his official report to the Secretary of the Admiralty, Sir John Richardson gives an excellent summary of the results of the second expedition. He says in part:—