§ MR. ANDERSONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, If the "Blanche" not only failed to find traces of the "Atalanta," but also of any of the ice-bound vessels seen by the "Brunette;" and, whether any instructions have been sent to the "Blanche" to pursue that search, or, if the Admiralty proposes to take any other steps in the matter?
MR. SHAW LEFEYRESir, the Blanche has returned to Halifax after having cruised for three weeks to the eastward of the Newfoundland Banks, without finding any trace of the Atalanta, and without having come across any of the vessels said to be ice-bound by the master of the Brunette, although she met with a great deal of ice and several icebergs. It is not an uncommon thing for vessels bound to and from the St. Lawrence in the early part of the year to be ice-bound; and I observe, from a statement in The Standard to-day, that a vessel called the Wimmera ran into a field of ice at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the early part of May, and remained there for some days, her master reporting that he saw no less than 50 other vessels, including steamers, in a similar position. The master, however, added that the ice began to separate on the 19th of May, and that his vessel soon got free; therefore, I presume that the other vessels were equally fortunate. Under these circumstances, the Admiralty do not propose to take any further steps in the matter.