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ONE FINAL VOYAGE Ross,
however, was still not given a Navy ship to command, though he was appointed British consul to Stockholm, where he served from 1839 to 1846. In the meantime, Sir John Franklin headed off on his ill-fated expedition to find
the Northwest Passage, and was not heard from for two years. A number of expeditions were mounted to search for the lost explorer, and Ross wanted to command one of the ships sent to search for him.
Commander John Ross
Unable to get government backing, Ross organized a private expedition on a small ship called the 'Felix', again supported by the gin merchant, who was now "Sir" Felix Booth, having been
knighted for his support of Ross's second voyage. This expedition spent the winter of 1850/51 in Barrow Strait, but was too ill-equipped to help very much in the search for Franklin. This was
Ross's last exploring expedition. Ross, who was already 74 years old at the end of this venture, never abandoned his quarrel with the naval establishment, which he continued, by means of bitterly
worded pamphlets, until the end of his life. next: Summary
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