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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sent film^s en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre fiim^s d des taux de rMuction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 "V futmotial ^lietcl^ (3F I , Lieut. John Irving, r.n f . ' i '■"■i. m /•'.tiiu/'jax'' '■ rr intra '-y TJuvnas ai.d Arcliibalit Coistabii . DAVID DOIOI.AS. l.l)N[n)\ I A^rl'.KIIK,!- la.ASC.OW II ■> Ml I. 1 ON, AD \MS, AMI I 0. M AtMll.l.AN AM) ( O. J VMl'.s M A(_l.l IIIISIC. ' JJ ! Lieut. John Irving, r.n. OF If. M.S. "IKRROk," IN SIR JOHN FRANKLINS LAST i:X I'KDITION TO TIIK ARCTIC" RKCIIONS ^ Sl^emouial »)ketclj toitlj ILtttzv^ H EDITED liy Benjamin Belt,, F.R.C.S.lv EDINBURGH: DAVID DOUGLAS 1881 I \i It / ■ h-1 '■\, PREFATORY NOTE. It lias occurred to it few friends of the late Lieutenant John Irving, H.N., whose I'emauis were recently interred with Naval honours and much public sympathy, in the Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh, that a brief yet reliable memoir of the deceased might be acceptable to many of his countrymen. The cir(3um stance that lie was the only individual of Sir John Frankhn's Expedition whose identity has been proved, — an Expedition the history and results of which, although in many respects successful and glorious, are still veiled in much mystery, — invests his name with a peculiar interest, and seems to justify this endeavour to draw attention to a character of rare excellence, which, (( 2 VI I'im:fat()11y notk. I 'I U I unless lie had thus l)ecoino, lu somo measure, a representative man, would have been allowed to pass into oblivion without specijil notice. The 2)resent Editor having been rec^uested by Major-General Irving to undertake this • ►thee of friendship, has much satisfaction in doinof his best. A series of letters from th(^ deceased to his earlv friend and messmate, the present William E. Malcolm, Esq. of Burnfoot, and another series addressed to his sister-in-law, Mrs. L. H. Irving, have greatly facilitated the task. Much obligation is also felt to 0. 11. Markham, Esq., C.B., Secretary to the Iloyal Geographical Society, for several comnumi cations which will be more particularly acknowledged afterwards. The Ilecord discovered by Sn* L. M'Clin- tock, introduced at p. 13G, has been photo- graphed from the original for this publication by Mr. W. Griggs, London, through tlu^ courtesy of the authorities. EuiNBumui, May 1881. 1 s I CONTENTS. CHArTEU I. 1815-1S34. VMi I. I'lirth— Parentage— Colonel Lewis Hay— Mrs. Irving— At New Academy, l'](linlmrgh — Uoyal Naval College, Portsmouth — Medal in mathematics — His brothers and sister— Enters the Navy in 1830— The "CVuxlelia "— The " Belvidera "— Mr. W. E. Malcolm, Mr. George Kingston, his shipmates CHAPTER II. 1834-1837. Correspondence with W. E. INIaloolm— Idea of leaving Navy— Joins H.M.S. " Edinburgh" — His shipmates descril)ed — Vourla— Malta— The Chaplain — Portsea— Passes as mate — At home— Exeter— London— Brid- port — Returns to his ship — Serious reflections— Egina — Athens — Boat upset in a scjuall- Exertions in rescu- ing the crew — Zante — Malta — Ascent of Mount Etna — Vourla— Sir G. Clerk, Bart.— Rev. L. H. Irving— Self- condemnation— Portsmouth — Ship paid oflP, V' 12 u VIU CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. 1837. I'AiJK Visit to Cambridge — London — Voyage to Scotland — Visits his brother Lewis — Benefit derived — Rev, H. ^Melville — Visit to Glendoick — Lockhart's Life of Scott — Severe weather in spring 1837 — Purpose of leaving the service and settling in New South Wales — Letter from (ireenock — Ship "Portland" olT Greenock — Plans and purposes — Arrangements on board, .... CHAPTER IV. 1838-1842. A-tter from New South \\'ales — Sympathy with his friend in affliction — Account of the voyage — Procedure on landing — Arrangements for his brother— Robbed in the l>ush — Goulbourn — Kev. Mr, Hamilton — Description of the country and luitivcs — Kangart)o-liunting — Hopeful state of mind — Mr, Waugh — Severe illness — Feels an occasional yearning after the sea, .... CHAPTER V, 1843-1844. Again at home in July 1843, after an absence of six years — Explanation — The Disruption of the Church of Scotland — Appointed to H.M.S, " Volage " as Lieutenant — Old reminiscences — Account -2 CHAPTER Vlll. Officers of H.M.S. "Terror" — Probable cour.se of events after abandoning the .ships in April 1848 — List of ofticers who landed at Point Victory — Sununary of dates —Con- cludnig remarks by Editor. . . . . . .14!) APPENDIX. 1. Account of the Public Funeral, .lanuary 7, 1881, II. 'I'estimonials. ...... 161 ; 9>,i< t'i riiotogi'.'iph of tlu^ Meilal found near Capo Victory -Fro)tt !■•<})/< i'< . Sketch Iiy [^ii'uto'iaiit Ii'viii;.:, cxplaiiatorv of tlio a]tplica- tioii of .-.Uaiii poMci- to tlir ■' I'lrclius "" ami "''I'error, " 111) Ditto, a iiativo in his Canoe, 124 I)itt'>, tlie Ships taking in I'rovisiims at tiir Whalcfislt Islands, 12!» IMiotograpl\ic facsimile of tlic llccoi'il discovcreil Ity Sir L. M'Clintock, Map of the Aretir regions mentioned in the Memoii-, i;ji; n h< LIST OF ILLUSTILVTIOXS. J I K n MEMORIAL SKETCH. i: u ( , (MlAPTEi: I. JoH.N liiviNCi, born in PrinceH Street, Edinburgli, on February 8, 1815, was tlie tbnrtli son of the late Mr. John Irvmg, a much respected member of the Society of Writers to the Signet, who in his yonth, and at the High School, was the intimate friend of Sir Walter Scott. This boyish congeniahty is taken marked notice of in l^ockhart's Life of Scott, from which it may be gathered that li\ing was a man of no commonplace mind and character. His elder bi'other, Alexander, Professor of Civil Law in the University, and ultimately Lord Newton, one of the Senators of the College A 2 MKMORIAL SKETCH OK of Justice, was an eminent niatliematician, and at the same time a man of general culture. The mother of John Irving, of wliom we are about to write, was Agnes Hay, (laughter of an eminent Engineer officer. Colonel Lewis Hay, who was killed in the expedition to the Helder in 1799. It is w^ell known that Sir Kalph Abercromby made it a con- dition of his accepting the chief command in that expedition, that he should have the services of Colonel Hay, of whose professional skill and judgment he had already formed the highest opinion. We mention these facts regarding John Irving's birth and parentage in connection with his subsequent career and character. His mother was the great-granddaughter of Robert Craigie of Glendoick, President of the Court of Session, and previously Lord Advocate for Scotland during the Rebellion in 1745-6. She was a very excellent, godly woman, and had much influence, doubtless, in the early training of her son ; but she \t L\ il ■■ I iter It of iOrd lion ,dly ess, she I.l I'^UTENANT JOHN UIVTXG, H.N. 'A (lied in 1823, when he was comparatively young. He was eventually a scholar of the New Academy, Edinburgh, and joined it, we understand, on the day of its first opening. Some of his companions still have pleasant recollections of him. One of tliem, who often sat next him, mentions that he was a "nice fellow," fond of play, with a. good deal of quiet humour, courageous, but very slow to quarrel or take offence. Evidently he did not remain at the New- Academy during the usual term of seven years ; for he entered the Eoyal Naval College at Portsmouth on June 25, 1828, and in 1830, when he would be oidy about fifteen, he gained the second mathematical |)rize at that institution. It was this very medal, discovered in a lonely grave within the Arctic circle, which, forty-nine years afterwards, led to the identification of his honoured remains. Before proceeding further with John I fV I I 4 MKMUUIAL SKKTCII OF Irvine's naval career, we may give some account of tlie other members of the family. Six sons and one daughter grew up. 1. The eldest son, George, about ten years John's senior, followed his father's })rofession, and died, nuich esteemed, at a comparatively early age. 2. Lewis Hay, a man of talent and wide attainments, after spending some time in Geneva, with great advantage to his future life, under the roof of the late Rev. Dr. ( 'fesar Malan, studied for the ministry of the National Church of Scotland, and was settled at the age of twenty-foiu* in the pleasant rural parish of Abercorn, near Queensferry, and continued to perform all his duties there, with remarkable zeal and energy, until the Disruption of the Church in 184;^. Joining the Free Chiu'ch, he was transferred to the town of Falkirk, whei'e he laboured incessantly, with rare devotion, in the Master's -service, until the summer of 1877, when he died at the age of seventy. He resembled John in many respects, and , I and MKUTKNANT JOHN IRVING, ll.N. 5 wjiH, we have often tliouglit, fitted by nature, liail God HO ordained liin course in life, for any enterprise demanding entluisiaHni, self- denial, and undaunted energy. 3. Mary came next in the family. She married the Rev. William Scott MoncriefF, an esteemed niinistei- of the Church of Scotland at Peni- cuik. She has surviv^ed him many years, aiul is the mother of two daugliters and of Mr. William George Scott Moncriefi', advo- cate, who now fills the position of Sheriff at Banff with much reputation. 4. Alexander was tlie third son in this hu'ge household. He entered the Iloyal Artillery about the same time that his younger brother John commenced his studies for the Navy. He lias served his Queen and her predecessoi* William rv. with distinction in various (piarters of the globe; he took part in the ( jrimean war ; he is a Companion of the Bath and a Major-General ; and has been spared to act as chief mourner on the recent melan- cholv occasion. 5 and G. The two remainin(»' frf n MKMOltlAL SKKTCII OF i| sons were Archibald and David. They were children when their devoted mothei' was taken away, and therefore had few of those advantafi^es whlcli the older members of the faniily enjoyed. Archibald died many years ago, leaving a widow, who still survives. David, whose early manhood, as we shall see, was specially brought under the influ- ence of his sailor brother, is now a respected PoUce Magisti'ate in Australia. John Irving, after leaving the Iloyal Naval College, in w^hich, as w^e have seen, he dis- tinguished himself, particularly in mathema- tics, joined for a short time the " Cordelia," a l()-g\m bi'ig, under Commander Charles Hotham, in the North Sea. He then served as a midshipman from 1830 to 1833 in the " l)elvidera " frigate, commanded by Captain the Hon. E. S. Dundas, on the Mediterranean station. In the sunnner of 1831 his future intimate friend, William E. Malcolm, on joining the ship for tlie first time, found Irving alrejuly M J H '. ( (U ly w 1 I.IKUTKNANT .KMIN IIIVINCJ, R.N. 7 there, iuid also another friend, Geoigc Khi^- Mton. He too had been appointed midship man in December of the previous year ; and after a short leave of jibsence found Irving on board on bis return to the " Belvidera" in January 1831. Irving, Kingston, and Malcolm were fellow-midshipmen in the same ship from the summer of 1831 onwards. They were drawn much together, and be- came mutually helpful, from the circum- stance that all three were already more or less deeply impressed with religious convic- tions, and had to maintain their position, as we can surmise, under no little discourage- ment, perhaps opposition, from some of their sliipmates. These three youths were together for the greater part of three years. Malcolm left the " Belvidera " a little earlier than the others, when she came home bring- ing Lady Frances Hotham, whose husband, Sii- Henry, had died as Admiral of the Med iter aii' in ranean Fleet. The ship was paid December 1833, when Irvinp* was ^%i frc 1 1 I' MK.MOIIIAI- SKKTCH OK jij)p(>liitiMl jit ouvv to tlu' " Kdlnl)Ui|;li," then at Portsmouth uiulor Captain Dacrcs. Kini^^stoii sliortly aftiM* joined 11. M. ship *'Tyne," fitting out for the Mediteri'anean ; and thus the ejirly and pleasant fellow- sliij) of tlie thive young men virtually came to an end. Their several courses in life diverged; but an epistohuy correspondence was maintained more oi* less steadily for many years. Malcolm, a, son of the eminent and well- knijwn Admii'al Sir Pulteney Malcolm, left the Ni it of his health th J on accoun end of 18;J.'). He still survives as the |)ro- prietor of Burnfoot in Dumfriesshire, and has kindlv favoured us with a series of lettei's which will en;ible the reader to form an esti- mate of John Irving-'s character, and also to trace clearly and satisfactorily the future current of his life during the ten or eleven years preceding his final departure in Sir John Fi"anklin's expedition to the Arctic ]*eather from the next letter that he had joined a new ship, the '' Edinburgh/' then on tlie Mediterranean station. 1 't; 'If i: lii h \^ I h 14 MKMOltlAL 8KI:TCH OF TO MR. W. i;. MALCOLM, TODDKNILVM RKCTORV, (ILOUCESTERSIIIIIE. }1.M.S. " Edinburgh," VoURLA, Srptcmhcr 24, 1834. My de.vr Malcolm, — I received your letter of the 27th July on the 3d of August, so it has been a whole niontli unansweriMl. T suppose you are settled down (i[uiet and, I hope, studious at the Rectory after your visiting expedition to Scotland. I am afraid it will be a long time before Mrdstcr Jolin has the pleasure of seeing the fine sights you promise him ; howev(!r, he lives in hope. My father writes me that he sees no chance of getting my promotion while the present Ministers hold office, and says that it will be best for me to remain afloat so long as I am a mate, as, at tlie Admiralty, they make your not having served after passing an objection to your promotion (and very properly too, if stuck to in all cases), so I must jog on as quietly as I can, for I cannot vex my poor old father — who has trouble enough to provide for the advancement of six sons in the various ways of getting a living — by telling him of my wishes to come and live at home. I have seen a good deal of old Kingston, and have taken some walks with him. He is just § ■'! *^l r^t LIHUTEXANT JOHN' IIlVINc;, ll.N. 15 • ; l! ! the same; and as I walked alont;, looking at his large shoes, swinging arm^, and — although it was a hot day — an immense stiff black neckclotli, T could not help laughing and thinking how you would have been amused. As people have become familiar in the shi[), and reserve worn off, I and three others have attained to the name of saints. There were at one time six or seven ; but ridicule has made them renounce their [(rot'ession and go back into the highway of pro- fligacy and vice. 1 sliall mention my friends, as 1 daresay yon woidd like to know about them. Nor- man I have already described to you. 1 found him, when I joined the ship, a real Christian in every sense of the word, and so he is to this day. The next is a midshipman called Moil, a very wild fellow when he came in this ship, and Norman has been the honoured means of sending him to the Fountain of all mercy. The third is a young Collegian called Fowler. He has become very serious, and the Bible is his daily study, and he has read many of my b< K)ks, beside a total alteration in most of his habits ; he has been a year and a half at sea — so he had some bad ones, — but he is in earnest indeed. He has gone through six books of Euclid with me, and w(! iire going over them a second time ; but he knew I I' ' !i ilf I. ir, MKMOIUAL SKETCH OF some of tliciii before, also Cliomistry and Nalural Pliilosopby. He is very clever, and learns ([uickl}- ; I only hope lie may retain what ho acquires. The whole of us ari' laughed at for reading tlie Bible, and, horrid to relate, we go by the common name of " the Holy CHiost boys." However, Norman's advice and truly Christian example has enabled me to conduct myself in a somewdiat more Christian way thtin was my wont, or rather, 1 have obtained in mercy an increase of that spirit which overcometli evil witli good, and I hope all these trials will do me good. Poor old Kingston has been annoyed lately in the same way. 1 })ity him, they are so closely packed together in a small vessel like the " Tyne." He has a great hel]t in tlie assistant-surgeon, a very pious young man. Also Kingston has great delight in a youngster whom lie has lent a hand to, and who has beconu^ serious. They are doing Euclid together, and get on \ery well. These three are called " psalm-siugers," and old Kingston has been toid that it is (|uite unnatural for a young person to spend so much of his time in reading as he does. J was glad to hear such good accounts of your brother. I hope some of your books will do him good in moments of reflection and loneliness, in far ^i-4 lieutp:nant john hiving, u.n. it distant lands, when you can only pray for him and Ik )pe tlie best. I have read an excellent 1 )Ook lately : " Memoirs of Henry Martyn, missionary in India." You will fmd much pleasure in reading the life of such a truly good man as he was ; also sermons l)y Arnold, a Churchman, very plain and good. AVe have been cruising a good deal these last three months, but never going above sixty miles from this, and frequently anchoring merely for fresh beef. Wr expect to go down to j\ralta soon, touching at Napoli by the way. No one knows where we shall go, as this Admiral keeps everything so close that really we never get two hours' waiting before sailing. I daresay wc sliall spend this winter at Malta ; how- ever, it does not much matter to me where we are. I hope you are keeping your health, and growing stout. Send me your stature and weight next time you write, and then I shall be able to judge pretty well how your twelve months' residence on shore has agreed with you. And I hope you are fortunate in your companions at Toddenham, as I suppose your comfort depends a good deal upon their con- duct. I hope you will not think from this letter that I am melancholy or vexed at the behaviour of my messmates ; for I am quite happy in the knowledge B M ': t ]' ^1 18 MEMORIAL SKETCH OF tluit in. thifi ship'^ my own pride mid bad temper have not been the cause of their troubling me — Kingston being situated in the same way in the " Tyne " is a proof of this, — and that the only thing they trouble me about is on the score of being religious ; and in such a cause it is a high honour to suffer at all. I liave the pinnace, and do nothing in the harbour but go away in her for water, etc. I keep forecastle watch at sea, and we are in four watches, which gives plenty of time! for reading, which is a great comfort to me. I hope you will go on well, Elpliie, and work hard, that you may not be taken al)ack at the College, especially in the Euclid, which you can just freshen up in your memory a little, in case you forget it; but 1 have no doubt you know wdiat is necessary, an.d don't think me officious for saying anything about it. And now I must conclude my letter. May you be a useful member of your high calling which you have chosen.— J am ever your affectionate friend, John Irving. I It would appear that while in the "Belvidera" he was not very popular on account of a hot tenipei- and a rather domineering manner. He was better informed than the majority of his compeers, had decided opinions, and was prone to become dic- tatorial. We can readily imagine, from personal knowledge, that in early life such may have been his tendency. * f M ^L Jm LIEUTENANT JOHN HIVING, ll.N. 19 Mr. Malcolm, althougli looking forward at this time to taking holy orders, did not eventually carry out his piu'pose. i! H.M.S. "Edinburgh," Malta, 1)(c. 8, 18;i4, My DEAi! Malcolm, — I am gltul to hear you are getting on so well with your studies, and tliat before another year has gone by you will have connnenced your University course. I have always had a sort of misgiving that you would be inclined, by your friends, and by finding yourself in such good health, to come to sea again, when I know you must be so much happier where you are. I can fancy you laughing at this. However, you know that, with you, I speak just what I think, and I have no one else in the world whom I can do that to but your- self. In this ship I am on good terms with all, but intimate with none. And I am getting quite tired for want of some one with whom I might talk of something besides seamanship and points of service. We have been now lying here for five weeks, and in all probability we shall remain here until March or April. The " Eevenge " lias gone on a cruise accom- panied by the " Vernon " and " Barham," of whose V*l :J> ^: u H # i. 1 • ? I 20 MKMORIAL S Kirn 11 OF sailing slic is the uni])ii('. From what we coiikl see durin.u" two or threo days, it seomed that tlicy saihMl as nearly equal as possi])le, keeping abreast of each other for liours. However, it is generally thought Cai)tiiin Syniond's sliip " Vernon " has an advantage on a wind, wliile the " l)arliani " beats her going free. There are many bets (U'peuding upon it, and their return is anxiously expected. Tliey have had strong breezes, and it is hoped that the trial will be decisive. I suppose you are little interested in this, but I will confess I am very much, the shape of (Japtain S.'s slii}) l)eing so different. The " Colum- bine," one of liis brigs, has sailed a n'eat deal with the squadron, and it is wonderful to see her going away two miles an hour dead to windward, under two topsails, while we are cracking on everything we can carry. The great difference seems to consist in the innnense beam at the water's edge, which prevents their lieeling over, and so making lee-way. I get books from the garrison library, and read a good deal, and of all descriptions. I occasionally go to the opera. ]\Iiss Briggs's marriage with Captain Martin takes place on the 9th. inst. ; he has become Flag-Captain, and it is considered a good match, though he is old enougli to be her father. You inquire about our chaplain. I do not know what to i *^i i^^% LI KITTEN ANT JOHN IRVING, R.N. 21 iiiiikc ol' liiiii. Jle makes good suiiiioiis ; and as far as tacts go he is a very good man; but he is very loose in his conversation, and joins in the hiugli at improper jokes, and I have sometimes heard him use a polite oath. Ifovvever, he is considcn'cd a very good sort of fellow. I was shocked to hear the Captain puhlisli his intention of celebrating the Lord's Supper in his cabin the other day. He is a man very passionate, and easily put out of temper. When he is so, he makes use of the most horrible terms — t)ld Festing was reverence compared to him, — and our Commander, a very good old man, has the same tiiult. lioth he and the Captain hail men aloft, and express their wishes for their daiunation, always adding " for all eternity." Tlie Sacrament was re- ceived by them, and most of the lieutenants, and some of the men, one of whom got drunk the same night; and next day I heard in the ward-room enough to make me glad that I did not go, as I at first intended. I have always seen so much solem- nity, and such careful preparation insisted on in the Scotch Church, that this seemed so different; and as I see I nmst have done harm instead of good, 1 thought it better not to go. I heard from Kingston some time ago ; but I daresay you have more recent accounts of him. We shall probably 1. ; i: i I il- I :i m: «l f •' u> 22 MI'MOKIAh SKirnjII OF bo i)iii(l ofl' by tliis tinui next yonr, iiml I look tor- ward witli i^reat plcjisuro to piiyini^" you a visit at tlie Coll(^<^'o, vvlioro I suppose you will have a room, etc.; but as I shall he. on my way home, I shall not trespass lou;;' ou your hospitality. However, it is still a loug tinui to look forward to. I believe my IVieuds are trying' everythiuj^' in their power to ob- taiu my prouiotiou, but with little or iio chance of success. But as I cannot blame myself if I am not })r(jmoted for ten years, I do not trouble myself about it. I will now finish my U'tt(U' witli express- ing my delight with your last. — 1 am, your affec- tionate friend, John Irving. The next letter is dated from No. GG Frederick Street, Portsea, 24tli February 1835, little more than 'v^o months after the preceding one, in which he speaks of being another year in the Mediterranean. His father, encouraged, as he surmises, by a change of Ministry, had written to him to ask leave for two or three months, that he might pass his next examination at the Naval College. Captain Dacres kindly gave him leave, he tells us, and he left Malta on I i m I.I KIJTKXANT .JOHN IKVINCJ, U.N, 23 (lie 1st of Fe])ruary, arrived at Falmouth on the 20th, and at Portsea on the 2 2d. He had not seen tlieir mutual friend Khigston for some months, his ship, the " Tyne," having been sent to Corfu, lie adds, " how- ever, I had some letters from him. He was quite well, and busy in doing- good to every one with whom he had any influence." .11,1 The next letter may be (juoted entire, as it is short, and gives an account of his proceedings while on this short visit to England : — PoUTSEA, March 10, 183'). My DEAii Malcolm, — I received your very kind letter three days a^o ; however, as I did not know my movements, I dehayed writing you until I did. I passed to-day. There were eleven of us tried ; nine were turned back, and two passed. 1 start in an liour's time for London, and from thence, per steam-vessel, for Edinbui'gh, my father having written me to come home. I shall he leaving Scot- land about the end of the month, and will call at Harley Street for tlie books on my way to Falmouth, Hi j. k: { •Jl mi;m()|{ia[< skktcii of lor I iiiiisl, <^() oil to Malta in tliu April packet; but I Mliall vviitti (oyoii a^aiii before that time. Excuse li.'istc. — Aiy ever dearest Malcolm, your affectionate friend, JoiIN IrVING. The Ic^tter which follows increases our ;ic((imint;uR*c with John Irving's character, .•111(1 iidonns us as to his course : — i 'I' 'w lOO Pkinces Street, Edinburgij, March 23, 1835. 1\1y pkai; Mai.coi,m, — 1 set off to-morrow for l.oiuKui, liaviiiu only had a week's stay at home. I shall he in town in the eiul of the week, and shall rail at Ilarley Street for the parcel of books for Ivinusion. 1 Ihu^e vou will uive Miss S. due notice of llijs. as 1 should feel il very awkward calliuo- for the hooks and nohodv knowiuLr anvthiuiT; about thtMu. in i>bedii>nre to niv father's wishes, I ani leavuiLi home three or tour days sooner than abso- lutely luH-essary for i'einu at Falmouth by the 3d of next nu>nth. He wishes me to call upon several friiMuls o( his in London, whom he has written to, and enthavonr [c^ induee them to inierest themselves as mueh as possible in procuring my promotion ; but. ,i>^ \\\v\ are mostlv straui^ers to me. this will be ■! »» ■M i' n IJEUTENANT JOHN HIVING, H.N, 25 a most disagreeable employment. Sir George Clerk having a son coming from the West Indies to pass is a great obstacle to me ; however, having passed all tlie examinations, and feeling that I have done my best, as far as it depends on me, I do not feel so very anxious about it. I have also to go away fror.^ London one day sooner than I would otherwise be obliged to do, as I have to pay a visit in Dorset- shire, on my way to Falmouth, to Mrs. Stanley, the wife of Captain Stanley, the commander of tlie '•' pAlinburgh." She has ])een long in bed, and was, I believe, despaired of. Captain Stanley could not obtain leave to go home, without losing the ship, and he entreated me, with the tears running down his clieeks, to go and see his wife before I left England. This I promised to do. I shall stop ten or twelve hours there, and proceed with the next coach. Th(; place is called Alington, near Bridport. it vexes me to leave England without seeing you; but it cannot be helped. However, I will take it as a great favour if, when you are next in Scotland (perhaps next summer you will probably be in Edin- burgli), you will go and see Mrs. Scott Moncric^if. Her name was l*ringle. Her brother is M.P. for Sclkirksldre, and, I believe, she is a cousin of your latlier's. She is very anxious to see you. She told i\ w Mi 4'i \ 1 'f(i I i %'!.. 20 MEMOIUAL SKETCH OF me she often eanied you in her arms when you were an infant. She is a most pious, amiable Lady, and I am sure you will l)e as much pleased with her as she will be with you. She lives at Dalkeith, six miles from Edinlnirgh ; her husband is chamber- lain to the Duke of Buccleuch, who has a palace there, so you will have no difficulty in finding her. I have procured Newton's C/nrliphonia on your recommendation, but I have not had time to read it yet. I shall also get, and, as you desire, consider as a present from you, the little book called Advice to a Yoiuifi Christian. I shall be out at jVIalta about the end of April, and, I am afraid, shall have some difficulty in join- ing my ship; but I suppose I nmst stick to the letter-bag. It has been an expensive business this, my coming home ; but it is a great comfort to my father to think that nothing has been omitted that has a chance of getting me on. I am afraid you will consider this a terribly egotistical letter, but mine are naturally such to you. — Believe me ever your affectionate friend, John Irvinc;. The next letter Is dated Exeter, Tuesday afternoon, March 31, 1835. There are some 1 I i this, I H :i LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVING, U.N. 27 points of interest which deserve being quoted : — I have been endeavouring to make a little interest for myself while in London, of which I shall give you some account. I had a letter from Lord Arbuthnot to Lord de Gray, written, to use his own words, in the strongest terms he could employ. I also had a letter from General Arbuthnot, M.P. for Kiucardinesliire, to Lord de Gray, and he also spoke to Mr. Dawson, the secretary, on my behalf. Sir George Clerk introduced me to Lord de Gray's nephew, Cole, the private secretary, and gave him a note to his uncle Lord de Gray, which he said he would deliver into his own hand, and also that he would do what he could in my favour himself. Some of my friends seem quite confident that I shall be promoted in a short time, l>ut if this takes place in eighteen months it will happen sooner than 1 myself expect. I shall leave Falmouth on Friday morning, after post, for Malta. I have been at Bridport to see our Comnumder's wife, and remained there for a few hours, and am now just arrived here, and the Falmouth mail starts in a few minutes, so you must excuse this hurried letter. ■\\ il I'i. !! li i' I ) < I ' I I f M V ■if! Mi lib. (It 28 MEMORIAL SKETCH OF I found the poor lady (|uite insane ; however, I saw her sisters, and liave ratlier melancholy news to carry out to her liusl)and, our Commander. From having heen so hurried about these last two montlis, and never having time to read, I regret tliat I nm not nearly in such a peaceful state of mind as I used to be, and I am quite aware that I do not think nearly so much as I used to do about eternity and the things belong- ing to it. I do not know whether this may be a physical effect on the mind produced by the con- stant excitement in which I have lived for the last two months, — in which case, when I get settled, my mind may be restored to its former calm and com- fortable state. However, it is a source of great present discomfort and uneasiness to be forced to turn my attention, with an effort, to the considera- tion of subjects in which I used to take great plea- sure some weeks aQ;o. I must finisli my letter in a hurry. Good-bye. — I am ever your most affectionate JoiiN Irving. (3n arriviijo- at Malta, and joining his ship tliu " Edinburgh," John Irving at once re- commenced his former duties. He found three letters from Malcolm awaitingf him. \Hi' i \< ' 1 I I ( I ff' •I ' 'hi H I). ■1; Ml' ^ 40 mi<:moiual sketch or the H( ^kecl Sir G( station. Clerk,' and sent me his opinion. To my great joy it was that it was more advisable for me to come home ; but if T |)articularl}' wished to stay out, I might use my own discretion. So of course I shall go home in the " Edinburgh." The Captain says he expects to be paid off in January at the latest, so I shall go on sliore for a spell, having served as a mate for nearly three years. I hope to be able to meet you, as I shall have plenty of time, and can come to any i>art of the country you like for that purpose. I have been very much distressed by tlie sad news of my brother, the minister, having lost his wife. She was safely delivered of a daughter, and my poor brother wrote me by the August packet that she was doing well, axid how ha])py he was, and that he would call me Uncle John for the future. But by the Septem])er packet I got a letter from my father saying that ten days after the birth of the baby she suddenly turned very ill and died. Poor Lewie ! he ^ Sir CJeorge Clerk, whose name so often appears in these k'tters, was the nephew of Mr. Irving, and therefore John's cousin -german. Ho represented Midlothian for many years, was a man of great business talent, much respected by l)otIi l)arties in the .State, and a trusted friend and supi)orter of the great .Sir Uobert Peel. ■\ >vl|. ' LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVINCJ, It.N, 41 luid ])eeii married only four years. She was only twenty "four years old, and he left a widower, with a little daughter, at the age of twenty-nine. They seemed made for each other. The manse of Ahercorn will no longer be the cheerful and happy abode to which I always looked forward. However, 1 shall liave great pleasure in comforting him and diverting his mind from his loss. The little girl too will take up his attention ; but living in a manse for four years a life of liappiness, as lie did, he must fe(d the blow dreadfully : but he knows whence to derive strength and support to bear it. But I beg your pardon for taking uj) your time with what (l(i(s not concern you. — Believe me, as much as ever, your affectionate friend, John Iiivixcr. H.M.S. " Edinbukgii," Malta, Xor. 4, 1830. ]\[v DEAR Malcolm, — . . . You make inquiries eoncerniug my books and companions, etc. As to lidoks — as 1 have been three years in this ship, T have long ago read all on board, the stock never liaving been great. But the truth is, that for a long time past I have been very idle. In our mess we get all the magazines, Blnrlivooirs, etc., the reviews, and thr(>e or four dozen of newspajters every month, and 1 must confess with shame that I have read II I 'i'i f^ CT'I H I i I I " ^ i M'l > i U'lil I 42 MmiOlUAL SKETCTI OF little else for many months past. I want you and Kingston sadly. I smoke nearly all the evenings, and what with regular watch-keeping and sleeping in watclies below — taking long walks — beating tlie i)ushes for s])ortsmen — and constantly boat-sailing, for which tliere is a sort of mania in this ship — I have spent all this last year in a most unprofitable manner. As to conijtanions, I have not one friend in the ship, although I am on tolerably good terms with them all. And now to come to the worst con- fession I have to make : I have no longer the same comfort and pleasure in religious contemplation that I liave known — whether from having no one with whom to talk to, or jierliaps from gradually thinking less and less. ''Tlie friendship of the world is (3nmity with (lod." Ah ! Malcolm, how much more happy I was when I spoke to no one but you and Kingston tlian now— hail fellow well met with every one. 1 have tried again and again, and am f'diivinced that on board ship I shall never be liappy ; I have tvitied on tlie very verge of perdi- tion; everyday I find niyseli' placed in situations oi" (3Vory kind of peril and temptation, so that I can liardly escape. I hear all kinds of oatlis and oliscene conversation, but it does not shock my ear now. However, tlie ship has commenced her fourth LTKUTENANT JOHN fJlVlNU, IJ.N. 43 year, and I hope in a few weeks more to be iDaid off, and my father writes me that I had better stay on shore for some time. So I trust I shall be able to refresh my wearied heart with some sweet discourse I'or whicli I long so much. I made an attempt to make a friend of a mid of about tliree years' standing. I fancied that he had a scientific turn, and hoping, through that, to gain his confidence and have some influence with him, after much talk on these subjects, I commenced Arnott witli him; but he was capricious and change- able, and after four or five weeks of great vexation and trouble, having only got with him tlirough one- half of the first volume, he excused liimself in various ways, and finally, in spite of all my persua- sion, dropped it altogether, and has ever since held aloof from anything like particular conversation with me. 1 am conscious that I did everytliing I could, and, tliough very much annoyed, I do not bhune myself After this I sunk into my routine of laziness and trifling amusements. I daresay you will l)e surprised when I tell you that I spend upwards of two hours a day in smoking ; but you must make some allowance for a solitary being. I also draw a little, but nothing to speak of. I count the days till the shij) is paid off. ii if] f! r »f 44 MKMUlilAI. SKETCH OF W(; arrived hvw a nioiith ago after a passage of ten (lays from Vourla. Malta is as dull and tire- some and just the same as ever, except that six sail of the line lying in liarbour make every place on shore constantly thronged with midshipmen. I am so sick of the ship, and everything l)elongiug to it, tliat I liope you will, on that account, excuse anything you do not like in this letter. I have no prospects of ])romotion. However, a few months on sliore in society to my taste will relieve me much. Do you recollect my carrying you on my back down the road at the top of the harbour? I was wander- ing then; alone and also at Bighi Bay a few hours ago; my tliouglits were of you and happier days. 1 felt myself really alone. — Dearest Malcolm, I am ever your affectionate friend, Joiix Irving. M ii iJoes not the foreuoiuo* letter brino- vividly before us ;i ty])ical British sailor — strong in body, III 11 of warm affections, candid and honest, aspiring after higher things, and with his heart set ii])on the amenities of social intercourse, to which constrained dis- tance lent a temporary and special enchant- ment ? :l LIEUTENANT .JOHN IKVlNCi, ll.N, 45 IV H.M.S. " EmNBURGH," Portsmouth, Jan. 17, 1837. My DEAii Malcolm, — I received your letter of tlie 1 2th three days ago, and delayed ^v•^iting until I heard from home what they intended doing with nie. My father says that he thinks it better for me to remain at home for some months. I hope to be with you in the first week of February ; but it is nr)t (juite certain what day we shall be paid off — the severe weather retarding us much. We were detained three days at Spithead before we could get into harbour. However, I think I shall certainly get to Cambridge by the 5th at furthest. I need not tell you how 1 look forward to meeting you after our long separation. I am afraid you will tliink me very awkward and ignorant. I have such ideas of grandeur attached to Caml)ridge University that I can hardly fancy that you are actually there, my recollections of you being as yesterday, though three years have gone by. The weather is very bad, but it does not much matter, as I do not go to Cam- bridge to see it. The mention of your snug room made me quite glad. At Gibraltar we found the "Childers" (18). Dun- lop, formerly of the " Belvidera," is surgeon of her, and he immediately on our arrival invited me to V 1 1 h' 40 MEMORIAL SKEIX^EI. h M ! I ■ dine, and gave me a letter Kingston liad left with him for that purpose l»efore the " Tyne " sailed, which she unfortunately did a few days before we arrived. Kingston was ([uite well and happy. We sliall writt! to him a joint letter from Cambridge. Dunlop was very kind to me. He gave me a letter to .I?utherford, who is rutw a mate on board the "Ex- cellent" in this harl)our- He came to f^e me on our arrival here, and I dined with him on board his sliip. He seems a sensible fellow. Both Dunlop and ' e deoired me to remember them to you and Kingston, for whom they assured me they had a great lespect, as everybody has who knows him. — Yours sincerely, John Irvikg. We are very busy, ha\'ing left several on tiie station, and five ill with a complaint ciilled influenza, very prevalent liere,. I am on my legs all day. rl • I t *-'i^ k\. r>< "^ , -i loft with hI, whicli ! arrived. Vq. shall Dunlo]) letter to he "Ex- ^ me on loard his Dunlop you and sy had a s him. — RVING. 1 on the ntluenza, day. ■■"4: CHAPTER II L The two old shipmates met at Cambridge, and spent some days together. Tlie loUow- ing is from Irvlngs father's house in Edin- Inn-gli : — 100 PkIxNTes Strket, March 2, 18«7. My dear MALCOL^r, — ... As you may perhaps liave a litth* curiosity al)out what befell me after liid(Unt>' you ^ood-bye, I will ^ive you a little nar- lative. I continu(id eating toast and drinking coftle until your gyp came for my tilings. I then went down to the Eagle, and set off from the abode of Icrrrninfj, on the top of tlie stage, and after a ver>' cold ride T was ])iit down in Holl^orn, and went to my (iousin at Somerset House,^ and saw the model Kjom then?. I then inquired about steamers to Edinburgli, and found there were none until the Stiturday, and T was on my way to ship myself in a Leitl) smack, when T discovered there was a ' The late Charles Irving (Auditor). , \ , ! t 11' Ik \ I ii; liii r 'i ^t iiM' I 48 St(' .mi:m()i:ial skkt( ii ok anier to Dundee, which saih'd the next morning. 1 tlieii went and dined witli my cousin, and sle])t at tlie inn in Holhorn. Alter a ratlicr r()U<^h l)assaj^v, we arrived at Puiidee, and came liere on tlie U)\> (>r the coach on Saturday eveninj^', having h'ft you on the Tuesday morning; so I was not h)n,n in t'ominj4, tliou<4li a little round-about. T found my friends all ])retty well, and 1 was em- ployed, for the iirst four or live days, in running; about all over the town, calling upon my numerous aunts and cousins of every degree ; and every nig! it 1 was engaged at some party or other. All this, though not pleasant, I submitted to with a good grace, as it would not last long. Last Thursday 1 went out to Al)ercorn and stayed with my broth(n\ ihe minister, till yesterday, when he and I came into Edinburgh, as he had some business vo.niin'im Ids presence. However, I shall soon go out and stay with him som(3 time, as he is very lonely there by himself Toor fellow ! he was so pale, .and thin, and altered, 1 did not know him, though he never speaks nor seems able to bear the slightest allusion to his wife. He must miss her very much sitting at his solitary fireside. His schoolmaster had been promoted to a larger parish, and another had not yet come. So that my i slept rough uixi on haviu.i; 3t loii^ as ein- imniiig meroiis every V. All a good 'sday 1 jrotluii', 1 cuniL' < niivi'iH'' i. ~* lilt and iy there id thin, e nevui allusion sitting a larger that my 1 !. MKUTKNA.NT JOHN IliVrNc;, H.N. 4!) brotlier was oecupiod a great part dl' the day in the sehool teaelung the ehilth'en, and 1 also tried to make mysell" of some little use in liearing .'leii lessons. He preached on Sunday, and \\v. had some long conversation on religious sul)jeets; and I [\'A much the l)etter, and inori; ahle to understand tlie great doctrines of Cliristianity. Hut adverting to tliis subject, I cannot forbear telling you liow great good came to me from my visit to you, and how, wldle witli you, I felt my conscience accuse me of tlie greatest neglect of religion, and how much benefit I derived from your conversation, and the selections you made from books foi' my use; and how mis(!rable the retrospect of my past life made nie to feel. It seems to me that I must have been almost insane to neglect tliat which now seems to be of such great and overwhehning importance. 1 will always remember how, as if it had been on purpose, Mr. Melville's text and sermon directly applied to me,' and how distinctly I felt that I had been be- witched by my own depraved imagination and the snares of Satan, I have been reading the Bible every morning and evening, and have found much comfort and peace in so doing, as also from a number of ' The serniou referred to was on Galatians iii. 1 : "0 foolish Galatians," etc. D i 't ^i 1 > *'>HK< no MIOMOKIAIi SKKTCII Ol' seniioiis T li.'ivu been liiiidiiin'. Still, tlicrcinumhranco of Diy ])a.st lifo comes across iiio at times, and makes me very miserable. lUil this lias a good efl'ect in keeping me liumbh^ and niindf'id of what T shouhl be, if 1 had nothing but my own strength to depend on, and how wretched I am by nature, having no- thing to hope in of my own; but just the mercy of (fod in (Jhrist, as it is promised in tlu; Gospel. I have been reading the Ihndgcswater Treatises, one of which, you know, is by Mr. Whewell; but 1 luive not g(jt through them yet. lOG Princes Stkeet, Edinbuugh, A]>ril 17, 1S.S7. Mv DEAR ^Ialcol:m, — As I have not heard from yf»u at all since 1 left Cambridge, I imagine you hav(^ forgotten my address, although if I recoll(>ct right, T mentioned it in my letter of tlu^ Ctli March. I see that the "Tync" has come home, and is paying of^' at rortsmouth. I have written to Kingston, but liave not yet heard from him. I have been staying in Perthshire for some time past with an uncle of mine (Laurence Craigie, Esq. of Glendoick), and in spite of the bad weather 1 (iujoyed myself very much. ]\Iy brother, the minister, was with me, and remained several d.'iys earli has Loh and Iftl the; the bcfo goe,^ havi 1 . LIKIITKNANT .KHIN lllVINi;, IJ.N. 51 there, as he liad to assist a minister in tlic noigh- buuihood ill iulniinistenu<; the Lord's Supper. I li.'ivc had a great many pleasant walks and cunver- siitions with him. T am just going now to stay a week with some relations in Lanarkshire, and I hope, on my return, to find a letter from you waiting for iiie. My stay on shore is (piite uncertain ; but I can lu'iir of no ])rospects of promotion, or anything to be gained by going to sea. 1 find visiting very un- favourable to reading, and have had but little these last three weeks. Among other books, I have been reading Lockhart's Life of Sir Walter Scott, in Avhich my father is a good deal mentioned at the earlier part. The whole country for the last montli lias been a sheet of snow, and the grahi, which ought to have been a foot high, is in many places unsown, and in many more they are still busy ploughing. If this lasts a few days longer, there will be a famine, they say, next year. The accounts of the distress in the Highlands are fearful, and it is thought that before long it will be general. The thermometer goes down to 2.5° every night, and the young lambs have perished in great numbers. I hope you will write to me soon, and, if you have fixed your plans for the summer, you will let me know where I can address a letter to you. I V I J 52 MEMORIAL SKKTCH OF lope you will find it ])ossible to pay ine a visit. 1 am sure you would find much in tins neighbourliood very interesting. — I am, yours most faithfully, John Irvinc. 106 PuiNCEs Sthkkt, TupMaii, June Ufh, 1837. f ? My dear IMalcolm, — T have received your very kiiid letter of the Gth inst., and I have to tliniik you for your attention in procuring me the ]iapors relative to South Australia. I am glad to say timt it is fixed that I am to go to Xe\/ South AVales ; fov the state of uncertainty was very disagreeable. Two of my fatlier" s old friends, upon whose interest lu> principally relied for getting the promotion, have been cut off during the past winter, and Sir George Clerk will require all the interest he can muster to get his own son, a mate, promoted ; so, all things considered, my father has made u]) his mind that it will be better for me to leave the Navy — to which I most willingly agree, thinking that almost any condition is to be preferred to that of a hopeless old mate. My brother (David) and I purpose sailing from Leith in a very fine vessel bound for Sydney, which will sail about the 20th of August. As he knowfl I . I r I i I isit. 1 uiiiood KKT, 1S.S7. air very ) thank ]iapors siiy tlial lies ; for e. Two crest lu> )ii, liavf L' Geov!][(' luster In 1 tilings I that it X) which lOst any hopeh^ss no' from y, which i knows LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVJNG, R.N. 53 \Q\y litthi about faiiuiiig, and I, if possible, less, we liave been advised by some people here, who have been there, to go immediately on our arrival to board in the country with some respectable settler for a year or two, before we purchase land and set up for ourselves. It appears very doubtful whether it will lie better for us to settle finally in N. S, Wales, or in the new colony of South Australia; but, as I have obtained letters of introduction to several gentlemen, large proprietors in New South Wales, and as stock of all kinds is procured, cheaper in the older colony, and sent to the new% it is tiioiight t^ie liL'sL plan for us to go, in the first place, to K. S. Wales ; and, in the course of a year or two, I shall be l)etter able to judge, and have obtained the best advice as to the best place to settle in finally. I5y all accounts, sheep-farming seems best adapted for tliose inexperienced in agriculture to engage in ; and it IS to that I think we sliall confine ourselves. Whether X. S. Wales or South Australia is the best lieep country will be best found out on the spot. And, as I must serve an apprenticeship for a year "!• two, I shall have time enough to ascertain that point. As a person leaving the Navy or Army for the purpose of settling is a})t to be suspected to have been in some scrape which has caused him to ' '1 54 MEATORIAL SKKTCll OF fU i leave, or, iu other words, to have been turned out, he is liable not to meet with a very favouiable re- ception as a new-comer. And I understand that the old settlers regard every new^ one that comes with an eye of suspicion, as pci'sons who have left tiieir country because it was too hot to hold them. It is therefore of great consequence to me to pro- cure as many credentials of rcspectahilit}/ as possible, and I will, therefore, most gladly avail myself of your offer to procure me a letter to Captain Hind- marsh, or any other person in tliat quarter of the world. I trust we shall get on as well as many others have done, and I much prefer having my success depending on my own exertions than entirely oi? the favour of other people. As far as my own private happiness is concerned, I have no hesitation in leaving the Navy. It is true 1 am l)idding adieu to all my relations and friends, but my only chance of success in the Navy would consist in keeping constantly employed, and I sliould be equally separated from my friends in that case. And be- sides, I shall liave my brother with me, and my being of use to him is also to be considered. ^ly father intends giving us a couple of thousand pounds to begin with. I ought not to liave troubled •m 111, .?■ t LTKUTENANT JOHN IRVING, R.X. .)i) i» I 'ii d (Hit, le ro- thal conies .^e lefl tlieiii. pro- ssible, 5olf (.r Hind- of the with such a h 1.1 should ;• story about iu ; out i snouia be sorry were you to blame ine for quitting the Navy. I can assure you tliat in this business I have gone reeably surprised at. Tf I had had any idea that we should have been detained here so lon,^, 1 would have come for an hour or two to Inveraray; but, on the whole, my dearest friend, although I have not had an oppor- tunity of bidding farewell, still the remainder ol our lives is so short a period that although it would liave been very pleasant to take you by the hand and say good-l)ye, it is not of very great conse- quence. May we meet where we shall part no more, and where a friendship which began so early, and which has been of such incomparable use lu me, may be sealed in an eternity of everlasting love and joy among the redeemed in henven. Now all my friends hi/ hlood have bid n)e fare- well, my feelings turn with renewed force towards those whom God, in His mercy, inclined tow^ard^ me when 1 was in such need of them, and M'hosc tl m\ 1^^ IJEUTKNANT JOHN IRVJNCJ, K.N. 5U steady and tried affection has been the *^ieate.st bkissing uf my life. I need not tell you I allude to Kingston and yourself. Do forgive nie for all Ihe unkindness and ingratitude with which 1 have repaid your unwearied attention and good-temi)er. I should liave written to dear old Kingston, but I liope you will tell him about me in your next to liini. and say I did not know where a letter would tind liim, I feel I must confess to you a great degree of ai)preliension about my future proceedings, and a fear that I have undertaken what I am ill qualified In perform ; and that, if I do not get on, T will regret leaving the Navy, towards the xck imrt of which I had a kind of liking. I also feel myself under a load of responsibility iibout my youngest brother, my father having l)y letter, since he left this, solemnly delivered the future care of him into my hands, and also funds for his behoof And enuscious of all my ignorance of luisiness, and everything in fact but navigation and seamanship, J am in great fear that our affairs will be very badly managed. As to the moral care of my brother I liave fewer (cars, as lie seems for some montlis past to have taken a more serious consideration for the welfare ,7 i- I ; f. ' "i « C'l i I « i V i=» i 00 MKM0I{IAT. SKETCH OF of his soul. However, I trust in the kindness of God, which has already been so signally displayed towards me. Our ship 'S quite full of emigrants. In tlio ^^oop w^i S 'V e ; ' linisters, besMes my br(»ther and me; i)" ti.-' :h'< id eabin fifteen schoolmasters; and in the steerage 'out 200 men, women, and children. Last night was our first night on board. All assem- bled at nine o'clock in the open part of the lower deck, and one of the ndnisters read and prayed, after which a psalm. Tlie singing was extremely good, the schoolmasters in Scotland being mostly pre- centors, and a proper proportion of female voices. It sounded along the water very affectingly ; it put me in mind of the Russian frigate at Napoli — at gun-fire, a beautiful hymn which I daresay you recollect. There is to be worship every day ; and from ten ministers we shall have a variety of ser- mons on the Sundays. Before going to bed my brother and I read a little of the Scripture and your Conmientary. Our cabin I have fiUed up very nicely — a Iwok-case, a folding-table, shelves, camp-stool, curtain at the door. I have almost come up to the luxury of Mr. Cooke, although 1 liave iHjt yet got a punkah. Our cabin is the second from aft on the starboard side under the poop, an'. 1 s:>nt you a paper containing jin accovi.i of a public brciakfast wo were at, given m Dr. Lang, who gave an account uf bis proceedings. \ ])0g you will read the spceclies made on the occasion. f must now finish, or J will have to take it to Sydney. — Ever your very affectionate friend John (\^r , ,1 'I' U' i J {•'P.... ■H V \ ill I ! ; 1^ '^hjI^vjS CHAPTEll TV. Here is a letter from New South Wales, giving an account of their voyage and arrangements after reaching their destina- tion. Mr. Malcolm and his family had meanwhile met with a lieavy affliction, and John Irving refers to that in his usual sympathetic manner before entering on his own personal concerns : — At David L. Waugii's, Esq., np:ar Goulbourn, 2-ifh February 1838. My DKAii Malcolm, — I received your letter of the 1st October a week a^jo, and lose no time in writing to yoiL Most sincerely do I sympathise with you in your affliction. I feel much for your receiving such unexpected news at a time when you looked forward to a meeting with your dear brother. I am glad to see that in the midst of your grief you do not sorrow as those who have \^ ■^-3, LTEUTKNANT JOHN IRVIN(i, K.X. 63 no hope, but liike ull the consolation which the (idspcl gives to those wliose friends in Jesus fall asleep. Man was nev(a' meant by his Creator to enjoy anything like umningled ha])piness here on earth, or how would he ever look forward with joy to a removal to heaven ? So let us consider (hat all sorrows are meant by God to give us a distaste to this life, and a greater desire to be removed to that world where there will be no more tears or sorrows, no more partings of dear hrotlie:'y and friends, l)ut where all will be eternal, lixed, and everlasting. Forgive me, dear IMalcolm, if in officiously reminding you of these things you know so well, I may, instead of comforting, have only hurt your feelings, and opened afresh the fountains of your grief, which, when you get this letter, time may have in some measure allayed. It is now a year since I saw you at Cambridge ; liow nnich has happened during that year ! Little did I then expect to be, in a twelvemonth, on the o])posite side of the world. Perhaps by the time you get this letter, you will be interested by a little account of what has befallen me since you list heard from me previous to our sailing from Greenock, which we did on the 24th of July. We were six weeks to the Line, four more to the >' J ( J " f*ii" I': li 'Tf \ K 1 It; i| iv:'*^*^i.li. 04 MKMORT AI. SKKTCIf OK ('!il>(', wliicli we ])ass('(l .TOO miles to the soiilli- \vurd ; tivt^ more weeks to Kiiij;' (leorge's Soiuni, a .settlement ou the south-west corner of New llollinid, where we were ohliu'ed to call for re- freshments. 'I'lie scurvy had hrokcn out, and we had lifty ])eo])le laid nj), twenty of whom would not have reached Sydney aliv(\ Two weeks' stay at this place so recruited them that we were enabled to proceed on our voyage, and in two weeks more, arrived at Sydney ou the .'^d of Decem- ber, exactly nineteen weeks from Greenock. We lo.st duiing the jtassage twenty-five children and five grown ])er.sons ; l)ut notwithslandiuL; the saddenint; cflect of witnessing so nnich distress as these losses occasioned, I considered the passage a pleasant one. There was a great variety of society on board, and amongst eleven reverend gentlemen we mu.stenMJ a veiy good library, and we used to have worshij) in the cabin every morning and evening. I used to assist the captain in taking his observations, and walk the deck for sundry lumrs daily, to the astoii- isliment of the rest of the passengers. The time passed very quickly, and I was almost sorry to bid adieu to the ship. She seemed the last link betwixt this distant land and Scotland, where we stepped on board. '.vl.e MlinTKNANT .lOlIN IKVINCJ, U.S. (if) oUtll- Ncnv »r rc- 1(1 we would h' stay wore n two ^ecciii- :. W. 11(1 five [(l('iiin"4 i\ losses lilt one. Li'd, and lUstenMJ ^vorsliiji I used Diis, and e astt'ii- I alniosl ued tin' icotlaiid, On laiuliii;^, 1 ])1'oc(M'(Iu(1 to '^vX lod^i^inus for my bi-otluT ami niysolf, and tluni to dclivora few letters (il iiitriidiiction with which I had been t'uriiished. I was a good deal hurt by the ehilliii,«^' coldness with which I was received by some, but others were kind. I''very one whose ojiinion I asked advised me not to s(!t uj* by myself as a settler, until I had obtaiiKMl a '^ullicicnt knowledge of the customs of the country, luid ac(juired the necessary experience in the man- agement of sheep and cattle, and for this purpose tliey advised me to join mysell", for a couple of years, with some respectable person who had been several years in the colony, and after that time 1 might set up by myself. The ditticulty was to find a suitable person willing to enter into this arrangement. For- tunately a young man, son of AVaugli the bookseller in Edinburgh (you may have noticed religious pub- lications by Waugh and Innes), who has l)een four years in the colony, and to whom I had letters, was willing to allow me to join him, and take up my residence in his house, and lay out my money in ^hcep ai,d cattle, to be joined with his for two years, W(,cn I shall set up for myself. 1 was much puzzled what to do with my brother David, whom I had brought out with me, under- standing 1 could set up lor myself at once, and t'lat E M / I i: ' ii 1 ', I i. [ ' 1 ) I '! ^ ■'. ! 66 M 1':M O R 1 a 1 . S R ET' Ii O F lie could live with me and assist me. Mf. Waui^li objected to his living with him, as he would be quite idle, he not having employment for so many. For- tunately Colonel jMackenzie, to whom we had hitters, introduced him to a Mr. Howe, a man of immense- wealth, who took a fancy to him, and was desirous of making him his agent in Sydney ibr the disposal of the produce of his estates, which are about thirty miles from Sydney. 1 told Mr. Howe that he wa> only nineteen years of age ; but he thought he would do very w^ell. And as David himself was very desirous, 1 at last gave my consent to this arrange- ment, although I did not much like leaving him in the town of Sydney He has a salary of £150 ])('i annum, a nice little cottage belonging to Mr. Howw and, as his assistant, a very respectable man who came out in the ship with us, whose wife acts as David's cook and housekeeper. He has now been there upwards of two months, and is doing very well. After seeing him comfortably established,! came \\\> here, which is 130 miles I'rom Sydney. About three miles from this, coming through the forest, or bush, as it is called, the cart which conveyed my clotlies and baggage was stopped by five bushrangers, who despoiled me of most of my v/earin^? apparel, and % n LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVING, U.N s. I like him much. His charo-e is extensive, l;a\ hig a radiiiS of about fifty miles. He has been only about six months in the colony. It is a fine climate, the sky blue and clear like the Levant, which it resembles in having a hot wind from the N.W., which is fully etpuil to the sirocco. Durino its continuance the tliermometer stands at ilk in the shade. In the lower part of the country it freipiently stands at 135' in the sliade. We are 2000 feet above the level of tlie sea, and it generally gets cool in the evening, the thermometer iVecpiently falling 40^ in a few ]iours, in which case we feel so chilly that we are glad of a fire. - / . il I I i i 'J ' If \' 11* I Mf i ■ V f'i (IS M KMOi: I A L -SKETCH OF It is only for four or five luoutlis that tliu.su Ljreat lieats are prevalent. AVe live in the most liobinson-Criisoe style inia,ui liable, all onr con- veniences beinti- the work of our own hands. I made the table 1 am now writiii^^' on, and the bed in which I sleep. The river Wallondilly runs clos(^ to the house. It forms our bach. I had the pleasure of saving from being drowned in it, a few days ago, a young gentleman named Feild, whom I dived for and brought out in a state of insensil>ility. He was stopping a night here on his journey. He had been lately in the settlement of South Australia, and had been ac(|uainted witli AVilliani ^lalcolm there, your cousin. He said he was doing very well. That settlement is C[uite in its infancy yet, but I hope it will do well. In our neitihliourhood the a1)oriL>'ines are not numerous. The Wallondilly tribe, consisting of about thirty, pay us a visit once a month. They live l>y hunting, and therefore keep constantly moving over a country of about forty miles square. They live on kangaroos and opossums. I went out kangaroo-hunting with them one day. They are very scarce, and after rambling over maviy miles we perceived one with its small head and ears erect among the underwof>d. The native, to whom j\Ir • »*MV.Ai. K H: Vv-i LIEUTENANT JOHN IIlV^lNlJ, U.N. Gl) Waiigli liad lent a gun, inmiediately fired and missed tlie kangaroo. I however, tliougli a poor shot, managed to ])ut a ]»all through him as he bounded away, clearing thr(H^ or four yards at a leap. He was six feet high. The tails make good sou[). The natives generally spear them by throw- ing at them M'hen they come to drink, and it is only when they can i)rocure a gun that they pursue them openly. They talk ])retty good l^roken English, and go (piite naked ; but in cold weather they wear over their shoulders a cloak of kangaroo skin, which they sleep upon, with only a screen to keep off the wind, aud seldom two nights in the same pLice. They Jiave adopted most of the vices of the convicts ; and oil Christmas Day I was shocked to see a number of tliem lying like black pigs, dead drunk, with rum they had procured from some of the public-houses in the township. In this country, wherever there arc three houses together, one you may be sure is a public, and in the township of Goulbourji, where there are about forty houses, tliero are eleven publics. In fact the great l>ulk of the population consists of those who drink ruin and those who sell it. We are fourteen miles irom the nearest public, and our drink consists of milk and water, and great I 'tii ''■•' IS 'I' ill 4 s . MI'-MORIAL SKETCH OF (juantities of tea, wliicli is very cheap. I have ng through the piping water which one never feels on shore. 1 have become owner of a horse, and liav(^ had some severe falls, which liavc not much imjn'oved my taste for liorscmanslii]). Do you remem1)er "tooling" out to Argos ? 1 shall stay here a few days longer witli my brother, and will then return to my pastoral pursuits. I am at [)rosent enjoying the delightful sensation one feels on recovering liealth after a long and severe illness, thougli r am very tlun and weak ; it "^ t-etns a [)leasuri! even to breathe the fresli air. Tlie weather here is lU'liuhtful, cool and clear. IIow time Hies and changes take [dace in the lot of men ! A year ago I had no idea of being a settler in New Soutli Wales. T hope whenever you liave leisure you will not fail to write to me, if only a few words. Although it is 10,000 miles distant the postage is I>ut a trifle, and any information will hi; interesting. r am in a liurry, as the shi}) sails this afternoon. I must now conclude. — Ever your very affectionate fi'ieiul, -IoH^ Iiivintj. ' • t CHAPTER V. ( t A 1 The reader will be surprised to learn that John Irving, who liad apparently reconciled liis mind to the life of a settler in New South Wales, after a serious ;ind due consideration of all the circumstances of his position, and all tlie leadings of Divine Providence, re- turned to his original profession. We cannot doubt tliat the varied experiences which he passed through were intended and fitted to prepare him for his future service, although there may be some ditliculty in tracing the exact significance of each link in the cliaiii < )f events. Having left Scotland in July 1 837, he is once more under the paternal roof, as the followinof letter to his friend Malcolm sliows, six years afterwards, in July 1843. IJKUTKNANT JOHN IIIVIXG, H.N. 75 It sidHciently tells the story of the interven- iriof j)eriod, in the absence of other letters which have been lost : — n that niciled South sration n, and ce, re- cannot iicli lit' ;ted to thouiih ng the 3 cluiiii ^1887, roof, as [alcoliii ■ L84;3. 1 North Oiiaulotte Strkkt, P^DINBUKGII, Juhj M, 1843. My 1)i;au ^Malcolm, — T Imvo just got your note. Till' servant said you were to be a fortniglit out of town, otherwise I sliould have waited on i)urpose to see you. ]\Iy lather had written to me, advising nie to return to the Navy; and hndhig the sheep- t'arniing in AustraUa a losing concern, and happening to meet tlie " Favourite " in Sydney, I, through the tirst lieutenant and surgeon, ohl messmates of mine in the " Edinburgh," got on board as an acting mate, tlic Captain writing to the Adnnralty that, having no officers to do duty, he had taken me. I had the second lieuttaiant's cabin, and messed in the gun- room. On being paid otf they promoted me, dating bark to the 23d Marcli ; so that T was ma(h^ Lieu- leiiant within a year after my ivLurn to tlie Xavy. 1 am now enjoying a return home, after a six years' absence; and it maybe some months before lam a]ipointed to a ship. Of course, I am very glad to liavt' got my promotion. In Australia 1 lived a life of great hardship and deprivation of everything that r^l \' f ^ li il ! n V - 1 'i^ 7(i MKlNlOinAf. SKKTCII i)F is coiisi(l(M'0(l agrooal>l(3 in this country. I had iiiVci iiitondod 1(» rctnaiii tlicro pcnuaiiently, hut liau liopcd in a dozen yoars to cmuo honn; with a com petcncy; hut when I found that I shouM ho o1)]i,i;c(l to remain tliere a/! mi/ life — no clmnce of niakin^ any money, sinking' into a hah'-suvage state;, im one to associate with hut graziers and hutchers, — 1 had little hesitation in leaving it, I considered myself fortunate in not having got involved, a>i inany have done, in speculations, and entangled su that they cannot leave tlie colony. I was (|uite at home on lioard in a few hours. And after Iteing a she]'lierd and cattle-feeder for four years, I was, in two days' time, ollicer of n watch, and reeling the topsails. 1 left my brother David in Australia. He had married well, and wn-^ so connected with his wife's relations that I saw- but little of him. As I could not sell my Hock mi leaving, prices were so much depreciated, he will now look after them for me. Independently of llu' great fall of wool, etc., I was never fitted to lie fi grazier. I never could make a good bargain. Tlif society of horse-jockeys, cattle-dealers, butchers, and keen, sharp, vulgar fellows, was most repugnant to me. And to get on, one must l)e familiar wit^>. tlic-i' people; indeed, you have no one else to associate to at UT'Wl i-.i '■r^ lii:i:ti:\.\nt .KHiN ii;viN(i, i;.n. 77 will). I')iil it would i'(M[iiiri' a ])(iiiiplil('t to oxpliiin iill lo you. Suflicii it to say that wool had rallcn IVoni l's. Od. per pouml to 1h. 1)(31' pound, and when 1 had paid wa<^e.s, etc., at the end of the year I Ibnnd I was a loser, and it' I had remained I nnist have L;ot into debt and difliculties. I have sunk all my patrimony there, and liave but little expectation of deriving- anythiug from il. You may suppose 1 regri't having ever gone. I must now go to sea again lor a living; and I daresay may, in a few years, get another stej) in the service. I shall, no doubt, be here for some months; and if yon come to Scotland tliis sunnner, vr mjist meet. I did not see Kingston. 1 met old (^uarles on the street. He told me your address, and that Kingston was in the Isle of Wight. Of course, you will write iiic and let me know what you are doing, and what (-•hiince I have of seeing you. — Your old and attached, John Iiiving, The following has an interesting reference to the great events taking place in Scotland itt the time. That one who had been for six yeai's absent shonld not fully understand thei)i was natural enough. ^> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 ,56 |a^ M 2.2 S: ti& 1 2.0 1.4 1.8 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ ^ \\ ^9) V 6^ ^:i^ ^ 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14380 (716) 872-4503 C/j ■ :| i ' i i ,1* •I: II •i .ll! 1 *^l»»t^,k 78 MEMORIAL SKETCH OF No. 1 North Charlotte Strket. Awjusf, 4, 1843. My dear Malcolm, — I got yours of the 1st to-day. I am delighted to hear that you intend coming to Scotland this month, as I shall, in all probability, be able to come to Burnfoot to see you, if you write me on your arrival there, when you can make it convenient for me to come, and send me some sail- ing directions how to find your place. I have applied to the Admiralty for employment, but have little expectations of getting it for some time. My brother Lewis has gone along with Dr. Chal- mers. I never attempt to form an opinion on the matter, as it appears quite a mystery, and so much to be said on both sides, and the Gospel seems no way concerned in the dispute. I am enjoying myself very much after my long absence from home. I look forward to meeting you with great pleasure. But I find myself, as I get older, more selfish, and colder of heart. I had once a good deal of romantic kind of notions ; but that sort of thing is quite suspended, and you will find me a much more matter-of-fact person than you formerly knew me. Hoping soon to hear from you, I remain, my dear Malcolm, yours faithfully, John Irving. I I LIKUTENANT JOliX IRVIXCJ, ll.N. 7 'J i: The meeting betwixt the early friends, so fondly anticipated, did not take place. The next letter explains the cause : — H.M.S. " \^OLAGE," Castletox, Berkhaven, Ireland, nth December 1843. My dear ^Ialcolm, — I am sure you will not be surprised at my writing you, though I have nothing to tell you that will be amusing ; but I hope you will write me all the same, as, though it is many years since we met, I still take as great an interest in you as ever. Here I am on board a frigate, and everything reminds me of old days. Godden, whom you may remember a master-assistant, is again m>' messmate, being master of the " Volage," and Arthur Kingston (George's cousin) is one of the lieutenants, so the " Belvidera " is frequently talked of ; but I suppose time, and being in such a different society for so long, have nearly effaced from your memory the occurrences of your midshipman's life. But I hope you still rememl)er me, your old friend. I. always look back to these times as the happiest period of my life, varied as it has been, and it was (hie to your society that it was so. I still remember liow sorry 1 really was when you went over the " Belvidera's " side for the last time. Don't think 80 MHMUIUAI. SKET("H OK \. lue very childish in thus writing to you. 1 forget tlie years which have gone by, and feel as I did when I waited for you to land at Bighi Bay, when you were staying with the Briggs at Malta. 1 met George Briggs the otlier day. He is a lieutenant, and has sailed for the East Indies. Good old Kinu- ston is getting on famously at the University. 1 was very sorry to miss him in London, on my way to join the ship at Cork. 1 was appointed most unexpectedly, as I had fully intended complyhig with your kind invitation to come and see you at >our border residence. She will not be many months longer in commission, and then I hope to get a sight of you. We and several other men-of-war are eni- ])loyed on the coast of Ireland. At present we are here for some weeks as a protection to the Protes- tants living in the neighbourhood ; but you see in the papers about all these matters, and the military ])reparations made by (Government. This is the extreme west of Ireland, and is a very wild moun- tainous country. Many of the people speak the English, and an; quite primitive, but appear very ])eaceable. 1 believe you are aware of how, finding 1 could do nothing as a settler in New South Wales, and being advised by my friends and promised my ]iromotion if I would return to the Navy, I joined ' *^«lfit« ,, 11.0 LlKl'TKN ANT JOHN IHVlNd, IJ.N. 81 the " Fiivounto " at Sydney, and was cniisiiiL; iii lior in tlu' Soutli Seas for a year, visiting nearly all the islanW«t 1^^ 82 .MKMUIUAL SKETCH OK adapted for a grazier. The buying and selling part of the business requires a man to be accustomed u> dealing, and I never made a profitable bargain. The people tliere are very sharp and keen hands, and many of them not very honest in their dealings. My ])rother there is quite a man of business, and will, I trust, be able to support himself comfortably. Now that lieutenants have had their pay raised from 6s. to 10s. per diem, one can do very well. Sir George Clerk, one of the Secretaries of the Treasury, is my first cousin, and as his son has long since left the Navy, he has no connection in the service l»uL myself, and he has promised to do all he can to get me on, for his uncle's, my father's sake. So I live in hope of being some day or other Captain Irving, Sir George was, for many years, a Lord of tlic Admii'alty, and has always been allied to Sir lloberi Peel's party. He got me made lieutenant a very few mouths after my return to the Navy. During the Whig Ministry he had little interest, so I lost not much by being in New South Wales. I saw all New Zealand, Otaheite, and the other islands of Cook, and came round the world. If I had come off scathless in the pecuniary way, 1 should by no means regret my colonising. I am sorry indeed that my want of success tliere has com- LIEUTENANT JOHN IKVINC;, 11. N, S3 pellod me to seek a livelihood at sea, whicli, even as lieutenant, is not much to my taste. ]5ut I have done the best I could in everything, and was ([uitc repaid by the glad welcome I received from my ])our old father. I have long since become quite as much at home as ever on board ship, and my l)ush adven- tures are already fading quite into a dream. My dear Malcolm, you must be mucli changed, and I hope you will not consider me, after so long an interval, as at all intruding myself on your notice. I myself am the same ; employed in the same way ; everything around me associated with the memory of our earlier days. But your life must Ije so very different, and your society also, that I have no (h)ubt you will require an effort even to recall those tilings to your mind. I shall Ije very glad indeed to hear from you, and believe me your attached and faitliful friend, John Ikvinc. These concluding sentiments are not new. They have been expressed repeatedly in the course of the correspondence, and indicate a great power of realising the changes which time and place eifect on every man ; while they show, as the reader must have dis- I • H \ ) i) ( h Is- ( ' i;n 'f H-. I :*," ^u^W^ ;; ■I Ki 81 MKMOUIAI. SKETCH OK covered ior himself long before tliis, tbat Jolm Irving was, with a dash of j)ensive- ness and romance in his composition, a man of warm affections, common sense, great unselfishness, and genuine humility. We have still two letters addressed to Mr. Malcolm ; but instead of placing them before our readers at once, we shall defer their introduction until we have quoted the first three letters of a series furnished by liis sister-in-law, Mrs. Lewis Irving, which will carry us forward to his departure in the Franklin F^xpedition. Those of the series which we are about to quote cover the autumn of 1843, and supplement the infor- mation already communicated to his friend Malcolm. H.M.S. "VOLAGE," IGfh Sept. 1843. ^[y dkak K., — I heard from my fatlier that you and Lewis were away on an excursion to Arran. I presume that by this time you have returned to Blackness, and according to my promise I send you an account of my adventures since I saw you. T was accompanied down to tlie pier at Granton by IJKUTKNANT JOHN IKVJNCJ, l{.N. 85 a lar-'i' tmiii of fViemls, wlioiii I was soriv to sec fade away rapidly from sight as the steamer started oil" down the Fortli. "VVe had a pleasant passage, and I left London tlu^ same day. On arriving at [*lymouth I found that I had to wait four or ti\-e days for a steamer to Cork. To my great joy I found the "Volage" at anchor here. I was afmid slu' might have gone somewhere else. 1 went on board direct from the steamer, and was introducid to Sir William Dickson, the Captain ; rigged myself in a blVvC coat and pair of epaulettes; the hands were turned up, and the Captain read my commission ajipointing me lieutenant of the ship to the ship's company. There are three of us. 1 am the second in seniority. Our mess consists of seven — viz., three lieutenants, one master, surgeon, a lieutenant of marines. They are all very good fellows. 1 was three years messmate of one of them in a former ship, so am comfortable in that resjject. We are in the Cove of Cork. Nine miles up the river is the city of Cork. A steamer goes up from here every hour. T have been up once. It is a tine river, nicely wooded on the banks ; the city is a strange mixture of good houses and WTctched hovels. It swarms with beggars ; things are cheap, and the climate is much milder than in Scothmd. 1 i. 1 1 r J '. 1 St) >rKM()iiiAL ski:t('ii of This place is soiiiethiii<^f like rortobello, witli machiiios for batliinj,^ and is much resorted to for sea-bathing quarters. We arc the flag-ship at pre- sent. The Admiral and his suite reside on shore. We have many visitors coming on board to see the ship, and many ladies do I hand in and out of boats. We are asked to many parties. The peoi»lo are very frank and kind. We have no idea how long we may remain here. We may probably visit Hantry and go to the Shannon. The "Volage" lias been two years in commission, and it is not likely that she will be kept more than another twelvemonth without being paid off. 1 shall be glad to hear from Blackness. The least you can do in return for this long yarn of mine is to send me another such account of your proceedings. You can put in something about the Kirk, as I can hear nothing whatever about it here. 1 am anxious to hear about its prospects. Indeed, you cannot go wrong in writing me, as I am interested in all you can tell me, no matter how trivial. — I am, dear K., your affectionate brother-in-law and sincere friend, John Irving. *■ ^i^*^A t1' IJKUTENANT JOHN ll{VIN(;, R.\. 87 H.M.S. '* VOLAOE," CoVK OK CoKK, '2{)th October 1843. We are still employed in receiving and shipping off provisions for the different garrisons, which are being rendered independent of the neighbouring country f(»r their victuals. More men-of-war have come, so that with three man-of-war steamers we make quite a tleet, and are ready at a moment's notice to send a thousand men by steam to any place where they may be wanted. I think that so much preparation being made will be the means of preventing any outbreak at all, as they, the Kepealers, seem quite crestfallen at the cautious but firm demeanour of the Government. One cannot help admiring the fine old Duke, who, in this Irish business, has followed out his old plan of providing in the first place for provisioning his forces before sending them into the field. For the last four months, while every one was crying out against the do-nothing policy of the Government, they were quickly sending over cargoes of provi- sions for all the barracks in Ireland ; and then, when all is ready, they whip over ten or twelve tliousand troops, and assume the attitude of men armed at all points, and ready for everything. There are now thirty tliousand troops in Ireland il t ^ ! . I'lMiiombiT 1110 to Jill your circle of friends, iiiid rcnicniluT ine ever your atfcctioimte l)rotlier, doiiN luviNn. No one cjin read the foregoing, we imagine, without saying, *' History repeats itself." The reference to the old Duke and his firm, well-considered policy is very refreshing. H.M.S. " Voi-.VliK," liKliKII.VVKN, St/i Drrnnhn- 184;}. My dkar Katk, — 1 iini quite charmed with your description of your old-fashioned house. I do detest a new country house. Notwithstanding all the trouble you have had, 1 see by the tone of your letter that you are in better spirits than your wont. You see there is nothing' so good fur p(;ople as the excitement of a movement after all. Your letter gave me the first news of the departure of Alick's jMary. T hope Lewie is pleased with your new place and its neighbour- hood. As soon as you are turned a little, you nuist write me again. Do not think [ look for a whole sheet of paper written full. If Lewie or you would write even just a little note \ would be very glad, only to hear how you are, how sister 'i a \ : i I ij h 1 , •ii '' •ji r ! Hi t I. IV % I h t ; 1* Ffil n I \ ! uo MlvMORIAl. SKETCH OF i\lary and my father are, and if anything is stirriiin at all. 1 hear from no one else, and when one is among people you don't care a straw about, one takes more interest in hearing about their friends. 1 am now getting on for four months in this ship, and I am happy to say it is almost certain she will not be above six months more in commission. Last week the " Caledonia," a 120-gun ship, came from England to take our place at Cork, and we wert; < >rdered round to this place. We had rather stormy weather, and were five days coming. This place is a town of about five thousand people, on the nortii .side of IJantry Bay. An island, six miles long, lies off the town, and the harbour is the passage between the island and the main. This island is the property of Lord Bantry. He has given the officers leave to slioot over his estates, and the game is most abun- dant — hares, vvoodcocks, and snipes. The people are, almost without exception, liomiiu (,'iitholics. There is a rroteslunL cunite, but he M'as nearly killed the other day, iind I daresay he, and whatever Protestants there are in this neigh])ourhuud, are very glad to have the " Volage " lying at their doors. We have also a man-of-war steamer with uf^. There are now, on this Irish coast, 1 line-of- V)attle ship, 3 frigates, 1 1 steamers, a brigantine, and [tW .iv. LIEUTENANT JOHN 1IIVIN(J, 11. X. 91 ;i cutter, all dispersed on this south-west coast. Several are in the river Shannon. We are only about ten miles from Derrynane, Dan O'Connell's property and country house. It is a very fine place, quite like a nobleman's ; but it looks like catching him, putting- down a man-of-war just at his door. The people, even Dan's own tenan^"; , are very civil to us, and all the gentlemen, of all creeds, have invited us to their houses, and given us the use of their !iorses ; indeed, the rough, hearty hospitality of the gentry uf the far west is quite Highland, and tlie half- warlike state of their households is finite picturesque. It is shocking to hear the cool indifference with wliich even the ladies mention a man being waylaid and murdered, a house burned, or a notice to prepare a coffin written in blood; they are quite used to lliese. Lord Bantry had one sent to him the other day. I am told that he and some others in this district applied to Government to protect them. We could land, if wanted, nearly 200 men from this slii]); but they say that even the name of our being here lias given the greatest confidence, as they had liegun to fancy they were neglected by our (lovern- tnent. Since 1 wrote this, another man-of-war steamer and the cutter have arrived with thirty additional marines on board. These vessels will be 1 • i •■ ii ii* :i I >\ *'V»t^^ '.. I 92 MEMORIAL 8KET(^H OF stationed here alonu; with us. We coiihl amoncist us turn out 300 men. There are some coppci' mines not far from here, at wliich there are upwards of 1000 people employed. I am going to them. The country really swarms with people. Even on the high rocky hills, it is all little square fields of one or two acres, like a cliess-board, and dotted witli cottages, or ratlier huts, every one of which is full of children. Wherever a potato will grow it is planted. Boats full of people of both sexes and all sizes arc hovering round the ships all day, staring their eyes out. As tliey are by no means well off for clothing, and mostly bareheaded, and talk in a language of their own, it reminds me much of being surrounded with canoes full of staring and jabbering aotives in tlie south seas. AVrite me soon, my dear Kate. I don't care about its being a long letter. Just let nic know in your own way how you are all getting on. Love to Lewie and Mag. — Your affectionate brother, John Irvinc. h.m.s. "yolage," Plymoitth, 14^// Januanj 1S44. . . . Our ship was taken into dock on New Year's Day, when it was found that she had knocked oif 32 feet of lier keel, besides scraping off a good deal .)\ji LIEUTENANT JOHN HIVING, R.N. !)3 of the copper slieathing. A mun-of-war is built double, so as long as ouly tlie outside case is injured slie cannot leak. She was taken out of dock yester- day, and will be ready for sea on the 20th instant, wlien she will, we expect, return to Ireland. Govern- ment keep adding to the force in Ireland. We are (furious to see what may be the effect of the pending trials. I dined the other day with the Captain's motlier. Lady Dickson, and met some very nice people. She is a fine old lady. We have now got the ship alongside of the hulk, and are busy getting everything on board her again that had been taken out to lighten her to go into dock — guns, provisions, aiul a great flitting entirely. I had a letter from Aunt Jane on New Year's Day. The old lady is a capital correspondent. She had a little to say about every one of my friends, ;ind all in a short pithy style nnich to be admired. I do not expect to be above ten days longer here, but hope to hear from you or Lewis before we leave. My kind regards to my friends at Grange. — Ycnir very affectionate brother, John Irvinc. The following letter to his friend Malcolm, of a few days' later date, may come in appro- priately here : — i V '3' I I 94 MEMORIAL SKETC'El OF ■» Plymoi'tii, H.M.S. "Volac.k,"" January 27, 1844. My dear Malcolm, — I was very glad to get your letter of the 20th instant, as I was afraid you liad not received mine. As to your quite forgetting me, T never thought of such a thing. I am very sorry that T did not see you at all when I was on shore, as I will not have another opportunity for some time. The "Volage" is now ready for sea — sails bent, etc., — and we are daily expecting our orders. Our probable destination is the Irish coast, as the ship's time is up next August. Wo had not suffered much damage Ijy getting on shore in Bantry Bay. When she was taken into dock, we found 32 feet of the false keel, and a small piece of the main keel, had been knocked off. We have spent a month very comfortably in Plymouth on board a hulk, and feel the change back into the ship very disagreeable, owing to her having been fresh painted. I ratlier like being in Ireland ; indeed, anywliere on the home station is a novelty to me, having been so many years away from everything English. If you are at Burnfoot next summer, I daresay, on the " "V olage " being paid off, I may be able to make out a visit to you. What a pleasure I anti- \ m: k TJRUTKXAXT JOHN IRVIMJ, 11. N. D5 cipate ill going over all that has befallen us since we last met, and in recalling those days when you used to be everything to me ! Guess whom 1 met tlie other day ? — Cook the carpenter, whose cabin we used to go and read in. He was looking old and feeble, and hardly recollected me. He is in some ordinary ship here. I quite agree with you in your sentiments about the Kirk matters, of which I heard much ^7?v; and con. during my short stay in Scotland, My brother has been called by the Falkirk people, and is now tlie Free man there. I was very sorry to find he had given up his parish ; it was sucli a l)eautiful place on the Forth, only twelve miles from Edinburgh. I hear very bad accounts from my brother in New South Wales of the embarrassment and distressed state of matters there. I am afraid that he also may be a sufferer. I have every reason to be glad I embraced the opportunity of returning to the service offered to me there, and that I did not per- severe in a hopeless pursuit for which I was unfit from my previous habits. Had I gone out there six years sooner I might have done well ; but the day was past, and if I had been serving as a mate all the time, I believe I should not have been made lieutenant above a couple of years sooner, so I did H : I ; i 1 ( < fl 1 ,1 ,'■ V 96 MHMOHIAL SKKTCII OF I ' run on Duuts ol' kvevev, is eat dt'iil common id write y to 1»(' He said e a nice make ! 1 shi].: :t beinu I)o you it ropes, that I remember things which happened ten or twelve years ago better than those only five or six years ago. How you must have enjoyed revisiting the Mediterranean ! Were you in Greece, or at Malta, or any other place where we had been in the old " I)elvidera " ? I met Captain Dundas in London ; he was very kind. I have never met his e([nal since. He was in all respects a perfect officer and gentleman. I must conclude for the present. — Always your affectionate friend, John Ikving. L have had some thoughts of joining the " Excel- lent " if I can, as I believe it is a help to being ]>romoted. H.M.S. "VOLAIJK," PLYMOUTif, Jan. 31, 1S44. My dear Katie, — Glad I was to get your letter. I am pleased to hear that you are settled in youi' new abode, and likely to be comfortable there. We sail to-morrow for Cork. Government have been a little anxious about the effect of these trials. Tin ee or four more regiments are ordered off ; two companies of the Royal Artillery and some ship,,. Rut it will all end in nothing, now that the lawyers are mixed up in it. We spent five very pleasant weeks at Plymouth ; which has made a great hole G ^ 1 I li %( il I . 'itDvii MS MKMOUI AL SKirrCH OF ill tlie wiiiti'i. Five or six weol)nnoll. We are flagship, and it appears probable we shall remain here until August. We have had many gales lately. A melancholy accident occurred at Tar])ert. A young lieutenant Nichols, commanding the dwarf steamer, observing a bo.it drifting out to sea with one man in her, during the gale, put off in his gig to Ijoard her. He had nut gone far when his gig was capsized, and he and one man were drowned. He had been married only two months, and his poor wife was on board his vessel and watching his progress. She was a beautiful young creature, and her distress on seeing the i)oat disappear cannot be described. The bodies havf not been found. One of our lieutenants has taken the command of the steamer. H.iM.S. " VOLAGE," Cove of Cork, April IQth, 1844. My dear Kate, — . . . Our days are spent very much alike. We take the same walks and meet Uu; I.IKrTKNANT JOHN Ii;V(N(J, l{,N. 101 saiiic suit oi |)(i()])k! every day. We are the fla,n ship, and appear likely to rciuain here at anchor for some time to come. You will, \ daresay, see in the jiiipers an account of agrand dinner given toO'C'onnell tlie day before yesterday, at Cork. We liad some Inn with tlie Mayor of Waterford and liis Kadical Corporation. Tliey liad liired a steamer to l)ring him round from Waterford to attend tliis dinner. They entered this harbour, with band playing and a flag witli "llepeal" on it: tliis the Custom-house had made them liaul down. Yestenhxy on their return to Waterford, they came down from Cork with band ] (laying and Lirge flag at tlieir mast-head, with tlie Waterford arms on it. They passed close to us, and \vi' liailed them to sto]), and on their not doing so, we lired a gun, which brought them to a sto]) at niu'c. We sent a l)oat and hauled down and ])rought away the flag, to tlie great disgust of tlie jNIayor and liody corporate, who proceeded down the river shorn nf ilieir decorations. We retain the flag, which is vt.'iy large, with city of Waterford arms in the • cntre: viz., three lions and an indescrilr-l)iittlc! sliips iiro (UMiiiii^f luit'oiv tliu l.')th. in tliat case we may l)e sent to one of tho smaller harlioiirs on the west coast. We are glad of any- thing to make a little change, and rail this lying in liarl)Our doing garrison duty, — our lioing liki; little more than floating barracks, some having troo])s living on board. I have inflicted a terrible h)ng yarn upon you ; but in your last you said you were soliddre. So you will have leisure to spell your way through it ; and I trust you will follow the good example 1 have set you, and send me soon ii similar infliction. — With love to all and sundry, believe me, dear K., your affectionate brother, JuilN lltviNd. We now give the last letter which Mr. Malcolm has prese^'ved : — H.M..S. " VOLAGK,'' Bantrv, Jane 1, 1844. The sight of your well-known handwriting did my eyes no small good this evening. Do not sup- pose that I make the slightest allusion to my seeing it seldom. The fact is I am really surprised, when I think on it, to hear from you at all. It is now such a long time since we i»arted, that it is quite ii\ r: !.. ( . > !.;| \'\\ I i I ll ■-' it: ii M i ih I I ll ; .1.. a 04 MKMOllIAL SKETCH OF contrary to all the known eflects of time and absence, to suppose tliat nuicli corresi)ondenco would pass ])etween us. Tlie more so, as you are living among people who are all strange to nic, and occupied with pursuits quite out of my way ; and T also similarly situated in respect to you. As you )'efer to our old castle-buildings whicli gave us so mucli amusement during our many nightly pacings of the weary deck, — T often tliink of them, when I fancy to myself you turned countrv-gentleman, and settled on shore. Ignorant in the extreme as we were (I ought to speak for myself however) of life in all its ways, excepting a. mid's berth, I am no way surprised to learn that your country abode cannot realise our delightful conceptions ; but I daresay you forget half of them. 1 do at all (events. \ remenil)ered them well when I used to be trimming my lonely fire of a winter's evening in Australia ; l)ut I wanted only your doju individual self to fill up tlie scene, and we .sliould many a time liave had to the life our half-'^'avagc features of domestic ha]ipiness acted over, willi everything around in unison with our airy jdanta tions of old. As it was, solitude was none of the ])arts tliereof, so I in disgust, after four years' trial, walked the deck again. However, I learned that r MKUTKNANT JOHN fllVMNG, H.N 105 there are "many tilings in a fanner's life not dreamt of in our philosophy." ]>ut your farmer's life, 1 daresay, bears no resemblance to my bush experience, and 1 doubt not you are enjoying yourself very much. You ask me about our doinus. Of these T can tell you very little, as we have been ,nenerally doing nothing. We have been backwards and forwards between Bantry Bay and Cove of ( "ork for the last six months. AVe were a month at Plymouth at Christmas. We have been here for some time 1)ack ; and as the ship's time expires next month, we exi)ect soon after that to l)e paid off. For sonn' time I have been trying to get appointed to tin; " Excellent " gunnery ship at Portsmouth. I have great hopes of succeeding. If so, I sliall be there u{)\vards of a year, during which 1 am most san- guine of seehig you. Should 1 not get appointed to the " Excellent " previous to this ship being paid '»ff, immediately on that event 1 shall take a run down to Scotland and be there on half-pay until I get some appointment. At all events, it is un- likely 1 should go abroad without seeing you. Last August, if I had not l)een suddenly sent 1o this ship, I should have paid you a visit at Htirnfoot. But, mv dear fellow, it will not Ik; i ■ V i i ,\ \M w ^.k loo M HMO RIAL SKETCH oF my fault if 1 tlo not see you, if 1 get :i chance nl all. You are my earliest friend. I never knew the meaning of the word until 1 met you, and T have met no one since to whom 1 could feel so much attached ; and there is little in this world would give me so much real hearty pleasure as giviiii,' you a squeeze of the hand, 1 had a letter last week from our mutual friend, dear old Kingston. He is at Cromer for the vacation. The kiu(L honest old fellow : lie lieard that T had a cousin — a yoiitli of some seventeen or eighteen years — goiiiu next term to Caml)ridge ; and he writes to me offer- ing to cliapcrouc the lad, and says lie will give him a lift. He seems in good spirits. He mentions his having got at his last examination the second prize. He seems delighted with the sea-side. What a steady, persevering honest fellow he is ! 1 shall write yon, without fail, should I get appointed to the " Excellent," or if this ship should be ordered to England to be paid off. These are the only changes likely to occur affecting my movements. ]\ry time is spent in the routine of duty ap]ier- taining to a lieutenant of a 2G-gun sliip, varied by walks on shore and niturning the calls of the residents in the neighbourhood, who are almost op])ressive in their hospitality. It is hard to com- t IJKUTKXANT .lOIJX IKVING, I{.N, lo; it pose a letter out of such uiaterials, so excuse this composition. — From your affectionate, rfOlIN IlUING. This, as already mentioned, in the last available letter to Mr. Malcolm. That the two friends ever met is doubtful since 1837, when Irving departed for Australia. We may now resume his story, as detailed in his letters to Mrs. Lewis Irving : — H.M.S. "V;)LA(:e," Bantky, Jkih' I9f/i, IS44. [ have just got your kind letter of the lOtli instant. We came round here from Cork last week. So fav from tlie imprisonment of Dan O'Conuell ren(leriHL> tlie presence of a force no longer necessary in Ireland, there seems a greater ferment than ever anu)ngst the Irish. Meetings have been held in every small town, and most inflammatory language made use of, and the l*rotestants scattered alxnit in the south liave been much alarmed. We are at the head of Ikintry lUy, within a quarti^r of a mile oi' the town of Bantry. The bay is about twenty nules long, much like the Firth of Forth ; but it is much more 'r^ >l V l.\ 'I t> ■,i 3: I i L. 108 IMKMOIMAI. SKKTCfl OF precipitous at the sides : hills very high break down at once into the water. One of them is 2160 feot high. The appearance is rocky and barren, except just where we are moored, where the ascent from the sea is more gradual. The mansion of Lord lierehaven is within a few yards of tlie beach, and just abreast of the shij^, almost within hail. It is an old-fashioned, flat-roofed, square house, about the size of Captain Hope's, faces the sea, and has a green slope in front down to the water. A park, with deer and a g(jod deal of wood, stretches away on the rise behind to the foot of tlie mountains. Just outside tlie park wall is the village of Bantry, a small, dirty place. 1 believe we are here as much for the special protection of his Lordship as anything else, he having had threatening letters sent to him. We have a man-of-war at almost all the sea-ports of the soutli- west and east coasts of Ireland. We are quite un- certain about being paid off. However, I expect to pay you a visit before the end of the year at farthest. During the last six months we have had a nearly new set of officers in the " Volage," and we are much more comfortable than before, the Captain agreeing better, and everything going on smoothly. I had a letter about a week ago from my Aunt Jane, so your news was all forestalled. However, I am MMiLi; LIEUTENANT .lOHX IHVlNi;, ll.X. lOJ always glad to hoar that you are all well and happy, even if you say nothing more. My warmest re- membrance to all friends, and believe me, dear Kate, your most affectionate brother, Joiix Ikvint;. ;■■ I "i ' ...' ?1> ' ^i I ) ( I : I ■ ii "^V^^idRi;. CHAPTEH VI. The next letter is from the " Excellent.' We saw tlijit he had made up his mind to spend some time, if possible, in that ship, with a view not merely to accomplish himself more thoroughly in his profession, but also to strengthen his claim foi* promotion. The exact date of his entering the " Excellent " does not appear, although it was probably in December 1844, a short time before the " Volage " Avas paid off at Plymouth. H.M.S. " Excellent," February 12, 1845. My deau Kate,-— As I don't wish to get another scold for being remiss in writing, I have a letter uncUn' weigh, though I liave nothing very particnhir to tell yon. I had a letter last night from my father, and was glad to hear all my friends are well. I am very comfortable on board this ship, as far as comfort !"i mi:uti:naxt .KuiN rHvixc, h.n. 11 of {icconimodcitioii iiiul a good mess is coucernetl. We liavo generally twenty at dinner, and our wnrd- room is carpeted, and a stove in it, so it is verv sinig for the winter. 1 regret Ireland very much. T know some people there 1 lik(Ml very mucli, and with whom I was quite at home. That is the great evil of a sailor's life ; he has always to bid farewell. I do not know a single creature at Portsmouth, and liave no inducement to go on shore, and seldom do so. I attend an Independent church; just like the Scotch, only they sing Dr. Watts' hymns instead of the Psalms. The Free Cliurch de])utation had the use of it when they came here. Our chaplain preaches on board in the forenoons, and I go ashore in the after- noons. During the week I am busied in various duties, and have not much spare time. There is a constant drilling at great guns, and firing shot and shell at targets, going on here, preparing the men previous to their being sent to sea as gunners. Gunnery is now being paid much more attention to as a scientific art. Should there be another war, more will be done by steam and proficiency in gunnery than by the old, though more dashing style, of going alongside the enemy. T ha\'e a night-watch to keep every • tther night, of four hours, but 1 don't dislike it, as it is.so/27rtr//, and 1 think of old times and of my a1)sent i'i ^ 1 1 Ij f i W li ( 1 li ■I 11 11 -J MEMOKIAI. SKK'I'CII <>F fri^'Uils. Tt is now thix't' years since I ([iiittt'd the hti.sh and rejoined a nian-of-war life, so totally difl'cr- ent, that on lookinL;- back it seems quite a dream. I have not lieard from ])a\id since the last letter ^vllieh Lewis saw. T hope you j^et good accounts from your brf)ther. 1 shall be glail to hear from you, my dear Katie; I have nlways felt you v, ere very kind in taking tlie trouble of writing to me, whom you did not know nmch about; and I hope that any neglect, which was not intentional, will not lead you to write seldomer tlian you did. Indeed, it was the leaving Ireland, the journey here, and so on, thai put it out of my head. I had, on arriving here, mentioned to my father that I should like to go on a discovery voyage to the Arctic regions, ic/iich is noi'j hciiig iirojeded. I. have just heard from him tliat he had informed Sir George Clerk of my wishes, and had got no answer. So I am waiting the result. It would give me a chance of promotion, on return- ing after two or three years, and would, at all events, be a change of scene, a relief, and, if one came back, something to talk of. 1 see my old ship, the " Volage," was paid off at Plymouth last Saturday. — With love to dear Lewis, believe me ever, dear Katie, your very affectionate brother, John Iuvinc;. iii: LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVTNtJ, II. N ii;5 1» 1 t 1 1 1; H.M.S. " Excellent," PoRTSMcniTii, February 28, 1845. My dear Katie, — Many thanks for your very kind letter. You see I am determined to give you no chance of indulging in a scold. I am still in suspense whether or no I am to go on the Arctic Expedition. I shall be glad to be put off it, as it affects my prospects for the summer very materially, there being some difference between the regions of thick-ribbed ice and perpetual snow, and the green fields I might visit if I did not get appointed, for I had some idea of coming down to see you tlien ; but I imagine going would probably assist me in getting advancement in the service ; and in the usual routine there is but a poor prospect. I do not believe I have much chance of going, so your wicked wishes are likely to be gratified. It is not a service of much danger, and they take provisions for only two years ; so they must come back in that thne, if at all. The " Excellent " is very comfortable ; but it is a tiresome kind of life, and Portsmouth is a nasty place. I want something more exciting, and not to be lying in a harbour. It is now nine- teen months since I last saw you. It seems a long time. Give my kindest love to Lewie ; I suppose H > ' [ I ! •J \: H. 1 1 114 MKMORIAL SKETCH OF he is too busy to write to me ; your letters of course tell me everything he could tell me. — I am ever, my clear Katie, your very affectionate brother, John Irving. The next letter leaves him on board the " Terror." He had gained the object of his ambition by being appointed one of the olHcers to accompany Sir John Franklin in his Expedition to the Arctic regions : — H.M.S. "Terror," Woolwich, 18 .! U ' ■ ■ I ' CHAPTER VII. Here the curtain fallH, so to speak, and John Irving and all his healthy and hopeful comrades pass out of view, and become virtually silent to their friends and country- men. The "Erebus" and "Terror" were seen by a single passing whaler after leaving the Whalefish Islands ; but after that nothing was seen or heard of them by the civilised world for many long years. They disap- peared amid the frost and snow and long winter darkness of the Arctic regions. Many experienced navigators hoped almost against hope that they, or at least a remnant of the Expedition, might yet appear, for they knew and believed in the experience, the resources, and persistent courage of the man who led the enterprise, and they were •/. " !» ' I I '4 f<'! ?iti^!>d {I iV^[, 132 MEMORIAL SKETCH OF confident that all that could be done vv^oiild be done by adventurous courage under the circumstances. But years passed by with- out any tidmgs, and then fresh Expeditions were fitted out, not so much for discoverino- the desiderated North- West Passage by Beh- rino's Straits, as for ascertaining the fate of Sii John Franklin and his gallant crews, and of helping them if still within the reach of hu'nm aid. These Expeditions, although carefully planned, and carefully carried out with all tlie bravery and patience so characteristic of our naval service, were uniformly unsuccessful as to the primary object ; but great additions were made by ail of them towards an accurate knowledge of the Arctic archipelago. It is very interesting and instructive to compaio the sketch map of the Arctic regions at the time of Franklin's last voyage, as given by Sir Leopold M'Clintock in his narrati\e, with maps of the same region at the present time. It would seem, that when the lonij^- sought North- West Passage was beginniiii,^ 'I le would nder the by wltb- peditloiis ^coverino' 3 by Beli- 'ateofSlr rs, and of of Inr >aii careful 1)' th all tlie' :ic of our cesBful aft additions accurate o. It is compaie IS at tlie given by larratne, e present the lonof- jeginnint,' UKUTENANT JOHN IRVIXCJ, K.N. 133 to lose its atti'active power after repeated failure and disappointment, a new stimulus wiis found to geographical exploration and dis- covery in the great solicitude felt for Franklin and his bra\e companions. Doubtless the God of Providence and of Grace has jewels for the Hedeemer's crown even in these in- hospitable regions, and they must be brought within hearing of the Gospel through human enterprise and energy. It would be incon- sistent with the purpose and scope of this small volume, even were we able, to enter into any detailed account of the accurate and valuable contributions which have been made since 1845, when Sir John Franklin commenced his voyage, by such men as James Ross, Collinson, Maclure, Belcher, Osborn, Browne, Rae, Anderson, M'Clinto jk, Hobson, and Young. Their works are acces- sible to all who take a special interest in such matters, and will amply repay a careful perusal. Notwithstanding these accessions to our knowledge of the geography of these 134 aiEMORlAL SKETCH OF I i l,i I 4 'I sterile regions, little valuable light w;is thrown on the fate of Franklin and his companions until Sir Leopold M'Clintock published his " Voyage of the Fox." Rae, when exploring a part of the Boothia Isthmus in 1854, heard from certain Esquimaux, that some years before, during spring, a party of about forty white men had been seen travel- ling over the ice, and dragging a boat along the coast of King William Land. It was added, that later in the season of the sanu' year, the bodies of about thirty men weiv found on the continent and five on an island near the mouth of the Great Fish River. At the same time some rel'cs, believed to be of the Franklin Expedition, were bought from the natives and sent home. These are de- posited and preserved in the Naval and Military Museum, London. This informa- tion gave an encouraging clew to fn'ther inquiry, and led to the Fox Expedition under Captain M'Clintock, who, at the urgent request of Lady Franklin, genei- ,lVj iit was md his ^lintock Rae, [sthmus IX, that larty of travel - t along It was le same sn were 1 island er. At bo be of it from are de- 'al and tifonna- fn'ther )editioii at the gener LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVING, U.N. 135 ously undertook the heroic task of making a new search for her husband and his gallant company. He did his work in the most thorough manner, and, after difficulties and perils of a very remarkable kind, succeeded m clearing up the long-hidden story of tlie Franklin Expedition. During April and May 1859, Captain M'Olintock and Lieutenant Hobson, travel- ling from their winter quarters in sledges drawn by dogs, examined part of the west coast of Boothia, the whole of the shores of King William Island, the mouth of the Great Fish River, and Montreal Island. M'Clin- tock also collected information, with great diligence, from the Esquimaux whom he met at various points. The main result of his search, however, was the discovery of a record at Cape Victory, near the north-western corner of King William Land. This record, written between the lines and round the available margin of one of the printed forms usually supplied to discovery ships, contains ;iO MEMORIAL SKETCH OF ■( all the reliable information which we have either about itself or about the history of Sir John Franklins Expedition. It was written at two different times. The first portion by Lieutenant Graham Gore, who with Charles des Voeux, mate, and six men, had left the ship four days previously, in- tending probably, as M'Clintock suggests, to examine the unknown line of coast of King William Land, betwixt Point Victory and Cape Herschel. It bore date May 28th, 1847. This portion, as we learn from the second portion, had been deposited by Gore and his men, in June 1847, under a cairn suj)posed to have been bviilt by Sir James Ross in 1831. It had been found in the following spring by our friend Lieutenant John Irving, and the second portion having been added by another hand, the completed document was transferred to a place four miles further south, which they had come to regard as the true })Osition of Sir James Ross's pillar ; and there, in that solitude, the docu- ment thus written in instalments, so to speak, )t^-*i. „ U. e luive tory of ft was le first e, wlio K men, 5ly, iii- ggests, )ast of /'ictory Y 28tli, >m the y Gore I cairn James in the tenant liaving pleted 3 four )me to Ross's docu- speak, Alt* II '^^^'^^^^^-- ^^•:v ' , m m^}rfi^^ '\ • ."*^J -v^ j«/-^ "^ H M. S /Tln-c/^tfCcJ ( Lat. > • v5 i "^ vj-" tAT Long. ^y-!^^.j ' / ^ K'^n^ ^/^J^ /J^ )fir (U^ ^Ut^^'^i.^ 7^^ IS requested to forward it to the Secretary o , to deliver jl for tliat purpose \^ the British •'Si JX^ "^' ''J v^^jJI^^il ^i the noarc^^t Port. w^^ Qi* NCONQi K Iron vera:. ler est pri^ d il r^i a trouve, ct do le faire parveoir au pkitc W v^ ^ i^jfanruquc a Li^ndres. Cv^ti ouiFUA que hallare este Papel, se le su] <;;;^ del ?ilniirauta2go» ea Londi'cs, cou una u« * ^ i 1 dotiiii? s» hallo. f> icder die dit V^,6^-' iiSiii^Tiu^eu, wor ^J?elve, ten sp(jeaigste%^i|r.^:wi|»d9h aar ^ ^^itschc Admiral itei]:i*^|Mli;liP(-n da&r pi^^'^^iuiiciMieudu de Ivd en''cKi''^|ijy^^;m^'aar dit P; FiNBEUEN uf dette Papiir ouibedcs, naai . ?iafivme til AdmiiVilitels SocretDiren i London, < ^^-^ i Danmark> Norgc, eller Sverrig. Tiden og ,; oiiskes fenskabeligt paate9^?;v^,,v::/iii^.,,/ . ^g Wer diesen Zcttel ?l^tair des A.dniiralli|^| Wurc :^l;tfse chen ort und zu^ ier est pvi^ d y mttrqiier le li^irls et lieu on irvenir an phitot au Secretaire de I'Amtraute' e Papel, se le suplica de enviarlo al Sccretor 5s, coi> una uyta del tienipo y del lujjar ei^^^«i, ijM Tiu^eUi wordt hicrrpede vQrzogt, orn h^ S .^y^sW:: ' jt'C-; '■■iiii^l' ' '':''''a'> *V " ?;»V'V' "' .'•■'^•''1 ' i:|'V?>&»d(jn: aau den Hecr Minister van dks \ -^ '^^^* ^ ^S&^iage, of wel aan den S^cretaris de^ _ )*^ -iM^' tlHiife/en daar by tc voegca ecne Ngta^ "^^r^^ |l'TiJkvaar dit rapier is gevonden geworden:?^^ >^ack's Fish River. Sir John Franklin died on the 11th of June 1847, and the total loss by deatli in the E.Kpedition lias ))eento this date, oilicers and in men. 'I't IJKUTKA'ANT .JOHN ll{\IN(i, K.N. 13{> Tills was signocl hy Captuiii Crozier of the "Terror" and Captain Fitz-Jaines of thv " Erebus." No mention is made ol' (he I'etui'n of Graham Gore and his ex|)lorin<;' })arty ; hut the second poition of the reeoi'd s])eaks of him as the hffr (Jommander (fOre, so tlwit he probably died during the wintei* of l(S47-8, which proved fatal to so many. A facsimile of this record, so full of intei'est and so touching, seems woi'thy of being pre- served in this memoir of one wlio had a good deal to do witli it. We refer our readers to M'Clintock's interesting; narrative for othei' details which will assist them to realise more fully the probable history of tiie Expedition. But the record, the contents of wliicli have been idready explained, affords all the exact and reliable information that we possess or can now look for. Mr. C 11. Mai'kham, C.B., Secre- tary of the Royal Geographical Society, in the Proceedinirs for November 1880, while jiiving an account of the recent expedition of to MinioUIAl. SKKTCrr OK I i u i ' Lieutonimt Sclivviitka, confirms tliis reniiirk HO forcibly that we have niiicli pleasure in (Hiotiii(r what he says: — • There is nothing else but conjecture, based on the vague and unreliable stories of the Ks([uiniau.\, and inference (h^rived from relics and tlieir positions. With these as a means of illustrating the facts of the record, jM'Clintoek pieced together the sad but heroic story. The ground at Cape Victory was strewn with great quantities of clothes and stores, pointing to the i)rol)ability that the survivors had overrated their strength, and were obliged to lighten the boats which they were dragging on heavy sledges. The discovery of Lieutenant Hornby's sextant made it probable tliat he was among those who landed. Farthei' on, in Erebus IJay, one of tlie boats was ibund on a sledge, M'itli two bodies in it, and many relics of various kinds. Among tliem was a r»ible, The Vicar of W<(h'firld, and a little volume of ])rivate devotions which Sir George JJack had pre- sented to liis old friend, Graham Gore. Perhaps it was tlu! thoughtful act of some messmate to bring away the little l)ook for the relations of the deceased olHcer. The boat's head was pointed back to the sliips, indicating tliat a portion of the retreating MKirPKNANT .lOIIN IKAINi;, II. N. II crews litul lii'okcii (Inwii, mill (hat ait atttjiupl was iiiiidi^ to rcttiiii to tlic ,slii|is and l)riii_L; liiick IVcsli ,su])i)lit's of food. Tlic vest jiusIumI on. ami M'Clin- tock IouikI ;i skeleton beyond ("ajK' irersclic], ])rovin,n' thai Ihrii (lisrnviinl Uir Noitli-Wcsl rassttf/r. l)Ut tlie I I i ^m t t .1 }4'2 MKMOIUAI. SKETCH OF While tlils Is substantially the case, Cap- tain Hall and Lieutenant Schwatka of America, with commendable zeal and good feeling, have succeeded, after nuich personal exertion, in adding some illustrative details to the sad story of the Franklin Expedition. Captiiiii Hall [says Air. Alarkliain], in May 18G9 just toncliod the line of retreat at Todifs Island and Peffer River. He heard tliat seven l)odies Avere buried at tliese places, and lie l)vou^dit lionie bones supposed to liave been those ofLieutenant Le Vescomte of H.A1.S. " Erebus." He heard the story of the wreck of tlie ship and tlie body of a tall man liaving been found on board, and lie was also told that a b(jat and tent full of bodies were seen by the Esquimaux iv Terror Bay, some mile^ south <»f the i)osition in which Al'Clintock and Ho!>son found the boat. There is nothing improbiible in the latter story, but it io not corroborated by Lieutenant Schwatka, who carefully searched the spot. This, licwever, does not disprove it, as nil traces might easily have been obliterated in the long lapse of time. Captain Hall also heard that tbn boat witii the last survivors did not reach Montreal Island, but an inlet on the west side of IJKUTEN ANT .JOHN IRVIN(i, Jl.N. 143 the proiiKintory wliicli terminates at Point liicliard- soii. Lie^:tenant Schwatka (ten years later) con- firms the accuracy of Hall's information on this last point. The natives told him that a boat and a number of skeletons were seen near tlie water-line in this inlet, and tliat books and papers were scat- tered among the rocks and lonj^ since lost. Tlie boat was turned over and the skeletons beneath it. One body, perhaps that of the last survivor (not an officer) was found five miles inland. An old woman also told Lieutenant Scliwatka that slie saw the retreating party dragging a sledge with a boat on it, and she described the personal appearance of three ol' the officers. One seems to have been a doctor. She also alleged that she saw the tent and dead bodies of which Hall heard at the head of Terror Bay. Lieutenant Scliwatka's personal search along tlie wes^ "^st of King AVilliam Island was not rewarded by any important discovery. The work of IM'Clin- tock and Hobson had been done too thoroughly. Two of his companions, however, found the grave of an officer near Cape Victory, It was that of Lieutenant Irving of II.M.8. " Terror," as a silver medal was picked i\]) close to it which pro\ed to be a matlie- matical prize won by that officer at the lioyal Naval College in 1830. The grave of another officer was I i!' i;V ' I ■ I r ,! I 141 MEMOIllAJ. SKKTCIl OF found near Point le Vcsconite, and some hones of five otlier different individuals. Tliey were colleeted and buried. Near Cape ^elix two cairns were met witli, probalily erected for taking bearings by parties wliicli landed during the year before the ships were abandoned, AVe already know enough. Wc knew that uur gallant countrymen died in discovering the Nortli- West Passage, and that they fell in the perf )rmanc(' of their duty. In Sherard. Osboru's charming memoir, and in the admirable narrative of Sii' Leopold M'Clintock, the heroic story of tlu*, fate ol' Franklin will be read, with unfailing interest by generation after generation. And Englishmen will, at the same time, always cherish a feeling of grat'tudc for the kindly deed of the brave Americans who tenderly collected and buried some of the bones of our heroes, and hroiKjM nvrii/ the remains of one of flieiii, a task Wii.:ch we well know entailed no small amount of peril and hardshi]). The relatives and friends of John Ii'vin<»', in compliance with whose desire this small volume has been compiled, enter warmly into these sentiments, so ehjqnently expressed l)v \i lij:utenant .iohn iuvini;, k.n. 145 Mr. Markliam ; and they will have much pleasure m seeing introduced at this place part of the narrative which he has recorded in the Proceedings of the lloyal Geographical Society, of the Expedition of Lieutenant Schwatka to King William Land. The plan of the Expedition was novel. The scenes were new ; and although the results did not add vnuch to our knowledge of kSir John Franklin's fate, it seems both natural and fitting that the procedure by which they were attained should find a place in this memorial of one of his officers. The i)arty consisted of four white men, namely. Lieutenant Schwatka, Colonel W. H. Gilder (the author of the narrative), Henry Klutschek, and Frank Milnes. Tliey wintered at Camp Daly, near the entrance of Cliesterfield Inlet, on the west shore of Hudson's Bay, adapting themselves to the mode of life of the Esquimaux (or InuU, as Colonel Gilder more correctly calls them), and making preliminary reconnoitring journeys. It was Lieutenant Scliwatka's intention to effect his purpose with the aid of natives and their dogs, E Ufi Mi']M()TUAL SKi^yrcn of and his plan was to march across the unknown land between Chesterfield Tnlet and the estuary of the Back Iiivei\ and thence to examine the western side of King William Island — a formidable enterprise, which would certainly occupy many months. The expeditio'i left Camp Daly on the 1st of April 1879, with three sledges and a load of oOOO lbs. drawn by forty-two dogs. Besides walrus meat, tlu' provisions consisted of biscuit, corn-starch, pork, compressed c(jrned beef, cheese, tea, and molasses. But these supplies were not calculated to last more than a fraction of the time, being one month's prd- visions for the whole party. The main reliance was upon the game afforded by the region to be traversed. The party was entirely deprived of vegetable food ; they took no lime-juice, and there was no scurvy ; which is one more stubborn fact for the English Scurvy Committee. ])esides the four white men, the party consisted of J(je the Esquimaux interpreter, and his wife; a s]3lendid hunter and dog-driver named Too-loo-ah, and his wdfe and child ; two other Iniiit men, with their wives and a child each, and two lads : altogether thirteen limit men^ women, aixu children. Dining tiie months of April and May the party maii'lied nr.rosi a high country of rolling hills, with h:,V'ru' ^ T'\- aiKi tlif LTKUTEXANT JOHN IllVIXG, U.N. 1 H much .SHOW and occasional deep diil'ts. The thcr- moiiietev was above freezing, and the sun insuffer- al)ly hot. Plenty of reindeer were seen nearly every day, the herds being often chased by wolves, which also prowled round the cam}). Tlie game indeed was so abundant, that besides bears, and seals, and four musk-oxen, the party obtained during tlie journeys out and home no less than 522 reindeer. The landscape, though sombre and forbidding, was grand, and occasionally presented scenes of great beauty. In the first week of May they crossed tlie Arctic Circle, and soon afterwards came upon a branch of tlie Back Kiver, which they followed for ninety miles. It flows tlu'ough a gorge with dark hills risinu' to 800 or 1000 feet on either side. On the 22(1 of May they reached the estuary of the Back lii-, er, having travelled all tJie way through a country filled with game, and having seen two or three large herds of reindeer every day. The river, which led them to the Back estuary, was named after the President of tlie United States. Lieutenant Scliwatka visited Montreal Island and then crossed the land to an inlet west ol Richardson Point, collecting many stories from the Esquimaux. In June he crossed over to Cape Herschel, on King William Island, and examined 48 MKMORIAL SKl-yrcH. ; tlie western shore, with the greatest care, for relics of the Franklin Expedition, as far as Cape Felix, the northern extremity of the island. We have already mentioned the results ol' this Expedition, in which much labour was put forth, and innumerable difficulties and inconveniences encountered. The achievement of Lieutenant Schwatka and his companions is most remarkahle, and in some respects his journey is without a parallel. It reflects the liighest credit on the commander and on those who served under l^hn so admirahly ; and it is certain the work could not ha\e heen done without natural qualities of a very liigh order, coml)ined with carefvd training and the most thoughtful adaptation of the best attainable means to the end in viev/. The Englisli nation, and mor(3 es])ecially its naval service and its geographers, have received the news of this noble effort to obtain more complete intelligence oi" our lost heroes with feelings of warm gratitude to Lieutenant Schwatka and his gallant companions, as well iis to those who generously supplied the means and gave the instructions under which the explorers acted. 'elicfe ^ clix , :s of was and CHAPTER VITl. We have quoted largely from Mr, Mark- ham's paper ; and we are further indel)ted to him for some accurate statements in regard to the professional life of John Irving, and also for a lucid commentary, the result of much thought and consideration upon the probable course of events after the " Erebus " and "Terror" disappeared within the Arctic Circle. We make no apology for culling some of these from an interesting document which Mr. Markham has taken the trouble of preparhig in illustration of the subject so unexpectedly opened up afresh l)y the dis- covery of Irving's remains. As we know from his letters, Irving joined p' r)0 MH.MORIAL SKKTCH OF )ki the ** Excellent " with the view of qualifying himself more thoroughly in gunnery and other professional subjects, and was appointed third Heutenant of H.M.S. '' Terror" on the 13th of March 1845. The following is a list of the officers who sailed in that ship : — Captain Crozier. Lieutenants Little, Hodgson, Irving. Mates Hornby and Thomas. Irving [says Mr. ]\Iarkham] was a talented drafts- man. He had an iron constitution, and was well adapted for Arctic service.^ I incline to tlie belief that Little and Hodgson died during 'Jie winter of 1847-8. Hodgson was in bad liealth wlien lie left England with a delicate chest. When the retreating crews landed in April 1848, Crozier was in conmiand, with Irving as his second. ^ An Orkney lady, who still survives, and remembers being introduced to and shaking hands with him in the cabin of the " Terror " while in Stromness harbour, writes : — "Lieutenant Irving was very conspicuous among the officers who were that day in the cabin of the ' Terror,' by his greater appearance of manly strength and calm decis'-m one a])parently well fitted for the hardships foreseen but i. * dreaded. A general feeling of sure success pervaded them ai' " i-ii:utf-:nant joiix frvtxo, r.x. 151 Fitz-James was in command of tlie "Erobus," witli Le Vcscomti' as liis sticond (Graliam Gore having died ill the winter). Irving is mentioned in tlie record found by M'Clintock at Point Victory, as having discovered the record deposited in the previous year (1847) by Graham Gore and ] )es Vaaix, at a point four miles north of Pohit Victory. Tliis proves tliat Irving was still active and comparatively well when they landed on April 25th (record says the 2 2d). The wliole party set out for the Fisli liiver on April 26th. Information received from the natives by Hall and Schwatka sliows that a very large tent full of dead bodies, with graves near it, was found on tlie shore of Terror I]ay. From this T conclude that about half of the whole number V)roke down at Terror IJay, unable to go further. It would be the duty of one of the le.'iders to remain with the disabled, of the other to push on for help. It is clear that Crozier pushed on towards the Fish Iiiver, because the natives called the officer they met by tlie same name that Crozier had among tliem during Parry's second voyage. He no doubt leininded tliem of it. Fitz- James therefore remained at Terror Pay. His second, Le Vescomte, pushed on with those of the " Erebus " who were still able to I'l ,r H . ,. 11; si; ,1 If) -2 !\1I:M()HIAL SKI'TCll OF walk, for Hall ibuiid liis skeleton on Todd Isliind. As Crozier went on, his second, Irving, would liavc reniaimul with the disabled men of the "Terror." So we have Fitz-flanies and Irving reniaininn with the sick at Terror P>ay, aided by a few able- bodied volunteers, probably ofhcers. These heroic men had then to decide what next to do. The sick would soon need more provisions and medical com- forts. It would be necessary to return to the ship^^ and bring back all that was left there. Fitz- James would probably remain with the sick and disabled, sharing their misery and privations ; Irving would command the returning party. The large boat was dragged back to Enibus Ray, Ijut there their strength tailed them. A few wlio had broken down were left there with provisions ; the rest, under Irving, pushed shipwards. The gallant hero had taxed his strength to the uttermost. lie fell gloriously at Point Victory, where stones were piled over his body by his dying comrades. The Eoyal Naval College medal was buried witli liim, and f(jund by Schwatkn. This is what I believe to have happened, after giving the subject much tliought. The officers distributed their plate (spoons and forks) among the men wlum the ships were aban- doned. l>ut none of Trving's ])late was found, — XL LIEUTENANT JOIfN IRVINCi, R.N. 15.T only the medal. The total iiuniber of piecos of plat(i found was .sixty-fux was, I think, dead, because Irving is mentioned as having discovered the record deposited by Graham Gore and Des Vceux the year before. If Des Vceux had landed there would have been no need to search for it. Helpman, the clerk, was, I tiiink, the ninth oflftcer that had died. Therefore, fifteen ofKcers landed at Point Victory on the 2r)th of April 1848. These were : — Terror. Erehi-^. Crozier. Fitz-James. Irvin" Le Vescomte. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. fc .P^. 1.0 I.I . .. m m lllll 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 -^ 6" — ► V] m. >> % ^^%V^ '/ Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 (716) 872-4503 1/ n ii It Ii Ail 154 MKMORIAL SKETCH OF Terror. Hornby. Thomas. Macbean. Dr. Peddie. Dr. Macdonald. E)'cl>}is. Fairholmn. Sargent. Conch. Dr. Stanley. ])r. Goodsir. Collins. Party that pushed on to the Fish lliver : — Crozier. Le Vescomte (died at Todd Island). Fairholme. Dr. Stanley (stick found at Montreal Island). Hornby. Party that remained with sick at Terror Bay : — Fitz-James. * Irving. Sargent. Thomas. * Conch (died in the boat). Macbean. Collins. Dr. Peddie. '^- Dr. Macdonald. * Officers returning to the ships for more supplies. We add the following summary of dates, also supplied by Mr. Markham : — 1845. May 19. The Franklin Expedition left the Thames, provisioned for three years. LIEUTENANT JOHN [RVING, R.N. 155 1845. July 4. Arrived at Whalefisli Island. „ 26. Last seen in Baffin's Bay by a whaler. August. Sailed up Wellington Channel to 77° N. 1845-6. Wintered at Beechy Island. 1846. Jany. 1. J. Tovington of H.M.S. "Terror" died, aged twenty. „ 4. J. Hortwell, A.B. "Erebus," died, aged twenty-five. April 3. Wm. Braine, marine of " Erebus," died, aged thirty-two. (Ascertained from the three graves in Beechy Island.) Sept. 12. Beset in 70° 5' n. and 98° 28' w. 1846-7. Wintered in the Tack. 1847. May 28. Graham (rore and Des Voeux and party left the ships. All ujell. „ June 1 1 . Sir John Franklin died. 1847-8. Wintered in the Pack. Twenty-one, nine officers and twelve men, died. 1848. April 22. Sliips abandoned five leagues N.N.AV. of Point Victory. 105 souls landed. 25. Record signed at I*oint Victorv by Crozier, Fitz- James. flj, 15G MEMORIAL SKETCH OF ■ 'i' i ''i 1848. April 2G. Start for Back's Fish River. 1859. Their fate discovered by M'Clintock. 1879. Irving's medal and his remains recovered and brought away by Schwatka. The short but eventful career vrhich we have been contemplating suggests more than one topic for pensive thought. That John Irving was fashioned by successive stages of his experience for his ultimate occupation as an Arctic explorer, must be manifest. His successful training in mathe- matics, his love for boating and general sea- manship, his turn for natural philosophy, his adventurous ascent of Etna under excep- tional difficulties, his expertness in rescuing in two instances companions from a watery grave, his solitary life of hardness in the bush during four years, his subsequent familiarity with exploring service in the South seas, were all fitted to prepare him for the duties which awaited him in the Franklin Expedition. What was the issue of it all ? No doubt, as we have seen, that mm. I LIEUTENANT JOHN IllVIXU, R.N. 157 unfortunate company of devoted men really made some additions to the geography of the Arctic regions ; but, humanly speaking, the Expedition, with no f lult of theirs, was a comparative failure in a scientific point of view. This admission, however, leads us to observe, that in other respects, moral and religious, it may turn out eventually to have been a great success. There is surely some- thing noteworthy, and even remarkable, in the circumstance by which a fresh interest has been unexpectedly awakened in an enterprise which had been almost forgotten after the lapse of so many long years — years filled with a constant succession of exciting events daily becoming historical. A silver medal conferred on a mere boy, half a century before, which used to lie on his fond father's business-table in Edinburgh, is picked up covered with the grime of a grave which had been rifled by greedy natives of King William Land in quest of plunder. It had rested there for thirty-one years. 158 MKMORTAL SKKTCH OK and had escaped notice until picked up hy the adventurous Americans wlio had under- taken the self-imposed task of throwing still further light on the course of our naval heroes whom M'Clintock had already tracked so far. This medal led, we think very reasonably, to the identification of the remains, and created a new interest in many who had ceased to think of the whole aflPair in any other light than as n melancholy episode in our naval history. A public funeral followed with imposing formalities. This led to a not unnatural curiosity in regard to the individual, hitherto little known, who had suddenly and unexpectedly become the representative of a whole company of heroic men, whose memory their country had plea- sure in honouring. Forthwith a number of private letters came to light, w^hich friend- ship had carefully treasured all these years, although to have destroyed them would, perhaps, have been a more likely course LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVING, \{.\. If)!) of procedure. When it turns out that these letters, besides ilhistratint^^ an eventful Hfe, show also that the writer was a man of strong rehgious convictions and deep earnest- ness, we begin to surmise that the All-wise and overruling God of Providence may have had a great purpose in the foregoing chain of circumstances. It is well known that Sir John Franklin himself was a pro- nounced Christian, and we have the testi- mony of one contemporary at least, still alive, to the fact, that several of his subor- dinates, besides Lieutenant Irving, bore a similar character, — all the necessary prepar- ations for the exploring Expedition having been gone about by them in a devotional spirit very noticeable to their associates. No one can tell what an im2:)ortant influence these God-fearing men may have exercised during these gloomy years of Arctic experi- ence, both in sustaining the hearts of their comrades amid the stupendous trials of their lot, and in teaching them — mainly by their ij! I i u IGO Ml'IMOIilAL SKETCH. (consistent example — the one true way of facing the unseen world which lay before them. Is it too much to indulge the hope that this simple memorial sketch of John Irving may, with the Divine blessing, be the means of leading other young men of heroic aspira- tions to consecrate their lives more completely to His service "? Our great poet has said truly — " There 's a Divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will." way of ' before pe that L Irving 3 means aspira- ipletely ids, / •''"'V«n>,7((. > /"\- >" 1 n I) .i O -A^ ' p-.-^^-^ \ ->H fe^M l.> APPENDIX. 1. From tlu; Edinhimjh JJailji Jicclctr and other sources we give the following description of Lieu- tenant Irving's funeral : — Edinhiu'ijli, Sfh Jffiiuar// 18S1. — Yestenhiy the closing incident in the story of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition of 1845 was witnessed, when in this city the bones of a gallant member of that Expedition, which have for over tliirty years been resting in an nnkiiown grave, were re-interred by relatives grateful for the chance which had placed it within their power thus to perform the last kindly oflices to one whom they had loved in life and mourned in death. That a vast concourse of people should have thi'onged the streets through which the funeral cortefjc was ex])ected to pass was but natural, as it was well known that every honour whicli customarily attends the burial of an oflicer of her Majesty's service was to be given to the deceased, and the expectation of witnessing a spectacle im- posing in character was sufficient to induce many to endeavour to gain a view of tlie procession in passing. But among the greater number of thos(^ L I n M 1G2 APPENDIX. who lined the thorouglifares sight-seeing tbrnied no incentive to he present. The general feeling seemed to he one of dee]) admiration for the memory of the departed ; of sympathy at the recollection of the circumstances attending his death; and a sincere desire to testify the interest and appreciation by an intelligent public of an able, devoted, and worthy officer and gentleman, to whom death came while in the discharge of a noble duty. The funeral took place from the house of Mrs. William Scott- JMoncrieff, the sister of Lieutenant Irving, where, prior to the hour for starting, a number of relatives and personal friends were assembled. These com- prised Eev. fJohn Irving, nephew ; W. G. Scott- Moncrieff, advocate, ne])hew ; I). M. Peebles, lianker; \\. C. Bell, W.S. ; and T. S. Omond, St. John's College, Oxford, nephews by marriage ; H. D. Hay, M.U. ; Dr. K. IV Malcolni ; J. H. W. Holland, C.A. ; District Commissary-General A. Clerk ; Dr. Andrew Wood ; Rev. A. Whyte ; IJev. Mr. Cowan of Troon ; Messrs. J. Adam ; W. E. Malcolm of Burnfoot, in early life a messmate of the deceased ; J. Scott-Moncrieff, C.A. ; Benjamin Bell, F.H.C.S.; Stuart Neilson, W.S.; William Wood, C.A. ; Henry Cadell of Grange ; H. J. Hollo, W.S. A service having been conducted in the house by the Rev. A. Whyte, the coffin, which was of polished oak, and covered with the Union Jack, was carried out l)y six seamen, and placed on a gun-carriage from Leith Fort, drawn by six horses, and in charge of a sergeant. The procession then moved off in slow time, headed by a strong firing party of Marines mk APPENDIX. 1G3 li'oiu tlie "Lord Wiirden" under Captain Sweny and Lieutenant M'Causland, E. M. L. L Then came the hand and pipers of the 71st llegiment and the gun- carriage hearing the remains. These were followed hy Captain Lindesay Brine, ll.N., and Mnjor-General Irving, 11. A., C.B., as chief mourners. Then the relatives and immediate friends. Next followed the .seamen ol' tlie " ^ , rd Warden," as mourners, under Captain Kingscote, R.N. The other naval officers marclied on each side of the gun-carriage, as pall- Ijearers, and were — Lieutenants Johnson, Field, Monteitli, lieid, and Ede. After these came an officer and twenty men each from the 21st Hussars, the Itoyal Artillery, and the 71st H. L. I. In tlie rear lollowed Major-General Hope, C.B., com- manding the forces in Scotland, and the Head- (^>uarter Staff, comprising Colonel Preston, A.A.C, Captain Salmond, D.A.A.G., and Captain Hope, A.D.C, and then all the officers of the Edin- burgh garrison off duty ; Colonel Ingilby, ll.A. ; Colonel Morrison, li.E. ; Lieutenant-Colonel eJones, |{.A. ; Lieutenant Blackman, ll.A. ; Major Locock, If.E. ; Lieutenant Conder, B.E. ; Captains H. C. Collier, A. P. Loyd, and W. W. Unett, Quarter- master 1. Ivelly, and Lieutenant and Adjutant B. Jennings, 21st Hussars; Major Allen, Captain F. M. lieid, and H. A. Schank, Lieutenants E. W. Home, W. F. Anstey, J. Mitchell-Innes, Adjutant, ,1. S. T. Farquhar, and 1. C. Conway- Cordon, 71st IfeginnMit; and ^lajor and Adjutant Hills, and Ca})tain Cianston, Q.E.lt.V.B. There were present Admirals Dunlop and Fellowes ; Principal Sir A. ^ 'IV i 1(14 AITENDIX. (Jnint, and otlier representatives of the University, inembers of the Town Council, Eoyal Society, and other public bodies. The Koyal Geographical Society was represented by Ca})tain Lindesay Brine, E.N. A great crowd of people had assembled in Great King Street, and every minute its numbers were augmented. From the lines I'onned Ijy tlie Royal Navy and the troops the space to the railings in front of the houses was closely packed with spectators, while from the windows and balconies groups of ladies and children viewed the procession. A start v.'as made a few minutes before one o'clock, and the long line of marines, seameL civilians, and olHcers marched between a double w\all of human beings until tlie cemetery was reached. Tlie beautiful strains of the IMaltese funeral hynni rose in tlie air, and to its slow and stately time the rorteijr moved on its i)rogTess westwards. The band was relieveil at intervals by the melancholy plaint of " Tlie Flowi'is of the Forest" from the bagpipes. The greatest order prevailed among the crowd, and till! company proceeded in its slow inarch without interruption. From Heriot How the route was by Darnaway Street, the north division of Moray Place and Ainslie Place, and Great Stuart Street; and in all these streets every window and balcony was occu- pied, while the steps leading up to the houses were tilled with people from the crowds in the streets who sought such vantage-ground to view the pro- cession. Tlie band wm'e now ])laying IJeethoven's y ArPEXDIX. 165 funeral marcli, wliicli in turn gave place to Handel's Dead March in Saul. At the cemetery gate the tiring party halted, opened out, faced inwards, and rested on their arms reversed. Tlie coffin was taken from the gun-carriage, and, attended by tlie })all-bearers, was (tarried by six seamen to the grave, the procession passing into tlie cemetery through the double line of marines. The band followed, and the marines moved up and formed at the grave in readiness to lire the three farewell volleys. The place of burial was towards the southern extremity of the cemetery, in close proximity to the tombs of Lords Jeffrey, Cockburn, Handyside, and Eutherfurd. The service at the grave was conducted by the liev. John Irving, after which the coffin, — which bore the inscription : " John Irving, Lieutenant R.N., born 1815; died 1848-1849 "^was lowered into the grave by Captain Lindesay Brine, Major-General Irving, and the pall-bearers, assisted by the six seamen who had carried the colfin from the gate to the grave. Three volleys were then fired over the remains by the marines, the bugles of the 71st Regiment sound- ing after each volley. The various parties of the Royal Navy and military were then re-formed and moved olf in quick time, and after a while were followed by the civilians, leaving to repose undis- turbed those honoured bones so strangely discovered and conveyed so carefully to the Ijrave Arctic voyager's native city. t i '!^ m 1()G APPENDIX. IT. Tkstimonials ill liivour of the late Lieutenant J. Irving, Ji.N., as to Good (Jonduct, Zeal, and Knowledge of liis duty. Copied from Sir John Franklin's Papers left with Lady Franklin. FKOM ADMIRAL .JAMKS 1{. DACRFW. MthJuiv 1843. Mr. -lohn Irving served as mid.shipnian and mate on board II.M.S. " Edinburgh," under my command, from December 18.')3 to end of January 1837, during which period his conduct Mas that of an active, correct, and zealous ofticer, perfectly understanding liis duty. I never had occasion to find fault with liim during the whole of that period, and he joined me very strongly recommended by the Honourable (Captain Dundas of H.M.S. " P,elvidera." Jas. II. Dacjies, Rear- Aihni I'd}. FRO^r ADMIRAL SULIVAN. These are to certify the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that i\lr. John Irving served as mate on board W.^\. sloop " Favourite" under my com- mand from the 1st April 1842 to the date hereof, (luring which time he conducted himself with diligence, attention, and sobriety, and Avas always APPENDIX. ir,7 obedient ; and I further certify that he had charge of a watch during the above period. Given under my hand on board H.M. sloop " Favourite," Hanioaze (I)evonport Dock), this 20th June 1843. Thomas R. Sulivan, Co}nmandcr. K1!()M SIR WILLIAM DICKSON. This is to certify that Lieutenant John Irving has served on board H.M. ship " Volage" under my command from the 30th of August 1843 to the date hereof, during the whole of which period he com- plied with the general printed instructions; and 1 further certify that his conduct during the whole time has merited my approbation, and I consider him a steady and good officer. Given under my hand on board H.M. 8. " Volage," Cove of Cork, 31st December 1844. Wm. Dickson, Captain. LIKUTEXANT lUVIXd TO RRHIT HON. Sill G. CLKKK. H.M.S. ''Excellent," 2d March 1845. My dear Sir George,— I am very desirous of ))eing appointed to one of the ships now fitting for the Polar Expedition, and shall feel muck obliged if you can in any way forward my views. — Yours truly, John Irving. Sir George Clkkk, Bart. ) JJ (' 1G8 APPENDIX. t ItlGHT HON. SIIJ GEOUGK CLEKK, BART., TO AUMIh'AL SIR GEORGE COCKBURN. BoAKD OF Trade, M March 1845. My dear Cockburn, — I herewith send you ji letter from my friend Lieutenant John Irving, now serving on board the " Excellent," stating his desire to be appointed to one of the ships now fitting for the Polar Expedition. As he possesses very considerable scientific attain- ments, 1 should consider him well qualified for a service of this nature. If all the appointments are not filled up, I should be very much obliged to you to give him an appoint- ment to one of tlie Polar Expedition vessels. — 1 remain, yours truly, G. Clerk. The Right Honble. Admiral Sir G. Cookbukn, G.C.B. '::i I I'lllNTED BY T. AND A. CONSTAHLE, PRINTKKS TO UKK MAJKVl V, AT TriK KIIINKLRCII INIVKKSITV I'UKSs. k IIKAL 1845. you Jl g, now desire ing for attain - . for a should )point- els.— T KRK.