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Lee^détails de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-être uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la méthode normale de filpage sont indiqués ci-dessous. □ Colourect pages/ Pages de Icouleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagées □'l'Iiges restored and/or laminatad/ Pages restaurées et/ou pelliculées Pages discoloured. steined or foxed/ Pages décolorées, tachetées ou piquées □ Pages detached/ Pages détachées 0Showthrough/ ^ Transparence □ Quality of print ^ies/ Qualité inégale dé l'impression □ Continuous pagination/ Pagination continue 0lnciudes index(es)/ Comprend un (^s) index Title on header taken from:/ Le titre de l'en-tête provient: Th« POM oftr filmi Origl b«gii th«l sion, oth» firM •ion. or illi Thol •hall TINU whici Mapi •fiitin bogir Cight roquii rhothi livraison □ Titlé page of issue Page de titre de la □ Caption of issue/ Titre de départ de la livraison □ Masthead/ Générique (périodiques) de la livi^ison Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplémentaires: This item is f ilmed at the réduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmé eu taux de réduction indiqué ci -Ifi*. ^»*r "laîT" 22X J MX Q 16X 20X Î6X 30X 24 X 28X n 32 X nv •il Bt to vue ion IS Th« eopv filmtd h«r« Hm bMn raproduecd thanfct to th« o«n«ro«ity of : Library of the National Archives of Canada 4 Th« imagêi» appcaring h«r« ar« th« bMt quality poMibi* «OMidaring tha eondition and lagibility of tha original eopy and in kaaping with tho fllming contraot apacif icationa. Original eopiaa in printad papar covara ara filmad baginning with tha front eovar and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- sion, or tha baek eoy% whan appropriata. AH othor original eopiaa ai#filmad baginning on tha firat pago with a printad or illuatratad impraa- •ion. and anding on tha laat paga wHh a printad or illMOUatad impraaaion. Tha laat racordad frama on aach microficha •hall contain tha aymbol ^-^ (maaning "CON- TINUEO"). or tha aymboi ▼ (maaning "END"), whichovar appliaa. Mapa, plataa. charta. ate.. may ba filmad at ~~iS^9nm. raduction ratioa. Tho^a too larga to ba Ofltiraly includad in ona axpoaura ara fiirhacl baginning in tha uppar iaft hand eomar. laft to CightHQd top to bottom. aa many framaa aa raquirad. Tha following diagrama illuatrata tha fhathod: L'axamplaira filmé fut raproduit grlça é la ginéroaité da: La bibliothèqua des Archives twtionales du Canada Laa imagaa suJvantas ont «té raproduitas avac la plua grand «oin. compta tf nu da la conàitlon at da la nattaté da l'axamplaira filmé, at an conformité avac laa eonditiona du contrat da nimaga. Laa axamplairéa originaux dont la couvartufa wx papiar aat impriméa aont filméa an commanç^nt par la pramiar plat at •n terminant aoit par la darniéra paga qui comporta una ahnprainta dTmpraaaiton ou d'illuatration. aoit par la tacond plat, aalon la caa. Toua laa autraa axamplairaa originaux aont filméa vis commançant par la pramiér* pago qui comporta una amprainta dtmpraaaion ou d'illuatration at an terminant par la darniéra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un doa aymbolaa auhranta apparaîtra aur la darniéra imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la caa; la symbola — ^ signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbola V aignifia "FIN". Laa cartaa. planchaa. tabiaaux. atc. pauvant étra filméa é daa taux da réduction différants. Lorsqua la documant aat trop grand pour étra raprpduit an un saul cliché, il aat filmé é partir da l'ai^gia^aupériaur gaueha. da gaucha é droita. at do ha,uf en baa. an pranant la nombra d'imaga%j«écaaaaira. Laa diagrammaa suivants illustrant la méthoda. T D zix 6 '**' .H^' 4 . orv,'\?Vi^,*a.-.,j v-^ ^t» fOHN FRANKEIÏfr Frontisptece.] (From a lUhographtd copy of the painting by Ncgelin.) ^ "■fèVî* ZTbe OTorIb*0 6reat ^yplorejre an^ Explorations. Edited by J. Scott Kkltib. Lib™rUn, Royal Geographical Society H J. Mackind»». m. a., Reader in Geographv at thé University ^rcnford ; and E. G. Ravknstein, F.Il.G.S. m LIFE QF Sm JOHN FEANKLIN. "i m « 1 t &4M>>im^o. ■/. I..I.II' -m LIFE OF SIR JOHN FEANELIN '-i^:^ AND THE NORTH^WEST PASsM^. ^t BT CAPTAIN ALBERT HASTINGS ^ÇiARKHAM, B.if., A.D.C. LONDON ■■ ' GEORGE PHILIP & SON. Ltd.. 32. Plekt Strbet UttrighUnHnti.) \;\ I r^■. }J-^C^4X\ ^ V ^ià.V«ïVlfc-' i i^ib-^iU t. V L-ti. y PREFACE. T- , „ " To Ure with fam« 1 he godi allow to tmaj ; bat to die With equ»l lustre i. . blewing He.yen Select, from aU the clioioert boon. o£ fate And wjth m sparing band on few beitow.. *• — GLovia. Thkm are few naines that hâve been more prominentlv bn,ught to the notice of studente of ^^^'^ sea^h, during the pi^nt oentur,, iC^^ Z skilful aailor, an ardent explorer, an able admMiTL navigator Not only Js hia name connected with^ and useful service aocomplished in those capacitL^ more especially with the discoveiy of thoT^^h^ 7LT V^' «^Joration of whick he everuX «S^ hc^ hu. hf e. but it is also associated at an e^yZ^ of his professxonal carier, with the survey a^ e^^ Z:lt' T'^' ^"^ °^ *^« -the^Tl^^ he ruled with abiUtv and with • c ^ ^^^''^ ^^ut^ P~sperit;tTi^^ '-^^^' '^ The hxstory of the life of such a man, one who ha. ^ PREFACE. 80 deservedly earned for himself a conspicuous place on the list of distinguiehed explorera in various parts of the globe should not remain untold and practically unknown. It 18 therefore not inappropriate that it should form the subject of a biographical sketch, in a séries the main object of which is to impart geographical information. In his exertions to increa» our knotyledge of geo- graphy, especially in thôse régions whose southem hnut 18 bounded by the Arctic circle, Sir John Franklin oocupies an almost unique position among the numerous '' gaUant and able explorera who hâve both preoeded and followed him., It is only necessary to glance in a Buperficial way over the pubHshed records of Franklin's naval career, to be satisfied that he was a man of dauntlesa courage, indomitable energy and persévérance, brave and resolute in oVetcoming difficulties. He was a oouia^ua leader, combining tact and discrétion wi^ a daring which might almost be considered as bordenng on raahness; above ail, he possessed a rare capacity for encountering, With a cheerful and contented spint^ hardships and privations oi no ordinary kind He was, in its fuUest sensé, a bom leader, evindng on several occasions a resolute détermination and dogged inflexibiUty of purpose, under cireumstances and au- ditions sufficiently appa^Ung to test the courage and the endurance of the bravesfof men. To those who hâve interested themselves in Arctic research, the name of Sir John Franklin is of course familuir, not only from the discoveries he achieved in high latitudes, but also on account of that halo of romantic uncertainty which kept his fat^, and that of hi8 brave companions, enshrouded in mystery for such a long time. The numerous expéditions that were de- «patdied for the purpose of endeavouring to obtain \ PRBfAtuœ. ^ information regarding the misWg ships, alao absorbed a large share of public interest for many years. It is a very safe assertion to^ake that if it had'not been for Sir John Franklin, andl the exertions that wew^ made to ascertain his fate, our knowledge of the North Polar régions would be a great deal more limited than it is at présent ; for the fact must not be lost sight of that the resuit of the examination made by the several se^rch ex* peditions sent in quest of Sir John and those under his command, was the achievement of valuable geographical and otherscientific results, that would otherwise, in ail probability, never hâve been accomplishedA It is therefore only due to the memory of Sir John Franklin to say that to him, directly and ifidirectly, we owe the discoveiy and exploration of a very large portion of the Arctic basin. It 18 eamestly to be hoped thàt the work so energetic- ally and so ably commewced by Sir John Franklin, and for the accomplishment of which he laid down his life may again be resumed, and èventually brought to a glorious and successful termination. We shall then be able to say, that the lives of Franklin and his gallant ' compamons hâve not been sacrificed in vain, and we shall be able to rmÊt with pride on the share, and let ' us hope it will be f^rgç one, that our countrymen baver' had m the successful achievement of this gi-eat ceoeiJ phical work. but In the oompilatiOT of this volume I hâve endeavoui4d to mtroduçe, as much as possible, in accordance with the expressed wish of my Editors, the personal élément, , and to render it as true and as complète a narrative of the life of Sir John Franklin as the materials at my disposai would permit The authoritjps I ha^e been aWe to refer to^rfor i^- -- able information in connection with his life, ^ve been X / i- ^ Tlil PREFACE. '-( J very f«^w, and hâve been confined priqcipally to thelogV, journak, and other documents I Was permitted to oon- suit in the Public Record Office. ^ The compilation of the work has, in Conséquence of the nature of my professional duties, ocçUpied mei fpr BOihe time, but th» do^e-tailing together of ali the' in- . formation I hâve sucoeeded in obtaining, and which bas reached me in a somewfeât piecemeal fashion, has been a labour of love, and a task in Ihe exécution of whid» I haviB been deeply intereeted. Any shortoomings or lûcoherence in the narrative that may st^nke the'critical reader will, I hope, be ascribed to, the difficulties under which I laboured,4ind to the mea^ness of aU authentio information that has hitherto bee^ published i^ connec- tion with the subject of this memiiir. I was fortunately suocessful at Jhe outset in enlisting the sympathy of Miss Sophia Cracipft, the talented nièce of Sir John Franklin, in my undert^Mcing, ^ho mokfr kindîy placed at my disposai information that I should • othert^ise hâve been unable tô obtain. ' ,. My <^^a°Jf8 ar» alsb due to Colonel John Barro^, who directly h^ was made aqguainteà with the nature of my work, mosi generously afforded me'aU the assistance m his power, and kindly placed at my disposai his cot lection of the TOrtraits of Arctic worthies, painted by the eminent artis^ Mr. Stephen Peiirce, sotne of which hâve been photogràphed and reprtxluced hère as illustra- tions. AnAlaat, bufe not least, my grateful thanks aift, the talented nieoe lert«^ing, ^ho mesfr Dation that I ghould n. ' 1 John Barro% who, bh the nature of my 9 aU the assistance my disposai hia cof- rorthies, paint«d by arce, sotne of whioh ced hère as illustra- grateful thanks ^« kindly looked ove!r that most sucoessfor. ed up the mysteiy îkiin, and who also bich I was only too H^^- ^ M. — / J' CONTENTS. ^ . »« — on*p. . L OHILDHOOD-WTIBS lH« NAVt-BATTLI Or OOPBf. 'T HAOKN ; . '^< ,1 n. KXPLOBATION or AnSTBi&lA . .- •-'..-■ 111. rUNDraS AND BASS-KIAMINÀTION OF TH. BgA.BOiib Q» A08TRALIA . ., ^^. . . • .• 34 rv. WBItCK O» TH»"PORPOI8«"~i,A0H OANTON-D.PKAT ' OF UN0I8 BT DANQi— AHBIVAt IN WOLAND . . 54 V. AFPOINTKD TO " BSLLBROPHÔN "-BAl*l« OF TBAFALOAB -JQINB THÏ " BBDFOBD "-A1TA0E ON NBW OBLïAN» / — ON HALF-PAT . ; • • • . '■ . .,7» TI. RKTBOSPKIT OF OKOOBAPHIOAL «XPUOBATION IN THl AROnO BKQIONS . . * ^o • . • • • 7» m. KXPKDITION OF BDOHAN AND FBANÏUN TOWARDS THl NOBTH POUt . . _ * i. ^ ^. FBANKLIN'S flJiBT JMtD JOCBNBT . r . .,107 a. FBANKUN'g FIBST LAND JOOBNBT_(«)n<ïntl«rf) . .134 X. FBANKUN'S B»0ON0 OVÏBI.AKD JOUBNIT V . . .146 XI. PARBT'S THIBD KPKDITION-RIS AVaun^^ îllACH THBPOLB-^BJOHN HOSB-DWOOVBRTOFiCAeNWIO ° ~ ' y" y- »- *a*»«J» at xu |i»Dm^aAHB4H.^oov«Rw."^™ , MENTOF VAk DIMïn'b LAND . ,-, • • • . > 173 ,J %V ^^ V. ji ^< r-*. CONTKNm CHAP. xii. frasklin's last totaoi Xm. THK LAST DAT8 ... XIV. ANXIWT BK8PIC0TINO BAFWT Of FBANXLW-KXPBDITIÔNS DIBPATOHXO IN 8KAB0H \ XV. VOTAOœ 0F—DB.HATK8-N0BDÏK8KIÔLD-LD0H SMITH -^THB GHWAHS-CAPTAIN HALt-THB A0STBO-HnH- GARIANS-SIB GMBOI wi^-AIiro TOUNO- 80HWATKA— TH« " «AHHEIM "I-KOBDINSKIÔLD AO- OOMPUBH» TU KOBTH-ÏABT PABBAOl— LBIGH SMITH — OBBLIT— VAUDIOTOBT .... 193 213 ^35 278 Ihdix . 316 sii.'- jtjv, : ^l'^ài^l^^lM^f^lil&^l^a^ifl't irXUN— KXPBDindNS UÔLD— IMOH SMITH —THE ADSTHO-HUN- -AIXKN TODNa — «OBOIKBKIÔU) AO- BAOI — UIQB BHITH FAOB 278 316 '"*^ââfli^^^i ^ LIST OZJLLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. ' FULL-PAOE ILLUSTRATIONS. I. Sir John Franklin ........ ^.^^ a. Captain Flinders 1» V_^ P^'«^^ «» - of «ne. i. «rtt. To hunt ont perUlM and «dventuw. h«î ^«e.» by l.nd. wherew they m.y be mett, Ondy for hoflour «d for high «g^rf, ' Wîthout w,peot of riches» or wwMd!" ! —SnuBKL SiTOAT^D on an eminenoe of the wold. in Lihoolnriiim. Plainiy v«„b e above the trees and house-, and Zdb. out injoonspicuoua relief against the Z, is ««n fcîî Pretty aa is the outeidi of thia little chuwh, the chief •v- S'^kT*'^ 1 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (1788 tomba of John, second Lord Willoughby of Eresby, who fought at the battle of Cressy; of John, the third Lord, who was at the battle of Poitiers ; of the f ourth and fifth Lords; of Richard Bertie and his wife, the Duchess of Suffolk (who was Baroness Willoughby in her own right), and many others. At the west end SPILSBT OHOROB. of the ohoToh, and faoing the south, are three mniHo mural tablets, which are specially interesting t»^ is. One has been erected to the memory%f Sir Witling- ham Franklin, a Judge of the Suprême Court et (udi- cature in Madras, who died on the 3ist May 1S34, in the forty -fi fth year of his âge. Ano ther is to the memory of Major James Franklin, a distinguished FRANKLIN. 1801.] SPILSBF CHUROH. ZZf 1 i!?'^ '''^'' *"^''* ^«"o'^ of the Royal one year.. The third teblet bears the folIowin| inscrit In Memory of CAPTAm Sia John Franklin K.aH. KRG. D.O.L, BoRN AT Spiubt i6 Aprii, X786. Erkctbd by his Widow. miese three men, aU of whpm attained eminenoe in lieue to^ f sp„,,„r:^ w?j:;l^- ^2;: i^ not been accurately ascertained. but that xnemb^I of it must hâve r^sided thei^ during the gwate^^ n pursmts, ifl évident from an examination of the parish > «gister In X779 WiUingham Fi^klin, the fX "f Uie subject of the^ memoirs, purcha^ed the fr^ho^S of a small one-storied house. situated in the main^r^t o Spilsby nearly in the oent« of the town, and nTf^ from the market-cioss, which is a plain oo'tagonal shift ' Ui th. w«t end. on wS' i^e wSlel^.? ""•""""•• IPnmklin wa. born). .even^lLu ^l^'i^J^ "» T^^î S*' John U.^ .«fflciently worth, of beinrchroni^^^^ J- «d Jo. «aw. G. and J. Houlden. and T. 1^ ZT'"""'"' ^*-'-l iSvi^.'^ï^l .-tv. i LIFE OF SIR -JCJJHN FRANKLIN. [1786- with a quadrangular basç o^ five steps. This house, in whicb John Franklin wasl ushered into the world, il still in existence, but it is !now the pro^rty of a coach- maker, who is, ' however, àlways ready and willing to show the little room upst^irs in which, it is said, the distinguished Arctic Navigator was bom. It was sold by William Franklin in 1 796. It was bought by Lady BVanklin in about' 1873,1 ^^ ^^® objeot of using it as a muséum, in which to jBzhibit the many articles and curiosities ooUected by hér husband, doring his long and adventurous career ii^ différent parts of the globe. This laudable intention Was, however, frustrated by the death of her Lad^ship, which event occurred before her wishes could bè accomplished, and the house was ihen spld to its preseijit occupier. The town-hall of Spilsljiy was built in 1 765, but oalls for no spécial remark. { At the west end of thé town is a fine avenue which ieads to the site of Eresby Hall. This chanûing rési- dence was destroyed by fire in about 1768, and has never been rebuilt ; it was the seat of the Duke of Ancaster, who represented the Willoughby family. John Franklin was the youngest son of a large family, consisting of four boys and six girls. Nine were bom . at Spilsby, and their births are duly recorded in the i parish register. Thomas Adams, the eldest son of Willingham Franklin, 1 was boni in November 1773. In after yeaiftt he ndsed a régiment of yeomanry oavaliy and was nominated ital colonel. He died at Spilsby on Oct. 11, 1807. Willingham Franklin, the second son, was bom inj November^79, 4^ was tiier^K» John's sesior b; seven yean ; he was educated at Westminster, where hel o^ if FRANKLIN. 1801.] THE FRANKLIN FAMILY. ^t head mto Collège when he was fourteen years of âge. r 'i^A °' ^""P"^ *^ ^776; Fellow of Oriel yn ,8oi ; ALA. ,803 ; called to the Bar of the Inner Temple and was made Puisne Judge in the Suprême C^rt of Madras m April ,822. He died of choleni at Madras on June i, 1824. a lZ"",^"'^^:Z''" "'" "^"^ ^ ^^^^''783, was also a veiy d^tingu^hed man. Educated at Addiscombe, He served with dwtmction in the Pindariwar, and ^ major of a «ivalry régiment was Assistant-Quarter- master-General of the Bengal army.. He w«s a very «ocomphshed officer, and was employa on importai TT^^^y, ^ongothers, he surveyed the whole of BandiUkhand (1815-21), and executed a valuable map o^ that re^on. aocompanied by a memoir on its geology His field-books are still preserved at the India Office He- was a FeUow of the Royal Society. He died on the 3i8t August 1834, aged fifty-one, and was buried i„ St John's Chapel, Marylebone. Isabella, the ninth child. was bon, on the lath AprU 1 79 1, and was married to. Thomas Robert Cramjft. r^L^T' ^^ Sophia .Oracroft, the nièce an^ ^dewted fnend and companion of Lady Franklin R.- K Tw • ^^ ^^''"«''^ daughter, married Mr. Richard Wnght, and died , in ,«84. at the advanced a«e of mnety, at Wrangle, near Boston. Her son is ÎÏISH^'"'" ^^''" '^"*'*' ^^"^^ °' "^^^"^y' ' John, the youngest of the four sons, was bon» on the^ ^6& Apnr^86. and was baptizedl two days afterwanis ^^ n the parwh church. He was fi«t sent to a prepara- tory school at St Ives, in Huntingdonshire, and subsT iM LIFE OF SI/R JOHN FRANKLIN. [1788- > I h 1 '\ f ;■ quently, at the âge of twelve, was entered as a scholar at the Louth grammart-school. This educational estab- lishment bore a very high réputation in the oounty. It waa originally founded by Edward VI. in 1552, out of the funds of three suppressed guilde, namely, those of "Our Blessed Lady," the " Holy Trinity," and the " Chantry ojf St. John of Louth." The LOUTH OKAUUAU-8CHOOL, 1796.^ head-master, when Franklin was admit|ëd, was Dr. Orme, to whose memory a monument is erected at the east end of the parish church of Louth. He'was head- master from 1796 to 1814. The boy Franklin must hâve often regarded with admiration the lofty spire of this magnificent churdh, with its délicate tracery and exquisite flying buttresses Connecting the base of the spire with thé pinnaoles of the tower on which it stands. 1«01 J LOUTH GRAMMARSCIIOOL. ^ ?l,"^^!'" '^' ''"''^«"^'^ «f ^he head-master and ':: bit 'r ".^'^^^ ^^^^ ^--^^^ ^-"^ a hort djstance of the schooL Although this sch ° 8«At O» LOUTH GBAICHAR-SCBOOL far back as the niiddle of the sixteenth centur. the bmldmg m which Franklin was educated w J onlv «^ted xn x7,o. This was puUed downln .Z l^L the présent school was built. ^' John FrankHn i8,^9$,,the onlj boy who wceivina S«r Schôol, hM diBtinguished himself in 4f ter years; -* LIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKUN. [178«. for the institution daims as one of its soholan Alfred Tennyson^ the Poet Lauréate, who was an inmate of its walls from 1816 to 18 18. Augustus Hobart, more generuUy known as "Hobart Pacha," who made for himself a world-wide réputation as a dashing and resourcetul officer while employed in the Tbrkish naval service, -Wàs aiso at the school from 1831 until he joined the Royal navy in 1834. Bom and brought up within ten miles of the coasi, and almoet within Sound of that murmuring océan on which he was eventually destined to play such a promi- nent part, it is not surprising that a thirst for adven- ture and enterprise took possession of young FrankKn. Those were stirring times in which the boy 's early days were passed, rendered ail the more fasoinating to a youth of imaginative tempérament, by the ezciting events that w^re being enacted in Europe. We can well picture to oursélves the feverish ezdijbe- ment with which the dark-haired, well-knit yôuth wou|ld gaze on the ever-heaving biUows, and how liis brigh^ eyes would kindle with enthusiaam and pride, «s he palled to mind the many brave and heroic dedds that were-J^èing performed by his oonntiymen on thé sea in vanous parts of the world ; it is not, therefôre, surprising tojleam that the wish to beeome a sailor, and to be per- mitted to share in the glotious triumphs of his country- men, should take possession of the lad. Naturally quiok and impulsive, ihe< desûna of beoonung a sailor, was only tiie forerunner of bein^ qna A story is told of the boy — and it has been generaUf aocepted as true — that having employed a holiday Wyan ezôursion to th J^iU M^ aôommptmiëd 1^ a^lajHM for the firfft time in his life. So impressed^was the lad y ',( . " '^^"'Y^ 'O*' 1801.] HI8 LONOINO FOR THE SEA. >' with itfl sublimity, and the prospects it offered as a field for future action, that iie then and there determined to be a sailor. , , Whether it was really this view of the sea, that he is supposed to hâve seen for the first time, or whether it was a dislike to scholastic Ufe at the Louth Qm^mar. School, whatever the («use, it becai^^e very evidStto his parents that thp bo^s mind was fuUy made up and that a saUor's lifo with aU its. fascinations and adven- tures, was the only one that had any chann for him Life at school became distasteful; the pleasuws of home had no attraction for him; he longed to bè away on that blue sea whose waves dashed their whitê foam and^spray along the Linoolnshire coast-away assistina là thoee thrilling events in which dur oountiymen were tiMong part, and which aroused the enthùsiaàm pf the oyal and patriotic bnrghers of Spilsby. as they reoeivêd the mteUigence of some great and glorious naval victory -tnumphs that paved the way to that maritime supre- macy which England has sinoe held and maintained. His ardent longing was soon to be gratified for hoping to cure him of his cravings for a sea-Ufè, hii ^ parents, who had other intentions regarding the boy's future, bemg désirons he sliould become a clergymam ' withdrew hun from school, and sent him on boarda smaU merchant ship, in which he made a trip to Lisbon and back. The effect, however, of this voyage, the resuit of which might perhaps be traoed to the kindneàs of the captain of the ship, who, it is said, regaled the boy with oranges and grapes and ti«ited him with much considéra. taoD,^ the reverse ofwhat his ftiendfl had antidpateî;- ^h*è Other fflustrious men, like Oook. Nelson, and Flmders, he retumed more than ever charmed with, the ":) s. .-ir.A.Ml i*; S ■V» ■ 5Bf^' 1 'i 1 ; ! (. \ dï ¥■' ..'i Ht LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. !«>»» - novelty of a sailor's life, and more than evei adopting the sea as a profeasion. Life, ho^ mercantile marine waa not to, his likina;; too tame and quiet ,- nothing would «jfcÎBfy'i sefvice in one of His iljtajestj% 8hS| In the 'pa^ aloB^ he thought, he would be^HKd the -oppor- tunity of sharing in those glorious déeds-whîiih''formed the principe topics of conversation in every town and village throughout the country, and which, associated with the names of such men as Howe, St. Vincent, and Nelson, werêadding honour and renown to the English nation. This was the height of his boyish ambiticm'i it was uppermost in his thoughts. by day, and présent in his dreams by night. * At length his hopeful anticipations wer» realised, for his friènds, yielding to his eamest enti«itie8, suooeeded in obtaining for him an appointaient as a first-dass volunteer in H.M.S. Pdyphmu», then fitting out at <^tham. He joined her on the çth of March i8oa The Polphemtu was a fine twodecked ship, carrying Sixty-four gUAS, and was commanded by Captain George Lumsdaiïke. On the ii\ of May, Rear-Admiml of the Blue, Itobert Kingsmill, hoisted his flag on board, and on the i3th of J'^bftiailed from the Nore, anchoring m Yarmouth ^^^^mi^mg da/^Jyyhe imïlfediafee vicmiiy of youq| M|Mr beIoveJiKt of Lincoln- shira We can T^^ffigi^rthe pléasure with which the Lincolnshiré boy entered on his new duties, and how he paced the quarter-deck in aU the poipp and pride of a newiy-oreated naval offices On the ist of Àugust, Captain John Lawford was appomted to the Po/j^Aeinui», and on the 4th his'am^ munoii WM rM on thé ^oarter-deok, And he assumed \ - y FRANKLIN. loi-e than evej Life, hom is lilûnç; ||V|gJ!nu^ )uld wMoisfy^e^y but « «fWHed the oppor- )ufl déeds -whîchiFonned ;ion in eveiy town and and which, associated Howe, St. Vincent, and renown to the English hia boyish ambition'j it îy day, and présent in è ions were realised, for t entreaties, suoceeded mient as a first-dass w, then fitting out at i çth of March i8oa decked ship, carrying led by Captain. George Rear-Admiral of the lis flag on board, and n the Nor^ anohoring da^^y^he ià^ébdiate vecPwEst of Lincoln- ôasure with which the iw duties, and how he poipp and pride of a i John Lawford was d the 4th his e eok, And he aanimed ^^ m ""'■' JOINS THB"POLYPHEMUS.' Il command. In thjs ship John Franklin was destined tu sharç m one of the hardestJought sea-battles in which the Enghsh navy has ever been engaged On the ^h 6f Au^Bst the squadron to which the Polyphemu. was atta^hèd, consisting pf the Monarch nomney Ardent, Isù, Olatton, and Vétéran, with onê '^ fngate two sloops. Jour bombs, and several gun-vessels m au twenty-si, siips. aailed from Yarmo^h ^ ^d anchored oflF Elsinore the ,oth of the same 3 ^J" ^ démonstration, but no hostile \ct" Vas oommuted. The ships remained at anchor off Z ^ctu^sque castle of Kronberg for about three week»! and then retumed to England. The remaindèr of the yeaxwas spent by Franklin on board the PolypJ^ ejther at ti.e Nore or at Yamouth. In the ea^TTi of r8o, W.Admiial of the Blue, Thomas (LC ac^n on the part of the British Govemmen^^ W aqaadn,n consisting of eighteen line-of-battle sLps ^ «loops brigs, bombs, and fire-ships, assembled at Y«^ m«uth under the command of Sir Hyde Parker wSe % was flying on board the ninefy-eight ^^""^ WJm, wzth Vio^Admiral Lord Nelin L iTsec^ m copmand in the seventy-four-gun ship^:f ?^^-;-dpassin8 «^e batteries at Elsino^ ^ith •'iiL_iuuo-«ffeotmr ôppositîdïi, àlthough a hot fire wiu oi^ned oo th, ships „ they s^W byl^Ue U, „~Z . ' »Ç&U4A'vf 4. ^!-iuXvM r il \. 12 - i. V LIFE OF SIR JOHN FéANB^IN. [1786- off the ialand of Hven on the joth March, about six miles from Copenhagen. On the ist of April a division of the fleet under the immédiate command of Lord Nelson, and to which the PolypJiemus was attached, got under weigh and moved to an anchorage in seven and a half fathoms, to the south- ward of a shoal caUed the Middel Grund, and only about a couple of mUes from the main defences of the capital. The navigation among the numerous shoals oflf Copen- hagen is at ail times exoeedingly difficult and intricate, and it waa rendered ail the more so on this occasion, from the fact that the Danes had Caused ail the buoys and beacons, that usually marked the channels, to be removed. It is not my object, or intention, to give a detailed account of the great battle that was fought on thé ensuing day, and which Nelson himself characterises as ' " the greatest victory he ever gained " i— the " most hard- fought battle and the most complète victory that ever was fought and obtained by the navy of this country ; " » suffice it to say that the Polyphemus bore herself bravely, and took a very ^rominent part in that day's glorious but sanguinary engagement Young Franklin, ever since he left the grammar-school at Louth, had been yeaming for active service; he must hâve experienced.it to his heart's content when the old Polyplumus, in cl^ge of brave Captain Lawford, in her appointed staticyi in the line of battle, stood in aàd engaged the Danish block-ships, Wagner and Proves^, besides receiving a very fair share of attention from tide Lord NeUoni letter to tluiOroKttPriae«^^Defiœftrifc See Lor.I Nebon'i letter to the Lord Mayor of London, aist Jnne itoo. t, j . J, !• f 1 <* 1801.] BATTLK OF COPENHAGEN. 18 the guns of the formidable Tre Kroner battery. Her lo6s on this occasion waa six killed and twenty-four wounded, amoog the former being one of Franklin 's messmates, Mr. James Bell, midshipman. The total I088 of the British dytfing this engagement was 255 killed and 688 wound^; but this does not include those who were slightly Vbunded.» Bear -Admirai Gravés, whose flag was flying on board the Polyphemtu, was *" invested with th© Order of the Bath as a roward for his services duiiùg the battl& On the i2th of April the English squadion left Copenhagen, and passing through the tortuous and shallow ohannel in the Sound, known as the Drogden, : entered the Baltio. In order to eflFect this passage, the heavy-dxaft vessels had to be considerably lightened, the majority of them had consequently to transfer their guns temporarily into merchant ships, whiïe spécial 1 The following u an eztract from the ofiBoial log of the Polv- phemuê for the and of April 1801:— " At lago A.K. the divirion weighed per lignai, the Edgar leading the van conuating of Edgar, EUphant. Monank, Ardent, OlaUon] D^nee, Itit, Polypkemnt, BdUma, Bumll, %nd Oangei. At ia4S the Danei opened flre upon our leading ehip», whioh waa returned aa they lead in. We lead in at ii.aa Wo anohored by the stem abreaat of two of the enemy'a ihipa moored in the ohannel ; the Iiit nezt ahead of ni. The force that engaged ni waa two ahipa, onto of 74, the other 64 gnna. At half paat eleven the action beoame gênerai, and a continuai fir%waa kept np between ni and the enemy'a ahipa and batteriea. At noon * rery heavy and conatant flre waa kept up between na and the enemy, and thia waa oontinned without any intermiaaion untU 45 minutée paat a, when the 74 abreaat of na oeaaed flring ; but not being able to diaoem ahe had atruok, our flre wu kept np 15 minutée longer ; then we oould perceive their peopla making their eaoape to the ahore in boata. We ceaaed flring, and boarded both ihipa and took poaaeaaion of them. Sereial otheiâ -Alan takén ^eaaeation of by tha reat 3-*-^-.namely%hedisoove" 0^ the supposed great southem continent, an expédition «.nsistmg of two shipe was despatched f,.m SSaT^ n phew of the governor, a young soldier named Don AWoMendafia After a voyage acn« the South^ Oo«m, extending over a period of th«e months, the castanchorinalargeandcommodi^BhLbour. iTZ I 17 , ^^ ■» 18 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1667- not, however, Australia ; aftor discovering and naming many islands in the Solomon Group, the expédition retumed to Peru. In 1595, twenty-seven yeare^after hia Mtum from the voyage abovo alluded "to, Mendafia, still bent on dis. covery, again sailed from Callao in command of a sqnad- ron of four small ships. In this voyage the Marqueras and the Santa Cruz i^ands were disœvered, but they failed in finding that great southem continent which was the principal object of their search. This expédition terminated disastrbusly. Mendafia diéd, and only one vessel, on board which was bis widow and the pilot Quiros, succeeîled in reaching Manilla in sâfety. In 1606 another expédition was despatched from the port of Callao under the command of Pedro Femandez tle Quiibs, who waa Mendafia's pilot during bis last voyage ; the second in command \^a8 Luis Vaez de Terres. The expédition consisted of two well-armed vessels and a cor- vette. On the 3oth April 1606, land was sighted, and se .extensive did it appear, that the explorers had no doubt it was -the great Austiulian continent of which they were in search. The disoovery was hailed with joyous mations, and the name of Australia del Espiritu Sani was given to the la^d. But alas ! it w^ not what.thej hoped and expected ; it was simply the largest island oi the New Hebride» group, which ptill retains thé nami given it by Quiroa After leaving this island, they enoountered heavy weather, during which the ships separated. Quiros then made sail for South America. Terres, however, continued the voyage, and in August sighted the island of New Guinea, and discovered the jÉraît_between that island and the continent of Aus- Although thifl is the tralia which now bears his name. •^„:-j :.i ■l]v^i^ti4i^iAkHf.:'i!'f^..L'àJi-t FRANKLIN. 1795.] THE DUTCH DISCOVER AUSTRALU. first authentic reconl of the coast of Austmh» K • been actually siehted .> « •* . '^"^'^™"a having tut .„ J, T^ttZ ^^.T'"' '"■" '"<' -"'f* 45 s. latitude. If thia be true— anrf fi,« '*f '«r as 13 to doubt the ^nmey of thTtTpInt ?." °° '"*'°° cradit fnrtk^.^- "^ «-"e captaina statement — tha mdrt for th, AMover,. of Austi^li. should be amjl I m 1686 a Diitchman named Dirolr Wo,^ " « a Idam, in a shipWued th«1S^ ^«^ °^ ^«*«'- I •" -t^ m 20J ». latitude. A renonl «f k; j* f ovpry, eut with a knife on a Dlat« ofT *** fn Sharks Bay in 160, li \P^**« «^ *»". waa found ^^ xu , „ •'^ *^97. «id subsequentlv in iSr.» t* ore the following inscription -" Anno f/î a .! * totober arrived hère the ship Jfei,r I ' '^'^ h fi«t mer^hant Gilles Mib^^yf/'j^f^^- Partog of Amsterdam, capf^r ^ "^t\ ^^^ j>ence for Bantam the ^XdT'' ^'' ^^' ^'^^ ^ "^^ ^'«^ h«» been permanenUy «toblished i. '- f ;- ■■^® 20 LIFE OF BIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1667. Gvidel about by that headland still bearing the name of Oape Leewin. ' In the following year, two shipa under commànd of Jaiî Carstens sailed from Amboyna on a voyage of disco^ At New Guinea, Oarstens with eight of his crev wet treacherously murdered by the natives. The vesseb, how- ever, proceeded on the voyage, and made some discioveries to the southward; but the acoonnts are too vajgue to aRcertain accurately the exact track of the ves8e)8. Li January 1627, the south coast of Australia wfus dis- covered by Pieter Nuyts in the Dutch ship Zeepaard, and was called«J[>y hîm Nuyt's Land. The most important Dutch voyages made at this time were those of Abel Janz Tasman, who wnij despatched in 1642, and again in 1644, on voyage^ of ex- ploration by the Dutch governor-general of Java, Anton; j Van Diemen, "who sent us out to make discoveriea" j Tasman sailed from Batavia on his first v^sge in August 1642, in the yacht Heemskirk, accompanied by the fly-I boat 2!eehaan. In October he reached Mauritius, thencel he steered to the south-east, and on the 34th Novemberl sighted land which proved to be the island now known asl Taàmania, but to which Tasman gave the name of his em[ ployer, Yan Diemen. Sailing round the south end of thel island, they eventually came to an anohor in a' shelteredl harbour on the east coast, to which they gave the namel of Frederik Hendrik's Bay, a name it still retain&f Hère they landed to searoh for water, wood, and refresh- ments. Although traces of men were found, and hunuui| voices it was supposed were heard, they did not suooeedl in establishing communication with,. or even seeing, thtl natives. O n the 4th Deoem ber they weighed anchor andl oontihued their course td the eastward, and on the ijlbl sighted the high mountains on the west coast of Newl M^Wj«S*«^fciii^„wVif ^ ^^ù^;è^^i*M V — l FRANKLIN. "W] TASMAN'S VOYAGES. j, Zealand, in latitude 42' ro' S. Ta«man anchored his the two islands. He« fais boat las attackedT ttf naUv«. -d aeveral of his .en we. ki„ed : he nL^i iiay it w now known a^ Massacre Bay. Taamt gave tte name of Staten Land to this newly-di^Z count^. after the States-General of the NettTlI^ Ite name wa. however. aubaequently changed to New Zedand by whxch it is now known. Steerfng toZ northward he sailed up the toast coast of Austx^t ^t 2bo»t s.ghtin, it. and .tu„,ed by the nolU': New Gmnea, amvuig at Batavia on the ijth ofXne 1643. ^^'«wasagaindespatchedthefoLw^gyr on a voyage of discoveiy. but it is much to be re^tZ O^a no accounte of t^ voyage bave ever been"^'^ pubhc. Itseems.however,oIearfn,mhi8chart8thathI " Butch East India Company. Tasman was a bold and f^una e navigator but he was also a ca^fu^lr' s^lful one, as is evidenced by his survevs whioi, ^ «denng the somewhat rude a^/rS T^tZ" ba^Dkf;^'^*'"^"' »^u^6éring navigator, William on the north-west coast of Terra Australis Inoognita^ ' U was then edled in a harlx,ur in the neighbo^^i " Ku^Sound, for the puîpose of oareeaingW ™^ montha Datopier wntes : " New HoUand is a veiy largg PâiûAillili'i,'.)éJ-i^MVTS>''>'i^!tiiitîS l--> 22 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (1667- tract of land. It w not yet determined whether it is an island or a main çontineiït; bifC I am certain that it joins neither to Asia, Africa^nop America." In 1696^ another Dutchrjîaptain, naîned William de VTaming, visited thp weet ômtët of Australia in the ship Geelvink, and diflcàyered |u^ named the Swan 'River.» He brought back two livf'''^|ok gwans to Batavia with 1 him, the earliest notice thaï@^ ^^4li*J<-^'''^^*^^- .* J * v*i' ' / • l- FRANKLIN. 17W.] COOK'S FIRST SOUTH 8BA VOYAGE. ' 2« and the same continent, the latter being supposed to be a prolongation of the land discovered by PieteVNuyts to the southward Even the Australia del Espiritu Santo of Quiros was^ ,f ,n existence, supposed to belong to the mainland. AU wa« vagueness. uncertainty. a^d cot jerture Itremained for ourgreatnavigatorCookto lift- the veil of doubt and uncertainty which still enahrouded he great southem land. and by hia ability andenei^gy to give to hw country a continent that in riches ahd unportonce^w now second to no empire in the world. Captain Oook sailed from Enghmd in the Endeava^on he 26th Augusti 768 ; the principal object of the expedi- .on which he o^nianded being a voyage to the S^h Sea for the purpose of observing th^ transit of Venua This berng a<,complished, the Endeavour was.ordered to prosecate discoveries in the Southern Hémisphère and mke a more accurate examixiation of the P Jfic (^ ^ir. T^^'"^ "^y Sir Joseph Banks, af terwanis y^ of the Royal Society, a great scholar and^ ardent mvestigator in the pm^uit of science, and by Dr Soknder^an accoiflplished botanist and naturalist. ' ^ transit of Venus having been satisfactorily 06- J.ed on the 3rd June ,769 at Otaheite. the Endeavour ft l ^«"'^^'"g^n^o"»», and after cruising for a short txme anxong the islands which were named by Cook the Society Group, a ^urse was shaped for New ^and^whxch was sighted at daylight on October tZ 6th.i On the 8th the ship dropped anchor in a large bay wbch recexved the name of Poverty Bay. on ^Zl Young Nick'. Heal ' """"^ ***•' ^'^' ^^ 0»pUin Oook. -) y ..^^^^^^^^^^^^0â. '!f' ^24 LIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1M7- , ! of the inhoapitable, not to say hostile, réception the expédition met wîth at the hands of the natives. Some mpnths were profitably employed in the exploration of the coast of this little knoWn land, during which New Zealand was completely circumnavigated, and . found to consist of two large islands; after much valuable and important geographical work had been acoomplished, the Endewour sailed to the westward, bent on further exploration and research. On the morning of the i8th of April 1770, land was obsérved by the first lieutenant, and was named, after him, Point Ilidcs. Thenoe Captain Oook sailed north^prds,- and rounding the south-east point of Australia, which he called Cape Howe, he anchored in a safe and capacious bay"bn the 26th, which was subsequehtly named Botany Bay, in conséquence of th,e great variety and richness of the plants coUected there by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander. Hère they remained for ten days, engaged in scientific pursuits and in endeavounng to conciliate the nativM, many of whom were indnced to comé down to the ship. Sailing on the 6th of -May, they proceeded to the .northward, discovering and naming Port Jackson, on the shores of which is now situated the important city of Sydney, the capital of New South Wale* Moreton •Bay, at the head of which now stands Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, was aiso discovered and named. During this voyage Captain Cook sailed along the entire eastem coast of Australia, which he named New Çouth Wales, taking possession of it in the name of Hia Majeaty King George the Third. Hitherto the En- deavour had bee^ safely navigated among dangerous =ifioa8^imr"M3aM rocIC^M5"MS^raknown danger^ with a surprising immunity from disaater. Thi» exemp t^j^^^feâîâàikjsari il^Mtài^^SM^. FRANKLIN. 1795.] COOK'8 8HIP IN GREAT PERIL. 26 tion from casualties waa, however, not to laat; for at about ele^en o'clook on thé night of the loth June 1770 the 8hip stnick heavily on a rock, and remained im- movable. The Situation waa œrtainly not a pleasant one, for the loss of the ship meant the possible Iosb of aU on board, as the chances of si^ving themselves by their beats alone, so many^thousands of miles from any place where they could hopê to obtain relief and succour were ve^y small indeed. Everything was. however. donê that skill and expérience could suggest in order to ex- tricate the ship from her perilous condition, but .for some time without avail, and she continued to beat with great violence on the rocks upon which she had steùck. By the dim light of the moon that prevailçà, they could see portions of the false keel, and othef parte of the Bottom of their good ship, that had been tom and wrenched oflF by the sharp, jagged edges of the rocks, aoating around them, and it seemed extremely impro- bable that she would hold together for another tide Fortunately tj»ere was but-little wind, and as the tide fell, the ship settled dowa more quietly in her rocky cradla Every effoH was then made to lighten her • six guns were throwji overboard, as well as a quimtitV of iron an4 stone ballast and other stores, and the^water was also started. When daylight broke, they found the ship waa making a considérable amount of water, which the pumps were unable to control. Their great fear now was-that as the tide rose, the ship might float off and immediately sink in deeper water ; but, to their gieat surpiMe, and no less gratification, they found, when she- floated, that not only wero their fear8^groandteMç.iHrt^ also that the pumps gained çpnsiderably on the leak. In order to obtain this advantage, however, the men had to '>r--: C™ ^ '\ 20 LIFK OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1667- remain unceasingly at work, a duty which entailed hard and incessant labour. Being unable to get at the leak /rom the inside of the ship, and being naturally désirons of ascertaining its estent, and, if possible, taking such steps to prevent the great inflow of water, whidh caused such harassing and severe physical exertions on the part of the crew, Oaptain Cook, at the snggestion, he teUg us, of Mr. Markhoiwe, one of the midshipmen of the ship, ordered a sail to be thrummed,i and, thus prepared, hàuled under the bottom of the ship. The suction of the water at the leak dragged the sail into the injured part, and thus materially reduoed, to their no small comfort and joy, the amount of water that found its way into the Endeavour. The ship was then brought in close to the land, and anchored in a snug little har- bour at the mouth of a river, which received the name of Endeavour River, and hère she was thoroughly overhauled and repaired. The point of land in the immédiate vidnity of the scène of the disaster was called Point Tribulation, to commemorate the unfortu- nate event. It was during the time the ship was in Endeavour River that kangaroos were ifirst seen, killed, and eaten. The repairs being effected, a start was once moTB made; and sailing through Torres Strait, thoagh not without experiencing many dangers and no fe^r difficjilties, Cook retumed to England, passing the lizaitl on the loth June 1771, thus completing his first voyage of discovery in the South Seaa, during whioh time he droumnavigated New Zealand, sailed along the entire eaat coast of Australia, and performed altogether one of the most remarkable voyages on record. Mxy dimanaioni on to th« mU. fefeaÉfotafife-ai^&ia^lfei^fej 1796.] COOK'S SECOND ^toYage. «n«l oakum of tha omm» 27 It was not likely that m experienced and skUful a nav^gator as Captain Cook wouM be allow" to^'^ l* for any length of time inactive and unemplovL t? rLtJl.tt^t^rf^^^^^^^^^^^^^ i s object the final détermination of the existent or othennse, of a southern continent He wasXli^;J ^VosBible The expédition oonsisted of two vesaels the Beeolutton, under the immédiate command of cTT ■ Cooka.dthe^..^„.,«,^,^,3,;^^^^^^ The Bhips left Plymouth on the i3th July ,7,2 anT^ft touching at the Cape of G■..,■ ^,"7» w. r|iifS>^B-'^6fstîWSa?^ n LIFB OF 8IR JOHN FRANKLIN. tl6«7- npply, eveii at the cost of much inoonvenienoe and privation to themselvès. Leaving Petaopaulowski on the i3th Jime, the expédition sailed through B^ring's Strait on the sth of July, but their' further progress was arrested two days afterwarda by*a soUd barrier of ioa They oonljifaued to search for a p^tasage until the ayth, but, in i^ ôf ail efforte, they were unable to pepetrate to within ten ailes of the Mitudd reached by them Uie previous year under Oaptain Coot Realiaing the impracticabiUty, under èe existing conditions of the-ioe, of aocomplighing the iiluch wj^ed-for pfunage that season, they reluctantly returned • to the/sotithward, wheç, after achieving, some usefui geographioal wpA in the Padfio, the shîps sailed for i Enghind, where thejr arrived in October, after an absence j of four yeaos two monthft and twenty-two daya Other navigatorrf, at différent times, visited the ooast | of Terra Australis, and even made the passage through Torres Stràit; but as the amount of exploration andj the work' ^mplished by them were, for the mostl part, comparatively unimportant, it is unneoessaiy toi make any further référence to them hère. One of t ;moBt important résulta leading from thel of Captain Oook, was the formation of s oolony in New South Walés. On the içth of January 1788, nine years after the death- of the great navigator, Captain Arthur Phillip, of the Royal Navy, arrived at Botany Bay in H.M. brig Supply, and established the first settlement in Australia. He was soon f ollowed by Captain Hunter in the Syrius, with six transports and three store-ships. J The settlement was shortly af terwardi r emoved t q Por« Jackson, a much better harbour dtuatedj sbont tempTés to the northward, where the presOTtl chief and discoveries r FRANKLIN. [1687. nuch inoonvenienoe and a the i3th Jtme, the ig's Strait on the 5th of » was arrested two dayg ice. Thej con<(ifaued to i7th, but, in qtit^ of ail ttrate to within ten lïiiles the previous year under ipracticability, under ttie aocomplishing the ntuch hey reluctantly retumed aohieving^ some usefui fie, the ships sailed for )ctober, after an absence «nty-two daya. times, visited the ooast { de the passage through ont of exploration and m were, for the ttiosti t, it 18 unnecessary to hem hère. One of the ulta leading from the as the formation of a 1 the içth of Januar; of the great navigator, iloyal Navy, arrived atf 'y, and established the e was soon foUowed bj dth six transports and [ was shortly af terwardi better harbo ur ntuatedf rd, wliëre the présent] m5,] FIB8T AUSTRALIAK OOLONT. 88 town of Sydney" was founded, and Captain PhilUp tKus became the first Goverâôr of the oolony of New South Wales. - In the year 1795, Captain William Hunter was appointed to relieve Captain Phillip in the govemment of the new colony, and sailed from England in the Bdiance, taking with him, as was mentioned in the preceding ohapter, young Matthew Flindere as one of his midshipmen. ^iSêfv.'tfrtii- f.A-*-.J ^ "J '■ • -i^... CHAPTER m. FLINDERS AND BASS-EXAMINATION OF THE SEA-BOARD OF AUSTRAUA. . " Aa when to those who aaile Beyond the.Cape of Hope, and now are past Mozambie, oflf at sea, north-eaat winds blow Sabean odour» from the «picie ahore of Arabié^« bleat"— /"arocttie Zo«<. On the arrivai of \he Beliancs at Sydney Cove, young FUndôrs found that the existing knowledge of the coast m the vicinity of Port Jackson was exceedin^y limited ' No detailed survey had been attempted, nop was there even a correct delineation of the coast-line, exoept in the case of those disooveries that had been published in Cap- tain Coots gênerai chart So keen an interest did this young and enthusiaatic midshipman take in thé work of geographical researoh that he at oi^ detennined to use his utmoBt exertions in striving to supply the defidenoy Fortunately there was on board the Rdianee a kindred spmt in the pei^n of Mr. George Base, the assistant- surgeon, whose enthusiasm for the promotion of geo- graphical discoveiy was equal to, if not greater than that of his younger friand. Thèse two offioers, although' mcredible to relate, they met with no encouragement °°,*^^ !"P^J^ "* ^ ^?^ ^^'^ résolution und i 17M.J BtTRVEY BY FLINDBRS AND BA88. „ persévérance, fully determmed, to the utmost of tbeir Power and «hhty, to complète the exaxaination of tZ co^t of New South Wales «o far a. the limited I^l at theu. déposai would admit, and wheneve., be it nTd The suocess attending the praiseworthy attempts of «nnounded th« hitberto unexplor^ and aimost uZot, aispiayed. By their own unaided efforts th^^ ^ ■ .»tog of th,m«,l.« .„d <„. bo,, ttey «^ed fZ Port «.me-h.» «omdou. piot™ i, p^j^ ^ ^ J^l "»*»ffan« «o ««nte wl,.t ramt be c„„ddored i^â "T .«.portât ««.y „, the hitherto p«ctMy"„ «-.^ «d u^.«i hytho», who -«, heZX lU. -•» . ^' "iMiMon of the knowledm of WM odfed Bank-, Town, «fter Sir Joseph Bank. tt. [«raWor the Royal Society. n.rit«oond «ntnr. ™ „f . „„„ .^^^ „^,^ '•*"**»•■ *^^^IC'^jt «>*.«- *'^'*"*"'"*'*--''-*-«-'-*' '».-.»-*-4,-**lL-« 86 LirE OF BIB JOHJÎjnUNKLIN. [l7M. than the firet, although their means were just as limited, for it was oarried out, as before, in the Httle Tom Thumh. Their objective on this occasion was the exploration of a large river that emptied itself into the sea some miles to the southward of Botany Bay, but of «le existence of which there was nô indication on the chart of Oaptain Cook. Sailing from Port Jackson on the sth March 1 795, a thorough and careful examination of the ooast was effected by thèse young officers, until a heavy gale of wind springing up from the southward, not only neoes^ sitated a temporary discontinuance of their work, but threatened to overwhelm their tiny boat. The dangers to which our young explorera were thus exposed Were materially increased by the intense darkneBs of the night, the strong and irregular currents that prevailed, and their ignorance of any sheltered bay or harbonr in their vidnity. During ail this long, anxious night, Blindera remained at the steer oar, and it was only by his constant watchfulness and skill, that the little craft did not broach to and capsiza Bass attended the sheet, an important duty, on the vigilant exécution of which their lives depended, whilst the boy was kept foDy em- ployed baling put the water that was oonstantly breaking into the boat At lengthUjàen their strength was almost exhausted, breakere were discovered aheai-; the mast and sail were quickly struck, and bending Aliantly to the oarg, they suoceeded in carrying their little craft into smooth water under the lee of an extentÎTe reef «nd thus reached comparative safety, after being for some houra in a very perilous and critical poution. This wai only one of the numerous dangers and périls, volunUrily .^oedin the cause of ge^graphioal z«aearoh byoar«rdent and brave explorers. The bay in which they 10 miraou nUNKLIN. [17M. ■ 1808.] BASS'S STRAIT DISGOVERED. Ds were just as limited, i the little T " Those who hâve eeen a ferm-yard, well etocked witl, ™™ recover trom the effects of our inauapicious visit» At length, after eamest and repeated solicitations, the ^ !r '^ .P^^««<» of Baas and Flinders received ™l,t?;?wT. ^ "°^^ ^'«^P of twenty-five tol^ South Wafcs at their disposai, for the purpose of ooZ pletmg the survey^and exploration of Bass's Strait. Î798. with a of^w oons^ting of eight volunteera. and twlrT"" ïî ^' ^°' " ^-"^-^^'-^ absence of twelve weekB. During this cruise Twofold Bay wa» ^f^ly exa^ed and the northem ooaat of Taamania ^habitat of ^ and albatroaaee innuiieiabla ^ to fight their way up the diffa through •«13 ciou8 visit" 180S.J OOAST OF /TAflMANIA SURVBTBD. 59 orowded m^ of seals, who indignantly ««ented the étrange, and, fco them, unwairantable introgion. (M to use th«r ohibe and atavea in order to dear a%^ hen. n^ta m auch lai^ numbera aa to KtemUy oover theaurfaoe of the ground. AU the diflFer^t piitioL Vr/'^r"^*^* llM-landi, capes. CC î"f iT^^T "^' "^^ ''^ °' *»»' inaulan^f Tasmania, previously reported by Dr Ba«. w.» « on ^e iitb Jtouaiy 1799^ "«""«on ITindera waa nert enga^ on an exploring expédition to the northward. when Mor^ton S Ha^eT^": ^ d^oovered and named by Captain Cook, were tho^^Wy «««nmed. He «tunied to England in the /?S i J , 1800 after^an abaenoe of ovèr five year,. du^T^i^ / «r. :?' '^ ''"' "^^"^^ and^per^eVeZ^ T^ fied hmaef aa a. kilful and expert «ulor. and h^S .^e^^paut^on of being an experienc^i and ^^ On the arrivai of tho Ain in EnjUaJ .v. ,v . •^^^ ^ '*• "" "-'^ and 1Slri«t^ P»W«U»d,»d a «hem, wa. éubmitJZrilZî tte e»m,pa«on of tho ooaet of A„.tnUi.. StZ fte^de. ofth Hoj,.ISodety. and other me.^^ t> the diffis through Dre88»d «nfi, .W .- °8'"'»I*y» '^tïo wére alï rtrongly iax- P^ssed mth the importance and neceasitr of oonfpleting y 1, - '■■" ',*'., .■:'Hr '^'■'t^. 4^ r -Ht ^ é ri 40 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. fisoi. the work. Backed by such eminent authorities, it là not surprising to find that the scheme was favourably reœived by, and met with the hearty approval of, Lord Spencer, the Kret Lord of the Admiralty, who having roeeived the sanction of His Majesty, gave the necessaiy directions that an expédition, as propoeed, should be despatched. Mr. Flinders was, as a matter of course, seleoted as tiie most fitting person -to çommand it. The Investigator, as aiready related in a préviens chapter, was the ship chosen for this important service, and eveiything being ready, she sailed frpm Spithead on the i8th of July 1801. In addition to her complément of eighty-three officers and ti^n, she had on board an astronomer.i a natu^, a ïandkcàpe painter,»-a8 well as a natural hwto^ painter, a gardener, and a miner. pe instructions that Captain Flinders received were /jt^lhake as complète an examination as was possible of the coatt of New Holland, as Australia was then called. The south coast was in the firet place to be thotoughly explored between King George's Sound and Bass's Strait, and diligent sean^ Was to be mad^ for any "creek or opening likely to lead to an inland sea or strait."» Sydney Oove (on the shoro of which our first Ans- tralian colonists had been established for about thirteen years) was seleoted as the head-quarters of the expé- dition, and hère they^were ordered to refit, and provide ^ Mr. Cwdey. but thû gwitleinwi wu •abMqnraUy nUered bj Mr. Inœto^who wu the Frof.uor of Ibthemmtics «nd Nratiul Souu» «t (h. Royd N.«l Ooll,g. ^ Port«uo.th for man, Zï. Thi. WM tha «minant paintar William Weatidl, who «ftarwardi baoama an AMooi»taoftha Royal Aowlamy. «ierwanu „.-.;,,. «a: «i'»l->:,.: iffV") f lANKLIM. (180K t authorities, it ià not B8 favourably reoeiyed •val of , Lord Spencer, 10 b&ving reoeived the ' neoeesaiy direotions iiould be despatched. ourse, seleoted as the t. The Investigatar, hapter, was the ship uad everything being Q the i8th of July aent of eighty-thiee d an astronomer,^ a i well as a natural jiner. nders reoeived were ï as was possible of ilia was then called. oe to be thoh)ughIy Sound and Bass's be made ror any 9 an inland sea or hich our first Aus- 1 for about thirteen larters of the ezpe- x> refit, and provide ibMqnratljr reliared hy thenwtioi ud Nantie*! lonth for many yMurt. ITMtall, who aft«r««rdi OATAW naroMn^ ^^U&TUndm^âD^ •v^ ^ 1801.] FRANÈLIN UNDER CAPTAIN FLINDERS. 48 ■«o««d in the South sj. ^^ "* °*"" '*«"'» of Aistnli. that h. wT^Zl *, *" ««-boani •Momplished I "«til this WM «tisfcctorily With suofa an enthusiast in ♦!,- •*»» for hi, oaptJrrLl!^ ""^■°' ^"f^'^ Md hi, abiUt, „ » ,„ "!" »"■■• «fan •« a «ùlor i«i4.uhtodlj, a bond rf Zr^- =°"«' "««^«om tow "d th. '^^'»ip::r22'^:rz^Tt «avantage of the latw -«^ "»^® />een greatlj to the »«-.CSt'j:a*^^°™«"*»»'p»"ticau,r , -, ^' ""°"''™«'*l'"toundi«„vM«i ÈÈ^!U.^iié,^bM\ Si ti^iA <. '*J>i> ^3S ./ ^^;...- 44 LIFB OF SIB JOHN FRANKLIN^ [17M. bays, reefs» and ùlands in the Southern Hémisphère, that John Franklin'» mind became imbued with that ardent love o[ geôgraphical research, whioh formed 8uch à marked and prominent feature in his future profes- •sional career. Flinders was the example, and the Aus- tralian exploration was the school, that created one of our greatest Arctic navigators, and one of the moet eminent geographers of his day. Beforethe Inveetigator had been many days at sea, palpable évidence was afforded of her gênerai unsea- worthiness,^ for before even Madeirà was reached, she was making as much as three, afterwards increasing to five, inches of water per hour, and her général unsuita- bility as an eiploring ship, in a part of the world when boisterous weather was sure to be experienoed, was only too plain. Captain Flinders, ever loyal to hia^euperiors, endeavours to apologise for the unseaworthy state and gênerai nnfit condition of his ship, and explains as an excuse for her sélection and adoption for the woi^ on which she was to be employed, that " the exigeneies of the naoy toere eueh, at that time, that he wu given to understand that no better ship eotdd be spared/rôm the service ; and his anseiety to complète the investigation of the coatts of Terra Australis did not admit of refnsing the one offered." It may be hère remarked that the distinct and appropriate appellation of Austoalia was given to the great south laiM at the suggestion, and on the re- commendation, of Captain Flinders. Referring to the name by which it was then known, namely, Terra Aus- tralis, he writes, in a footnote at page 3 of the introduc- tion to his valuable and interesting work entitled "A^ "Ti^âletoTeiT» Australis," «JToifrjj^^ any innovation upon the original term, H wvld hm ■ A ' A jJtiMu.\ ^ JJ\ '-4^ '^tilA .^h #■ RANKLIN^ M08.J SUBVÏT OF SOUTH OOAST Ot AUSITULIA. 45 gr^p(yrtùmoftheearth:' "^ ''''^ of the other Af ter fcoaching at the Cape of Good Hotw, fW f rèfitting the ngging and flails and repaLi. Z i, aajparticolar pointe, ov^^tl '''''^'^'' -in^ilarit^of onileadiand ^Ct^^.'^Sl^L"'^ chffs, which «ttends for a distance of^utcl^;'^^ «ef, wlud,, from a graduai subBidence. or De^anTrî ' -«me sudden oonvmaion of Natn«,\ar.tL^1r ^ «ent position and height aba^^* „,!?^*? !*^ "^"^ ywandvtlaaMeinfonnation. "°^ °°"^ *^°'<'^.°^»ch X .■»ài'.ii^.V.'.S-*,-4^"r .'' ^< ^W" 46 nence tIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [ItM- in, and a practical knowledge of his professional dutie^ but tEfht he was also able to a£Ford substantial assistance in the Burveyihg work that was being carried oui. ; Indeed, we may be assured that this was the case, for wè fidd his name associated with a couple of islands belonging tb the St. Francis group, situated off the ooast of what is now known as South Australia, and which Flinders named the Franklin Isles, after his young protégé. It must hâve been a proud day for our Lincolnshire midshipman when he was informed that his name was thus, for the first time^ to be immortal- ised as a diseoverer and explorer. Another island in Spénoer Gulf was named Spilsby Island, presumably aft^ the home and birthplace of Franklin ; whilât a large bight on the coast was called Louth Bay, and two low islands in the same locality weré called Louth Islande, after the town in lincoln- shire in which our young fiàend received the rudiments of his éducation. We may, I think, safely infer, from the : nomenclature thus oonferred on thèse places, that < Fraïiklin was, in some way, instrumental in their dis- covery, or subséquent ezamination. The hanbour in Spencer's Oulf, which formed the most interesting paît of the discovery,- received the appellation of Port Lin- coln, in honour of the county from which both Flinden and Fraiâdin hailed. During this oruise a sad affair ooourred throngh the accidentai capsizing of one of the InvesHgaior'B beats, resulting in the loss of Mr. Thistle (master), Mr. Taylor (midshipman), and six men forming the crew of the cutter. This disaster oast a deep gloom over the ship -for «Jffie d^^ifhllè It déprfi^ ^Bïiffilm7^ànî^ W other membera of the tnidshipmen's berth, of a meei- ^M^tJh V &>^t, * ^1^ -"^JbltA'JMi^i^iU^.inilb^K 'iA ^'^î^^V^^Vt^ 4-\ "* flTA > ,] -^ jT»i^»jj* ,a) 48 LIFE OF SIR JORN S31ANKUM. [1796. their proper ports, and made as serviceable and efficient as the short time at their disposai admitted.. Fortu- nafUy, howe^er, the fighting oapacity of the ship and the courage and bellicose propensities of her offioers and cr^w, were not destined to be put to the proof, for the Etranger, that had caused ail' this ezcitement, tumed out to be the French ship Le Cfeograpîie, employed, like themsdves, on a peaceful voyage' of discoveiy. She was oonunanded by Captain Nicholas Bandin, who, with another ship, Le Naturaliste^ also under his orders, had been reoently engaged in examining the south and east coasts of Yan .Diemen's Land. Having aoddentally separated from his consort, Oaptain Baudin was then employed in ezploring along the south ooast of Australia. After friendly visits had been ezchanged, and- before he had fully realised, or even ascertained, the identity of Oaptain FUnders, the French commander pro- ceeded to make some adverse criticisms on an ESnglish chart of Tasmania p'ublished in 1800, that was in hù . possession. He was overwhelmed with confusion when he found that Captain FUnders, to whom his cHticismi were addressed, was the author aS the maligned chart, and was therefore responsible for its acouracy dr other- wise 1 The shipe parted company on the following àtj, the InvetUgaior resuming her examination of the coatt j to the south-east, while the Frenchmah pursued his in- vestigations in a westerly direction. The place of meet- ing between the two ships was snbeequently calkd | Encounter Bay, to çpmmemoraté the event. The next important pièce of work conneoted with tbe 1 ▼oyage was the supposed discovery of Port Fhillii^ Captain FUnders was so impreised with its admirabbj HM.I "raVBSTIGATOK-ATeYDOTlT. \. «totion ai the iinporton» weeks befo™ h.Â^ , -™i^^rdrLr^;:rcLr "t h-MHj8tween decka Gwfamr^iqnL ^ circulation of necesaaiy duties wan* Ka,v. *"*™»«w. wiule thèse An ob.^^^ \1\^':'^^;° ""^ ^ "^^ected. "^r 50 LIFB' OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795.^ was plaoed under the charge of Mr. Samuel FUnder^^ the second lieutenant, and young Franklin was appointed as his assi rt ant ' Hère he was kept dosely at work, and was probably atfrà^ but few opportunities of rambling about and ezploiing on his own aooount, the interesting oountry in the vioinity of the newly-found oolony of Sydney. In conséquence of the particular occupation on which he was employed at this time, Franklin jokingly re- oeived froni the Gover»». jjr New South Wales the appellation of " Tycho Brahe," after the eminent Danish astronomer. In two and a half months' time, the Investigator waa again ready to résume her work of exploration along ' the ooast of Terra Atutralis ; but in order to carry out this important service in a more thorough manner, a brig called the Lady Nelson, of light diaft, and oom- manded by Lieutenant John'Murray, was, at the express wish of Captain Flinders, attached to his oommand, with directions to co-operate and assist in the exploration. The two vesselâ sailed in company from Port Jaoksra on the a2nd July 1802, and Steerœg in a northerly direction, made an exhaustive examination of the eastem ooast, in aooordance with the instructions reoeived from the Admiralty. Duiing this trip, Port Bowen was dia- covered and named. Whilst oarrying out this service, officeis and men were landed at every convenient oppor- tunity, and as much information of the ooast as could be gathered was obtained. 1 Sunnel Flindan wm a bKother of the e^tain'i. He wm appointMl to the Invett igator on the a oth Norember 1800 , end *pp ii>r« nu h" tiooln mkhàviag joinedai en A.'B. itom iàoLtAtoiante on aSth Febnui; 1801. He waa nted midshipman the «ame day, ud waa promoted to a lieutenant a week after, namely, on the 6th Harch i8ox. ■vr-j •-^~ 180S.] OULF OF OARPBNTAWA SUBVirm). 61 back to Sydney in O^h^^X "^* '"^ «««t an aastetimt." ^"'' °'°'» » »>"rthen than Jiter e^mining varions portions ôf the G«at Barr.- «eef, the InvestigcUop saiI«Mr ,«.,-1 xi. i»mer of Australia a,d^2^t^ S «f O "^'■^' ^"^^ «hoi^ of this extensive ^,f ;l°'^^^ The and the whole of its oo^ZZ^^^':^'^'^^^ f hart. It was while cruigin^ in f^^ dflmeated on the W had their first, a^L j^ ''«ghbourhood that native, on which ^^^l^lZZ^ ""''' '""^ •nate, one of ïï»nklin-s me^atT^ ' '°"^'■- »?««" in four places. "**"^**~' '^m wounded by unî^^alf ::^^^^^ PeHod. e^ihiting timesatthe Xf f ^^^f "''^-f -^' «^ ' Kinders gave order» ^^1^^^ ^' ^°"'' ^'P*»^ to l« ^e, when it was -S^ve^ 7^ ^f î^^' ^"" mortification, that her timber^ir^; J^''''' «^* «uch a terribly rotten ^^^d^" 1 ^^""^^ ^«~ in «ide^d likely'ti::tlLTh^r"^j^* f/'^ -* «>- ordba^ weather, for mo« "thTt tt tf^^'f' ^ w the event of being caught^J^ u '' '^^ *^**' itmustbeacwTeJX ^ -««. be would compIetet:Zv^^he?^;^'7 '"^'^ '^^ jnd then nmko th^ Wc7hL C'Mî^nteria, round the weat coast^ of AuJ^K^ ®{^?^' ^^^ "«^S r°"^---^-^^rby".s^ i J^ ;' :^ j'-'r^i-rff ,^?i: fcî^--^'. Hh^ 62 LIFK or SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [17»6. slong the east ooast. He hoped tp be able to" pnM^re another Bhip on bis arrivai at Sydney, in wbicli tb con- tinue, and, if possible, to complète) bis interesting woork of diaoovery 'and exploration. ■ " ' Âfter à soméwbttt perilbus and anxious voya|pe, he succeeded in carrying bis '«rippled and sorely stricken sbip tp Port Jackson, whicb be reached on tbe loth June 1803, after an absence of eleven montba. In 'oon' séquence of tbe sdwnty of jfrësh provisions, th^i- severity of tbe wprk on whicb titicy had 'heen engaged, and the privations. they bad been exposed to, the ship's company waa f» much debilitated by scurvy and dysentery, that it was with difficaliy they succeeded fn working ttie sbip is^to barbour. No lésa than fiveof the orew died a few ' days prier to the ship's arrivai, and four suociunbed shortly after their admission to the bospitai on ^ore. Flinders was bimse^f attacked with soorbutic affection, and doubtless Franklin waa not himsdf in a moré .envi- able state> and was in ail probalâlity suffering from tbe . same terrible wasting diseasa • Shortly af ter their arrivai, a oareful survey 'Was held on the old and dfazy sbip by a board of compétent efficers, specially seleçted and appointed by the Gove^or; the resuit b^ing that she was found to be in such an unses- worthy and rotten state that she was reported to« bC' "not worth repairing in any country,"^ also, ibat it was abàolUtely impossible to " put her in a stàte for going to seà," with; the fadlities for repairing ships then ezisting «t Port Jéokson. She was found to be incapable of further service, and it was strongly represented by tbe board to fixe authorities^ that in the event of her being 1 EstiMt fnm th« report ot the boud «wdeied (q rarrey the Inm- tigator reUtive to hor Mft-worthineu. v isbs.] Ï^NKLIN JOINS Tka -PORPOISlft" 99 Under the. fultationa, it Itmriigator a icorehouse portion of Jiùi caughfi at «èa in a hanl irala nf «.«j u •Wy go to the ï»t^ ' ^.^' "^^ '^^'^'^ »*»«^'*- aoee, and after numerous con. Pjally arranged that th» «Ji ■>andfaned, and oonvertèd . iûl^ »t Oapii^n îlinderg, with^"a «port th. facta of the ^/T^', "" r^^*^ endeavonr to obtain anoThe^Jl ^^.ÙÏT^','^ tHeexplo^tionof thecoaatoftltlIL:^^^ ^ W^ Tht'^f ."" '^* /•««^^i^ only tira whUe «me few we« ^^It^' ^^hei:'" """^'^ ; toi5«aino«t.nd -ttl^î^t^^f^;-^;^*. .. wa* difloharffad om «.~.;j iJî ^fS^^* *wûkun u«onarged as anudgh^an to W^Pomoi*- -«j was entered on har iv>«ir- ^orpotte, aad . Jaly ,ao3> °" /^^r'^^ «« «^ master'fl.màte on ail ^ ind to rarrty tiie /mw- 7 C'ï^ <:i-'v j^ f^ I î ^-p,. • CHAPTER IV. WÇECK OF THE " PORPOISE"—REACH CANTON— DÇFEAT OF LINOIS BY DANCE—ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND. 1803- 1804. "lamMaweed %' Flung from the rock on oceMi's foam to lail, Where'er the surge may 8weep, the tempest breath preyailf —OhUde HarM. The Porpoise, under the oommand of Mr. Fowler, late first lieutenant of the Investigator, sailed from Sydney on ihe iith of August 1803. Although she was nomi- nally under the comnuind of Lieutenant Fowler, that officer was directed to conform to the wishes and orders of C^ptain Flinders, wh<^though a passenger, was really in absolute charge. Flinders decided upon retuming to England by the route which, it may be sud, he was the first to disoover and to recognise its practioability, %iamely, by Tories Strait, for he would thaï, he thought, be a£f otded an opportunity of checking, and perhaps elaborating, a great deal of the work that he had already acoomplished in those waters whilst in oommand of the Invettigator. On leaving Sydney, the Porpoise was acoompanied by the East India Company's ship Bri4g9U)ater, and by the ship Oiarfo of london^Tioth bonnd to Batavia, thecaptaiTiH of those vessels having expressed a wish to be pilbted M % S-'n-'-f s^ i-y^ f *"?"■{■ , M'^' 1808.] WRECKOFTHE-pORPoiÊ 66 througfe Torrep Stmit by Oantain pi- ? thK,ughout the 8hi7and K r '^"***"' ^^^^ boam. and falling ov^ oT W Kr""^ ^^^* ^^ '^e anywami„goftheappalCr,tr7htT. ^''°" denly.andsounexpectedly.overTeW ,t 1 "^ '"^■ Porpoùe could be riven t. Tf'^^^'"'^ the unfortunate lowng cloeel, at t£ZLZ;'T:l "'î T' ^°^- «tnick on the saine reef • h^l L l "^'^ °^ «*"««. wreck. . *^^ became a total The Bridgewater eecaped. but iT,««wï-ki appear. n.ade no effort rj^^^oT^I^ "" '' "^^ ance whatever to the creVs^ il , ^''^^'' '^^ «"«^t- although she «znledTn'cl " ""'r^'** *"^'*«' a period of twenty-fo^ homT^r "î"'^ *° '^* '^^ ^«' -d«l on her rol^t^Zi:^^:^ 1^'^'' '"^ muBt hâve been fu% oognWof f f î""^ °^ '^''^ of their unfortuna^ tZ7"\f' ^'^T «^'"«^«"^ ^ évident, îrom the flTw 'n u * "^ '^'^ " the captain of Lm-1 T '^^'^ *' ^°>bay. of place to note hei^ thatÏÏ «h ""^^u""* ^ °"* «^ards heatd of. Ti,.,. .uJ^T '. '^** '^ "'-^^. .■:;." vir.rs.r z ssis;.* / ■ / .- / > 66 LIFS OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1808- inhumanity of the captain and thofe on board, met with spdedy and retribotive justica The night that followed the disastrous stranding of the Porpoise was one of intense anziely and suspense to ail on board, and was spent in sttenuous endeavours to construct a raft, out of the available masts and yards and other spars, capable of receiving the crew, in the not unimprbbable event of the ship going to pièces before the moming. This was a new, and by no means pleasant, expérience for John Franklin. Althoagh se young in years — for he was «nly seventeen at the time of the catastrophe — he had braved many dangers and had encountered many périls; but this was the first time he had been brought face to face with shipwreck, and in one of its worst and most dreadf ul forma When, at length, the long-wished-for dayl^ht broke, and that ' . " Miaerable night, 80 fall ci feufal dreami," had passed, they observed a dry sandbank about half a mile from the wreck. Although its superfioial e|tont was not very great, it was, at any rate, large enou^to aooommodate the crews of the two ships, with as mucfa of the provisions and stores as they hoped to be aUe tosave. The wretched people in the Cato were even in a won» plight than thoèe on board the Porpoùe, for the fore- castle with the bowsprit attaohed, was the only portion of the vessel that remained aboTe water, and to this the unfortunate orew had olung ail that bng and weary night, until resoned in the moming from their perilou inT âiistrestaâg oonâMoiôrby a boit Ti^bm ÏHePorpdilè. if k wete even m a wone 1804.] THE CREWS LANDED ON A R^p. 57 The pnly pkoe to which they could secure thernselvee, a^d avoid being washed away by ihe «.«ing surf, was the port fore^Shains. In this trying rituation, clinging to the wreck and holding on by the chain-plates and dead-eye«, they passed the nigjit, and were found aU dastered together in, the morning. In conséquence of the temfic sea that was breaking over the wreck, it was impoMibla t|» take the boat alongside to effect their roKue, and the men were only saved by throwing them- MlyeB mto the water, trusting to those in the boat to pick thenfnp. Three poor lads were drowned in onsucoessful atteii|,ts to reach the boat, and ail were more or less broised and eut by the sharp points and edges of the coral reef in their strnggles to get on shore. / In a few hours after the men were landed the Cato went to pièces, and not a vestige of her remained visible. Unhke thia ship, the Borpoùe had, luckily, when she struck, he^ed over wità her upper deck towards the reef, which was to leeward, t^^us exposing the hull of the ship instead of the deck to-éhe violence of the waves that broke ovar and against her, and this being stronger and more ca^le of feaiatanoe, she iield together. The reef, the direct cause of their disaster, was fortunately nearly diy at low-water, so they had but little difficulty m landing aU the available storas ^d provisions, besides a few sheep and pigs that had esoaped droi*ning. The bank on which they had beau wteoked proved to be 900 feet m length by 150 feet broad, and wm «bout thrae or four feet above high-water; not a very eztensive or oomfbrtable place of residtoce, moie eapedally when it i"*y«nbered Jihai , tho naa ro a t knowa Jaad waii^qg ite^ »oo miles distant, and that Sydney, the only place from « ^^b^::.^.. M LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. ^ [IMs/ which thej could hope to obtain sucdour or assistance wa« about 7SO miles oflF. They were. however. for thé time in comparative tofety; they had escaped a grpat ^ penl, and, like good sailors, they looked forward with hope and trust to the futum It does not even appéar that they were at ail down-hearted or depressed at the appalling catastrophe that had overtaken them for a great deal of merriment, We are informed, was caused by some of the Caicf, men. who had saved absolùtely nothitig from their ship, atlirjng themselves in offices' miiforms that had been saved and landed from the Jrorpotse. ^ Their first work was to set ui> a tall spar on the highest part of the bank, on which a Urgo blue ei^gn . was hoisted^ with the Union Jack down, as a signal of distrees. This was done in the hope of atti«ctinrthe notice of those on board the Bridgewater, which, it was stiU beheved, would corne to their assistance directly it ■ was known that survivors had escaped from the wrecks v and had roached the bank. They knew very IweU it was hopeless to expect aid from any other souroe, for in those unfrequented seas it was not probable that any shipwould be cruising in the neighbourhood. Franklin itmiiy readOy be supposed, experienced his full sharo of aU the dangers and privations to which he «md his shipwrecked compamons wero exposed, and there ifl but httle doubt that he boro himsqlf bravely and numfuUy, and worked willingly and zealously in assist- ingto préserve order, and to maintain cheerfulnessand good feeling in the smaU oommunity. - With the aid of sails and spara saved from the wrock, tents wew erected on the, sandbank. and they succeed ed in jmalcinir -themaelveg as comfortable and «s happy as, undeTthe S- il M' ?K 59 1804.] ENCAMPMENT ON WRECK REEF. cireunu,tamee. oould be expected. A reprieved convict who fomed^one of the crew. was alone Uy of J^. f^ing a spmt of insubordination, butthis wL quickly and^ertually suppressed by the eulprit being Lj2 flogged at the flag-steflF. Strict discipline afdTZ ::ïrair " ^^'^ ^°^* ^-^^ ^ ^^^ »^«- By the 33rd of August. everything that could be saved was landed'from the wreck- -« • Ê^ ' «d rwmicutters saved from the Porpoise, Âltbuld be despatohed to Sydiiey with ( as Utile delay as p«||ible,.to give information relative ' to their situation aï^b endeavour to obtain asaistance. As an extra precauèlk and as they oôuld not conceal ^ from tbemselves the n^ than p<»8ible contingency of such a small boat faiOp^; to accomplish the distance (750 miles) in safety, mèté especialïy at that particular season of the year, whei;» strong winds were prévalent, it was resolved to commence, from matetials saved from the wrecks, the construction of » couple of decked boats, capable of transporting the renjainder of the people. This décision 4>eing arrivèd at, the next question was to décide as to who should be selected to conduct the voyage to Sydney. As it was one of the utmoet import- ance, and alsd one of no *little péril, Captain Flinders determined to proceed on this duty himself. Acting on this résolve, and aocompanied by the commander of the Caio and twelve lùen, with bis small boat storod with - provisions and water to last for thiee Weeks, he sailed on the 26th leaving eidu|| offioers and men on'the bank, * Sonu 6f the origina) aie itill in ixutenM, «àd Inititute in Lon ■uttained trom i cauied, it ia laid, l ewly dri ving tha T" ffmÂoài to àrj. à tkatohaa m«da' W Mr. WeitaU ^tli9 poaMaaion of the Sojal Colonial 'évidence of the damage they then Bome few ahoW slight inçlentationi, and the other inidihipnien4|ioiight. Tftok ftver them. 1 .c 1804.] 1 men on the bank, A TIMBLT DELIVERiNCB. «1 which had so providentially been the means of theb salvation after their vessels had beeri destroyed. - It is hardly possible to conçoive thô feelings that animated the breasts of those poor feUows who wère l«ft behind, and who were weU aware that several weet^ must necessarily ekpse before they could expect, or evbn hope, to obtain succour. They could not banish from their thoûghts the possibility, almést amounting to a probability, of the loss of the small frail boat whose occupants they had just bidden Ood^peed, as they Btarted on their long and venturésome voyage. In order to prépare for the worst, and also, perhaps, with the object of occupying the minds êfthe men and thus drown their thoughts in employaient, they were set to work to build two boats, which, as a dernier ressort, were intended to transport them to the mainland of Australia, in the event of no tidings of the cutter being received in two months; by that time their provisions and water would bè n^É^y expended, for, as bas already been stated they had only saved sufficient from the wreck to eke out a bare subeistence for three months. In spite, however, of their critical situation, the utmost harmony prevailed' aad ail worked cheerily together, having k common end "" ^*'^" '^IJS^^' ""^ *^® "^^ °^ Ootober, when they •ra»l^^É^TOi*»g to despair and to give up aU ^i)f oBfca^J^t help which they bo sorely needed, the joyful ci^^,f r-'èail in sight" burst upon the ears of tl» ^ttle oommunity, wd aroused its membeM to a Btate of enthusiastic eatcitSinent, «w,they «tth«d out to flatisfy t^^nselves of the accuraoy or otherwise of the report ^ -^. Yesl thet« the horizon, as s Uiey Btraj doubt onts truth, for thfere, orf* Bfcrain^ their ey|p to aaaward, one, '•i> J,^U é t y ■'I. j!';: 83 S ÛFB OF Sm JOHÎ? FRANKtIN. [1803- two, three safls could be «eén making their w«y,;with a faWuràblebree2e,to,wa]xbtheirisland-homê., In a ver j shoife ttme thoy had thé extrême satisfactioi^ vid grati- fication, of.greeting, which they did most aincerely and heartily, .jtheir old commander, who had brought his. periloua voyage to such a suoeéssful and expéditions issue, having returped to thelr aid and suooour^only six weeka after he bad bidden them farewelL His roj^i^ tiie six-oared cutter, for a distance of 750 miles, had been an extremely* haaardous one ; but. Flinders, by constant care and watchhUness, sncoeeded in ' reaching Port Jackson in «afety. Doubtlesa his early expériences in the littlô Ttm Thumb stood Jiim in good stead during this voyage. Immediately on his arrivai at Sydney, and the tidings of the disaster becoming known, tj^e necessMy arrangements for tlje relief of the shipwrecked men were ma^three ships being at pnce dèspatched on this service ^They were the Èolla, bomid to Canton, and the two Government schooners Cumber- land and Franees. The captain of tiie first-named ship had generously volunteered to acoompany Vlinders, who was on the point of sailing with the two schooners only, and he voluntarily agreed to call at the i«ef on his vay to China, so as to convey the majority of the shipwrecked people to Canton, wher» thôy wpuld hâve no diffioulty, . it was thought, in finding soine homeward-bound Indiar man, in which they could ob^ a passage tb England. It is neediess to say that but little time was l(x%,p -v^getting away from the scène i;»f their unfortunate adven- We. Everything being ready b^ the i ith.'and ail the «ores .worth saving havin g be en em barked, thjfe three ^ips took tb^rdepâmrë frbin the rwl. Hie returned to Sydney with those offioers and men who ^^k^'^i^t^^ù^^glt^^^ '^u ï'Ji,Jksi:i!i^ 1804.] CAPTIVITT AND DEATtf OF FLINDBR8. \. - «8 ^If direct L EnXdl« 7o^"S^' T ^' itod the Cape hf Qood HorT. „kT^ • *' ^"«ti«9. «unaers, wiOi the remainder of tha ^« °, liMd ii«t»a^ for it hM .Iwan («11»»^! """ HoM, »hoM work ù „f .„'—""'"■ "^ «U d'Mrip. ÏV».A ™ti„», Cpto Zde-^fl'^' '"'*' ^^4 Art r*""-' ""^ ^ '^^'^' ^ n»fk;> t: ■*• °° *• "™y -i^y «■«* h» work. ^,^e laboyr. »t hi. „fo, ,m y„ Mi, j^ ""^ r ''"'^^'^«■«nMo.ttainmMte.combmed t «'âU^?,-Jâij:^jife ■'■;.y i'-ih^i)siïi^ ■immm, W fi-; ^f ■ia,:. '^' ^^ * ^0^^ FE QF SIH JOHN FRANKLIN. [1808- with ^he praHical knowledge of a «kilful seama^, and with whose profesnônal pursviits he was closely cotÉ^cted for a period of ovef tjfo years, it • is not eyuprising that Franklin, although a. very young officer, iiquired duxing his service^ in the InvesHgator a tjiorough knowledge of a sailor's work, and was rapidly bectomjng an éxperjîpnced surveyor. '^■^ The Rolla, with |Vanklin and hàa copipanionB on board, in dlie course of time reachèd Canton. Hère th^ fortunately fotind a la^|g squadron of Indiamen on the point of sailing for Eipwnd, under the d^|iimand of Commodore Nathaniel Dance of the HonouraH India Oompany's service. No difficulty was dzpei in obtaining a passage home for tke ofllders and me the Investigator, who were distributed among the diffe 'ibvessels composing the squadron i ^^pranklin, with his kte •first lieuten^^t and commander, Mr, Fowlerj being âppointed to^the Eati G ,h>?â^m r^l*- I804.J ch flew Ûié broad ™N0H 8QUADR0N 8,«HTED. *W ^m, of ofli«e, ver», r^ ^"^^' «Mpe, Lascaï. and Chinan^en *S, ^^T"" '' "^^^^ -«^ and Oato, ail stelwart^ tdl drV'' '"^ ^''^^ "^or c^,« „,,,^ Jl^-Jo the son.ewM weak and Rêvent ofin.portancehap^neS^^'Ï,^""'^^ ,804. foUomng month, when as th«« '^^ '^th of the ;^^alac^ne^'ther,'T,;X7-^t^^ vessels were reported in sight W 1 ' '*'"'" «^'^«^ - ''«'^ aoon n.ade out to be a ^^^ f ^ "^^'^^ ^Z «aunand of Admiml If! ''^ ^ï"*^'*»» "n. frégates, alenXTwo 1"""*^-'°"^ «-«^ '^^ ^ mailing of the S.^rf JT"^ ^'^'-atlTn fia^via, with the intentioT^f t. ^''' ^ ^ ^"^^ '^Mhoped, sweliing the °1 .^T^P*^*^ ^^^^ and, .«Pf Be n^e sure i^Z^Zl^'^""^ ^"^ *^^ «^ ^ But Admi^I Linois h^^' 'IT^'"'^ ^'.»>lii8calcu]ations,heUd^°^'^ '^'^^"* ^" i»ort, ^-"«wxy tùe ÏVench siirhted fho u- , gûted the ahips thej were -A.-TWr-^ LIFB 6V SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. tl80». in search of , they bore down in hot purauit ', but insteftd of seeing the English merchant ships drowd on ail sail to escape, as tbey not unnatuçally efxpected, they observed them form in order of battle in perfect regularity and make the necessary préparations, not^oïily for resisting, but also for acting on the offensive. The bôld front shown by the English somewhat pérplexed the trench V admirai, and as the day was waning,.heJiauled to the wind, and stood off to some distance, prefemng to wait for daylight beforé commencing hostile opérations. . The English ^hi^g,-^ well under command, lay-to for the nig^t in order of battle, the ^rave Cîommodore scoming to take advantage of the darkness to endeavour to effect an escape. Admirai lànois was so deceived by the confident front shown by the English, that he felt con- vinced thè squiulron was partly composed of men-of-wat, and under this. impression he hesitated to attack on the, following moming. Observing the heâtancy on the part of the French Admirai, ComfDodbre Dànoe made the signd for his squadron to continue their course under easy saiL . SeeixTg his opportunity, Ijinois also made sail and advanéed with the ebject of endeavouiing to eut off some of the rear ships of the British squadron. But Pance was fully equal to the occasion, and being determined to keep his squadron intact, he instantly ran up the signal, "Tack in sucoesôion, bear down in line ahead, and engage the epemy." This plucky signal was, as may be imagined, received with ringing cheen by the orews of the English ships, and, to the astonish- ment ôf the French admirai, he soon had ihe whole British s quadr on standing towarda him in a formidable and resolutëlinl of Imttle ~" -^ -~ — It must indeed hâve been a wonderful sight to see i - ■ "^ ■ ■ ■ ■. ■ ÎLIN. tl8M. rstuit } but insteiui rowd on ail sail to bed, they observed 9ct regularity anâ oûly for resiating, The bôld front )lexed the ï'ràncb he Jiàuled to the pfeferring to wait 9 opérations. : coinmand, lay-to Jjrave Commodore cness to endeayour «ras 8o deceived by ih, that he feit con- >8ed of men-of-wa», )d to attack on the. heôtaiu^ on the Ddbre Dânoe made ) their course under lÂnois also made >f .endeavouring to ) British squadroa xwasion, and being itaot, he instantly don, bear down in This plucky signal rith ringing cheers ad, to the astonish- ion had the whole tim in a formidable irfùl sight to see I feS-:.-* n^ «««poeed of smaii and effic^t !,/ h<,8tUe squadn,^ ^*^ - tl^e l4^ JT T^^ a«di dashing smeit powder at CopenhaJ h«lT^ u*^'"'^*^ ^^ perienoftd many peiST:!? V '''^ «"bsequently ex- ;and; Us brie/p^^^l^rj ^^ ^^ '^ ^ ^^ tarons one, but on this oocaZT u ^"^ '^'^^^ven- "engage the enen. Afor t . ! °^^ ^«««"^odo^, to .-.Mahipn.a. on boa^ tlrCaLZhTi^'^' ''^^^- ,.fi« face fluahed Mi^^^Lt'JlZf'' "^'^ P^' '^'^ ^ '^-«fo>t«naÊen4btot-% u-"^"-*^^^ tapUy .part i^^^l^^ ''"^ '^^ ^^^^-^ .After tbe action had SteTa W^" J«J?ia« of an boni the ^n^b ^°?,*^- *^ î«d enough of it, and made saiLa^ 1^^' ^"^« 8aUantDanoethrewoutthe23> ^' ^'^«^«yth^ - ««•a then waB seen tbe exta^^ST' ' «''**"*' °^^" '««to, and some d^S iZ ' "T'^'^^ « ^ot H ««d aba VbtleT!! ^j^ T^ °'''*^« ^riti* •q-adlftn, and i^ILT "rï.?? f^'P». wftrUd hùi ''.*.« ( ^ f. #' A» IC^ -H- y-'-i'WK^'' 70 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1803. This action fought by Commodore Danoe stands out ahnoBt unparalleled for 'akill and daring among the nmnerous gallant deeds at sea that wer» oonfltantly being performed in those days. ' Admirai linois candidly acknowledged his defeat, asciibing it to the superiority of the opposing force, little thinking that the squadron with which he had been engaged was eomposed only of merchant vesselsi He also admitted that be was pursued by the English ships for three hours, during which time, he states, they discharged " several ineflfective broadsides " at him. The promptness and décision of Commodore Dance, combined with his boldness and the gallantry of those who served under him, without doubt, saved from capture the rich and valuable fleet that was intrusted to his care. On the arrivai of the ships in England, the Com- modore received at the hands of his sovereign the well- inerited honour of knigbthopd, while other rewards and honburs, of a more substantial charactpr, were deeervedly bestowed on him and his brave companions in arma The voyage having terminated, Franklin was discharged from the Earl CamçUm on the 7th of August 1804, and, after an absence of a Uttle more than three years, he had the inexpressible pleasure of retuming home, and once more rejoining the fanuly cirde, and of -visiting his old friends at ^ilsby. j ' >«è > . 'V '^m \ * CfîAPTER V 1804-1815 ** ^"' •>« «»ft !• to'il and tronble, Honour bat u emp^ bubble. "-Dbtdjw to b. .Html «, a» b„j„ „, aTÙ!^' °*°" b »* d ei^oy o d-J wir a 8hort:teBvg î long «d adventux^u. ^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ -i. ■,Jt' :"*•..* 72 LIFE OF SIR JOHn' FRANKUN. [1804- appointed to a ship ; but in those times the officers of the navy were in constant réquisition. England re- quired their services, and there was but little half-pay for her sons, and less leave. - The duty on wMch the Bdlerophon was engaged was the blookadé of the Frenoh fleet in the harbour of Bjrest, and this was rigidly mainfi^ed during the , whole' winter bytthe squadron under the ctanmand of Lord CoIIingwood ; this' service was a new expérience to our young friend. fhi the 24th of April 1805, Captain Loring was relieved in the command of the BeUerophon by Captain John Cooke, and on the 29th Séptemberf of ■ the same year, Lord Nelson joined the fleet in the Vie- tory, and toçk over the command irom Lord OolUngwçidd. • On the ever-memorable 2ist"of Oçtober, FranMin wius signid-midshipman of the BeUerophon, and was, in ail probability, the officer who savtr, and perhaps reported > to bis captain, Nelson's celebrated'signaL AU who hâve .. 'i^ëad the aqpount of the battle of Trafalgar will remember ^'thô prominent part that was played in th^t action by the. BéUefophon, .and how, at the end of that glorious day, she had to moum the loss of hèif bntve captain, the maçter, one midshipman, and twenty-five men killed ; whije her captain of marines, boatswain, one master's- mate, four midshipmen, and 120 men were retumed as wdunded. No less than six of Franklin's mesamates w^re rendered hora de combat during that eventful struggle, , but Jiis diip had emerged fn^ it covered with glory, ànd many of the hostile vessels pould vouohj^r the hard «^ . knooks and rough treatment they reoeiv«Ni, from the * * . -^' ..40^ut old seveniy-four. Franklin was himself noted for j. '^ evincing very cionspiouous zeal and activity " during ILl ~^isr gtonsur^{tiyr^~li» «ir itiiio&ed dwt&g^^^t^ •\ % >?> »: -■»- ,"■1- A, .^é;s^ V !;•'■■'.■■» ' ',.ttring the subséquent attack on New Orléans, ï^rn, having partially recoverAi Ircan his wound amsted in oonducting the indescribably axduous opéra! tion of cutting a' canal aoro^ the nedc of land be- tween the Bayou Oabtan anfl the Mississippi For his conduct and gaUant exertions on tha moming of the 8th of January 1815, on which occasion he corn- y manded a division of seamen under Oaptain Bowland V.omy,^ wheii a large body of Americans strongly en- 0«Ptofai Bfcwland W»Ml>«itoniwdtheb.tteiy. ïtor hi, ow^pioucu. bravery on thk, "- i . .( 181f ] FIRST LIEDTENANT^ON THK -rORTH." I - -- 77 trehched on the rieht banfc «f ♦!.- • wgûc years m that ship, we find him iwo davii afrZ nlff^ eommanded by Captain Sir Will^T^Ln He jomed her on^the ^th July, and remain^ ^^^ lieutenant until she waa mW «« ^u ,, "^ . of September ' """^ P"^ ■ «« «^ the foUowing and •niiclinatioo and-ki.!. ..T^ -ÎT^ ""^^ «vibomI "op. f« CiZù^^ "■«■^^Vrodld Oori Mfc »nd othèf ooouiona h* ».« * t Sir Afexandor Pochr*^ He'Z ^ "f'™"«»^«l '«r promotion by rt i! ^ > d /t^#^ CHAPTER VI. RETROSPECT OF GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATION I IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 1607-1773. V^ " Oh, who can tell, gave he whoie heait hath tried, And danced* in triumph o'er the waten wide, The ezulting sensé, the pulse'a maddening play, That tbrilla the wanderer of that trackless way ? " ., — The Oortair. EnÛland in the year 1818 being at peace with ail the world, had time to turn her thoughts to eminently peace- ful puTBuits, and to employ her men and money on equally gloyious, and perhaps more important, matters than war. Among other subjects, that of geographical discovery wasj discussed, and the encouragement of Arctic explora- ■ tioii which had been allowed to elumber since the unsuc- 'oesstul attempt of Captain Phipps to reach the North , Pol© in 1773, was again revived. Ipremost among the promoters of geographical re- se^j|ih in high latitudes at this time was Sir John Bar|row, the Secretary of the Admiralty. This ardent and! zealous geographer had very oarefully, and with masterly skiO and ability, af ter much. tedious research, collejcted ail the reports that had been received duri^g the early part of the century, bearing on the oon^i, ,. A '•' ■'■■ '.'' , / ' ■ '■_ ,'" % .'''.- * ■. • ■'_ -*- 5»', /. ■i i ' c \\.:. • ,. ^Sdeoces GoiporatiQn 5< V // A4% ^^^^4" A ^ ' - ■ , ■■■ 4 t 1.0 ^1^ lââ Il ^ l⣠|2.0 [•25|U ||.6 i - ^ — £ ft ^ o — 23 WeST MAIN STMCT WiBSTH,N.V. 14SM (716)872^303 \ ^ .' t, '.-v^.'.'V («■>* Vif t / • 'i ^> ÎS «?- ~^>er \ ■Axi--:^1^A "^1 \ '' '•yKi . --!*!*£ "',-|- 1 '.9' /r: -ARC TIC REGION t: 'Sf- m^ita^tiSmiM ii| Piini i i[mi( i ij ^i ni- . Il I I I I ji i i i n i ^wii^ruf ii '•^tm\ '^ ■»/ lair.] FROJECTED EXPBDITIONa lalitades. With this information as a basis, he drew *"** '*,?^^'*'® *°^ well-prepared soheme for ihe ex- pbrâtioû of the northern regiona His plan being waimly supported by ihe Président and OounoU of the Royal Society, aiso met with th# approval of the Board- of Admiralty. So well was the idea received by the pablio, that it waa finally entertained and apptoved by the Government, who reaolved, forthwith, to despatoh two expéditions, one with the objeot of endeavouring to dis- oover a north-west passage round the northern continent of America; the other for the purpose of attempting to reach the North Pôle. One of the principal reasons that led to the organi- sation and despatch of thèse &peditions, was the veiy favourable reports htought home by the whalen in 1817, regarding the state and qoantity of the ioe in the Spitxbergen and Oreenland seas; and also perhaps to the writings of , and argoments advÉnoed by, the two Scoresbys, father and son, two of the most expe- rienoed, ski^ull,' and talented whaliog captains that our country haa ever produced. It was also loported that during the preoeding thtee jmrfi, large quantities of heavy polar ioe had drifted down from the north to un- osually low latitudes; and in 1817, tiie hitherto almost inaccessible easteim ooast of Oreenland, it was sÉated, had been aotoally visited by whale-ships between thé 7oth and 8oth parallels of latitude^ while the intèr- medkte sea between Oieenlitiid and Spitabergen had been reported as oomparatively (ree of ica It was, therefbre, oonsidered to be a purtionlarly &Tonrable time ^ J» undertiiiAe exploration in thosa wmteni. ït may bê - 'ho shall disoovier 's Strait to the In the year by the English should reach the ^20,000 "to 8uoh,|)©tBon or pereons , a north-west passage through Hudi western and southern océans of Ama 1776 a Bum of ;^5ooo was offere Government to the first person wà _ __ _ 89th paraUel of latitude. In 18,8. wUn it was'deiideJ to despatch the two expéditions juX aUuded to, pro- portionate «wai^« ^ere oflfered by ict of Parliament for the diflTerent degrees of latitude rJached. Thus, any vessel <*at first suoceeded in reachinTthe Ssrd parallel would be entitled to a r^wani of Xoo; doubrrh^t sumjould be gn«ted for cn,s8ing the Ssth pandiel; ^3000 to any vessel, or person, that should reaxùx 87' N ; ^4000 for the 88th parallel; {„d ^^5000 for the otleW*'^ "''' west .eridiff longituda.'north m.ese large' rewards weie offereti-as incentives to wha^g cap^ns and other,, who. Jght be tempted, by the loe, and so mcrease the limitèdiknowledi^ ^ *i, POBsessed of the northern portion^ 1^"^ ^ *'^° The oommand of the expédition^ was to be sent m quest of a north-west passage^wl conferred on L ^ Pa^ TT ' ?^°'«»*' ^rwards Sir E^wa^i ^rry. The domgs of this oxpedidon will not, however * oooupy any part of this histoiy. 7 ' m command of the expeditii,n ihat it was dedded to -end to the North Pôle, was ^tCLi tp ÇoZande^ «M «nmr hcdsoss arctio dboovewes. „ Dmd BMhtt, „d liroteiumt Jdm f™„h- o»«r -d;«ed „ hi. «cMd in cZl?^ ^ *' Perhape it will be aa well h^r^ * • •™« «««rd. <}r«nl.nd, „d sS^Z^t f !^» ^^...with. .pp.^Cwtri"s:ri:^ >oa Havmg waohed the latitude of ,,mÏ^ then hopeful of sucoess • hnf il- ^ « he was ■»«• of i.» u encoSTalZZSTîJlîZ i ^Af^^^i ^^iih^tn j :...t *r****'W«Wii^i*Mi«ïppiî X /. .^y. n LIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1«07- ■\ \ \ \, Spitzbergen,^ which he ^ghted on the zyth June in latitude 7^°, apparently in thé neighbourhood of the Vogel Sang Hoek of Barents ; but the sea was much encompasaed by ioe, and be experienced great difficulty in puahing on. . Subeequently he sighted and named SEakluyt Headland, the north-wjest point of Spitzbergen, a name it Btill bears. ' The highest latitude reached by Hudson during this enterprisihg voyage, waa about 80* 30' N. on the i6th of July, probably o£F that portion of the coast of Spitzbergen, which is separated from North-Elast Island by Hinlopen Strait. After again ezamining the sea between Spitzbergen and Qreenland, and finding it impassable to the north, in conaequenoe of a barrier of heavy ice stretching across in every direction in which he Bought to penetrate it, Hudson determined upon retum- ing to Englaûd. He reached the Thames in safety on the I5th of September, after a voyage which, for fear- lessness^and audacity, haa no equal on record. The résulté <>f this expédition were, from a geographical point of view, eminently satisfactory, for Hudson had suc- ceeded, in his frail and poorly equipped little craft, in not only discovering portions of the coasts of Groenland and Spitzbergen hitherto unknown, but he had also navigated his little vessel to a position in a higher northem latitude than had ever before been reached. This high position was not surpassed, or even equalled, for more than 160 years, when Ca^ptain Phipps in 1773 suoo^ed in reaching the latitude of 80* 48' to the north of Spitzbergen. From a commercial point of view, Hudson's voyage \ Etnitibeifaii wh àiaovmnà hy th« navigttor William Bwenta in 1596. oeIe1>nt«d Dntoh Aretio if*^''"''- '^'i ■ N. >atoli Aretie 1778.J ' CAPTAIN JONAi POOLES VOTAGEs! «8 murt alwayg be regardJ as a great guooeaL fbr flw, «port that he ma^olli^^u^rus whX'and waï ruses he had seen. ^^the estabUshn^t of that lu^ success^ been piosecuted to the présent day iT^ coastof Greenland. discovemi by Hudson, L ^\X ' visited bj any known navigator for the spaoe of^^ yea^^ when Scoresby. an energetic and ^rpi^" whahngcapta^j^takingadvantageof an unusuaUp^^^f Buooeeded m rediscovenng that coast which had, for so long, been as a sealed book to navigators Three yeais after the ^tum ^f Hudson. Captain Jonas Poole was despatehed by the Musoovy iom^ J^"tlt7^1/T^ "^ ^^''^'-^^-' and to seai^' ««w of his ship consisted of fourteen men and boys Poole was much hindered by ice and bad weather bS.' making a fairly good survey of the west •"[K. UFB'OF SIR JOhN FRANKLIN. [1«07- report hinOtolf, and\,|[| was, specially directed té'be Jiare^iil'to mak;e ail neoenar^ ofasemUions that would assist in improviog navigatiôir râd promoting gênerai knowledgs- ''' - ^ i On the iQth of June the Arctw Cirole was .oiossed, and on the aSth the ooaot ôf Spitzbergen wu sighted, whioh Oaptain Phippe^deacribes as being fonned of high barren black^ rpoks, iq many places bare aàd pâtnt^ and în others teyered withsnow. No signa of végéta- tion were visible. Çontinuing their course to the north> ' ward, the expédition skirted along t^e west coast of Spitxbergen, until, on the 4th of July; they cast ariohor in Hamburg Cove, about three miles south of Magdsr lena Bay. The weftther, however, was exoeedingly ten^i^ pestuous, necessitating an immédiate departure, without' giving t^e offioers an opportuiuty of ezploring the coast in the vicinity, or of taking any magnetic or other observations. They were not even afForded time to re- plenisfa their tanks with water, which, in spite of *he distilling apparatus, they were désirons of accômplishing. Pcocéeding northwards, they enôountered an almost im- pénétrable ice pack in' the neighbourhood of Hakluyt Headland. They made many futile e£Forts to push ' throûgh this pack, but always without suiocess, although they skirted alohg it for many miles, runâing into every indentation, going round every point, and forcing the ships, by panying a heàvy press of sail, thiough the ice wherever it appeared to be loosely packed. The out- Ibok was as cheerless and unprdtaising as oduld be well imagined, for to the northward, as far as they could âee, appeared an tinbroken frozen océan, without water or ,mi^ opening m^a pa^ bdng visUilei -: ...,. - ^.^-.-^ k On the loth of July, after great toil and incessant • f'L '{ 1778.J tHE TWO 8H1PS BE8ET. «7 the lat^^. 8o- 36' N. wa. r«u,hed on Z and meridS ea«t ol ûreenjsfch. Four àaysV^. the shipe were ^h T^*""* '^ '^'^""'^ ""^"^ tKe^vening of the i8th. The offi^rs, profi.ting by their etay, took a sériée of penddpm observation», and made a rough eurvey of ^ he harbour and adjacent country. On the^sth. Moffin Idand was vj«ted. The^^ the ahips plied L a north- e^rly direction, and on the ayth w^re in latitude, by dead reA^ming. 8o- 48', and Ipngîtud. t^' K, about due nçrth of the central part of t^e Spit^bergen gro^^p Tlus wa. the „.6et northeîti^^position r^Z b^Z expedaùon. Hère théir endeavoura to proi«cute f^hér f^l^^K*" V^^^-^y ^"^^^ wez, oon.plet.ly fnisTmted by a large «olid padc, whiA not only defied k, the -^thward Bo a. toavoid being beeet in the b^ up jee that/s invariably encounte,^ on the ol , skirts of a. large pack. jOn the 3oth of July thr shipe wei^ impriaoned in a pool of ^ter, 80 surtounded by ice tha^ it was impossible tr^T ''■'L'^' '^^°°« ^f ^^^ -«^^ole g«du^y dunuushed. untU the vessels wete completely beset by the loe. nor was anymdication of water sien ' m any direction. The prospect of t^leasing the ships- &om thexr acy bondage being exceedingly pr^^lemat^ préparations wer« ^e for abandoning^o., andTé. teats were order^ ^ be equip^ied with this object in, - new. ProvMuonçànd stores wde hoisted up W b^ow wd apportioned^^pach boat,.and the'studdini saih y*ere eut np m ^é^t^nm^mWmh^f^ I tate the dragging of the beats over the ieè. ^^'- •tL-- Ei^aiii*s>v:'i; ^^^tettà^Wfa-î'r_Atti t^. V , » V -: 88 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANBUN. [1778. In the midst of ail thèse préparations, the Oareau, driven by the erratic movements of the paok, was forœd alongside the Bacéhorte, and it requiied no sm^ amount of exertion uid labour, on the part of the officers and men of the two ships, to separate and subeequently secure the vessels in safety. The hazardous expédient of abandoning their ships was, happily, not resorted to, for on th© loth August the ioe suddenly loosened, and by noon on that day they had the indescribable gratifica- tion and relief of feeling, and knowing, that the péril was past. Oaptain Phipps being fully convinced that nothing further oould be achieved that year in the way of exploration, wisely dedded upon returning to Bngland, Spitzbergen was left on the içth August, and after sailing along the edge of the ioe for a few days, the ships bore ùp for England, arriving at Orfordness on the asth September, after a most tompestuous passage, during which they lost several boats, and had to throw two of their guns overboard. They were both paid out of commission ai Sheemess on the i3th of the foUowing montLt *" The résulta of this expédition were, geographically, unimportant; its failore was generally attributed to the fact that the year was an extremely unfavouiable one for exploration in high latitudes. The Admiialty, how- ever, to mark their appréciation of the way in which the work had been carried out by the expédition, piomoted Commander Lutwidge of the Careasa to the rank of oaptain, and raised the first lieutenant of the Baeehone to the rank of Oommander. iK^àct>.. Ji. CHAPPER VI© r' EXPEDITION OF BUCHAN AND FRANKLIN TOWARDS THE NORTH^PQIM. I8l8. •• High on the northern ulenee. ipeechleu things Own th* Un ioe, and reign the Ooean'a kings," —Parodiée of Bùrds. David Buohaw, who waa selected to command the ex- pédition to be despatcheci in quest of the North Pôle, waa promoted to the ran^^ Ueutenant oH the açth of January 1806; consequently he was only two years senior, as a lieutenant, to Franklin. He had, however, prier to his appointaient to the expédition, been raised to the rank of commander. He. was an accompUshed ■urveying offioer, and had done good work in mapping out the coast in the neighbourhood of Newfoundland. In i8io, whilflt in command of the schooner Adonû, he had been selected by Sir John Duokworth to oonduct an exploring expédition into the interior of Newfound- land, a ooontry in those days regaided as a complète terra ineognita. Thia service was satisfaotorily aocom- plished, in spite of the hostile Wtude of the natives, who treacherously murdered two of his men. Whilst 80 employed he penetrated a distance of ab o ut 130 miles ^to the îiitëriop. aia iè;^rt of «his journey is exceed-" ùgly intereeting. The sélection of Franklin, who was then a lieutenaol fca?»^ «^•^irt^.Vi.tV.j.itt^ «'>;5Îa^,.A»»»,ïaL.i,î*.'»«*if ft. ;. s.h 'iutt^'hiuaêé M LIFK OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. of ten yeare'-sen;ority, to command the second ship was, in ail probability, due to the zeal and ability he had diaplayed aa a young offioer when serving under a navi- gator of such repute as Captain Minders. The very fact that he had served his apprentiœship in the navy under so renowned and diatinguished an officer, was aknost, in itself , suffident justification for his sélection to Buoh an important appointment, irrespective of his own Personal qualifications, and the extraordinaiy aptitude for marine sur^ying and other soientific pursuits, that he had evinced as a young officer.' Neither Buchan or Franklin, however, were experienced in ice navigation, although the former must hâve been able to form some idea of the difficulties of navigating a ship in the pack from his long service in Newfoundland waters. The vessels selected were the Lhrotheoy a ship of 370 tons, and the Trent, a brig of 250 tons. Buchan was given the command of the Dorothea, and Franklin was appointed, on the i4th Januaiy 18 18, as lieu- tenant in command of the Trent. The two ships had been specially buUt for the whale-fishery, in which they were engaged when chartered by the Government, but they were additionally strengthened and made as strong and durable as wood and iron could make them The complément of the senior offioer's ship was twelve offioers and forty-three seamen and marines, while that of the Trent was only ten bfficers and twenty-eight men. A master and mate, ezperienoed in the Groenland fishery, were appointed to each ship to aot as pilota when in the ioa The ships were supplied with stores and provisions to last for an anticipated absence of two years, and both **'* ew»f oUy «ad thonraghly equi^ed^^for tiis impor- ~ tant service on which they were to be engaged. 1818.] BUCHAN AND FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. 91 ^ It M much to be regretted that neither Commander Buchan or lieutenant Franklin publiahed any account of this expédition in which they took 8uch leading and- prominent parte; the former omitted to do so. b^use he WBB of opinion that the voyage was not of sufficient importance to atttact the notice and a«,u8e the interest of the gênerai public, and the Utter had no leisuw on hi8 retum to undertake the work. The only narrative K ^J^I**"*^o° ^^ ^PPeared. wm ibe o£e written ^Ckptjun Beechey (who was first lieutenant of the Trent with Franklin), and published in 1843, twenty- five yea« aftor the retum of the expédition. It is mainly from this work that the following account bas been oompiled. Oaptain Buchan's instructions diwcted him to make the best of bis way into the Spitzbergen seas, and then to endeavour to force bis ships northward between Spitsbergen and Greenknd, without stopping to visit the ooast of either of those countries. The authorities at the Admiralty, advised most probably by the leadinir men of science of the day, weï« evidently impressed by the jague and unauthenticated «porte that^ from time to tome, had cropped up iehitive to the marveUously high latitudes attained by the whaleis, and other vesseis engaged m the slaughter of oil-pioducing animais, in thcse r^ons; for in their offidal instructions they mf^rmed Captein Buchan that Uie sea, to the north- ward of Spitzbergen, had been genendly found fiee from loe as f«rnorth«i 83- 30' or 84-1 Therefore, they said. ^ is «.son to expect that th. «mi may continue epe,; ^ fort her to the aprthwarf. in which cm© G%n^^ ^Buchan w«i directed to steer due north, and i^Ti utmost efforte to reaoh the Nortb^ola nlM-^ J^. -. M , •Wtfl^'^ f^AJ^^S'-l «8 - LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. n successful in doing bo, he was ordered, i|^the weather was favourable, to remain for a fpw days in the vicinity of the Pôle for the purpose of making observations, which, it was remarked, his interesting and unexampled situation might furnish hka. After leaving the North Pôle, he was^irected ta shape a oourae for Bering's Strait, or, if this waa impracticable, he was to sail round the north end of Greenland and retum home by Baffin's Bay and Davis's Strait If unable to get to the Pôle, he was told to direct his eflforts solely to reaching Bering's Strait, and thus acoomplish the long-sought- for, and frequently attempted, north-west passage. In the eyent of this being easily achieved, it was left to Oaptain Bùchan's discrétion to retum by the same way, or to sail for Engknd via Kamchatka and the Sandwich Islands. He was also told to arrange with Oaptain John Ross, who was in command of the expédition that was being despatched hy Baffin's Bay in search of a north-west passage, to fix upon a preooncerted rendezvous, at which they should both meet in the Padfic. The advanoement of science, other than geographical research, was one of the chief aims of the expédition, and valuable instruments were ther«for« suppUed to both ships for ascertaining the variation and inclination of the 'magnetic needie, the intensity of the magnetic force, and how far the needie would be afiected by the présence of atmospherioal electridty. Various astro- nomical and meteorological instruments were also pro- vided, as well as those for determining the direction and velocity of the tides and ourrents, deep^na soundings, &c. Asnstkg th^instmiDntte supplîea^î^rir^epîece anid"" pendulum, by the vibrations of which latter, in a given ««WWHBWSU»»»»»' "■;:■;■ -■■ „* ■^ " ' 1818.] THE SHIPS RBACH LERWICK 93 C time, the form and figure of the earfch waa ,to be deter^ mined. No care or expense was épared in the equip- ment of tha vessels, and nothing that the commander afiked for, which it was thought might promotç the effidency of the expédition, was refused. On the recommendation of the Président and Council of the Royal Society, Mr. Fisher, a member of Cambridge University, and a gentleman well versed in mathematics and in other branches of natural science, was appointed to the Dorothea in the capacity of astronomer and naturalist. The ships sailed ont of the Thames on the 2Sth April i8i8, and arrived at Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, on the ist May. Hère, in conséquence of a serious leak that had developed itself on the passage, the Treni was beached at high-water, and subjected to a thorough ezamination. Several rente in the planks were dis- covered in varions parts of the ship, and thèse were re- ' paired as well as the means at their disposai would permit, but the principal leak, unfortunately, remained undiscovered, in spite of the strenuous exertions that were made to find it. This waa naturally very morti- fyiiU to Franklin and his oflScers. The service on which theyVere about to engage was of such a nature as to predude ail but stout, well-built, and, above aU, tight shipe being engaged in it. It waa therefore a serious matter to them that they should at the outset embark in a leaky vessel, more eapecially when the leak was of such itisignitode as to necessitate the employment of the men d^pring half thdr watchea at the pumps to keep her „iE6e<. JSuis wa^-is-mum^ 06 actaotowledgedî a vei'v dis*^" — tressing state of affairs, and it was rendered ail the more 80 in a ahip employed on Arctic service, where the men .y^^ -'T l> »4 LW"B OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. ^ are kept, nigHfc and day, constantly at work, and where a vessel is so feeverely handled by th© ioe, and subjected to saoh great/pressures as to make even those that are strongly buili leak. Having dine their utmost to remedy the defect, the expédition sàiled from Lerwick on the loth May, and Crossing thW Arotic Oirole a few days afterwards, they experienoed/th© novelty of beholding the midnight sun, and of enjofing the hitherto unknown expérience of oon- timial d^Ught On the 24th, eherie or Bear Ishmd, as it is moje frequently called, was aighted, and shortly afterwards/ the ships were separated in conséquence of thkk wea^er and a violent south-west gala They met again, however, in a few days, a short distance from their pretiously arranged rendeavou»; in Magdalena Bay. ; Prior f^ thia temporary séparation they were, for the fiwt tim^ made aoquainted with the difficulties and the novelty ^f navigating their ships through a looee pack. Jndeed, «orne of the streams of ioe through which they had to ihread their way, were of such a nature, that combined with the thiokness of the weather, necessitated their kying-to until the latter should moderate. Their poaitioni at this time is thus roferred to by the first lieutenant of the TreM .' — " Th4 weathte was now very severe ; the eno# fell in heavy ■howeré, and several tons» weight of iee accumulated about the aidés of the brig, and formed a complète casing to the planke, which received an additional layer at each plunge of the veiseL So great indeed was the accumulation about the bow^ibat we were obliged toeut it away wpeatedty iHth axes, to relief^ the bowsprit from the enormous weight that was attached to it; and the lopea were so thickly coveied ; 'ii t i c 1818.1 MAGDALENA BAT 8URVBTED. 95 with ice, that it was nécesaapy to beat them with large sticks to keep them in a state of readiness for any évolution that might be rendered necessary, eithei«*y the appearance of ice to leeward, or by a change of wind." Encountering what they had evej^ reason to beUeve' was the main body of the ice, extend ng in one vast un- broken plain along the northern h( rizon, and finding it absolutely impénétrable, it was c ptermined to wait patiently for a few days in Magd^na Bay, so as to give the pack time to break up an| disperse. A wlse resolution, oonsidering the early slason of the yea^ namely June 3rd,' at which ^hey fjund themselves iii such a comparatively high latitude. During the stay of the ships at this anchorage, the officers were veiy actively, and préfitably, engaged in surveying the harbour, taking observations in various branches of science, shooting exculions, and, we may rest assured, in keeping a constantknd vigilant watch on the movements of the pack, frim «orne convenient Iook^)ut station. Hère, On the Spitzbergen, with its icy peaks Franklin was first made acquaint aspect ofjArctic scenery. The appearance of the surroanding tyro in Polar exploration, and mt «„ „„„ ^„^ eager to further explore the hidlen i^steriw "ofThl sealed North Land. It was, in ail J,robabiUty, the result of this, his first voyage to the Arciic regions, that made FrankUn, the already skilful 8aili)r and talented sur- veyor, one of the groatest Arotic traveUers that the jrorld has ever known, How diiBFenmt» he mnrt^ivë thought, was the appearance of the anchomge at Magda- lena Bay, with its dreaiy barren' ahoras f ringed by long ?n-bound shores of snow-clad vaUeys, wijjih the uninviting im and» inhospitable antry fascinated the lie him ail the more Q \i w .^m. sUJ» ««^■5P-^^yr.^,ï3^^, «.__^>__>. jrj.^ 96 LIFB OF 8IB JOHN FBANKLIN: [181& snow-covered valleys and rugged stérile moontains, be- tween whioh lay hage milk-white glaciers, their opaqae surfaces glistening in the raya of the midnight sun, to the luxuriant végétation and tropical soenery of the land he had been aooustomed to gaze on, while serving under Flinders in the Southern Hémisphère. It was indeed a marvellous change of scenety. In sjpite, how- éveil of the bleakness and sterility of their surroundings, the anohoragi at Magdalena Bay was rendered oheerful by the song of oountless birds-peculiar to thosé régions; myriads of little auks, or rotges flew, in long and never- ending processions to théir breeding-places on the sides of the cliffs, whilst guillemets, cormorants, guUs, and other aquatio birds enliv«ned the bay by their presenca Groupe of walmses were abo seen basking in ihe su|i aa they stretohed their huge, ungainly forma on loose pièces of ice, while the présence of numerous seals doub(;les8 afforded pastime to the sportsmen, as well as fresh food f pr the offioers' mesa During their détention in Magdalena Bay, the mem- bers of the expédition witnessed, at varjona ^y m, the breaking-off of immense fragments of ice ïratxi the parent glacier. On one occasion this dismption was attended with some little risk and danger, for one of their beats, with its orew, was oaxxied by the wave en- gendered by the fall of ice into the water, a distance of nearly a hundred feet^, when it was washed up on the beaoh and badly stova On another occasion, Buchan and Franklin were together in a beat examining the terminal &ce pf one ql thèse gladers, whoi they sud- denly heard a deafening report, somewhat similar to the d a ult a n eQaa^ia^bargetrf^naiyiieavy pièces ofKrtilIST^ ;~ on>looking up,,ll^y peroeived to their horror an enor- ^^W^tMt' ?^P^^ffi]jr^ '»«*»W»>*«««ii»Ml»»«*»««( [181& Qtains, be- )ir opaque ^ht son, to 17 of the le serving >. It was ipîte, how- roundings, 4 oheerf al é régions ; md never- L the ddea gulls, and presenoa the su|i aa xjse pièces doubtless Eresh f ood '■'ÇflvrîçS^JJi the mem- (49ies,.the fratù. the ption was or one of wav0 en- listanoeof ip on the 1, Buchan ining the they sud- ilar to the an enor- ♦s t'a /■ /t ii^^t* ' r'-T^ u ,:,Jl>aJl^lumlm»- itorgtJUatf AScnif^ >' \^ \ \ \ «• 0- ■ 1 1 V i i 1 I \M V 1 1«1«.] CREATION OP AN ICEBERG. VI mouB pièce of the glacier sUding down into the àea fr»m a height of afc leasfc two hundr^ feet. mw panied^y a loud gnnding noise and the overflon . ^lodgedtnthefi«.„^ofthegJer.now^^^ ^ ZL T'"*"'''^^ TM. boat in wS tie two commanders were seated ^ kept with her head to seaward and by this pr^ution the/succeeded i^^W mg a dises erwhich would probably hâve ensuedTjS^ séquence of the violent agitation of the water aTdX succession of heavy „,IIe« that ewept acrpss th^ ^y 1 roanng of which was heard at a disUnceTf four îil^^ Il Z'TV^^^ ""^ detached.^^d whoTpruÏ^ intotiie water hadr caused àU thié oommotion disaf ^ entirely for the space of some minutes d^^ which time nothing was to be seen butT^trof the water, violently agit^ted and covered ^4 W Jd douds. of spray. Suddenly it appeared X^ ^Jidly te the h^ht of i\^,^^'^:X!Z ^ with tert:ente of water pojuiinir down it« J^J\^ ;after rocking about fbr ^rLlTtelt ^Ue^ '. ev^t^y l^coniing qui^scen, an:^::;^^^^^^^ ZLTZ'' t^^^' ''''' ^ aTewly.fol:^ . joeberg. It was ascertained to be a quarter of a mîl« water. Ite weight was oomputed at aboat 4.1,640 ' On ttie 7th June the ships sailed ont of Magdalena "" Bay and steered a northward course, in o«ï«,T! the examination of the 3. Tw^ f ^^ "^^^ Jhe «ame stete^^ndconditiTLiLw^^^^ m^ch_^ inipeneteible. At >hï-T '^*^^^^^^ ^f namdy, de^yf^^h^l**^ time^owing te the wxhd sud- ^7 faihng, the ships wei« Mt helplessly bwalmed and w. ^^^l^^*^ .wlU- \ :f LIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. quite unmUjiageable in dose prozimity to the pack, wkioh, in oonaequeno» of a heavy flwell that prevailed, was in à'^lHolent state of agitation. In spite ot erery effort to prevent it, the ships wére driven into the|ic«, t) where they ezperienoed Bome roagh treaimenl from tb^''^' ■heaving pack. Towards moming a light breei» sprang «p, whioh enabled them to e£fect their eacape from a somewhat oritical and perilotu position, after a night of great anziéty and incessant toil. Having linsaoces^ully attempted to flnd an opening in the ioe to the westward, Captain Buchan came to the con- clusion that the bést chance for the suooessfnl accomplish- ment of the enterprise, was by keeping olqse to Spitzber- gen, so with t^p>ject in view the course of the ships was once more shi]^ to the oastward. On Jtme loth tbey sighted Prince Charles's Foreland, and on the following moming werç off Cloven Oliff, where they weré extremely gratified to find « navigable lane of water existing be- tween the land and the main body of the pack. Think- ing thftt this ehannel would possibty Isad to an open and ni^Hgable s«a, the ships bddly entes^ it^ but had baiely pesse^ Bed Bay before the ice çlosed in, the ohannel was blocked, and' the caughi and beset In this positic to ezCrioate th|i|Belves, the ressels , of thirte9n days, when, nnder th^ north-east bréeze, the ioe loqsened, and they succeeded in getting intp open water. The place where the ships were beset, was in sbout the same locality in which Hudson, Baffin, Poole, Phipps, and othe^ navigators infuiably been stopped. ^I!%é& late besëtXDést had, at anyrat^ one^^ bene- icialipiiStÇ for l^ its means they were led to the dis- helplessly able 1 iK * * ^ ■* -a >f ^/, ' y VESSBLS AiJCHOR IN PAIR HAVBN. )d to the difh M the oau«e of th« leak in tha T^^t u- u » Jvén y,en. «, .oueh trouble iTl^^^^"}^ hey left England.i It apnearTthV^ ^ ^J "*"** the>wewly4nuietlvi;f?îr^ T """^ "'«'^' ''»»«° ' «to the .hip below where he Z^ . ITÎ^'kT*'"* ting thn>ugh the i„«ide Uning o7thT^'n .î '° ""'" poored th^ugh in a st^am ful^fLl f^^V'^r*;' was then found that m hhU *k ?"V®®* »» W^t- It W« bMngœvered witfc .îiT •• . ^ ™*' "'' 'l"» h.d eu K.P i„^ «<> «t ~e:iii°rrc:'t^ «•rtomi labour andf.lL- ^ t^ ï^ " ""^ h.d beu ooMttaay emplowd « th. - j '™° !i;'r;î.r,':-_°r_:.. =«^^~.^ ^^ .jiii.. I._s m«i ià tté rt.j„ ,, ^ / w weM ammab falling victims to the uJatÈi^î , 100 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKUN. [1818. ^ , prowess of the sportsmen of the expédition. Four were ( ' drîven into the water, captured, and taken alive to the ships, but the unfortunate beasts were so wild, that they hroke their limbs in their frantic efforts to escape, and had to be shot. Large numbers of eider ducks were also procored, and afforded a very welcome change to the ship's provisions on which they had for so bng been subsisting. On the 6tk July the ships again put to sea, and sailed as far north as 8o*>i5', J)ut hère again they were stopped by the same impénétrable barrier of ioe that had already, on more than one occasion, so sucoessfully impeded their advance. In their endeavours to extricate themselves f rom the looee fragments hf which they were surrounded, the ships received some rather severe blows from the ^ larger pièces. On the following day they had the in- tense pleasure of seeing the pack loosen, exhibiting lanes of water radiating in ail directions tlirough it. AU was now bustle and activity, and the wind being favourable, the ships crowded on al} possible sail, and pushed onwards with joyful anticipations of suocess. But changes oocur very quickly and very suddenly in ice-encumbered waters, and bitter and keen disap- pointment soon followed their short-lived joyous aspira- tions, for in a few short hours theohannels of water, which they thought might lead them even to the Foie itself, gradually diminished in size, unlâlMMiey disappeared altbgether, and the ice, with its accustomed and erratic rapidity of motion, enciroled the two ships so closely that they were soon oompletely beset. perfectly helpless s&te, although strenuous efforts were made to free themselves, by boring through the ioe 'iè^ ■ 1918.] «OUOHLÏ HANDHD BY THB lOK. 101 uve will give some faint idea reffnr WiMed Ihat thé C^f ï, tT T° "ï '°"*"- ""• ^ tinuedforeighthouwSJIwJ 7*" ^*^'» *^°"«'» «"" It WM during thi8 besetment in the pack that the Lv^jSï.iYi,., 4^' >,,> 102 LIFE OP SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. ships reaoMd their most northerly position, but, in con- «equenoe of the thiek state of the weather, it was only aaoertained by dead reckoning; and as there was an unfortunate diflFerence in the calculations of the two vessela, the Dorotliea oomputing the latitude to be 8o* 31', and the Treni making it 8o* 37', the mean of the two résulta, viz., 8o* 34', was the Ughest position olaimed. Captain Buchan now resolved to examine the edgç of the ice to the westward, having so signally, and m - repeatedly, ^ed in ail his efforts to advanœ either îà *' a northerly or easterly direction. No sooner had this détermination been' made known, and the neoessary orders for acting upon it been issued, than the two ships were caught in a furious gale Ôf wind, which neoessitated their resorting to the desperate expédient of taking shelter in the pack, a step that can only be justified as an extrême measure, and as offering the sole chance of escapfog destruction. In order to protect his ship from the heavy ice floes that skirted the pack, and through which he must neoessarily pass, FrankUn,' fuUy aUve to the perilous nature of his oontemplated action, gave orders to eut up one of the largest hemp cables, in lengths of about thirty feet ; thèse pièces, with some walrus hides and iron pbtes, were then plaoed round the outside of the ship to act as fendere so as to protect the hull from the huge fragments of ice with which it would hâve to corne into contact. He also gave orderfe for the masts and other spars to be secured with additional tackles, and ail hatohways to be battened down. Bverything beîng in readiness, Franklin, in a loud clearvoice, ordered the helm to be put up, and the brig in obédience^ the action flew round and ilnnhnd bofor» the gale towards the paok, which presented "one un- WU.} SIÎKK SHÏLTIJII m THE PAOK. . «j ^ ii-e of farioo» breakera, in which iinmau» pièce. "d. « uproT «d noU, c„pf^^, ^l ^^^^ by th. p>.p, though j^™p in hi. a„t„,p^ ^^ ^ .ad decm™ n^per. Ab the brig dS Jp^ '^i and broueht her l!! «'7 • ^* ^noualy «gainât her stem, .bout twice her own dSiolÎ "' *" " ^'^^ "'^«^ By nULipi mor. «dl. Franklin .„co.eded ip p„.biBg -..iwiïMhwliila 9fi^*> •'V^- 104 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. his vessel farther into the pack, and this greatly improved their situation. In about four hours the gale moderated, the swell subsided, and the weather clearing, those on board the Trent were much relieved by seeing their oonsort not far from them, for great appréhensions had been felt during the gale conceming her safety. They soon asj^rtained by signal that she had also suffered veiy sevorely in her enoounter with the ioe, ^^and was in a s<^ewhat crippled condition. On the foUowing moming open water was reached, and the two battered ships, in a leaky, disabled, and almost sinking state, sought refuge in Fair Haven, in order to ascertain the ezteni of their injuries, and, if possible, repair their damages. The Trent though seriously damaged had sus- taine^i less injury than the Dorothêa, which latter ship had i|ie greater part of her timbers broken, besides severai of her beams sprung. The larboard side of the ship, it was foond, had been forœd in by constant collisions with the ioe; the spirit-room, which was in the centre of the ship, was orushed in ; while the casks stowed in the hold were actually stove ! It is hardly possible to imagine how the ship, after sustaining sucb serious injuries, was capable of remaining afloat. As it was qmte out of the question that the Doro- thea in her présent condition oould again risk an encounter with the ice, but must either retum to England, or be abandoned, Franklin tried very hard to be allowed to pft>oeed Ibne, in the Trent, in the exécution of the service on which they were engaged; but as his vessel was in nearly as unseaworthy a condi- tioii as her consort, Oaptain Buchan wisely dedined to entertaîn the request, giving as ^ reason that thê Dorothea was not in a fit state to undertake the voyage 1818.] RESULT8 OF THE VOYAGB. 105 to England unless JMXsompanied by another vessel. In conséquence of thé unserviceable condition of the two shipfl, it WM reluctantly, but prudently, decided, to abandon aU further attempts at diacoveiy, and to retum to England as soon as the vessels coujd be repaired and made seaworthy. Indeed, any other couree would hâve been as unwîse as it would be hazardous. During their stay at Fair Haven, FrankUn was busily oocupied, not only in superintending the repairs of the Trmt, but also in surveying and projecting a plan of the anchorage and adjacent ialands, and also in assisting Mr. Fisher to determme the geographical position of the place. The Hhips put to sea on the 3oth August, and after making a cursory examination of the ice to the northwaid and westward, steered homewards; after a somewhat long and anxious passage, they leached Deptford on October 22nd, and were paid out of commission on the i4th of the foUowing month. The reeults of this voyage were of a négative kind; the expédition examined about the same extent of the pack edge as did Phipps in 1773, and found the ice equaUy as impénétrable as he did. It was, however, the first expédition sent to the Arctic régions during the présent century, and it was the forerunner of those subsequenUy despatched by England in search of the north-west passage. Thus ended this plucky attempt to reach the North Pôle, in which everything was achieved that human skiU, perseyeranoe, and courage oould, under the peculiar cir- cumstances, hâve eflfected. i)anger8 and difficulties of a Dovel and a terrible descrip tion, w^re suooessfuUy gmp _ ^éd with, and hardships and privations of no ordinary kind, were uncomphiiningly endured by that smaU but â^ f^>>'W «vT-s-i i I { I I I I I . I J : t I I i I ! I I. J ! t I I I I i I I 1 100 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. heroic bafid that sailed under the leadership of Buchan and Franklin. The failure to reach a high latitude was due to that vast barrier of ioe, whioh bas always proved an insuperable obstade tp advance in a çortherly direc- tion in the neigbbourhood of Spitsbergen. Tbis great belt of impénétrable ioe, bas been invariably met with by ail, in- a greater or less degree, wbo bave endeavoured to push northwards, and it haa 6o far suocessfully defied pénétration. One most importai^t result of this expédi- tion, was the experienoe gained by Franklin in Arctic ezploratioh, for it was during this voyage that he won bis spurs as a Polar explorer, and gained that insight into ioe navigation wl^icb subsequently proved of in- oitiinable value to bis oountry and to the science of geograpby. P- CHAPTER Vin. ^ '. ■ ^^^^^UN'S FIRST LAND yoùkNEY. 1819-182J. Ye marute worthie^ beyond na^.e. of Zthinennef tk.North Pôle. „d th.«Afe™m«;/S'tS 1 "^"^ for ^.w«. p.^ „ far ftT tl^^rf^ «PP««d to rtimuUte th.^Z^ ^ ^'' '""'^"• M«onmthe«ni.dhL? *»«™»«»t mlo renewed' OMwJ, and wittrrmh . ir.Tr °°"""'<™> »nd d» ^ in ^n^a of's i^d'ipTit: 108 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [ièi9- Lieutenant liddon being placed in oommand of tlie last- named ship. Tbey sailed on the iith of May 1819, with instructions ^to proceed up Baffin's Bay, and se endeavour to reach the Pacific, through any channel or opening that might be disoovered to the westward. The other expédition, although it was in a measure intended to act in oonjunction with Lieutenant Farry, was of a totally différent character, for it was organised with the object of penetrating by land to the Arctic Sea, at or about the month of the Coppermine River ; thence it S^ras to trace the shore of the north coast of America in an easterly direction, and, if oiroumstances should admit, to act in concert with Commander Parry, in the event of falling in with that offioer. In the choioe of leaders for thèse two expéditions, it is not surprising to find that Franklin should be the one selected for ihe oonduot of that which ihust, of necessity, be of a particularly arduous and perilous nature. He had now made a name in the scientific world, and he had also established a réputation for him- self in the navy as an acoomplished, skilf ul, and energetic officer. That such a man was not permitted to remain long inactive is not to be wondered at, especially when work of such a congenial nature as geographical ex- ploration was to be undertaken. The man who had braved the éléments' in their fiercest moods, and who had faced death in many forms in ail parts of the world and under varions conditions, was not likely to remain unemployed when such interesting and bazar- dons service as exploration in high latitudes was re- quired to be carried oui Who so fit to undertake the r«onduet of such an expédition as John l'ranklin? and who ^80 compétent to conduot an enterprise requiring Il ] £kls>,f^ 1822.] FRANKLIN'S COMPANIONS. 109 courage, energy, and abiUty as the late talented com- mander of the Trent 1 It waa, theref ore, almost a fore- gope conclusion, when thé expédition was dedded on, that it should be intrusted to the guidanoe of Lieutenant Franklin. The qnly wonder is, that he was not promoted to the nmk of commander in order to lead such an important enterprise ; for, in spite of his excellent ser- vices in the junior branches of the navy, he had, at the time of his appointment to the command of the proposed expédition, served no less than eleven years in the grade of a lieutenant, eight of which had been actual service in a ship at sea. With Franklin was associated Dr. John Richardson, a surgeon in the royal navy and a gentleman of considér- able sdentifio attainments; also Messrs. Geoi^ Backand Robert Hood, Admiralty midshipmen, both of whom were aocomplished artista Mr. Back had already seen service in the Arctic régions, having served with Franklin in the Trent, in which ship he had displayed so much zeal and abiUty, that his old commander had no hésitation in selecting him to take part in an enterprise which, he was . well aware, would prove both tiying and hazardouç. They were adcompanied by John Hepbum, an old man-of-war's man, as their sole attendant. It was to the exertions of this gallant feUow that some of the memb^s of the e^dition, during the latter part of their journey, under Dmne Providence, owed the préservation of their Uve& He was a splendid spécimen of a British sailor, steady faithful, willing, always cheerful, and possessing bulldog tenaoity of purposa Jtt m urt ^j^ be forgotten that, at this time, the-- northera coast of North America, from Icy Cape north of Bering's Strait, as far as Hudson's Bay to the east» ffî*^ 'uS»iâSS^ nk^ K ^ 110 LIPB OP 8IR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1810. WM procidcaUj un^nqwB. In two places onlj had the veil been lifted along the northem sKore of Arctic Ame- rica; thèse geographical feats w^^e aocompliâhed ify two officiais of the Hudson's Bay" Company, Messrs. Hearne and Mackenrie, whp, at diflPerent timS, had successfully worked their way to the coast, aa«i Vho were the only white men who had ever beheld ÎÉe Àrctic Sea from the north coast of America. Wi^^"^ excep- tion of the two positions gained by thèse tsAvellers, a line of coast, extending over eighty degrees ôf longi- tude, was 'an absolute blank on our maps and charta One of thèse explorers, Samuel Heame, had been deepatched from Fort Churchill, a post belonging to the Cotopany in Hudson's B^^ in December 1770, in conséquence of vague repoT^that had, from timé to time, been received from tÊe Iiîdians, relative to the existence of an extepsive sea to the northward. He waa ordered to prooeed to the coast, directirig his route as far as practicable alobg the banks of a large river which was known to flow to the northward, and which had been named the Coppermine, on account of the reports' that had been brought in by the Indians of the discovery of that métal in its neighbourhood. He was also directed to express his opinion on the possibility of using thia «»a, if he suooeeded in reaching it, as a practicable route for the Company's shipg, and to re|)ort further on the territory through which he joumeyed, relative to its capabilities and value as a fur- producing country. He was acoompanied on this expédi- tion by several Indians, who acted as guides ; he was the bnly white man in the part y, and he appears to hâve ht^n^ more or less, in the hands of the natives, being entirefy dépendent on them both for guidance and sustenanoe. 1822.1 BSKIMOS MASSACRED BT INDIANS. m Heame returned to Fort ChurehiU ofter an advento^ ouB journey of nmeteen months' duration, during whiçh time he suooeeded m readung the sea at the mouth 7t the Coppenmne River. Thig position he fixed with a fair amount of aocuracy. oonridering the meaiuiat his disposai Near the mouth of the river they discove«Mi a p«2 - of EskHnos, encamped in their summer tents,^^d peaoe^y engaged in hunting seals and fishing. Under cover df darkiiess thèse poor people were aU brataUy mas- saered by the Indians in their tents, in spite of Heame's eamest pleadings and remonstranoes. It appears that l^a bitter feu4 had e^déted, f^m time immémorial, b^ ^ tween the Indians of the phuns and the Eskîmos of the ooast and that no kpee ^f time had ever been suiB- Pient to heal the breach. A rapid near the spot where thB outrage oocurred was called by Heame Bloody Fall The hardships and privations e^rienced bj He^rne ckm^ this long and remarkable joui^y were verjr Maokenzie made a somewUt simiUr journey in 1 780 to the shores of the PoUir Sea, during which he succeeJ^ fuUy thiced the river that now bears his name to its embouchure. Thèse were the only white men who had tmversed the barren lands of North America northward to the sea; Captain Cook, it will be i^membered, had only succeeded in advancing in his ship a very short distance to the northward of Bering-s Strait in 1776 The instructions that were issued to Lieutenant Prankhn wer^ bnefly, as follows :-He was to proceed Jath the ohject of determining astronomical^ the pôâ- — tions of au capes, headhmds, bays, harbour,. and riv^ and also to sketch in the trend of the coast-line of ^^,. >'hh.''.c -;-'^'-i -. 'P^:a^^ ^ ; '^^''fi'^'!^^^i^p-'!%''V^^ 1 ' lia MFB OP SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [181B. îinr North Amdrica, betweeu the eastern extrein'ity of that», oontinenfe fmd the liouth of ihe Coppermine Çiver. He waa left at liberty to seleot, aocording to ôircumstances, the befit route that would enable him to reaoh the shores of the Arotio Sea in the ^hortest possible time. -fin the adoption of the route to be followed, he was in a great measure to b© govemed by the advice and information he might obtain frûm the offioers of the Hudspn's Bay Coiùpany that he should meet during the course of his wanderings. . Thèse officiais had been re- quested to %fford Lieutenant Franklin ail the assistance in their power towardf promoting generally the success of the enterprise, and espedally in the way of providing him with neceissaries for the joumey, and in procuring an, esoort of Indians to accompany him as guides •hunters, and as a means of protection against the ^^^IskimoB, or any preditory hostile bands of Indians tbat might be fallen in with. Franklin was further directed to deposit any information he might oonsider of importance in oonspicuous places along the coast, for thé guidance of Lieutenant Parry, in the ©vent of that offioer being suocessful in *eaching the Aretio shores oTF North America mth his two ships. He wa» liberally supplied with instruments for determining the dip and^ variation of the magnetio needle and intensity. of the magnetic force, also others for registering the tempéra- ture, and other important meteorological observations. On reaching the mouth of the Coppermine River, he was ordered to institute inquiries relative to the présence of native copper, which, it had been alleged, had been disoovered in the locality, several spécimens having been , ^rou|^t by 1è© IniJmns i» the HudiOT'r^BâypMts."^ He was to endeavour, if practicable, to visit aiid explore 4* ^0 ■# ™w or iaterMtii» lo Ui.^.„ " î «"""««bJ point o» ■>»' «*. «.te obte^Tt^ jrr'*^ "i''°~«»» »» «^no, in OU. Jtl« ,XTu "' ''.°.'"'^' »' It« t^ tt.t ÏHnklin u^^L^ t""^'''*"*'*'- »<* oUy difflcuit, but it W ^ .„ •'»'"'Pli>li »« •m for it mtaUod » joume, th^ 'r k4 y féè; 114 LIFB OF SIR JOHN rRAHKLIN. [1819. aècompany him in the capacity of boatmen whilst ascend- ing the rivers in the Hudson's Bay Territory. More were required, but there was a generd unwillingness evinced on the part of the men to join the expédition, on account of the Bupposed dangerous service on which they would be employed. On the aftemoon of the i6th the Prince of Wales put to sea, and commenced her voyage across the Atlantic to Hudson's Bay. The passage was a somewhat protracted one, for it was not until the yth of Aqgust that Resolution Island, si^uated ofiF the north extrême of the entrance to Hudson's Strait, was sighted. The wind dying away, left the ship drifting about helplessly at the mercy of the strong and variable currents that usually exist in that locality, and they had a very narrow escape from ship- wieck. The circumstance is thus alluded to hy Franklin : — " At half-past twelve we had the alarming view of a barren rugged ehore within a few yards, towering over the mastheads. Almost immediately afterwardfl the ship struck violently on a point of rocks projecting from the island ; and the ship's side was brought so near to the shore, that pôles were prepared to push her off. This blow displaced the rudder and raised it several inches. . T. A gentle swell freed the ship from this perilous situation, but the carrent hurried us along in contact with the xocky shore, and the prospect was most alarming. On the outwari bow was perceived a rugged and précipitons cliffL whose summit was hid in the fog, and the vessel's head was pointed towards the bottom of a small bay into which we were rapidly driving.' There now seemed to be no proba- bility of escaping shipwreck, being without wind and having the rudder in its présent useleas state." At this moment, however , the ship agaln struck in passing over a ledge of rocks, and by a curious and luoicy ooincidenoe, the sopond shook had the effect of 1822.] THE SHIP ENTERS HUDSON'S STRAIT. 115 rèplacing the rudder, and renderma if « • l«f, however, made but Uttle progrew STik * •r^ the ..«p a.d ™gged «"« „T::^ 2'*'«' «peoted ev.,3, a,„„,„t „, .Je J^ ^. «»' tbej Fortunatelv this nnrf.n.,1 j "*"* «o »>y the board. ™.ble to keep her f Jrf waterb"^' '""'*" '»" .nd tbe offl«„ -a ,«»»;:r;e^ ^i"^- to keep her afloaf. f^ K0I-. Ti. ""«geo, m order tf "c* (uioac, W) baie the watar nnf ^«vu l 1 On the moming of the 8th, ZZ^T^ î'*'' suchanextent, that up^ardsotZel^t^ ^"^ *^ thehold. LuckaythecarpeltirrlTleT'^" some of the damaged parte • tZI ^ *®* ** patchs «p. and a'^ilCn; dZ?^ ^^"^^ Srr/' the inju^d part ^li^ZZ^rl^^' the mflux of water wa« maierially diminishS ^^' leaks eventuaUy mastered. "»™«»isûed, and the On the evening of the loth, the ship entered ir.,^«. > Stmt. and without any hindmnoe C^ S without even seeing any-reacCi. o "'«~«'deed _ thefollowingday, wheJthe^„*^%';^? ^^^^ for the purpose of bartering ^ 1 IL '" ^°"" came down with theirllfidJL ^ ? Eskimoe, who qnmw u f Ml, KiUri ^i^x^:: TT. ^™^' b «mm » . «" eompelled to rt«loh orer to tt. T fV"""*- "-V »•« •» "pWi-. tbe .hip™;:^ tt^'-t'^ '" > ^i ■'^'- -wn'i. v_i^ltJnXt ,^tf. i m 11« LI^B OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1819. Digges Islande were passed, and on the 3oth the Prince of Walea anchored off York Factory, where the mem- bers of the expédition landed. Hère they obtained from the Hudson's Bay Company the use of one of their large transport beats, in order to enable them to continue their joumey, for with the amount of stores, &c., they were compelled to take, the ordinary mode of travel- ling in canoës was quite out of the question. They were also fortunate enough to secure the services of an ezperi- enced steg rsman ; the remainder of the crew was com- posed of the men hired for the purpose at Stromness. The boats in use by the Hudson's Bay Company for the transport of their goods on the rivers and lakes in their Territory, are called York boats. They were (and even are, for the same description of boat is in use w the présent day) constructed as lightly as possible, wittfîl view to navigating shallow rivers, and were oonsequently of exceptionally light draft, barely drawing, when loaded with a heavy cargo of furs, more than about twelve inches of water. They were, and continue to be, exten- sively used in oonveying the peltries and necessary stores from one trading post to another. They are about forty feet in length, sharp at both ends and very full amidshipS) requiring about nine or twelve men as,» crew. When the rapids are not toc fierce, thèse boats when un- loaded, can be dragged and pushed along with pôles; but where the rapids are, from their velocity, impas- sable, the cargoes hâve to be landed, and, with the boats, «•portaged" round the if alla. This, with such unwieldy orôft, iB oftentimes ez^essively laborioùs.' Qoing down """^^ë^,KMtSmWAti^(a^^^6^i!^âi,^vj Sre p*ôpëllêd%^ cars ; but when punmin^ their course against the current, they are invariably tnoked by the orew, who, walking ta*' - I 18211] ROUHCSELECTEDPORLANDJOURNEY ,,7 ing thèse boate f«/if ^%^^^ mmute in describ- fVl '^"'P^^^ accomplished the greater part of th^ journey towardà the Arctic Océan ^ ^ promote the success of th! «T P***^' '^'^ *° «"«Pe», th. wnUr «f tba.. p,g„ i,„, ^^^ •!• <*'•', .i?.'t; i. V 118 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1819- The voyage thus far was not altogether devoid of exciting incident or danger, for on the 2nd of October Franklin had a narro^ escape of losing fais life by drowning, having accidentally lost bis footing whilst standing on a rock endeavouring to force the bçat up à rapid ; falling into the river, he waa rapidly swept away in the swirling torrent In conséquence of the rocks being wom smooth by attrition, the resuit of the action of the water, his efforts to regain the bank were ineffectuai, and he was carried down the stieam for a considérable distance. Fortunately he succeeded, after a time, in arresting his progress by grasping the branch of a willow, and he was eventually rescued from his perilous and critical position by some of the Hudson's Bay people, who hurried to his assistance. On arrivai at Cumberland House, he foundj to his great mortification, that the guides, huntei-s, interprétera, reeently, followed along the nine ro&d that was traveraed by Franklin and hii companions ; traokilg up the lame riverg, paddling over the same lakes, breasting the nme rapids, and transporting his light biroh-bark canoë and neoeaury impedimenta, along the satpe portages orer vhioh they tranaported tiieir more oombersome boatand heavier cargo. He can teitify to the excellence of the aketches that were taken by aome of the members of the expédition (one of which, Tront Falls, il hère reproduceà) of various parte of the route, and of the faithfnl aoouraoy of the description of the country through which' they tra^elled. Thia description, written lerenty yeara ago, is now so applicable to the oountxy reeently vîsited by the writer, that it might hâve been written yeaterdayl The running aurveyvof the rivera asœnded by the expédition was oarded out by Lieuteuant Franklin and his assistants, and remains unaltered and unoballenged pn the maps of the présent day. ^' It may be interesting to remark that at No(way House, the writer found a sundial in the exaot position that Lieutenant Franklin had plaoed it in the garden of the Ohief Faotor at that poat in 1819. Ou _lhe leaden dial plate is engraved the initiais^ J,H^F,, whiebr it 4a^ asierted, wiui the wotk of Sir John Franklin's own hands, nnd ther» is no reaaou to doubt the aoeuraoy of the assertion. \ 1822.] uidii, iind thera PUSH ON-T-O FORT UHIPEWYAN. 11» &c whose services he hoped to obtain. were not to be had for any consideratfon. He, therefore, resolved to ^erf^ ' 1^ °" '^' '^°^^ °f I-^« Athabasca, where. he was informèd, there would be no difficulty in obtain.ng the services cf. men who were intimately TH« MPIDITIO» MAKINQ A POBTAOB BOUNO TBOUI FALU. acquainted with the nature and resources of the country lying to the northward of the Great Slave Lake. In aooordanoe with thia resolution, leaving'Dr. Biehard^n and Mr. Hood to pass the winter at Oum- torland House, Franklin, aocompanied by Mr. Back and Hepbum started on the i8th January 1820, with a couple of dog-sledges, and with only fifteen Jays' prB walked. Up to the period when the e:^)edition went into winter quarters at Fort Enterprise, ^they had travelled a dis- tance of over 1500 miles. While some of the party were engaged in building the houses in which to pass the winter, others were em- ployed on hunting-parties in order to 'procure; game for their subsistence during the winter, and also for their requirements during the spring travelling. There was, fortunately, no lack of f resh méat, as large heixls of rein- deer were frequently found grazing along the shores of the lake. The officers during this time were, of course, well occupied, chiefly in the gênerai superintendence of the work and in organising the hunting-partiefi, and also in the examination of the adjacent oountry, with a view of ascertaining the direction that would afford the best facilities for making good progress when the travelling season began. During one ôf thèse expéditions the t)oppermine Biver was reached. By the i5th September ail parties had retumed to Fort Enterprise, and the neoessary préparations for """passing ^e wiuterwere inad& 0tt lii© 6», d» tto «frt, i, «* CTw^'^Sr^ ""^ '•" '»' ■W™^ by the wav tW ^™* Iwtead of Sound, M,da,.n»p«W^^,,*^ "P ■*^« Point IW^ rS. Tî'"- '^ "•«B'i» bft ---..u:.-^^^-td'Trj: I Il 180 |>IFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1819- themselves with one meal a day, and , iiûB ccmsisted of a small amount of dry and mouldy pemmican. On the 24th they suooeeded in killing three very lean and Bcraggy deer; but beggars oannot afford to be choosers, and tbis addition to their larder was botb welcome and acceptable, more especially as tbey had already oon- sumed their last remaining meal of pemmican. On tbe followîng day, after an ezdting nm before a gale of wind,. in which bol^ canoës nearly foundered, they left the eeei, and entering the month of Hood's Biver, en- campéd that night as high as the first rapid. Thus terminated their voyage on the Arctio Océan, on which they had sailed over 650 geographical miles ; but their troubles and their sufferings did not cease when they tumed their backs upon the sea ; indéed, they can barely be said to hâve commenced. Finding the canoës too heavy and unwieldy for their mode of tra- velling, eepedally as the rapids were numerous and the portages long, two smaller boats were construoted out of the materials of the larger ones; having thus reduced their weights and discarded ail unnecessary stores, books, &0., which were oarefully deposited in a cache, they suo- oeeded in making better progreas. Asoertaining that Hood's Biver trended too muoh in a westerly direction, and being also somewhat diffioult of navigation, they quittedits banks on the 3rd of September, and tra- velled as nearly as they could in a straight Une towards their wished-for goal and haven, Fort Enterprise. Henceforth the joumey had to be performed almoet entirely on foot over a stony and barren oountry, but cArried thdr oftiioe»~iHth yiffl&Hb&-^e-ei having to cross any lakes or rivera that might lie in thflir route, or that flowed in the right direction. On ^^0T 1822.] DISTTŒSSING CONDITION OF THE PABTY. 13, wew even destitute of the means of makiL^TJ^ "mained in bed the whole Zl 'S.Tt^^l^' '^'^ this time WM aa low as 20' aJ^^ , ^"^P^^^*^ at in ,JÏÏlT ^ , ^ ^^ '^®"" *«»»Mt the cold On tmeifm. rtniok and th« mreh resumed. SoTfar. For »m. d.^ «U th,y had to mbeiat J7Jl Iid,„ r»-"^ P«*ridge d,ot by the i.nL. M^3" ^«. m .„oh . tejiy „„„diti„„ „^^^^ g ••wreboweloomplaint.," "^'"^ "' *•"• I«*y, prodaetef # ^i3Uri. ït|,'.* . r 182 LirE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1819- The event is tbùs alluded to in Franklin's narr&tive of the joumey : — - ** Ajwnt noon the weather deared, and to onr great joy we 8aw a herd of muak-oxen grazing in a valley below va. The party instantly halted, and the beat hantera were sent eut They approached the animais wlth the atmoât caution, no less than two hours being consumed before they got within gunshot » In the meantime we beheld, their piocëedinga wlth extrême anxiety, and many secret phiyers were, doubtless, offered tJp for their success. At length they opened thçir fire, and we had the Batisfaction of seeing one of the largest cows fall ; another was wounded, but escaped. Thia succeas infused spirit in our starving party.' To skin and eut up the animal was the work of a few minutes. The contents of its stomach was devoured upon the spot, and the raw intestines, which were most attacked, were prbnounced by thç most délicate amongst us to be excellent. This was the sixth day since we. had had a good meal. The tripe de roche, even where we got enough, only serving to allay the pangs of hunger for a short time." This provid.ential supply of food revived their droop- ing spîrits, but death stared them in the faoe in more ways ihan one, and Franklin himself had a narrow eBcape of his jife, being capdzed whilst attempting to cross a rapid in their crazy oanoe; his eacape indeed was almost miraoulous. By this accident he had the misfortune to lose his journal, and the numerous and valuabl^ Boientifio observations he had made sinoe the departure of the expédition f rom "Fort Enterprise. In order to lighten their burdens, eveiything but the clothes that were actually on their backs, their guns and mmition , «id the insta f ume ntaiieeess ar y fer de tw^ mining their position, were abandoned, and rewards in money were offered to those who were suooessful in A ',%-^k ^ Aklin's narrative * . law.] MISHAP TO DR RICHARDS0N. ,„ we are told were somewhat allayed by eating pi^ the follomng day they supped oflF trij>e de roche Z on the next day had nothing at ail > ' On^e 2i8t the r«maining canoë was irrepaiably d«.^ and was therefo^ a^doned as useless Ww a deer that had been devom^d by wolves the privions Tth! Î?. T "^^ °"^^ '°^ «^«y bal thaï Tay ^«.e asth they fortunately succeeded in shooting fi^ «mail deer ont of a herd; and, two days ^\Z, were lucky enôugh to find the putrid «axiseTl dtr that had fallen into the cleft 6f a rodr^rl • spring. We are infom^ed thatVe S^stres^oT^^ ammal, whiçh had beçn scattered over the Lr r'""^tS^ ^«e*^- by the .o^Xf h^alt^^:: atte^pti^g to swi. ll:\ht"al!fLt'l» rn^:h\r''' ^'^^''^■^ -^ -t^biishinno^:^: ; cat^n with the opposite bank, in order that tH« Z mander 6f the party nUght crL. ' He Js ,1^'^ ^„ shor^ m an ahnost lifeles. condition. annexW^!fiC fandled for the pu^K^a He gmlually recove^ ^° «poeed l u m too sudd enly to the hA.». Pa««jl - ^ . . "\ •4 ,: « r V Va S' '. *1 „,•.- isi •i^ LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. _/- [1819- \ deer killed the preceding year were found, and although {bhey had been pi<^ed clean by the wolves and birds, tne spinal marrow still remained, and this, though in\a partially deoomposedtate, waâ regarded as a valable prize by the starving party. *The marrow was so amnd as to.exooriate their lips and mouths. On the . 4th ci October affaire -were so serions that Mr. Back, the most active and vigorous of the party, volunteo^' to mak^ his way as speedily«s possible to Fort Enter- prise, in\order to give information regarding the help- less condition of his companions, and to send the chief Akaitcho and his Indians, whom he hoped and expected. to find at the fort, back t» their succour and assistanf». With this. humane object in view he started off at\ once, aocompanied by three of the most robust of the Voyageurs. The remauotder of the party plodded wearil]^ af ter. Mr. Hood at this time was ezceësively feeble, consé- quent on l^he seveVe bowel oomplaints which the tripe de roche never failed t*^ give him. This diet was oocasionally varied by old riioes and whatever scraps of leather could be obtained. Some of the men being even, if possible, in a worse state, and so weak as to be almoet nnable to proceed, it was deeided that Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood should remain behind to look after them, while Franklin, with the remainder of the party, should puah on to Fort Enterprise, twenty-four miles distant, and endeavour to obtain relief. This was considered as the wisest disposition of the party that could be suggested, and was aocordingly acted upon. The seaman Hepbum, with four Oanadians, namely Michel, Bélanger, Crédit, 4md- V aill ant^ were 1^ -wife^K^JB dta i dt w B, amÉ^ tfay^ were soon after joined by another voyageur named • fdi 18M.] NO SUPPLIES AT FORT ENTERPRISE. 185 Perrault, who, startingwith Franklin, found himself too weak to prooeed,- and therefore retumed. On the ixth October, Franklin, with his more than half-starved oompànions, after a long and painf ul joumey of five days' duration, during whioh time the only food that pasMd tKfeirKpswa. some old shoe-leather and a Kttle hipe de roche (for ôven the latter form of diet was "carce and not easUy obtainabl»), reaohed Fort Enterprise- where they fuUy expected that their sufferinga would end, and that they would be able to despatoh roUef to their more helpless oomradeB. Their feelings msy be better imagined than desoribed when, on their atrival they found a perfeotly deeerted habitation-no tracée of Akaitcho and the Indians they expected to find, and with whom they had ammged for supplies, and not a BCTap of food to be found, not eW a letter to inform them of the whereabouts of the indians. There was however, a short, hmtiedly written note left by Mr' Baok, who had reached the house two days previously mfonnmg them that he had started in searish of the Indians, and in the event of his failing to find them it^was his intention to walk on to Fort Providence! whence, at any rate, he hoped he would bQ able to send help and suocour to the remainder of the expeditiop • but a significant danse iii the note added, that he muoh questioned whether he and his party, in their weak and debilitated state, would be able to aoaim- plish the joumey. Thw was a terrible blow to Franklin and those with hun, for they weU knew that assistance, if it was to be obtained from Fort Pr ovidence, would be long inMfwjfc yageur named taftlHïBi, and they were fully aware that immédiate aid was absolutelyjieoessary for. their salvatioa Theywere, .ft^ ,, ^'«l*r- ' " -Slfe^* »t.'.■-.^•• 'T-»! 1 I II 186 MF» OP SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. "(1819- howevep B«aewh»t relieved by finding aome old deer- sfans^which had been thrcmn awi^ hy them d^g the preoedmg wuiter, and which, with oome old bonea that were raked up from a»e dirt-heap, and the addition of a umetnpe de |acft«, would serve to prolong exiatenoe for a féw days. iLt thia time the température was ranging from 15* to ao* below zéro. Jhe condition 'of thèse poor feUowb waa now truly diatr^^ng. They. were «, weak and emadated as to be unable to move exoept for « few yarda at a time: they werje afflicted with flweUings in tbeir joints, limbs, and other parte of û^eir bodies; their eyeballs we^ ddated; they spoke with hoUow sepulchral voices; and th«r mouths were raw and excoriatod, the resuit of the fa^ on which they had subsisted. The story of the «oflFenngs endured bythis party is one of the most harrowing on record It is impossible to imagine, much ^ less descnbe, the terrible hardshipe and privations they expenenced, borne as they were with manly fortitude and Ohnstian résignation. rfthe Indians. from whom alone relief could be obtained. Fmildm started with the intention of looking for them tafang with him two men. The other three were quite unable tomova On the following day^e had the mis- fortune to break his snow-shoes, which necessiteted his return to Fort Enterprise. The two men, however, ' went on by themselves in search of the Indians. The The httlo strength remaining to them was deolining day by day; when once seated it was only by exerting the ^gr^ t effort they could ri»- ^adthen only with the^ ««UBtanoe of one of their equaUy helpless companiona p*'. - ■ ii ,. -âkt, ^■'1 1822.] » oompanionai MURDBR AND OANNIBALISM. 187 ^ in thi. w«tched condition a henl of reindeer wi» «zddenl^ i^en one evéning dose to the Jn^ -The owwmt moon» Md orùnioa erl 8h«,ewith.n.u^jU^„^t The d6er upon the gr»My ni,ad Were foeding fuU in «ight . " «««■ . H W. o» wo. «d hZTw .ï™'?^ "^^ **• * ndu. h! T^ "" °"°P gathering *v 4,*^iijàfâ^«"*,,4i,ui, . V .Vv'fc, > 118 LIFK 0# 8IB JOHN FRANKLIN. [1819- y Buoh a threateniog and domineexing manner, that, under the oiroamstanoes, the Doctoi^ fait folly justified ih àa- priving thif monster in human form of life. , This was the dreadf ul and moumf ul etory they had to tell, and it was one that naturally produced a melancholy feeling of despondenoy in the minds of Franklin and . his party. Tfaej Were ail mnoh shooked at beholding the emaoiated and haggard appearance of the Dootor and his oompanion, who weie, however, in no worse condition, if Bo bad, than they wère themBelvea Hepborn having < had the good Iode to shoot a partridge before reaohing the post, it was held before the fire a |eK. QÛnates, then divided into six equal, portions and ravenously devoured. It was the first morsel of flesh that had passed their lips for thirty-one daysi AKhough herds of reindeer were frequently seen in close prozimity to their quarters, and were even fired at on several occasions, they never suoceeded in killing one, and they were far too weak to go in pursuit. On the evening of November ist, one bf theii: party, Peltier, succumbed. to starvation, and he was fqllowed thé nezt evening by Semandré, another of the voyageura The united strength of the party was unequal to in- terring, or even remdying, the corpses of their two oom- panions, and the bodies had therefore to remain in the houee, and in the same position in which the poor feÛows had breathed their last. The party was now reduced to four, viz., lioutenant Franklin, Dr. Richardson, Hep- born, and a Oanadian, named Adam, ail in a state of great extrëmiiy. As their strength declined, so their «A&ited-^mptoms of weak ne gft an d dec a y ,-ai^ they feared their intellects were going. But their deliveranoe was at hand. On th& yth November, whw :/ ■çj^yî-; \^ 1822.] RELIEVBD «Y THE INDIAN8. 189 ovember, yrhen. they had almost made up their mindg that death must speedily releaw them fvom their terrible sufferings, three Indians unexpeotedly made their appearai^oe, having beau despatohed by Mr. Baok, with ail possible speed, to their Buoootir. They brought with them some dried deer'B méat and a few-tongues, which being plaoed before the fàmished' party, it- is needlçes-to My, was eagerly and greedily devoured ; but' the feeling that they wére saved, that deliverance from a long and painfiil death had aotually arrived, aot^ with even more behefifdal effects than the fèod that was thus providentially provided for them. It undoubtedly saved the life of Adam, whose death, prior to the arrivai of relief, was momentarily ezpected. From this date their safferings may be said to hâve terminated. Ile Indians not only procured game and* fish, but watohed over them with tender carç, and 'ministei«d to their 'Wants and comfort. On the i6th Noveinber, their health and strength having been sufficièntly resuscitated, they took their departure from Fort Enterprise. Their feelings on quit- ting this plaoe, where théy had ezperienced a degree of miseiy scarcely to be paralleled in histoty, most bave been indescribable. Nothing conldpexoeed the kindness of their attendant Indians, who prepared the encamp- ments, obtained food, cooked it, and even fed them, while treating them at ail times with the greatest tendemess and solicitude. At length, on the iith Peoember, the poor waywom and soffering travellers reached Fort Providence, where they once«iagain experi» enœd the agreeable sens a^n of being^ in a oomfortable dweîling and in the enjoyment of oolnparative luxury, 80 différent to the miseries and hardships they had so 140 UFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1819- n raoently undergone. Four days only were spent at Fort Piovidenœ, and on the i8th they reaohed >Ioo8e Deer >,^^^^ Islflfnd, where they had the happiness of meeting their oompanion Mr. Bnok, without whose energy and petse- veranoe they must inevitably hâve perished. The sufFerings endured by this gallant young officer, during his long and arduoos journey in searoh of aasifet- anoe, were quite eqnal to those of the party he had left behind ; they may perhaps be better imagined when it ifl stated that for many days he and his three inen sub- siflted oA an old pair of. leather trousers, a gun-cover, and a pair of old ahoes, with a little tripe de roche that they suooeeded in scraping ofiF the rocks I On the i6th October, twelve days af ter he had left Franklin and the remainder of the party, one of his three men died from starration and exhaustion. This loss, very naturally, created a feeling of dépression in the hearts of the spr- vivors, but stÛl they persevered, resolutely determined to push^nwards, knowing that the lives ^ the party they had left behind, depended entirely on their exer- tions. On the 4th November they, fortunately, fiflj in with ^ a party of Indians, and were thus able tosend help and suocour to Franklin and his oompanions, as^has already \ been stated, at a ,most oritical moment. Having made the necessary arrangements for the despatch of further supplies, Back pushed on to Fort Providence, which he safely reaohed on the 2ist of November. Hère letters for the expédition were received, knd among them was the weloome announcement of the promotion of their ' gallant leader to the well-eamed rank of odminander, and the advanoMnent of Back and poor Hood to the equally =wdl-deBerved ntnk of lieutettaut. FrmkHn's oommuK^ ■ion to a commander bears date January i, iSai. ••k-?-'' '"n •M ' IMt.] RITUBN TO RNaLAND. 141 The winter wm passed by the memben of the expédi- tion at Moose Deer laland, and, under the circumstanoes, a very pleaMnt and happ|^pne it waa. Nôthing oould ezceed the kindness ^àAiàyîliity of "the Hudson's Bay officiais stationed j |^W j £ and under their cars Franklin ànd hii cpm pj^i^M yally recovered their usual health and ^^°l|^^^^ 26th May they teft their hospitable quarters^^jl^e Deer Island, fmd ▼isiting Fort ChipewyaÔ dPtheïr way, reached Norway Houfle on the 4th July. Ten dayg later jbhey arrived at York Factory, thus brînging to a conclusion their «long, fatiguing, and diaastrous" wanderinga in North America, in acoomplishing which they had jourûeyed by land imd by water, a distance of 5550 geogmphicat miles. , On their arrivai in Èngland 'Coûimaiider Pranklfii was îmmediately promoted by the Admiralty to the rank of captain, in récognition of his extraonlinary and eventfui joumej^, in the accomplishment of which he had disphiyed so much abiUty, courage, and energy. His captain's commission was datéd îîovembeçin^Saa. He was, at fdbout the same time, Mjanimoi™^ ^.^ a FeUow of the Royal Society, for his great ^rin- valhable eyertioijs"!n the. «««se of geographical science, whiist condttcting one of the inost remàrkable joumeys that had éver been aol^jâved The histoiy of it Is of such thiilling inter^st that it is ahnost unneoessàry to' offer ai^ apolqgy for having teferr«i to it at such lengthrfat gr^tec len^ perhape, tban is warranted m a w^rk pi^lessing to treat more of geography thàn pf t h g pewo n a l inoid eat» o oi mge t ed w ith thriivar ^r those who, by tiieir dogged persévérance and undaunted coun^, havSB matoriatty «dded to the greatness aad ■uvi.- .'' f .-t !*■ -î >/^-<.' y •.•/■;. ''", < 4_/îa é> ;A 1« LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [isi». prosperity of our oountry. The detailed and officiai narrative, written by the leader of the expédition after lus retum, should be read by ail who appredate a truly heroïc story. told in a modest and unaasuming form. It cannot but fail to impress those who read it with that strong and marked feeling of Christian reliance' m an all-merciful Providence, that self-abnegation and dévotion to those entrusted to his charge, and above aU. that oheerful and reliant disposition which was so con- - spicuous in Franklin, and which stamped him as a bom leader of men. His companion and feUow-suflferer, Dr. Richardson who was intimately acquainted with him, writes of his 'chief in the foUowing terms :— tamed by a rehgious prmciple of a depth known only to hk mo8^t^.nt.mate friends, was not depressi in the most gloomy Sir John Barrow aiso, in référence t^. this marvellous joumey, writes : — » - "It add« anothet^ to the many splendid records of enter- pns^ eeallnd energy of our seamen-of that cool and in- trepidfipnduct which never forsakes them on occasiona the rit^tio!;"t?7 \ "!;*''**" r ^'^^'^y ^"'^ perseveml in ffltuations the most arduous, the most distressing, ancf-some- bmea Uie mort hopeless, that caii befaU human beings ; «nd it fimmhes a beautifal example of the triumph of m^tal and that ont of fifteen indinduala, inured from their birth to cold ^ iSJÏv^"S?^°° ^*" *^ ten (native landamen) wer^ had been habituate«^ a» to give them|elve« up to ^idil^nc^ •Wbordinabon, and despair, and fllklly to sink down and m ■'^~\i'{-- ►r. Richardson, i, writes of his bis marvellouB 1822.] DESCRIPTIOîr r>F FRANKLIN. 148 die ; whilst of five Bntish seamen unaccustomed to the severity of the clunate, and the hardships attending it only éL fj and that one bj the hands of an assaBsin.» ^ "^ ▼^ • In such a well-merited eulojr^, everjr Bnglishman must heartily and cordially concur. Immediately on his retam U> England, Franklin set to work to Write an account of the expédition, which was published the following year. This narrative, sup- plemented as it was by a valuable appendix from the pen of Dr. Richardson, assisted very materiaUy in mcreasing the slight knowledge possessed at that time of the geography, geology, and natuial histoty of the northem portion of North America, and espedaUy with regard to that great extent of coast-line, hitherto piao- tically unknown, that is washedby the watera of the " Polar Sea. Fnmklin's personal „ appearance at this period is thus descnbed by one of his relatives :—" His features and expression were grave and mild, and very beniij- nant; his build thoroughly that of a sailor; his stat,^ rather below the middle height; his look very kind and his manner very quiet, -though not without a certain dignity, as of one accustomed to command others. During the period he was employed in compiling the nairative of his adventuious journey, he was not, appa- rently, prevented from finding some Uttle time to dévote to hw pnvate aflFairs, and especially to oultivating and developmg the friendship «hioh he had formed with the young poetess (see note» page «7 ante), whose acqxuûntr ï^ ^^^***^P"'*' *** *^ «^«P'"*^"* in ï8l8 ih thë — Trmt. So well did he press his suit that he suooeeded m winnmg the young lady's affections, and on the ijth 144 LIFE OP SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1819- of August 1823 Captain Franklin was married to Miss Eleanor Anne Porden. This lady, as has aiready been observed, poasessed great poetic talent, and had pub- lished an epic poem in two volumes entitled " Cœur de Lion." She had also written a olever scientific poem HB8. rRàtauM. (From a painting in tk* pouMtion nf Bêv. John Philip Chtt.) oalled «The Veils," for which she reoeived the unusual distinction (at least for an English lady) of being elected a member of the somewhat exclusive "Institut" of ^axia.^ m Shortly af ter her «cquaîntanoe with Captain Franklin had ripened into friendship, she wrote a little poem, 1822.]. FRANKLIN'S MARRIAGB. 145 kn Philip OUI.) which was published over the nom de plume of « Green rto^ga," in whicl^^ assuming the ch^cter of an Eakimo ngiden, she implores the retum of Franklin to the wild li^th-hmd she joves, where she haa— «. }• ,"®**''®'*^*'>eedaintîe8ino8trare— The wild birda that soar, aud the fish of «e sea, The mooae and the reindeer^the fox and the bew In » Bnow-mantled grotto, I guard them for thee." It is credibly re^rfed that, prior to their marriage a mutual agreement waa made that, under no circum- stances, waa their unioifetp preclude him ÏFrom accepting anj service, no matter how (ferons or perilous it might prove, that might be required of him. His countiy was to be his first love, and his wife must be prepared to aUow him to go wherever duty and his countrv demanded. It is well known how weU and faithfully the compact then entered upon wm, in so short a time, to be put to the test and scrupulously adhered to On the 3rd June 1824 their only chUd, a daughter. was bom, and was named after her mother. Mrs. Franklin's health from this time gra^^ly declined and when Franklin started on his nert expédition, it was only too apparent he would never meet his acoom- plished wife in this wovld again.^ ,#> hi^ an only rirter manried to Mr. Kay, who,e danghte^Zî^klb'; fâTonrite nieoa. Her brother. his nephew enter»^ tJ,«^. j \i ^^^ki;wi^a^AîM^,^.-,'J^l.i.,.^ ..-, ...V ♦ • 1 1 / CHAPTER X. FRANKLIN'S SECOND OVERLAND JOURNEY. 1825-1828. V"' », •< •' Oure the wild lif e in tumult b^I . To range." — î^ Cor$air. Wk wiU now turn to the expédition, under thç command of lieutenant Parry. He waa despatched, it wiU be remembered, for the express purpose of attemptmg the accompliflhment of the north-west passage, by sailing through Baffin's Bay and Lancaster Sound, Franklin having been directed to co-operate with him in the event of their meeting in the Axctic Seas. The ships selected for this service were the Heda of 375 tons, and the Griper of 180 tons, the latter being commanded By Lieutenant liddon. They were equipped and prepared under the direct supervision of Lieutenant Parry, who Bpared no trouble, or pains, in order to render them thoroughly efficient for the important service on which they were to be employed. The expédition left England on the iith of May 1819. On the isth of Jurie Cape FareweU, the southem extre- mity of Greenland, was sighted. The ships then sailed up Davis Strait, and entered Baffin's Bay, where they encountered^muchîce, and éxperienced gi^at diffioalt in forcing a passage through. At length, after much 146 i 1 I i ^ ' l,îïfSïî " Ml».] LIEUT. PARRY-S EXPEDITION. '147 incessant labour, requiring constant and unoeasîng vigilance on the part of the officers, the ships entered Lancaster Sound on the 4th of August, saUing over the 8o^»lled Croker Mountains, which Captain Ross had the previous year, hyp#thetically plaoed acrijss thé entranee.1 Propelled by a fresh and favouiable bweze the ships, sailing in a westerly direction without meeting with ice either of suffident magnitude or quantity to itapede their progress, entered a large strait, which was deservedly named after Sir John Barrow, the Secre- tary of the Admiralty, the indefatigable promoter and supporter of Arotic research.. Hopes ran high as they proceeded, and some even flattered themselves that the north-west passage was almost an acoomplished fact, but their joyful aspirations were soôn to be abruptly'and rudely shattered, for on reaching the neighbourhood of Leopold Island their progresô was arrested by a large barrier of ice which stretched in a soUd mass across the strait, atad appeared to defy pénétration. Seing unable, ^therefore, to proceed any further in a westarly'direction' Pariy tqmed to the southward, and sailed up a hirgé inlet which he named Prince Régent Inlet, when was. observed for the first t^i'the curious' phenomenon of the directive powét of M' fieedle beooming so weak as to be oompletely overcome by t\9 attraction of the ship, 60 that the needle might now Ibe »iid to point to thé north pôle of the ship.» 3Je faclp,g that theyjgre inl^ï"!,*^! *™**' ~'"'«<^ »ith thi. dlKJOTery |ru made k^ inEDgland. .* gav, ri.e to the foUowing .pigrammàtio line»- " P^^ Sin b'd telU m, he » whale had seen. * ^ *s Hke the nintl, tt leeined an iiWd green j But Rom h«a told the convene of thia taie, The land h* aaw waa— «ery likea whale / " iSl^ LIFE" i*,W! ^tfae ^^^0 Poie^\jild its influenc» oh the mât to É^0^ eztent, as i^ i|nder the (iont^ ,^ ig^gish aa Vimoi^ltllmsû^t^j uBeleBf^cIJl^^y '^ 'lere to r^!^ri§, tl^^t^ ''3\>|j|4 jjfelF»^^*'^» bseqaentlj discoyered the ]&>i||^Hagi|èj^o ^1^^ ' It time èéxfing as & n^dsh%iiU!&^p%|)i^i|ji the Heda. * ]^«g)uii stopped by the ioe, th^e ships |«tumed to rard to find, to their intense surprise and I, thaï the barrîer of ice fat Baïrow's Strait whic!b "^t ^affl^ortlj before checked their |>togres8 had altogether disàppeared, leaving abroad clm^el of open water to the westward, in the direction dL^hich the ships were steered. Idght and adverse windf'and fqgs, however, ^tendered their progress slow. Qn 1^ 22nd of August they passed the mouth of what appeaÀtd to be a broad and eztensive inlet to the northward, towhich the name of Welliilgton Channel was given, and>îbn the 3rd'of Sep- temfiet they had the extrême satisfaction of crossing the I loth meridian of west longitude, thus becoming entitled to the^rëward.of ;^5ooo, granted by Farliamént to any person, or ship, who shoula succeed in penetrating so far to the westward jinside the Arotic circle (see page 8o). A iheadland off Melville Island, off» which they were at %he time, was uamed Cape Bounty to commemorate the event. Although they had thus suoceeded with comparative ease in crossing the. iioth meridian of longitude, they found the ice beyond of such {)reclude ail possibility of furthej navigable season h^^d come .|o le ships ib a snug harboj le lïlîmâ, which iiBn^ »wever, the vessels coul / lure as to entirelyV nce, and as the , Farry seciirèd th ooast of Mel- MarboTiic itJefore; " in a position of influenc» oh the^ ' " *■ "^ 1828.] nce, and as the In a position of PARRY'S WINTER QUARTERS. 149 absolute security, it was found necessary to eut a channel ITZ? '^ ""' T ""^ "«'""''y <■' Lieutenant Parry G^nH "" """""'''• •"''^» -" -i"»" ÏÏ ■ icy bondage, Pany explored the country in the vicinitv .of thezrwinter quarters. taking with L. .li^iZ dragged by men, inVhich the proyiHons. t«nt T carriftd TT« u«j x ., ^"«Jwons, tant, &a, were ' <^ed. He had not then commenced the syst^m of Bledgxng whxch he subBoquehtly introduced, Jd^hich poWMChntock Pari7retumedonthei.;thof T„n« havxng tj^velled about ,80 miles, at an avenl d2 progressofftbout^welve^iles It \1\ ^ "^^ n,«w» ♦k„ xil*- /?^^"'*'^''^™"6S. it is a cunous fact that more than thirty years after, -the marks of the wh^k of • bv L^IS^ M vT®*i|?"*« effectively stopped by à^mtenmnable ba^r^ *« thick-ribb'd ice » a! St^°'''^roceedi,^||L gécpaphl^âidly, tha,t I eau, at présent, say very little ^^P^V^C^ curiosky conceming the connection of our ' discovelIpF • y * « I B&m hâve volumes to sây, or write, to you herealter, but do not bé'àlarmed at the suppoeitioa of my expecting volumes —frfflnLyottJn retorn.^ " I shall only add that I am, my deor Franklin, your ever udthful and most aincerely admiring friend, ^ "W. E. Pabei.» â^'f - ■fi^'^l"- ,t. A* «... 1828.] SECOND LAND JOURNEY PKOJECTED. 16» Parry was, for his service while in command of this expédition, promofced to the rank of po8t- scheme «ubmitted by Captain Franklin, who proposed that an expédition, on somewhat similar Unes H» his lasc one, sfiould-be sent to the moutOfthe Mackenae Biver j ther© the party were to divide, aad whUe one portion of it waa to proceed by sea along the r V.Â!,. ^^J' f * ■^'■'' •<, ' 164 LIVJË OF SIR ioHN FRANKLIC [1825- coast to the westward, the remainder would be detached and sent to the eastward, with directions to survey the coast as far as the Coppermine River, and bo oonnect previous discoveries. Nothing daunted by the terrible euffèrings he had so recently expenenced, Franklin sought for, and obtijined, the suprême command of this expédition ; whUe his old friend and companion, Dr. Richardson, who had volun- teered to, aooompany him, was selected to take tsharge of t^e exploration of that portion of the coast alluded to above, situated between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivera Not content with the despatch of thèse two expéditions, orders were sept, to Caiptain Beechey to proceed with H.M.S. Btm^m^ under his commànd to Kotzebue Inlet in Bering's Strait, with the object of meeting Captain Franklin, in the event of a successful termination to his joumey, ahl to convey him and his party to Canton, or the Sandwich Islands, as might seeœ most advisable ; or to carry out any other instructions that Captain Franklin might think proper to issue. Lieutenant Back was again associated with his old chief; and Mr. Kendail, Admiralty mate, who had recently served under Captain Lyon, in Parry's last expédition, formed one of the party.2 Mr. Drummond, on the spécial recommendation of Professer Hooker, , was also appointed in the capacity of assistant natuialist * Ail the détails connedted with the fitting out of the expédition, and even the particular route to be foUowed, » The Blosnm was ai that timà^tationed îfi the Pacific, ubder the cotomand .of Oaptain Beechey, Who «erved as fir.t lieutenant ttnderFranldin when that o ffioer waa in command of the Trent -ia i 8w.- — ' ^ -" — » Mr. Kendail rabMqnently married the fayoorite nièce of Sir John Krankliu, the daaghter of Mr». FranJslin'a only ùater. -#■ ...... ... >iW Edward ParrV and Sir Gçorge Back. r"^***^ «f Col. John Barrow. by termitsifif, of Henry iir»m& Ct>.) •s 11 ■■4 ' m^"' i;n:> s « » < } î o 4 ... vu:- - 1828,] DEATH OF MRS. FRANKLIN. / 1(5 m were left entirely téî€aptain Franklin,, who personally Buperintended the equi^pent, and made the necessary arrangements with the Hudson's Bay Company's officiais for the'oonveyance of his people, stores, and provisions to the Great Bear Laka In accordance with his wishes three beats were specially cppstructed, combining lig^t- . ness ând portabiiity with seaworthiness and stability, with a view of their easy transport over the numerous portages and varions rapids thàt would be met with befoteTOaching the Arctic Sea, on which it was intended they sho/uld be used. The krgest of thèse boats was ^ fwénty-six feet long, and was jâpablô of carrying eight paçple; the other two were each twenty-four feet in lei^gth, and would hold seven men, .^ese boats, with ail the men and .stores required ^ th^ijje^ppdition, were sent out by the annual Hud- Bon's Bay ship «j^g <^ York Factory in 1824, whence thèy weré immediately despatched to the Great(Bèar Lake. The officers of the expédition did not leave Ç*»» England tmtil Febrùary 16, 1825. They w^t out by way of New York, and travelling through the States and Canada, reached Fort CumberlandjX)n the Saskat- chewan, on the isth June. Before, hjfcver, this* stage in their joumey had been accomplisMed, Franklin, to his inèxpressible sorrow, received the mournful intelli- gence of the death of his beloved wi^e, who had breathed J^X last, six short days oplyyaf ter heif husband had bidden ^ f hér %ew^. . This was a great blow to Captain Frank- lin, âlthou^h he was not altog«ther unprepared for the ^trasaing. inteHig^oe, for he wa« well |ware pf the i«. « «^ - i^- .1 . . , ^ Fraaikiin^= S' i ^health prier to'hifl departiu^ from Englabi She was 00 twenty-nine yéwti of ajgç''whei^ shô passed Wyç ried out More the winter set in, Franklin detërmined to lose no time in prosecuting the work entrusted to him. He thereforè, with this object in view, made the follow- ing arrangements, which were duly carried out by the parties concerned. Lieutenant Back, ^ccompanied by Mr. Dease,! was ordered to proceed at once to Great Bear lake (a distance that would take him about four days to accomplish), on the banks of which he was to sélect the site for a house, and immediately to set the men to work on its construction. He waa also directed tb make ail the necessary arrangements for passiBg as comfortable a winter as, under the cireum- stances, ît waa possible to do. Dr. Richardson waa despatched, at his own spécial request, to explore the northem shore of Bear Lake; whilst Fr^klin himself with Mr. Kendall as his companion, starteiJ in 6ne of thé beats, with a crew of six Englishmen, a natite ^uide, and an Eskiœo interpreter,2 for the mouth of the Mackenkie m ordêr to endeayour to obtain inforpition regarding the State land condition of the iœ on thp^rctic Sea •od their proBpecU of ^ushing on the foïl ■■':; 158 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1825- subsequently Franklin reached Fort Good Hope, the most northem Hudson's Bay station in tbe territoty, much pleased with the speed and gênerai handiness of bis iihglish built bôat, in which he had accomplished a distance of nolêss^tban. 312 miles in about sizty bours ; but tbis. rapid travelling was in a great measure due to a fair wînd and a swift fourrent. Fort Gk>od Hope was left tbe foUpwing day, and the sea was eventul^Uy reached on the i4tb. Captaîn Franklin bears testimony to the gênerai accuracy of Mackenzie's survey. Some of this traveller's positions werOj'ît' is true, found to be some- what at variance with those determined by Franklin, but the différences in latitude and longitude were ascribed to aie possibility of their having been laid down by magnetic bearingç, and not by astronomical obserya- tions. Franklin pays a just and gen&com Ijribute to the energy, courage, and skill shown by Mackenzie during bis at>duous and trying joumey. During fcheir voyage down the river they met several parties of Indien»» .with ail of whom they had friendly intercourse, • and ^*6m whom they received small supplies of fresh provisiipnâ, ^Ithough at first they were somewhat shy ai^ suspicious at the unezpected appronch and appear- aâ<^ of the white men. The sea, to their great joy, was found to be entirely free of ice, •^^ile " sfeals and black ànd white whales were sportingon its waves." Altogether it was a sight that glâddened their hearts, as it gave Hse to hopeful antièi- pîations of ultimate success. >^ On reaching the coast a silk Uonn Jack, worked by the weak and feeble fingers of bis sick wife, was ynfurlffid. Thia flag waa givwn hn bar hnoVwinr^, n« h(\ was oii the point of leaving England, with strict injurie- % 1828.] HIS WIFE'S FLAG UNFURI^BD. " 16» tiens that it was not fcô be displayed until the expé- dition had reached the Polar Sea. When Franklin ' Bade her farewell it was with the conviction that the hand of death was upon her, and that he should seé her no more in this world; but obedient to the call of hiecountry, and exhorted by her own eamest pleadîngs that he should proceed on^ the important, though dan- gerous, service for which he had been selected, wlAhis heart overflowing with feeUngs of sorrow and despond- ency, he accepted the gift, assuring his wife that hé should not fail to think of her when he planted it, as he fait sure he wôuld, on the wild and ihhospitable shores of the Arctic Sea. It must therefore hâve been with mingléd feelihgs of jo^^^nd sorrow, thaf he saw tfiis last souvenir of his dearly loved wife flutterîpg^t bravely in the v^ii^d, in fuH view qf the l'olar Ôc^, ia fdfihnent of his promise. In a letter to his sister- inlaw, written shortly aftôr his retum to their winter quarters, Franklin, in alluding to his having j^ached the sea on the i6tb of August, writès— " Hère was first .(fisplayed.thé flag which my lamented Eleanor madç, and you can imagine it was with heart£elt émotion î first saw it unfurled; but in a shok time I deiived gredl plej&sure in loôking at it"^ \^ , . The position of the nïouth of the ilackenzie Iliver was found lo be in latitude 69' 29' N., and i^f 4,'J4f longitud^. Deposit,ing ^ re^rd of the progress of lie. expédition thusfar for the information (rfCaptain Parry,* " iD the event of thaè odScer reaching thé neighb^urhood! ^ ' and mking Has conspicuous as possible by. thé ereo, tion qC^ long pôle, to the top of which Was howted a hliif» pnd r'-'T flig, snd huvlug fchowugMy explored^ t ST^ countiy in the vicini^y of the mouth of the river, they a. ■"X 160 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. . .[1825- commenced the return joufney, and without any everit worthy of spécial record reached their^nter quâlters on the Great Bear Lake on the evening of the 5th of September. Thev found that Dr. RichardsoA had re- tumed a few days before them, having made a successful survey of the lake to its north-eafit terdiination, wheie it is nearest to the Coppermine ÎN^er. "" Hère at Port Franklin, for io thé post had been named in compliment to their leader during his temporary absence, the members of the expédition Were for the first tiime united. They found the houses that had been erected for their accommodation by their comrade Mr. . Back, both commodious and comfortable,-and ail that under the circumstancea, could be desi)^. The estab- lishment consisted of three buildings, which were so oon- structed as to form the three sides of a squarei. The centre one was appropriated to the officers, one wag allotted te) the men as their quarters, and .the other weis used as a stbre and provision house. The number of persons tojbe accommodated in this establishment was no less than jfifty^ viz. — five officers (including Mr. Dease), nineteen toamen and marines, nine Cabadians, and two Eskimos, ihe remainder being made up of Indians, men, women, and children, whose serances were required for the purpoMs^of hunting, fishing, and. for the gênerai supply of game and other provisions. The/position of Fort FranMin was asoertained to be latitude 65° ii' 56", and longitude 123° 12' 44". The wint^^r passed pleasantly enough, and althoagb the cold wak great it was not insufferably so, the lowest recorcM température beine 49* .below zéro (Fahr.). The Indian hunt ers snoceeded m procwnng a fi4r lunount df game and fish during tke tinter, I l ,iV ■ iring tke %inter, 1828.] * PLANS FOR SUMMER CAMPAIGN. m although in February, i„ conséquence of ^.temporary adure ,n obta^mng supplies, they w^ «ecessa^y Z duced to «very short allowance of provisions,, The officer^ occupied the,r spare time in taki.g thèrmomeeric;i magnes an^ atn.ospheric Nervations, besides otS of a sexentiflc nature. They likewise superintended th^ ■sohoothatÇ^nklmestablisheddurin^thewintermonths m wdl as ^e^stx.ct observance of the regular routine T r ^f T*i*«*«'i- As another boat wa« con- vsjder^d de«rable, t^be carpente.. we',. busily e^ployed on the instruction of one on somewhat similar Unes to tbe Lvm, the boat they had brought out from Ena|an. P^nklin, accompfnldT. Laeutenant Ba.k was U> ex^o^ by boat along the north oTfn M r ^".'"" '? ^'« "««*^-^» «f the mou^fa of the Mackenzie River, ff possible to Icy Cape. Dr R.chardson. with Mr. Kendall as Ws colleague ^d co^: pamon. was to undertake the eastem line of e^IoraZ Por^ Jrankhn before the winter set in. Mr Be^ wou remain at Fort P™„klin with directions t. keep ^ , ^bhshment well stored with provisions for use Zl! he nsumg wmter, in the event of FrankUn failS h s attempt to communicate with the Blo^om iSlZ ^Siante). U wa., therefoi., necessary to make p^v.^^n wwtei at the post Fourteen men. including two Cana V 1 Funlrli.. "i , ,:: — "'"'^^jrgcer, underfiap- Lion and Bsltcma> form JT ^' ^ *^** *^**« a ^tonce, formed the wagtem party ; while tea ■f"- 182 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1825 ii;- 1 F 'I iq .,•. men, with the two siQaller boats, thelhîphin and Union, under the oommand of Dr. Richardron and Mr. Kendall, were entrusted with the eastem line of exploration. Everything being in readiness, a start was made on the 24th June. The ijwo parties travelled in company down the Mackenzie Hiver nntil the 3rd July, when they reached that part of the river where it bifurcated to the east and to the west, Franklin pursuing his course along the latter route, while Richardson proceeded by thd former. They.vtrere ail supplied with provisions to last an antiéipated absence of one hundred days. Franklin reached the coast on the 7th of July, and on the same day met a tribe ^f Ëskimos numbering about three hundred.-»^ At first their '^ihtercourse was friendly enough ; but tj^ie cupidity of thèse savages being excited by the articles of, to them, priceless value that they saw, an attempt was ma.de^'-W pillage.A^the boats, but this outrage was frustratecL by the coolness and fo^bearançe of Frankjin and his^en. It afterwardg transpÉred tha^a massacre of the whole expédition had been arranged, and was only prevented by the vigilance and preparedness of the party. On arrivai at the sea they were intensely mortified to find that their progress to the ^estward was checked by heavy marnes uof ice. Thèse, however, in the course of four or five days, durbg which time the expédition wt^ cômpelled to remain inactive, cleared away sufficieo^ly to leave a passage ' along the coast, and so enabled them to pusl} on. Gales. of wind and fogs' were unfor^upately very prévalent, and sadly interfered with their progress. The boats were also vei^ rou^ly handled, and were frequentl; ïn Ranger of.' bâng tuvushed by iiïe iargé^ < iœ with which they were oonstantly coming into con- ( less, value that 1828.] ^ONWARD, IN SPITE OF DIFPICULTIES. 16S tact and which had the effect of cau«i„g them to Jeak œnajderably. In spite of aU thèse dLbacka? th^ ' steadJy pe^evered. using oar. and sail a^cor^ng S c.mm.stance8, wetching and taking advantage of ever, opportun,ty for pushing onwards. battling fgainstS imcuU.es, and str ving to their utmost each Zy Z ^t the record of the last in the distance aocomplisW Th.u. gênerai course ^as as nearly as possible in a westeriy direction, along a low flat shelvkg coast in wa ter so shallow as to co.pel them to teep J.^tZ of from two totl^ree miles ftpm the shore As accVra^ t ey pro^ed; ,t wa,, however, found to be devoid S ail bays or harbours in which a ship could obtai^ sh Iter or remam securely at anchort ««eicer, ^ They were not infrequently detained bybad v^eather ogs. and impénétrable ice, and on one occàk the deten ^on wa. or no less a period than eight cpSbtive dt" ^ Dmng thèse unavoidable stoppages tÈe dîembei. of the ^ition wer^ not inactive, for they would seize on ' thèse opportunltie» to take astronomL Zer^tî a« wen as those to détermine the mrJntic Wk °°'' vanation and intensity. l.sid. o^^Z^^^ :;:^rtns;iir-"-^^^i^ DuriDg ail tliù tirie tbe tormenlMh» M,Kd fr»„ [B^mg^AheyMoro called upon to enjiit^ ( n ■> . somewUt «gnificant ,fcot tMt s \ ^ »int of ladd où (hé joumey, Sa. 11 1 .! r (!'■ / ly 104 \ LirE OF SIR JOHN t FRANKLIN. [1828- naœed Point Grifl&n by Captain Franklin, presumably after the lady who subsequently became bis wife. At length, on the i8th of August, having traoed the coaât westward, from the mouth of the Mackenzie River, for 374 miles, Captain Franklin very reluctantly came to the conclusion that further advance would be im- prudent, taking into considération the lateness of the season, and the feelf-evident fact that he had only traversed half the distance between the Mackenzie River and Icy Cape. Before he could hope to accomplish the remainder of the distance that intervened, winter wpuld hâve set in, and the Blossom would, in conséquence, hâve sailed to the southward. He therefore wisely de- cided to retum. To the most extrême point seen to the westward he gave the name of Cape Beechey. It is interesting to note hère that the Blossom had successfuUy carried out her part of the programme, and was off Icy Cape during the middle of Aug.^t Thence Captain Beechey idespatched one of his beats to the eastward, in the hope of meeting Franklin. This boat actually arrived on the 25*h of August within i6o miles of the position reached by Franklin when he resolved to tum back a week before. It would not, how- evpr, hâve been possible for Franklin to hâve accomplished the distance that lay between them, before the Blossom'» boat i-eturned to the westward, sothat had he persevered in hopesTbf meeting it, he and his party would in ail probability hâve perished during the winter. It was therefore' a wise aod discreet résolve on Franklin's part to retum. The extrême position reached 'was latitude 7o' 26' N., and 148° 52' W. longitude. The retum loumey was veiy sin^îlar toTEè butward one, exœpT that they suffered more from cold and leas from. mus 1828.] RBTURN OF THE' TWO EXPEDITIONS. 1«6 quitoes I Through the friendly warnirig of the Eakimos, they were able tq frustrate a plot io aasasà^te the wholê party that had been laid by a trib« of jPEe Indians near the mouth of the Mackenzie. This dkboUcal scheme was prevented by their taking a différent route on their retum to the one along which they had travelled on their outward joumey. The Mackenzie was reached on the 3oth August, and the expédition arrived, intact and in good health, at Fort Franklin on the 2ist September. The total number of geographical miles travelled by the party since leaving Fort Franklin until their retum waa 2048, a third of which distance was through a perfectly unknown countiy. They were much elated to find that the travellers to the eastward had also made a very suocessful joumey, having suoceeded in trading no less than 863 miles of un- .discovered coast-Une situated between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Hivers; tbey retumed to Fort Franklin by way of the Coppermine River, reaching that post on the ist September. Like the western party they reported having experienced strong gales of wind, and their pro- gress was much hampered by icej^in which their beats were often seriously injured, being trequently exposed to the risk of being crushed altogether. They met several parties of Bskimos, ail of whom afforded convincing proof s ^'■ of their dexterity in the art of pilfering, and it was only by the exercise of great tact and forbearance, on the part of Dr. Richardson and his people, that an open rupture was avoided. An accurate survey of the coast was made by Lieutenant KendaU, while Dr. Richardson made many valuable obse rvations yi connec tionw.t;h thg geology and natural history of the country. A large bay, discovered on the 22nd of July, was / / , , ;■ - ■ „ "> - '■ .'■' • **'. /■ ■ / ^ f / * y , ■ ■ 1 ^ . . — , — . — ■a - f ' •^' ^ \_ ^.■ \ n, V^ ' p ' / " " _« - '^ ■ ■ J » '" ■(■■'- *■ , ,.■- . 1 vA.,.. ii.i- i '..■'■ ,'■ C # 7 V .. î ' •^. ,, .,..(1^ p-. ■*ir . ■ -_ /.:. * - , . '^ ^ ■ '■ , "^ - « ^ » • 4 .' • • ■- « ^ , - -, / \ . ' . . "' •« ■ d ^^ r HiHiMHB ■Mj '« .^- V<>- .M IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (Mt-3) // ^/ :/^ J # z 1.0 l.l Uâ|28 1J6 [15 làl us lu IM 11:25 i u 2.2 2.0 1.6 I "^ ■ '^" •^^^ Sciences Corporation 23 WBT MAir^ STRKET WEBSTH,N:Y. USSO (716) 872-4503 '^ \ l^^d^^^^^ri&sJé^^ <. nj£. f.,^4esn^ ^^ ,i..»4*aadîrfci^jsJ^i«aj„Ki^ij#. irvN*â,!L>(*-^-^j:^ i-4' l/ :i- i«« LIFK OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1826- named Franklin Bay; in oonferring this name upon it, the Doctor, in hi^pnarrative, indulg«8 in the following eulo- gistio remarks regarding Us able and talented leader : — "lit bestowing the name of Franklin on this Temarkable bay, I paid an appropriate compliment to the officèr onder whose oïders and by whoBe arrangements the delineation of ail that ia known of the northem coast of the American continent bas been effected; with the exception of the parts in the vicinity of Icy Cape discovered by Captain Beechey. "Ilj would not be proper, nor is it my intention, to descant on the professional mérita of my superior officer ; but after having served under Captain Fnuiklin for nearly seven years in two BucceasiTe voyagea of discovery, I truat I may be allowed to aay, that however high hia brother officera may rate hia courage and talenta, either in the ordinary Une of his profeaaional duty, or in the field of diacovery, the hold he acquirea upon the aflfectiona of thoae under hia command, by a continued aeries of the moat cpnciliatory attentiona to their feelinga, and an uniform and unremitting regard ta their best intereata, ia not leaa conapicuoua. I feel that the aentiments of my frienda and companiona, Captain Back and Lieutenant Eendall, are in uniaon with»my own, when I affirm, that gratitude and attachment to our late commanding officer will animate our breaata to the lateat periods of our livea." On August 4th, Wollaston Land was discovered to the northward, and the channel between it and the mainland was called Dolphin and Union Strait, after the two little boats in which they were embarked. On the 7th they had the extrême satisfaction of entering George 4th Ooronation Gulf, and so oonneoted their diflooveries with those of Oaptain IVanklin during his voyage jn i8ao — % "Thusi" ts^r. Riduadien wnt^^^rômpîie^ a portioB of the north-weat paaaage for which the reward''of ^£5000 wat A4> •• ■ * ,*l#^ Vf-. 1828.] DR RICHARDSONS SUCCE88FUL JOURNEY. 167 cstoblished by Hi8 Majeaty-s Order in CouncU ; but as it wu not contemplated m fauning the order that the discovery ehould be made from west to east, and in vessels bo small as the ^A^n and Unum, we could not lay claim to the pecuuiary The suocessful issue of their voyage enabled them to return by a shorter and a better route than that adoptedfortheoutwardjoumey. On the foUowing day the mouth of the Coppermine River was reached, and ' after proceeding up it for some miles, the boats and eveiy- thmg that was not absolutely necessary to be transported ^eie abandoned, and the joumey commenced on thos^ same barren lands, over which Franklin and his party hadtoiledandendured such sufferings during the pre- vious expédition, but this time under more favourable conditions; the load carried by each man was 72 Ibs. Without any further event worth reoording, the party reached Great Bear Lake on the i8th of Au^ist and on the ist of September arrived at Fort Franklin' havmg acoomplished a wonderfolly suocessful joumey' dunng which they traversed a distance, by Und and by boat, of 1980 geographical miles, of which 1015 weâ ' new discoveries. Immediately on his letum to Fort Pnuikhn, Dr. Richardson started oflF to prosecute his geological and natural history researches in the neiirh- bourhood of the Great Slave Lake, where he passed Uie lollowmg winter. ' Fnuiklin and his people we«, of couraei oompelled to spend aijother winter at Fort Franklin; but having a plentif ul supply of provisions and other necessaries and ahopleg^^^todo ia the way of plôttiJ U» cbarte connecteif with their discoverie», and ISang- mg their sdentific observations, it passed quickly and stc;-.a-5_is''::.i IH^H m H 1 fl I^^Mg lll U l ^H^n yf l ' H f ' l * Wmm\ "' i i ''1^ H||i ' :;!: i ■BM^lil ji !:i mm\ l ■ 1 ^Mm j 1 '^ :; ! 1 i 'i ■ j ^ f i ' I ■ ' 'i ! . i 1 ' ■ ' ! i ; 1 û 1 1 ,1 , : 1 ^' il'' '/" 4 Il i Il 1 1 1 ■1 ' i H ! 'i ! ,■ 1 ' -' Il l i m ' f v, Wim ■' il ^ : i: h 1 1 ' il [ ' ■' il i '■ '• ! ; .j 1 ^ \\\i'' •i:' t (i l 'i' ^ ' ( ' 1 1 il 1 M 1 i ^ :: 'n II' ' ''i- ■ i "i ! -i i ; 1 I ' = J 1 ;! il ! il 1 i '; 1 i ' ' i '; ; ;,;1 liy 1 : il liM riii|i (t ti 'II' H II 1 II il 4:;. ^^ 1«« LIFE OF^SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (1827. pleasjmily enough, in spite of the température falling during the month of Februaiy to 58* below zéro,' the lowest that any of the part.y had hitherto experienced. By a packet of lettere which was conveyed to them by an Indian messenger during the winter, they were ail much pleased and gratified to find that their popular companion. Lieutenant Back, had been promoted to the rank of commander. ^ On the 2oth February 1827, Captain Franklin being deairous of reaching England as speedily as p^sible, left the( Fort, in company with five men, leaving instructions for (Captain Back to proceed to York Factory witH the rem^indar of the party as soon as the ice should break up;ithence they were to sail for England in the Hud- Bon'i Bay Compan/s ship, which it waa anticipated woul^ be leaving in the autumn. Franklin reached Fort \ Simpson on the 8th of Marct days in order t^o rest ahid and aii^ved at Fort EesolutillfiK the Gr^t Slave Lake^ on thel 26th. The returnj^tp this neighbouthood must hâve h^rought vividly to\ Franklin's mind the terrible sufiFerii^gs and privations he had endured in that same locality only a féw years previously. Fort Chipewyan was reached on the i2th of April, and hère a stoppage of six w^ks was mada ïhis place was left on the 3ist May, an«» 1I28.1 H0N0UR8 BESTOWBD ONcFRANKLIN. 171 during hig wanderings to veiy great hai^hips and privationa / From Cumberland House, Franklin and Richardson traveUed together to Montréal and .New York, and arrived in England on the 26th September 1827,'after an absence of two years and seven and a half mônths Commander Back, with the remainder of the party, reached Portsmouth fourteen days later. The geographical resuit of this expédition was the discovery and aocarate delineation of over a thousand miles of the north coast of the American 'continent hitherto absolutely unknown. The geological, mag- netical, meteorological, topographical, and other scientific observations, made by the différent members of the expédition, were of the greatest value and interest more especially those relating to the Auror» Borealis' The important work performed by the members of the expédition was fully appreciated on their retum to England, both by the Admiralty and the leamed societies, who were unanimous in their afcknowledgment of the value of the services rendered, and their appré- ciation crf the skiU and abUity that had been dispkyed by officers and men in carrying them out. France also, not to be behindhand in her admiration «t the way m which the leader of the expédition had achieved such a signal geographical success. presented Captam Franklin, shortly after his wturn to England mth the Pans Geographical Society's gold medal, valued at ,200 franc^ot having made « the most important acqumition to geographical knowledge " during the year ^^ !9^ ^Pril 1829 Captain Fi^Jdin received fK^ „ 1; and on the foïîowing ist of Julv the honoitiiy degree of D.O.L. of Oxford wa« oonferij 172 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1828. upon him, at the Bame time that a similar bonour was bestowed on Sir Edward Parry. Thèse évente are thus alluded to in the prize poem recited in the théâtre at the Commémoration, on the occasion, by T. Legh Claughton — , ^ " But fairer England greeto the wanderer now, Unfading laurels ahade her Parry'a brow ; ^ And on the proud memorials of her famé Lives, linked with deathless glory, Franklin's name." On the 5th November 1828 Franklin married Jane, second daughter of John Qriffin, Esq., of Bedford Place, a lady of great culture and rare intellectual powers, and one who was in every way qualified to be the friand, ad viser, and helpmate of a man of Sir John Franklin's energy and disposition. Her life and character as a woman and a wife are written on the pages of the history of our country. «♦^^ l4 XI. N. CHAPTER XI. PARRY'S THIRD EXPEDITION -HIS ATTEMPT TO REACH THE POLE-SIR yOHN ROSS-DISCOVERY OF MAGNETIC POLE-FRANKLIN IN THE MEDI- TERRANEAN— GOVERNMENT OF VAN DIEMENS LAND. 1824-1844. " Where's the coward that wonld not dare To fight'for 8uch A land f "—Marmion. Althouoh Captain FrankUn had failed, through no want of energy or fault of his own, in the actual accoœplish- ment of the north-west passage, he was fully impressed with its practicability, and openly maintained on his retum his own Views regarding the feasibility of its achievement in shipa But from his récent observations, espedally those relative to the gênerai drift of the ice in the Polar Sea and the prevailing winds that were ex- perienced by his party during their sojoum in that locality, he was of opinion— an opinion that was not, hèk ever, shared by his distinguished biother officer, Captiîn Parry— that the attempt should be made from ttie^i^êst- ward through Bering's Strait, instead of from the Ea^S Heoent expérience has proved that he waa not far wjpon^ u> hw oonchiaiona, and the i«markable voyage ma&ijB^ 1850, and t#o foDowing years, by Captain CJoÙinson in the Enterpriae proves in a great measure that his opîiuona 178 IV.. • -» 1 m ■. : l 'l , 1 ! i : 1 il' ■' i 1!^ 1 ■ 1 ' I , 1*1 \ 1 ' < t'.i i ! il 1, :||i il : ' . '• Ûl Il ;i| ■ Il H ; -■■■ 1 1 i ' Ni ! * i 1 1 1 ! 1 1 ' ' ' I J .... • 174 were formed on sound LIFE OF SU JOHN FRANKLIN. [1824- tnd well-considered principles, and, as such, were worthy of due consideratioa Parry's third ezpeditidn,^ which had been, eà wOl be remembered, directed to act in concert with Franklin, in the event of falling in Inith any of bis party on their Une of exploration, also u^happilv ended in failure. Sailing from England in the Hecla and Fury on the içth May 1824, Parry, ii conséquence ôf unavoidable détentions in Baffin's iky, caused by the unusual amount of ice that was IcoUected there during that particular season, did not reach I^ncaster Sound until the loth of September. The season was then far ad- vanced, and he found to hls intense mortification that the young ice which was ranidly forming proved such an impediment to bis advance, Ihat he was reluctantly com- pelled to relinquish further i^tempts to push on, and was, therefore, obliged to seek wiàter quarters ; he eventually seoured his two sbips on the 27th September in a small harbour named Port Bowen^ on the east side of Prince Régent Inlet. Hère the winter was passed, and in the spring of 1825 sledging parties were despatched, which added largely to our geographical knowledge olFothose parts. On the 3oth July the ships succeeded in breaking out of their winter quarters, and standing across to the west side of the inlet, pursued a southerly course. Théj were, however, almost immediately beset by the ice, in which they were drifted rapidly up the inlet. Seing powerless to direct their course, the unfortunate Fury was after a time driven on shore, and completely wrecked. Her stores and. provisions were landed at the , scène of her disaster, which was named Fury Beach, whil0~iter offioers and erew were received h- the wreck for a counle of T ^' ^ **n»ained by any one who mi^ht be on ^^^ ^* attention of "« M», th. Am&w pr««d«l «„ to e^ '^ El* !| \v\ m 180 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1824- For a long time Franklin carried out the onerous duties of senior naval officer in Greece, and especially at Fatras, during the disturbances in that country. During those troublons times he was frequently called upon to land his men for the purpose of preserving order and for the protection of the inhabitants ; he had also to organise a defénce against the rebellions irregular soldiery, whom he prevented, on more than one occasion, from pillaging and destroying the town. He likewise did good service in emtjarking refugees, and conveying them to places of safety. For his successful exertions in maintaining law and order, and generally for his efficient and important services during the War of Liberation, he was created by King Otho a Knight of the Redeemer of Greece. On his retum to Malta the Rainbow flew the flag, temporarily, of Rear- Admirai Briggs, who succeeded to the command of the Mediterranean station on the death of Admirai Hotham. The log of the Rainbow during her commission is replète with useful sailing directions, and other intetesting hydrographical information. That Sir John had the comfort and welf are of his men at heart is évident, for the name of his ship was pro- verbial on the station for the happiness and good feeling that prevailed on board, She was called the Cdestid Rainbow, and the sailors used to allude to her as Frank- lin'8 Paradise / She retumed to England in December 1833, and was paid out of commission at Portsmouth on the 8th of January foUowing. In récognition of his services ofiE Fatras, Sir John Franklin, on his return to England, was made a Knight Commander of the ^^^Gadphw order of Hanover. Before leaving the Mediterranean, he received the foUowing letter from the Commander-in-Chief, Admirai ■ïyT^ EiD, he received the ier-in-Chief, Admirai 1844.] HIS VALUABLE SERVICES IN GREECE. m Sir H. Hotham, written a short time only before his d«ith It 18 dated on board the iîoyaZ ^//red afc Malta f rtl^'/r ^?', ^^"^^ acknowledging the receipt of Si; John Frankhn's, letter reporting proceedings, he writes- «In the concluding opérations of the service yon hâve so long and so ably conducted in the Qulf of Patras and Wnto hâve great satisfaction in repeating the approÏÏon which I hâve already at différent times expressed of your mellurt m the mterests of Qreece, and in the maintenancTTtlS honour and character of the English nation and oT H M 's Navy on that station ; wherein y«u hâve entirely fulfilled my instructions and anticipated iny wishes. I also take Wb opportunity of cominending the judgment and fortea^ce which you hâve exhibited under circumstances o? LS opposition and provocation; and to your calm and ^ conduct may be attributed the préservation of the townlnd mhabitants of Patras ; the protection of commerce ald 21 advancenient of the benevolent intentioilï of ^'e'^^u ^' Sovereigns m favour of the Greek nation.» Thèse were high enoomiums from his Commander-in- Chief and plamly show the great estimation in which Franklin waa held by his superiora A côpy of this communication waa forwarded to the Admiralty bv Sir John, m an officiai letter dated June ,8, ,834, wiitten ap^l to be employed on futher active servioa IVior to leaving Patras. Sir John Franklin received the foUowing letter from Mr. G. W. Crowe, the English Consul at that place :— ^ "BBmSH CONSULATK, PatraB, 24th Marc h 1833. ^^^B^B SiB JoiN,_Wwie rbegleav. to ofl^^ cong«tuktioDs upon being at length releaa«i from the anxiow •nd wear.«,me duty that bas detained you before thÏÏw» Y , « 182 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1824- for the last twelve montha, I cannot refrain, at the Btme time, firom expreflfling the regret I feel upon my own accoont in losing yooT eocietj and that of yoiu officers, whicii bas so agteeably relieved a period that wouïd otherwise hâve been of unmitigated annoyanee and vexation. " The huinane object of your mission is now completely fulfilled. You bave the satisfaction to witness the tennina- tion of the miseries of the inhabitants of this city, and of the misrule and violence that so long and heavily oppressed them — violence restrained from the worst and grossest excesses only by your présence, being awed into respect by the dignified calm which you ever preserved under circumstances of great irritation. "But for your forbearance the city, just rising from its ruins, had ceased to exist You now see tranquillity and order re- stored to their homes, and a few days hâve been sufficient to reanimate the activity of commerce. " Fatras owes you a deep debt of gratitude, and I trust feels ^ the obligation. For myself, I hope I need not assure you that I can never folrget your unvarying kindness, and that I am sensible of the high value of the friendly and cordial regard with which you bave continue^ to know me. For weeks together your ship afforded a homÀ— a kind home — to my family, and the Bainbow wil} ever be remembered by them with the feelings which home excites." Thèse lettera plainly show the high appréciation in wMch the services of Sir John Franklin, whiist in command of the Rainbow, were held by those who were perhaps the best qualified to judge. It was, in ail probability, in conséquence of the aptitude displayed by Sir John Franklin in carrying out the délicate services, more or less of a diplomatie nature, that he was oalled upon to render on the ooast of Qreece, th at indn oed the Qove mmen t to offer him, shortly after his retum frcm the Mediterranean, the lieutenant-Govemorship of Van Diemen's Land, in 1844.J GOVÏRKOR ÔF VAN DlEMEN'S Un6. m rTn'T.'" "^'"'^ '^^'"- "^'^ •'^ «-«P*«J. but it allowed to reezgn his appointaient in. the event of w„ br^akmg out, and his being Selected for a command. Ta^g passage on board the ship Fairlie, and accom- pame^ by IMy Frunklin, his daught^r, ani nie^he new Govemor landed at Hobart Town in Jan^ls'r when he xmmediately assumed the reins of Gove^nze^î; rehevmg Colonel Kenneth Snodg^ss, who had C. aaing temporarily until his arrivai. Ever mindful of ^e vdue and unportance of hydrography, one of the first tion ^ ^'^^«"^'-^^-Gove-or waa to make a r^uisi- ùon to the Impenal Government for^eans to enaS him to carry ont a more perfect survey of the channels lead- mg towards the anchorage at Hobart Town. This appli- ^tion was vxew^ with favour by the home authorities, and Lieutenant Bumett was appointed by the Admirai^ to^ out this service under the directions of Sir Joh^ ^lin. The new Govemor's attention was, for «>me tune, much occupied by the présentation of varions memona^ from the settlers claiming g«nt« ofl^ 7^.'^"^ ''^T^' ^"^ •^^ *"°*<^ ^ *hem without ùtl^d«^ or other documents by which their claim. oould be substantiated. AU thèse had to be thoroughly Sted \ One of the most popuhir measures introduoed by Sir John was the admission of the public to the dehates of ti.e Législative CoundL While interesting h^ m the gênerai well-being of the community at larTh. 3mmmM the^nvict. on «le i«l«id. f^ at tS^^ i 184 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1824- a very large pénal establishment ezisted in the neigh- bourhood of Hobart Town. Shortly aftei* he assumed office, Sir John Franklin, reaUsing the want of sufficient means for educating the rising génération in the colony, made strenuous exer- tioïis to obtain f rom the Home Govemment a charter for the formation of a collège on, a large and libéral scale. In this he was suppôrted by his Législative Council, who voted the substantial sum of ;£^25oo towards the institution. On the recommendation of the late Dr., Arnold, head-master of Rugby, who warmly espoused the cause, the Rev, J. P. Gell was sent out from England V^or the purpose of organising such an establishment as should meet the requirements of the colonists, and on the 7th of November 1840, with imposing ceremony, the fouudation-stone of the proposed building was laid at New Norfolk by / She died în 1860. Mr. (Gt«ll wm Vioar of St. John'i, Notting Hill, from 1854 to 1878, when he wm given the Beotory of Buxted in SoMez. t^rfp-;- ï^lifv't- ^ loghter by hu firat «iffc_ 1844.J REFUSES INCRBASE OF SaLARY. . 185 So impressed was Sir John Franklin with the necessity of an institution of this description, that, before leaving the island, he presented a donation of ^^500 towards it, while Lady Franklin made the muhificent gift of 400 acres of land which she had purchased, with a muséum, which, under her direct auspices, had been established on it, in trust for the benefit of any collegiate institu- tion that might be established with the approbation and sanction of the Bishop of the diocèse. On an increi^ to the Lieutenant-Govemor's salary being voted by the Colonial Législature, Sir John, in fitting terms, decUned to accept it during his tenure of office, but took pains to ensure the augmentation of it being secured W his successor. Shortly after his arrivai in the colony.'he founded a scientific sociéty at Hobart Town, which is now caUed the Royal Society of Taamania. The meetings were hel$i at Government House, where the papers (which were afterwards printed at Sir John's expense) were read and discussed. It was during Sir John's term of govemment that the idand was visited by the ships of the Antarctic expédi- tion under Sir James Ross, to which it will be désirable to make a brief allusion. ■> In 1838, at a meeting of th« British Association in England, a resolution was passed to the eflFect thata re- présentation should be made to the Govemment regard- mg the importance of despatching an expédition to the Antarctic Seas, for the purpose of carrying out synchronal magnetic observations in connection with other stations established in varions parts of the world; also to en- .^wourJoQbtain observations in terrestrial magnetism m a high Bouthem latitude, of which thei« had hitherto been a great deficiency— in f act, none at aU of any valuei 184 LIFE OP SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1824. ThiB représentation, having reoeived the approval and support of the leamed societies, as well as that of the leading scientific authorities of the day, was favourably received by Her Majest/s Govenmjent, who seemed to be fuUy ùnbued with the opinion that practical naviga- tion would undoubtedly dérive important benefits from the resultfi that would assuredly accrue. An expédition was, in conséquence, ordered to be fitted out, and the command of it was entrusted to Captain James Ross. It oonsisted of the Erebus, an old bomb ship of 370 tons, and the Terror, of 340 tons.! The command of thé latter vessel was given to Captain Crorier. The Terrt^, it may be observed, had only the previous year, under the command of Captain Back, retumed from an unsuocessful attwnpt to reach Repuise Bay. Her narrow eiscape from destruction b> the ice in Hudson's Bay, and her subséquent marvellous passage across the Atlantic in an almost sinking condition, although of thrilling interest, need not hère be repeated. The in- juries she sustained were repaired, and when selected to form one of the ships in Ross's expédition she was in every way fitted for the hazardous service on which it was decided to employ her. Captain Ross, in his sailing directions, was ordered to place himself in communication with Sir John Pianklin on his arrivai in Van Diemen's Land, WhUe Sir John was, at tlk same time, instruoted to render ail tfa» assistance bx his power to Captain Ross, to sélect the most advantageous position for the érection of a magnetic observatory, and to prepare the neoessary instrumenta 1 The» two aUpa. it ahonld be reiwrtod. wiM^tte ideatioelTeMeb ^*, robMqnentiy, tuder thé eommand of Sir Jolin Fnnklio. oom- IwiMd the iU-f»ted expédition that left England far the diwoT» of the north-weit peuege. i,tj( uJa. ' ô\, ^^ -. V tUNKLIN. [1824. ■ 1844.] PROMOTES ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. ig; '■ed the approval and a well «8 that of the î day, was favourably usent, who seetned to bhjat practical naviga- p^rtant benefits from cjnxe. An expédition e fitted ûut, and the Captain James Ros& omb ship of 370 tons, rhe command of the lîrorier. iad only the previoiu i Back, returned from Repuise Bay. Her T the ice in Hudson'g B passage across the Qdition, although of 9 repeated. The in- , and when eelected •zpedition she was in service on which it iions, was ordered to ï Sir John Franklin Euid, while Sir John i to render ail tfaè Boes, to seleot the reotion of a magnetîc jessary instruments. nnihs idantiotlvwMU Bir JdiD Franklin, oooh igland for th« diMomy One of the principal objecte of the expédition was to •ndeavour to-detennine, if possible, the position of the Sooth Magnetîc Pôle. The ships sailed from England in ,839, and were absent for a penod of four years. It is not my obiect to record the doings of this most important expedi- faon, the only one on a large scale that bas ever been deepatehed from any country for exploration in the Antarctic Seas. It is eiraply alluded to hère because of its «,nnection with Sir John Franklin, who waa Lieutenant- Govemor of Van Diemen's Land, during the time that the vessels were engaged on this particular service, when they spent two wintere at Hobart Town. It mav be Bafely inferred that Sir John took the keenest interest in the ships, and did ail in his power, not only to promote the scientific work of the expédition, bût also exerted hmrnK to the utmost in endeavouring to make the tnne pa« pleasantly for the officers and men during their .tay m Tasmania. The magnetic o^bservatory waf e«cted under the personal superintendence of Sir John and many of the observations were actuaUy taken bv him, assisted by his son-in-Uw, the Rev. J. R GelL When the expédition sailed, af ter the first winter spent Ut Hobart Town, FrankUn's nephew. Lieutenant Kay. was left behmd m charge of this observatoiy Captain Ross, in his eiceedingly interesting narrative of the expédition, thus alludes to the gr^t assistance |he i«»ived at the hands of the Governor :- ^"^"^"^ Ifi/'i'*'? '^'*^^*^' gratitude of thankful hearte be anv srati- X^^l""^*"''"'''^" «^ '^"^ Fianklin, wKo» iîSt^**"****'^*"» désire, but soughT^ry opnor- ~ tnbutmg to the comfort and happines. of aU mba^ked inS; ^'è*"" h 188 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [182<. I am sure there is not an individual in either of our 8hip«, who would not moat heartily wish to express tho«e sentimenti towards him, and aJso to every member of his family, for their -great kindness to us during our prolonged stay at Hobart Town." ' AUudîng to the excellent administrative qualities of Sir John Franklin, Captain Boss, in the eame work writes : — • " Under, the wise and judicious governméht of Sir John Franklin, the revenue of the colony had so greatly increaaed, that although involved deeply in debt when he arrived in the country, by prudent and well-arranged measures the debt had been liquidated, and a superabundant income produced." But it was in ail probability due to the undoubted sucoess he achieved whilst administering the govemmeiit of Van Diemen's Land, that a bitter and vindictive feel ing was raised against him in the hearts of some few of the colonial officiais, who regarded with jealoupy the increasing popularity of the Govemor. This feeling found expression in attempts to place difficulties in his way while carrying eut the duties that devolved on him in thjB proper administration of the government/ and conimenced aâ early as 1841, when the DiiectOT o^ Public Works was dismissed from his office for the unsatislaotory way in which his lluties were perfôrmed, combined with "an obstinac]; of temper and ^i disposi- tion to enter into long and unneeessàty oorrespondettett" Tn 1843 the police magistrate wâs sospended fromhii duties |or incautlous and partial administradon of jwtàe», for want of temper, and for various oth^ compLdn to with whjph he was charged. Tïùb was don^i^th ând lijr the advioe of the Executive CounciL ^ :d2^t , , j/ i t«." i, i-f^t^ft ^^ »JvJ- & ' m^iv^ >f.-„ ^ FRANKLIN. •C^ ; 1844.] DISMISSES THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. 189 llieae aots ledto the appearance in the local press, of Bome very hostile criticisms of his govemment, and alflo of himself personally, in which Sir John was openly Bocused of reeorting to ail sorts of unscrupulous mgans in " order to attain his own ends. Thèse scurrilous attacks were believed to be inspired by the Colonial Secretary, who w^p aocordingly called upon by Sir John for an ^^ ezplaAation, whioh was of so unsatisfactory f^haracter tbat Sir John suspended him from his officiai duties. This was, of course, a very strong measure to take, espe^lly with an officiai holding such a high position as the Colonial ^ecretary, and could only be justified by extrême provocation, The charges brought against the Colonial Secretary by the Liéutenant-Ooy^rnor were — 1. Assumption of undue^influence. 2. Hiff halving threatened, and subsequçntly put in pi^ctice, a species of passive résistance, by not giving proper assistance in the transaction of officiai business. .3, Having neglected to take any notice of articles m a, local newspaper !(said to be established'under his patronage) reflecting on Sir John and the members of hisla^ily. - 4. The tone of his communication when chargedf by Sir John with thèse offences. r' A long, and somewhat acrimonious, correspondence with the Home Gbvemment ensued with regard to this nnfqrtunate affair, retfulting eventually in the removal of t^e Colonial Secretary to a similar post at the Cape dGoodHope. Sir John's action in this matter was not ropported by t he S ecreta ry of State for the Col onieH (Eord Stanley), who informed the Govemor in an officiai despatch that he «♦ was not justified, on his own shôying. >' ~1- t i'^^itiki-. ^'f lï-, ra .•* 190 LIFK ÔP ÈfÈ JOHN FRANKLIN. [l«2f in digmisaing " hia Colonial Secretary. He waa furtli informed that this ofBcer " retires from the situatii bas 8o long filled with bis public and personal «hri unimpaired, and with bis hold on tb&,rMp€# •v>' / FRANKLIN. 1844.] ABLÏ VINDIOATION OP HIS CONDUCT. l»i Im the great injustice that was done, in placing him h a painful and hutniliating position. He left rolart Town m the^same ship that took him out, the mrîie, and reached England i^ May 1844, having teen Governor af Vafi" Diemen'^ Land for a period of ovep six and a half yeara. That the views of the Secretaiy of State for the Colonies were not shared by tlie p^ople of Hobart Town, is évident from the démonstrations of regret that wer^ mâde by ail classât his departure, and from the numerous addresses^both public and private, expressing satisfaction at the way in which he had administered the govemment of the colony, and regret ât his departure that poured in upon him from ail sections of the corn! munity. The feelings expressed by the colonists at that j tune were subsequently emphasised in a more practical j raanner some ten years later, by the substantial assistance > sent to Lady Pranklin^in the shape of a sum of ^^1700 to aid her eflForta in>|deavouring to discover the fati of her husband, and also by the fact of the érection at ^e public expense, of a statue in his honour at Hobart ' Town. âir John FrankUn, on his retum to..EngUnd, wrote a complète vindicatiôn of the way in whïch he had carried ont the high and important duties that devolved upon hm as Lieutenant-Govemor of Van Diemen's Land, but this pubUcation did hot appear tnrtii after he had sailed on what proved ïo be his last voyage. In this article he severely cnticises the action of Lord Stanley, whom he stigmatises aa -' haughty and imperious." . .,- In aUading to this painful Incident in thé care er of j ji L_ i£. 1 ■■- 1-.. — .~ **'~™*'"'^ m i/np «are er or . : ''^*«^ *«nkinirShBKird Osborn writes t^" Hia sen- Mtive «id ganeiou» spirit chafed under the unmerited ■ \ r^ e'iktiA. ,^\^-ik-^ -l 192 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1824-44. treatment he had ezperienced from the Secretary o{ State for the Colonies; and sick of civil employmentJ he natarally tûmed again to his profession as a better field for the abiliiy and dévotion he had wasted on a| thankless office." .1 *. rRANELIN. [1824-44. j 'rom the Secretary o{ c of civil employment, profession as a bettet a. he had wasted on a A jv: .A- .■ ) 1 1 % * > yMilU CHAPTER Xir. PR^NKUN-S LAST VOYAGE. '845- Succès» «nH "*^' *''** <^»th not wish Huccess and conquest to attend on us." lli«»ubJMtof Arctio eiplôration m„ P««g6, lad been permitti **"™? " « ■"■rth-wMt «( Sir EdwanI Piur, ^nT" ™"* "" ™^ ««* the North P^ir;i5 "'"'*^'"' '««J* «<- I It is verj. troe that the iatorm. „f .1 [".orth ..^ for . .horttC^W^i tr ""^ "■• klwiceof the two Rosse, b, „V"k ,^ "" P"''°''8«' Jw» ".«te in th. p«Zr„ 7''"'' » l"™' »""»ion ha, l'CpWn ^ct^ .Cfo "Z • "-"'•'«"«'"'-"0 h «■>» .0 th. Z^^'^^*^ «-L_ 194 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1845. well known that Captain Ross in some measure relied for support, in case of undue absence, on the stores that were landed from the' Pury when that vessel waa unfiHlianately wrecked in 1823. The Bosses, as h*as already been narrated, were picked up and brought home by a whaler in 1833 j^ and this intelligence was communicated to Captain Back in a despatch that waa forwarded by the Hudson's Bay Company, and which was handed lo him before he was altogether out of reach of letters. The main object of the expédition having therefore been otherwise happily accomplished, Captain Ba(^ piroceeded, in accordance with lus instructions, to exploré the Great Pish River to its mouth. This -was Buccessfully achieved, the expédition reaching, on- the ,i6th August- 1834, jts most northem point in King William Island. It retumed to England the foUowing year, when Captain Back's efforts in the furtherance of geographical and scientific research were acknowledged and appreciated in a ^tting manner. On the retum bf "Captain Back, the Royal Geogra- phical Society urged the Government to undertakethe exploration of the North American coast between the Point Tumagain of Franklin ajid the position reached by Back to the eastward, maintaining that the suc- cessful performance qf this exploration would, doubtless, resuit in the completion of the north-west passage. The Qbvemment, fully eqdorsing thèse vie\ys, gave directions for the fitting out of the Terrmr, and selected Captain Back, who had but recently retumed from his land joumey, to the command. His orders were to pinceed through Hudson's Strait to the Wager River or to Bepulse Bay ; thence he was to éndeavour to penë- ^ 1 S«« iwge 17& 1845.} INTEREST IN POLAR EXPLORATION. 195 trate m o Pnnce Régent Inlet, ^nd make a thprou^h ^ conne^^ng bs ow„ discoveries with those of T^ and F^aMm. The 'Psrror sailed from Engla^d on tht Stnut ,n the following September, in which she driC months. When released. the 8hi|i was found to havf^ to Eng and. but she was in such acrippled atate tiat s^ M, after a penlous and eventful vovLe tn h^ shore on the w.st ca^t of Ir^Tand tJ^I^ll^J^; The return of the Antarctic expédition in x84^ oTœ more aroused public interest in mattei^ connected^^th e^ pbrat.oni.high latitudes, and thisinterest^^^^^^ by the wntings and eflForts of English men of science anH 0^ further exploration. In the words of worthy oW onhe'n H^ ' r'° ""*^ ^5o ye^rs ago, the disco^vet of the north-west passage was the only «thin« yet T done whe^bye a notable .ind .ight ^ .ad^fa^tj^/ Th« long sought for passage was at last to be^ çpvered, and the "notable mind " that wT l^ K tbe dù^inctibn which the solution of th pZlltu^ according to Master Purchas, entitle him to w^nTw a^rson than Sir John PVunldin. who .J^'JZ^ Z ceeded n mapping out, by actual personal exploration a very Urge portion of the passaga He h?d Ts w^ ' ^ -;---i to trace, by patiL pe^evel^. i; ' great abihty, energy, and indomitable pluck in snitl 0^ u^^raUelei difficulti^and unpr^edent^^tl^^^ ^a ngorons cl.mate and in an inhospitable and b^' ~^~ .^^^.p!^ 196 LIFE or SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1845. that there was no service which Englishmen were not capable of undertaking, and no hardships or privations that would make them waver.or flinch in the performance of their duties and in carrying them out to a successful issue. M In fact, Sir John Franklin had, aa we hâve already shown, written his name with no light or feeble hand in large and unmistakable characters along the entire face of our North Polar map, and he was, even at that time, the actual discoverer of ail, but a very small portion that yet remained to be explored, of the long talked of, but yet un^iscovered, north-west passage. Our geograpbjcal knowledge of the hitherto almost mythical régions that centred at the northem apex of our globe was^ in 1845, considering our ignorance at the beginning of the century, considérable. Parry had succeeded in pushing to the westward with his ships in a high latitude, through Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Strait, as far as the ii4th meridian of west longitude, while the northem coast of North America had been thoroughly explored from Bering's Strait to the 94th meridian of West longitude. The discoveries therefore, eastwàrd and westward, overlapped each other by twenty degrees of longitude. To Franklin, it will be remembered, was due the exploration of the north coast of America from Cape Turnagain westward to Cape Beechey, a survey extending over forty degrees of longituda Captain Beechey, it will also be remembered, explored from Bering's Strait to the eastwàrd as far as Point Banow, leaving only 160 miles undiscovered between his furthest eastwàrd position And the most western one of Franklin'», Thèse two positions were, however, connected in 1837 :lin. [18<5. ishmen were not ips or privations the performance jt to a successful we bave already i or feeble hand Eilong the entire i'as, even at that sry small portion the long talked sage. hitherto almost lorthem apex of ur ignorance at ble. Parry had with his shipg ter Sound and leridian of weat North America jring's Strait to The discoveries pped each other i, was due the rica from Cape urvey extending ain Beechey, it Bering's Strait eaving only i6o latward position THOMAS amrao». inected in 1837 ^ ~\ V, D :-n% 1846. J RENEWAL OF AROTIO R1B8EARCH. m by Messrs. Deaae ànd Simpson, two officers of the Hud- 8on'8 Bay Company, who had been specially despatched for the purpoee of oompleting this portion of the un- 'Burveyed ooasl^line. In the two foUowing years they turned their attention to the eastward, and connected the ooasè^line between Cape Tumagain and Back'e Gr^t Fish River They also explored thé south coast of Wollaston or yictoria^Land, as weU as the southem rfiore of King William Island, from Cape Herschel to Pomt Booth. The extrême eastem position reached by thes^^able and indefatigable explorers was the Castor and PoUux Èiver. The entire North American coast Une had thus been deUneated. AU thefefore that remamed to be discovered, in order to make the north- west passage un fait accompli, was the finding of a channel running in a north and south direction for a distance of a Uttle under 300 mUes, or about half the distance between John o' Groat's and the south ooast of iingland. . That such a channel existed there was but httle doubt, but whether it would be, when found, prao- ticable for ship navigation, was a question yet to be solved It 18 therefore not surprising that an attempt should be made to complète the discovôty of the passage. Sir John Barrow, who was at the time Secretary of the Admi^ty, and who has sb happily been termed the father bï modem Arçtic disoovery.'Awel may be sure, was not idle. He was fuUy sensible^ the neoessity for a rene^ of Aitstic research, and he was as keen as ever "» h|s advocacy regarding the importance of exploration m bgh latitudes. When a man Uke Sir John Barrow who was prepared with a plan for the prosecution of thê ^ «eareh for a north-wést passage, and who was suKwrted ~ m his views by such authorities on Aictic mattera as Sir V 'f- r 206 LIFE OF eut JOHN FRANKLIN. [1845. Francis Beaufôrt, gû- Rodwick Murçhison, Sir Edward Parry, Sir James 'Ross, Captain Sabine, and even Sir John Franklin himself (who had just returned from his admiiuBtratiôn of the govemment of VanDiemen's Land), advocated the resumption by En^and of Polar explora^ tion, it is-not to be wondered at fchat the earnest and logical pleadings of thèse great and eminent geographers met with a favourable response. An expédition was in conséquence decided upon,and it was resolved that its main object was to be the forging of the last Unk that would connect the chain of previous discoveries, and se achieve the actual accomplishment of the north-west passage. The décision waa a popular one, not only in the country, but also in the naval service. The announcement wa^ nosooner promulgated than hunjdreds of gallant hearts sent in their names as volunteers to accompany the expédition/- and to serve in any capacity in the event of their services not being required in the particular rank they held in the navy. Candidates also for the post of leader were not wanting, but this post Sir John Franklin claimed as his spécial right, ^ being the senior Arctic officer alive in à position to assume it. " n6 service," he said, "is nearer to my heart, than the' completion of the survey of the north coast of America, and the accomplishment of a north-west passage." Lord Haâdington, the First Lord of the Admiralty, on being informed that Sir John waa désirons of being appointed to the command, at once sent for him, and gladdened his heart b^.cbmplying with his wisheé; but thinking that Sir John migjit hâve become somewhat rusty in matters conùeeted with his profession after hw_ Trog BoJoùMi on shore, aSd also perhaps wishing to afford 18«-3 SIR ioHN CHOSEN AS LEADER. . 201 hùn the opportunity of declining the command, in the event of bas only having proflFe^d his sendces fL a fo^rî "^^'ll^^^^-P^'-' -ork he had already per- formed. he might now deservedly ,^t on his well-earr/d' ^urelB and .ntixnated that perhaps his âge n^ighT^a l«r to h,s bexng selected. as he w«s informed that he wa^ su.,yea„ofage. " No, .y lord," wa. Franklin's ^^ but ^nest response; '«.ou hâve been ^isinform^-î a. ony fifty-nxne!" This decided the question, and Frankha waa^ordi„g,3. appointed to tL comriand «rraftged. Sir John drove.home. and on hig arrivai ^ddenly announced to his wife and nièce th^t he had ^n affe«^ and had aocepted. the con,.and of the e, œn erred upon hun, and could hardly conoeal his enthusi .ast^nnpatxencetogetaway as speedily as possible. v; l^J ? ^"^^ '^'"*^^ ^«*»™«d f^^ the ser- ' r "" II' '''^ ^*** '^" «°^^ 5-der Sir jllL -^h T." *^;;t'^*^*^^*'' **"* ^^^^^ *>-d bee/con.pletely re" auedand thorougbiy repaix^ afterthe haxS buffXs they had recexved fn,m the southern ice, and were, i^t n séquence prepared in every way that human skiU Tnd treatment from the ice floes of the north. Captain C^zier, who was second in comnxand in the An^^ 7rlT' T """^ ^-^tin. like capac^l S.r John and ,as appointed to the command of b^ vi o ;»t C.î*> <^-:v 'I !■' « f'v il Fli 1^ i: k ii'' 262 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. tl846. Erehus as second in command under Franklin. As the principal object of the expédition was the advancement of science, the remainder of the officers were selected as being epecially suited by their scientific acquirements, OàrtAIH riTZJAHU. professional knowledge, and robust and vigorous constitu- tions, for the service on whicb they were to be employed. Among thèse appointed was Dr. Goodsir, an eminent natuïalist. Thé^raip&mdnt ôTéaôh ship was 8Îzty-aev«D o^cers and men, making a total of twenty-three office» 18«.î FRANKLIN'S SAILÎNG ORDERS. ^ and III men-i„ ail, 134 souk. Stores and provisions 01 tnree years. The vessels were also fitted with screws and au^Iiary engines. capable of working up toXut twenty hoi^power. This was the first Le It the "7:' ^ ^ -^- of propulsion in ships, was eter u^ in the Arctic Seas, but it ^as, as may L' i^agiJed f^ the powe. p^^vid^. only u. a very li^ted de^ Sir John Franklin's orders were to the effeTthat h« was to make the best of his wav un VL T l ^ tbe neighbourhood of CV^e^ratu^"' N. latitude, and 98» W. longitude. Th;n^ h^l'^, aTd welr '^'-^T-'.'y -r^-. to the south^ ' and westward, to push on m as direct a line as possible • «... .i... i"oia..„;.r"'r.trrer::T XI, ^tïï^ *'""'• '*'"« '- ■«». make,\a, w«* i. don. ; .Ve.ce i^Jl. "'X^ ^e' ^«"J^'^; "^ MiM from tngland on the loth of Mav ,g./^ ....;^<,i'; 204 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. tlM5. proper and commendable spirit evinced by those imder his command. Shortly after their departure from England, he called ail his officers together, and carefully ezplained to them the objecta of the expédition, and his views as to the course that should be pursued in order to obtain the most saccessful results. He read ont to them a portion of the instructions he had issued to the officers of the Trent, on his first Polar expédition, and pointed out to them the necessity of noting every- thing that occurred, no matter how trivial it might at the moment be considered, for future référence and study. He also informed them that their joumals, remarJE books, sketches, &c., would be required of them on^heir retum to England, for transmission to the Admiralty. As Captain Fitzjames, in a letter to his f riend Mr. John Barrow ^ writes — "He spoke delightfully of the zealous co-operation he eipected from aU, and his désire to do full justice to the ezertions of each." ,With such a pleasant and happy feeling, and such a perfect understanding, pervading the minds of Sir John and those under his command, it is not surprising that ail were cheerful and enthusiastic regarding the ultimate suocess of the expédition. We obtain a little insight into the friendly and harmônious feeling that ezisted among those on board the JErebtis, and the manner in which their time waa passed on the voyage to Groenland, from some ckaiim- ingly written letters sent home by Fitzjames^ which hâve been kindly placed at my disposai by his friend ^^tr. John Bmtow. ilûs thœë epistln conlain m^ 1 Tb« Mn of Sir John Butow. LIN. by those under departure from er, and carefully sédition, and his ursued in order He read ont to had issued to olar expédition, jf noting every- ml it might at référence and their joumals, aquired of them imission to the a letter to his co-operation he 11 justice to the ing, and such a ads of Sir John surprising that ng the ultimate e friendly and those on board their time was n Bome dunim' tzjames^ which 1 by his friand ïain mSoy alhi- tlM5. ■ ■ 1845.] EXTRACTS FROM FITZJAMES'S LETTERS. 205' ~! a Petereburg, in tho «vont of „o tidin» ofTi «pedifon befag reoeivod bofore the oi„„i„nf„, H .!«- telU his friend, Mr. Barrow, to * * speck next Januarv " " \finH t , " i'anama on ^d shake you by the Lnd on the .and F^.ut;tt7 On the day they left Stromness, he says- Alluding to Sir John, he writes :- th:ihth\ric:tiï^;7a"' 'i' '^^^ ^'^•^^^ -«» tl«t I defy any man noî to fllM T° *" ''"^ beantifully, we sailed, when Lady Frankir^hT, .f ? " **° '^^"^ Again: — ttink it wiU tum ouTthATh! — ^^^' ^ "^ ^'^o^- I . -iii»te:i'i. ■pi«<9|8hortensailatall" ^d provisions femn a ^roûsport, tSe 5^rr8«o Jumar, which had accompanied them oUt from England § .."^" «viiijfc,wi.> \ [1848. m 208 . LIFE OF SIR JOHN t-RANKLIN. for thât purpose, and to which they discharged'five of Weir men who had been invalided and sent to her for passage .to England. As the transport just alluded to was the last vessel that communicated with the Ul-fated disoovery ships, it willbe interesting to insert a few extmcts from a letter written by Lieutenant Griliitîis~ . who was in command of her, to Mr. John Barrow, on his arrivai in England. He writes j— • «The tw'o ships were perfectly crammed, and were verv deep, drawmg seventeen feet I felt quite low-spirited on leaving Sir John an.^ his officers-better feUows never breathed. They were ail in the highest possible spirits. and deterniined on succeeding if success were possible. I bave very great hopes, Knowing thelr capabilities, having witnessed their arrangements, ai^d the spirit by which they are actuated —a set of more undaunted fellows never were got tpgether or officers better selected. Never were ships more^appropriatelv fitted or better adapted for the arduous service they hâve to perfqrm. Yes» indeed, certain I am if there be a passage, and thae icy b^ers wiU be only sufficiently propitious to give them but half the length of their ship, force themselves .through they will at ail risks and hazard. God speed them and send them back by Bering's Strait to their native Eng- land, covered with imperishable famé." Lieutenant Griffiths also reports that "He left them with every species of provisions for three entire years, independently of five bullocks. They had also storee for the same time, and fuel in abundance." ' Sir John, in his last despatch to the Admiralty, written at this time, says — i •*The ships are now fcomplete w ith aupplieaof every ^F three years. They are therefore very deepJbut happily we hâve no reason to expect much sea as we ptoSed furthpr " A 1845.] PROGRESS OF THE SHI^. 209 Oh the. loth ot Jnly, they parted company with the transport, and sailed from the Whale Fish Islands • on the 26th of July the two ships were seen made fast to the ice inrMelville Bay, in about 74' 48' N. latitude, and / uJ^; ^«"gitude, by Çaptain Dannet, of the Prince 0/ Walesa whaler from Hull, who received a visit from Bome of the officer8 of the expédition ; this was. so far as .8 known, the last time the unfortunate vesaeh were sfeen at any rate by Europeans. After this date, although traces of the missmg ships were discovered many yea« after, al is conjectùre,-aU must be left to the imagination to complète one of the saddest stories that bas ever been told m connection with Arctic enterprise. We will, however, endeavour to dovetaU together the vanous scrapa of information that bave subsequently r'^T ^r^^Se, and so trace the pvoceeLgs of he expédition from the time when it was, last seefby the whaler Pn«c« 0/ Wales untU the sad and bitter end ca^e, but it must be clearly understood that the greater q^ what is he. set forth mu.^, of necessity, ber^l/ The sWp^ we know, pursued their solitary wav thn>ogh Baffin'B Bay towards Lanoâster Soundl^nl/ mg tbe bi«id channel, they sailed along the coast of North Devon, continuing their course toL y^ZlLl- but ice, that unoonquerabfe foe with which the Arctic expW has <^ battle, effectually barred the paZl and prevented further advance in that dix^rtion.^' ington Channel, howev*, to the northward, «ppeami lituT^C'-"" ""^ *'^^ ^' hoping^at'n,^ / J^tuaUy leadjn^jwesterljr direction, ^H «urr thom rfeto ffie ea^rly sought for ^^^^^Zy^^^ doomed to di^appointment, forlTr sailing "^ t^ :1 V. il i il Eii (j|S iji^ ffr^ 210 LIFE OF SIRXJOHN FRANKLIN, [1845- 150 miles, they are again id implacable enemy the to the 8outhward;'but int channel to that up Kvered one, wfaich they channel for a distance of ai stopped by their relentless ira, and are compelled to \ their retum is made by a which they sailed, a newiy- found to exist, separating Cor^wallis and Bathurst Islands, and which ultimately brought them again into Barrow'g Strait, about one hundred mîles to the westward -«of the entranoe to Wellington Channel, up which they had previously sailed. \ Unmistakable sig^ of the closing in of the navigable season were now apparent; the hills and valleys were already covered with their snowy mantle, and* the young ira was beginning to form on the surface of the water to such a thickness as to materially impede the progress of the shipa Taking ail thèse cîrcumstances jnto con- sidération, and finding that there was no prospect of ad- vancing further to the westward that season, the ships retraced their steps a short distance to the eastward, and were ultimately secured in snug winter quarters in a partially protected harbour on the north-east side of Beechey Island, the adaptability of which as winter quarters had, in ail probability, been |«marked and noted by Franklin as he passed up Wellington Channel The ensuing wihter probably passed aa mbst Arctic winters do, in a pleasant and cheerful manner. The offirars busily oocupied thernselves in their varions scien- tific pursuits, looking after the health and welfare of their men, ànd eamestly discussing among themselves their future plan of opérations, and their prospects of ultimate suooess ; the men in the meantime being actively engaged Jn thon jc^tifarious duties that ax» inoidei winter in the Arctic régions, fnich. as banking the snow aipc t , i&i* 211 "«•] F^ST WIN7ER QUARTERS. «gaÎMt the aidés of the 8hin« k u- ° for variou8 purnô«„ W.v î? ï'*^'*"'* "»ow-hou«e8 18LANO. returning sun shed their beams o« ^k j- ««kt, to be kep, cWr of the ici which / ^ ''■'^"•"'"^' *»*y •"d ^ conm. rendered welew in wiLw fi !u^' '"""P* «' • *^P •« 213 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1846. ,1 1 of soouring the adjacent country in search of game, for" freah animal food, they were well aware, was essential to the perfect préservation of health. A man like Sir John Franklin, with the expérience of several Arctic winters to look back upon, knew well that in order to préserve his men in health he must keep them cheerful and ii; good spirits, with their minds and their bodies fullj occupied. Although perhaps the ardent and enthusiastic Fitz James was somewhat disappointed at the failure of the expédition to reach a more advanced position before seek ing winter quarters, still, on the whole, they could regard with satisfaction the resuit of their work during the preceding autumn, for in their passage up Wellington Channel and down the New Strait to the west of Com- wallis Island, they had explored and mapped 300 miles of new coast-line, and they were keenly sensible of the fact, that only 250 miles of the unknown, intervened between their furthest point and the accomplishment of the north-west passage, namely, the distance between Cape Walker to King William Island. They were therefore, presumably, elated with the cheering prospect that was before them, of satisfàctorily solving thetgreat problem that had so long puzzled and vanquished the many bold navigators who had preceded them, aif^khey ail looked forward with eager excitement to the termi- nation of winter, when they would be able tp continue» what they felt assured would prove, a most suàessfuh voyage. ^ , >'!■ k-. LIN. Tch of game, fof~ , was essential to an like Sir John J Arctic winters rder to préserve cheerful and in leir bodies fullj ithusiastic Fitz 16 failure of thf tion before seek hey could regard rork during the up Wellingtou 16 west of Com- ïpped 300 miles sensible of the )wn, intervened omplishment of istance between d. They were leering prospect tlving thetgreat vanquished the them, ai^hey t to the termi' ble lip oo^inust nrôst suocessfuh CHAPTER XIIL THE LAST DAYS. 1846-1848. / " O world ! «o fem the ye»ni we live, Would that the tèe th»t thou dost giv.^ Were life indeed ! Alag ! thy sorrows fall so fast, Our happiest hour is when at last The Boul is freed." The long Polar night, with ail its monotony and chçer- l^ess, at length came to an end, and in the month Februaxy they hailed with joyful delight the retum of the Sun which had been absent for so many weeks. and which they knew heralded the approach of summ^ "t r?u t "^'"«"^ °^ ^"^ ^*^"« season during which they hoped, and expected. to carry to a successful issue the ardent aspirations that animated the breast of each indmdual member of the expédition. Death, how- ever. had not been idle in the little community during Its sojourn at Beechey Island, for they had to moum the I068 of three of their number-two seamen who died in Januaiy. and a marine who died in ApriL They wei« boned on the island. and the finding of thèse soUtary P^e^mth^gr ample head -boaxda «id appropiii^ epitapHweieamong the firrt indication^ discover^ five years afterwards, of the expédition having wintered theré. i&éiUb<^ iL,*vi*ft1."^' "î*wtt''' - vîi'U^JtiV, w-ïj/t^TT-siEiçipp-^^ii -.uu>is.>»i^wnMi>|ipp>mqppqMilfi 214 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [ig^j. , ^On the release of the ships from their winterquarters which event, in ail probability, did not oocur until July or August, a course waa shaped to the weetwaitl towanlg Cape Walker, the furthest point reached by them in a westerly direction the previous year. We may aasume that the usual difficulties inséparable from ice .navigatior were expenenced by Franklin and his gallanffoUowere we may al8o rest «Mur^ that thèse obstacles were re-' Bolutely grappled with and manfuUy overcome. Their chief was not a man to shrink from either difficulty or danger, and he well faiew he oould safely rely upon the , «ipport of his officefe and men in the hour of trial Yet the difficulties in pushing on in the required direc- tion must hâve been veiy great in his heavy, slow-sailin^r bluff-bowed ships, for the steam-power at his disposa! was so limited as to be only of use in perfectly calm weather, and in a smooth sea free of ice. We know well from the records of prenons navigatore and also from subséquent «perienoe, that the ice to thé westward of Barrow's Strait, and in the neighbourhood of Cape Walker, is of an e,çeedingly formidri)le descriptioa In spite, however, of tfie ponderoua nature of the ioe Franklin persevered in his endeavours to get thiough' and seeing a ohannel open to the southward he pusheé into it, for sundy, he thinks, it wiD eventually lead in the nght dir«ctioa He knew, if this channel did not end in ticul de 8ae, and if the ioe permitted him to force his shipe through, that the Ust link in the chain would be forged, and the north-west passage would be temmphantlyaduered. This channel, separating North Somerset fr^ Prince of Wales's Land, is now caUed red Strait AU wvnt merrily I eveiything pointed to a speedy and i"* KLIN. [184«. rwinter'quarters, t oocur unfcil July westward towardg led by them in a We mayassume omice^avigatior gallant'followers, obstacles were re- >vercome. Their ither difficulty or >ly rely upon the le hour of trial, e required direc- ftvy, slow-sailing, r at his disposai a perfectly calm viouB navigators, at the ice to the leighbourhood of able description, tute of the ioe, to get through, ward he pushes entually lead in ihannel did not rmitted him to ik in the chain asage would be parating North , is now called bo a speedy and ..n tW:. WÊÊ^^^ s^ b:^ ■'''•j':S'^^'fr-^*^WfW^ FRA^KLTN^'S TPAnir ^«^p >^ V •jÈâyi ^ ' BOOTHJ4A 1 PB1.IX ««sr»Aa>>-*jini»' Pf'^Ti' lut.}. VESSIU OATOBT IN tHÏ lOT. ai6 ««an, n«6r to rta, a.d M oa it. t^J^ k^ *° •nemy, the ice. « ^ "■"" ""toii»" J-rZt!!': '"'•" '°°™- '^''«'' »^y '» » f««r rtill; yrt aTblr^^' ^ ">»'*"««d te ^»^w«;rt^r:^;r:';::,l«-jrr fw«n up m thdr icy bondaga- ^ ^""^ #; 1 1 II IIH 'il 1 i f Ji- 1 • kii\ i ' i 1 iiî i 1 1 1 il 1 1 f! 1 t M II mH filJ 'iil II Bliil if Éili II TPI 2ie LIFË OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1846. only to Him, the Suprême Ruler of the Univeree, and will never be revealed to morfcal Ihan. How keen must hâve been the suspense, and how intense the (hsappomtment, felt by ail when the foUowing summer that of 1847, dragged out its weary length, and stilf the ships remained "irrevocably frozen in their icy crawles, without any symptoms being apparent of the disruptionof the pack This feeling must hâve been ail the more quickened, when they remembei«d that only a few short mile^ lay between them and the suocessful accomplishment of that grand achievement, "the only thing whereby a notable min* might be made famous," which they had undertaken to risk, and if neoessary lay down their Kves, in order to bring to a successful issue Once clear of the ice, and, they thought, ail further diffi- culties would be overcome and eveiy obstacle removed from their path. As day suoceeded day during that long summer and equally long and weary autumn, so did hope animate their hearts, but at léngth the days began to shorten and despondency suoceeded hope as the sun sank below the southem horizon, to be, alaa! seen no more by many on board the twq ill-fated ships, its last r^yg flicker- iiïg intermittently in the heavens with bright pris- matic colours as it disappeared, not to return for long wesïy months, ominously symbolical of the fate that wag 80 soon to overtake them. The winter, we mày ^ sure, was not one of ease, oomfort, or enjoyment. Then» ^ms Uttle now to cheer the drooping spirits of this stiU undaunted band. Their pro- visions were getting low, their ships wei« helpless logs Jrmly fixed in a nlmtieu gâ^ aad ^^ irhispeped- among themselves that help, to be of any avail, must .i!lt-L!»>«i,î.. 1848.] WINTER IN THE PACÇ. 217 inséparable fron. a wi/w in the^^T s^fl^:^''''''' ice-préssures which, for aU we k^ow totC . '"''' Btrained and damaged the hu^Tf ^he ., "^T""' ^ And 8o the second winter came and went. and fh Bummer sun once more ^hm.^ t ^x. . ^ °° *^® hearts of those on JÉÉt^u^?';?" «^'^^"«^ ^^^ ' l release, and the h jR tht '""^ t ^'^«-P-^ions of ^ their efforts cix>^^S^ ^ "''^^' ^"' ""« *° «^ / , ^ioiig wijuam Island, covered in its whif^ «fLk - past that stenle and drearv InnL-;» . ,7^ -'-'nce Back's discoveries: but aLwl «», • ' ^^ XjBenousIy damaged ships ^ perhaps ^Tm^ rr^ ^v'^- -' --tt 1. ilFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIK. [184«. very Dadly, but is altogether a capital fellow." Hejied on board the Erebus during, the succeeding Of Des Vœux he says : « '^ÏT'^ ^'^V'^" Ï^P' °° ^""'^^y» ^4th May. and ucceeded m rea^lung t>oint Victor, ^ «^ ging Waiiam Island ; thence pushing on towards Cape Herachel thev perhapB. saw in the distance the coôtinent of North Amenai and realised that the long sought for pacage had been |p«vered. and could be actually accom^S r they were but able to force their ships through the Short icy channel that intervened. Depoôiting a record « back to their ships to impart the joyful tidingg to their oomrades. m order that they also might Bhar« in the exultatxon that they could not but help feelinir at having ascerteined the successful resuit of the voLe The record was simply ^ few lines written on a printed foim supphed te ships for the purpose of being oorked up m a bottle and thrôwn overboard, with the object of ascertammg the set of tides and currents. The Unes written by Graham Gore on this printed I *' •, agreeable, light- N» in ii59, whik t 319 "*«•] FRANKLIN ON HIS DÈATH-BED W., after having ZnVwefuL'Znct "\ ''' ''" t«de 77', and r^i»^^ ^yyeumgton Channel to lati- FranWin waf ^,iT ^"*«»»"^. '^at Sir John 1847. and is sTZd 2^1?^":?;" '**^ '*^« ^«*^ of May / « 8igne "^ 8" ■ '. -.iv. ,„n, ru^To^t ".r^""^' ^<ÏW«1. .^ently .«error. and .h.uld b. .845-^ j. *;. l'ortifica- ^of findmgthat their daily drift to the southwani was ^u^y decrea^ng, until alas 1 it ceased alto^th^ ^cU'"a r "'^ ^''^'^ ''''''' ^"- from'^oint Victory, and not more than abput «^ from the Ameri - coast. God's wîir be done I fortSy know that- , "Winter with hisnaked arma And chilling breath is hère • » ^e rilla that ail the autumntime- Went Binging to the ae§j...__.^ Are waiting in theif loy chaina For gpring to set them free." They are indeed now in dire extremities: It is toc kte m the saason to think of abandoning the swLt order to seek fo r succo»,^W ,♦.,.,-.■•„ JL^^P"" order to ^k fo r »Mm^ b^i^ZZl T ' 'T ^ 4 - . '»"*'wu^«y^^ttemptiiig ib reacE H»« 224 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1840- Sîiii that neighbourhood. They knew, from Franklin 's former terrible expériences, that game waa not to be obtained during^h$ winter months on the barren lands of the continent, so that they were well aware, in the event of being unable te reaoh the Hudson's Bay posta, starva- tion must be the inévitable result. Only one course was open to them— ^namely, to pass another long and dreary winter in their ships, and then abandon them in the foUowing spring, and this of necessity was the one decided on and adopted. It is unneoessar^ to attempt to pioture the miseries of thàt third winter. Sufiice it to say that cold, want, and disease did their cruel work, and the sun of 1848 rose upon an emaciated, weak, and alas ! a diminished party, for we know.ibat no less than nine officers and twelve men passed aWay during those two terrible winters besides the three who died during the first winter, and were buried at Beechey Island. Among those who died was yChe finst lieutenant of the Erebvs, " the sweet-tempered " Qraham Gore, who was the first to discover and report the existence of the north-west passage, and who had been promoted to the rank of commander in the vacancy caused by the death of Sir Johù Franldin. Poor fellow, he did not live long to enjoy his well-eamed step. T^e number of officers who perished up to this time seems to bear a remarkable and unusual proportion to the number of inen who died during the same period, and can only be accounted for by the supposition that the former exposed themselves more than the latter, in ■ their endeavours to alleviate the sufferings of those committed to their charge. ^==-The sarvivors now nu mbe r 105^ bat ^w» may ~ infer that the greater part of thèse poor fellows wrâe t ■(■ 1848.J :çHIÎ SHIPS ABANDONEÎ). 220 sadly redHoed.by weaknes» and disea^e, and some, we may also be ««ured, we,^ in a perfectly helpless condi- jon Nevertheless, having made the best alngemente ^t were, «nder the circumstances. possible, thei bxuve men m response to the décision to abandon the ships, chjerfuUy manned the drag-ropes of the sledges thai T/^J" r^r^^ P'^P'^ '^^ ^^^ and under to the ^r ju, and y^ror on the moming of AprU ..„d, ^d sterted on their long journey towanls the Qi^t F.8h Rxver where they hoped, at any ,^te, to meet ^U Indmns, who might possibly supply them with food Had they but known that Sir James Ross, with a couple pf ships, would. in four short months, be within three hundred miles of the position of the Erebus ^d Terrorwhen they were abandoned, and that relief parties- r"^^ '^r '"""^'^ '^"^^ «^PP^^ "^o»^ *l»an one hundred miles nearer to them, how différent might the resuit hâve been I 6 «- t-u» The necessity for abandoning the ships se early in ^ season seems somewhat unaccountable ; it m^ hâve been due to the fact that they were run^ing shortif provisions on boaxd, or. whieh is quite pLible, to heu. anxiety to make an early start It ^Tstix^ated ha they were not able to cany away with them on ti^e r s edges provisions for moi^ than about forty days. 80 that even had they sucoeeded in waching the con- ment of America, they would bave been without food or some considérable time. as. their provisions would ^ve been expended befoi^ they could possibly hope to ^ If 'b!^ ,' 7^''f " "^^ *^° "°* ^^ toquent the barren knds of the continent before the latto^ end j:.^: Siisi^tfe?^^ «.îs, ^mJ 1 <^-iiï^^^k^'ii m 226 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1846- of the summer. It would therefore, it seems, hâve been hettet for them to hâve defèrred the abandonment ht theift^Lships until the month of May, when they would hâve had warmer weather for travelling, provided, of ooune, they had on board the veasels the wherewithal to flustain life for that duration of time ; of this, how- ever, we' hâve no knowledge, nor will the information now ever be forthcoming. In addition to the provisions and stores with which their sledges were Ipaded, they also carried a couple of whale-boats, which were each secured on a separate sledge. That thèse sledges muA hâve been heaVily weighted, as seems more than probable, or that the physical capa- bilities of the men were much reduced, is évident from the fact that it took them three days to reach Point Vi^ory, a distance of only fiftéen miles, '^ia pain- ful fact appears to hâve been realised By them on reaching the- land, for at this point they seem to hâve l-'ghtened their sledges by abandoning everything flfiat could possibly be spared, or that might be considered 8'iperfluous, carrying with them nothing but thos© aiticles that were absolutely and essentially neoessary for their sustenance. This waa ascertained in^ aft* years^ by finding this particular spot strewn with an accumulation of articles of ail sorts, such ^ clothing in great quantities, stores of various descriptions, blocks, uhovels, pick-axes, red, white, and blue ensigns, and even the brass omaments of a marine's shako, the fragment çf a oopper lightning-conductor aud a btass curtain-rod I It is a matter of surprise that so many useless articles should hâve been carried away from the ships — articles that oould not possibly be required (uniess they were , ^ In 1859, bjr Sir Leopold M'Olintocik tad Lkatenuit Hobwn. l 'i'î^'> /*,' 1848.J LAST RECORD OF THE EXPEDITION. 227 On their arrivai at Point Victon^ '-ff KMVî • of the Terror found the record tha; ^^E^"^?* Fevrous year by GnU^am Go«. Un J^^E *'' and Fztzjames wrote the folWin. l^mÊ^T •nargin, which tells «8 brieflv «Il Tl^^** *^® of theproceedin^ ottLvf '"^ «''«''«ver know aings of the expédition to that date : ï- dJe;&ln''tk'3fnro"-lriî''r "i""" ''"' ^«^ ^^^e •and crev.8, consisting of 'o^ ^T'""^! '^^^- The officeiî N., longitude 98°4,' w ' a ^^'^ '"^ ^*«t»de 69* 37' 42' Irvuigînder îh^'di^-suppo^^J? '"^ ^7 ^euf „St James Ross in ,83,, 4 miK fhf I' **'" ^"^'^^ »^3^ «ir beendeposited by thl Ste o^„ 1 f '^'^^^rd. where ithad Sir James Ross's pi ]«' ha^notT'"'^'' ^"'^ "° «^""^ ^847. Paper has been tLsferrS toSÏ '"''' ^'° ^•^"°'^' «»d the ■ w'àch Sir James R^T^^J^ *^'' P^'^"°°' *'»<=»^ ia that in' died on the nth Ju^?8' ^J^fr^', S- John Frank! p theexpeditionhasrent^ 3'dt:i'"^'^^^^^^^^ Start o„ to-niorrow. .6th. for Bacîri^b;^^^^^ The document is signed by F R M fv, ^.' / and senior officer, and James ïïv,' ^^>^»"' ««Ptem ' -tched outlnd Lr2.g ^^^^ "^ry l^-nklin died on the "Ih 'JT"'' '''^^' '^^ ?^ ^o^» on the I ith of June, and we kno; he was *■ M '•'■"' ,'''f^l^K'i^^'''^,' ' ' «^ 3 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. t""- ajive when the traveUing party left the Erehus on the 24th of May; the paper wa« written and deposited m the caim four days afterwards. Having relieved their sledges of ail superfluous weighte. the retreating party left Point Victory on MAP OF KING WILUAU ISLAND. SHOWWQ FIUSKUS'8 U»K OF BKTRIAT. th^ i a 6t h April, «Mid4»uBhed on in a gff^ adfc had been left behind, was the discovery of their boat, with her bow pointed to the northward ii» the direction of the ships, and containing two human skeletons. It is not difficult to guess the terrible fate of this party, for although the boat contained a large assortment of clothing and stores of ail kinds, there was an entire absence of provisions, unless a very smaU quantity of tea and sugar could be considered as such. At any r«te, there was nothing in her that was capable of supporting life. The boat was found about fifty mUes from Point Victoiy, and about sixty-five from the position the ships occ'upied when abandoned. It is surmised that the mèn com- posing this party, finding their strength unequal to drag the boat any further, pushed on to the ships, and that the two poor fellows whose skeletons were found in the boat, being too weak or ill to accompany them, were left behind untU relief could be sent to their aid. That succour, alas I never came. The southem detachment pushed onwards. They were but a small party, and probably did not number more than fifty. After struggling painfully onward, knowing tha* on their exertions the safety of their more helpless opmpanionB dependfd, Cape Herschel waiT reached, and h ft ra, it ifl wp po flo d, th o y m uul h âv e ptteed^Td o Be^ tirt faB" oaim ereotwi by Simpwn in 1839. This caim was 1848.] oaim was DI8C0VERT OF A HUMAN SKELETON. 231 in after years examined by Sir LeonJH M^nr * ,_ , woman who had seen «« ,f °^** Eskimo in r88o i^ll ^ 'f 9' '^^ Lieutenant Schwatka «en we« sTll^"^ * ^^^ «^ «^bo"' forty white Ihey were very thm, «ûd^appe««l to be m ^ .iiiUs.f .. t. :v.. t -nii^^^ytg.y 232 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1846. want of provisions. None could spealc the Ëskimo lan- guage, but by signs they gave the natives to understand that their ship, or ships, had been destroyed by the ice, and they were joumeying to where they hoped to get deer or other food. Ail this information it must be remembered was obt^ed at second hand from the nativea, who had reoeived the intelligence from others. They affirmed that "several yeara ago a ship was crushed by the ice •^ off the north shore 6î King William Island, butiaU her people landed safely, and went away to the Great "ï'ish River, where they died." A second ship also, we are ^^tSld, " had been seen oflf Eling William Island, and that she drifted on shore at the fall of the same year." /* When the ship was seen by the natives she was ^ àpparently intact — one boat was on deck, and four others were hôisted up outside. Subsequently she was crushed by the ice and destroyed. It was further reported that in one of the ships was the body of a man, " a tall man, with long teeth and large bones." The remains thus found might hâve been those of some poor feUow who had perhaps breathed his last as the ships were being abandoned, or he may hâve formed one of that forloru hope that, as has aiready been surmised, separated from the remain der of their shipmates, and attempted to retum when they were midway between Point Victory and Cape Herschel, only to reach the shelter of his ship in time to die. In spite of the most diligent search that was made, no vestige of either ship was found by M'Clintock or subséquent ezplorers, so it may reasonably be inférred that they had been destroyed and ~ TOmpiftely IWôpt ftwsy "^ ^Sè ice, as stat^^by^^ > Ëskimos. From the west extrême of Eing William 184a.] ifH» WHITE MENS GRAVES. 2S8 Island to Cape FeUx, the lo^ barren shore, destitute of végétation, waa stfewn with traces of the disastrous retreat of our helpless countrymen. In 1869 Captain Hall was informed, by tke natives he met in King WUliam ïsland, that the graves of two white mn were found in the vicinity of the PfeiflFer River, and that there was another.w^ite man's grave on a long low point jutting but into the sea, some five or six miles further to the eastward. The romains of five white men were also discovered on a small islet, called Todd Islet, about two or thrbe miles oÈ this point. Hall was' further informed that in a bay to the west of Point Richardson, which has subsequently been named Starva- , tien Cove, a boat covered with an awning and containing ' the remains of thirty or thirty-five men was found. It was also reported that a tent had been seen in the ' vicmity of Terror Bay, "the floor of Which was com- pletely covered with (he bodies of white men." In fact, the line^of retreat of thèse unfortunate men w^ clearly defined by the skeletons of those poor fellows who had dropped down and died as they walked along. ^,, ,, Thus perished that gallant bVind ot^heroes who, so fuU of hope and enthusiasm, left Engknd in 1^5 under the leadership of Sir John Franldin, resolyed t^loall that lay in their power to deserve, even if tfiey cSnot command, sticcess. How well wid nobly, in the face of unparalleled hard- w ships and dJfficulties, they carried out that resolution, has been abundantly proved. Olorious as îs the story ,£MJt&ted ejqjedition, it is^ a sad *Bd.^arpowing--- one. Bu* it does us good to think of it, for it excites our admiration and kimdles our respect for those brave *' Il m , MFl^Qr SIR ;^|i frangin: .%-ll848. "'•>"■;■ ■■■•Fis" ■ ■ Vf% mfen, "the World;^, ^^eat lÉ^rs," wko havy fully and, wi%Hy borne gieiii; Bri&riijg^^d priva,*!.^ tiottp— aye, and hk\9»mùieait«^ ^^{^" i,„»«^ ï^A^g àïteresting, useful, tM'^É^'ct^-U Wd geôgpanhical science.^ W^ -W i'I». «*!**■, •f,'T ■ 1\ . > ,*:, *H^*vj» \ / -A CHAPTER XI.V. '^ANXIETY RESPECTING SAPFrv n ^ 1^7-1859. "I»^le fearlesa. and in danger brave. P^ara^ h.8 country'a red-cross flag alo t Tnum^hant over foes and démente ' ^r ene^gee,^ action 't'a^'j"',^^^ ^^« ti.e necessiîy of net only S^T^w • ' *^®' **»« «"tinent, but bS2^ ,1^ aI- ^°'*^ ^°>«^<»" " 'v*^- Jlî_ •A^ 4» d* ^c> ;fey:, T,^-..Vs^,.-v.,. m ^' 236 LIFE OF 8IR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- ^ the necesaity of adopting some measures of immédiate ,-'relief, that in the summer of 1847 ttey made arrange- ments with the Hudson'^ Bay Company for the despatch of a large supply of protisions 1 to their most northem stations in North America, in readiness for the crews of Franklin 's ships, should they hâve abandoned their vessels and be retreating in that direction. Instructkms were also sent to the varions Hudson's Bay Company'é posts to wam tiie Indians to lopk out for, «and assist the survi^orS, if fallen inVith. Large rewards were likewise offered by the Government to the maetere and crews of ail ships employed in the whale fishery in BaflSn's- Bay, should they perchance " succeed in obtain- ing any information or record of the progress of the Erebîis and Terror through Lancaster Sound and to the westward." This was supplemented by a reward of ;i^20oo oflFered by Lady Franklin, to anybody who should obtain reliable information regarding ^efate, or otherwise, of the missing expédition. '^ ■;• . When the year 1847 passed without bringing any . tidings of the absent ships, the Government lost no time în adopting what they considered to be the best means for ascertaining the whereabouts, or the fate, of the Df issing expédition. In the first place, it was decided to institute a s'earch by foUowing, very wisely, as much as possible, in "the footsteps of Franklin. With this object in view, ^wo vessels, the Enterprise of 471 tons, and the Investigator of 420 tons burthen, were selected and commissioned, and the charge of them entriisted to Captain Sir Jajjaes Clarke Rosa With him was asso- ciated Captain EcT^^ard Bird, who was ç^j^rointe^ to tj»» -=^T»mmaSd ôf ^e"M^râa"shïî). Tïésé offibws wère^^ > The amouut sent wai leTenty-five dayt' proviaioni for lao men. :.i. 1869.] SEARCH EXPEDITIONS. 287 sers were ex- I for lao man. perienced ice navigators, and had taken part with ï»arry during his mémorable attempt to reach the Nortlî Pôle in 1827. The latter served also as first lieutenant of the Erebua in Ross's Antarqtic voyage. A second expédition, under the command of Pranklin's old friend and travelling companion, Sir John Richard- son, with Mr. John Rae (ap oflSxîial beïonging to the Hudson's Bay Company), was sent with orders to de- scend the Mackenzie River, and examine the coast thence to the Coppermine River, as also the southern and western shores of WoUaston Land. In order to render the seapch as complète as possible, another expédition, consisting of the Herald, under Captain K|llett, and the Plm)er, under Commander Moore, was sent to Bering's Strait, with instructions to proceed along the American coast as far as possible to the east- ward, and to endeavour to communicate with the party under the command of Sir John Richardson. Thus it appears that everything was done that could possibly be accomplished, in order to aflFord relief and succour to the absent explorers, or to obtain intelligence of their fate in the event of any untoward catastrophe having befallen them. The fir^t-named expédition, that under the command of Sir James Clarke Ross, sailed from England on the uth June 1848. Pw»eeeding without much difficulty up Baffin's Bay and Lancaster Sound, it was ultimately stopped by an ice barrier across Barrow's Strait, and they were qp^peUed to sa^ winter quarters in Port Leopold, on the north-^Éfcoast of- North Someraet )uriDg the ensuing s]prf|w|^r»Wling partira from thë=" ships re^^ed Cape Hurd^^ the north shore of Barrow's Strait, while the eaatem and the western coasts of Prince t 9f% Bit»1ii»,»>«'ii»,:.-. ^S' -*: M. 238 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- Regeçt Tnlet aa f ar i ^ | |piiÉ i | | be«^ wew carefully searched. . .f.»- » , Had the survivors f rom the Erehua and Ténor made for Pury bea«h instead of attempting to reach^ the Great Fish River, the probabiUties âre'^hey would have been saved, for they would there hâve found ail the stores and provisions tliat had been landed from the Fvry when that vesael waa wrecked in 1825. Thèse would hâve been more than sufficient to sustfiin the ^rty until the following spring (that of 1849), when they would hâve been îojaà and relieved by the search 'parties sent out by Sir James Ross from Port l4#^ld. Captain Crozier must hâve been well aware of the exist- ^ce of this large dépôt of provisions, for he was serving in the Tury at the time of her loss. It is, however, assuïSèd that he did not feel justified in oonducting his unfortuoate men some seventy or eighty miles out ■of their course,^^t% there was the possibil|ity of tS provisions having beeto discovered^^and appropriated by *^® ^^ÉÉ^°^* .^® ^^ ^^ ignorant of the fact that Sir John 1^1, wi#'his small party, \^intered at Fui/beach *" ^?3^~3' *°<* *^at whéto he left, there w;^ an aihple Duriof^iÉ spring of 4^49, Sic J^es Ross, accom- panied by Lieutenant M'Clh^fe, Ar^velled*^ faç*as' Cape Coulma» in P^l 8Sp^|iï Utitude 72* ^'N. They were thén, a|H|gh they fyere ignorant of the fact, in the direct «Ik.g^ Franklin's diipa Had it » Sir l^ M'CliDtock vi«îted Fury beacL in 1859, and fbnnd evetr- thiug intàot. f*l«ô^of.thi» work paid^Faiy-bwKlt »Ti»it1n^t87jrwSër he found the remaining store» and |)rovUioni in a perfect «tate of preiervatioU. 1 nd Arand erery- 1869.J «ÊTURN OP SEARCH EXPEDITIONS. 239 been possibKfor them to continue their journey they would m aU probabUity. hâve seen the deeerted vessels but ti^r provisionB being nearly expei^ded necessitated ^ retarn from^this point to Port Leopold. On the léri'^ ° ■ *^® iS-n^erpr»*» and Investigator at Port Lebpold m the autumn of ,848, those ships Vere act&lly wijhin 300 mûesoî the position of the Erebus and Terrar - f■■; 240 LJFK OF SIR JOHN FRANKEIN. [1847. with commendable promptitude, resolved upon the im- médiate ézamînation of those places in the Polar basin where it was tbought most likely that traces of the miflsing expédition might be discovered. With thia object in view, the Enterprise and Investiçrator werê at once re-equipped and re-commissioned, but this time for the Ipurpose of entering the unknown aréa from the wéstvvard through Bering's Strait The command of this expédition was given to Captain RichaM CoUinson, C.B., an accomplii^ed surveyor and a distinguished offiçer, who hoisted his pendant in the Enterprise, while Commander Robert J. Le Mesurier M'Clure, who had served as a mate in the Terror with Captftjn Back in 1836, and was first lieutenant of tW^i^erpme in Boss's late expédition, was appointed to the command of the Inrestigator. Thèse vessels left England in January 1850, with orders to pass through Bering's Sïrait during the foUowing navigable peaaon, and thence proceed with the utmost expédition to the eastward, and examine Melville Island, Banks Land, WoUaston and Victoria Land, or otherwise according to the discrétion and judg- ment of Câptain OoUinson. The Plover was also ordered to winter in Kotzebue Sound in order to act as a dépôt, whence assistance could be obtained in the unfortunate event of any serious calamity befalling the two ships. Four months after the departure of the Enterprige and Investigator, a goodly squadron^ consisting of the ships Resolutey Assistance, and the steam tenders In- tn^pid aad Pioneer,^ sailed under the command of » Thi» waa practically the first occasion on which full-poweml stcMaers were emplojed in ice navigation, The resnlt waa ao inyDiiTi. able tliat steam-vhalers were gradually introdaoed in theBaffln'sBÏy whale fishery to the total exclusion of sailing ships. r /V. lich full-powentl ultwaa-aoia mtheBaffio'sBsy HENRV «ftiNXKLf, t^ Wand/' -T- • -^ W of VOHTwallir'^ wel-e no léite th4 i\ ^*^,.. •I 244 LIFE OP SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- h-.' fifteen ressels, directly and indirectly, engaged in the searchfôr Sir John Franklin and bis missing ships. To thèse variou£t expéditions must be added a boat jourftey made by Lieutenaflt Pullen, who was sent by Captain Kellett from Point Barrow to the e^tward along the noi'th coast of America to the Mackenzie River, which he aacendéd as far as the Grfeat Slave Lake ; while Dr: Rae was also employed in exploring the neighbourhodd of the Coppermine River and tlie shores of Wollastôli and Victoria Land. It will thus be aeén tiJMA the entire continental coast-Hùe between Bering's Strait to a position in latitude 70° on the east coast of Victoria Land, was to be thÇroughly ezamined. Everything was eonducted on a most libéral and generou9 scale, and in such a way as to satisfy the ceuntry that no stone wbuld be left untumed in ordér to find sqroe trace, if any existed, of the missing ships ^d their gallant gl^ws. The Polar area explored by ^hese scveral expéditions was very extensive, find great and important geographical Work was necessarily effected; but they failed in the accomplishment of the main oîjject for which they were despatched, namely, the relief of Franklin and his companions, and their fate, unhappily, continuel to be wrapped in dark and pro- found mystery. 'ihe ships under the command of Captain Austin wintered at Griffith Island in Barrow's Strait; but beforë si^king winter quariers, great joy and no little excitement was qnused "l^ the discovery that th^ miss- ing expédition under Sir John Franklin had paaeeii tiieir nrst wiuvct \io^^—oj iiiii jooinsuvy t.ou/uitir tilMjea of the loet o^ were discovered by Captain igaged in the missing ships. added a boat > was sent by the e^tward he Mackenzie » Grfeat Slave 1 in exploring ïliver and the It will thus t-linié between ie 70° on the be th^roughly 1859.] 8EARCH BY SLEDGING.PARTIES. 245 Ommaney of the Assùtance at Point Biley.i and the graves of three of those who had died during that winter yvtde page 213) were subsequently found by Captain ORAVES ON BEECHEV ISLAND. ï^nJ\J^' «fghbourhôod'wa^. as may wellbe jma- " gined, «lorou^hly «earched in the -hope of finding' a - fui, -"«1 'tryms m fimatib frbm tirre*tc.Tour yardJ fin" ^'' 'À ■ * ■*■ ,■ • 249 LIFE GF^IR JOHN FRANKLIN. [WB47- Mï;')! record, or document, that would afiford some due as to '*he direction it was intended that the Erebm and Terror should take ^fter breaking out of-winter quartera, but although diKgent search was-made nothing could be fouod. From this point ail traces of the missing ex- pédition ceafeed, and the veil of 'darkness' and obscurity was again lowered, only to be lifted by Bae and M*Clin- tock at a latér date. In the spring of 1851, under^a care^ul and elaborate System pf sledgin^, organised by Captaiq, Austin on the Imes originally laid down by Parry and James Ross, travelling parties wer^ despatched to search in various directions. The only method by which the search could be efficiently arranged waa, of course, to follow the gênerai ténor pf Sir John Frainklin^'s instructions, in Which both WelKrigton Channel and a route to the southward and' westward of Cape Walkèr aretaçntioned ; but it was also necessaiy for Càptain Austin to provide for exhaustive searches- in other diitections. With this object in view' Captain Penny undertook the examination of Wellington Channel, while Ausj^ despatched three extended sledge expéditions to the^wesÉ^ard— tivo were sent round Cape- , Walker to the sonth-west, and one went due south into' for rwords. Thèse tin. were libelled "Goldner's patent," and had been supplie^ under directions ttm the Admiralty, to the expediMo» as preserved méat." From the faot that an enormpus quantity of thèse tm. suppbed to the navy, were subsequently found to contain putrid méat, and from the faot that so large a quantity of méat as thew empty tu. were oalonlated to hold. could not hâve been used by th« ZS'^.f î" expédition dnring their fimt winter, it is «pposed thatthe détective condillon of the contents of the tins was discTv.red jmd a iurvey of them order«d. If .this surmi« be a oorwct one, thé «s. of •«> hurg^a proportien pf what wo«ld be oonsidered frtsh, jottja jo cnpple tt* rewofces. a. to lead m ail prebabi ty t^hT disastious fate of tlM Oxif^éHima. t jr i" »» A ,\ ^. é E^£_2v 1859.] STRANGE ABSENCE OP CAIRNS. 247 the channel now called Peel F^nnr^A rL. t ., as MelviUe Island, while two parties, under Captl Omm«j.y and Lieutenant She^ O^^ Z^^^ ^hed W Cai. Walker to the .oùth^wesT^ng thé north^ and west coasts of Prince of Wales' Land !ieu tenaùt Mecham, travellinjr in the same direction dis 2«-l R"-ell Island, and Lieutenant Brownf ^Ir^' LIp l '^'^^^S^P^y, like that of/sir Jarres Ross m r849, only on the oéher side of the eatt^e channel,.was actually di^ctipg it« énergies alo.g the sazne track laken by the ^eô^ and Terr^, Jy ^et hoyeyer, at the time ignorant that they wex^ foLw W m the fooMeps of FranWin, for, unfortuLtely. no c^* no record, nôt ete^ a trace had been left^ by the miW o»es that could a|onI a due to those who Cirors! of them as to the direction they had taken. Lieutelant milee of the position wjiere the IJrebus md Terrer were abanl, ■■ '-"-i^-^] ». [1847- route pursuedi lis well-known from çiaterial mdmarks, and n to l'ranklin ted, tbîil^r^irec- cated, and an » been saved, 1 possibly hâve i be advanced ^ays been con- 8 of an Arctic hannels were 18 and Terror uence deemed «sels by stop- however, for ' 9 of much in- noney in the •f' and Investi- i in 1850 in 'ear ; — indeed jut a winter, bringing the t^hat Franklin \à. he Enterprise on the 2oth h Om Straits Ishmds, pro- Swevér, àf mtally sepa- %Éi, ïï ^■— g">« "a{{j'i. i . ii ,..ii'n.ii.l ii i i '. i i iùiM J ,i I I j^ ' '«? I 1' I I — CAPiA Trr-Snr^D BKH r t VicCLtrRË. : "~^ — IP n m^ painting by Steplun I^trce in the possession of Col. JohnBarrow.) 186P.] r«/toMp««fa4»-l' 1869.] NORTH-WEST PASSAGE DISCOVERED. 249 'ohn'Barrow.y mted, and they never joined company again during the remainder of the cruise. Both thèse vesaels made remarkaWe, and, so far as Polar navigation is concerned, wonderfully suocessfu, voyages. The InvesHgator, under Captain M«Glure, saited ^long the north «,ast «f the American continent, and may be accredited with the d«covery of the existence of two north-west passages, viz., one through Prince of Wales' Strait (where thé ship wintered in 1850) into Melville Sound, and the other from the westward, round the north coast of Bank's Land to Melville So,und. The W-named passage was actually accomplished by Captain M 'Clure and his officers and crew; for after having pa^ed two con- sécutive winters in the Bay of God's Merey on the north coast of Bank's Land, where their ship'was irre- vocably frozen up, their position was luckily discovered Vby a sledge party from the Ee^olute, to which ship I ^eyretreated when they abandoned the InvestigatoS They. were subsequently, but nqt until after. a fourth winter had been spent in theiArctic régions, trans- ^rred^to the Phœnix, in which .hip they wei^ brought t^ Eng^and. They thus had the suprême satisfac- tion and honour of being the first, and only, people who had crossed from the Pacific Océan to the Atkntic to the northward of America. In acknowledgment of Enghsh,Govemmen#to Captain M'Cjuie and the crew ot the Inveétigator. • ^^^^ .olfwhfn' iefdfd''T'" ''t *'" t^"^ "«* ^°-«J the Investi. k j t they did, it waa the iiite^ion of Caotain M'n„..o *„ River. f>»"khn. unsucc.esafùl attenipt to reach \ # .n :V^V^^ ': ' [1847- In the wèçds of the" Select Committee of the House of Gommons, appointed to oonsider the amount of the reward that should be given to the officere and crew of the Investigator for the discovery of a nbrth-west passage— *, "They performed deeds of heroism which, though not acoompanied by the èxcitement and glory of the battle-field, yet rival, in bravery and dévotW to duty, the highest and most successful achievemente of war I " The intelligence of M«Clure's success was first brought to England by Lieutenant Cresswell, one of the officers Investigator. At a public . i^oeption given to Scer on his arrivai at his native place, Lynn in t, Lord Stanley, in referring to the discovery of ,^.;|^f»orth-west passage, thus addressed hipi — ''It was a triumph that would not be valuedhlbe''le88 highly because it was not stained by bloodshed— a triumph that was not embittered by any single painful or melancholy reminis- <»nce— a triumph not over man, but over nature— a triumph which inflicts no injury, and which humiliâtes no enemy-a triumph not for tiia âge aloiie, but for poaterity— not for England pnly, but for mankind." The voyage of tha Enterprise, under Captain Collinson, was no less remaj-kable. Like the Investigator, she also sailed along the north coast of America, and wintered in 185 1 at the south ea^eme of Prince of Wales' Strait rhence she worked her way to the eastward, spending her next wintèr in Cambridge Bay, at the east extrême of Dease Strait, and not more than 150 miles from the posi- tion reached by the Erebuê and Terror when those ships ..^ were abaûdonei In the spring of 1853, travelling parti» from the Enterprise actually passed Within a very few in a 'very few 1859.] i^Al>Y FBANKUNS EFFORTS. 251 m. ee-not more than tw^oty-from the spot whei« the «nfortunate vessela had been left, but unha^pil7Whot d.scovem.g any «mains of them, or tnu^ onheir crew" ^ « most unfortunate that the weaten. shore of KW W Iham Island, which wa« only about forty-five m li disant should hâve been neglected; for had it bZ visited the traces that were afterwards discovered^v by Colhnson although we cannot think .that any sj- -.ors of the expédition could at that tirhal tTe A^fr ^^^^ ^^^^ ^- -^ ^- -^e ^n On the retun. of the ships from Lancaster Soun/ in 1851, much dmppointment was not un^aturally feît 2 the unsuocessful «suit of the search., more lltiw he Pn,^ ^Zi^, relative to the traces found at Z^l Island. Immediately on the retum of that vefilhe was re-equ,pped for Arctic service by Lady Xyt an despatched in the summer of th^l foZjT^t' un er the command of Mr. Kennedy, for th/pur "e of exploring Prince B^gent I*let 1 V *^ ^® D^ing this voyage Bellot Strait. a channel ^parating ihence Mr. Kennedy prosecuted the search ko the west Albert on thi. expédition ; iw S/ ' t RM r"*^,;" *''" ^'^■'""' W.llington Channel. ^ *' ''^' ^**^« f '^^S^ Party in / ■; ' ,- - . • . ' ■ * * ' ■■ ' , * * s ■■■ ■ .■ ''" ■',"' W',' # ■;':- ' . l, ■ ■ t . -' ■■--'' ' " '•■ , " ^. ■ ■ ' . ^ , * ' , ' <:. ":■.'■, " .V ■ V • ' ■ * * ; -. a ' * , ■ ■ f. .•" ■. " • . /^' ■ ■' ■ ■' ■■ " ■ -.'"*. '• / ■5 ' . :• . ■' -. ■> ^■.'.' \ ' ; ' ■" ; " • *^**'^ ■• i . * - / . ' . . ' *■ *■ !'.. " '1 > ■ ■ ' - __ r~— ..*. . .,..,. . jj , , , -^ — ._» ™_ ' ■ 1 î •■ / t ■' ' ; " ^ « t * ^. - ' / « • ^^« . . '-k * ' V .Sciences Corporation ^ 23 WBT MAIN STtHT WIISTIR,N.Y. MStO (716) •72-4303 <* ' n <«W4iâââ^^^w4lM^44^!«^^ #{4'^'^'^'^*'^''«^^'^'^,^^ '. »■» i/.A V / v> y "^^ '»>«^ Ju ,"" ^ a-.^^*. s* ^ « Nî-ïfnL * f ,^t? ,j '^t !'* viîîÇ'Vw' u'v. ^à-f^^*^ 4.i^ ^^ w* i0^W, *^<^ Ji -^Yv).' ■■> "'5^' ^ 2i 256 LIFE OF'SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. tl»47- The Wholesale abandonment of a fine squadron, without apparently any reason, was a great blow not only to the search for Franklin, but also to Arctic exploration generally. The Gfovemment, on the return of Sir Edward Belcher, regarded the fate of Franklin as con- clusive; they decided that no further steps shoujd be taken in the matter, and they allowed private Enter- prise to step, in and solve the problem ôf that^lite, the solution of whieh should undoubtedly hâve been the work of the , nation. The apathy displaypd by England at this time, in its bounden duty to use every effort to obtain reliable intelligence regarding its missing sons, was in striking contrast to the feeling that ani- mated the hearts of our American kinsmen, who had already dbne so much to assist us in our search for the lost expédition. In May 1853 the schooner Advance, fitted out by private subscription (the.main burden of the expense being borne by Messrs. Henry Qrinnell and George Peabody), and under the auspices of the United States Gfovemment, sailed frona New YÔrk under the command of Dr. ElLsha Kane, an accomplished and euterprising officer, who had served as surgeon under De Haven in the same vessei, ■ the Advance, in 1 850. Under the impression that Frank- lin had proceeded in a northerly direction, for reasons that it is needless to discuss hère, ezcept that the sup- posed existence of an open Polar sea was the principal reason for determining the direction of the search, Dr. Kane sailed up Baffin's Bay into Smith 's Sound. This expédition, so far as Wio search for Franklin is concemed, was, as might be anticipated from the direc- tion in whid^ it was ordered to^rooeed^ but ,it led to important geographical disooveries, the prin- fe'» 1859.] RAE'S DI8C0VERIES 267 cipal beingthe exploration of the southem part of Smith'e W The little Advance, after n.„y ^':^, e^'^^ fmm being destroyed by.the ice, was eventually secu^ m wrnter quarters in Kensseliier Baj, in latitude 78' ,8' • this was, at the Urne, the highest northern latitude in' which any ship had passed a winter. Hère two winters were spent when, aa they were unable to extncate her from the ice, she was abandoned. After many perds and privations, Dr. Kane and his half-sterving party succeeded in reaching, by beats, the Danish settlements on the west coast of Greenland whence they eventually took passage to New York' amviDg in that city on the i ith October 1855 ^Meanwhile Dr. Kae wa« sent in 1853 by the Hudson's l^y Company ^o connect his discoveries round Com- mlttee Bay. with those of Sir James Ross on the western coast of RK>thia Félix, i„ the neighbourhood of the Magnetic Pole^ In the spring of ,854, having passed he ^nter m Repuise Bay, he started in prosecutL of lus orders. On the .oth of April he met some Eskimos m Pelly Bay, from whom he receited much of the mfomation detailed at page 23X, et seq. From thèse people he also obtained various small articles, such as silver sp^ns, forks, &a, which had undoubtedly belonged Tmvr; the findmg of thèse articles seemed to place the fat^of our unfortunate countrjonen beyond ail doubt Hamg collected as much information as could be ehcited from thèse nom.«lic tribes, and aW having pro- c|«^as many relies ai, could be obtained, Rae prtv «eded to carry eut the main object of his expédition, ^%e prosecution of which he succeeded in estaMishin;— the msulanty of what had hitherto been called the King B r 268 ./i 'LIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847 William Land of Ross.- He then retumed to England in order to report the important information he had obtained to the authorities. The acoount brought home by Rae was oonsidered by the Admiralty, already lukewarm regarding the desir- ability of further search, conclusive évidence as to the inutility of any further expenditure of money, in foUow- ing up the traces thus revealed of the missing expédi- tion. The discovery of the relies was considered by them, as final évidence of the fate of the entire party, and by paying Eae tfce reward offered to any person who should produce positive intelligence of the actual fate of Franklin and his followers, the Admiralty thought they would, finally and for ever, settle the matter of further search, and thus be relîeved of further responsibility in the matter. It was therefore decided to pay Dr. Eae the sum of ;^iOjOoo as a reward for his discoveiy. But although the Qovemment appeared, or pretended, to be satisfied, popular feeling was still clamorous for a continuation of the quest, until, at any rate, more conclusive and satisfactory évidence regarding the actual existence, or otherwise, of someof our countrymen could be ascertained. With this object in view, and in order to allay public feeling on the matter, the Hudson's Bay Company, acting under orders from the Government, despatched Mr. James Anderson, a chief factor in their employ, down the XJreat Fish River, for the purpose of communicating'with the Eskimoe and thus obtaining reliable information relative to the report brought home by Raa This expédition was undertaken in the summer of 1855. Anderson reached Point Ogle^W; the mouth of the river, and examined thè coast amMsland "In its vicinity, and thougïi undbùbted twi^of the \« 1869.J LADY FRANKLlN-S FURTHER EFFORTS. 26» miMing expédition were apparent, be faUed to dis- IT rru""" "^ '^^ °^ °"^ unfortunate countiy- men. nor did he succeed in finding the slightest scmp ^^Ji ^°?"r''*' J°^™»^ or i^onl that oould thro«- had t^velled th„s far af<.r ab^doning their shi;s. in ItZ:' ^^'" °"^ - '''--'-^' ^'^^^^ --ur Lady Franklin it may very justly be 8urn>i.sed, waa far from satxsfied at the stand taken by the Go;em- wh,ch the Admxralty received ail suggestions relative to furtherendeavours to unravel the mysterious entangle- ment which surrounded the fate of the lost explor^rs She had already fitted out four ships, al^ost e'ntijy the object of dzscovenng traces of the missing expédi- tion ; in spite of Rae's discoveries she stUl feit thatThe work was unaccomplished. and that f urther efforts should be made to dispel the mystery in which the fate of her beloved husband and his brave men was still w^ppe^ Her views were warmly supported by the leading C of 8ci»ce of the day. besides ail those naval office^ who " had beenengag^l on Arctie service, and whose opmions were t»pfore of unquestionable value. On the cth of June ,856, a mémorial, signed by numerous scientific men and Arctic officers, was p^sented to Lord Palmer- 8ton, urging the necessity of further research— ■*<« " To aatifify the honour of our country and clear ., n « ™ „ * which haa excited the sympathy of thTcS'JrfdT^^^^ the pro8pe.' ♦. Rti-A'''*.^ . \ka\ .seo LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRAÎ^KLIN. [1847- ezpressed and submitted; but ail to no purpose — the Qovernment had fuUy made up its mind tbat no further searcb, at the public ezpense, should be undertaken, and they resolved to abide by their décision. This mémorial was foUowed by a letter from Lady Franklin,^ the noble- minded widow of the gallant commander .of the lost expédition, dated December 2, i856,°and addressed, as the mémorial, to Yiscount Falmerston. In it she urged the necessity of continued searcb, pointing out that as the locality was now practically known, the area of exploration would necessarily be considerably limited, and she hoped, and expected, that a renewal of the search would, at any rat^ resuit in obtaining. satisfactory évidence of the actual fate of the lost expé- dition. Thèse touching appeals, affecting a country's honour as well as arousing its sympathy, were, however, of no avail ; the Government tumed a deaf ear to ail entreaties for further research, and intimated that as the reward for ascertaining the fate of the missing expédition had already been paid to Dr. Rae, they were not prepared^ to reopen the question, by the further expenditure of aJ^ large outlay of money, and the probable sacrifice of many valuable lives, in vain and, what they supposed to be, qulxotic endeavours to obtain more defînite infor- mation regarding the fate of Sir John Franklm and bis lost companions. . Under thèse discouraging circumstances, Lady Frank- lin resolved to endeavour to accomplish by private en* terprise, that whiph the Government had declined to 1 Lady Franklin had also written aeyeral lettera to the Âdmiralty Qrxi>% til^nmeiàity of continned Béinh, and pirotwting against iia raward of ^10,000 being paid to Dr. Rae. Ort-.i'.^iili.P n tr.i£'5Uï^,Vitf 1869] M'CLINTOCK'S SEARCH EXPEDITION. 261 undertdce the responsibility of attempting to cany out, although backed by the resources of a wealthy country Aided by pnvate subscriptions, but principaUy at her own expense, she purchased and fitted out the httle steam ya«ht Foz, of , 77 tons burthen. The com- mand of the vessel was given to that able and most energetic of Arctic navigators, Captain M'Clintock, than whom no better man could hâve been ôelected for the appomtment. With hùn were associated Lieu- tenant Hobso^, RN., "already distinguished in Arctic service, and Captain AUen Young, an experienced cap- tain in the mercantile marine, who not only offered iiia services gratuitously, but also contributed largely from his pnvate fortune towards the ex^nses ôf the expédi- tion. Dr. David Walker was the surgeon and naturalist Provisions and stores for twenty-eight months were put on board, and the little vessel sailed fyom Aberdeen on the ist of July ,857. The only instructions i-eceived by M'Clmtock were to act according to his own judgment m endeavouring to rescue " any possible survivor of the . Erehus and Terrorr and to leave no stone untu^d in " his exertions to reco\:er some of the documents or«rds of the lost expédition, and, as Lady Franklin enÇîned the Personal wlics of.my dear husband and his com- panions." Everything went well with the littlç oraft and her gaUant ci«w until MelviUe Bay, a locality that has proved so fatal to many a weU-found whaler, was reached, when, in attempting to ci-osa to the north water, M'Clintock waa stopped by the ice in the middle , of August, and^eventually Jhe /ia; «M frozen finrfy^ - in the pack. For 342 days was she besetl drifting au that long cold winter helpleasly to the southward N i» . 262 LIFB Of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- 1860.] until released on the 2Sth April 1858, after having been carried in her iëy fetters, from latitude 75' 30' to 63* 30'. N., a distance of 1194 geographical miles! It Î8 impossible to imagine the suspense and anxièty passed by ail on board during thâ; fearful winter^ l As M'Clintock significanfely writes, after one morf» than usually exdting day of danger — "After yesterday's expérience 1 can understand how a màn'B bair bas turned créy in a fewhours." Imïnediately bis ship was released, this energetic officer pushed northwards a second time", regretting tHé delay entailed by the besetment, but in. no way daunted by the dangers he had encountered, and the hardships and inxifities he and bis men had éxperienced. More fortunate this time, the little Fox succeeded in passing through Melville Bay, and, witbout much diffi- culty, proceeded up Lancaster Sound to Beechey Island. Hère they erected thp marble tablet sent ont by ♦Lady Franklin to be set up to the memory of the lest èrews of the Erebta and Terror, in the immédiate neighbourhood of the place Where théy had passed their first winter. This tablet was left at God- haven by the American expédition, that was sent in searcb of Dr. Kane in 1855, where it was found and bTpought on by M'Clintock. It beai» the following ioBcription : — Thii st office) Lieut conip _^ ♦•« 1860.] MQNUMKNf ON BBECHEY I8LANÏ). 203 irstand how a T© THE MEMORY 0^ FRANKLIN^ CH^FIT^AMES, '' AWD AU. THUB -"^ OALLANT BBOTHEB OrFIOKBS AKD rAITHFDL 0OJIPANION8 WHO HAVI BCKFIRED AND FIBISUKD I» TH« 0AD8B OF 80IBN0K AN|5' , THl SBBVIOB or THEIB OODNTRT." ' \ THÏS TABLET ^ IS EBECTED mCA^TB^ pPOT WHKBS THKT PABBXb TBEIB r'à^ÈjABOTIO WINTER, AND WHWfCB if|Ç|r WëUKD FOBTH TO OONQUEB DIFflOCLTUB OB TO DIE. * TO OOMUncOBATB THB QBIKt OP THIIB ADIIIBINO OODNTBTMEN AND FBIKND8, AND THB ANOniSH, BDBDDED BY FATTH, OF RXR WHO HA8 LOflT, IN THB HEBOlÔ UtADXB OF THB BXPBOITION, THB MOST DBVOTED AND AFFEOnONATB OF Hl^BANDS. •M. / "Andto ffe hringHk them urUo ike Havtn vihere they toould be." : »sit Thit.«tone bM been eotnuted to be affix«d in iti place by the office» and crew of the American expédition, commanded by Lieutenant H. J, Hartatein, in nttKch of Dr. Kane Mid hi. companioni. ' Thia tablet bavlng b«en left at Disco by the American expédition, which was unable to reaoh Beechev hiuïd, In 1855, waa put on iMard the DlscoTery yacht fox, and la now tet up hars hf Captata ;JI«Cltntoô¥,™ R.N., commaodliig the final .expédition 01 •MSth for aaoartatBtngriiie file ofBir Jdlm Franklin and hla ooiApaniona, 1858. 1 i ■/,- .V 264 UFB OF sis: JOHN FRANKLIN. [184?. On the morning of the i6th of August the little Fox steamed away from Beechey Island, a locality fraught with many interesting associations, and pushed gallantly on with the object of passing through Peel Strait; but, .in conséquence of the great accumulation of unbroken ice in the channel, this intention was abandoned, and a course was steerêd up Prince Régent Inlet towards Bellot Strait. The adoption of this route appeared to M'Clintock to oflFer the best prospect of getting to the place which he was desirous of reacbing, namely, the mouth of the Gr^t Fish River and the western shore of King WUliam Island, for this was the locaUty indicated by the Eskimos at PeUy Bay, from whom the relies and information had been obtained by Dr. Rae five years previously, where, it was hoped, further intelligence would be forthcoming. On the içth of August they were at Port Leopold, and on the following day were ofF Fury beach, with very httle ice in sight; shortly afterwards, however, theyencountered much loose ice coming ont of Brentford Bay. Hère they had a narrow escape from destruction, being beuet by heavy pack ice, which carried the little Foxy at the rate of nearly six miles an hour, within 200 yards- of the rdcks. Fortunately this particular danger ' was averted, and they succeeded in extricating their vessel from the pack, leaving the huge masses of ice to be dashed violenUy against each other, and carried wildly hither and thither, by the varions whirlpools caused by the rapidity of the tides and currents in Bellot Strait. Eventually, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to proceed,^during which she^passed three times -«iiffeegh thê^strâîf , offly Wfe stopped by heavy ice held fait by rocks and isletssituated two miles beyond its 1859.] PLANS POR SPRING JOURNEYS. " 265 west^ outH the Fo. was secured in winter quarters I^tlÏ^" î' "' ''' '^^^ '^^ «^ ^t« «'raie, on the 28th September 1858. Sledging expéditions were at once undertaken for htd'o^T- ""'""«^-'"^ eountryin theneighbour- hood of their wmter quarters, and also with the object of layxng eut dépôts of provisions as far a. possible^ the routes to be folWed during the sprin^f^enlS extended travelling parties would be despai^L t f Z ate ofT r '' '^' ^^P^^*^^"' ^^' ^ ascertain thé fate of ÏVanklin and those under his command. The mnter was passed in making the necessary pré- parations for the arguons work of the sprTnJ Td sun^mer The plan for the prelinùnaxy .pring jou^rneys waa as follows:-Captain M'CIintock, al^nieTI two men wzth a couple of dog-sledges dx^gged^y fifteen og, and provisioned for an absence of twent^^i; days. was to travel towards the Magnbtic Pôle with he object of con^municating with thrESiruoT To ^ wa. expected would be found in that locality whili AUen Yo^g, wxth a dog-sledge and four men, w^ to ad vance dépôts of provisions in ..adiness forhis nxl^o^! i^ell f 1 '^' °^ *^" ^'''^' ^''^ °^d«" to «end out ^yorïhe 1 /r ^"^' ^'°"^'* *^«^ ---» «absent O?.., ^u'^i 1°' ''*^'^ ^^'^y ^«^ provisioned. beb^ It ;^'\1^*'"^"^' *»>« température at the tixne tt iLL ; r '°" '^^^ ""'^^^^^ '^"^ Young left ^1^ if snit^ 7^°"* their allotted and self-im^sed animoïc "^^^ *^ «»« repwtted fits With wlich thèse " accomphsh an average daily distance pf about fifteen mmmmimvf'm''^''^ 266 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- or eighteen miles. For several days the weather was 8o severe that the mercury for their artificial horizons remained in a frozen state, aiid the rum had to be thawed before it could be used. On the ist of March M'Clintock reached the position of the Magnetic Foie, where he was fortunate enough to meet the Ëskimos he was in search of. One of thèse men was found to be in possession of a naval unifonn button. When ques- tioned regarding it, he said it had corne to him from some white Aen, who had died from starvation on an island at the mquth of a river, and that they had ob- tained the iron, from which the knives in their posses- sion were made^ from the same source. ^ Being joined by the remainder of the tribe, M'Clintock was able to obtain by barter more relies of the lost expédition, con- sisting principally of silver spoons and forks belonging to officers of the Erebus and Terror, a silver medal the property of Mr. A. M 'Donald, assistant surgeon of the Terror, and other articles, thus setting at rest ail doubts that might hâve been entertained regarding the fate of Franklin 's unfortunate ships and their unhappy crews. The Eskimos on being closely interrogated denied having personally seen any of the white men, although one man aoknowledged to having seen their bones on the island where they died. Another said that a ship with three masts had been crushed by the ice to the west of King William Island, but that ail the people had landed in safety ; the vessel, however, sunk, so that nothing of value was obtained from her. The informa- tion thus obtained corroborated the statements made by the Eskimos to Dr. Rae ; it also aooounted for the dis- appearance of one of the ships, but gave no information regarding the ultimate fate of the other. f. [1847- weather was îcial horizons u had to be ist of March [agnetic Pôle, the Eskimos 18 found to be When ques- to him from •vation on an they had ob- 1 their posses- Being jomed k wae able to cpedition, con- rks belonging rer medal the urgeon of the rest ail doubts Dg the fate of happy crewg. Dgated denied men, although hoir bones on d that a ship bbe ice to the ail the people , sunk, so that The informa- aents made b; m1 for the dis- 10 information u ■ Captain Sir Leopold McCuntock. {From a painHng by SIepktn Pearce in tkt possession 0/ Co/. John B»rrm:) To f»c* P*t* *67.] J i 267 1859.) STABT OF THE SLEDGiNG PARTIES. alUhltr "^t"?"** f '^' information, and coUected the more extended and important journeys thaT were mcontemplat^on. During this journey. oVtwenty-five day dur^tion he travelled a distance of 360 miles! and added to our charte no less than r.o miles of coas -line pt^^aously unknown. The mean temper.tu« during he t.me the sledging parties were awa^was 62' below a^mphshed the work allotted to him. having advanced depôte of provisions, some seventy miles from the ship on the coast of Prince of Wales' Land On the 2nd of April, the two principal sledging parties underthecommand respectively of Captain M^C^int^S of a sledge dragged by four men, besides a dog-sled^e and dog dnver Allen Young left the ship fi^e dayl on the coast of Prince of Wales' Land htÏh ""t 1"°*'^ ^'^«y ™-b«d Cape Victoria on Z wLf ' r '^ «eparated,! the latter to explora Peliz Tt^ Z °'Jr ^"^"^ ^^-^ f-- Cape Fehz to the southward, And to make a diligent search for the ships and recordsNhile M'Clintock proceeded • to examine the ea«t coast in a southerly Sii^ion. ^L^kn^l'^7"'\"'" ''"• ** '^' «''"•~«'' '««I^e of M'CIintock JLld oH ir ^t'TiiiT?;- *'n f-*,"''"'''' -- ^ ' r. . \ 268 LIFB OF Ste JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- towards the Great Fish River. Before separating, they ascertained from eome Eskimos whom they met, that two vessels had been seen by the natives of King William Island ; that one had been crusbed- by the ice and sunk in deep water, and that the other had been forced on shore, and wa» much injured. In the latter ehip was found the body of a tall man, who was reported to hâve had lopg teeth.^ The Eskimos are niable to comprehend or realise intervais of time, but i ; was sùpposed that thèse vessels had beén seen by jthem some years ago, and in the fall of the year^ i.e., Augusl or Se{$teml|er. M'Clintoek was further informed that a number iof white men from thèse ships were seen j oumeying with a boat, or boats, in the direction of th^Great Fish River, at the mouth of which their bones were, it was said, found the fol- lowing winter. This was aU the information they were able to obtain from the natives, but it was oba most important nature, for it informed them that the exist- ence of the missing ships was actually known to the Eskimos ; that one had disappeared under the ice, and that the other had been stranded ; it was therefore safe to infer, with regard to the latter ship, that it was within the bounds of possibility to discover the locality in which she had been wrecked, in which case they might perhaps find some important records or docu- ments relating to thç expédition. On the 8th of May M'Clintoek reached King William Island, and visited a snow village in which he found some thirty or forty inhabitants. From thèse people he w" ■ 1 Tha «ppronmcTof ^*feng teétli"li rappônd fir^ attrittuttblt to the diwue of which the oufortunate uuiu had probablj died, it,, •curvy. i '} 'f - -[--'■: N. [1847. .1 ^^"-^ RELICS RECOVERED FROM ESKIMOS. 289 purchaséd several pièces of sUver plate, on which the ini- tiais, or crests, of Sir John PranUin, Captain Crozier, Lieutenant Fairholme, and Dr. M'Donald were engraved,' besides other articles that had undoubtedly been ob- tained from the missing expédition. ' The silver forks and spoons were readily exchanged for a few needles. The natives informed M'Clintock that the wpeck of oneof the ships was about five days' joumey from them, on the west coast of King William Island, but that Uttle remained of it, as -everything of use had been appropriated and carried oflF by their countrymen. No bocks, documents, or printed matter had been saved, they said, from the wreck, but had ail, long ago, been destroyed by exposure to the weather. They further said that — "The white men dropped by the way, as they went to the Great River ; that some were buried, and some were net." i No satisfactory approximation of the numbers of the white men, or the interval of time that had elapsed since they died, could be ascertained. Puflhing onwards, Point Ogle was reached on the lath of May, and the same night the party camped on the ioe at the entrante of the Great Fish River. Montréal Island was subsequently carefully examined, but with barren results, for there was a total absence of ail relies, and no vestige of a calm could be found, or any indications that our missing countrymen had even visited the island. It must, however, be remembered that the oountry had not then emerged from its wintiy garb of «now. On the i8th M'Clintock crossed over to the : "BmiBiand ffi thënéîghbourïodd^rPoîn^^ * Voyage of the Fox. by Sir Leopold M'Olintook. 270 LIFE OP sut JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- the foUowing day commenced his retum journey. Re- crossing the strait to King William Island, the southern shore was examined^ bul; without finding any traces of those whom they were seeking, neither did they find any sigris of the wreck spoken of by the natives, until they reached the vicinity of Cape Herschel, when, shortly after midnighfe on the 25th of May, M'Clintock suddenly came upon a human skeleton lying face downwards, on the crest of s ridge, with its head towards the Qreat Fish River. The bones were bleached perfectly white. "It was supposëd to be the remains of a young man, and ftipm the dress, wak thought to be a steward, or officer's • servant. M'Clintock was under the impression that the poor fellow had selected thé bare» ridge top as oflFering the easiest road for walking, and to havô fallen on his face and d . in the position in which his~remaims were found. Although diligent search was made, no records, or other relies, could be found, until a apot about' twelve miles from Cape Herschel was reached, when a small caim that had been constructed by Hobson was dia- covered, in which was found a note from that oflicer addressed to M'Clintock, containing the important and interesting révélation, an account of which has already been given in a previous chapter, namely, the discoveiy of the only known record left by the survivors of the Erebus and Terror, that tells us the sad moumful hi»- toiy of the missing expédition. This touching but interesting document, a reduced fac-similé of which is hère produced, was found by Lieutenant Hobson at Point Victory, on the! north-west coast of King \Vîlliam Island. The importfemt and ex- «iting new» it oommaniarted wtm wnî^a yround^ffiT margin of a printed form, usually supplied to ships with l< V « If «.f ^JE* I ^ ^ A J .Jt. \ •^^'1 '72/'-ryr~'rr»y9 "^'''"Sr-P "^"^r H. M. S oi-kg^ I8-0 i^ Lat.) l»^n«e>rw»id.. ,„ ,„ iwroarvoi >!«• AdmiiJty, London. mlk a m^ çf (A, fmt a,d fUoe at uJu^ itius )mnd: or, if more conroniml. to uv«. et de le BnUnnique à Ixadica. CuAi^iBRAf! kis^J^tiiiiÙiti 'ts^^^t'^Ju^A^'û&ikl ■'t'ï-y: 1869.] RECORD FOUND IN OAIRN. ^^^ S71 the objeot of being endosed in bottles and thrown over- boord m varioug localities, for the puipçee of i^rtain- mg the set and gênerai drift of oceanic currents They are genendly caUed " bottle-papers," and are printed in 8U différent languages, each conveying a requeat that any person finding the paper will forward it to the Secretary of the Admiralty, noting the date and place at whi(^ it was picked up. O^e marginal notations that «vealed the sad fate of the expédition, were writt«, «id «gned by Captains Crozier and Fitzjames: de greatir part of it being in the handwriting of the latter ofticer. This document hai^riginally been depoaited in the cairn by Lieutenant Graham Gore in the'Uring o« 1847, when aU was well with the expédition, and when they had eveiy prospect of bringing their labours to a successful termination. One short year had altered ail thèse bright and hopeful anticipatiqns-twelve brief months from the time the first few Unes were penned on this precious document, were suffident to effect a chance p their joyous i^ipirations, and to reduoe the party from a bajid of eager and exportant explorera, buoyed «p by a feeling, almost amounting to a oe^tainty of shortly aocomplishing the g^t work they had set them- selves to achieve, to a threng bf struggling, half-famished men, figbtmg the gteat battte of life, with disease, starva- tion, aad death staring them in the face. * Having made a careful and thorough, but unsuooessf uL seawh m the neighbourhood for records, joumals, or other whc» of the lost expédition, M'Clintodc pushed onwards. ?^ °°J.n^ 'S*** °^ ^"y "«^«^ ti»« west extreme of ^g Wdham Islaiid, whidi he named Cape Crerier «fter the h^ yt «lat iU-fated baad ^a8 4nd^ T ^^^P^l"'"'^ from the ppsition of the Erebu. ànd >7Vrror WW thex wpre abandoned, althôugh Beventy miles from the plac^ where the first skeleton was discovU ' Havmg eo lected ail the most intex^ting and port- able rehcsi they could obtein.^but havi.^ faileT^ ' findmg traces of the two vessels. M'ClinS retumeï ^the httle^c. whieh he r^hed on the Tçth of Za HobBon had amved fiVe days befor^. and Allen Young «turned 8ome eight d^ys later, having successfuUy deter mmed the insulahty of Prince of Wales' Landf Both thèse officers Jad made wonderful journeys, in the face of unp^llelèd hardahips and difficulties The amount of new coast-Jine discoveml during the spnng jounxeys by M'Clintock and Hobaon^ n JÏy 4« miles, whxlethat explored by Joung wl^o Te^ m^ng a total, altogether. of 800 geog^phical m^ of ^tirely new coast-line to be added to our chaiT (^ he ,oth of Augnst the F6., having been uZ^ f^ her ,cy bonds, steamed out of Brentfo«l Bay. a^^^ outanyfurthereventworthyofparticularnoLTlrhi" I^ndo^e a^of September. when the i;^,^ .«jdjnt^gnatu.ofthedi3...Heswas.^^^^ 8 ?f..",' ;. ,..<^ ' . ^ ■m . ->■■ 274 LlFli OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- ThuB ended this last and most successful of ail the numerous expéditions that had been despatched, with the object of ascertaining the fate of Sir John Frankhû /and his brave companions. Its success was due to the untiring energy, the abUity, and skiU displayed by M'Clintock and his officers and crew, and to the fact that he had decided to search in the right direction, and not proceed on a quest without any definite information to guide him, as was the case in the expéditions that had preceded him. A large share of the success is also due to the dévotion and persistence of Lady Franklin, and the unselfish spint that formed one of the chief char- acteristics of her heroic nature. M'Clintock's discoveries revealed the fact, as an eminent author^ has expressed it— « That to Sir John Franklin ia due thé priority of discovery of the north-west pasôage-that last link, to forge which l,e * sacrificed his life." Valuable geographical information was also the resuit of this remarkable voyage. The existence of Bellot Strait was confirmed. The shores of King William Island were thoroughly explored, as well aS the west ooast of Boothia, whilst the insularity of Pnnee of Wales' Land was definitely establlshed, besides the existence of a ôhannel, a continuation of Peel Sound, leading down to Bellot Strait. Thus, it wiU be seen / that much good and useful geographical work was aocomplished by this expédition. This was fu^ recog- nised by the Government; ;£5ooo w«« ^«^ t^aptam =^^«GUatodt and his officers and men. while^aooo wu 1 . JohnBwwn. lix hi- "North-*e.t Parng. aud the Search forSi:| John FrMikUii." fi- le fact, as an id the Search for Sri I 276 1W9.I HONOURS CONFERRED ON M'CLINTOCK. FRANKLIN. «> TM QBilAT NAVIOATOB AND HI8 BBAVB 6OMPANION8 WHO SAORinCED THHB LITES IN . COMPLBTINO TM DISOOVïBT Oï THï NOBTHWÏST PAS8A0Ï A.D. 1847-48 KRECTID BT TH« UNANIMO08 VOTE O» PABLIAMKNT tte différent um™™t« „f e„ . j "^.° j*""" "f Tte Patron's Gold Med.1 of .f. p , ^ "'"""• «>d for hi, g.08MphiaJ di«»v«îl' ' "^««J. , Th, d.voM „d h^ic widow; tk. fit »o««,rt of th. ■ •^ ■ .î=!^^iSft.- 27(5 LIFE OF SiR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1847- equally devoted and ^roic Franklin, died in 1875. at the âge of eighty-three years. One of her last works, if not the very last, in connection with her husband's memory, waa the érection of a marble monument of 8TAT01 OF FBANKU» « TH» MABKET-PUOT, 8PIL8BT. Sii^ John Franklin in Westminste r Abb ey. It was unVeiled onïy a fortnight aîter Wr dëâtfi. It w«» W great wiflh to write the epitaph heiuelf, but dyrng before this was •coompliahed, it wa« written by Alfred 1859.] STATUES OF FRANGIN. 277 Tennyson, who was a nephew of Sir John by nWriage. It is as follows :- — il \\ " Not hère ! the white North hath thy bonety^ànd t%n Heroic Sailor Soûl ! Art pusing on tby happier voyage now Towards no earthly pôle." The late Dean Stanley added* a note to this, to the effect t|Myb;.the monument was " èrected Jby his widlow, who, ani^ long waiting^ ahd sending many in search of him, *fi|«rgélf departed to seek and to find him in the realms of light, i8th July 1875, ^g^^ eighty-three years." A statue of Sir John Franklin was also erected in the open market-place of his native town, Spilsby. \\ Sir John Franklin, it may be mentioned, was pro-\\ moted to the rank of rear-admiral, in his regular plaoeV of seniority on the Navy List on the 26th October 1852, \ somewhat over five years after his death. His name was not removed from the Navy List until the exact date of his death had been ascertained by the dis- covery of the record by M'Clintock. In the year 1846 he was elected a correspondent of the Paris Academy of Sciences. 1 ■uj- \ \ . \ I CHAPTER XV. VOYAGES OP DR. HAYES—NORDENSKIÔLD—LEIGH SMITH— THE GERONS— CAPTAIS HALL— THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAitS — SIR GEORGE NARES- ALLEN YOUNG — SCHWATKA — THE " JEAN- NETTE "—NOkDENSKIÔLD ACCOMPLISHES THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE — LEIGH SMITH— GREE- •LEY—VALEDICTORY. 1 860-1 884. '*The boâies and the bonee of thoM j Who strove in other days to pass, Lie withered in the thorny close, Or blanched and blown about tbe gnMa." j — SUepiftg Beautyi. SiNCE ihe return of Sir Leopold M'Clintock in 1859, various ezpeditioas, under différent flags, sought to pene^ trate the iéy solitudes of the north, in furtherance of geographical discovery, and in the elucidation of inte- resting questions appertaining to various branches of science. Thèse were ail more or less successful, wbile several penetrated far into the unknown area. In 1860, Dr. Hayes, who had won hig spurs as afn Arctic explorer under Dr. Elane, in the Advance in 18J3 and two foUowing years, sailed from Boston in a sohoonier of 133 tons, named the United States, with the objectof continuing the line of exploration up Smith Sound loi- lowed by Dr. Kane. Without any event deserving of 378 1884] SUBSEQUENT ARCTIC VOYAGES. 27i spécial notice, he reached the entrance to Smith Sound when his further progress in a northerly direction wai stopped by ice. Being unable to push on, he secured his ship in winter quarters in latitude 78* 18', just inside Cape Alexander, and about twenty miles soûth of the position in which Kane had passed his two winters In the spring of the foUowing yfear sledging parties were despatched to examine the west side of the channel m a northerly direction. The highest latitude stated to hâve been reached was 8i* 35'. Animal Ufe was abondant in the vicinity of their winter quarters, and no difficulty was experienced in procuring a constant supply of fresh animal food. The United States retumed to Boston in October 1861. The S^redes, under Professer Nordenskiold, sent seve- ral expéditions to Spitzbergen between the years 1858 and 1872, for the purpose of scientific research, and more particularly with the object of making investigations with a View to future opérations connected with the measure- ment of an arc of the meridiaa In the course of thèse tentative voyages they succeeded in rounding Cape Platen, to the east of the Seven Islands, a point further to the eastward along the northem ooast of Spitzbergen than had ever before been reached. In September 1868 they attained in an iron steamer, named the Sophie the latitude of 81» 42', on the i8th meridian of east longitude. Mr. Leigh Smith, an energetic and enthusiastic Arctic yachtsman, also on several occasions made veiy successful and mteresting expéditions to Spitzbergen and adjacent Jseasi-hïfr observatieni» and diseoveriêS had the effect^ of considerably altering the hitherto assumed shape of North-Bart Land. 280 LIFE OF SIB JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860. In 1869, the Germans, with praiseworthy zeal, fitted out an expédition, oonsisting of the Germania, a steamer of 140 tons, ai^d a small brig called the Hanta, with the object of exploring the north-east cpast of Greenland. As scientific investigation was to fonn a spécial feature of the woi to be carried out, several scientific gentle- men formed part of the jpersonnel of the expédition. Th» Bhips were under the oommand of Captain Karl Kbldewey, who was in the Oenmnia, Captain Hege- mann being the commander of the Hanaa. They sailed from Bremen iû June, provisioned for a oontemplated absence of two years. Shortly after reaching the Greenland coa8t,in latitude 70* 46', the fehips were unavoidably separated, and on the 22nd October the Uttle Harua was unfortunately crushed by the heavy ice flôfts by which she was enoompassed. With materials saved from the wreck the crew suoceeded in constructing a shelter for them- selves bn the floe, in which wretched abode the wint«r was passed, not, howôver, without considérable anxiety and excitement, for towards the end of the year the floe cracked right across, thus effectually causing the ruin of their somewhat frâgUe and insecure domicUe; another one was however improvised from the remains of the materials saved. Finally, in June 1870, having drifted in a gênerai southerly direction a distance of iioo mile» on their extremely precariouft raft, the dimensions of which were, d*y by day, being graduaUy reduoed by the melting of the ice, until it was oHy 300 feet in breadth, they sucoeeded in launching their boats, which had pro- ^videntially been Baved,-and were thus abletojreachjhe Uttle Danish settlement of Priedrikahal, in the vioinity | of Cape Farewell; hère they were well taken care of ( ; 1884.] CAPTAIN HAtL'S ARCno EXPEDITION. 281 by the hospitable Danes, and eventually sent home in ^: Zt ^r' '^"^"^ •^^^"^ ^« «-^«^ ^rts Mea^hile the Germania, by the aid of her steam- » power,rèucceeded in reaching the latitude of 7 c» ,0' when her further progress in a northerly direction wa^ diecked by heavy ice. and she was oompelled to retrace her steps to the southward untU the Pendulum Islands were reached where the ship ^ made snug for the winter. Sledging parties were despatched during the «nsuing spring, which r^hed the Tjih paralH the highest latitude on the east coast of Greenland thàt bas ever been attained. The most northem point was named Cape Bismarck. On being released from their wmter quarters, exploration was carried ont in a south- er y direction along the coast, and the Germania eventu- ally retumed to Bremen in September 1870. Ther^ult ofthis expédition was to finaUy set at rest any hope that might hâve «risted of attaining a high latitude along the east coast of Greenland. for the ice encountewd was of fiuch a heavy nature as to utterly preclude the possibiUty of navigating a ship thiough it In 187,, Captain C. F. Hall, a native of Cincinnati, «uledfrom^ New York in an old steam gunboat, which had b*n handed- over to him by the Navy Depart- ment, and renamed the Polaris. His object wm to meh the North Pôle by way of Smith Sound. Dr Emil Bessels, a German professer of, great abUity and Baentific attainments, acoompanied the expédition as chief of the soientific staflF, while Mowton, who sèrved Sf^S^^^^^**"** ^^ *^« Bslrimo, who w» witS— both Eane and Hayes, were al^ on board. Captab Hall, it should hare^be observed, had always ass LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1880- been firmly impressed with the praoticability of obtain- ing more complète and fuller détails relative to the fate of Franklin's expédition than were brought home by M'Clintock, With the object of throwing more light on thÏB interesting subject, he had voluntarily passed five years with the Ëskimos on the north side of Hudson'a Strait, for the express purpose of habituating himself to their mode of life, and acolimatising himself to the severity and hardships incidental to an Arctic winter, 6o that he might be the better fitted to prosecute his researches for the missing e^q>edition. Having this in view, he was landed in 1864 from a whale ship near the south entrance gî Sir Thomas Rowe's Welcome in the north part of Hudson's Bay, with only two Eskimo oompanions, and a boat laden with stores and pro- visions. For the succe^ing'' ûve years this enthusiastic explorer lived entirely with the Eskimos, with whom he cultivated friendly relations. During this time he visited and explored Hecla and Fury Strait, and eventu- ally reached the south-eastern shore of King William Island, where he obtained some relies of the Franklin expédition, but was unsuccessful, as others had been before him, in his efforts to find any of the documents or joumals belonging to the missing ships. The évidence that he obtained from the natives, simply confirmed the statements brought home by Rae ftnd M'Clintock, but threw no f urther light on the ultimate fate of the officers and men who had Abandoned the Erebu» and Terror. He retumed to New York in 1869. Proceeding up Smith Sound, the Polaru enoountered J>ut Utile obstruction from the ice, ^ich was unusually loom and open, and Hall had the extrême satisfaction of carrying his ship to a higher northem latitude than ÏTiifl^mf.^^W'^^Tff- 1884.] DEATH OF CAPTAIN HALL. 28S had ever been reached by anj previouB vessel, viz., 82* i6' Havmg attained thia unprecedented succesa, Lis diffi- cultiea oommenced, for h|B ship waa almost immediately beset by heavy ice, iri which he waa carried some dia- tance to the eouthward. She waa, however, in a few days e^ricated from her somewhat critical position in the pack, and was eventually secured in winter quarters on the eaat side of the channel, in a harbour protected at ite entranoe by a grounded iceberg, which was appropri- atelynamed Providence Berg,while the harbour itself was called Thank God Bay. This was in latitude 8 1' 38' In the mpnth of October Captain HaU started off on a reconnoitering expédition with a dog-slédge. ' He was away for a few days only, and was taken ai ahnort mmediately after his retum; he died on the 8th of November. The loss of Captain Hall was a death-blow to the enterprise. The command devolved on the sailipg- master, an old whaling skipper, quite unfitted for *the conduct of such a service. Dissensions cropped up amenât officers and men, and it was oonsequently deaded to retum to the United States dii«5tly the dup was released. But little e^loring work, as may be imagined, was" effect^ during the spring, and although the ship was libemted in June, it was not until August that the homeward joumey was commenced. The conditions of the ice, however. in Kobeson Channel werevastly différent to what they had experienced the PJ^cedmg y^. for «hortly after their departur« from Thank God Bay, the Polaris was beset in the pack, in which she drifted helplessly down Smith SounTùito a^s Bay. ^On tiie iSth of Ootober they «n«Hmter«i ^ i violent gBle from the «outh-east, veeriug to south, and finally settlin« down at south-west. ifter manv «d II; ilHII M ^^sii^'r^y?K - Lka: a«4 LIFE OF 8IR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- severe bufiFetings, the already sorely-crippled sh^ was seriously squeezed between iwo heavy masses of ioe, whicb, raising the vessel bodily, threw her over en her pc^t sida Her timbers, from the violent pressure to which she was subjected, cracked with loud reports, and her sides seemed to be breaking in. In this criticar situation, when, perhaps, the destruction of their ship wa& but the matter of a few moment^, the necessary arrange- ^ ments were made for her inimediate abandonment. Pro- visions and stores were hastily thrown on the ice ; coal, provisions, clothing, and stores of every kind that were accessible, were hurriedly passed out of the ship, and placed as near as possible in the centre tif .the largest floe to which tbey were. attached, while a colwâ of beats, fortunately, as it tumed eut, were also lowef^and hauled up to a place of safety on the ice. Suddenly, in the inky darkness of the night, the ship broke from the floe to which she had been secured, and driving before the raging gale, was, in a moment, in the wild commotion of the éléments and the blinding snowstorm with which 'they were assailed, lost to sight to those of their companions who were reoeiving and stowing the stores and provisions on the ice. The party thus left in this unenviable situation oousisted of Cap* tain Tyson (the assistant navigator), and nine men belonging to the Polaria, besides nine Eskimos, including three women and a baby. Fortunately, in conséquence of the prompt measures taken to pass the provisions out of tke ship, they were in no immédiate want of food, and their supply was subsequently supplemented by bears and Mais that were occasionally shot by the Eskimo ^untoPB. To the skill, enëi^, and suooess of thé twT , Eskimos, Joe and Hans, the entire party owed their livea ^ r y 1884.] PERILOUS VOYAGE ON AN ICE-FLOE, 280 Without them they would ail, undoubtedly, hâve perished frèm starvation. Seeing that there was but little hope of being reàcued by the Polaris, of whose position, or even Mety, they were ignorant, they proceeded to con- gfaruct a house from materiala that had been thrown out from the ship.'ln order to aflFord them some protection and shelter from thi? inclemency of the coming winter. Severai snow-houses W^ also'èrected. The pièce of ice on which they were eWmped, and on which the entire party passed the wintér, was about loo yards in length, and 75 yards ^rpad. On thia they drifted down, ail that long interminable wintèr^ past Baffin's Bay and Davis' Strait, the floe graduallt crumbling away aitd redacing in size as it drifted south, until on the ist of April the party were compelled to Wke to their remaining boat, for the second one had lokg since been utilised fo» fuel! they were eventually piclced up by the Englfeii sëaler Tigress, off the coast of Ls brader, in latitude 53* 35'^ on the 30th of April 1873, kaving drifted on tiiçir preca- rious raft a distance of no léss than 1500 tuiles during the 196 days since they wore separated from their ahip. Let us now retum to th 3 Polaris, which we left being driven hWplessly and mpidly, on the breaking up of the pack, in an easterly direction by the violence of the gale ; those on board were quitejunable to do anything to suc cour their companions who were so suddenly and so unexpectedly cast away on the ice, nor were they in a position to take any immédiate steps to aflFord them relief, in. conséquence of stôam not being ready, the murky darkness that prevâiled, and the speed with which ^ L ship wa» driven by thJ wind. Their boats also were with the party left on the floe. On the following momiig, the Polaris, being in a leaky t^.'fl-y 28e MPK OF SIR JOHif FRANKLIN. ri8«o- I and shattered condition, was nun on shore in Lifeboat ' Cove, Lyttleton Igland, on the east aide of the ^ntrance to Smith Sound; and hère, with the assistance. of the Etah Eskimos, who provided them with fresh food in the shape of sealsjind reindeer, they pas^ a comparatively pleasant winter, in a house which was erected in the vicinity of the wreck. The winter months were occupied in constructing a couple of boàts ; in thèse the party em- barked on the 3rd bfJune, with the intention of reaching on© of the Danish settlements on the west coast of Green- ' land; they were, kowever, rescued on the aist of the ^ààme month by the Dundee whaler Raïuenscraig in Mel- ville Bay. They were subsequently transferred to the whaler Arctic, Captain Adams, in which ship they were eventùally takén to Dundee, and thence sent across to New York. The successattending this expédition was very remark- able and quite unprecedented ; it clearly demonstrated how very variable are the conditions of the ice in certain parts of the Arctic régions, and how much mày, and can, be accomplished in what is termed a favourable ice year.' In the short space of five days the Polaris succeeded in accomplishing a distance of %e hundred miles through jrhat had always been, and is still, oonsidered an ice- choked sea, viz., from Cape Shackleton to the highest northem position she attaîned. But in twelve brief months everything was changed, for on her retum to the southward the following year she was helplessly beset by hèavy masses of ice, in those same channels that had the previous year been comparatively free and navi- gable, and she drifted down into B&fl5n's Bay at the arerag© rateof about tw> l&ot» an hotte The^ientific résulta of this expédition were excçedingly valuable. !l [18«0. . I 1884.J THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EXPEDITION. 287 although much important data, together with the grèater part of the naturel hiutory collections, were unavoidably and unfortunately lest. The next expédition of geographioal importance waT the AuBtro-Hungarian one, under the jbint command of Captain Weyprecht of the Austrian navy, and Lieu- t^ant Juiius Payer, a mjlitaiy officer. The first-named o£5cer was in command of the ship, and waa, of course solely responsible for its navigation and for ail explora- tion by sea ; but to Payer Wïis entrusted the organisation and the condpct of ail sledging and travelling parties on shore. Thèse officers had made a preliminary summer oruise in the waters it was intended to explore, in a lità sloop caUed the I$ly<»-n, for the purpose of ascertajning the position and condition of the ice. Payer had also served in the German expédition under Koldewey.i The leaders were therefore not altogether unfamiliar with ice navigation. The main object of the enterprise wqs the achievement of the north-east passage, which they hoped to aocompUsh, by sailing round the northem extrême of Novaya Zemlya, and thence along the Siberian coast to Bering's Strait. The Tegetthoff, a steameiw^f three hun- dred tons burthen, was especially built for the purpose,- and everything being ready, she sailed from Bremerhavexi on the i3th June 1872. Où the 29th,of the following month the TegeHhoff was beset by the ice- off the west coast of Novaya Zemlya, from which besetment she was with some difficulty extricated; but on the 23rd of Afigust she was again beset off the same coast, and in epite of the powerful aid of steam, assi^ted by gunpowder, and the unreïnitting exertions of the officers and meo, the in Lifeboat ihe ^ntrance anceof tbe i food in the mparatively cted in the îre occupied le party em- of reaching stof Qreen- Mst of the aig in Mel- red to the » they were t across to iry remark- monstrated ) in certain y, and can, . le ice year. icceeded in es through «d an ice- he highest relve brief )um to the tssly beset s that had and navi- ay at tbe j^entific" valuable, -=«afortttnftte «bip was helïfastïy theioe^ neveragam to^ ' Sm p. s8o, rnnte. \ (î- / Ci*» o <:> . iiïf /«' 288 LIFE or SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860. released. In this helpless condition she drifted about at the mercy of the winds and currents of the Polar régions for two long years. On the 3i8t Auguat 1873 a mys- terious unknown land waa suddenly ^bserved, looming up in the far distance to the northward, to which they gàv» the name of Franz Josef Land, thus becoming the discoverers, although unwittingly, of a new and im- portant tract of country whose existence was hitherto unknown. Payer thus alludes to the discovery :-f- " About midday, af we were leaning on the bulwaiks of the ship and scanning the gliding mists, through which the rays of the Bun broke ever and anon, a wall of mist, lifting itself up Buddenly, revealed to us afar oflf in the north-west, the ou^ linea of bold rocks, which in a few minutes seemed to grow into a radiant alpine land ! At first we ail stood transfixed and hardly believing what we saw, Then carried away by the reality of our good fortune, we burst forth into shouts of joy :— Land, land, land at last I Thére was not a sick man on board the Tegetthoff/ The news of the discovery spread in an instant Every one rushed on deok to convince him- self with his own eyes, that the expédition was not after ail a failure— there before us lay the prize that could not be snatched from us. . . . For thousands of years this land had lain buried from the knowledga of men, and now ibs dis- covery had (fallen into the lap.of a small band, themselves almost loet to the world who, far from their home, remem- bered the homi^e due to their sovereign, and gave to the newly discovéred territory the name of Kaiser Franz JosePs Land. With loud hurrahs we drank to the health of our Bmperor in gi^g hastily made on deck in an iron coffee-pot, and then dressed the Tegetthoff with flags." Strenuoua efforts were made to extricate the ship from her ioy thraldom during the summer and autumn of 1873, bot thèse prb^ngfatiTé, a second winter, if pos- sible more cheerless and wretohed than the first, had to ■ .*, 1884.] FRANZ JOSEF LAND DISCOVERED. 289 be endured. The gênerai drift of the ship during the time of their besetment was govemed, it waa supposed, b7 the prevailing winds, and was not, it was thought, due 80 much to tide or carrent. This drift was in a gênerai northerly direction. The position of the ship when she was first beset on the 2ist August 1872 was latitude 76' 22',- and longitude 62* 3' K On the ist of Janua^ 1873 she was in latitude 78* 37', and Iqpgitude 66" 56'. On the ist Fejbiniary her position was 78* 45' N latitude, and 73' f E. longitude, thus showing that she had been carried steadU^ durihg the period named in a north-easterly direction. Prom the kst-mentioned date until the ist of November, when the ship became station- aiy in conséquence of the attachment of the ice in which she was beset to the Lind, her drift was in a north and north-westerly diroctioa Her positions on the under- mentioned dates were as shown in the foUowing table : April I . May I . June I . July I . Angust I September i October i . NoTember i Latitude. 79° 5'N. 3 56 40 58 SI 79 79 79 78 79 79 79 Longitude. 66" 49' E. 64 58 62 43 59 ' »4 60 40 60 33 60 41 58 56 The important and unexpected disoovery of Franr Josef liind, very naturaUy instilled ftesh hopes in the hearts of the explorer»; but, in spite of theip apparent proximity to the land, they were, much to their chagrin and disappointment. unable to reac h thaahorw^rf^thia^ newiy found territory, in conséquence of the fissures in the ice that ky between them and the coast, and the faot T > 290 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- that the ship was still drifting at the mercy of the winds, in vaiyiDg directions which they were tinable accurately to détermine ; her position, therefore, would be uncer- tain, and perhaps difficult, or even impossible, to reach on the retum of any exploring parties that might be rash enough to leave her for an eztended trip. During the month of October, however, the Tegetthoff was carried to'within three miles of an. island, situated near to the mainland ; this island was, as may readily be imagined, visited by nearly ail the crew. Its position was in lati- tude 79' 54'. Pjayer writes of it : — "An island more desolate than that which we had reached can hardly be imagined, for snow and ice covered its frozen débris-coTeied slopes." From this date the ship remained immovable, firmly frozen into its icy bed, which was held stationary by grounded icebergs. Numerous bears visited the ship during the winter, and not unnaturally paid the pen- alty of their temerity and inquisitiveness, their flesb affording a welcome change to the diet which those on board had for so long been accustomed to. No less than sixty-seven of thèse animais were killed at various times by members of the expédition, producing about 12,000 Ibs. of fresh méat. Several seals were also obtained. Of course their prospects of release formed the sub- ject of much anzious discussion during the winter. The . apparently hopeless chance of extricating the ship being generally acknowledged, it was resolved to abandon her in the ensuing summer, and endeavour to retum to Europe with the oombined aid of boalta and Before, however, the season was 8u£Sciently advanoed 4ti';rJ :_: -:■*■ n was in lati- 1M4.] CROWN PRINCE RUDOLFF LAND. 291 to make a start, it was decided to attempt, as far as possible, the exploration of the unknown land to which they had been so mysteriously carried. A With this object in view, Payer, with half a dozen men, left the ship for a preliminaiy sledge joumey on the loth of March, taking with him three dogs to assist m dragging the sledge. Travelling in a north-westerly direction, they skirted the coast of Hall Island and asœnded Capes Tegetthoflf and M'CHntock, the latter being some 2500 feet in height. Thèse ascents were expressly made for the purpose of ascertaining the gênerai trend of the land and its physical aspects, so as to facili- tate the larger and more important work of exploration which, it waB designed, should be undertaken at a later peripd. On the joumey they experienced great cold, theOlhermometer on onS occasion falling as low as -58* Fahr. They retumed to the ship, on the i6th, fully satisfied with the resuit of their i^searchea Eight days after his return Payer started on his extended joumey to the north^rd, accompanied, as before, by six men and three dogsT Passing up Austria Sound, between Zichy and Wilczek Lands, the travellers reached their highest latitude, in what was named Crown Prince Rudolff Land, in latitude 82° 5', about 160 miles from the position in which they had left their ship. The coast along which they travelled was intersected by numerous fiords, and fringed by numberless islands. The geological features of the land appeared to coincide with those of north-east Greenland, some of the hillg rising to an altitude of 3000 feet. The valleys between the mountain ran ges were filled with large g jyiftw». a pecuïiar feature oonnected with this neighbourhood was that the low isUnds in Austria Sound were covered LIFK bF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- with a glacial cap. Végétation was poor and insignifi- oant, but it must be remembered that the oountry waa wearing its wintry garb of snow at the time the ex- plorera were travelling. Cape Fligely, the most northern point, was reaohed on the lath 6f April; even at thia early period of the year a large water space waa seen, in which the explorera could undoubtedly hâve gone some miles fufther to the northward, had they been provided with a boat, The furthest land seen to the north was oalled Petermaûn Land, and this was estimated to be beyond the 83rd |)amUel of north latitude. Having planted the Austro-Hungarian flag at the highest point reached, the homeward march was commenoed, and on the 24th of April they arrived alongside their ship, safe and Sound, after a toilsome and arduous joumey.' On the 2oth of the following month the colours were nailed to the mast, the good ship that had been their home for two years was then abandoned, and they started on their long journey to Europe, carrying With them provisions for three op four months packed in four boats whIch were mounted on sledges. So heavy were the weights to be dragged, and so rough was the ioe and so deep the snow 3^r which they travelled, that after incessant labour for a per^pd of two months, t^ey found that they had only put a distance of eight miles between them- selves and the ship 1 Fortune, however, favoured them after this date, and on the i4th of August they sucoeeded in reaching the edge of the i»ck ice, and were able to laonoh their beat* on tixe water, when good progress was mades ïlavoured by fine weather, they crossed to Nôvays Zemlya, and skirting along that ooast to the south, wew y§am»iB^m tt|r uj » J^ i iifW i iHfr «6u00116r BBgSfCQ the capture of walruses, which oonveyed them to Vardo^ • 1/ 5(,ii fi-.;.. 1884.] CAPTAIN NARBS- EXPEDITION. 293 htn'bX^::: ''- ^-^ ^^^^ "'" '"'''' n„?I'''^u!r?'*'°'' ^^''^ "^^"^^^ «"^ »t*«^tion is the one despatohed by our own countiy in 187. under uch «cent date, and is ao weU withi^ ^emor, o nt^''' Ï^* ^''^ ' '"^' "'^"^«^ ^ ^* « ^-^^'^ neœssaiy. It was sent by the route followed by the Amen«m e^tion under Hall,, viz.. by Smith Sound ; for it was judged and very rightly, at the time. that in of the Polart,, that particular route offeml the best ohanoBS of success. if the attainment oi a high northem Uùtude was to be the primary considenitior It ^Z> been detemined before the news reached Englànd of the safety and retun. of the Aust^-Hungarian ^tio^ Therfupe selected for the service wew the Alert •nd Du^covery, fairly powerf^l steamers of from 500 rtrengthened and equippèd. and in every way ^^ r th^ "r^^" ^'' ^^ ^~- I^'^outh C»ptam Nares were te the eflfect that he was to ^proceed «p Smjth Sound, and after esteblishing the jD;««««ry m secure winter quartem in a high northem ^1 ' but te the southwarf of the 8.nd par^elTf ktat^2J«»»^«f O' dépôt 8hip,he was to push on in fol 1^.'' navigation woûld admi<. When !!^" ,?!y f" ^"^^^ impossi ble, the ^f^ w». aho inf IJU HiHiMii ITI BU Fai "^m «bA » ^ ^- : - -1 ■■- ■■ ^^ ■ ■-■ ■ — .- ^ . OrM^wmtmr qnartesi, whenoe fledimiff Partoes w«pe te be de.patehed with the object of attein u»« the highest northern laUtudi» and, if found pwoti- M- mhéiadûMàà&j^ààiîMA^ 294 LIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- cable, to reach the Pôle itself. Although Smith Sound was found <^oked with ice, rendering the progress of the ships slow and dangerous, Nares, with oonsummate skill and ability, Bucceeded in carrying his shipsin safety to latitude 8l' 44!, where. he left the Diseovery, vinder the oommand of Captain Stephenson, to pass the winter in a snug harbour, which was called Diseovery Bay, at the entrance ôf Lady Franklin Sound. Theçce the Aleiî pushed onwards, • encountering ice floes thiekly packed and of a very ma^ive description, but fairly good pro- gress was made by adhering, especially when westerly winds prevailed, pa the stream of water that invari- ably ezisted betweenf the land.iicerand the main pack. jÔn the ist Septembe^^ the Alert reàched the latitude of 83° 24'; and this being a higher latitude, than had ever been attained by a ship before, the oolours were hoisted "amid gênerai rejoicings" to celebrate the svent. ""' But on the same day her further progress was arrested by a solid pack of heavy ice which defied péné- tration, and the ship was hauled tXoa^ into the shore, and secured behind some large grounded masses of ice, which afforded an effective protection f rçm the pressure of the pack. In this somewhat precaiious position the Alert was doomed to paas the succeeding eleven months; hut an all-merciful Providence watched over the good little ship, and those on board spent under the oircum- stanoeB an ezceedingly happy and pleasant winter, more especially when it is considered that they werè passing it in à higher nortiiem latitude, viz., Sa* 27', than any human bdngs had ever before been known to winter in. ^ ^ariag^thfrtmtaimn and early sprini^ sledgipi; were despatched for the purpose of , ezplori||g^ in the immédiate neighbourhood o£ their winter qOarters, and 1884.] ATTBMPT. TO HïiACH NORTH H)LB. a..t di«ction ™ to rin w ""f -»°*»« » tion, travelling over the frozen sea with th^ T-.!*^ getting as far north as possibr T^^ *»»« object of to the westward aIon/:i? 4^ Z^'^:: ^^ the Dueovery, wa« directed t6 exaimni;L^L «oast of Greenlanri n« ««iimne the north-west t oi «reeniand. Dogs were not used bv anv of f !,«-* "ledging parties, but the sledges werTd™^^ \' T of Grmn«li T ! W^. longitudft The northem ahore Pîites..^;.:-. 'i 296 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860 fche frozen sea on the 63rd meridian of longitude, in latitude 83' 20' 26", being just within 400 miles of the North Pote. In conséquence of the serious and severe outbreak of scurvy which attacked the traveUers, and the exoeedingly rough nature of the ice over which they were compeUed to drog their sledges, thèse several parties endured great hardships and suflferings. Chiefly owing to the outbreak of scurvy, and partly also from the knowledge that further extensive explo- ration from his base of opérations was impracticable, Captain Nares wisely decided upon retuming to England, which was reached by the two ships in November 1^76.' In the same year that witnessed the departure of the English Polar expédition under Nares, Captain Allen Young, the companion of M'Clintoék in the Fox, an ex- perienced and enthusiastic Arctio navigator, sailed frôm England in the Pandora, an old man-of-war of 430 tons burthen, fitted with eighty horse-power engines, with the object, as he tells us, of visiting — " The western coast of Oreenland, thence to proceed through Baflan Bay, Lancaster Sound, and Barrow Strait towards the Magnetic Pôle, and, if practicable, to navigate thiough the north-west passage to the Pacific Océan in one season." It was thought, and very righây, that by foUowing thia Une of exploration, the Pandora would most likely be in the vidnity of King William Island in the summer, when, as t^e land would be bare of snow, a fair prospect of finding some records, or perhaps the logs and joumala of the Ihrebuê and Terror, would be afforded them. The acheme was undoubtedly a good one and was weU thoug&t ont «ad planned, for no steamer, itmurit^ "Be remembered, had hitherto endeavoured even to at- tempt the north-west passage, and no search had been ;„. . > .^Ais.tii 'F; 4 1884.] CAPTAINrÀH.EN YOUNG'S VOYAGE. 207 tMde for docam,n^ or p.pe„ „, FranUm', exp«liti<„ P^i a* * , JJeecûey island on her way, pushed un ■réel Strait, only to be nf^nn^v,»] i. f"»"»* up »^e. .' Bors::œ„;:5irn^— :: fctnr';.'^'* *^' -" ™de to puBh th,„„ch w« futUe, and aftef toTOtal attempl» had been m«ie Sn^ p«-.t «^ tt. n<^..^ p^ ,^ ,^ ^,^;^; "«m »a.far «i«no«i, £„, th. ist of Septrobep had ■J»«iy «nved, h.,«r«»d hi. .top. throngh P^jlT «u« piuoKy attempt to achieve ihe north- ii3B^iSÉ>^i3V^LlSââiA^^(|sJMW?i^n„.^ -^W ./.l 298 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- west passage. Although he failed in his main objecfc, Captain Allen Young can lay claim to having been thê first to navigate a vessel in the icy watera of Peel Strait, unless, indeed, as has ah-eady been eurmised, the ships of Franklin had previoualy sailed ovejr the same route. The Pandora arrived at Spithead on the i6th of October, thus bringing to a ooncluaion this short but most in- teresting and adventurous voyage. In 1878 a small party, under the leadership of Lieu- tenant Frederick S^hwatka of the United States army, consisting of three white men and an Eskimo, left New York and were landed by a whaler near Chesterfield Inlet, in Hudson's Bay, with the express object of attempting to recover the logs and joumals of Franklin's expédition, arid, if possible, to clear up some of the mysteries connected with that sad story. The winter waa pàased in Chesterfield Inlet, at Camp Daly, and on the ist of April 1879, the party being augmented by a band of fourteen Eskimos, consisting of men, women, and children, Schwatka started on his long joumey to King William Island, the sledges being dragged by forty- four dogs. On the'ioth of June, after a long and toilsome joumey. Cape Herschel, on King William Island, Mna^ reached, and hère a permanent camp was established.^^ From this base the western and southem shores were carefully examined until the 8th of November, when the party started on their retum to Camp Daly, which was not hqwever reached until the 4th of Bijarch, after an excessively labdrious joumey, during which gre^ hardships and privations were endu red. This e xpédition ^ôvôàle^ no new laoto ref^ûrdïnglïe faiê ol the miasing expédition, but it oorroborated a great deal of the infor- I ! .w f-. '•1 JM4.] GORrioN BBNNETT'8 EXPEDITION. 4 29» f«!t of Schwatk. b.™„ t«L,!^ ""^ *^""' *• «Plorad. the e^Z IZTrT^^r"' "^^ ««JgmphioiU rMUlta "^ ™I)ortant for the service w,»UllJv ; """"«•«'«'ed which ™. ..ir tM:r' s^ '"■> '■■"<'-• *^ "^" * regular man-of-war tt»- a.ent wa. thirty-two offices and leland Si ""'^ " manded by Commander De Lonr^L T '^'^' -'«//ewo, wnen sne waa emmoa/l ;^ «.l for the PoZam peonk huA .^^ ^ '^e search «iment with speou] ordeni to seek diligently ,^,K!l>*)>^ .''^' sft. <.ï^ 800 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRAN2^IN. [1860. I i ■V< in the neighbourhood of Herald Island and along the Siberiaa ooast, in search of the misting ahip, bût theae efforts were unfortunately without sucoeas. In the latter end of the year i88a, télégraphie information was reoeived from Russia that the unfortunate Jean- nette had been crushed by the ioe on the iath of June of that year, in latitude 77* N., and longitude 155* E., having been beset in the ice and drifted about helplessly at the meroy of the winds and cuf- i rents for twenty-two months ; the offioers and crew, y faowever, it was reported, had suooeeded in making good / ^ .^^their escape from the ship in three beats, which had to be dragged over the ioe for some considérable distance before open water was reached. One of thèse beats was loek sight of in a gale of wind during the month of September, and was never afterwards heard of. The remainder of the party, having endured great hard- Bhips and sufferings from ezposure and a scarcity of provisions, eventually suooeeded, by the assistance of their boats, in reachihg ttie mouth of the Lena, whence ;two of the seamen were despatched to the nearest Russian settlement to procure immédiate relief, and also to telegraph the news of their safety, and the necessity of sendiog sucoour as speedily as posùble. XJnhappily, before assistance oould reaoh thèse poor fellows, Oom- mander De Long and the majority of the officers and crew sucoombed to starvation. Mr. Melville and the few survivors, after undergoing inoredible hardships, were orentually rescued and token to New York. The resuit of this expédition in a geographical point of vMw was nnimportant, and har dl y compensated for the gnat loss of life and terrible suflferings of those engafed in it, to say nothini; of the large ezpenditure 1884.1 NORTH-EAST PASSAGE ACHIEVED. 801 of money it entailed. The most important serviw in- directly connected with it, from the standpoint of geo- graphy, waè the complète exploration of Wrangel Land by Lieutenant Beny^ who was sent ouf in the Bodgera to search for the Jeannette. The most signal geographical achievement of récent years has, undoubtedly, been the sucéessful accomplish- ment of the north-east passage in th« steaijier Vega by Baron Nordenskiold, ably seconded as he was by Lieutenant Palander, who was practically: the captain of the ship. This voyage proved that a well-found steamer, pro- perly prepared and ably handled, could without gi^at difficulty pass from the AtUntic to the'^Pacific, along the northem coast of Siberia. This. was a matter of importance, bearing, as it did, on the piÉcticability of opening up a great commercial sea i^ute betweêh Europe and the mouths of those large anà important nvers, the Obi, the Yenisei, and the Lena. îhe Vega, a steamer of 300 tons register, being pro- visioned for a couple 'of years, sailed from Gothen- burg on the 4th of July 1878. Proceeding through the Norwegian fiords, via Tromso, she passed, ^thout enoounteringmuch difficulty from ice, through the Jugor Strait to the southward of Waygafr Island, and so into , the Kara Sea. Stopping at varions places along thç coast of Siberia, for the purpose of coUecting natural history spécimens, and for gênerai scientifio observations Cape Chelyuskin, the most northem promontory of thé old world, was lounded on the i^th August ; a salute of goM was fired, and t h e sh ip gaily dr es s e d ^ pith flaw jj t- 1 !' ■■t. ^ ^ ^.. ,. .^^-^ ^^ w_ ^^NWSM MMKUma MMK commémoration of the important event. The position of this intetwting headland was accunitely determined fJSf\i\.^ ^■^ (\ éÊÉk \ 802 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- 4 ^ by astronomical observations: its most northem part was found to be in latitude 77' 41' N., and longitude 104' i' E. Advancing to the eastward, they encountered much drift ice, which, though loose and open, consisted of heavier floes than had hitherto been met with since the Kara Sea was entered, while their progress was also somewhat impeded by fogs, which materially added to the difl&culties of navigation. During the temptfrary détentions of tl^e ship from thèse and other causes, valuable hauls were made with the dredge, resulting in the catch of many unexpected and interesting varieties of marine animal types, ail, however, esgentially peculiar to the Arctic régions. [. On the evening of the 27ti the Vega was off the mouth of the Lena, wheiL, steering in a north-easterly direction, a course was ^péd for the lùost southerly of the New Siberian J|*&'às'. This group of islands was passed on the 3oth 4^gu3t, but landing was found to be impracticable in «insequence of the rotten condition of the ice between Jbe ship and the shore, which did^not admit either of a boat being pushéd through, or a ilaii walking on its surface. Eastward from thèse islands was a clearipiJen channel of water extending along the coast, whiitfi enabled the Vega to push on at the rate ■'of 120 miles a.day for three days. The Bear Islands were reached on the 3rd of September, when the channel became more and more narrow, being partially blocked by ice. TJnder thèse drcumstances they were compelled to keep doee in to the shore, where the water was nnplftaaantly ghallow. Cape Schelag&oi wa a reac hed on the morning of the 6th, when their progress was much impeded by loose ice. Tq^d to their difficulties \y I8S4.] A SWEDISH TRIUMPH IN NAVIGATION. 803 the hours of daylight we™ getting shorter, while their was paaaed, but hère their further progress in J of the pack, and they experienced great ^ifficulty l bonng a passage through the ice Cnls the Is^ where. eventuaUy, the ship wa. anchoml underThé Het the r '^" ^'^^ "^^ •'^ ^-«^^ '- i8th, when. as the navigable season was far advanced t was determined at ail hazards to push on, 1"^' , z:rthr''t ""^ ^* "-''- ^*- ^^y ZTffi î ^""^ P"«^ '"^' however, slow and dxfficut; much ice was .ncountered, and the water was exceedingly shallow, thus necessitatiig the grl^t Un the 28th they passed Koljutfehin Bay, but wem a^most immediately afterwaxds. stopped b; il I^d a^though they^kept the ship pr.par^7or any'^n" ahty at a .oment's notice, hopi^g'that a galeTf 7To> some other cause might clear the ice out of their wav l^^aing the winter.^^^^ ^^ t^b^y ^^oÏ; IZ only a few miles ky between them ,nd the opTwaLr a mile from the coast at the north part of the strait Hère, however. they wer^ desUned (Tpass the wi^r ^k was performed by the différent members of the ex- pédition. They wer^ in constant, almostdaily. commua. 804 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIIf. [1860- cation wlth the natives of , the country, the Tchuktches, who evinced a very friendly disposition towards them, and kept them plentifully supplied with bear and rein- deeivmeat. At length, on the i8th qf, July 1879, the breaking up of the ice released the Vega. Two days af terwards she passed East Cape, and steaming into the waters of the Padfic, suooeeded in aocompliahing one of the greatest geographical feats of the âge, and one that had baffled navigators for tbree hundred years, the achievement of the nor^-east passage». On the and of September Yoko- hama wàs reached, at which port the sucoeasful explorera were received with every démonstration of joy by the Japanese, and by the représentatives of the différent nations assembled there. Thenoe, until Stockholm wm reached on the 24th April 1880, their homeward progress was one long triumphal procession, in wi^ich nation rivalled nation, and port vied with port, in doing honour to the bold navigators, who had thus rendered them- selves famous by theii dauntlees courage, their skill, and their unbounded energy. Thus ended one j>f the most successful geographical expéditions of the présent cen- tury: it was happily conceived, and gallantly carried out. AU honour to the brave Swedes who thus, for the first time, carried to a successful issue an unde^ taking that had for three centuries defied the persistent efforts of the ablest, the most skilful, and the mort oourageous navigators of oxa own and other countriee. AU honour to the brave Palander, who so skilf uUy navi- gated the Uttle Vega during her marveUous voyage round the north extrwne of the old wdrM ; and aU honour to that remarkable man, and embient scumQst, I^fénor, now Baron, Nordcnakiôld, to wh«se subtle and inquiring -'M^^ 1884.] LEIGH SMITH'S ARCTIO EXPLORATION. 806 œssful Axctio navi«itor «ITl ^f * ^^'^ '^^ '^'^ -teriall^in inc^>:^tnri:t on^^ ^^'^ yacht mra, with tL obtcl^ f^S"*' ^his steam Land.. The Bira was aS\f f?^*^ ^"' "^«««f with engines of ço mtt^ ^ ^"^^^"^ ^^^ direction to laZie So» To^ ">!"' ""' ^" «^ -^^^-^7 of east longitudalî t^T't^l*'' ^°'' "^^^'^''^ was seen ^me f^l^^^^^^^'^* P-^"on. land dii^ioa In latitudel^^,îï!7' "^ * "«rth-weeterlj. •Mlonuîe in from «™ * ^"^ ■""■ «"«I "Plonrtion in « tItv .k™» ." "^ '"««"rf"' mount of ^^ »« witiri^r ïï:^ ^^^^-i» «» «.. «wœed tlut Fnui, j,-,. rTnH , ^^""^ " »»y •» JiSM-:.' ^]lli&^£^«', ^iiË^tiiit .vVbU, L f 8M LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1880- pi«sented Mr. Leigh Smith with iheir Patron's Gold Medal, for the important diacoveries he h»d madô along the south ooast of Frana Josef Land, and fo? his previous valuable geographical work along ithe norfeh-east ooast of Spitïbergen. The Gold Medal of the Paris Geogra- phical Society waa also presented to him in récognition of the eminent services h^ had rendered to the science of geography. i , With his appetite only whetted for tenewed research in Franz Josef Lànd by his late adventurous voyage to its shores, Mr. Leigh Smith determined to prosecute further exjdÀration in the same directioi^ He aocord- ingly set about refitting his little yacht immediately after his retiip to England. In alluding to Mr. Leigh Snuth's intentions, in hip annual address as 'Président of the Koyal Geographical Society, delivered on the 23rd May 1881, Lord Aberdare thus sums up his ohàracter— "With the eathosiasm indispensable to an Arctic explorer, he combines the attainments of a ecientific observer, and the skill of an experienced navigator. To thèse qualificationB la added that of indomitable persévérance." The Eira being in ail respects ready, Mr. Leigh Smith Btarted from Peterhead on hîs fifth Arctic voyage on the i4th June 1881. The «hip oarried the same com- plément of offioeif and men as in the preoeding year. She wAs provisioned for fifteen months, and carried with her materials for oonstruoting a house on shore, in the event of bang forced to winter. Mr. Leigh Smith's intwition was to continue hb previous explora- „tion aw. far aapossiM*! m a "Ortherly direction, Mad thua extend the geographicid knowledge of Franz Josef Lanî acquited during the past year. After skirting along J'Ji ' • -.«i- ¥"i ^^- 1884] RBSCUE OF LBIQH SMITH'8 ParTY. the pmîlç.ioe for some distance and «ft. unsuœ^ssful atte.pt to enteH'he k^^^^^^^"^ ^° ceeded in approaching the ceast of V^ r ' ^ '"^ bût unfortuimtely at thS-^ *"*" «^"^^ I*°d; ^ aeve.1, Ci t/^^ .^olX? tT ^" ^ el,«e t. Ca^-Kora, I„ lat^de ;^ "'tW^T' "'l" , two hou« afterwards, in deep wat^r Thl 1 * 7^ vessel was a terrible blow f/*r ^°^ ^^ *^«^'- bout with«tone8Md turf Th.™^ . Ti m « but Mbf»th,p„^:r«„,'^;'^^^;^«.p«-ed, , warm, was the blubh«r «k* • ^^ ^eepmg themselves i."H..tbe,^Xt':;:^-:j;^-^auH««,. .»d «,„ipptog ti, t^ j^ i it ™^^,!?"« "•■ deavour t„ ^^ ^^.^ «,„Hw«rd I th^ ?' «mequence of the i»«»«,t. T ■ ' «"œmw; in would otterwi» fc.„ «l*^^^^ ""««'«' «aie. whid. TSisiï-ïiï.^ -....., .. . "?•-», «tL mucn the «une ' — ^TBmnèr as did that breve oldT^ *\ °^ . *"*"* ™^ Bawnts thiee hundJ °^5| f^t^» navigator Willem ^ •^ \.' 'l^ 808 'lIFBOP SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- EventuaUy, after undergoing great hardships and fatigue, they sucoeeded in rea^i^ing the coast of No»^a Zemlya on the and of Augu8t,and on the foUowmg day weïe fortunately rescued and bro«ght home m the Hape, a vessel that had been speciaUy sent otit to search for them under the oommand of Sir AJlen Young. Aberdeen was reached on the 2oth of Aûgust, when the news of their safety waa received with univetsal feelings of relief allaying, as it did', the alarm and uneaâness that had been felt in England regarding their protracted absence. The last expédition to which référence wiU be made was the one despatched by the United SJ^tes Govern- ment in 1881, under the command of Lieutenant Greeley of the United States army. It had for its object the establishment of a station in a high latitude, at the head of Smith Sound, where synchronous meteoro- logical, magnetical, and other observations of a like deBcription, might be taken in accordance with a pro- gramme that had been drawn up by an International Polar Conférence which was held at Hamburg m 1879. Lieutenant Greeley was also directed to carry out explora- tion in the direction of the North Pôle, as far as was ^"^rej^tion consisted of twenty-five officers and ; men, nearly ail of whom were soldiers serving m the n United States axmy. The party was taken up Smith Sound in the steamer Proteu8, which, without expe"- endng much difficulty from the ice, landed them m Di^ oovetyBay.ontheiithofAugust The iVofet« returned toA^'^naa week after. Tw o winters were passed by the members of the «qpedtttion in Disoovery Bay.dur^ #hioh time the interior of OrinneU Dmd was explored, M also the north-wert ooast of Greenland, when lieu- 1884.], SUFFERINGSOFOREELBY'SPARTY. m t«.ant Beauniont's farthest point in 1876 was passed and a portion, «ported to h, in latitude 83» .7^ ««ached; they ttus had the gratification of r^C a h^her latitude than had ev*r before been a^^* ^d of extendmg our knowledge of the coast of Gre^.' d^l' '^^'^ °^ ''^ -"- ^ a ^ortherly in'îrs.Zf ««'".''T '"''* °"' "^ **^« ^°i<-l States Z TT K"^ '^"°' '^" '^'^«' °f Greeley's party in acoordance wath previously airanged plans, bnt^^ uuiappJy fa^led in their endeavo^ to^h th^^^ oDe of the vessels being crushed by the lœ at thé "entrance to Smith Sound Thèse eTT>Lif; *® «n^*,.—^ j u *v,,. expéditions were both comtaanded by à^Utaiy men I f The second win^rhavingpasped without relief coming to tlfen. aid Gi^ley dedded to work his way soutn «ean* of that sucoour which was appai.n«y ZlZ to reach hun, and without which, he Cweî iTe his party must inevitably perish. Up to this timTtTê member» of the expédition had enjoy^ i^markabfy gl hedth, and their numbers were still intect On the^ of Au^«t X883 they quitted Discove^Bay^fL'S of Smith Sound, whew they decided to encamp in the vicinityofthecape. He« a thixd winter wa» neL^y Unes, for they had no other shelter from the severTr Viemency of the weather than an imperfecUy 00^,^0^' -TKa^r^vm ^"-^' ^•"""° ""^"gnt wi tti t ùe m fi-nn^ Sr ^ ^' ""^^ *^°^ ^^'^'^ ^ tï'^ d«PÔte that had u. * * • "S ■* fc. 1 J 810 LIFK OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- long before thèse scanty supplies were ezhausted, but, for some time, they succeeded ii^ keeping themselves aîive, by subsisting on their sealskfh clothing, and the lichens that were gathered f rom the rocks. Starvation and hardship, however, gradually reduced the original number of twenty-five, until by th^ middle of June only seven, including Greeley, remained alive. Thèse few were happily rescued by the expédition that waa despatched in 1884 to search fdr them, under the command of Cap- tain Schley of the United States navy, who providen- tially found them, on the 2i8t of June, when the few wretched survivors^were literall^ at death's door. A delay in their rescue of two or three- days would hâve been fatal to the whole party — not one would then hâve been alive to relate the history of their proceedings and the appalling silfferings they had endured. With the exception of the exploration of the interior of Grinnell Land, «tnd the continuation for some distance of Beau- mont's exploration of the north-west coast of Oreenland, but little was added to our geographical knowledge ôf the Polar régions. The terrible expériences of the sur vivons of this expédition fuUy bear out the necessity of scrupulously carrying out those useful and prudent measures that hâve been invariably adopted by Ençlish navigators when exploring in high latitudes, namely the practice of establishing dépôts of provisions along what may possibly be a retreating routa It also illustrâtes the foUy of employing inexperienoed and ignorant men, in conducting an expédition "that has for ite object the sucoour of those whose lives are absolutely dépendent on the arrivai of relief. Geographical exploration irT^the Arctic régions has nipw be«n brought dow^^ro date, and it shows us what ; îfjj'ï M " 1884.] I 4 large s of our la as it hai essentiall na,vy at t , sea and quickly a his many studies se bation, of dered at t developed officer. li of the na ever'oppo exoeptiona they were Adventi the one « find that daring spit / into an ar exploration untrodden I probability and his loi and experi« hémisphère fascinating of oor glotx ragions hé moch valoal <4'3r ,*i: ->««■' ^-è*-* 1884.] FRANKLIN'S SUCCES8 IN EXPLORATION. SU • large share Sir John Franklin had in the développent of 0^ knowledge of those régions. The life of Sir John, «Bit has been the object of theee pages to show, wa^ ««entially one of nsefulness and aètivity. Joining the ^vy at an early âge. and bejng pasdollly fond of the . sea and eveiything appertaining to aT^pan'a Ufe he q»ickly acquired the rudiments of his prSsion, while h« many manly quaUties and eamest application to his studzes soon attra^ted the notice, and eamed the appn» TZ^'f.^t '"?"°"- ^* ^ "°* ^^«'«^«'^ to ^^■ dered at that. under thèse favourable auspices, he rapidly developed into an able, ax^tive, and accomplished young officer. Not content with the ordinary humdnun routine of ihe naval service, he invariably volunteeml, when- everropportumties oflFered, for duties of a spécial and «ceptiona^nature. and the more arduous and^rous they wer« the more eagerly were they sought for by him. Adventure and geography are so intimately associated «le one mth the other. that it is not surprising to find that a young ofB^^ûtft«iiain^g energy «id d«xng spirit should, in the course of a few yea«. blossom /mto a«. ardent and piactical geographer. The love of Z^ ' especially in unknown région* and over untr^dden paths. was inhérent in him. and was in aU probabdity mtensified by his service under Kinders and his long and intimate connection with that skilfui and «perienced surveyor. But although the southem ' hemisiAere had its oharms, it was the north. and Z fascmatmg mj^teries that suirounded the northem apex .TnlTl^!^.. ^""'^ *^* «^<^ attiucti ona^ TffthswçÎOTutftm ôf thèse litt^e known régions he devoted, as we hâve endeavour«i to show much valuable time and anergy. and eventu^lyV it r^ ,1 1' SIS LIFE OF SIB JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- truly be said, he laid down his life in his endeavours to lift the veil that had for bo long concealed one of the secrets of that mysterious portion of the world. But it is as the disooverer of the north-west passage, that problem the solution of whioh had baffled so many aUe and daring navigators for thè past three hundi^d years^ and whioh he saorifioed his life to solve, that his name must, and always will be, intimately connected. Franklin and the ^orth-west passage being so dosely assodated yritii each other bave become almost synony- mous terms, for he was, assuredly, the first actual dis- ooverer of that long and diligently sought for channel of communication between the Atlantic and Pacific Océans; he may aHo veiy fitly be regarded as having been, in- directly, the means of discovering other channels that may very oorreotly be termed north-west passages, for the dis- oovery ^them by Collinson and M'Clure was practically a corollary of the search that was instituted for him. To Franklin, therefore, both directly and indirectiy, is due the discovery and exploration of a vast hitherto un- known région, the resuit of which bas been productive of much valuable scientifio knowledge, more especially in its relation to geography. The time that elapsed between the year 1845, ^^^^ Arctio exploration, ,after a long interval of inactivity, was again resumed, until the year 1859, when the litUe Fox retumed to England with the important announce- ment relative to the sad fate of the Erehru and Terror, may ireàsonably be called the Franklin era ; even bef ore that time to as f ar back as 18 18, there was but little aocomplished, in the way of exploring those little known waters and territories, with whidi he was not, in some way or other, connected or oonoemed. ■Al^m^vi 1834.J 9^USBS OF THE lOB BARRIBR 818 The faUurt of the Erehu, and Terrar \o achieve the north-weat passage wàs undoubtedly due to the vast aoçamulation of heavy pack ioe. which waa found to exwt aoTôBs the channel in which the ships were finally abandoned, and which was of such a nature as to defy pwietration. This agglomération of ice, which had onginaUy, in ail probability, been fonned in that great unexplored area to the northward and westward of the Pany Manda, is driftôd into Melville Sound along the north coast of Bank's Land. and is thenoe carried dowû through M'Clintock Channel untU it impingee on the sho^o^King William Island.thus forming ^impene- trahie b^er across the channel It was, we must infer. «Jis msurmountable a«sumulation of ice that stopped Franklm's ships from proceeding to the south-west, and it waa this same.unyielding barrier that sucoes^fùUy defied the efforts of M'Clui« and Oollinson, when endeavouring to push forward from the opposite directioa Rxïfessor Haughton, who is one of our highest • authonties on tidal movemente, and especially those m high ktitudes, attribut»s the accumulation of ice at thia particukr spot to the meeting of the Bering's Strait tide with that of Davis' Strait, the effect of which^is the formation of a «line of still water," in which the ice remams packed and immovable. The same physical features were observed in the neigl^bourhood of the Bay of Mei^y. whence M'Oluie made ineffectuai attempts, dunng two successive years, to enter Melville Sound from the west, along the north cottfc of Bank's Land. AU efforts to penetrate the ioe in this locality, eitiier from the east or feom the wi^, ^,yy t^„i^,^^ * y S'1 USA ation haa invariably tieen stopped by impénétrable masses of iœ, remaining piaotioaUy im- 'Mu iu LIFB OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1860- movable in a région of still water. Thia meeting of t\^o sepanlte and distinct tides serves, in a great mea- Bure, to illustrate the principal physioo-geographical causes of the failare of Parry, Franklin, M'Olure, and Collinson, and, at a more récent date^ of Allen Young, to Buccessfully aooomplish the north-west passage in a ship. It is eztremely improbable that thèse channels are permanently blocked by ioe. Indeed there is every reason to believe < that there are occasional, perhaps periodical, seasons when a well-found steamship, under the oommand of a skilful and energetio navigalor,.might suoceed in making the passage ; but, exoept for the lionour and glory of perfor^ng a geographioal feat that bas hitherto defied ail efforts that have been made to aocom- plish it, liie results would be practically barren, for the channels hâve already been thoroughly ezplored tiy tra- vellers on foot, and' therefore no further useful geogra- phioal information could be obtained, by the mère fact of a vessel steaming from the Atlantic to the Pacific, or vice veraâ, by Bering's Strait and Baffin Bay. -Bat there is still useful work to be performed in the Ârctic régions, namely, to complète the explora- tion of that vast Polar area, comprising upwards of a million and a half square miles, whioh is at présent a blank space on our charts. In order to oarry this out to a suocessful issue, our attention ^d our énergies should be direoted towards thé little known fVanz Josef Land, for it is in this direction that the greatest prospect, almost amounting to a oertainty, of suooess will be obtained, and for the foUowing reasons. It is néarer to inhabited and oivilised oountries than other parts of thé Arctio régions, therefore a place towSIch a start can be more easily made, and whence retreat M;.: / .- /.. ïi-^di^â ■>*n-/- 'W 1M4.] PROSPBCTIVE ARCTIC EXPLORATION, 816 from it, in the event of « catastrophe, for the same reaaoïiH, « practicaUy easy and aa«a,«i ^^ reaBon to fear that any great difficulty/ enced m reaching its shores; on the odf every reason to infer, from the compai whichthelittleDutchexploringschooner . .ighted ifca coast in ,879, and the absefic^.^r ahy «al d^cuty that attended Mr. Leigh Sn^ith's effo^^ ^t Its shores on the two foUowing years, that a go^ «ea^er. specially designed for ioe navig;tion. wÏÏ -^ysucceed in r^hi„g Eira Harbour, or'even aZ a Sound, every year This being assuped, it is évident that Fran^ Josef Land,8hould formthe objective, ànd be ^But te «ifiure useful résulta it is essential te pass a Z^^^l r^ 'r"" '''''' " that exploration can be camed out by «ledge parties during the spring and «ummer In carrying out this service „o daCr n^ be .pprehended fxx,m that tenible soourge JZ^Z animal fjod, in the shape of beax^ walnSs^««^ « procu^ble in abundance, and such Weasuri ^su^' would assuredly be «ecured during one t«.velling IZT - the de^pateh of an expédition. Let „s hope that we Bnghsh Arctic expédition crowned with lau«ls gained m the exploration of Fn.nz Josef Land and bé^dl For such a consununation let ail true geographers ^*^ «^ ïrarsri^^ ^id npt Jay down their lives in vain. «*■.-'. o INDEX. Advanee saiU under Dr. Kane 2m îiiriS?"' '"**'»■» chief, 125. ^^TSiiif-' ■*"* byHudson'» B«y — «^mon under ltSj.^Jîi''L. AwUc^dUicoyeiy. renew.1 byEngland lïïid'?Si;S^;âl'^'^"''>.««ond 'ëaitMs: ---'•-«^ -«h oovt of, named New South WiSêS 24: so nunnH Ym mi-^z2l .. ""ea, of the Hog««t 198; voyai» to r..h of Iffluf M *^'** exploration B««nta, dlacovenr of 8plt«bet«en bj, tenant b^ihi?^ *° '«•° "eu- Beaufort, SJr FrancU, advocati» i» -"««'«^^l'olarregea^chT^^ |g»4f«-d, Franklin Joins theVri An.tro.Hungarla4yS;^Zn!M7. 5îl i^"""" ""* wonderful jiïï: ney, 140 ; promoted to rmnk^if u^ liindjoumey, m ; w^wBatoSm** niM(fer,^; hta ««^luoïln ,e ° , 210; viaited bj JPox'ièï leandi «?' »S?!ÎS «y*»''ewd bj Kennedy dit loe 101297. f^: INDEX. 817 «companiei Can- ette» exploration ' SplUbergen bj, In'B lourney over •port attached to iMtigates Polar n. coUecUon of içed at dtaposal «mames's let to irota lien- 'tea researcb In «fera to Frank- 1*2; propows oratlon, 200. «1 by Cantain »n of, by Dr. advocates i^. Bh,200. the, 74. i'iyanUln,l64. iccouiit of Bu- ; in command h- in wlnters at, ■t command nf ; «wdera sliipt » Ipman, killed Uockadlng 'i 72. ranch navy, bj Kennedy, e foe i|É 297^ iqnipa Jea». Bering'* Stralt, Captain Cook passes tlirough, 80. Bem, Lieutenant, U.8.N., explores Wrangel Laud, 801. Benels, KmU, aocompanies Hidl in Polarit, 281. Blj^ Captain, commanda Invettigator, Blrds, nnmerous, seen In Magdalena Bay, 96. Bismarck, Cape, named by the Ger- mans, 281. Bloody FaU, «o named by Heame, 111. KoMom, ordered to Bering'sStralt.lM • boat of, sent to meet Franklin, 164 Boati, discovery of one of Frankllns, 2S0,;272 ; spécial, for Frankllns land Joomey, 166. Boat voyage of Captain Fllnders, 61. Booth, Sir Félix, Victory fltted out at expense of, 177. fioothia Fellx, Franklin saiU alone coast of, 216. Botany Bay, named by Cook, 24. BotUe-papiBrB, use of, 271. Bremen, Oerman expâilltlon salis from, Bridfjtwater, salis with Porpoise, 54 : hearUess conduct of captain of , 66. Briggs, Bear-Admlral, hoists flair in Hainlww, 18a Browne, Lieutenant, explores Peel Sta^t, 244; reaches position near Brelnu and Terror, 247. Bnchan, David, Commander, appolnted to command expédition to North Foie, 81 ; bis former services, 89 ; his instructions, 91; remembered bv Franklin, 126. Bumett, Lieutenant, sent to Hobart Xown as surveyor, 188. Cairiis, strange absence of, 248. Cannlballsm, story of supposed, 187. Carcatt, selected for Polar exploraUon 84 ; criUcal sltuaUon of, 87. CarltonHôuseraachedby Franklin, 120. .ijCarstens salis on a voyage of disco- very, ^. Cart used by Pany In exploring, 149. Castor and Pollnx river raadied bv Deas and fllmpaon, 199. Cato, salis with Porpoité, 64; wreck of, 66. ChelyusUn, Cape, ronnded by the Vtga, CWpèwyan, Fort, Franklin's Joumey to, 120. ' ClM;ke,Captaln. appolnted toJ ~'W; ooninauus ~ death, 81; attempu the north-«ast iôvenCM^Bi >U.lltrai«, Cloven OoU. Buohan' on u'aenedmon off, 88. MukUn'i Und Jonr- ney, 120 ; experlenced by Back, 123 ; aevere;) on M'Cllntock's sledglng lourney, 266. Collège, iVankllç attempts to found a, at Hobart Town, 184. CoUinson, Captain, in conftnand of En- ttrpritt^UIQ.. Cook, Captain James, flrst voyage of dtscovery, 22 ; sails on second voyage, 27 ; reaches 71st degree of south lati- tude, 28; honours conferred on, 29; salis on bis thlrd voyage, 29; his lamenUble death, 81. Cooke, Captain John, in Bellerophm, 72 ; klUed at Trafalgar, 73. Copenhagen, battie o? 12. Coppermine river, exploration of, by Heame.llO; reachedl)yPranklln,122. Cracroft, Miss, kind assistance of, vlil. • parents of, 6; accompanies Sir John and Lady Franklin to Tasmanla, 183. Crasswell, Lieutenant,^ reporta disco- very of north-west passage, 260. Croker Hountains saUed over bv Parry, 147. ' Crosley, Mr., astronomer with Flln- ders, 40. Crowe, Mr. G. W., Consul at Fatras, his ietter to Franklin, 181. Crown Prince Budolfl Land. named bv Paver, 291. " ' Crozler, Captain, in command of Terror in Antarctlc expédition, 186; in Terror with Franklin, 201; aban- dons Erebui and Terror, 226 ; signs the last record, 227 ; is cognisant of the existence of provisions at Fury beach, 288; sUver belonging to found, 269; his notations on laat wcord, 271. < Cumderland, the, relleves party on Wreek reef, 62 ; seized by the French at MauriUus, 68. Cumberland House, reached by Frank- lin, 117 ; FrankUn meeto Dr. Bichard- son at, 168. Current, sontherly, experienced by rjury, 176; by BeiofuU, 266; by Batua, 280 ; by Polarit, 286. Dalt, Camp, formed by Sohwatka. in Chesterfleld Met, 298. *^ Dampier, William, hïs voyage round the world, 21 ; in dtltoebuek, 28. Dance, Commodora^athaniel, salla from Canton. 64 ; engages Linoia, 66 : honours conferred on, 7a Dannet, Captain, communlcatea with — »'V «n k l ln' s s h l w, gW. Beaae, Mr., attached to FrankUn'i second land expédition, 167 : dlaco- veries made by, 199. Death of three of Franklin's men at BMohey laland, 218. I ■1. _.! 318 INDEX. ■u ■ir' °*™?-T*"' ^«Çitenant, U.JJ.N., com- mand» sMrcih expédition, 248. De Long 0Mnnuui5er, U.&'k., In com- mmd of Jeannette, 200. icnption of, 2ia uaptaln Stephenaon, 298. DjBcoTery Bay reached by Oreeley, 308 «jJIUl^^PparatuB Inwnted by D?! D^ ri«3ge«,' Franklin starta wlth. 119 "S^nared'Fr"'^*'»'-"-"'' ^^^«Mp^^'«^rii?f: criacaljpo»ÏUon S^ loi ™ ' ' * ^,262 ; of crew pf ifSn*. on the Drummond, ïfr., accompanie» Frank- biu",°iœ"^'' ^" = ^ tadefattea. 0«g2*«»,^ Dntch dilp, dlBooyers Aus- ^'Sè^lft'* •""■ "" ''*"* '^■■^ °' *SS' '»«''.''°I»Ke to Fran« Josef tand, 806 ; salla from Peterhead. 806 e%"i^orIr**-^«^'- ^ftSr^ oominlMioned by Sir James Apn,^ ■ •*"* o"* nnder command viy^ Polar expédition, 176. ^<^^m, regardlng Franklin, ''^*»toe,UOTt,lett«rfh)m,20r: aUver' >kaiK«nit>iiiûfon of. note, nx. S"~> "'■•aatronomer io Bnchan. OS. nUitm», Oommander. appotatSf to SSl .' '>'î», arinnell Land, explored by Narei sas ■ e^oratlon of. Çy Greelf, sîa' ' ^ôn'mSfl^ .^y lieutenant land, U6. ^"®' •**'' ^«n Bng- "riTÂf«»tLo„io,^e Hg, Captaln, hlfewriou» expedlUonj, '^ H-n i„ H«t°g^r«rk,hl.diaoov,iie.toAus. Hau^ton,ProfeMor, Uwory of «, g«dlngice.barrien,m^ Hearne, Mr., tais dlscoveriM un . °¥f'„Bev. J. P., aent to TaamanU SJÏÏÎJT' ïî! "««Uty, no*., 24^. *"• 3«a?sàfuo-n'fr-'^ •Xittan^Ç^^-^X?/ 0»1ISfiÇ^" oj. 218 ; i>i, «feath/m KîL "*"' '»*»«>^e^oï. r^atf." B,;^J?<'.7*T»" •*•« tor the, 826 "»on".SriS'&oa^ài^'"' «• 160; in Panys tUtd wri^rKé' oommanded 6y ftmin^?^?* ' H^.«,dFnry^SMtedï^'^ J aîî2S-?" KHSo^ land J"»™»?. 166; InstMotloM lent to relative te leàrch for ftanklln. 836 '• searoh expedl^on eqnipped «t «. ^TSy%''''- ^- ^^^ "" Hudson, Henry, h> daring voyage. 81 »»?»«';■ C«Ptal».«PPolntSd dXmor of NewSouth Waleg, 83. , lOï, aiptaln Cook atopped by. in Ant- «rctlc, 28; In Oreenlind wd Spto- beiwn aea. 79; heavy, encoun«irS lif m^^J? '• J-î*»»'» '"?■ be»^ & A^ u iœîn^^â«"2 *y>. M»;, marrie» Mn. Franklln'i BerlMTs Stralt^ 287; appotafed to Kendall Mr.. forma one of Frankllns second land expédition, 164.^^ Il^'m" '° '^"™"'» »' -Pince fi^.'ta^MS"'*'^ formedf 818. iceberm forikicu irom' glaciers. tn^f^'v^T "•* '"«"«tfon of, 98. wîïï?^.?^'*°*"»»* «ttentlon of, 189. Inglefleld. Commandor ..ii2 1. rJJcy ^Mberwf'fonned from' glacien. 9e- i.Œd™m=d"e?.S»iS5î;;5S; '"dJn '«^****"' ^^ Captain Flin- "iîïïs;i!*iir'~*"''' «^p"*^ »° rïîr^ inAustta'» expedlUon, 240. /nw^vatorcommlasioned for service in Anstralla, 14 ; saiU under FUndenT *S ! her nnseaworttoy oondition 44 • meets French ship ji Otographi, « ; her rotten sUte, 6lTwnaeii^^ pointed to command of, 280; sent out under M-Qure, 240/ sumcm^ voyage of, 249. «-«wiiu Irviiû,Dr., hia distUling appaiatos 86 -—Lieutenant, diacoverslreoord left by Oraham Gore, 227. i**^,«*U; under Inglefleld, 26S. /«oéeUa, SoM rescued by tlie. 17& tibjom, crulae of the. M». •'tf.^î^J^ "*'*^ •"'* ^y «Oï^on Ben. nrtt, 299 ; news received of her loss, ^'««fiwipwirrBt ieen, ». "»««kopa Bay, Cook arrivw at, 81. Kliig William Island, seen by Frank- Un» people, 217; one of KranSu^ •Up» »uppo.»d to be wrecked on. ^iLî?^"^_^^'«tatock ^ ^eiârcSitW^'nSSdW"- '^ ?1S*.''S?J?S.*> ^?<ï««» ordered to. 164 ; PUner direoted to wtoter to, 240. ^fiJî^i ^°^' «PPotatod captata of I««wln.Cap«,dlscovered and named,20 ^IÇ^",^' Conncll, admission of put lie to, in Van Diemen's Und, 183 tI^^m A ^«passes month of, 302. teopolnwy of hls sur- ?™«>kMn, 167; ascended by lieu- ti*nant ^yn H'Otatook, f 11 w, W 4. ^Sà- S''îS*4 «««tonnation ooUectwl Iv. sn; hla Joumey t9 1 :i ,f >•, Mm. Franklln'i «nWln In Sain- e litppg,86. nrney to the ey of Iiig BUT. ration of, bj ed by Lieu- Infbnnatloii Jonrney to INDEX. f*''*'p°^ràan,288; reachea MelviUe 821 Wand, 247 ; in commandof /nftww; «,^£. î"^^ 264; tailB in Fpx, «inlf^„? M**** J°«™ey»i 26&-267 resulU of hia voyage In Fox. 274- ^wwatda conferred on, 276. M'Clure, SirBobert, in command of /n- vettwator, 240; accompligheg horth- west paasage, 248. i?"?*'lv.P'' ™«<**1 'onnd belong- Ing to, 266 ; Bilver found, 269. Magdalena Bay, lunrey of, by Buchan, Magnetlc attraction of needléobgerved by Parry, 147. Ma^etic Pôle, diacoveiy of, by Eogg, Markhonae, Mr., gtopg leak in a». «foaeouf, 26. Harquesas Islanda, digcovery of, la v^' \f^*^ accompanieg Sir, John Maggaoreof Eakimog by Indlang, lu. — — of Franklin'g party by Eakimng frugtrated, 162; % Inila™«' vented, 165. *^ Mecham, Lieutenant, diacovers Ruggrfl igland, 247. MeWmeBay, Franklin'g ghipalaatgeen Ifemoriù to Lord Palmergton, 269 S°"^ « eiigtenci i' ^5^ • 'ntoregt in digcovery of n- vived, 195; Franklin api^H to command expédition in aeaitsh of. oîii,. n°**''L "'• ««cwtained by Graham Oore, 218. Novaya Zemlya^r«ï7e«Ao/be»et off, 287. Nuyta Land, Waited bylhindere. 46 AMia^!»**^^*" *"""' ''*'"•* "' ^m. ^""'^ '^^^ ^y M'dintock, Ommaney Captain, aecond in com- mand to XuStin, 243; dlacoveni trace, of ÏVanklin, 244L ""**''«'" Orme, Dr., haad-ma»ter of lonth gniramar-scho<4,j|. -«muui *l^^*'' t^l^^*** *« ft«nkUn'« treal^ent i^PTa Diemen'g Lwid, Si!?"*"; 220,: W» «ledge joumey S PHnce o/ W«leagLand.<«47 ; in cbm- mand of yumeer 268. Oxford, degree of D.C.L. of.gMbtred on Franklin, 172. '^BP*" fAOK,Dorotliea mSTrent teke refuse i^uiS*' ^'?/ ^"^ '^t »n the? MÎT lvSa*801 *■ ""'"'"•nd. the ^ ^andora under Allen Yonng, 296 Paria Oeoçanhlcal Society-a medal Bwaidad to FtamUliL 17L LTm?r^"^î5i xœ'-to» J?™?'!?**"' ^* ; commanda expedi' - Uon to Hudaon't Bay, «i ; promoted ,' ♦.! A.: «* 822 '4X te daptaiD, 158 ; hls bellef in a aorth- wert passage. 153; thlrd eipeditloii in seafch ol a passage, 174 ; exptdi- Uoa towards Korfli Pôle, 176 ; adro- I renewal ofijfoi»» »«i.<»o-nt, Jiillas,MUsiH{ %^. \ % l, é^ h wi-jr-jsr- TS-J' "fW^ by Payer, 290. Jl^t^ ^^ by Captaln PÎ^ffn river, graVes ol* *rhlte men bptain Arthur, fliÀgovernor muup, Mp, discpveijr and examina- Ugn of,m IWpa. Caétein, hia expédition to the ' Horth Pôle, 84. ithaniti, brinjgs home crew of IimtK- 1 Wtor, 249 ; conveys offiowt and crewa 01 Belcher's expeditiom to En^^d, Ij, Piotùtr, one qf the ahlpa In Aiutin'a expédition, 24a ■ Plowr, sent to Bering's Strait, 28Îr: ordered to winter in Kotzebae Sound. 24a , Polar rewarch, renewal ht, adrocated, 800. i> Poiari» «ails « >lfe ■■■' QoiEOS, hU dlscoveries, 18. ?| Itaeekoru, selected for Fblar tàiriora. • tion, 84 ; critical situation mm, Rae, Dr., infonuation obtalned JÉ, 23i • accompanies Sir John KicMmon' 237; exploits nei^bourtioodolapnr pennine Biver, 244 ; obtains àrfo^ from the EsUmoB belonirine to Franklin, 267 ; U paid rewrarU far ascertaining fate of Franklin, 25&r SaiT^Mw, Franklin appoint«d to cojlà,' mand, 178. Ravmêeraia, whaler, rescnes men from Potorù 286, , Y Baws6n, Lieutenant^ Wyatt, HombA sextant riven to, 2^8. Kecord, left by Oraham re at Cape fieraohel, 218;; found By Lieutenant îrl^l *Çi Invettigàtor't, found at Melvflle Island, 254;'discovered b» Hobsoa, 270. . '" Béindeer at Spitzberten, 99; large herds seen near Fort Enterprise, 122 Belianee, arrivai of, at Sydney, 34' retnrns to Englan^, 39 ; boat built by FtankUn, 161. B«Uca of Franklin found at Montréal * lalands, 231 ; broughtbame by Kae. ^ ?67 ; found by M'Ointock, 2tiO. BensseUer Bay, Kane wioters af, «57. JUtolvte, under Captalp Austin, 240 : winter» at Dealy Island, 2.54; her ' wondetfttl drift in the ice, i255. ' Buoiution, in Cook'a second voyam. 27 ; Cook's ship in thlrd voyage, ^. Besulta of voyage of Fox, 274. Bewards, offered for disoovery l.. ; latitudes, 80 : offered by FranUij game, 132; PaAr obtains crosshig the lioth meridiai olEered for information ?eh FrankUn, 286; for J. Franklin, ia»;j, for discoven of nor 249; paid to Dr. Bichardson, Sir John, i_ Franklin, 109 ; nearly : "A ii.i3 nd USi l^ou moi 9tl r iirsEJlS «oci^muni of, 166. Rodgeri sent 301. itottasaiUifoi ' CantM, 64. Bois, Jimies, ( Pôle, 148-11 Pôle expedi Sir John lu arctic expei command s his unexpec 239. Sir John, diUon, 1818, Hountains, : 177; inscho Sabine, Capta Polar resean Atil, tlirumme( 26. Sandwich, Lon Santa Crus isla Savage isiands U6. Schley, Captait School establisl ter quarters, Sehwatka, Lieu tained by, 23 ' WUUam Islai Skientiftc looiet at Hobart To^ Scoresby, Capti isvour of Fol «astcoastof ( Setew steamers 203. Scurvy, outlwea 62; Franklin'i 12â; Narea'se: 298. . Seals, large nut .88. Searcli ezp«litio SeparttlonoTsur «bips, 229. Sextant belongi Si^ d.iven to ïieut« «sr |dat« founi „ffiejq)rtltion, Bkeleton found 1 ai, 27a INDEX. ";? ''î ^ î-wrf»:''""'* "* ^*'* Murder of rd, is^nccompaniea Franklin on Wnd laiid Journey, 164 ; hiè guo- «^l£oumOT^ 166; hia euloglatlo -, „l ?^ *^' "*'™» *» JtoUa Mlls for Wreck reef ■ CanU», 64. Bm», Jdies, dl«cover8North }"«.»»<».«. .87». 298. . - '~' 8^, lai:g« nnhib«r leen by lllnde lia expédition, 268. »"««"»««• JJnw«»rlliv,«wwifcfaOTtticDMror Americaby,'lW. - ai, Î7a "^ "^ Cape Henchel, 'SS^iiî""?""" o'- 1 ; birthpUce of ^nkUn, 6; itatue of Franmn at, ^^"» Premei1iani£ 287 ; abandoned in the^ce, 288. ^ S mi'""' ^^"^^ ^ ««mmsr-èchool. 8; Write* epItZ on Franklin's monomenti 277 '«7^, voyage to Hkdson'sâ^ nnder fi«!k. 18W96 ; wlti Boss iTie iit V Sif %», % -r ' il ««»■■ ^•^ ^ ife:É;. '«"«';« A««B(*WJ 4M. ■ (^ !A^t ^:rf 824 INDEX. ■«Jt^lM; •elected-forFrtnkUn'i «pedlUén, 201 ; froMÎi In the pack. M6 ; «Mndoned, 225. ThltUs, «T., vuwter of IrmtUgoXvr, drowiMd, ie. r nmimmed ull, ue of, 90. T^«M nacoM larvlTon th>mi>oIari(, To» 7%mnt, equlpment of the, 86: perUoiu poiiUoD of the, 8«. rorrw, hto diwMverief, la • 2l>*cm of Franklin flnt diiooTerad, 844 ftaf «Igwr, BatUe of , 78. 3Ven(, Aranklin appolnt«d to cotti> mand of, 90; jpring* a Iqtk, 03 ; leak dlicoTeredand itoppad, 99 ; aqneMed in the pack, 101 ; aerloiuly damaged ^bjr the foe, 10*. ' Tfto«d*raA«uiedaafooi|bv IVank- Ifn'» wurtjr, 181. . ^out Falta, portage ronnd, 119. Tornagaln, Point, reached by Frank- lin, 128. ' Trapn, Captain, hia drlft on the lloe. . Vnitid •SIATI8, a«riat In learcfa for FrankUn, 248 ; RuoiuU presented by Govemment o^ 266 ; Oreeley aent ont br, 80& VrMtd StaUt lalla nnder command of Hayea, 278. Van DmixN'a Ian», âiRcovery >of, 20 ; Franklin appointed Oovemor of , Vtga, «alla ftxnn Oothenbuis, SOI ; ac- çompUahet north-éaat pauage, 804. Velta, the, poem by MteFordin, 144c Venna, tnuult of, obaenred by Cook, 28. Vtetory, aaila nndir Sir John Boas r,}V '■ ^ï*?"* "P •«* «bandoned, 178. , Vlctory Point, nâushed by aorWTon of ^•friM and 7«n«r, 220; boat fonnd nrty niOea ftom, 280; record fonnd near, 27a VI wning, William de, vldta Awkralla, Voyaoeora, Canadian, In FhuilUn'a land expédition, 121. WAon Bi«er, Bwik ordeied to 'vro- oeed to the, 194. Walker, Cape, FrankUn dUecta hIa coorae towarda, 214. "-•^., Walker, Dr., Jolni Fox aa natilrallit and ittigeon, 261. Waterloo Place, statue of Franklin ^wcted in, 276. WMllngton Channel diacorered by R"^' JS^ '• •««nded by Franklin i ♦hlpa, 20». Wfcntiell, Mr. Joina Franklin, 121. ««•♦•n. William, paihter, wlth nin- ^*î"' .*?l o'Woal tketchea of, in Colonial Initltnte, 6a WMtmlnater Abbey, statue of Frank- lin in, 276. WtmnAL Captain.' In command of ^">4*S* îfi"»ndB reaéhed by Srebiu and r«m>r, 207. ' WJialers, favoustble report of the ice by.79. WhaUng oaptoina, rewarda offered to. for exploration, 8a ^ Whitowood, Mr., maater'a mate of In- VMt%(f(ftor, w6nnded by the natives, 6L ' ^B°^^^ Chapel, tomba in, at SpiU- by, 2. Wilmot, SirBardley, suoceeda Franklin aa BOTemor, 190. WInter, Fl«nklin spenda, at Great Bear Lake, 160. Si"î" ?«»»'M' w«ched by Pany, !«. WIntor Uke visited by FnmkUn. 12^ WollastonLand dlifcovered, 166. Wobtenholme Sound, XorÙi Star idn. tera In, 239)1 . , ^i Wrangel Land, JùumttU «ees off, 2f|-^ explored )v Lieutenant Beby, SOI. 179; of Bira, 8W; of knlnu an<^ T»rror seen by the Xskimoa,' 269 : o( fTonMi, 280 ; of i>«rpoiy, 66. ^îï*f,. ^"^ *•»«' leached bj Franklin, 121. , York Wta, deacription of, 116. York FMtory, Franklin arriTes at, 1819, 116; Jonraey by edltcw to Nonwy •Honae from, noU, 117; FrankUn reaohea, after fliat land expédition, Young, Allen, aalla in Fox wlth M'Oin- took, 266; starta on his sledginc Joumer. 267 ; hU attempt to accord Ç"w» M* north-weat paasage in Paa- aora, 29L V Nlehoiai, aiahto New Zeahud, tt ( t , * Jn* \ ri- > , ' •«!'■ ^^T'^' -'^' Fox M natilnditt ttae of Franklin 1 dliooTered by led by Frmnklin'i Franklin, 121. tinter, wlUi Flin- •k«tch«s ot, in 6a •tatne o( Frank- in oommand of aéhed hy Ertbiu report of the ice irard* olTered to, ter"! mate o( in. I by tite naUvea,- >mb« In, at Spib- ucMedi Franklin da,atareatBew ieclbyPany,l4a f FrankUn, 121. rered,166. Xorth Star i^. ant Betry, SOI. ed by Sainbow of Sreinu and bklinos,268;of )<%, 66. er reached b; B of , 118. iarrlTeaat,18l9, itor to Norwa» 117; Franklin and expédition, 'oitwlthM'ain- D hi« «ledging empt to accom- pwMageinPaa- ew Zealand, U. vj ^ ']P l^t m '■'■î-^'.'' '.ftjS"^ ■ ff't'fjLfV'^"^ % \ .*% "f;: 1 «< m jt^ rfi.itfriM* -.Jl:-ié